Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: What are you doing this Month? April  (Read 4922 times)

ballingall

  • Moderator
  • Joined Sep 2008
  • Avonbridge, Falkirk
What are you doing this Month? April
« on: April 05, 2011, 06:43:02 pm »
It feels like a long time since March's thread!

So what's happening this month with the goats?

We now have had 5 goats kid, 4 more to go this month, all due in 10 days from the 12th to the 22nd. They've all been vaccinated with Heptavac already, the milkers that have kidded have been wormed, and are nearly due for their second round of worming. We have 6 kids still with us, lost one after being disbudded, and a male that was booked has already gone to his new home. We are swimming in milk as have quite small numbers of kids this year- even despite Romily having four. A round of feet trimming has been done- all the milkers that have kidded, and the males have been done too. Need to do the goatlings next. I STILL need to make goat coats- need to do a charity shop hunt for some more material for them.
Our field is still being rested, soon be able to use it again, have spread lime on, and just at the weekend put on a bit of manure as well!

Nearly time for entries to be submitted to the first shows as well.

What is everyone else doing this month?


Beth

little blue

  • Joined Jun 2009
  • Derbyshire
Re: What are you doing this Month? April
« Reply #1 on: April 05, 2011, 09:14:54 pm »
Milking, and all the cookery that goes with it!
Playing with the twins,
Finding a home for their big brother :(  hopefully one near enough to visit!

Removing & replacing the shed roof, on a nice day.
Looking for Shows, to satisfy my goat-envy!
Little Blue

maybelle

  • Joined Sep 2010
  • worcestershire
Re: What are you doing this Month? April
« Reply #2 on: April 07, 2011, 09:42:06 pm »
I'm waiting for one of mine to give birth any day now.

fruitfarm

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • The Lincolnshire Fens
Re: What are you doing this Month? April
« Reply #3 on: April 08, 2011, 07:39:49 pm »


 We are ooh-ing and aah-ing at the three kids born on the same day to 3 different mums. (Last Monday), We are particularly pleased because we lost our billy to UC last year and these were the first kids fathered by our new boy. I was convinced that he was infertile and we would have NO kids at all this year (although some of the girls were looking rather plump!) so three at once was a lovely surprise.

little blue

  • Joined Jun 2009
  • Derbyshire
Re: What are you doing this Month? April
« Reply #4 on: April 08, 2011, 08:49:56 pm »
UC?
Little Blue

Mays

  • Joined Jul 2010
Re: What are you doing this Month? April
« Reply #5 on: April 08, 2011, 09:16:32 pm »
Gosh well I have a huge list to work through, but I have staff for the next week (hubby home & weekend girl coming full time for Easter hols) so i am setting them both to work ;D Lots of spring cleaning (6 stables, feed room, tack room, groom bay, goat shed & hen house) and LOTS of painting to freshen up the yard :D

I have already got my entries in for highland show as I had to get the horse entries in, so did them all together ($$$ eek!), and I am about to sort out Angus show (also taking horses too). I have been told the schedules will arrive any day now for the Forfar shows so that will be me well & truley skint!.

The Goatlings are so mature now, they are due another foot trim & are getting plenty grooming as their winter coats shedding, they love a good scratch just now. My new kids are keeping me busy, still on four bottles a day... thats fun LOL!

I have 10 ewes to lamb at the end of this month, so they are getting caught this weekend and moved closer to the yard so I can keep an eye on them, one of them has a very odd looking udder so I have the vet coming on Monday, plus goign to get all the sheep accredited so that it makes my life a little easier with choosing which fields to use for goats/sheep. I have been keeping them all well seperate till now. At least nce they are all accredited I can be a little less stressed about it!

I been doing worm counts on the Goatlings since I got them last year, so I dont have any worming to do but they are due a worm count (along with the horses), and all the vaccinations are well covered,  though the kids get their first vaccs on monday... they are so freindly & so cheeky I doupt they will even notice the injection!

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: What are you doing this Month? April
« Reply #6 on: April 08, 2011, 09:25:19 pm »
Well yes it is really getting busy now, last 1st kidder due any time now (already had a wee go at something like 1st stage labour last weekend, and since then is also on Propylene glycol due to pregnancy toxaemia), starting to groom the GG's as well. Still no goat coats sawn up... Feeding kids still 4x a day here as well.

First ewe should have lambed on Wed, but she is still ambling along, as wide as she is long..., long drawn out lambing season ahead... and the veg garden and p/tunnel are needing done too... and the house is a total mess - I need a wife!!! (or at least a cleaner.... but no chance)

ballingall

  • Moderator
  • Joined Sep 2008
  • Avonbridge, Falkirk
Re: What are you doing this Month? April
« Reply #7 on: April 08, 2011, 11:20:42 pm »
I have to say cleaning the house does come a long way down my list of priorities! But having been at work all day and taking an hour and a half to milk the goats, I really can't be bothered with cleaning!


Beth

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: What are you doing this Month? April
« Reply #8 on: April 09, 2011, 09:14:18 pm »
Well same here really, except that my job is at home.... but my parents are coming over next week.... oh well I always fell short of their expectations in the clean house department...

little blue

  • Joined Jun 2009
  • Derbyshire
Re: What are you doing this Month? April
« Reply #9 on: April 09, 2011, 09:58:51 pm »
phew.. not just me then Anke!
My kitchen gets cleaned... when my parents or friends are coming. the rest of the house is ours to keep in whatever state we choose!!  ;D
Little Blue

Crofter

  • Joined Jan 2009
  • Isle of Lewis
  • We'll get there!
    • Ravenstar
Re: What are you doing this Month? April
« Reply #10 on: April 09, 2011, 11:16:39 pm »
Well both the girls kidded last month, Clarrie had two on the 9th, first one was dead (been dead a few days) but the second is a nice Billy kid.  Gust followed a week later and had triplets, two Billies and a Nannie.  The Nannie has already gone to a new home on North Uist and the boys are all castrated (rings) as they will be for meat.
They had both been treated for worms and fluke whilst they were dry so I'll give their feet a trim this week and do Rodney (the Billy) too.

The three remaining kids are being bottle fed and it's the first time we've had enough milk to do so without buying Lamlac.  Gust is giving about a gallon a day and Clarrie, who is in her first lactation, is giving about 5 pints.

Back to making cheese again and will have enough for a hard cheese tomorrow I think.
Waiting for the grass to start growing and the ground to dry up a bit so they can go out to graze for the first time this year!

Dave
Comfortable B&B on a working Croft on the Isle of Lewis. www.Ravenstar.co.uk

Roxy

  • Joined May 2009
  • Peak District
    • festivalcarriages.co.uk
Re: What are you doing this Month? April
« Reply #11 on: April 09, 2011, 11:18:21 pm »
I have a long list of things to be doing, and the list keeps getting longer!!  We have been re fencing some of the fields, and splitting them into small paddocks, because all the goats will be at one farm from tomorrow, when we bring the boys (The three Franks - plus little Dolly) over.......just the 9 farm catch to catch then, and thats us with nothing at the old farm.

Until we buy or rent more land, we have to manage our fields carefully, so that means thinking about which is the best way to house, and graze all the animals.  

I have a large muck heap from them being housed all winter, and its gradually crept further up the field .....or more likely I have not been walking as far with the muck barrow - so have been tidying that up ......so have an even bigger heap now.

We have put the new field shelter up, and the goat ark.  I have been trying to integrate all the smaller goats, so they can be in one paddock (except the pygmy billy)  Going quite well, no big squabbles!!

All the hay racks seem to have fallen off various walls and fences, so they all need picking up and re siting.  We have lots of electric posts, so have been cutting them in half or into three, to make solid gate posts.  Cemented two in today in fact.

We were out in the fields until 10pm tonight, and had been there since about 8am - so rather hot and tired now.



plumseverywhere

  • Joined Apr 2013
  • Worcestershire
    • Its Baaath Time
    • Facebook
Re: What are you doing this Month? April
« Reply #12 on: April 10, 2011, 09:03:24 am »
Well apart from the usual goats milk soap making, we will be extending the goat paddock and keeping an eye out for a milking goat to buy.
My 9 year old wants her own goat but I'd like to keep a kid from our current girl Savannah next year - if Milli can prove to me that she will be taking care of it along side me!
as for housework, my house is a tip!! hubby is anally tidy, drives me nuts, so is constantly making the girls tidy but having a job like mine its not easy to be houseproud - also not easy to be houseproud when you live in a building site  ::) 
Smallholding in Worcestershire, making goats milk soap for www.itsbaaathtime.com and mum to 4 girls,  goats, sheep, chickens, dog, cat and garden snails...

jaykay

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Cumbria/N Yorks border
Re: What are you doing this Month? April
« Reply #13 on: April 11, 2011, 08:16:14 am »
It's so reassuring to read this thread   :D
I am waiting for Ellie to kid but am also lambing, chick/duckling hatching (chicks in the kitchen kicking shavings everywhere). Must clean out the byre before she's due.
I may have to muck out the kitchen today though - what with the mud, straw and shavings all over the floor, it's hard to tell outside from inside  ::)

princesspiggy

  • Guest
Re: What are you doing this Month? April
« Reply #14 on: April 11, 2011, 09:57:05 am »
wer just having great fun with our bagots,  :love: :goat: :love:   all the worries about taming the kid are over. we sit down in their paddock and she will literally jump all over u for ages... so funny, she loves a kiss and cuddle. the mums come running to a bucket (thankgod cos they escaped a few weeks back) and u can stroke their horns and faces while they eat. so we're happy cos thats all we wanted from our goats. the other nanny never kidded, just podgy?!!!!
we are hoping to show the kid this year for fun. so will have to find out what we need to do first - do they not need testing for something beforehand? the kid does have dark markings where white should be, so dont know how strict they are in the showring, i presume it would be a mixed breed class anyway so just we'l just have some fun and not take it too seriously. there will prob be 3 little girls leading her in ring cos shes got a fan club!!!   :love: :goat: :love:    lol

 
Advertisement
 

Forum sponsors

FibreHut Energy Helpline Thomson & Morgan Time for Paws Scottish Smallholder & Grower Festival Ark Farm Livestock Movement Service

© The Accidental Smallholder Ltd 2003-2024. All rights reserved.

Design by Furness Internet

Site developed by Champion IS