Just took the Goatlings for a walk to the back of the property. <3d it! We foraged up hickory nuts and acorns to turn into flour.
It was fun.... The goats, especially Shiva, would take take one out to sample for every two we put in. Silly goats!
Showing posts with label Goats. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Goats. Show all posts
Sunday, December 14, 2014
A Goat Walk and Acorns
Just took the Goatlings for a walk to the back of the property. <3d it! We foraged up hickory nuts and acorns to turn into flour.
It was fun.... The goats, especially Shiva, would take take one out to sample for every two we put in. Silly goats!
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Goatlings keeping me hopping!
Just
had my heart lock up and skip a few beats. I should learn to trust my
instincts! I heard the goats making a ruckus that they do not usually
make and a peeked out the door at them but did not go out to get a
closer look. About 30 minutes after that, went to take them food and
water and behold... Dyson had gotten himself stuck in the hay feeder.
Thank goodness he didn't panic and thrash about breaking his fool neck... We got him out safe and sound.
Guess I need to put the wire guard back into keep them from being back to stick their heads into it. We took it out a few months ago because they were rubbing the hair off their nose on the wire.
Thank goodness he didn't panic and thrash about breaking his fool neck... We got him out safe and sound.
Guess I need to put the wire guard back into keep them from being back to stick their heads into it. We took it out a few months ago because they were rubbing the hair off their nose on the wire.
Thursday, February 20, 2014
A Goat Scare!
In my near year with goatlings, I have never been so scared and felt so blessed in a few rushed moments as I did this morning.
I am standing in my kitchen, straining my fermented hen feed, talking to The S/O as he's getting ready to leave for work. Well, as I am talking I hear Dyson answer me.... like he is prone to do. Only he's not answering me at his gate waiting for me to bring their breakfast and fresh water bucket.... No, he's answering me right under the kitchen window! My heart sinks and I go rushing to the front door... Open it and they are all standing their staring up at me as they all try to talk to me at the same time.
My first thought is.... oh gawd... what have they gotten into!
Well apparently their first thought was to come find me (Which is awesome!) because the barn door was still closed and the hen feed wasn't messed with.
Walked them back up their gate watching them happy dance cause we are out with them. I think they thought we were going to go for an adventure hike. They were disappointed. We wrangled them back inside and went to find a lock for the gate latch so I don't get scared to death again!
Who left the gate loosely latched in the first place? My boys fed them last night as I was cooking dinner/running behind schedule.
I am standing in my kitchen, straining my fermented hen feed, talking to The S/O as he's getting ready to leave for work. Well, as I am talking I hear Dyson answer me.... like he is prone to do. Only he's not answering me at his gate waiting for me to bring their breakfast and fresh water bucket.... No, he's answering me right under the kitchen window! My heart sinks and I go rushing to the front door... Open it and they are all standing their staring up at me as they all try to talk to me at the same time.
My first thought is.... oh gawd... what have they gotten into!
Well apparently their first thought was to come find me (Which is awesome!) because the barn door was still closed and the hen feed wasn't messed with.
Walked them back up their gate watching them happy dance cause we are out with them. I think they thought we were going to go for an adventure hike. They were disappointed. We wrangled them back inside and went to find a lock for the gate latch so I don't get scared to death again!
Who left the gate loosely latched in the first place? My boys fed them last night as I was cooking dinner/running behind schedule.
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Saturday, February 8, 2014
Queen of the Stump!
Woke up to snow blanketed world this morning.... But this afternoon, there was sunshine! We let the goats out and went for a walk along the trails. There was much happy goat dancing. My friend Bethany & her daughter, Maria joined us!
So much fun!
Friday, November 1, 2013
Winter Goatlings Plans
As the sunrise and sunset grow closer together for the winter ahead, we already see see it affecting our critters. The goatlings especially. They seem to have an internal clock. It never fails that at approximately thirty minutes before sun set they start bellowing for us to come out, feed them and give them attention before turning in for the night.
As this is going to be our first winter with homesteading critters, we have been researching what changes we need to make to keep them healthy and happy throughout the season. The following is our Winter Goatlings Plans:
Goatling Snugglings!: I personally cannot go a day without time spent with our goatlings. The S/o and our boys seem to enjoy their time spent out near the Sleepy Goat Inn as well. No matter what the weather, daily time is spent with our goatlings. I could be found snuggling one in my lap while scritching two others. We could be running races around our favorite path in the goat enclosure.... the goatlings almost always win... but they cheat! Or, I could just simply be admiring them from a lawn chair. Time together seems to mean as much to them as it does to us. We can tell they miss it when things get crazy and oft times they will not hesitate to remind us by standing at their gate bellowing until someone appears at the front door.... and then they just bellow a little louder until someone goes to visit with them. In spending time with the goatlings, we learn their normal behavior and will most likely pick up on anything that is even slightly off with them before it gets out of hoof. They learn we are part of their tribe and can trust and rely on us as well.
Shelter: This is a staple of any critter chosen for our homestead. It is a very important part of keeping our goatlings healthy no matter what time of year it may be. However, it is especially important during the wet and/or winter weather. I am told they are really hardy animals and can stand amazingly low temperatures. Even so, I still worry about them. In making our shelter, we made it so they would be free of winter winds, rain and snow. However, we did not go overboard. Not making a shelter to insulated or airtight is just as important to their health. A ventilated shelter keeps unhealthy situations from arising due to ammonia from their urine.
Bedding: We make certain that our Sleepy Goat Inn is supplied with clean fresh and dry bedding at least twice a day to keep out moisture and to help control parasites. We have chosen to us hay for bedding at this time. Our shelter is too small to use the 'build up' method of bedding, which would most likely work better on a larger scale and with dirt flooring.
Hay: Hay is considered the primary feed for our goatlings with grain an addition as a suppliement to their feeding routine. Our goatlings have pretty much douvbled their hay intake in the last few weeks. We are expecting to be filling their hay feeders more often during colder weather to allow them to keep their rumens healthy and active... which will help them stay warmer as they produce more body heat.
Water: Our goatlings appreciate their buckets of ACV'd water. During the colder days, we've noticed they were not drinking as much as they did during the summer. We believe it is from the climate dropping the temperature of the water to uncomfortable levels for them. So, we are going to bring out 'warm' water at least twice a day to them. This is especially important for our wether, Dyson, as he is more prone to urinary calculi. Anything we can do to ensure that he drinks a lot of water must be done, therefor he will have less of a chance of building up crystals in his urinary tract.
Why Apple Cidar Vinegar (ACV)?: We use it per one of our mentors recommendations. She says that ACV is a mineral powerhouse with the added bonus of enzyme/probiotic activity. A 100-200 pounds animal can have a tablespoon up to 3 times a day either added to their feed or water as a daily supplement. She added that it helps to rids the body of inorganic rock based minerals. Of course, it can be used in emergency doses prn. We only use the raw organic unfiltered unpasteurized ACV for very best results... and we especially like them to contain the 'mother'.
Supplementation: Vitalerbs, Thorvin Kelp and Redmond Trace Minerals Selenium 90 Salt is provided year round to the goatlings. However, we know it is especially important in the cold weather months as they will not have access to fresh browse and may not be getting all the vitamins and minerals that they need from their hay and grain.
Grain: My research as varied on the this topic. Some recommended you should give extra grain during winter while others say goats, unless they are in milk or pregnant, should not get grain all. We give our goatlings grain. We do this for several reasons, with the main reason being that we can top dress with Vitalerbs or special supplementation as needed. We do limit their grain ration at this time to as little as possible. The doelings get 1/8th a cup twice a day and Dyson gets half as much. We do not trop dress with ammonium chloride for our bucks and weathers as we are a totally natural homestead. Instead we supplement with ACV and cranberries to aid their urinary functions.
Hoof Care: Any time we are out with the goatlings we watch their gait and how they walk. If they come up for scitches or lap time, we give a quick glance over their hooves to make sure all is well. A good hoof care routine is always important but even more so in cold wet weather. If a goatling's hooves are not kept properly trimmed, debris can collect and freeze not only in each hoof clove but also between the cloves. During the winter months the goatlings trimmings increase to once a month.
Parasite Control: We continue close monitoring of our goatling's health no matter what the seasons. With Parasite control, it is important to stay on top of your fecals and membrane checks. Some prevalent fall/winter parasites are as follows:
Snow Free Areas: Last winter was a mild winter. This year the signs foretell that we are going to have a rather harsh season ahead of us. The goatlings, I am told, will not voluntarily wander out in the snow and that once the snow starts piling up, it can limit our goatlings mobility. Therefore we have a plan to clear up the living area of our goatlings; their favorite place to lounge, walking paths they like to explore, run and plan on, the entrance to their shed, and the gate.
Sunshine!: All of our goatlings are sun worshipers. We always insure they have a place where they can soak up the rays.
As this is going to be our first winter with homesteading critters, we have been researching what changes we need to make to keep them healthy and happy throughout the season. The following is our Winter Goatlings Plans:
Goatling Snugglings!: I personally cannot go a day without time spent with our goatlings. The S/o and our boys seem to enjoy their time spent out near the Sleepy Goat Inn as well. No matter what the weather, daily time is spent with our goatlings. I could be found snuggling one in my lap while scritching two others. We could be running races around our favorite path in the goat enclosure.... the goatlings almost always win... but they cheat! Or, I could just simply be admiring them from a lawn chair. Time together seems to mean as much to them as it does to us. We can tell they miss it when things get crazy and oft times they will not hesitate to remind us by standing at their gate bellowing until someone appears at the front door.... and then they just bellow a little louder until someone goes to visit with them. In spending time with the goatlings, we learn their normal behavior and will most likely pick up on anything that is even slightly off with them before it gets out of hoof. They learn we are part of their tribe and can trust and rely on us as well.
Shelter: This is a staple of any critter chosen for our homestead. It is a very important part of keeping our goatlings healthy no matter what time of year it may be. However, it is especially important during the wet and/or winter weather. I am told they are really hardy animals and can stand amazingly low temperatures. Even so, I still worry about them. In making our shelter, we made it so they would be free of winter winds, rain and snow. However, we did not go overboard. Not making a shelter to insulated or airtight is just as important to their health. A ventilated shelter keeps unhealthy situations from arising due to ammonia from their urine.
Bedding: We make certain that our Sleepy Goat Inn is supplied with clean fresh and dry bedding at least twice a day to keep out moisture and to help control parasites. We have chosen to us hay for bedding at this time. Our shelter is too small to use the 'build up' method of bedding, which would most likely work better on a larger scale and with dirt flooring.
Hay: Hay is considered the primary feed for our goatlings with grain an addition as a suppliement to their feeding routine. Our goatlings have pretty much douvbled their hay intake in the last few weeks. We are expecting to be filling their hay feeders more often during colder weather to allow them to keep their rumens healthy and active... which will help them stay warmer as they produce more body heat.
Water: Our goatlings appreciate their buckets of ACV'd water. During the colder days, we've noticed they were not drinking as much as they did during the summer. We believe it is from the climate dropping the temperature of the water to uncomfortable levels for them. So, we are going to bring out 'warm' water at least twice a day to them. This is especially important for our wether, Dyson, as he is more prone to urinary calculi. Anything we can do to ensure that he drinks a lot of water must be done, therefor he will have less of a chance of building up crystals in his urinary tract.
Why Apple Cidar Vinegar (ACV)?: We use it per one of our mentors recommendations. She says that ACV is a mineral powerhouse with the added bonus of enzyme/probiotic activity. A 100-200 pounds animal can have a tablespoon up to 3 times a day either added to their feed or water as a daily supplement. She added that it helps to rids the body of inorganic rock based minerals. Of course, it can be used in emergency doses prn. We only use the raw organic unfiltered unpasteurized ACV for very best results... and we especially like them to contain the 'mother'.
Supplementation: Vitalerbs, Thorvin Kelp and Redmond Trace Minerals Selenium 90 Salt is provided year round to the goatlings. However, we know it is especially important in the cold weather months as they will not have access to fresh browse and may not be getting all the vitamins and minerals that they need from their hay and grain.
Grain: My research as varied on the this topic. Some recommended you should give extra grain during winter while others say goats, unless they are in milk or pregnant, should not get grain all. We give our goatlings grain. We do this for several reasons, with the main reason being that we can top dress with Vitalerbs or special supplementation as needed. We do limit their grain ration at this time to as little as possible. The doelings get 1/8th a cup twice a day and Dyson gets half as much. We do not trop dress with ammonium chloride for our bucks and weathers as we are a totally natural homestead. Instead we supplement with ACV and cranberries to aid their urinary functions.
Hoof Care: Any time we are out with the goatlings we watch their gait and how they walk. If they come up for scitches or lap time, we give a quick glance over their hooves to make sure all is well. A good hoof care routine is always important but even more so in cold wet weather. If a goatling's hooves are not kept properly trimmed, debris can collect and freeze not only in each hoof clove but also between the cloves. During the winter months the goatlings trimmings increase to once a month.
Parasite Control: We continue close monitoring of our goatling's health no matter what the seasons. With Parasite control, it is important to stay on top of your fecals and membrane checks. Some prevalent fall/winter parasites are as follows:
- Brown Stomach Worm/Bankrupt Worm: More common in fall and winter, these stomach worms cause diarrhea, rough coat, and thinness and inability to gain weight.
- Meningeal Worm: This worm is more common in the fall and winter and needs wet weather. The meningeal worm causes neurological problems in goats, including partial paralysis, circling, blindness, and difficulty walking.
- Liver Fluke: This fluke invades the liver, where it causes internal bleeding and anemia. These parasites affect goats in the winter and spring. In severe cases, the goat will lose its appetite, lie down and not get up, and ultimately die. Less severe cases can cause thinness, rough coat, rapid heart rate, and bottle jaw.
- Lungworms: They are cool-weather parasites; hot weather and freezes kill them. Lungworms can cause painful breathing, chronic cough, failure to gain weight, and death. When you have a goat with a chronic cough and no fever or other signs of pneumonia, consider lungworms.
- Tapeworms: Easy to identify without a microscope because they drop off white sections about the size of a grain of rice in the feces. They cause young goats to get pot-bellied and to develop poorly because the parasites absorb their food. They can also cause diarrhea. A cold freeze can stop the tapeworm cycle in a pasture, but otherwise they can survive in the ground for a year.
Snow Free Areas: Last winter was a mild winter. This year the signs foretell that we are going to have a rather harsh season ahead of us. The goatlings, I am told, will not voluntarily wander out in the snow and that once the snow starts piling up, it can limit our goatlings mobility. Therefore we have a plan to clear up the living area of our goatlings; their favorite place to lounge, walking paths they like to explore, run and plan on, the entrance to their shed, and the gate.
Sunshine!: All of our goatlings are sun worshipers. We always insure they have a place where they can soak up the rays.
Friday, October 11, 2013
Goat Treat Disappointment
In an article I read, "Planting A Goat Garden", the writer states that Pumpkins and winter squash are a "must" crop for goats. Both the seeds and the meat are relished. The seeds contain more protein than most grains—oats included. Because the seed is an embryo of future life, nature packs it chock-full of vitamins and minerals. Extremely abundant amounts of iron and phosphorus are found in these seeds along with lots of the B complex vitamins. For centuries, Hungarian gypsies have known that these seeds preserve male potency among humans and animals, containing a hormone-like component and zinc, which both benefit the prostate. Such squash as Buttercup, Pink Banana, Hubbard, Butternut and Sweetmeat are good winter keepers. While pumpkins are also good to use, the skins are thinner so they will not store quite as long. Goats love both pumpkins and squash as winter feeds. Just put the fruits on a wooden surface in a cool cellar or somewhere where they will not be touched by freezing weather. Pumpkins will last two to three months while squash will last over six months. To feed, two methods can be used. Either crack the hard-rinded fruit with an axe and let goats scoop out the contents, or cut the whole thing into bite-sized pieces.
And well.... I decided to try it.
The breed of my goats you ask.... Alien! Silly Goats!
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Little Tikes Jungle Climber
We bought this last night for the goatlings....
Now to get it sterilized before moving it into their forage area
so they can play king of the mountain..
Friday, August 2, 2013
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Rain... rain.... go away...
My
beautiful Sleepy Goat Inn, looks like a back woods barn. Had to put
tarps up around it. It has been raining so hard the last few days that the
goatlings had no place dry to go except inside the shed. And no one wants to
spend 24 hours locked in there, much less 72.
Monday, July 29, 2013
Our Menagerie's Newest Member... Khloe
____________
Nickname: Khloe
Nigerian Dwarf Doe
DOB 04/07/2013
Sire:
Dam: Parham Farms DT Fudge BonBon
Parham Farms DT Fudge BonBon
Sire: Agape Oaks GHIR Dark Truffle *S
SS: TX Twin Creeks PKM Ghiradelli *S +B
SD: Agape Oaks Burn Ban 2*M *D AR
Dam: Agape Oaks HF Urchin’s Urchin
DS: Flat Rocks Fire Cracker +S +B
DD: Flat Rocks Urchin 2*M AR
Kidding History:
2013 - Twins: 1 Buck, 1 Doe
Khloe's Sire
Jagged Rocks DM Thor
Dam: Parham Farms DT Fudge BonBon
AGS, ADGA, NDGA Registered Nigerian Dwarf
Khloe's Dam
Sire: Agape Oaks GHIR Dark Truffle *S
SS: TX Twin Creeks PKM Ghiradelli *S +B
SD: Agape Oaks Burn Ban 2*M *D AR
Dam: Agape Oaks HF Urchin’s Urchin
DS: Flat Rocks Fire Cracker +S +B
DD: Flat Rocks Urchin 2*M AR
Kidding History:
2013 - Twins: 1 Buck, 1 Doe
Khloe's Sire
Sire: Parham Farms GG Desert Moon *S
SS: Agape Oaks FC Gift of Grace *S *B
SD: Agape Oaks CK Pizazz *M *D
SS: Agape Oaks FC Gift of Grace *S *B
SD: Agape Oaks CK Pizazz *M *D
Dam: Agape Oaks GL Replica 2*M *D
DS: Flat Rocks Gem’s Legacy +B
DD: Flat Rocks Mica *M *D
DS: Flat Rocks Gem’s Legacy +B
DD: Flat Rocks Mica *M *D
Monday, July 15, 2013
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Monday, July 8, 2013
Old and New Pasture
The three kids ate up most of that whole area in less then three weeks.
They wouldn't such the White Snakeroot, thank goodness.
Guess what the other plant is they wouldn't
touch, even though most goats love it?
Poison Ivy.
Friday, July 5, 2013
Progress: Fable Haven Sleepy Goat Inn
We are working on it in between rain showers!
Got the wheels on and more siding.
Monday, July 1, 2013
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Our Evening Walk: June 22nd, 2013
The Tribe chowing down on some honeysuckle.
One of their favorite treats. YUM!
Dyson, Shiva and Aurora
Dyson
Shiva
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Saturday, June 8, 2013
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