Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Around the Farm


Onyx is still so funny- always standing with her feet in a bucket. She is having the hardest time adjusting to Phoebe and Scilla and torments them mercilessly. Evil doe.

Kat went into heat again last weekend. I'm starting to wonder if I'm ever going to get her bred again! She really needs to freshen. I need kids to sell and would like to be getting more than a quart of milk a day from her for the next year.

It makes me glad I bought the Alpines since I don't know if Kat will get bred and still don't know whether Onyx's left half will come back when she freshens. The vet gave her a 50/50 chance. It's a good thing I like her, because she has sure been trouble. If I ever buy a doe in milk again, I will require a CMT (California Mastitis Test). Live and learn- and lose a lot of money before you've learned. I want two doelings, hear that Onyx?!

Some of my dear friends lost their pygmy doe on Monday. So very sad. She was pregnant and they think she lost her mucus plug on Saturday. Then the breeder came out and said she had severe diarrhea. So severe, that it was just water and it was impossible to tell whether her wet tail was kidding related or sickness.

They are first time goat owners like me and my heart just breaks for them.

I better get my act together and go milk. It's cold out and I have been dreading going out in the mornings. And it's been taking so long to get chores done because I have to separate the new does to give them their grain and usually end up having to do some puppy training too. I can't wait for everyone to acclimate.

4 comments:

  1. You constantly amaze me, K.

    I am sorry for the missteps along the way but it seems as though you are making amazing progress, especially with how much you have going on. I truly look up to you and hope that when I have the opportunity to take on goats, chickens and *gasp* perhaps even bees that I can handle it with half of the grace and fortitude that you have. Even not knowing that you are, you're teaching me what to expect and what to or not to do with mostly self-sufficient living.

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    1. Thanks, Sweetie! So nice to hear from you. *hugs*

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  2. I know what you're going through with the does not getting pregnant. I am having a time with 2 of mine. Darned old goats. It could be that I started breeding so early last year. Never did that before so might have confused the poor girls. I'll put 2 of the does upo front with the bucks again this afternoon and see what happenes. Supposed to get snow flurries again tomorrow.

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  3. I'm a first time goat owner too. I think my girls pregnant but don't know when she's due! I'm dying with worry and anticipation! I am looking forward to milking my goat but didn't think about the cold weather! Glad the hubs built me a little barn. Homesteading is quite the learning adventure ☺

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