What were we thinking?

[goatgurl]

SBC I'm thinkin' the porch is a good idea myself but if you and goatsandmoregoats want to conference call with baymule and enjoy your corner of the barn with a snuggly blanket and a thermos of coco that's ok too. lol I'm a baby monitor kinda girl myself. it will be a fun time for everyone. and did you mean pulled as in out of mama or pulled as in taking them from mom after they are born. little worried about that

 

[babsbag]

I am pretty sure she meant taking them from mom after kidding

@Southern by choice . Which doe was playing hard to get?

I only have two bottle fed does in my herd and I didn't raise them but I will tell you that they are so much easier to deal with. They follow me everywhere. I go check the fence and Lyla and Lucy are with me, just like a dog. I am ready to bottle raise this next year and replace all my brats.

 

[Southern by choice]

@babsbag - It was Naomi! Nigerian Dwarf- brat.

And yes Babs is right- pulling is taking them either at birth or after a few days.

Hoping to do a post on this when I have time.

 

[HoneyDreameMomma]

We're waiting another few weeks to breed our girls, so that we can travel for spring break this year. Last year spring break was a staycation with baby goats...not that that's necessarily a bad thing. There are much worse ways to vacation . Anyway, we don't keep any bucks (yet) - we buy them for breeding season and sell them shortly afterward, but we were REALLY lucky to find a breeder who is holding two bucks for us until the end of the month.

For Southern and the rest of you who have already bred/are currently breeding your girls, I'm sure that cold nights waiting for baby goats will bring lots of warm memories.

 

[jodief100]

Our winter born kids almost always do better then the spring born kids. Winter means no bugs, no worms, no cocci, no flies. Once spring hits they are big enough to handle it. Last year was the exception because it got SOOOOOOO cold. I find kidding down to about 15 degrees, they do fine. Colder than that and I do middle of the night barn checks.

 

[babsbag]

Colder than that I move.

But seriously I had mostly Feb or early Mar kids last year and I usually do May. Other than me being outside in the cold waiting for kidding I do think they did better.

Also the hot days and cold night that will set them up for pneumonia isn't an issue in the winter.

 

[Southern by choice]

Colder than that I move.

We have done Feb and on before but not January. I agree, so much netter on the kids and they grow better, mom's bounce back faster too IMO.
I just HATE cold!

I think I will do 3 5x5 kidding stall on the side porch... at night I'll bring the does up. That way I can stay warm and go out when I need to. We are pulling so many this year I think of sleep deprivation and then I think COLD and sleep deprived UGH!
The advantage of warm weather is all about me.

 

[Hens and Roos]

What is the reasoning behind pulling the kids? Friendlier/easier to handle?

 

[babsbag]

IMO...She's lost her mind

 

[goatgurl]

@Hens and Roos she really hasn't gone over the deep end, just set herself up for a lot of work but it is something i have done and still do. the kids are so much friendlier and easy to handle and that's for the rest of their lives. if you are a hands on person bottle feeding is the way to go.