pridegoethb4thefall-Lovin it,Livin it,Losin it Journal CURRENT EVENTS

[jodief100]

10,000 ft ^2 is correct. Thay is a little less than 1/4 acre.

How many you can keep is dependent on amount of forage avaialble and amount of suplimental feed offered. Just make sure they are not eating everything down too far and offer suplimental feed if it gets to short and you will be fine. In my opinion, too far is under 6" of grass. I suspect with that much space anything over 3 little goats will require supplimental feed unles it is really lush.

I suggest running a fence across the middle so you can move them from one to the other regularly. It helps with pasture and parasite management. For great pasture move your chickens opposite the goats. Goats in one half of the pasture, chickens in the other, then swap. The chickens will clean up the parasites and repopulate the field.

 

[pridegoethb4thefall]

Thanks for the tips! I plan to keep offering free choice alfalfa/orchard mix at all times, and keeping the feeder full, or just making sure to re-fill it when they eat whats out there. Will keep an eye on how much they need. I know there isnt alot of forage in the space- its more a way to give them room to run and play, jump on rocks, and do what they wanna do with the big oak trees in the area. There are alot of leaves on the ground, but not alot of weeds or browse. Maybe I can toss some seeds of something out there and see what happens (if I do the split fencing thing).

 

[pridegoethb4thefall]

So, its been crazy around here, just too busy, really.

First, my hubby was gone to chicago for a week, so I was very busy keeping everyone happy, clean, and fed.

On the farm update- Sophie, my pregnant pygmy that I was so worried about- well, she finally kidded, without any notice. And I mean ANY notice...Her ligs were hard, NO goo whatsoever, no noise, very small udder (even for a pygmy, but she's a big pygmy), no posting, not able to get my fingers around her tailhead...NO signs kidding was coming, really...I checked every day, 3-4 x's a day. I went to bed after checking her, got up then checked her at 9 am and saw all kinds of amber colored goo on her tail and rear, so I raced around looking for a baby, hoping she hadnt kidded yet. I looked in the kidding barn and found a perfectly formed, full term baby doeling. dead. She looked like something had sat on her. She was still wet from birth, no defects, perfect, but still dead. I was sooooo beyond sad and depressed. It was my first experience and I feel I failed that baby in a major way. But life goes on and now I have learned to watch closer.

The same day the baby died I had an appt. to pick up 2 NEW DOELINGS!! They are so cute and perfect- Id been waiting 2 months for them and while I was so sad from the other baby dying, they really helped to make me feel better. They are nigerian dwarfs and just so sweet! Named Shyla and Snickerdoodle, they are taming up wonderfully and are a joy!

I also got a new nigerian dwarf doe who is due to kid between tonight and the next week or so, be on the look out for a kidding thread from me soon- I hope to post one and keep up with it as much as possible, PLEASE help me and answer all the panicked questions I will ask!!

We also got a newborn lamb a few days ago- we are all helping to bottle feed it. Its a bummer ram from a friend who is a sheep farmer, I think its a Dorset, a hair breed. he's all white a really cute. I dont like sheep myself, but the babies are the cute-est ever!! He will belong to a family friend when he gets bigger, so he wont be staying here once he gets bigger (at least I think thats the plan...).

My horse had a hoof issue and needed a vet, so I have her on antibiotics. She keeps losing tons of weight despite worming and high quality hay in massive amounts. The vet is stumped as blood work revealed NOTHING, except slight anemia from previous worms. Fecal showed no parasites/worms, blood showed no problems with any organs, no elevated white cell count, no fever, and she has a good appetite. No improvement yet, so I am just doing all I can and hoping for the best now. My mare is only 12 years old. She is due for a tooth float, thats next month.

Today I had to bring in my favorite and oldest hen "mama", she was acting odd and limping a bit. She let me near her and let me pick her up without a fuss, so I knew she wasnt feeling well. She had alot of fluid around her hind end as well so I knew something was off. I suspected either egg bound or egg periontitis. I brought her inside, soaked her hind end in warm/hot water for 15 minutes, towel dried her, stuck her in a crate with water treated with Sulmet, and set it by a heater vent to help her dry. She finally pooped a huge poo, then laid an egg and is now up and looking happy. I am keeping her inside till tomorrow- overnight observation thing.

I have lost a bit more weight- Down to 143. Feeling pretty good about myself. I been cleaning the barns alot, so I think that has something to do with the weight loss. cant wait till gardening season is in full swing- then I really get to sweat! Its the most fun I can have while working out.

Then of course theres all the family drama going on, but I will get into that later... Im all out of free time and gotta go make a goat check and put my youngest child to bed!