rachels.haven's Journal

rachels.haven

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I'm beginning to feed hay as of today-orchard grass only in case the grass pasture starts looking less appealing than grass hay. It's very dry again. So dry, in fact, that neighbor two miles down the road caught their round baler on fire and now their field is alight and the wind is whipping and the fire spreading. We'll probably be fine, but it's THAT level of dry again. People also burning down the tobacco smoking barns. We got rain at some point in the last week, but it was like...a "decorative" amount. Like fancy dew. The leaves are turning brown and just dropping off the trees before they can turn yellow. The trees say they are done with waiting to regroup their resources and hoping for rain.
It's suddenly cool now. Sept 22nd the temps went down to 70's during the day, 40-50's at night from 90's during the day and 80-70's at night.
Except for one doe that was bred recently, all does large enough are bred. I opted not to try to milk through. I'll be breeding dwarf FF's and the 33% standard mini saanen, and just maybe the standard saanen girls in November, Decemberish, probably not October. Wow, we're just about out of year already.

I'm bringing in a new Nigerian dwarf doe investment out of the line Erudite is from. She should actually milk too and she will get crossed into my "actually milk" dwarves. (I also brought in two bucks from that other line earlier) Nobody here will like them because they are on the larger side of the dwarf standard as far as kid sales go, but I'd rather have no dwarves than does you have to udder up for days if you wanted to show (forget being productive dairy animals). Those are not dairy goats. I need something to make minis from too, I tell myself.

Erudite has been short cycling every 5-7 days and not settling so I called my vet and we are going to do a hard reset on her with a cidr, estrumate, and pg600. Eri is 8, going on 9, but I'd like one more litter if possible, then to keep her in milk as long as I can. I'd love to be on milk test too to record it, but the verification test supervisor issue is still there.

Our first order of chicks come next week.

I hope Barb is doing okay with the hurricane. I hear it's quite a storm.
 

SageHill

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I'm beginning to feed hay as of today-orchard grass only in case the grass pasture starts looking less appealing than grass hay. It's very dry again. So dry, in fact, that neighbor two miles down the road caught their round baler on fire and now their field is alight and the wind is whipping and the fire spreading. We'll probably be fine, but it's THAT level of dry again.
Yikes on the dryness. Totally get that - here we don't have fall we have fire season. Hope the fire is out soon and that your neighbor doesn't lose too much of the field.
 

rachels.haven

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Hi,
It frosted Sunday morning, so the goats are locked in the barn due to cyanide formation in Johnson grass.
Then later that day DH took us on a vacation to stay in a cabin in Nathan Bedford Forrest State Park and we left my mother as Goat Master. Great. So I didn't get to go re-designing and perfecting my goat containment system yet. I hope it wasn't too hard or annoying for her. The big killing frost is coming later next week, I think.
One more full day, then we head home on Thursday.
Dryoff for the does needs to be November 12thish. I'll start November 1st. They have to be tired. We've been milking since February/March.
My almost 90 year old grandfather is getting re-married. I may get dragged out again for his wedding, but the goats will be dry then. His wife died almost 2 years ago in November. Sounds like the loneliness got to be too much. Grandpa is a very active guy who is still very much an engineer that likes to tinker and fish and usually keeps himself busy keeping to himself. I'm surprised.
I would not mind being done leaving town over and over.
 

rachels.haven

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Riker says, "Hi. Lasth night it freethed. The goats are locked up, but they are okay. See? More walking with goats later though. One week after hard frotht. Now I harath Bailey full time. Heh. Heh. Very seriouth joke." (Riker is never silly)

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Baymule

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Yay for Riker! Is he finding out that ear rubs and scratches are a good thing?

I have some serious barn envy, just so you know. Sez the Baymule going into winter with a cow panel and tarp hoop hut and 3 small metal Quonset huts.
 

rachels.haven

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WOW, Riker is allowing you to touch him and all that now? Wonderful.
Sort of. If I bring the toddler into the pasture and sit on the ground he can't restrain himself and tries to lick and lick and lick that kid. Other than that I still can't catch him myself. I use my kids to catch that dog except when I get lucky and he allows it. I was loosening his collar here.

Yay for Riker! Is he finding out that ear rubs and scratches are a good thing?

I have some serious barn envy, just so you know. Sez the Baymule going into winter with a cow panel and tarp hoop hut and 3 small metal Quonset huts.
Oh Baymule, I hope it turns out okay for you this year and you get your pole barn or bigger shelters soon and that this winter is mild down south.
 

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