Thatdaywewokeupasfarmers
Overrun with beasties
I'm sure all of my questions could be answered by surfing through the other threads on this site more deeply, but I'm pretty new around here and still feeling my way around.
Anyway, my Rosie-girl (two year old Alpine) is pregnant! Her due date is April 17th, and as the time is getting closer, I'm realizing just how much I don't know. I have three main concerns:
1.) When I got Rosie, she was in milk, but in the process of being dried off. That wouldn't be weird, except that she never kidded last year. Why in the world would she have been lactating if she didn't have a kid? Could she have miscarried, and still lactated? (The previous owner had no explanation for it at all.) I'm quite sure that she's pregnant now, if she did have a miscarriage in the past (which seems in my limited experience to be the most likely explanation), should I be concerned that this could happen again this year? So far, all seems well.
2.) I don't have an actual barn. My goat shed is a three sided building that keeps wind and rain off, but that's about it. It's more than enough for adult goats, but will it be enough for a new-born baby? The weather in Ohio is known for being incredibly unpredictable. It should be warm in mid-April, but there's no way to know for sure. Should I try to find a small dog house or something similar to put out there? Or maybe have a coat or onsie prepared? Here's a picture of the barn.
3.) Because I'm a first timer here, I don't even know for sure what to do with the kid once it gets here! (Besides the obvious smothering it with love and kisses) I got into goats for dairy, and so I definitely want the milk. Is hand-raising the route I want to take, then? Obviously the baby will need colostrum for its initial feeding (and possibly for the few after that? I'm not sure how long that lasts?) But after that will I need to begin on a milk replacer? Or will she produce enough that if I milk first for the kid(s), will she have enough remaining for the family? I've already purchased small red lamb nipples, but I've been holding off on purchasing any milk replacer because I want to make sure my kid is getting the best.
I've read lots of books, but I'm still not feeling super confident. I'd love to get some feedback on what to expect from people who know what they are doing.
Anyway, my Rosie-girl (two year old Alpine) is pregnant! Her due date is April 17th, and as the time is getting closer, I'm realizing just how much I don't know. I have three main concerns:
1.) When I got Rosie, she was in milk, but in the process of being dried off. That wouldn't be weird, except that she never kidded last year. Why in the world would she have been lactating if she didn't have a kid? Could she have miscarried, and still lactated? (The previous owner had no explanation for it at all.) I'm quite sure that she's pregnant now, if she did have a miscarriage in the past (which seems in my limited experience to be the most likely explanation), should I be concerned that this could happen again this year? So far, all seems well.
2.) I don't have an actual barn. My goat shed is a three sided building that keeps wind and rain off, but that's about it. It's more than enough for adult goats, but will it be enough for a new-born baby? The weather in Ohio is known for being incredibly unpredictable. It should be warm in mid-April, but there's no way to know for sure. Should I try to find a small dog house or something similar to put out there? Or maybe have a coat or onsie prepared? Here's a picture of the barn.
3.) Because I'm a first timer here, I don't even know for sure what to do with the kid once it gets here! (Besides the obvious smothering it with love and kisses) I got into goats for dairy, and so I definitely want the milk. Is hand-raising the route I want to take, then? Obviously the baby will need colostrum for its initial feeding (and possibly for the few after that? I'm not sure how long that lasts?) But after that will I need to begin on a milk replacer? Or will she produce enough that if I milk first for the kid(s), will she have enough remaining for the family? I've already purchased small red lamb nipples, but I've been holding off on purchasing any milk replacer because I want to make sure my kid is getting the best.
I've read lots of books, but I'm still not feeling super confident. I'd love to get some feedback on what to expect from people who know what they are doing.
Soooo....we chased them around for a full hour before I just barely hooked a finger into my doe's collar! We later figured out that our young goats could literally walk RIGHT THROUGH the squares of the fence, and had done so the night before as well, and visited some other neighbors before sneaking back in before daybreak!! 
So we spent the entire day...in the rain, mind you, lining said fence with chicken wire to keep the buggers in. It worked...but lesson learned. 
If you feed the kids their dam's milk, you will only have to wait a few more months before being able to drink the milk yourself. Cheaper than buying and the best way we found to avoid problems with the kids. Options...
