I am a nurturer and nothing feeds my soul like caring for animals.
Especially baby animals who think I am their mama.
They have also been a good project for the girls and I,
because everyone wants to be held and cuddled at once
and I don’t have that big of lap (and hope I never do).
BUT every time we get one challenge out of the way,
there is just another to follow.
1. Disbudding
2. Vaccinating
3. Castrating
4. Weaning
We are in the process of #4 as I speak.
What makes this a challenge is that the goats are still at our place in town.
If they were at the farm full-time, they could scream their little heads off
all they wanted and we would just get through it.
If they do that in my garage . . . well they can’t do that in my garage.
So, this is going to be a longer process then it should be.
They get their full bottle morning and night and
only partial bottle the other two feedings.
They are not happy with me, but are pretty quiet.
They are offered alfalfa hay and Quaker Oats sprinkled with milk replacer.
We also gather dried leaves and grass for them,
as well as let them out to gather their own in the afternoon.
They go to the farm with us whenever we go and
manage to find a plethora of palatable items to ingest.
My goal is to get them to be at the farm full time by mid-May.
Which brings us to
#5 Contain
We have been working on our goat fortresses.
Only this year, the problem is reversed.
I build not to keep the goats in, but to keep predators out.
Much like the thinking that goes into building a chicken coop.
I worry that I can’t keep them safe.
Which brings us to:
#6 Establish a Herd
Well, I guess breeding would fall in there somewhere,
but the whole point of this process is to maintain a healthy dairy herd
which will provide milk and pleasure for our family and our family business.
Every step is a challenge.
We will get there – one step at a time.
If I can just keep these little buggers safe.
Linking up with Verde Farm Farm Friend and Farmgirl Friday. Check it out
and have a great weekend!
9 comments:
ah, they are so cute! i know it is hard work and a lot of worry. are you going to get a greay pyr?
oh boy. living in town is a problem. i don't know how you manage two properties and critters too.
You're doing an awesome job with the girls also-loved their posts while you were on a break! The animals are a lot of work-but the unconditional love is so wonderful that they give you back! Good luck-keep on truckin forward!
I'm visiting from Verde Farms. I just followed you because anybody who quotes Wendell Berry gets my vote! My gelding's name is Wendell after the author. I would love it if you'd come visit my blog. Don't forget to say hello when you drop by.
Have a great weekend!
Patrice
www.everydayruralty.com
Sounds like an awful lot of work, but they are so cute and irresistible it would be hard not wanting to raise them.
Weaning baby goats in town and keeping the neighbours happy...oh boy,are you going to have your work cut out for you!
Do you plan to move to your farm full time or always go between your 2 houses? I bet it is hard. Good luck with everything & I hope your babies stay safe. They are such cuties. So much to learn.
I'm right there with you. I have wondered at times what I got into with dairy goats. But they are so lovable and funny! I'm sure "in town" weaning is quite stressful. I will share this though, when we weaned our two does a few weeks ago, they only cried at feeding time two nights and that was only for an hour before they gave up and went to sleep. I gave them grain (dairy goat pellets & sweet feed) at that time and in a few days they were happy enough to just eat that. We also dropped one bottle a week cutting the last one in half. It worked well but I'm glad we didn't have to worry about the neighbors.
I now see why baby goats are called kids. :)
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