Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 6:44 am Post subject: Re: [Food] Production - Goats & Sheep
It's been busy around here with the goats. Seems like I'm living with them half the time these days. Just thought I'd share an update.
Cinnamon and Spice continue to get bigger everyday. They're now just about a month from their due dates, and I wonder how many they're going to have. Cinnamon especially. She's a big girl anyway, but as round as she's getting, I'd say triplets. Of course, I've seen really round does give birth to only one large kid, but we're hoping for more than one.
Spice is equally as round, though she's a smaller doe. My luck she will be the one who has triplets and won't be able to provide enough milk for them. With one month to go, her udder is more distinctly developing, but still on only one side. I figure I was right - she's only going to have milk on one side. I hope she has a single kid, otherwise we're going to be bottle feeding her babies a bunch of the milk we're now drinking from Sugar.
Sugar is doing just fine. We've had some trouble keeping weight on her, since she puts everything she has into milk for the babies and us. But, these days we seem to have figured out the amount of grain she needs to keep the weight on, and she's doing better.
The babies are little monsters, growing like weeds. Lefty, the bigger of the two, was tape measured at 50 pounds last week. They've been on coccidia prevention since they were a month old, and I have to keep up with their weights to make sure they get the proper dose of meds. Last night we did what will be the final dose of meds for these two, since they're going to be sold on April 19. It's time for them to go anyway. As big as Lefty is, it won't be long before he'll have to be separated from the girls. He has the "want-to" right now, just not the height.
Ringo is doing just fine. He had a runny eye a couple weeks ago, and a couple irritated spots on his face (looked like pimples) that we figure was from an irritation or allergy to something in the hay. We bought some new hay from someone, and the irritation started right after that. Some neosporin around his eye, and some benadryl cream on his spots seem to be clearing them up.
This wet weather we've been having has played havoc on the barn and everything around. We hired a "farm hand" yesterday (a young man Carlin works with who wanted to earn some extra cash) and he came and cleaned out the entire barn and Ringo's stall area for me. A huge job for which I was very thankful. After he finished, I spread Sweet PDZ (Stall Fresh) in the barn and stall to keep down amonia and help dry it up, and then spread the entire area in pine shavings. It's so much nicer out there.
We also tried to copper bolus the girls. Cinnamon and Spice seem to be copper deficient. Spice is showing it in her coat. So, the theory was to try to bolus them to help out. Well, after 3 attempts (each), they promptly chewed up the bolus instead of swallowing them whole. It will help some, but would have been better if they'd swallowed the bolus, so the copper rods could lodge in their rumens and release slowly over time. Now they'll likely pass a lot of the copper, but at least they'll get some of the benefit.
I'll be changing their mineral once we finish up this bag. It's a good mineral, made for meat goats, but a goat friend of mine uses a different variety (which is actually for calves under stress, not goats) and her goats never seem to be copper deficient. So we'll try that.
All in all, as of this morning (knock on wood), everyone is healthy and happy. A few more weeks to go, and I'll hopefully be able to post pics of more pretty babies.
How are all the other goaties doing out there?
Kathy
Posted: Sat May 10, 2008 6:20 am Post subject: Re: [Food] Production - Goats & Sheep
Thanks
They're even cuter this morning, all dried off, cleaned up and bouncy . We have one more to go, too - my avatar doe, Cinnamon. She's due any minute and I'm a nervous wreck. These two babies were in a hurry to get out and both wanted to come at once. We had to do some re-arranging... it was a little scary. I'm hoping for a more "normal" delivery with Cinnamon.
Cinnamon will be the last for this year... and I'll be soooo relieved when she's done!
Kathy
Posted: Thu May 29, 2008 4:19 pm Post subject: Can goats and pigs co-exist?
So we have the buck penned up all by his lonesome in some prime real estate with a nice shade tree and Rocc brought home two piglets last week that we put in with the does. However...I'm not sure I want the goats eating the pig slops. I'm worried they'll get bloaty or worse. Is that an issue? Should I have seperate pens for the pigs or are they all okay co-habitating? I also don't think I want the pigs in with the buck 'cause he flippin' reeks to high hell and maybe the pigs will taste funky because of it.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
BTW, the sudden influx of newbies around here is nuts. We were all newbies at one point or another, some of us more recent (myself) than others. Still, other folks think the party is in full swing. A girlfriend of mine in real estate got liposculpture and then a week later got laid off from work. If that isn't a classic sign of the times, I don't know what is.
Anyways, back to goats. I always respect the advice I get here from folks that have forgotten more about farm animals than I'll ever know!! I don't post often but I certainly have a soft spot in my heart for all the regulars here and now that this thing is in full swing I pray for a safe landing for all of us.
Posted: Thu May 29, 2008 9:34 pm Post subject: Re: Can goats and pigs co-exist?
Ang,
Personally, I'm not sure I'd run them together. There's the issue of what they're eating, as you said (and this very well could be a potential problem), but also because as the piglets get bigger, your goats might get hurt.
Some piggies can be pretty rough to be around. Can you pen off a section of the buck's area for the piglets? Maybe using the shade tree as the divider so that both the piglets and the buck get some shade? Even if your buck is in rut and stinky, as long as they don't rub all over each other, your piggies should be fine. The smell carries, but doesn't get in the meat (or milk of your does) unless he can physically touch them.
I know people who throw culled chickens to their pigs to eat - feathers and all. I'd be worried with little goatlings running around, or in your case, mini's.
Sounds like your little farm is coming together with the addition of piglets. I'd love to hear more.
Kathy
Posted: Thu May 29, 2008 11:54 pm Post subject: Re: Can goats and pigs co-exist?
I would not. My grandfather had a farm & the pigs were always kept separate from the other animals. I learned from a young age to stay out of the 'pig pen' because they can be insanely aggressive.
Joined: Apr 03, 2004 Posts: 6375 Location: My Grandkids' Farm
Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 4:18 pm Post subject: Re: Can goats and pigs co-exist?
I don't know much about goats, but most animals eat what they like given the choice; put a chicken a dog a pig a cow a goat a horse and a giraffe in a lot with sufficient fodder and they will eat what they like.
Gross as it seems, each type of digestive system processes food differently and can process the wastes of other types of animals. A cow won't eat grass close to a cow flop, but will eat chicken litter. A chicken and a dog and perhaps a pig will eagerly eat cow pies.
Not sure about giraffes tho...
I would say if something stinks too bad, they are to tightly penned. _________________ Make a plan and work it:
Joined: Apr 03, 2004 Posts: 6375 Location: My Grandkids' Farm
Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 4:58 pm Post subject: Re: Can goats and pigs co-exist?
Yea, Taizy, goats like woody, cows tall grass (one set of teeth and a tounge) sheep/horses (and goats ?) have uppers and lowers and can crop short, chickens have little diggers to get down a ways and pigs have snouts to root up what the others can't reach.
Pretty funny how Mom (or whatever) figured that all out.
All we need to do now is remember how it works. _________________ Make a plan and work it:
Joined: Apr 12, 2007 Posts: 1162 Location: Central NC
Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 5:29 pm Post subject: Re: Can goats and pigs co-exist?
Well, Bush claims "people" and fish can live together peacefully.
On a more serious note, I never have, but I wouldn't. Some 6' T-posts and 6 hog panels makes a semi-movable pen for the hogs so they can root up one place then get moved to another. Bigger is better.
Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 5:55 pm Post subject: Re: Can goats and pigs co-exist?
Nope Pops. Only one set - lowers (you knew I'd answer that, I'm sure )
Goats will also eat grass, though they prefer browse - leaves, shrubs, etc. (like deer). They can strip the bark off a young sapling with those lower teeth, though.
I agree with homesteader. Make a moveable pen for your piggies. Pick a new spot for next year's garden and leave them there for a while, though. They'll clean it up nicely, digging up all the roots and fertilizing it to boot. Then you can move them around .
Kathy
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