It's been a while...

I haven't written much because 2016 was a very, very difficult year.  

As much as the start of the year was exciting and nerve-wracking with new babies and bad weather, the part that started at March through December could be forgotten, from the perspective of our farm.

The best thing in 2016 and our lives was the adoption of our little girl.   She has kept us busy, busy, and busy; hence, the lack of extra time to write a story or two on a blog.

With that adoption came alot of baggage.   Coincidence, I think not but prior to the finalization of adoption, our King, Buckwheat, took to a mysterious illness.  No stones; no hoof rot; no visible trauma.  No pneumonia; no bloat; no foaming at the mouth.  Nothing.   He just one day stopped walking.

We would have days where he would get up and stretch.  Days where he would eat like the king that he was; days where he just didn't want attention.   Buckwheat was our first boy goat and my baby.   He was the one animal that if I had something happen to me doing chores, he would come to me and protect me.   At 300-400 lbs, I loved his protection.   It hurt me (even now as I type) to loose him and not know why.

Then, the adoption came.   The day after, one of Buckwheat's sons was found with no visible trauma; nothing.  No signs prior to the adoption that anything was wrong.  Mocha was a sweetie.  Another few weeks went by, and one of the younger bucklings from the last season, was found by my husband.   As it is, we also lost our co-queen over New Year's.  She was a favorite and she left behind (2) baby bucklings that are super cute and want attention.   Because of all of this, we are looking to relocate our farm.  

You can interpret the scenario how ever you like.   The family associated to our little girl is not a good group of folks.  All have criminal records.

Anyway, with all of that, we are hopeful 2017 is better.   I promise to write some cool things in the next few days as it is already time to start planting seeds for spring planting :)

Latest and greatest

So alot has happened since my last post.   The babies are now 5 months old going on a year.    The boys have recognized that they are just that: boys.    The moms have been weening them all and the two bottle feeders are almost there as well.  

The barn is receiving some work today as we needed to clean it out/muck it for the winter.   We are also in the process of expanding the barn area and wether the boys.   Having a full flock of goats has added alot more work to the little farm that we have.

The guinea birds are laying eggs daily.  No brooding birds though.   Our ducks on the other hand have the twins brooding.   We should see (hopefully) baby ducks soon.   This is exciting to us as we haven't experienced baby ducks yet.  There are several hens brooding but none of them have produced any chicks yet.  Could be the constant change of weather - who knows.

So, the farm is super busy.    We are also dredging out the pond and redoing the clay layer to have a bigger pond to host fish this time around.   We already are good on turtles, frogs, toads, and water birds.   Time for fish...

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSO, sounds like alot, huh?  Guess what, there is even more that has changed.   As you are aware, my blogging has been quiet for a bit.   Well, in March, we became legal guardians to a wonderful little person!   As you can imagine, her presence in our lives have caused a major shift in thinking, behaving, living, and loving.   She has been the best thing ever.

Our little one loves the farm.  She does chores with us every day.  Her favorite thing to do is "help" with the water needs (aka, play in the water; run around in the mud).   She loves the goats and is fascinated by the ducks.  

The dogs have taken a special liking to her too.   They are especially protective of her.   They walk with her wherever she goes in the house or on the farm.  

Her laughter fills the house with beams of joy and happiness.

Hope all is well in your world!  Ours is full of awesomeness.   More to come the next time I have a few minutes.

Next chat will be on the garden...stay tuned!

Plant these to save the bees!

Kidding Season So far...2016

So, 7 of our 8 girls were pregnant this kidding season.  2 of them we didn't even know where in the family way as they never gained weight, didn't have udder sac changes, didn't exhibit a mucus stream, or any of the other "normal" signs of being pregnant.  19 babies arrived; we lost 5 but have 14 bouncing and crazy little ones right now.

With the arrival of all of the babies, we just doubled the herd and now have to create a larger barn area.   It is interesting at night trying to marry babies to their moms.   In order to save us headache, we color coded the little ones with kids paint.  It is washable and non-toxic.  Of course, it doesn't last very long when you have several days of rain!

Anyway, we had 2 sisters deliver their babies at the same time.  That was extremely stressful as the first baby to arrive was a breech.   That was a new delivery for me as I had yet to experience that. We also had one doe delivery 5 days late.   Another had a very, very difficult delivery and I wanted to touch on her situation as a "lessons learned" for others.

Praline started exhibiting a bloody mucus stream the week of her delivery.  This is never a good sign. Her body was demonstrating that something was wrong.   She delivered 3 babies, the first 2 being stillborn.   Her body was likely trying to abort these; thus the bloody stream.  

During her delivery, which was stressful for all involved, she lost alot of blood and fluids.  She became too weak to stand and take care of her one surviving baby.   We had to do something to save our Queen of the Herd.

Vital things to have on hand during the week of delivery consist of:

Pedialyte
Gatorade
Electrolyte mix
Molasses
Apples
Drench syringes: both empty to push fluid and those that have electrolyte already inside
Goat Drench fluid (smells nasty but works miracles)

With Praline, she was so weak that we drenched her with the Goat Drench every 8 hours.   Every hour, on the hour, we provided oral doses (drenches) of pedialyte.   This was for three days.  

The first day was focused on rehydrating her and helping her feed her little boy.   Day 2 consisted of convincing her to try to drink on her own.  This is where warm, molasses water is important.  Goats love anything sweet and molasses gives that extra boost of sugar for energy and strength.

Goats also love apples.   Because Praline was still too weak to eat on her own, we made her fresh applesauce.   We mixed in some of the Goat Drench in the sauce and provided her applesauce every hour, on the hour, in combo with the pedialyte.  By Day 3, she was able to stand on her own and no longer needed the Goat Drench  (thank goodness because this stuff really stinks!).

Days 4 and 5, she was back to herself and did not need us to intervene.  She started eating hay again and grain.   Smiles were had by all.

Now, all of the babies are outside and starting to nibble on grass, grain, and hay.   Some are also helping themselves to the water in buckets that we hang high enough to keep them from drowning in. The weather hasn't been overly fun for their first few days outside as we have been receiving rain.   They are still happy to be able to jump around and run like crazy little goats!

Interesting Birthing Season so far...

Since my last post, we have had 10 babies arrive so far.   Two of our does we didn't even know were pregnant gave us cuties.  These girls didn't show any new weight gain.   They had no mucous stream.   They had no grunting or grinding of teeth.   They didn't show sinking hips either.   This was a first for both of them.

The tiniest of all of our female herd had twin girls!  They are absolutely adorable.   As expected, our girl that gave us four bucklings at once last year, delivered four again this year.   This time, three boys and 1 girl.   Her delivery was extremely stressful as we came close to losing her but molasses water and constant care have made her a strong survivor.  

Her labor was over 6 hours.  The first born was a breech and my girl cried in such agony.   That was a very scary first experience for all of us.  Did I mention that her triplet sister was also delivering at the same time?  This doe delivered 3 babies.  1 girl and 2 boys.   We lost the girl and one of the boys.  

Because these sisters (their other triple is not pregnant) are inseparable, they are raising each others babies.   This is fabulous as our girl that delivered 4 took two days to recover and her sister has been feeding the babies on her behalf.

So, the count is at 8 babies alive and well.   One little boy has an eye goober issue which we are treating with pink eye medicine and it is working.   All are feeding and moving around.  Every single one of them started to walk within minutes of birth.

We have 3 more does set to deliver.   2 are experienced girls and will likely deliver at least 2 each.   The last, is a set of triplets with this being her first time.    She is grunting up a storm and so is her mother (one of these 3 referenced in this paragraph).   I think that all 3 will deliver this weekend, which will be to my favor as I am home and will be again on Monday.

As stressful as this situation has been and is, it is also extremely exciting.   Seeing new life start is amazing.    Farm life is never easy but it is very rewarding.

Stay tuned for more and I will post pictures once all babies have arrived :)

Birthing Kit Must Have's

Birthing Kit Supplies

This is a list of kidding supplies for goats. I keep these items in an easy to carry box as a kidding kit that keeps everything I may need in one place and I can carry it with me to wherever it is needed.

1. Flashlight & batteries - For those night time deliveries.
2. Latex gloves – In case you have to assist.
3. OB Lube – In case you have to “go in” to assist.
4. 7% iodine – To treat the umbilical cord to prevent navel ill.
5.  Small spray bottle or film container – for dipping or spraying the umbilical cord with iodine.
6. Dental floss – To tie the umbilical cord, if necessary.
7. Blunt nosed scissors – For cutting the umbilical cord if it is too long.
8. Alcohol - to sterilize tools
9. Baby nasal aspirator – To remove fluids from newborn’s mouth & nose, if necessary.
10. 3 old but clean towels & 2 washcloths – To dry kids to prevent chill & dry hands.
11. Bottle & Pritchard Nipple – In case you need to bottle feed, I have had the best luck getting newborns to use the Pritchard Nipple over others.
12. Lamb / kid puller – In case of a kid that is positioned wrong. (Usually just your hand is enough to help a doe that needs help but it is a good idea to have one).
13. Weak lamb syringe & feeding tube – To feed kids too weak to nurse.
14. Small scale - I use this to get a birth weight on the kids.
15. Feed bag or garbage bag – For picking up the afterbirth.
16. Soap & warm water - for washing up in case you need to assist.
17. Small notebook & Pen - to record birth weights, etc.
18. Digital thermometer – To check the temperature of chilled kids.
19. Quiet hair dryer – to warm a mildly chilled kid.
20. Phone # of 2 goat knowledgeable veterinarians - in case of an emergency.
21. Empty feed bags for birthing on with easy cleanup
22. Old cloth diapers and towels
23. Garbage bags
24. Chuck pads for wet slippery babies to stand up
25. Scissors
26. Lubricant
27. Heat lamp
28. Bulb syringe
29. Feeding tube
30. Camera

Most births go very well and there is little assistance needed, problems are quite rare but can happen so it is always a good idea to keep a close eye on does that are close to kidding.

Some other kidding tips:

Always handle any goat, but especially bred does with care and in a manner that will not stress them.

Give your pregnant does their CD/T vaccination boosters 4 weeks before they kid to protect the mother and assure she passes those good antibodies on to her newborns. This is also a good time to check her for anemia, usually caused by worms. Pull down the lower eyelid & make sure it is a healthy dark pink color, not pale or white. An anemic goat may not produce milk like she should at kidding.

It is a very good idea to have frozen colostrum on hand for an emergency because it is absolutely imperative that the newborn kids get colostrum as soon after birth as possible. It contains the antibodies needed to help keep the newborn kid healthy. It is a good idea to milk out a little colostrum from a doe that has recently kidded after her kids have nursed, then freeze it in an ice cube tray and store the cubes in Ziploc bags in the freezer for future emergency use.

After the kids are born, make sure the doe’s teats are not plugged so the kids can get their colostrum.

Give the doe some warm water with some molasses in it after she kids for extra energy and to help replace fluids, she will relish it.

Do not feed a severely chilled kid, warm them up first because a chilled kid cannot digest milk and will not want to nurse.

If you do have to go in to assist, it is a good idea to treat that doe with a round of Penicillin to prevent infection.

The doe should pass her afterbirth with-in 12 hours of kidding, if she does not a vet should be consulted. NEVER pull the afterbirth out of a doe as this can result in serious damage to the doe, let her expel it naturally.

Deworm the doe the day after she kids; this is a time when worms can get out of hand because of stress and hormonal changes that result in a dramatic rise in worm eggs.

First Aid Kit for Goats

Include the following equipment and supplies:

·         Surgical gloves

·         Drenching syringe for administering medications

·         Cotton balls

·         Gauze bandage

·         Alcohol prep wipes

·         Elastic bandage

·         Digital thermometer

·         Syringes and needles

·         Tuberculin needles and syringes for kid injections

·         20-gauge needles and syringes of various sizes — 3 cc, 6 cc, 15 cc

·         Tube-feeding kit (tube and syringe) for feeding weak or sick kids

·         Small clippers for shaving around wounds

·         Sharp scalpel

·         Sharp surgical scissors

Include these medications:

·         7 percent iodine

·         Terramycin eye ointment for pinkeye or eye injuries

·         Antiseptic spray such as Blu-Kote for minor wounds

·         Blood stop powder, for hoof trimming injuries

·         Di-Methox powder or liquid for coccidiosis or scours

·         Epinephrine, for reactions to injections

·         Kaolin pectin, for scours

·         Antibiotic ointment, for minor wounds

·         Aspirin, for pain

·         Activated charcoal product, such as Toxiban, for poisoning

·         Children's Benadryl syrup, for congestion or breathing problems

·         Procaine penicillin, for pneumonia and other infections

·         LA-200 or Biomycin, for pneumonia, pinkeye, or infections

·         Tetanus antitoxin, to prevent tetanus when castrating or for deep wounds

·         CDT antitoxin, for treatment of enterotoxemia

·         Milk of magnesia for constipation or bloat

You also want to include these items:

·         Betadine surgical scrub, for cleansing wounds

·         Probiotics, such as Probios or yogurt with active cultures

·         Powdered electrolytes, for dehydration

·         Fortified vitamin B, for goat polio or when goat is off feed

·         Hydrogen peroxide, for cleaning wounds

·         Rubbing alcohol, for sterilizing equipment

Additional questions to ask yourself for your setup:

·         We need a milking kit and to do final preparation of the birthing area.  All supplies should be right where we need to work.

·         We also need a milk situation setup.  Should we have a refrigerator in the building now?

·         What are we doing about soap and cheese?

·         We need a heat lamp for the delivery area/room.

Goat Notes during Birthing Season

It is that time of year again. I have been following other bloggers adventures in goat babysitting this season and have read of their struggles and good times. I have 4 female nubians (doe) pregnant right now (all unplanned as my husband left the gate open...) Based upon calculations, I have at least 8 babies coming. One of my does delivered 4 (yes!) in her first pregnancy. Why is that odd? because all 4 were bucklings (unheard of!) To make it more interesting, she is a triplet herself and one of her sisters is pregnant for her first time.

I have a doe that will be in pregnancy #3. She is set to deliver, one year, almost to the day of her last pregnancy. She is my wild card. Her first pregnancy, she delivered 7 days past her due date and the babies were not viable. In her second pregnancy, she delivered on time. SO, I have no genuine idea of when to expect her babies other than constant monitoring.

I want to offer some key things to look for during the last two weeks of pregnancy. I have been doing this for a few years now and the signs and symptoms are the same. I will post pictures of the girls so that you can see how things develop over the next 10 or so days.

February 2016 Babies Coming!!!!

Many people will say that you can't tell if a goat is pregnant just by looking at her but I disagree. There are prominent indicators and I plan to offer these to you. The key is to pay attention to the timing of everything. Goats deliver pretty close to 145-155 days from time of insemination. If you know the exact time of when your doe became pregnant, mark a calendar and count out 150 days. I usually highlight when I think the time will be on my Farmers Almanac calendar in a marker.

First and foremost - they have what I call saddlebags. Some people refer to this as the goat has sunken sides.  You can see that they appear pregnant. For most of the pregnancy, your goat will look like she is carrying her babies up high in her abdomen. However, right before birth, they kids will drop and the top of her sides will appear “hollowed out” instead of full like before.

Praline is carrying very low right now.  Her saddlebags are large and pronounced.

Here, you can see the Claire is wide - she has the appearance of saddlebags.   She is my doe that delivered 4 bucklings!

In this picture, you can see a mucus stream from her back area.   This means that delivery is coming.  It could be hours or in this case, a few days.  Her stream is thin and not thick.   She isn't presenting that pregnancy is imminent...yet.

These are some photos of my herd that isn't pregnant so that you have them for comparison...

No saddlebags or wide area on Shay.

Another view of Shay showing that she is slender when comparing her to Praline or Claire.   Her buddy Butterscotch decided to photo bomb this shot!

Long body view of NutMeg.  You can see she is not pregnant in comparison of the other females.

Next, check their udder sac. Pregnant does drop the udders and the sac starts to fill. This isn't as reliable for goats that have delivered before.  First time goats also do not always drop or fill out until after kidding has happened.  My goats show their udder sacs filling as pregnancy progresses, but their udders (usually) don’t get full and tight until after they’ve kidded and their milk comes in. I’ve heard some people say that the udder will become big and shiny right before kidding.   I haven't experienced this yet.

Here is a picture of one doe that isn't pregnant. Her udders are high and her sac is not full.




Other indicators are mood changes. My girls love attention all the time. Mood changes such as isolation, not wanting attention, and general "grumpiness" can be triggers the time for delivery is near. Some goats go into the total "lovey dovey" mode. As a goat begins to go into labor, she’ll just act “different.” She might act restless and repeatedly try laying down, only to get right back up. 
If you know your goat’s personality, you might notice that she just isn’t acting like herself. 

Perhaps she’s friendlier than normal, or even more offstandish. If isolation is happening, the soon-to-be momma is looking for a safe and quiet place to deliver.  We have birthing areas set up for each delivery as we are involved in the labor and like to make sure that everything goes as smoothly as possible.  We keep the goats inside in winter until they are ready to go out and mingle with the herd.   We realize not everyone has the facilities to do this but a clean birthing area is a must.


I have noticed with my girls that right before they deliver, they get the endorphine rush which gives them a far off gaze. Basically, their body just prepared them with its version of an epidural to relieve some of the pain of labor.  Sometimes their eyes seem to almost “glaze over” and they get sort of a faraway look.

Another sign is to do what we call the "who-haa!" test. This refers to checking the area of the doe's vulva and anus to see a shape change.  Lift up the tail to check. It does help if you've checked either pre-pregnancy or in the first month, so that you know what looks "normal" and have a comparison image (yes, do take a smartphone picture to help you). About two to three months after conception, check this area again. If the doe is pregnant, the anus will drop away from the tail area and the vulva will appear longer, like a teardrop. However, as with looking at the goat's belly size, this is subjective and based on good observation skills.

In this picture you can see not only the mucus stream, but that Praline's vulva and anus large and elongated.

This is an image of a non-pregnant goat and her vulva/anus area.  Short and tight.  Does not appear relaxed.

A measure that indicates delivery is coming soon is one that requires you to do the "pinch the tail" method. This will help you determine if she is "loose or still tight". When labor isn't far off, the ligaments located near the tail become soft.  You will know when to start checking this regularly as the female arches her back often (moving the baby around to feel better) and her tail remains raised as shown here.
This is the sign that I monitor frequently. Goats have two cord-like ligaments that run along either side of the very rear portion of their spine towards their tail. Most of the time, these ligaments are firm and feel just a bit smaller than the diameter of your little finger.

As kidding time becomes closer, these ligaments start to become soft and usually in the day or so before birth, they will disappear altogether.

When we are about a month out from the projected kidding date, I try to check these ligaments daily when I’m in the barn doing chores. It’s very helpful to know what “normal” ligaments feel like, so you can tell when they begin to change.

You can check the ligaments by slowly running your thumb and forefinger along either side of the goat’s spine towards the tail.  Another thing to look for is that the whole top portion of the goat’s hindquarters will start to soften as well. The way to determine this is to see if you can pinch your fingers together and  reach completely around the goat’s tail. If you can do this without effort, kidding time is getting closer!

Some other signs that aren't as common are pawing, where the goat paws as if scratching the ground like a dog does when it buries a bone. She is likely looking to start creating the area that she has chosen to deliver her babies.   She is setting up her nesting area.

She may also "cull" the babies by constantly grooming the side that they are prevalent on. This, too, is like a dog that is grooming itself. Basically, the goat licks, chews, or pulls in the same area over and over again. Some of my goats even "talk" to the baby during this stage.

One thing that I don't have a picture of is the lip curling.   This is called the Flehman reaction.   The goat will show you all of her pearly whites and may grind her teeth as a follow-up.  This is a key identifier as Goats don't normally grind their teeth unless they are in pain.  This is a sure sign labor is NOW!

In the next post, I will offer the checklist that I have for preparing for goat labor and delivery.