Huntin' up goat food (pics too)

[LoneStrChic23]

Added a new blog post.......

You can skim through the first half, goat pictures take up the 2nd half.

Pics of the boy & the girls, and you wouldn't believe how big Lilly (Ober x Alpine) is now.... on the blog I listed her at 4 months old, but looking at the calendar she's almost 3 1/2 months old...She's definately going to outgrow Sabrina (her dam)...

Tonka (the Lamancha) is in this odd growth stage & has a few odd looking days & the mini Alpine buck, Houston has grown so much & already has a beard even though he's the youngest boy in the pen.

Anywho, just thought I'd share

http://noodlevilleadventures.blogspo...in-noodle.html

[Backfourty,MI.]

They are so cute Crystal, thanks for sharing all the pictures. Love those mini alpines!

[floodthelast]

Tonka has such a handsome face. Love the name too. I hope things get better for you soon. I know it is miserable down there.

[Donna1982]

All are beautiful but Tonka I just want to grab him and kiss his little face. Thanks for sharing and hope you find the rain soon. We are in Oklahoma so I know what its like for fires... scary scary stuff.

[Suzyq2u]

They all look great! Haha, on the water wars. The heat sure has been relentless! Hope all of us who need it get some rain soon!

[Minelson]

Great pictures! Praying for rain!

[CaliannG]

I've been dancing through my pasture like Boy George in the 80's....not a cloud. ~sighs~

Crystal, your goats are LOVELY. Houston sure looks SO much better than he was, and Keyes too!

[Oat Bucket Farm]

I sure hope you get some rain soon. We desperately need rain where I am too. The gardens are green from being watered, but everything else is turning brown and crispy. We have had several storms skirt just around around us. Even the radar has showed rain over us when there was none.

Just last night it lightninged and thundered but not a single drop fell. More triple digit days in the forecast. We are going to have lows in the 80's, *sigh*

[LoneStrChic23]

Thanks all

Donna, Tonka is a doll.... I just love him! He's so so smart (sometimes not a good thing) & is always well mannered & sweet.

Caliann- Houston has grown RAPIDLY.....And he turned into a "man goat" (according to my daughter) literally over night.....He smells VERY pungent & has for about a month (he's a February baby) & he's got the longest beard of all the boys despite being the youngest.... We had chickens with the boys, but Houston's surge of overnight testosterone led to some very inappropriate affections being lavished on my poor birds....Not to mention some odd questions from the kids so the chickens were moved....

Keys, my moms mini is FAT....she gets fat on air... lol Bleuberry has gained weight very well though & started getting pudgy on me so she doesn't get grain anymore.

Audra, it's 98° right now at 9:52pm & it feels good compared to our 108° we hit earlier! Sorry your dealing with the crispy vegetation too... We didn't do a garden this year because I'm on co-op water... I can afford multiple water changes for the livestock or I can afford to water a garden, but not both

My poor goats are essentially dry lotted now. All that was green was eaten & never came back. To compensate for the lack, we hunt up food.... lol My neighbor has heavily wooded land behind us...mostly mesquite, but if you go far enough back there is oak...Thanks to the fire I can actually get to those oaks now....Neighbor said we could take whatever we wanted.

So, I cut small ends off thin branches so the goats are able to eat 95% of what I bring them...no big branches that would be left uneaten. We pack the wheel barrow down tight & it takes the 5 girls about an hour+ to eat it all....so its a pretty good amount. We get one for the girls in the morning, & try to do a second trip in the evening for the boys....But they all get a wheel barrow full at least 5 days a week. All that foraging has my jeans sagging & I'm down 9lbs... lol an unexpected, but welcomed side effect

In addition they get coastal hay & alfalfa pellets free choice (we're actually using more hay now than we did in winter!).... I was given 10 bales of very weedy sudan hay that the goats think is candy, & 6 bales of haygrazer mix, so I toss some of that out 3-4 times a week for variety...

It works, they are maintaining good condition, but my gosh it's pricey!!!