Another milking year begins....

mpillow · #1 01/22/11, 05:52 PM

Goat babies at 5 degrees F this morning....cute and healthy as can be! Barn door wide open...a boy and a girl cute as can be and in the house with visits with momma 3-4 times a day.

Milk is what makes our little homestead produce...milk for the table, milk that turns into meat and eggs, milk on the soil makes the grass grow better and the garden....I have had one month off from milking(this past month) in two years...

4 more does are close to kidding and temps are supposed to drop dramatically...

Looks like some long nights to come!

Scored some Christmas trees to keep the Rumens active during cold snap....digestion= heat when it comes to survival in the cold.

stamphappy · #2 01/22/11, 06:27 PM

pictures?

nehimama · #3 01/22/11, 07:25 PM

Milking season has begun here, too. I love the new babies, as they're all so danged cute. Love to see pics of yours!

Cyngbaeld · #4 01/22/11, 07:34 PM

Any day now here too. I have two due on Wed, though one may go sooner. She's huge this yr so I'm afraid she's having triplets. A third is due either Thurs or in 3 weeks. Then 3 more right after her. Finishing up in May with the last two.

manygoatsnmore · #5 01/22/11, 08:39 PM

Aw, mine aren't due until March. And this year, I may be up to the task of milking.

What breeds are y'all raising?

mpillow · #6 01/22/11, 08:47 PM

LOL the one born today are....boer/Lamancha/Nubian/Saanan (Dad) to Nubian alpine cross(mom) HEINZ57?! Nice thick coats and good size.

manygoatsnmore · #7 01/22/11, 09:01 PM

If you aren't showing, I'd be looking at hybrid vigor, the best possible conformation, especially udder, and quick weight gain combined with long, steady, heavy lactations. As long as you have that, who cares!

I have a huge LaMancha buck who throws growthy kids, and my does are LaMancha, Nubian, Alpine, Oberhasli, LaNubian, and OberMancha. Plenty of milk if I am diligent in milking, and the wethers make a decent carcass or cart animal. Although, IF I had to chose just one breed, it would be LaMancha.

unregistered29228 · #8 01/22/11, 10:30 PM

What, no pictures??? Im craving goats in a big way! Gotta show those little guys!

Cyngbaeld · #9 01/22/11, 10:32 PM

My buck is a LaMancha. The does are 3 LaManchas, 1 Nubian, 4 LaMancha/Alpines. I had a nice Fr Alpine buck last yr.

Dr. Mom · #10 01/22/11, 10:50 PM

Our 4 mama goats won't kid until March. I can't wait to get fresh (and free!) milk again. We still have some milk in the freezer from last summer but will probably feed it to the chickens.

julieq · #11 01/22/11, 11:19 PM

Hearty congratulations on the kids and fresh milk, but I'm in total agreement here that photos need to be posted of those adorable kids!

Cyngbaeld · #12 01/23/11, 06:40 PM

Three boys. I'm exhausted. One didn't make it, but I don't raise bucklings anyhow. They get rehomed pretty fast. One down, 7 to go. This gal is a heavy milker and has given me 3 doelings already. So I'm not complaining.

mpillow · #13 01/24/11, 09:23 AM

We had another(boy) from a very young doe last night about 6pm...she's barely 70# and she wouldnt eat this am and not nursing the baby....grrr...ITS SO DARN COLD! I did milk this little girl last night(she ate well) and this morning...I may have to share my Raisin bran with her to get her eating! Doe #1 to have babies(our herd queen) was taking care of the little guy when we collected him...so she may end up with trips to care for! She has PLENTY of milk.

Well its up to minus 8 from minus 16 around dawn....I was in and out until 230am and fed early this morning...after getting the boy's car jumpered and warmed and the door latch unfrzn so it would latch! I finished up with babies nursing and got some breakfast...I need a catnap!
My dog is a good baby butt cleaner!

3 more to go and its going to warm up and snow!

Sending 10yo out to do a barn check and some warm water...so glad my children know how important it is for them to help when things get busy/rough!

Sorry you lost one Cyng...glad it was just a boy!

Cyngbaeld · #14 01/24/11, 12:02 PM

Thanks. I don't raise the bucklings, so I'm not terribly unhappy about it. More disappointed that I didn't get doelings, but the doe is such a good milker that I certainly won't fuss.

It has been cold at night and the goats are pretty much in the open. They have rain/shade shelters and that's about it. They do ok though.

mpillow · #15 01/24/11, 01:36 PM

I have one lady that wants her doe bred (I hope to sell her my Nubian/Saanan buck) and a man who likes to raise goat meat...So I'll keep these ones and if nobody wants them in a month then suckling goat for dinner....I'm not wanting a calf just yet. We have 3 ft of snow on the ground...and I don't like them to be in the goat barn because they spoil the shavings so quick!

Little momma Michelle did good at noon I mixed in some raisin bran w/ grain and she chowed....doing very well on the stand as a FF...and I let her breed as a "test"....she's the size of a pygmy but a Nubian/Saanan cross almost a year old...she birthed unaided so although I think it may be better to let them get bigger before breeding...in a survival type situation all hope is not lost if they are bred smaller/younger.....

It can be colder and the goat can be younger than industry standards...

texican · #16 01/24/11, 02:49 PM

Four does have domino'ed, and four or five are yet to go. It's been below freezing most of last week, so the kids were crated in the bathroom, where it was warm. They're all going to be bottle babies, so separation was necessary... that is, those that stay... some kids, have already found new homes. No more, ALL milk goes to kids this year!

mpillow · #17 01/24/11, 03:00 PM

I'm not a big bottle feeder...and I have help so we drag the goats back and forth to the barn....once it hits 25 degrees again they are out with mom for the whole day.

Just the smidge of boer goat has improved the coat density on my little ones dramatically!

Cyngbaeld · #18 01/24/11, 06:21 PM

I have a doeling in the bathroom. My Nubian decided today was a good day and popped out one huge girl. I'll pull the bucklings tomorrow. Mom wants out with the herd now.

I use the goat milk for a good half of our calorie intake when the goats are giving enough. I also give it to the dogs and poultry as part of their ration. Cuts down on bought feed. It really doesn't seem cost efficient to me to raise dairy bucklings except for a replacement herd sire. I have a good buck and don't plan to replace him soon.

This is a huge part of my self sufficiency/survival plan as the goats need very little purchased feed. If push came to shove I can grow what they do need for supplement. A person can survive quite nicely with a good supply of goat milk along with a small garden and some grains. If you ran out of grains you could grow corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc for your carbs. Add a few chickens and/or ducks, etc and you've got it made.

manygoatsnmore · #19 01/24/11, 09:44 PM

I'm really enjoying hearing about your new kids...living vicariously through other goat owners until my girls are ready to pop.

If y'all have time, I would love to see pics of the babies.

mpillow · #20 01/25/11, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by manygoatsnmore

I'm really enjoying hearing about your new kids...living vicariously through other goat owners until my girls are ready to pop.

If y'all have time, I would love to see pics of the babies.

It'll be awhile b4 I have time for pics...between the babies, water, wood, and dinner....I'm spent! I need to get to town sometime this week! but it looks like snow until further notice..

Somehow being outside while its below zero at 2am every morning coming in to rebuild the fire...and trucking 20gallons of warm water by hand..every day.

I'm glad someone thinks this is fun! LOL

Warmer weather would lighten my load considerably!