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Posted by kenneth spear on December 19, 2020 at 9:49am

 our girls are really getting big now, and showing . they will be due late March early April, we r so excited .  we wanted, to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year.   will keep u all posted later, bout our girls

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My ND goats

Posted by Julia M Willams on January 2, 2017 at 2:26pm

Hi everyone! I thought maybe you all might want to see some pictures of my goats. So here they are, I hope you enjoy them...

I'm glad they don't mind the snow, because we're sure getting a lot this year!…

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A Year (and a half) in Review

Posted by Naomi D'Andrea on December 11, 2016 at 9:29pm

Bought the kids July 2015. Bred Mira January, first travel and goat-sitters March, babies June, learned how to milk, sold babies August, started playing with chevre and cheddar, built cheese press, rigged a sort of cheese cave, expanded goat yard, added more play structures for the goats...

...and I keep putting off the eternal question from Willow, "Can I keep another doe next year?" I keep waiting for the proverbial bloom to fall. I waited to see if she'd get tired of the constant…

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Old Haunt Blog Announcement!

Posted by Old Haunt Farm on May 21, 2016 at 6:41am

Hi Folks!

I'm announcing my new (still being edited and added to, but published) farm website complete with blog! I wanted to put the blog link here, since it's about my recent (and first) kidding experience. I've gotten a TON of support here over the past few weeks, and I thought I'd share this story with you as a sort of thank you! I hope you enjoy it! Here's the link...…

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Videos

Latest Activity

Thrifty Homesteader Team posted a discussion
Hermaphroditism, Freemartinism, and Goat Infertility: Exploring Non-Infectious Causes | For the Love of Goats Podcast
https://thriftyhomesteader.com/hermaphroditism-freemartinism-goat-i...
When our does have trouble conceiving, our minds often tend to go toward infectious causes. But there are non-infectious causes of infertility to consider as well.
In this episode, Dr. Fauna Smith, Assistant Professor of Livestock Herd Health and Reproduction at the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, discusses in detail the non-infectious causes of infertility. She explains the difference…
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yesterday
Thrifty Homesteader Team posted a discussion
Our First C-section: Caboose’s Story| For the Love of Goats Podcast
https://thriftyhomesteader.com/c-section-in-goats/
In this episode, host Deborah Niemann shares the emotional and educational story of Caboose, the first goat on her farm to undergo a C-section. As part of the podcast’s fifth-anniversary celebration, Deborah reflects on the challenges, lessons learned, and how this experience helped her understand the critical importance of timely veterinary intervention during kidding complications.
Deborah details what led to Caboose’s C-section, including…
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Saturday
Tirzah M Petropulos and Taylor Case joined Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goats
Feb 14
Thrifty Homesteader Team posted a video
For the Love of Goats Turns 5: A Look Ahead with Deborah Niemann
For the Love of Goats is five years old! As we enter our sixth year, you can continue to count on us to help you cut through the clutter of conflicting information out there so that you can be confident that your goats will be living their best lives! 
You can expect to hear from more goat experts like veterinary professors and published scientists who are on the leading edge of goat research. You’ll also hear from goat owners who have turned their love of goats into a successful business. And…
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Feb 13
Thrifty Homesteader Team posted a discussion
Sharing Milk with Baby Goats| For the Love of Goats Podcast
https://thriftyhomesteader.com/sharing-milk-with-baby-goats/
The answer to, “When can I start milking my doe?” is not as simple as listing the specific age of the kids. In this episode, we are discussing the complexities of sharing milk with baby goats and offering practical advice for goat owners who want to balance kid health with milk production. 
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Feb 12
Thrifty Homesteader Team posted a video
Goat Weight Gain During Pregnancy
Have you ever wondered how much weight a goat gains during pregnancy? We've got a spreadsheet for that! Bonus: this also makes a free and accurate pregnancy test!
Check out my free kidding course: https://goatacademy.net/plans/1447939
Check out my blog post on Goat Birthing: A Beginner’s Guide: https://thriftyhomesteader.com/goat-birthing-beginners-guide/
You can find Thrifty Homesteader on ...
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThriftyHomesteader/
Instagram:…
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Feb 11
Thrifty Homesteader Team posted a discussion
Uterine Rupture and Hemorrhage: Coco’s Story| For the Love of Goats Podcast
https://thriftyhomesteader.com/uterine-rupture-and-hemorrhage-in-go...
In this deeply personal and emotional episode, host Deborah Niemann shares the heartbreaking story of her goat, Coco, who experienced a uterine rupture and hemorrhage during a challenging kidding in 2013. 
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Feb 10
Tammy Gallagher replied to Tayla's discussion 5 day old buckling not gaining weight.
"What a WONDERFUL update!
I know you are sleeping much better :)
Best of luck with your upcoming kiddings,
Tammy"
Feb 7
Billie Jo and Robert Davis joined Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goats
Feb 7
Tayla replied to Tayla's discussion 5 day old buckling not gaining weight.
"I got my scale in the mail yesterday, and his weight was 6.11 lbs at 9:00 pm. Then this afternoon at 3:00 I weighed him, and he is 6.56 lbs. So that is almost an 8 oz weight gain in less than 24 hours ;) I guess I have nothing to worry about, and it was just my scale before that was causing problems! Now I have a good scale for weighing him and my new little goats that should be coming any day now! Thanks again for the help "
Feb 7
Tammy Gallagher replied to Tayla's discussion 5 day old buckling not gaining weight.
"Your welcome :)
Please keep us updated!
Tammy"
Feb 6
Tayla replied to Tayla's discussion 5 day old buckling not gaining weight.
"Yes, I may just be worried for no reason! It is probably my scale, but I have used the scale on previous goats, and it seemed to give me a good idea where they were at. But I just figure that I might as well ask, because I would rather be safe than sorry! What made me worried is that he gained weight those first few days, but I also had fed him quite a bit from the bottle at first. Then after he started nursing his weight seemed to level out...I actually have a security camera focused on their…"
Feb 6
Tammy Gallagher replied to Tayla's discussion 5 day old buckling not gaining weight.
"Hi Tayla
It seems that the most likely scenario is an issue with your scale.  A 2# weight gain in 3 days is more than even a standard sized kid would gain. 
If he truly weighs 5.75# at 5 days he is ahead on weight gain. 
I would check mom's udder to be sure she is producing plenty of milk and that it is flowing easily from both sides.
Is he active and are you seeing him nurse? At 5 days old he should be perky and hopping around for spurts and also taking frequent short naps along with frequent…"
Feb 6
Tayla posted a discussion
5 day old buckling not gaining weight.
Hello! Last Friday one of my ADGA ND does kidded for the first time to a little bucking. We live in central Minnesota, and I bred my goats for winter kiddings (February) because if I bred my does I needed to have the kids weaned before May. Thankfully the weather warmed up to 15 degrees before she kidded (before it was in the -20's). At first the mom wanted nothing to do with the kid and only focused on cleaning up herself. So, I got the kid dried off with towels and a hair dryer. I put him…
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Feb 5
Tammy Gallagher replied to Ann Bodling's discussion Recommendations for helping goats lose weight
"Hi Ann!
sorry for the late response- I have been out of town. For the pellets, my 5 boys share 2 cups twice a day. It is really just a way to have something to top dress their daily supplements on. With all the hay they are getting you really could drop the pellets down considerably. 
I would weigh the hay at least once to get an understanding of what a certain percentage of body weight looks like visually. Then you have a better idea of how much they should be offered daily. Tammy"
Feb 5
Ann Bodling replied to Ann Bodling's discussion Recommendations for helping goats lose weight
"Dear Tammy,
  I apologize for not to replying to your helpful questions...I've been distracted this last week and just kept forgetting! At least the goats know nothing of the human chaos swirling right now.
 I'm not sure how much hay they are eating because of not paying enough attention to how much I put in their hay bags. There was more on the floor than what they were consuming back when I was feeding more weedy first cut hay. The farmers hadn't been able to get in their fields to cut due to…"
Feb 1
Thrifty Homesteader Team posted a video
Why won't Mama let the baby goat nurse?
What do you do when a mama won't let a baby nurse? Should you file the baby goat's teeth? I was an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant in a previous life, which means I know a fair amount about the mechanics of nursing, which works quite similarly in all land mammals. In this video, I'm explaining how babies suckle correctly -- and incorrectly -- and what can cause a doe to refuse to let the kid nurse.
Check out my blog post on ... Raising Baby Goats: Essential Tips for Success:…
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Jan 29
Thrifty Homesteader Team posted a discussion
Raising Goats in Australia| For the Love of Goats Podcast
https://thriftyhomesteader.com/raising-goats-in-australia/
As goat owners in America, we know the challenges we face in caring for our herds here at home. But what is it like to breed and raise goats in another country?
In this episode, Sue Ludwig and Jade Holberton are here to talk about raising goats in Australia. Sue is the founder of the Australian Miniature Goat breed, and is the author of Australian Miniature Goats: A Comprehensive Guide to a Unique Little Breed. She is also a lifetime…
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Jan 29
Thrifty Homesteader Team posted a video
Common Goat Birthing Mistakes
Most people are at least a little nervous about goats giving birth, and it can take hundreds of good experiences to calm that fear. However, you can replace that fear with knowledge to be more relaxed and respond more appropriately when your goat is in labor.
My free kidding course: https://goatacademy.net/plans/1447939
My Just kidding and Raising Kids course: https://thriftyhomesteader.thrivecart.com/just-kidding/
For more information, check out ...
Goat Birthing: A Beginner’s Guide:…
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Jan 28
Thrifty Homesteader Team posted a video
Goat Birthing in Cold Weather
After having a chat with one of our Goats 365 members who just had baby goats, I realized that there are probably a lot of you out there who are worried about kidding in these cold temperatures. As someone who has had goats kid all the way down to -15 -- yes, 15 BELOW ZERO on the thermometer! -- I've learned a few things that I hope will be helpful for you to know.
For more information, check out ...
Kidding in Cold Weather: https://thriftyhomesteader.com/kidding-in-cold-weather/
Kidding in…
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Jan 23
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Books written by Deborah Niemann

Raising Goats Naturally

 

Whether you're a long time dwarf goat breeder or just considering getting a couple backyard pets, you're welcome to join us!