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Lumps and Bumps

Hey everyone! Over the past 5 months I’ve discovered a few lumps and bumps on my goats and I need some help figuring out what they could be. I have 4 different goats that I’ll tell y’all about. First off is Alice. She is a 6 year old ND who…

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Started by Emma
6 Replies · Reply by Tammy Gallagher Jun 20
Views: 65

Newby in Oklahoma

Hello and thank you for letting me join. My wife and I have decided to get some Nigerian dwarf goats and we have several questions. The first is the fence. I'm being told a fence with 4x4 holes is good. Has anyone had experience with that or should…

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Started by Dan
1 Reply · Reply by Tammy Gallagher Jun 7
Views: 18

Blog Posts

updates

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!…

10604000297?profile=original 10604000865?profile=original

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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 replied to Aileen's discussion Momma not letting triplets nurse after 1 week
"Also, I'd like to ask how much weight the kids have gained in the first week. ~Abby"
7 hours ago
Tayla is now a member of Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goats
Welcome Them!
7 hours ago
Thrifty Homesteader Team replied to Aileen's discussion Momma not letting triplets nurse after 1 week
"Hi Aileen! Check out Deborah's video on Normal Baby Goat Nursing or a Bad Mama Goat. ~Abby https://youtube.com/live/rsf2UkrN6SA"
7 hours ago
Aileen posted a discussion
Momma not letting triplets nurse after 1 week
Good day all... I have a first time momma who delivered triplets unassisted last week. She was a great momma for the first 7 days but now she is not letting her little ones nurse.I have tried holding her and putting the kids on, but she struggles against me and does not want them on.When they try go on without me holding her, she moves away and doesn't allow them to latch? Her udder is soft, no signs of infection.She won't let me milk her eitherAny ideas on how to get these kids back to…
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16 hours ago
Thrifty Homesteader Team posted a video
What mineral do my goats love?
Someone just messaged me and asked what minerals my goats love, and the truth is that it doesn't matter what MY goats love or loathe. Why? That's what I'm talking about in this video!
Mineral Comparison Chart: https://thrifty-homesteader.ck.page/goat-minerals-comparison-chart
For more information, check out ...
Goat Minerals: Why, What, and How: https://thriftyhomesteader.com/goat-minerals/
You can find Thrifty Homesteader on ...
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThriftyHomesteader/
Instagram:…
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Jul 20
Michelle Boucher-Snodgrass and David walker joined Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goats
Jul 20
Thrifty Homesteader Team posted a discussion
Listeriosis in Goats | For the Love of Goats Podcast
https://thriftyhomesteader.com/listeriosis-in-goats/
Listeriosis can strike fear into the hearts of goats owners, not only because it needs prompt treatment to increase the odds of survival, and because it can be difficult to diagnose due to the fact that it shares symptoms with several other serious illnesses, but also because Listeria bacteria exist everywhere.
Today, Dr. Melissa Holahan, a postdoctoral researcher from the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, is joining us to talk…
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Jul 17
Thrifty Homesteader Team posted a video
My quadruplet baby goats are underweight!
You've probably heard me talk about the importance of weighing kids for the first two weeks to be sure they are gaining enough -- so you can start supplementing if needed -- but what do you do if you have underweight kids that are a month old or more? It's virtually impossible to get an older kid to take a bottle, so I'm talking about what you can do to help older kids gain weight when they can't get enough milk from mom.
For more information, check out ...
How many kids can a doe feed?:…
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Jul 12
Kelsey is now a member of Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goats
Welcome Them!
Jul 12
Tammy Gallagher replied to Kylie Eggers's discussion Hand milking cramps?
"Thanks for adding your advice Julieanne!!
tammy"
Jul 11
Tammy Gallagher replied to Kylie Eggers's discussion Hand milking cramps?
"Kylie
You will love your Simple Pulse!! Cleaning will take much longer than milking with just 1 goat, but it sounds like it will be worth it considering your situation. When you have 6 to milk, you are REALLY going to appreciate it :)
I've been using mine for about 4 years now and  could not be more pleased with it. Feel free to reach out here with any questions  :)
Tammy"
Jul 11
Kylie Eggers replied to Kylie Eggers's discussion Hand milking cramps?
"It is getting somewhat better. I've done a lot of what Julianne suggested but my current milker is not a fan of me taking longer ;) I do have the simple pulse ordered but still a month out on shipment. Next year there will be hopefully 6 girls in milk so we decided to invest. Just a pain (lol literally) in the mean time. Mostly my non-dominant hand at this stage. I can get about 1/3 of the left side done before I start having issues."
Jul 11
Julieanne Cook replied to Kylie Eggers's discussion Hand milking cramps?
"Hi, I have serious arthritis in my joints as well as nerve damage from CTS. I still hand mik, but I use a modified method. I usually milk one side at a time to begin with, then when I warm up I can do short spurts using both hands. I take frequent quicks breaks as well. My does are used to it by now so it doesn't bother them.  I wouldn't suggest getting a "suction" milker though. I've tried several, they do a poor job and the does hate them. If you can afford a pulsating one (I can't) those are…"
Jul 10
Tammy Gallagher replied to Kylie Eggers's discussion Hand milking cramps?
"Hi Kylie
Hopefully someone will hop on here with a better suggestion than mine which is strength comes with time.  Although after a month, I would think you would be starting to feel less discomfort in your hands. Is it improving at all?
Tammy"
Jul 10
Kylie Eggers posted a discussion
Hand milking cramps?
Hello!I'm sure this is new to no one who hand milks. Any suggestions for improving hand cramping while hand milking nigerians? I've been at it almost a month. In some ways, things are getting better, coordination, endurance, etc. Overall milking time down. Thankfully only the one doe in milk so I'm sure I sound like a baby to you multiple goat milkers lol. Any suggestions on how to reduce/prevent the sharp pain and hand cramping while milking? Suspecting some possible carpal tunnel like…
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Jul 10
Adrianne Wallace is now a member of Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goats
Welcome Them!
Jul 8
Tammy Gallagher replied to Kylie Eggers's discussion Any helpful tips/tricks?
"Your Welcome :)"
Jul 5
Kylie Eggers replied to Kylie Eggers's discussion Any helpful tips/tricks?
"Hi Tammy!
Thanks for the input on the barn stalls! I'll peruse the links you provided as well. :) "
Jul 5
Tammy Gallagher replied to Kylie Eggers's discussion Any helpful tips/tricks?
"https://thriftyhomesteader.com/a-beginners-guide-to-goats/"
Jul 3
Tammy Gallagher replied to Kylie Eggers's discussion Any helpful tips/tricks?
"Hi Kylie!
What a fun adventure to renovate the old barn!!!!
For the milking parlor, my favorite thing is the large stainless sink with a small hot water heater. I also added a sink and hot water heater in my dairy barn which is my favorite upgrade in there. It's great to have warm water in the winter time!!
We used 2x4 welded 5ft horse panels that are supported by 2x4 framing between our barn stalls. Each of our girls have their own kidding stall  that they overnight in with their kids and then…"
Jul 3
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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!