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Today I started making calls and tonight sold both her and the baby rather cheaply and got back my sanity! It was worth letting them go at a low price. Now I have my sweet, small, quiet herd back. I hope I have learned my lesson!
The goats are doing well. They just got their second dose of Valbazen ( as advised by my mentor).They seem to like the makeshift mineral feeder, and the new water bucket I got for them. It just figures that soon after we built the pen we found someone locally that has the livestock panels for $25 each. I will probably add those later when we get does( the hunt is ongoing) ...so I can have a double fence. Stanley is a screamer when he wants food or attention. Sam couldn't really care less about us but will follow his brother anywhere. Although he does come over and sniff us when we are out. Sam only makes these little sixteenth note "beepbeepbeepbeep" noises. It's really cute, and reminds me a bit of a bike horn, but with a lower tone. LOL
Has anyone ever walked their goats?...ok... you can stop laughing now....seriously... It looks like it might be time to trim hooves soon... not looking forward to that experiment. I usually walk two miles a day with two dogs on the first mile, and a 5 minute break in between to change shoes ( I really hate shoes, but can't walk barefoot) and dogs and get some water. I need one more leash and I could take all 4 at once, but for now this works. I was thinking of adding a third mile to my walks soon ( trying to get up to 5), if I did that, maybe I could wear their hooves down a little on the road?
Today is cleaning day, and I have two short papers and two long ones this week . The next two weeks should be a little lighter, at least for Business Information Systems, since the assignments primarily involve case study evaluations, that don't typically involve extensive research. International Business Ethics on the other hand,,, I don't even want to look ahead... Two more weeks and I switch classes again.
I don't know how to express to you how little David likes to spend. If there is a cheap solution we have to find it...There has to be some medical condition that forces this level of thriftiness...
I was getting ready to give up and order the little mineral buckets this morning, when I saw a litterbox...that we used to use as a nesting box for the chickens. They only ever used the one box anyway, and now that I only have two hens, we just took the other one out. SO I take it inside and pored Kettle water on it, and then washed it with anti-bacterial soap followed by another douse with kettle water, and a cold rinse....Dried it off and added minerals. Then I was contemplating where to put my new mineral feeder when I remembered Stanley's milk crate which he used to use to jump out the window on the porch. Turned it right side up and set the litter pan snugly inside and TATDA!!! instant, FREE, mineral feeder of the perfect hight. It won't be a permanent solution, since they will get bigger. But for the moment, I am feeling pretty darn good about myself. :)
EDIT: I forgot to mention that all of that happened after staying up late to write a 7 page paper, and before I had coffee, which makes it that much more amazing!
The goat house is done, and can be moved with a dolly....very cool! With neighbors to the North and South where most of the wind blows, David is not sure where he wants to put the buck house. We will probably put the bucks on the east side of the property, and the does on the west, when we get them. Will Sam and Stan be so stinky that the neighbors will be begging me to get rid of them, you think? I will get some pictures up soon!
Sam's leg is nearly healed. He uses it all the time now with a slight limp...except when eating he holds it up about an inch...don't know why standing still is an issue. At least it is getting better and better every day. Their heads look less hideous now, and it looks like I get to deworm for the first time on Friday. Not looking forward to that part, but it has to get done. The feed store is closed tomorrow, and since we only have one car, I won't be able to get there until Friday morning. Does any one have any suggestions about which wormer (s) to start with... According to what I have read...I have to do it Friday the 23erd and again on August 2ed, and then again September 1st... should I use 3 different ones?
The little ones are small enough to pick up and load and don't mind a jeep ride! What 
good time we had with them.
DAY 1: We went to pick up the goats in the evening. We couldn't find anyone with a dog crate, and the only kind we have is made of nylon. So we just covered the back seat in towels. It took us a while to catch them, but once we did it was a quick transaction, and I did not get kicked by that stupid horse again. Which is good...It took them a few minutes to settle down once we got in the car. I sat in the back with them and petted them while David drove. When we arrived home I took some pictures and got their temporary sleeping arraignments set up while they ate some of the weeds in the yard.
Day 2: It was a relatively uneventful day, the boys spent time exploring the small yard eating trees and bushes through the fence, I think they tried some of the tree limbs that David cut down a few days ago, and had a good time jumping off the porch. The number two goat is friendly, while the number 1 goat is shy and would rather avoid us. I don't really know what to do to convince him we are nice, I have tried offering them a taste of peanut butter, or banana pieces, but neither one will take them. They eat the grain, but I have not seen them eat much of the hay.
Day 3: David had been outside to do some of the animal chores before I got up at 6:30. When I went out I could not find the goats and they didn't answer when I call, which they sometimes do, and then I came back inside, and happened to be in just the right place to look through the window of the house AND the window of the porch to see something white in the chicken tractor. I have no white chickens so it had to be a goat. We had a good laugh, took a picture of it, and then got them out. then David opened the top door so the chickens could jump in and out, and I went to work. When I came home there were two goats lounging in the tractor near the chicken feeder... great... Long story I already told on the forum...I have a goat with an injured leg and a missing horn thingy... They are going to the vet next Wednesday in Hattisberg...to have their horns re-burned or removed. I learned today that goat number two's favorite thing to do is climb on a crate and jump out the window of the porch and go back around and do it again. I have had trouble catching him in the act to get a picture.
Day 4: Goat number 1 is limping but the vet said as long as he is holding it up it should be ok. My porch smells like stinky goats, but I don't care, I like having them there for observation. I must check on them every two hours or so. They are not screaming so much any more unless I call to them, The neighbor told me she thought it was the human kids down the street! They really like the food. but number 2 is always trying to steel number 1's food. When David finishes the milking stand we won't have that problem anymore. I am feeding them on the porch where we plan to put the milking stand... so it will be less of a transition.
Day 5: Today goat number 1 who I have decided to call Sam let me pet him! YAY!!! Goat number 2, Stanley is always ready to be petted, today while I was out there, me and Stan were chillin' on the outer porch watching the dogs play, when Sam lays down behind him, so I started petting Stan in long strokes down his back, and sort of petting the air near Sam's nose. He sniffed it a few times, and I was eventually able to reach out and pet him on the shoulder. I would pet him a few strokes and withdraw, and then start again a few minutes later... He did not appear to like it, but either he gave up or got lazy and just tolerated the boss's attention.
Day 6: Wooden shipping pallets piled in an unruly mess make a pretty good toy. When we went to get them I had trouble keeping Stan in the yard, he wanted to go with me, but found the effort futile after I carried him back to the porch. I am planning to store some hay on these and starting a little building project, I will probably get some more and put them out for playing on later. Stan gets mad when he can't jump off the porch because the create got moved. He even climbed my back while I examined Sam's leg today. All behavioral issues aside, it was pretty funny... I'm glad he likes me. Sam will follow his brother anywhere, but still doesn't want much of anything to do with us. I found a closer vet by half the distance and canceled the other appointment. They will still be seen Wednesday. I really hope Sam starts to put more pressure on his leg before then.
Day 7: I did not catch anyone doing anything fun today. We went out to lunch and when we got back Stanley came to greet me as I was getting out of the car, When I was getting out of the car I accidentally dropped my drink, and in spilled all over Stanley and the ground. Thankfully he did not hold it against me and was almost immediately back for more petting Sam tagged along, a safe distance away. I noticed that he is using his leg more... which is good. I think that it may still take him a while to recover, but I don't think it will need any drastic measures. So I think all we will worry about at the vet is the horns. Thank goodness. I found an even closer vet, but his fee's are ridiculous...$75 per goat just for disbudding... Now he charges $30 for a farm visit, which I might need when I have more goats... so I will keep him in mind, but I think I will need a 3erd job to afford him.
I am going to keep them on the porch for a few weeks at night...so I can check on them a lot, and probably put them in the small yard during the day until the panels arrive.
I have such serious baby kid lust that I just purchased two little doelings that I am picking up tomorrow.
Our wethered buckling is up for sale and he is our only little one. These does will be bred in the winter and we are looking forward to having join our herd.
Zoe will visit with the buck for a few weeks this summer to see if we can get her going.
Hi. I have a beautiful blue-eyed buck from great milking lines that I'd like to trade for another blue-eyed buck with great milking lines. I'm keeping several of his doe kids and need new blood. Is anyone interested in a trade? His name is Cabin and he's on my website: http://delitefuldwarfs.weebly.com/ . I don't want to have to travel too far so in the state of Washington or northern Oregon would be best. We could meet half way. I would also like to know that your buck would be clear of CL, CAE, Scrapies and Johnnes too. Thanks!
Cindy
Hi! We are new to the goat process and we have a question. We have two adult doe's milking and two baby doe's. The babies are one month old. When they reach two months and are separated from the mom--Are the babies permanently kept from the adults, so that they will not nurse on either of the two doe's? If they are left with the herd, what would keep them from nursing them?
Thanks so much,
Tammy
I'm really looking forward to seeing what we get in 2010, plus I have a better set up for kidding so it will be nicer for the does, kids AND me! :)
