Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Monday, February 6, 2012
Wishy Washy Weather & The Countdown
First off, the weather this winter has been, dare I say (?), delightful. As far as winters go, I am happy with the way this winter has gone so far...several cold days, but nothing absolutely terrible. There have been lots and lots of warm days and they really have just been so very nice! And, we've gotten rain!!!
Yesterday I put the boys out on their new pasture. There's nothin' in it to eat besides some cedar trees to nibble on and they were kind of apprehensive about what to do but they just had a grand old time running and jumping and being goats.
I walked the girls out to the far end of the property. This is one of my favorite places to be in the summer. The hills make it impossible in places to see our house or the neighbor's and it just feels like the end of the earth.
Our neighbor dropped off a HUGE log the other day we plan to use as a gun range back stop. I used it as a lounge chair yesterday while the girls nibbled on whatever they found tasty. It was only about 45 degrees out but there was little to no wind and the sun as shinning. It was so nice just to relax an nap.
The does who are due first, Apricot and Toddy, are starting to fill their udder. Dare I say I find it ever so cute? The time has come to begin getting everyone back into the routine and start thinking about setting up kidding pens. Every morning most of the girls get their chance in the milk stand. Miss Iris thinks she should have her own turn plus one for each of the other girls too and will stand there waiting impatiently while I shoo her out of the way. She goes first, mind you. Even the little girls get their turn in the stand and if I am in a hurry and do not have time to grain them, they balk at me! Silly things. No one gets much. The big girls get a 1/2 a cup at best which is "cut" with 1/2 a cup of alfalfa pellets. They are all a real good weight. I've taken them down to a 10% sweet feed and not a high protein grain because they don't need it. They get a real good alfalfa in the morning and now with these pellets, my belief is they're getting plenty. Too much can be hard on the organs.
Most detest the pellets but I'd really like to get them used to them. Reason being is that now that I am feeding more brome, with the possibility of going to all brome depending on how this summer shapes up, I'll need/want supplemental calcium. One of the easiest ways is pellets.
I spent about an hour cleaning up their mess in the barn this morning from this 1st cutting round of alfalfa I let them have free reign on. Much of it was just stem, learned my lesson there not to buy that cutting again. Pretty soon we'll have new babies bouncing around. Tomorrow a quick moving front is supposed to move through and drop some rain and snow. We'll take it!
That's all for now.
Yesterday I put the boys out on their new pasture. There's nothin' in it to eat besides some cedar trees to nibble on and they were kind of apprehensive about what to do but they just had a grand old time running and jumping and being goats.
I walked the girls out to the far end of the property. This is one of my favorite places to be in the summer. The hills make it impossible in places to see our house or the neighbor's and it just feels like the end of the earth.
Our neighbor dropped off a HUGE log the other day we plan to use as a gun range back stop. I used it as a lounge chair yesterday while the girls nibbled on whatever they found tasty. It was only about 45 degrees out but there was little to no wind and the sun as shinning. It was so nice just to relax an nap.
The does who are due first, Apricot and Toddy, are starting to fill their udder. Dare I say I find it ever so cute? The time has come to begin getting everyone back into the routine and start thinking about setting up kidding pens. Every morning most of the girls get their chance in the milk stand. Miss Iris thinks she should have her own turn plus one for each of the other girls too and will stand there waiting impatiently while I shoo her out of the way. She goes first, mind you. Even the little girls get their turn in the stand and if I am in a hurry and do not have time to grain them, they balk at me! Silly things. No one gets much. The big girls get a 1/2 a cup at best which is "cut" with 1/2 a cup of alfalfa pellets. They are all a real good weight. I've taken them down to a 10% sweet feed and not a high protein grain because they don't need it. They get a real good alfalfa in the morning and now with these pellets, my belief is they're getting plenty. Too much can be hard on the organs.
Most detest the pellets but I'd really like to get them used to them. Reason being is that now that I am feeding more brome, with the possibility of going to all brome depending on how this summer shapes up, I'll need/want supplemental calcium. One of the easiest ways is pellets.
I spent about an hour cleaning up their mess in the barn this morning from this 1st cutting round of alfalfa I let them have free reign on. Much of it was just stem, learned my lesson there not to buy that cutting again. Pretty soon we'll have new babies bouncing around. Tomorrow a quick moving front is supposed to move through and drop some rain and snow. We'll take it!
That's all for now.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Feeding dairy goats
**Edited** After re-reading for grammatical errors, I've decided that auto-spell correct really irritates the heck out of me! Makes me look like I don't know what I'm talking about at times.
I admire the writings of Sue Reith. I know some will not agree with her feeding technique(s) but I, for one, do.
I have known several people who feed incorrectly and have problems come kidding time with both kids (floppy kid syndrome) and does (ketosis & hypocalcemia, kidding problems such as retained placenta, poor labor, etc.), not to mention urinary calculi in bucks and wethers. Just last year a good friend of mine lost a good doe to hypocalcemia.
I urge you to read the following:
http://goats.wetpaint.com/page/Hypocalcemia+-+Feed+for+Prevention
Down toward the bottom there is a good analysis of protein and calcium. : http://www.barbibrownsbunnies.com/hay.htm
Page 1, bottom right will give you a better understanding of calcium and phosphorous ratio in some of the more common hays: http://www.uky.edu/Ag/AnimalSciences/pubs/id146.pdf
Now, these are general guidelines. When hay is cut, how and when it is baled and how it is stored, and location where it is grown along with any type of fertilizing will all affect the nutritional value of hay. But, as a general guidelines, these are good to use.
Remember, having too much calcium is also a problem. And for wethers, it's not about making sure they have little to no calcium, the balance has to be correct. Too much in either direction (i.e. too much calcium, to little, too much phosphorous or too little) also can cause major problems. Goats need a balanced diet, just like people.
I am sort of experimenting with a diet of alfalfa and brome. Last year, brome was only available free choice and they received alfalfa in the AM and PM. This year, with alfalfa prices being through he roof, we've gone to alfalfa in the morning (super good quality high protein alfalfa) and cut back on our protein in our grain (too much protein is hard on the organs and too much is really just unnecessary). Last year we did not get as nice a cut as we did this year. They also get (basically) free choice early (May) cut brome, which they love. Their feeders are filled with it in the morning, mid-day and then in the PM as well. I am watching them closely for signs of ketosis. So far, so good.
The early gestation does get NO grain. As soon as they are dry- which this year was before being bred or shortly there after, I did not milk to 2 months prior to kidding this year- I cut out the grain. About 6 weeks before they kid I have started giving them just about 1/4 cup of grain on the stand and slowly adding alfalfa pellets (they hated them at first), just to get them back in to the routine again and to get the first fresheners used to the routine. It also gives me a chance to feel fetal movement, checking udders that are starting to fill and going through (fake) milking motions which helps when it comes time to be milked. Waiting until kidding often makes for very jumpety first fresheners which is no fun. I take the time before hand so it's not a stress afterwards.
So, following good feeding techniques, along with plenty of proper minerals and possibly additives (Vit A & D, selenium an/or copper bolusing, etc. ) is a real good way to keep healthy producing goats!
I admire the writings of Sue Reith. I know some will not agree with her feeding technique(s) but I, for one, do.
I have known several people who feed incorrectly and have problems come kidding time with both kids (floppy kid syndrome) and does (ketosis & hypocalcemia, kidding problems such as retained placenta, poor labor, etc.), not to mention urinary calculi in bucks and wethers. Just last year a good friend of mine lost a good doe to hypocalcemia.
I urge you to read the following:
http://goats.wetpaint.com/page/Hypocalcemia+-+Feed+for+Prevention
Down toward the bottom there is a good analysis of protein and calcium. : http://www.barbibrownsbunnies.com/hay.htm
Page 1, bottom right will give you a better understanding of calcium and phosphorous ratio in some of the more common hays: http://www.uky.edu/Ag/AnimalSciences/pubs/id146.pdf
Now, these are general guidelines. When hay is cut, how and when it is baled and how it is stored, and location where it is grown along with any type of fertilizing will all affect the nutritional value of hay. But, as a general guidelines, these are good to use.
Remember, having too much calcium is also a problem. And for wethers, it's not about making sure they have little to no calcium, the balance has to be correct. Too much in either direction (i.e. too much calcium, to little, too much phosphorous or too little) also can cause major problems. Goats need a balanced diet, just like people.
I am sort of experimenting with a diet of alfalfa and brome. Last year, brome was only available free choice and they received alfalfa in the AM and PM. This year, with alfalfa prices being through he roof, we've gone to alfalfa in the morning (super good quality high protein alfalfa) and cut back on our protein in our grain (too much protein is hard on the organs and too much is really just unnecessary). Last year we did not get as nice a cut as we did this year. They also get (basically) free choice early (May) cut brome, which they love. Their feeders are filled with it in the morning, mid-day and then in the PM as well. I am watching them closely for signs of ketosis. So far, so good.
The early gestation does get NO grain. As soon as they are dry- which this year was before being bred or shortly there after, I did not milk to 2 months prior to kidding this year- I cut out the grain. About 6 weeks before they kid I have started giving them just about 1/4 cup of grain on the stand and slowly adding alfalfa pellets (they hated them at first), just to get them back in to the routine again and to get the first fresheners used to the routine. It also gives me a chance to feel fetal movement, checking udders that are starting to fill and going through (fake) milking motions which helps when it comes time to be milked. Waiting until kidding often makes for very jumpety first fresheners which is no fun. I take the time before hand so it's not a stress afterwards.
So, following good feeding techniques, along with plenty of proper minerals and possibly additives (Vit A & D, selenium an/or copper bolusing, etc. ) is a real good way to keep healthy producing goats!
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