Baby Goats on the Way!

[Occam]

I like the bag feeder idea, that's a great use for all the feed bags. I end up throwing a lot away between dog food bags and grain bags. I bent some hog panel into a capital M shape and put the hay in the top for a makeshift feeder of course a lot ends up on the ground having no bottom. All good though. It's soil building and I need all the help I can get in that regard on my land, the soil is so compacted and degraded. I think I'll be copying the bag idea for the other paddock though, cheaper than a hog panel. As long as the dogs don't think it's a toy and shred it lol

[The15thMember]

That's my sister's own invention and everyone was so interested in it on her forum that she actually made a tutorial about how to make them.  Here's the link if you'd like the directions. https://www.thegoatspot.net/threads/how-to-make-a-feedbag-hay-feeder.224555/
She wanted me to add something she does that isn't in that tutorial.  To keep the hay string from fraying, she now burns the ends with a lighter. 

[Occam]

Thanks!

[The15thMember]

No problem!  She uses them everywhere.  She even made a small one out of a bird seed bag so that Mr. Moon could bring his lunch too when we go hiking. 

[The15thMember]

We had our last batch of babies for this year born very early Monday morning.  Bella was the last doe this year, and it seemed like things were starting to get going late on Saturday night, so we were hoping that maybe for once we have kids born during the day on Sunday, but instead she kept us strung along until after 1:00 AM.  She had a white average sized buckling, a huge tan buckling (the biggest kid we've ever had), and a small tan doeling (the smallest kid we've ever had).  We are kind of on a Winter's Tale jag after naming one of Prim's kids Peter Lake, so we named them Pearly, Cecil, and Beverly.  Haley is worried about Bev being able to compete with the boys since she is so little, so she's been in the house all day trying to learn to take a bottle in the hopes that Haley can supplement her if need be.       

[The15thMember]

Here's some pictures of Beverly in the house today.  She finally took the bottle around suppertime, once Haley tried a new style of nipple.  This is the first time we've successfully bottle-fed a kid, so Haley is very pleased.  Bev will come inside tomorrow too, just to be sure she's got the bottle down, and then hopefully she'll be able to take one whenever it's needed.   

[Salvo]

Hi Folks,

Not goats, but a special delivery.....

https://www.facebook.com/reel/884203877103272

Sal

[Terri Yaki]

Why does the kid need bottle fed?

[Ben Framed]

Cute but is the goat (house)/potty trained?

[The15thMember]

You two are a bit late to the party!    Those pictures are from April, and Beverly and her brother Pearly were sold to their new owners in July.  We still have Cecil though; he'll be going to freezer camp sometime this winter. 

Why does the kid need bottle fed?

She was just really small, and Haley was worried about her competing successfully with her brothers.  She didn't bottle feed her for very long, just until it was clear that she was able to butt her larger brothers out of the way if she needed a turn on the udder. 

Cute but is the goat (house)/potty trained?

No, but when baby goats are really new, like in the first few days, they don't go to the bathroom that frequently, and it's usually always right after they eat, so there is low risk of an accident in the house.  And we did have Bev in a playpen for a lot of the time she was in the living room.  Not that it would matter anyway, one of my younger sisters has a pet chicken that basically lives in her room, and she brings her geese in the house most days too, and they certainly aren't potty trained!    The carpet in our house is really old and not in great condition, it was like that when we bought the place, so Mom doesn't care as long as any messes are cleaned up immediately.  If/when we ever get the flooring redone though, we'll see if the status quo changes or if it's too late to go back now!     

[The15thMember]

Well we are having some trouble getting the does bred this year.  Haley was trying to have Prim go first, but she keeps going back into heat.  She tried breeding Murphy instead over the weekend, so we'll see if that takes.  We won't be having babies until late February or early March at this rate! 

[The15thMember]

Murphy seems to be bred, so that's a relief.  Prim and Louise were both bred, then went back into heat, but now haven't had another heat cycle since then, so that's confusing.  Halo has yet to go into heat at all (she's set to be a first freshener this fall), and Bella, who Haley isn't breeding this year, hasn't gone into heat since earlier in the summer.  We're wondering if the hurricane maybe has something to do with it.  People sometimes report poor breeding years around natural disasters.     

[The15thMember]

Halo has been in with Duncan and his wether buddy Cecil for a few months now, and we think she is starting to look pregnant.  No way to know her due date of course, but at least it seems like she is bred!  Louise is potentially acting pregnant as well, so her last date was probably successful.  Prim is still up in the air. 

Speaking of Cecil, his trip to freezer camp has been postponed, as Haley has decided to send her two older bucks there instead.  Phantom is starting to really show his age, and he's having a bit of physical trouble getting his job done when he's in with the does.  Haley has never been very happy with Arthur's temperament or confirmation, and yesterday was the nail in the coffin for him when he full-on butted her in the shin while she was doing her chores.  She's hoping to replace the two of them with a bottle baby from a farm in TN in the spring.         

Here's a picture of Cecil and Duncan trying to see if there is anything good up on the shelf. 

[Terri Yaki]

Don't butt the shin that feeds you.

[The15thMember]

Ha!