It’s 7:30 am & I’ve been up since about 5. To be honest with you, I’ve been suffering with insomnia for the past few days but I usually just toss & turn in bed. Today I gave up seeing I had to tend to my diabetic dog, Angel who beckoned a few minutes before 5. Anyhow, as I sit here and check email, Facebook, my blog, other’s blogs & listening to the sound of one of my numerous ducks quacking away it suddenly occurred to me that today is the last day of 2010!
Nothing spectacular here at the farm this past year… not that I can remember… let’s see…
April brought along almost 20 little kids in all sizes and colors. This truly has to be the best part of raising goats! It always amazes me to see that just as soon as they’re dried up they start jumping & running.. cutest thing!
Of course with life there is also death. Sadly this year we lost our llama Big Al along with Mandie, the mixed Min-Pin that came to us when my mother-in-law passed away. At least 15 ducklings were meals to a couple of Snapping Turtles (who were later caught & shot). My miniature donkeys Madigan & Daisy June found a new home with Clair and Lacy (aka Munky), a mixed Chihuahua found a new home with us!
We had family visits, business trips & a beautiful cruise vacation. We enjoyed perfect weather, hot weather, hotter weather & also froze our butts in the same year.
Scott & I continue to be blessed in many ways. Our faith is deeper, our love of God stronger & our desire to please Him and to work towards that goal brings countless more blessings. Life is good, God is good.
And finally, I’ve managed to end the year with 25 extra pounds that I didn’t have when 2010 started. How did that happen? Hopefully this day next year my last paragraph will be, “I’m leaving 25 pounds behind!”
HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM THE CRITTERS AT CRAZY GOAT LADY!
Let this coming year be better than all the others. Vow to do some of the things you’ve always wanted to do but couldn’t find the time. Call up a forgotten friend. Drop an old grudge, and replace it with some pleasant memories. Vow not to make a promise you don’t think you can keep. Walk tall, and smile more. You’ll look ten years younger. Don’t be afraid to say, ‘I love you’. Say it again. They are the sweetest words in the world.
OK so I will get Sprig fixed since he is still our “pet”. He was our first baby and we felt horrible when his momma died (it was our ignorance that contributed to her becoming anemic and dehydrated) I also have to keep Chico – he broke his leg (with the help of a horse) when he was younger and it healed funny. He limps and the vet says not worth surgery he is healthy and walks fine does not interfere with breeding and when he wants to he is very quick. He is mine to care for 4 life now. He is a good stud and I will have to see if anyone want to use a naturally poled pygmy who makes beautiful babies. I have to watch him with Holly though – she is poled also and an accidental breeding could give me a hermaphrodite kid. Thanks for the advice. I will bring in a breeding billy for her or send her to be breed when the time is right. This spring I will have to build a separate area for Chico so the herd can keep growing and he can keep his smelly self happy – Well I will make sure he has company. Any male kids will be fixed early and sent to be his friend. I don’t mind the smell it is homey and comforting to me, but then I am odd too. LOL. Thanx again.
Lisa, I understand.. I have a Boer/Nubian cross that I’m convinced is mentally challenged.. I could never part with her! Don’t worry about being “odd”.. we all have our quirks!
Back again for to ask for some advice – my goats, a total of 4 pygmy, One adult male buck, one 18month buck (son of adult), one doe and one kid (born 12/18) all share a field with my horses (3 total – 2 gelding and one colt) – there are 3 houses available for them to keep warm in and they share water source and hay with horses. Horses and goats are bonded especially with the colt and form a small herd. Since Priscilla gave birth to Holly in Dec. Chico (adult buck) is going crazy trying to get at her – I only let her out of the nursery 10×10 pen a few hours a day due to this. She gets no peace and it has been getting worse he was so aggressive that he chased Holly away from Mom and this distressed them both. I am getting one of the bucks fixed next week – not sure if I should get Chico since he is proving so aggressive or Sprig his son who is a hand raised baby (momma died right after kidding) and is sweet and very much loves people. Both are poled and I know that Chico produces poled kids – sprig and holly are poled even though moms were horned (to tell the truth we are not sure if Chico or Sprig is Holly’s dad). We also want to keep Holly but don’t want to inbred so have you heard of getting a doe fixed?
Hey Lisa! I’ll try to reply in order of the questions.
Pygmys have monthly cycles so she is coming into heat & if left in contact with Chico, he will breed her & she will get pregnant. Bucks will be aggressive as long as there is a doe in heat (& Holly can come into heat when she’s about 10/12 weeks).
Little billys should be fixed at no sooner or later than 5 months of age. Older than 5 he will still have the breeding instinct. Earlier than 5 you may have kidney stone problems (may have – not definitely). Once billys are allowed to breed, the “pet” in them is gone & I’ve yet to meet a non aggressive or non assertive billy goat. If you want to keep him for breeding purposes, he’ll need his own pen/pasture. He’ll also get real stinky so if you have a castrated billy in there with him to keep him company, that little billy will get all stinky too. I think breeding bucks are fine left on their own. Not sure if Chico is kept with your horses but if they are, at some point they will all smell like Billy goats!
I had for a short time a very friendly breeding billy goat. He was always climbing on me or rubbing on me & I carried that horrible billy smell with me everywhere! I myself do not keep a billy around longer than it takes to breed my girls. You can always find a good looking billy goat to breed your girls unless you’re looking for registered stock.
As for getting your doe fixed, most country vets will do it & it is usually cheaper than getting a dog the same size fixed. As for inbreeding, I don’t do it on purpose but it’s no big deal when it does. Just remember that if the animals have undesirable traits, that will come out in the kids. I have a beautiful little doe (Gracie) that was the product of brother & sister. When Gracie was born, her mom was barely 8 months old. The delivery was difficult but both survived. However, 18 months later when Gracie was pregnant the kid was presenting himself awkwardly & a C Section was necessary to deliver him. He was dead & I will not risk breeding Gracie again. Was this due to her lineage? We’ll never know but I’m not going to chance it!
Good luck!