Cackling Ranch - A journal of things and stuff.

[samssimonsays]

We were just there and expected to have been there again but it missed us yesterday. Hoping it misses us again today.... But it's coming. It does get to a person mentally. It's hard for it not to. Minnesota is one of the leading States with SAD - seasonal affected disorder so i get it fully!

As for the goats i really hope that y'all can get the parasites under control! We are still dealing with them here as well and it is no fun. None at all.

 

[Ferguson K]

It stormed until 4 this morning. We have a small break in weather now and I just threw the herd 40lbs of alfalfa pellets. I would top of the hay feeder, but that will just get saturated so there's no point.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

It's all around us right now...south of us...east of us...west of us...north of us. But, for the moment, we're sitting in a bubble of nuttin! And, I'm grateful because I was able to get feeding done...

 

[Ferguson K]

The skies just opened up for about 30 seconds,and all hell broke loose. We're back to that annoying drizzle where you can't get anything done and don't need a jacket or umbrella but really really wish you were dry when you walk outside.

I just checked on the garden. I HAVE PEPPERS!!! YA'LL! My start from scratch bucket peppers have peppers on them!!!

I also have a TON of baby tomatoes.

I'm excited.

I'm going to make so much salsa.

 

[sumi]

One thing I got to say about this place is though it rains here OFTEN, we don't often get a lot in one go and it usually dries off quick enough. Mud is not a huge problem either, but I am curious how it's affecting parasites here… I did notice the farmers move their cows indoors over winter. One explained to us that it's because of the wet winters we're getting.

 

[Ferguson K]

I wormed the goats again. Well, most of them. I did not hit the entire herd because the entire herd did not need redosing. I'm a mean person, though, and teased the goats with the promise of grain to get them into the smallest pen I have. One by one I checked eyelids, dosed appropriately, and kicked them back out to the main pasture. Normally I spray them with orange marking paint (livestock friendly) but Beau ate my paint can.... SOOO I had to do it another way. In between each goat I had to write it down and keep going. This caused a problem.... goats LOVE paper. They think it's a great snack and that they should all eat it! It took me longer to keep track of my health book than it did to worm the goats. I normally don't take it in with me and leave it safely outside of the fence but I needed to keep track of who was given what dosage... and my husband isn't home this weekend to help!


One of the goats, Zinnia, has had issues with this wormer in the past. Two weeks ago we almost lost her due to fluke worms after worming with this wormer... I'll be keeping a close eye on her. She's my matriarch. My oldest and most beloved. She's a total PITA but she was my first registered La Mancha. I have two of her daughters and they're just lovely.

I picked two tomatoes earlier to try and keep them from catching the blight on the plant next door, they were delicious! I've been fertilizing them with goat poop from the pasture and chicken poop from the coops. Soak it for 6-8 months and make a nice, STRONG, tea... the plants just LOVE it.

 

[Ferguson K]

This is Zinnia in all of her glory when she's healthy. She typically stays at around 180lbs. Right now she only weighs about 120 and it's scary how bad she looks.

We teamed up with the vet and a group of goatsperts and were able to bring her back from the brink of death. She's still rough, but she's alive. I'll probably give her this fall off and let her recover before breeding her again. Her longest lactation with me was 14 months so I'm not worried about not having milk from her.

 

[sumi]

I couldn't help smiling when I read about the goats trying to eat your book!

I've been fertilizing them with goat poop from the pasture and chicken poop from the coops. Soak it for 6-8 months and make a nice, STRONG, tea... the plants just LOVE it.

@Chic Rustler is experimenting with poop tea for the garden at the moment.

 

[sumi]

Zinnia's lovely! I hope she makes a full recovery.

 

[Ferguson K]

I have found that a 1/10 works best for the garden but a 1/4 works best for pasture fertilizing on Bahaia.

I have to cut it back for flowerbeds and each mixture is marked so I don't burn something... the garden does NOT like the heavier mix.

BUT

The 1/10 can be used on everything.