Frustratedearthmother's Journaling Journey

[frustratedearthmother]

Check for parasitic eggs?

Ugh!

Felt better after I annihilated them! Found the culprit and surprised that I hadn't seen them before now. It was a big ol' yellow jacket nest. Weird though cuz we usually don't bother each other. I believe in the live and let live theory. They obviously didn't. They don't get a chance to change their theory.

The plan to smoke ribs got a rain delay. If it doesn't stop soon, I guess I can cook 'em in the oven. Radar shows we might get a break soon.

 

[Mini Horses]

Question for you since I know you're crossbreeding goat types. Dairy x meat has seasonal x all yr breeders. What are you seeing for the resulting does and their breeding times? Do you see extended receptiveness? Of course, Nubians can, and used to be, pretty close to yr round. So...

I'm not far enough along with mine to know. Plus, past crosses weren't to Saanen (very seasonal). Let's not go to CRS from yrs ago but, they were Nubian does. Yr round "can" be beneficial -- or not -- but from kids to sell, it's a positive.

I have Boer kids coming late June/early July...sorry girls, it's hot...then they will breed back for Spring kids. 3 kiddings in 2 yrs meat, vice 2 in 2 dairy. $$

Are you far enough along to see a trend?

 

[frustratedearthmother]

My nubs aren't year round cyclers nor are my Kiko/Nubian crosses. I've read that Kiko's are supposed to be, but I've not noticed it with my girls. However, I don't have any pure-bred Kiko girls. I do have a doeling that is 87% and it will be interesting to see if she turns out to be. The Myotonics are also supposed to be year round breeders. I've got the Myotonic bucks and does together right now but I haven't seen any action. They've been together for 11 days at this point. The Myotonics that I have now were born in October and their breeder tells me she often breeds in May for fall babies.

My hope is that by having the Kiko bloodlines and the Myotonic bloodlines that eventually I will have girls that cycle year round...but still waiting.

My breeding season generally starts in August and runs until February even though most of my does are settled long before February.

When I raised and showed Pygmy goats we could and did breed year-round. I always strived for 3 kiddings in 2 years and usually got it.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Not a great day to be a goat around here....geeze! When it rains it pours.

Bossman - my 10 (or 11 - I forget) year old buck decided last night that he didn't want to eat. Didn't want to eat his pellets, but did greedily scarf down tree leaves and collard greens, lol. Same thing this morning. He's occasionally had some tooth trouble so I soaked some of his pellets and made them nice and mushy. He had a couple of bites, but not much. Off to the feed mill to pick up some tempting treats. I bought a bag of all grain sweet feed. I'm not really fond of sweet feed for goats because all that molasses can sometimes throw off the rumen if they're not accustomed to it. I'll give him a tiny bit just as enticement. Got some beet pulp that can be soaked until it's nice and soft and picked up some crimped oats in case he simply wants some plain ol' grain. If none of that works I picked up some Chaffhaye also.

I had held back a buck kid of his this year just for this reason - cuz daddy is getting old. But, I messed up and sold him a couple weeks ago. Now I don't have a backup for that particular bloodline - even though he's mixed. ARGH! I might possibly be able to borrow that buckling back if needed - I know the guy I sold him too. Hopefully he hasn't banded him! That would be my luck... Hoping that Bossman is hungry tonight.

And - just to keep things more interesting I went out to turn the other goats out to pasture and noticed that one of the doelings didn't come out of the barn....just stood there and bawled. I turned around to go back for her when she came screaming around the corner dripping blood from her ear. She's a nubian cross and has big ol' ears. Now one of 'em is split about 4 inches up. Not gonna even try to put it back together - it'll heal and she'll be funny looking for life. She doesn't love me, but somehow I need to get her caught and at least clean it up - if possible. Tetanus booster is in order... Yay!

Picked up 3 more round bales today too. That makes 9 - about half of what I want. Probably don't need 18, but it makes me feel good to know I have more than enough.

Waiting for it to cool off a couple degrees before I get out there and start unloading feed and hay and then administering TLC to a couple of stoopid goats!

 

[Mini Horses]

Sounds like a goat day!! Hope Bossman gets to feeling better! Have you had a chance to check his teeth? Could be a loose one. I hate when they get old -- it becomes day to day sometimes. I've lost a couple like that. We need to "learn" to use 2 yrs and sell!

Thanks for the goat cross info. I'm watching too. But no cross old enough to even cycle.. Guess I'll know before I retire a few yrs out, it seems.

 

[baymule]

I hope Bossman gets better and starts eating. I lost my ram Ringo, with no registered son to replace him. He was with 3 ewes, and one had a beautiful ram lamb! Another one is definite bred, don’t know about the third one.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I lost my ram Ringo, with no registered son to replace him. He was with 3 ewes, and one had a beautiful ram lamb! Another one is definite bred, don’t know about the third one.

Hope so!!

Bossman ate like a champ this morning. 'Course it was soft food but he scarfed it up. This has happened before and he got over it in a couple days. I wish he'd let me look at his teeth... but what the heck am I gonna do about it anyway? Over the last 6 months or so he's had 2 - now 3 - instances of not eating for a few days. So far he's bounced out of it after a couple of days and it looks like he's going to this time too. I really want to use for breeding ONE more season! I'll repeat the same cross and hope for a buckling again. Not sure how fertile he still is either - but that he's got a few swimmers left, lol.

The doeling is acting like nothing at all happened to her - and as usual - she won't let me touch her. Ugh! I don't generally keep goats that don't love me - but she's the one with the bad bite so I'm just watching her. Now she's got a bad bite and an ugly ear, lol. No one will want her! (she may end up in the freezer)

Went out early and got two of the three big round bales outta the trailer. Need to clean up the place I want to set these. There's a pile of "mulch" hay that I want to get out before I set those bales in there. It's hot already and I don't really want to - but I need to. Ugh.

BTW - the canned coleslaw is good! I think it's a little too sweet but I'm sure I can force myself to eat it, lol!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Got the three bales I bought yesterday unloaded. Went and picked up 3 more. That puts me at 12 so far. I'll wait until 2nd and maybe even 3rd cutting to get some more. I was down to about a half bale so I had to get some now. Not going to get those bales out until tomorrow. I'm kind of tired of dealing with hay right now.

 

[flowerbug]

... I'm kind of tired of dealing with hay right now.

that's about how i feel about phones...

laughed about the swimmers. perhaps they need water wings?

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Because priming my walls wasn't enough I decided to torture myself some more and actually start painting today. I thought I had myself talked into hiring someone - but I just can't do it. I might change my mind after getting going on this, lol. UGH!!!!! I. DON'T. WANNA!