Frustratedearthmother's Journaling Journey

[Mini Horses]

Italy is a wonderful place to visit! Been 3X & loved every minute...very SS type people. The wine is good, too.
A month 2X & did a lot of touring, walked up Mt Vesuvius, went to Pompey. etc -- some video shows those guys were really working it before and after THEIR hot tub & wine They have little shops, add a room for married kids, raise veggies, goats, etc., etc. I could live there.

So, get a new motor!

Yep, 4+1 is better than 5. Geesh. The mom had trip boys last yr, twin boys this yr & dtr (FF) trip boys. I'm just shaking my head. OL

 

[Denim Deb]

FEM, it's probably a good thing you don't live closer. I would be some tempted to get some of your kinder girls. It's what I want to get eventually, but not until I get my own farm.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

MH - Italy is definitely on the bucket list - but I've told him that I absolutely will NOT go overseas with him until/unless he starts paying more attention to his health. As it stands right now he can't walk more than a block without pain in his legs. His doc told him - exercise! We've got a big ol' high dollar treadmill just about 6 steps away from his computer and where does he spend his time? Grrrrrr!

DD - I do love the kinder breed. They are much more hardy than my pure Nubians and for milking they're right up there. I've got one kinder gal who gave right at a gallon a day last year at her peak and this year I kinda think she'll top that! I need to go ahead and get them registered. I was undecided for awhile about registering them, but I think it's a good idea.

The triplets are still kinda shaky. I gave them all colostrum out of a bottle last night just because I wanted to be sure they got it. They're up and around this morning, but just not bouncy yet, lol. On the other hand, the kinder babies already have springs in their legs. Ah-may-ZING!

I got a few other things accomplished because I was outside alllll day watching goats. I got two more rows of corn in and planted some pumpkins in the same area. Also put in some collard greens in a shady corner of the garden. I've never grown collards before so this is an experiment. Finally found where a couple of eggplant seedlings have come up - was beginning to worry that planting them directly wasn't going to work.

I mentioned this on another thread on BYH - but I want to share here too. Yesterday, because so much was going on in the 'maternity ward' I pitched a couple of the mothers and their young-uns out into the big pasture where Maddie (LGD) lives. I had also let the male guinea hogs out to browse also. I've turned the hogs in to the pasture several other times and Maddie has basically ignored them. Well - yesterday was a different story. The little goats I turned out were 6 weeks old and very strong so I wasn't worried that the pigs would hurt them, (or be able to catch them) but Maddie had other ideas. One of the pigs started sauntering over to one of the little doelings and Maddie literally came UNGLUED on that pig! She came roaring across the pasture like a big white hurricane and plowed into that pig. They went rolling across the pasture and Maddie came out on top. She was snarling and that pig was squealing, and she totally bulldozed (bulldozed is the only word that works) that pig away from that goat. She didn't let up on him until she was happy with the space between them and then she totally went back to nap mode, lol.

DH and I were talking this morning about how we rarely see her in action, so that was cool. We got her all those years ago because we'd had some losses to a bobcat. We've lost NOTHING since she's been here and she's been with the goats full-time since she was 4 months old. Crazy!

We're also talking about getting her a partner. I kept thinking that she's still so young that she doesn't need help, but we started adding up her age this morning and she's between 6 and 7 years old. I've been kind of keeping an eye out on Craigslist for a male Anatolian. I don't really want puppies, but I do want a male. So, fingers crossed that I find something!

 

[Denim Deb]

Glad she's so protective.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Whew, whirlwind couple of days. My poor DH, he's always got a challenge. Thursday he went to an ENT, referred by his primary care doc, for dizziness he's been having. So, the ENT, does all these tests (in the office) and can't really put her finger on what's causing this so she sends him to get an MRI yesterday to be sure we aren't dealing with a flippin' brain tumor! Now, I don't think for a minute that he has a brain tumor, nor does he, but dang. We've had enough sonograms, CT's and MRI's the last couple of weeks to last a lifetime. Oh, and they did find 'significant' hearing loss in his left ear and he needs a hearing aid.

AND, if all of that isn't enough he's been to ER this morning because of an infection in his leg from the stupid dog scratching him. Doc says it's staph, which has developed into cellulitis and gave him two shots and a prescription. I need to wrap this guy in bubble wrap and make him stay inside forever!

One of the little baby bucklings (Batman) got stepped on by one of the big does a couple days ago....right in the belly. So, yesterday I was looking at him and saw the weirdest bulge high up on his flank....felt ropey and about an inch in diameter. So, I guess this big ol mama goat stepping on him caused him to herniate. When he's got a belly full of milk, I can feel the intestine poking out under his skin.....when he's empty you can't feel it. This little fella is about as 'snakebit' as my DH! Every time I turn around he's got a challenge too.

Stoopid goats got into my garden this morning. Gate was even latched, but just not latched properly...my bad. I'll have to go assess the damage in a bit - I was too PO'd to even look at everything. But, I can tell you there's a lot less green stuff in there right now. ARGH!

Guess I need to get out there and get busy/ier.

Happy Saturday, ya'll!

 

[Denim Deb]

Ugh, does not sound like you're having a good day.

Did the ENT do tests for Meniere's?

 

[hqueen13]

Whew, you sound like you've been as busy as me!! Yay baby goats! Can't wait to see pictures!!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

@Denim Deb - He said the doc did test him for Menieres and said that wasn't it - but I'm not convinced. He seems to have all the symptoms... We're waiting for the results of the MRI right now even though I hope it tells us absolutely NOTHING! I don't want anything to show up on it.

@hqueen13 - I think I AM as busy as you, lol. (at least for the last few weeks or so) I meet myself coming and going it seems.

Today I got off a little early so I came home and jumped right into goat chores. I gave the mama goats and the 'mama's to be' a vita/min supplement called Replamin. My goats are not looking their best lately and I'm not happy about it. My guess is that I've got some copper deficiency going on. A few of my black goats are looking a little washed out and quite a few of them have rough hair coats. Granted, we're at that time of year when everyone is blowing coat and that could account for part of it. But, you know when you have that feeling that things aren't 'just right'...? I've got that feeling about my herd right now and I'm fighting hard to get their condition back where I'm happy about it.

I have loose minerals for them, but with the humidity we have here I don't leave them out 24/7. I put some in their feed every day so they're not totally without - but I feel they need more. On weekends I put the minerals out free choice, but it still must not be enough. There is also a trace mineral block for the horses that the goats love, so again, it's not like they're ever totally without. I also bought a $47 dollar bag of organic kelp. Crazy expensive, but at least they are eating all I put out. I woulda been a little ticked if they'd have turned up their noses at it.

Also, I've found LICE on a couple of the babies yesterday - UGH!!! So, yesterday I wormed all the mama's with Ivomec (injected) which should do a number on any lice they may be carrying - even though I've inspected them with a fine tooth comb and can't find any on the adult goats. Also, I dusted everybody, and their sleeping areas with Co-Ral. I'll be doing a more thorough clean out this weekend. Just another thing to add to my list, lol. Geeze louise-when it rains it pours.

Used Ivomec injectable on the bucks yesterday too. I swear all the goats hate me right now, lol. But, I've gotta get a handle on this. I can't stand walking out back and not being happy with what I see.

I need to get pictures of all the babies! I've got color, color, color! Definite eye candy for sure.

 

[hqueen13]

Its tough when they aren't as healthy as they should be... it could be ANYTHING! Hope that it levels out soon and they get back to their shining selves!
I have a sign that hangs in my house that says "I don't know if I found a rope or lost a horse." Bout sums it up.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

"I don't know if I found a rope or lost a horse."

I love that!

Yep-it's annoying when I think my critters are not 100%. For years I've had people come buy goats from me because they know they're getting the healthiest animal that they can get. But, right now I'd have a hard time living up to that.

However, I'm already seeing improvement. I have one baby that has had challenge after challenge and he's finally looking better! With him being the weakest one on the place, of course he was the one that the lice went after with a vengeance. I got him dusted and he's a lot happier now.

I've got two more weeks before kidding starts again. And, to make things so much 'better' we had almost 3 inches of rain last night. GRRRRRRR! It sure needs to dry up so that I can toss some of the older babies and their mama's out to the big pasture to live.

Life on the farm... lol. Never boring - always exciting, always challenging and oh so rewarding!