Frustratedearthmother's Journaling Journey

[Mini Horses]

Thanks FEM. Yeah, just like a horse.

I do have a military marksman across the street --- IF he is in town at this time... and hoping the neighbor behind will do & help butcher. It isn't an easy thing to be confronted with -- eye catching and I've waited for a long time for kids, she was born here -- however, I just can't spend that for possibly nothing. No setting this, or I would have. No, its lose the bottom of the leg. Not how I want her to live. This herd not to be pets, although I love them....hard "farm" decisions.

By the way, she left her big shed where she was comfy and walked to the regular goat barn. That hurts. But...reread above.

AND -- as if that wasn't enough -- my young buck got out and into the field with the other 14 does! Young & old alike... He's 8 mos and this was his first day. Well, he ain't a virgin now! There was tail flagging already going on & I had hoped to wait another couple weeks. HOWEVER, it appears he accommodated 7 of them. Thankfully, none of the young ones (also 8-10 mos & good weight) appear to have been bred. You know, that flagging tail becomes a tucked one when hit. Wags but, low. LOL. I had planned to use him on all but 1 of those, so that part is ok. (I had put them into a different pasture and guess the aroma was too enticing for him) Now I have to mark calendars and watch tails. I'm hoping this is all the crap I have handed to me for today. Oh, my current milker was one of the 7...which is ok...now I won't need to worry with that for her.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Oh wow - what a day. What a crap day for you! But your young buck probably thinks otherwise!

Sure hope you can find a way to get the doe taken care of. One thing I noticed when mine broke her leg was that she didn't seem to be in terrible pain - even though it had to be painful. She never stopped eating or moving on it. Crazy how these prey animals will mask their pain.

Sure wish it wasn't compound....she might be salvageable if not.

What about your son? Isn't he with you - and could he do it?

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Hoping for the best for @Mini Horses 's situation.

I'm at work this morning...yay for working on a Saturday? But, I'll work 8 hours and get 12 hours of comp time! I neeeeeeed some time off. We've been boss-less for 7 months now with just 2 of us running this program. With only 2 in the office it doesn't leave much time to be sick or just take a mental health day, lol. The word is that we'll have a new boss in 2 weeks. I'm relieved. This lady interviewed well and we all thought she would be a good fit so I'm hoping it turns out to be that way.

Had to stop and get doughnuts for the students this morning. Do you know how hard it was to have those in my car, and to carry them in from the parking lot with all that deliciousness right under my nose! I had to put them down and literally RUN outta the room so I wouldn't grab the chocolate covered coconut one. This is killing me - AND - I'll be ordering pizza for lunch. Geeze... I need to lose more weight so I can start eating again, lol. (that's probably not the attitude I need to have, huh?)

Hate to say this - but we have more mouths to feed at my house. One of the gals dropped 8 piglets Thursday. One was DOA - and since them 3 more have passed. Not sure what's up except that I think she laid on 2 of them and one wandered off. I think maybe I've learned something about pigs through this experience that I didn't know. The mama delivered them in the main barn area in a hole she had dug in the barn dirt. (I knew I shoulda moved her earlier!) So, I grabbed piglets and moved them to the other side of the barn where there was hay on the floor for a better, cleaner nest. Took a bit to get mama moved over - but it happened. Next morning I went to check on 'em and mama was out looking/waiting for groceries and two of the piglets were back on the other side of the barn. (I'm wondering if when they get 'lost' if they follow their noses back to their place of birth cuz I'm sure there is the scent of all those birthing fluids there.) So, I moved those two back and yesterday, again, I found one over there in the same spot - but it was dead. I didn't check this morning so not sure if there's still 4 or not. But, I did check sexes last night and at that time there were 3 females and one male....so only one upcoming castration! I'm quite happy about that.

 

[sumi]

Aww piglets Sorry to hear of the losses though! I hope everything will work out great with your new boss, so you can take some time off.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Sorry about the losses, but hey, we need piglet pics! I am currently involved in an epic FB debate about farrowing crates. I never have met anyone who thought they were ok. I guess maybe I'm sheltered? But there are us homesteader types arguing with the factory farmer types. It's quite enlightening lol!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

So, since I'm a FB know nothing...how do you find these pages?

 

[NH Homesteader]

This was on my AGH group (I just search for groups and tada! Lol), someone posted it from their local fair and we all went awww poor pigs, and then got yelled at lol. But I was shocked that people were defending that. we know how smart and social pigs are!

 

[Mini Horses]

Yep, FEM, you should have just put a couple flakes of hay by her nest and she would have lined it and covered the babies. I know, I know, hindsight but, next time. I actually put the hay out just before they were due and they made a nest in their house. One had also made one under their carport the week before that. Dug a hole, lined it with EVERYTHING she gathered from their pasture and had a hole at one end to enter the "cave" of branches, hay, you name it! Freekin architect!

Glad that the ones left are female. Hey, more to breed

For me -- the goat is on ice. I called the father of the young guy behind me, to get a number. Telling him what I needed, he says I'm here all weekend and can do it for you!! Call me when you get back home & I'll come up. I knew he hunted & butchered them but, find out he does it for friends and smokes turnkeys, sausage, etc. Has an entire processing set up at his home 40 miles away. At this point I'm feeling I hit the jackpot. He says, never done a goat -- I said, I've been told do it like a deer & I've never done either. We're good!! The take out was kind, swift and heartbreaking...but, I swallowed HARD, wiped my eyes and said, let's move on. He loaded her on the rack on his ATV (for deer) and took her back to his set-up back of me.

So 10:30 ish and it's done. Now I have this carcass on ice, sectioned ribs, front shoulders & rear quarters, plus loin strips, etc. He was thrilled to have the "residue" to put out for coyote bait tonight. Already had 2 coming to help him hunt them -- says there's a pack out there in his woods. Don't need THAT 1/2 mile from me and kidding in Feb when they are wanting fed!

I am sad & glad, at same time. Sad this lovely girl is gone (& she caused it!!) but, glad it is "done" humanely & I did not have to do the deed. Sure hope I like this meat because, it needs to be eaten. She was fatter than I thought!

(I'm gonna pop this to the coffee thread @ BYH)

I did learn a couple things about butchering -- should I ever have to do it!! -- that's #1 and #2, I don't WANT to do it, unless I absolutely have to. So, there's that! I did call my butcher place early AM and they could NOT take her until Tues. NO, had to be NOW. What luck that Bob was out here for a hunting weekend.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Yep, FEM, you should have just put a couple flakes of hay by her nest and she would have lined it and covered the babies.

If the sow had been where I wanted her to - I would have. But, she was on the wrong side of the barn (barn is divided) that is open to the fields. I need them in a more confined place where I can access the babies and feed her extra - so I needed to move her. Shoulda moved her a day or so before, but didn't. As of last night there were 3 females and 1 male left... so still one male to take care of.

Glad you got the doe taken care of. Good that you found that guy to do the deed and take care of the processing too. I like goat meat - hope you do too.

 

[Mini Horses]

I like goat meat - hope you do too.

Me, too. There's a pretty good amount if I don't . I'm hoping I do. Of course, that might make me buy some Boer again... Considered it recently, just for market sales.

Yeah, pigs can be irrational -- these animals always want to be where we DON"T want them to be! We should know this by now!

Happy Weekend!!