NH Homesteader's journal

[NH Homesteader]

So the person who wanted my wether was supposed to email me last week... Still have not heard from her. So, I assume that's not happening. A friend of ours wants him as a pet and is looking for a friend for him. She doesn't know a ton about goats but she asked a lot of questions and they live a few miles up the road from us, so we can teach them how to do hooves and shots and I'll help her set up a first aid kit. They have a good vet for their dogs and pot belly, so it'll be fine.

My Nigie doe is on and off the sales floor, lol. Right now she has either mites or her vitamin deficiency issue going on, so she's not for sale until I clear it up (treated for mites yesterday). But, really, she's not worth keeping. But she also isn't hurting anything being here (if we separate her during grain time at least).

I'm indecisive. She's probably not going to make the cut if we move to TN. In part because I have never seen a goat flip out so badly in a moving vehicle!

If I sell her, I'll only have two goats until the babies come in June. Weird! I had 6 at the beginning of winter. I hate getting rid of them, so only keepers are coming here, I know what I want now. No impulse buys! Lol

 

[baymule]

No point in moving an animal that doesn't make the cut. Get her well and get her gone. Move the best, sell the rest.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Lol I know it. Probably will. My husband hates her. She will not let anyone but me near her. She has OCD. She beats up the other goats. Her hooves grow really fast. And she isn't even a very good milker.

Yeah...

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Sounds like that's a pretty easy decision when you put it that way!

 

[NH Homesteader]

I know

 

[NH Homesteader]

@frustratedearthmother I finally heard back from the people with the AGH boar. She said he's 5 months and 50 lbs. Is that a reasonable weight for his age, do you know?

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I'm terrible at estimating weight on my own. I really think that my 'boar-let' that was born November 22 is probably at least 40+ lbs....BUT...since I'm waiting for buyers they've been kept up and fed a little too well.

Found this on AGH website:

By 6 months of age, you might have a 60 lb pig with a 50% carcass weight, and by 1 year of age you may have a pig about 120 lbs with approximately 60 lbs carcass weight.

Sounds like he's pretty well right on track. I think my biggest boar is pushing 300 lbs - but he's FAT! The other one is probably 250ish.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Awesome thanks! I have to sit down with DH and discuss plans. He doesn't plan well. If we aren't keeping ours when/if we move, there's no sense in getting a boar. We won't get any more pigs in that case, we would just butcher the barrow soon and the gilts this fall and get new pigs down there. I don't want to breed pigs, really but he does. It's so much cheaper and easier to buy a couple and raise them for butcher every year. I don't like having pigs year round. But if he doesn't listen to me (lol like usual), then I insist on breeding little pigs!

I'm kind of in a why the heck are we doing all this frame of mind. Winter needs to end, maybe I'll feel less frustrated and overwhelmed. Sigh.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I'm kind of in a why the heck are we doing all this frame of mind.

Totally understand!

Do you have any idea what the time frame will be for moving? For me - if it were still going to be a year or more, I'd do what I want and get what I want and not worry about moving them out until it gets closer to moving time. However, if it were within a 6 - 9 month time frame, I probably wouldn't take on any more critters at this time.

But, you gotta do what works for you (and DH I guess, lol).

 

[NH Homesteader]

I hafta do what works for him?? Seriously? Lol

He wants to move in the fall. I keep reminding him that's a lovely idea, if our house sells. And houses are not selling so well here now.

I am getting my buckling and wether and some new chickens and would love if I could call that it. I am kind of attached to one of our pigs but pigs are pigs.

My husband has great ideas and wants to do everything, but isn't good at recognizing when it's not the right time to do it all!

Sorry, needed to vent I guess!