Homestead Blog -- Fore Edge Grange

Get Ready for Kids

1/10/2020

Christmas is over, so now it is time to start thinking about baby goats! We usually get out goats pregnant in late fall (September-November), so we have babies in late winter (February-April). Having early kids means they can be posted to be sold before the rush, are ready to find new homes around Easter.

So what is needed when preparing for birth? I'll give you the rundown of what we have learned through our two...going on three, kidding seasons comprising of seven does giving birth to 18 kids. I'm no expert, but I do know more now that when I started.

Keep Track of Dates:
First, record heat cycles as you notice them throughout the year for Nigerian's and starting in the late summer/fall for larger goats. Knowing the cycle will help when deciding when to make a date with the buck. It is important to record the times the doe was exposed to Mr. Stinky. If you see the deed happen, mark that on the calendar as well. You may witness it on more than one day, or not at all, but recording those dates will help you determine a more accurate due date.
I enter the dates into a Gestation Calculator like this one from the American Goat Society https://americangoatsociety.com/gestation-calculator.php. Or you can count weeks on the calendar (5 months or 21 weeks or 145 days for the little goats and 150 for the standards). I record three dates on a spreadsheet, earliest she could be due, estimated date from when he got her, and the last possible day she could have kids. Knowing all three dates helps me prepare on time.

Before Birth:
There are some pregnancy problems that we like to keep up on

Grain - We only give grain rations to goats in the milking stand. That means that pregnant/non-lactating does never get grain. Out lactating/pregnant does get a little bit at the start of the pregnancy, and then we wean down to none by the 3rd month. They get hay in the milking stand for the last two months. We start the grain again when we start milking after they give birth.
Water - This is a no-brainer, but pregnant and lactating does drink more. This can be hard when water pails freeze all winter, but they must have all the water they want.
1. Solution. We fill water pails in the morning and night with steaming hot water, it helps it last a little longer in the cold. We also provide one heated water bucket or water in an insulated place, so there is always fresh water that is not ice.
Shots - If you choose to give a CD and T Vaccine, we do it two weeks before we think kids will come. That way, the kids are born with some vaccines in their system, but it is gone from mom by the time we start drinking the milk.
Calcium - Pregnancy and lactation can drain the doe of Calcium and cause her bones to be weak. Calcium deficiency can also cause weak, ineffective labor contractions to be ineffective.
1. To prevent, we drench with 20cc of Oral Cal MPK (for cows). We do this every month for the three months before due dates. I also have it on hand to use if labor stalls. The goats love the taste of this drench and will lick the liquid syringe clean after it is given.
Selenium - This mineral is often found in your soil. If you live in an area that has low amounts (get the soil tested or check a general map), you may need to give them some. Selenium deficiencies can cause kids to be born with white muscle disease. This makes it hard to control their muscles or have weak back legs. Usually, kids are okay after the first few days if they get help nursing, but it can be a problem.
1. To prevent, we drench weekly for the last month with a drench that contains selenium.
2. To treat, we give a kid-size dose of the drench to all newborns, and weak kids get it once a day for the first week.
Copper - This is usually not a problem the first season, but can be for any after. Watch for discoloration and dullness of the fur (blacks that turn brown, tans that get light) or bald patches.
1. To prevent, offer free minerals that include copper
2. To treat, copper pills can be bought and then forced down their throat using a bolus gun or hidden in a treat they won't chew. Or there are shots you can get from a vet. Here's how. Give the dose recommended on the packaging for goats (not sheep) and then wait 3 months so see if it improves. If symptoms get worse, a second dose can be given after a few months, or you can talk to your vet about a shot.

Prepare For Birth:
If this is your first kidding season, YouTube is your best friend. Watch as many birthing videos as you can find. Compare the births to what you read so you have an idea of what you will do if/when problems happen!
Most births are perfectly normal, and you are only there because it is so fun to see. But sometimes there are problems. I have learned that no matter how prepared you are, it is not enough for the first few years. Here are my suggestions.

Have the number of a goat whispering friend saved on your phone before your due date. It is nice to get a second opinion when you are unsure if what you see is normal.
Have the number of a vet that makes house calls! If you need it, you don't want to have to find it. Prepare for the worst, just in case.
Pack your birth box and check for supplies in the month before the due date. Here is our birth box list:
1. Chuck Pads - I use these to catch babies, clean out noses, wipe down, and to hide stillbirths. As the name suggests, when dirty, you chuck them.
2. 2 Old Bath Towels - like the chuck pads, sometimes it is nice to have a larger towel to warm mom or kids, kneel or sit on in the barn, and to keep mud below the work going on.
3. Way to Keep Track of time (phone, watch) and a notebook or whiteboard - I write down notes as labor progresses so I don't get anxious. I use those notes to fill in birth records that I keep as a google spreadsheet. Sometimes things happen so fast you forget the order once it is over. I record when pushing starts, when I see a bubble, the time and gender of each birth, and any complications I see. Reviewing these notes later helps me improve at knowing what to do or not do next time.
4. Drench and/or Jump Start - As mentioned before, we give every kid a squirt of drench and jumpstart within the first 12 hrs after birth. Mom also gets some drench and jumpstart. It provides the vitamins and strength to help overcome the ordeal they went through.
5. Oral Cal MPK - I Use as a drench to help stalled contractions. I have only needed it once, but It is nice to have it handy. This also comes as a paste, but I have only ever used the liquid.
6. Iodine Swabs - I know you can use iodine and cotton to clean cords, but why the mess when swabs from Amazon are so much easier. I love the pre-soaked cotton sticks to clean the cord and the surrounding area after mom has cleaned the baby.
7. Medicine Syringes - These are handy for a few reasons, first to administer Calcium if labor stalls, and second, to collect and deliver milk if a kid is too weak to stand and nurse.
8. Medical Gloves - If you need to check inside, you will need these to keep your does from getting dirty up there. If you don't need to check, it is nice to be able to keep your hands clean, so her mess is not under your fingernails. I just use the wrist length, have not needed anything more.
9. Personal Lubricant - KY jelly is perfect for lubricating your glove if you need to check the progress or position of the kid. I have done this many times (stuck kids- usually that are stillborn) or when you first start, checking to see if another kid is coming.
10. Molasses - Mom will want a drink of warm molasses water after giving birth to go along with some fresh hay. The molasses give her some energy and taste good!
11. Thermometer - I like to track mom's temperature for the first two or three days just to make sure there are no issues causing an infection that I can't see. I buy these at the dollar store and toss when the battery dies.
12. Vaseline - You will need this to lubricate the thermometer.
13. Alcohol Wipes - I use these to clean the thermometer before and after use.
14. Hand Sanitizer - I don't have running water in my barn, so I use hand sanitizer before and after touching birth stuff. I also put some on my glove before the KY jelly when doing an internal check. I don't trust that the gloves in the box are that clean after being in my barn.

Find and Have Ready:

After birth, you will need a few items, so be sure to have them ready to go.

Heat Lamp - Here in Utah, it is cold. We leave the heat lams on 24/7 for the first three days, then at night for the first week. Be sure the lamp is high enough that it won't be touched or bothered and that it is not too hot.
Tall Water Dish - Baby goats can drown in a water pail. Make sure the one for mom is tall enough that a baby can't get curious and fall in.
Fresh Hay that is not near the ground - Baby goats love to sleep in moms hay. A wall feeder or bars that are too narrow for baby to fit through is best. We wasted good alfalfa the first year to baby poop.
A Plan - Our barn had two kidding stalls. The stalls are separate, so moms have their own space. Until you know the temperament of your goats, it is best to keep moms and babies away from your other goats for the first few weeks. An annoyed aunt could hurt a kid without meaning to. I found that the new moms are pretty tolerant of each other's kids, but the pregnant goats waiting for their turn are not always as patient. We breed in pairs and keep the other goats in an outside barn at night and fenced in a separate area during the day for the first two weeks. The separate barn is later used for night weaning until kids find new homes. If you plan to bottle feed all your kids, they will need their own space after 2-7 days.

Check out my other articles for Signs of Labor and the Actual Birth Process!

Snow White

12/17/2019

A Tale of Resilience

chicken hen eggs barn coop farm homestead Picture Picture

Warning: The pictures are graphic...

Chickens, I have learned, are incredibly resilient. I grew up around domestic turkeys and was convinced that birds were the most stupid and fragile of the barnyard animals. Now I know better.

We started our hen house with six baby chicks three years ago. We lost one chick from pasty butt and is how we learned that that was even a thing. We replaced the chick with another who was played with too rough by our new puppy a few months later. For two years, we had a happy laying flock of 5. This spring, we decided to freshen the flock with new chicks. We are only allowed a small number of animals in our yard, so the new ones would replace the old ones they began laying.

We picked out four chicks, all a little different so we could tell them apart. The Girls named them after fairy tales, Ella, Snow, Raven, and Fey. They began in the house in a dog crate fitted with a heat lamp, then moved to the garage in a fenced area. Once they had feathers, it was time to be introduced to the big girls in the coop. Our coop has an area beneath that can be closed off, but is still viable through the fencing to the run and outside. It was in this space that the new chicks were living when the accident happened.

One April afternoon, while looking out the window, I noticed that the door leading to under the coop was open. I hurried outside, hoping that the young birds were ok. What I found made me cry. The hens were there, attacking one of the young chicks. Chickens eat meat and are attracted to blood. It appeared that there had been a fight, pecking order being established, and Snow had started to bleed. The other chickens all came and were pecking at the open wound on her head. She looked dazed, barely alive, could not hold her head up, and eyes not able to stay open. The entire back of her head was gone, and skull exposed. I grabbed the chicken and brought her to the house. I was sure she was going to die. I put her in a cat carrier with warm towels and turned on a heat lamp. Then I went to work researching what to do.

I read that I should clean the wound, and apply triple antibiotic ointment, then keep it covered. I carefully washed Snow's head with warm water and gauze. I attempted to apply the ointment to the dry wound, but it just slid off. I finally put the cream on the dressing and just stuck it to her head. It fell off after an hour, but it was better than nothing. Snow spend the first night in the house. The next day, I moved her to the garage along with the heat lamp and water laced with Sav-A-Chick Electrolyte powder. She was beginning to walk around some but still seemed stunned and not well. I looked again on the internet and learned about Vetericyn Plus wound spray. We had used Blu Kote when disbudding goats, but the spray is so big I worried about getting it in her eyes. The Vet spray was perfect. We abandoned the gauze and began to spray the wound three times a day. She began to improve.

Within a few days, she was acting normal. She began to eat and drink as usual and even began to make noise. A week and a half later, she was ready to brave the outside again. Because her wound was still open, I could not put her with the other chickens. I set up a fence in the back of the run, and that is where she spent the days. At night I would bring her into the garage with the heat lamp. By the time May rolled around, she was healed. The wound was scarred over, and some feathers were growing along the edges. She moved back into the coop without any problems.

Today she is perfectly healthy and accepted, part of the flock. The wound scars remain; feathers don't grow there, so my son calls her baldy.

I am amazed at the strength and resilience I saw in this small bird. Life often feels overwhelming, like there is no use trying. But, if a chicken can find the will and strength do go on under impossible circumstances, so can I.

Goat Cookies

12/15/2019

nigerian dwarf lamancha goat barn farm homestead

I had seen YouTube videos of people making treats and cookies for their goats and wondered, "WHY?" That seemed like a lot of work when they are just as happy with a raw peanut, shell and all, that takes 0 time to prepare. But I changed my tune when I decided to use a natural wormer. First I tried Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth. I had some I was using as a dust for Goat Lice, and I had read that you can sprinkle it on the goats' food to help with internal parasites. So I tried it! My picky goats refused to eat. Next I read about an herbal mix you can buy on line. Again my goats turned up their noses. I tried mixing the herbs in water and using as a drench. It was a mess!!! Now I make goat cookies and they can't get enough! It is their Sunday treat! If you have something you want your goat to eat, but they won't touch, or if you really love your goat and want to make her happy, you should try this!

GOAT COOKIES
Making cookies is easy. I would love to give you a recipe that is easy to follow, but I don't measure anything when making them so you will have to experiment and find what works for you. Here are the basics.
You will need:

Herbs, diatomaceous earth, or other powdery substance that is good for goats but they don't like (optional)
Wet stuff: unsweetened apple sauce, fruit that is too mushy to eat, leftovers from making applesauce, pumpkin mush...
The Bait: sweet stuff like Molasses and/or Honey to cover the taste and smell of the herbs
Treats: chopped apples, carrots, pumpkin, cucumbers, grapes, raw peanuts...
Dry Stuff: Dry Oatmeal or flour

How to do it:

I start with my herbs and diatomaceous earth. If you are not using these things, skip to the next ingredient. I mix the appropriate amount for my four goats into a bowl.

Then I add the wet ingredients. Fruit sauce and molasses. I put enough to make it wet but not so much that I need to add a lot of oats, that just makes more dough. I would guess about 1/2 c. sauce and 1 T. molasses or honey.
Next comes some chopped fruit or veg. My goats love carrots and I usually have them on hand because my kids like them too. I chop about 1/4 cup and throw it in!

I stir that all together and check the consistency. It should look like cookie dough. If it is too wet and sticky, you need to add more dry ingredients. If you did not use herbs or powder, you will definitely need dry ingredients. I add Oatmeal a handful at a time, stirring it in, until it is thick and not too sticky.

The next step is to form your cookies on a cookie sheet. I have a silicone baking mat designated for the goats that I use so they come off the pan without a problem. I make cookies in quantities that are divisible by four, because I have four goats and that way I know they are given an even portion of the wormer.

The final step is to bake your cookies at 350* for about 10 min. If your cookies are large, leave them in a little longer.
Feed the cooled cookies to your goats and watch them gobble them up, and beg for more!

Chickens and Calcium

12/13/2019

chicken hen eggs shell eggshell barn coop farm homestead Picture Picture

hickens need calcium to be healthy and to produce eggs with strong shells.
To find the best source of calcium, you needn't look farther than your coop.
A common sign that your laying hen has a calcium deficiency is thin eggshells, or eggs with gummy or nonexistent shells. This is not a pleasant thing to find in the nesting box or to try and carry into the house. Sometimes a young hen my lay shell-less eggs when they are first practicing, but if your mature layers start to do this, you may want to add some calcium to their diet.

I am a big believer in the phrase,
“Use it up. Wear it out. Make it do, or do without.”
I try to find natural, cost-efficient ways to deal with everyday problems on the homestead. I found the simplest way to add calcium is to give the chicken their own eggs. According to Healthline, Eggshells are 40% calcium, and half a shell can provide up to 1,000mg of calcium. The trick to feeding chickens eggs is to make it unrecognizable as an egg. That way, they will not start eating their own eggs, leaving you with nothing to make for breakfast!
Here is what I do.

HOW TO FEED CHICKENS EGGS

First, make up a batch of scrambled eggs with no salt or butter. I give those right to the chickens along with the table scraps we dump in the run every morning. This add to their basic health and protein.
As you crack eggs, place the shells on a foil-lined cookie sheet and pop them in the oven at 350* for 30 min or so. The high temperature will dry them out, kill any salmonella, and make them easy to grind.

I then grind the shells to bits. I use a mortar and pestle. And I save this chore until I’m very frustrated. Pulverizing eggs, and the crunching sound they make is very satisfying and stress relieving.

I then sprinkle the powder on the chicken’s food. Eggshells are also useful for keeping slugs and snails away from the plants in your garden. Just sprinkle a ring around the plant, and the slimy critters cant slide over it without getting injured.

Good Luck!

References:
Arnarson, A. (2017, November 17). The Benefits and Risks of Eating Eggshells. Retrieved from Healthline: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/eggshells-benefits-and-risks

Top of Page

Author

"I've been thinking..." is my husbands least favorite phrase. Every time he hears it he know there will be lots of work, money, and time involved. My name is Anne. I'm not an author or grand storyteller but I do get most of my homestead information from others. So, I thought I would pass on my experiences and ideas. I hope they give you information and ideas to help you get thinking.

I've Been Thinking...