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Danil54grl said:
Kid season has begun here. Had a set of twins born right before I had to leave for work. 1 buck and 1 doe. First time mama but she did good with her mama standing by to watch. I had no doubt Molly would do good.
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Congratulations grandma! I guess goats are the next best thing to dogs.
 
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Being Lactose intolerant, I was raised on goats milk. It was even easier since my most of our relatives lived in the country and we would visit them almost weekly. A good supply of fresh goat milk! There was also a dairy near us that had cow and goat milk and neither were pasteurized, I could tolerate their cow milk. Wish they were still alive, would Love to move back onto a farm, learned a lot of self sufficient living then!
 
After we got home from mom's this evening we went out to feed. When out with the goats I noticed the new baby. He is a beautiful buck. . . Mom is my Tiffany and daddy is Jack. Black like momma, but spotted with white dots like his daddy. I will have to share a picture of him. At feeding, I wasnt sure if it was from Tiff or her momma Jenny since they are a mini me team and both were expected at any time. I did a head count expecting 8 including the new babe. I only counted 6 in the main barn so went out to the hay barn. Found only 1, so still missing 1. Found Calli's 2 babies under one of the stands out in the main pasture. The one out in the hay barn looks almost identical to one of Calli's babies. . . and it actually belonged to Jen. At dusk it is hard to tell the slight difference of the 2. I really hate that goat season started earlier this year since I have been gone at work for most of the deliveries.
 
I so love all of my babies. . . :)Oldest son with son 3 along with 1 grand daughter was able to come out to see the animals this morning . . but I was at work, unfortunately and only got an update on breaks on what grand daughter thought. :( Hunny didnt take pictures. . . . After I got off work I went out and loved on each of the new babes, gave all my mommas their vitamins and even some of the boys stood in line. I keep hearing horrid stories about the boys but I have never had any problems with mine except within their own heard. I do have to break up fights every now and then and have to treat a couple bucks heads because of bleeding. . .
 
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I so love my four legged kids. . . even though Duke gave me an unintentional black eye. . . :) Went out after work to do my head count for the babies and just set down. I want those babies to accept me as part of the heard.

Yes it takes time every day to do it this way. But this is what has worked for me for years now. So far I can walk up and touch all. Some now stand there to get more petting and others still run off to look for momma. Today when I sat down I had a couple babies who wanted to climb on me. Others I can hold in my arms with no problems of getting away. It's baby steps right now with them, but this means an easier life for me when they get older.
 
I may only be hoping to go to bed before midnight tonight . . . Went out to check on my littlest kids tonight. Found 5 under the staunch, which is in the new milking area. The other four were located in the older part of the barn under the feed troughs that are hung up along the barn walls. While out I could hear fireworks going off, but then heard some that were "close" that even made my bigger billies "jump". Poor Jack and Billy looked at me for comfort. . .
 
Sissy just had her first baby this evening. She was a breech birth with hind knees coming out first. Had to get pushed back in so hind feet came out first. I'm sitting out here with momma and baby in my lap. Not going anywhere still she passes all of her after birth and know she will be ok. Sissy is one that her momma abandoned and I raised from day 1. . . Sissy is my baby.
 

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Found this little guy yesterday right before evening feeding. Mom apparently dropped him and walked away. Wasn't certain which momma had him, but scooped him up to bring on the house to get cleaned, warmed up and fed some colostrum. I took him back out with me for feeding wrapped in a towel and laid him in the milking staunch area. Found out it was Becky who is a first time momma. Tried to put him on her but she wasn't having it. Rather than fight with her every time he needs to nurse, I put him on Sissy who just had a little one on Friday. She nursed him a little till her babe knocked this one off. I brought him back in and will just bottle feed him.
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Danil54grl said:
Found this little guy yesterday right before evening feeding. Mom apparently dropped him and walked away. Wasn't certain which momma had him, but scooped him up to bring on the house to get cleaned, warmed up and fed some colostrum. I took him back out with me for feeding wrapped in a towel and laid him in the milking staunch area. Found out it was Becky who is a first time momma. Tried to put him on her but she wasn't having it. Rather than fight with her every time he needs to nurse, I put him on Sissy who just had a little one on Friday. She nursed him a little till her babe knocked this one off. I brought him back in and will just bottle feed him.View attachment 12325
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This one here has been a struggle at feeding time and was wanting to resist. Since Hunny was at Tractor Supply the night he was born, I asked him to pick me up some Goat Formula that Dumor makes. Since being born, that is what I have tried feeding him but he was always resistant, then I noticed he had black stools which concerned me. I texted my boss last night saying I would be in after I got thru feeding this little guy and it was almost an hour. I tried with the bottle and a rag dipped in the formula for him to suck. I knew he was hungry because he kept trying to suck on my lip and chin. I ended up syringing it in. I did end up tasting the formula and it was off. Even after trying to remix, it was still off tasting.

While at work I picked up an extra gallon of whole milk and some buttermilk to make my own which is what I normally used in the pass.

A gallon of whole milk with about 1/3 poured into another container (for you to drink). Add in 1 cup buttermilk and 1 can of evaporated milk then shake it up.

He has been gobbling up at every feeding since. I think that I may have gotten a bad mix so called the support line. She hadst gotten any complaints but did give me their direct number, but they had already closed for the day. My little guy that Hunny has now named Robby is now pooping a baby goat yellow so I am happy with his progress now.
 
Robby was a little guy from the beginning barely fitting into the length of my hand. His young momma gave birth and walked away. I found him a little while after. I relized shortly after that he had lung issues and digestive issue so can only assume he was premature? He never was what I considered normal. He always wanted to just lay down and never wanted to eat. Had to force his mouth open but then he would nurse. Not much though. He developed scours so I put him on electrolytes for a 24 hour period. That night he got bloated. I was up all night with him sitting on my knees at a 45 degree angle massaging his rumen. The gas went down some. Saturday he seemed like normal, but by Sunday morning, the gas was back and even giving him a baking soda drench I was trying to massage it out again.. It never went back down. . . . I sat cuddling him. I lost him around noon yesterday.
 
Danil54grl said:
Robby was a little guy from the beginning barely fitting into the length of my hand. His young momma gave birth and walked away. I found him a little while after. I relized shortly after that he had lung issues and digestive issue so can only assume he was premature? He never was what I considered normal. He always wanted to just lay down and never wanted to eat. Had to force his mouth open but then he would nurse. Not much though. He developed scours so I put him on electrolytes for a 24 hour period. That night he got bloated. I was up all night with him sitting on my knees at a 45 degree angle massaging his rumen. The gas went down some. Saturday he seemed like normal, but by Sunday morning, the gas was back and even giving him a baking soda drench I was trying to massage it out again.. It never went back down. . . . I sat cuddling him. I lost him around noon yesterday.
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sorry you lost him.....I lost a young billy last year,maybe 5 months old and fought to keep a doe alive,,she made it,,,the neighbor brought me one that was very young not eating and had the scours,,,,,,he pulled thru and is into everything he can find
 
grayghost668 said:
sorry you lost him.....I lost a young billy last year,maybe 5 months old and fought to keep a doe alive,,she made it,,,the neighbor brought me one that was very young not eating and had the scours,,,,,,he pulled thru and is into everything he can find
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Breaks my heart every time something like that happens. . .
On a side note Sissy's baby that had to get re-positioned and pulled is thriving and so is mamma. I have named her babe Heidi. I spent that night out in the pasture with the babe walking between me and mom all night long. At feeding time, she and I go into the "safe space" for the little ones, which is the milking staunch area. I just sit down on the floor with Heidi jumping on me, bouncing around and then she lands with me catching her in my arms, Those are the moments I cherish, Rosie is also a little one, but she is not where Heidi is, She lets me pet her and that is about it. I had another one born yesterday. I was able to go out to spend some time with my newest one Brandy after I got off work. I think she got traumatized today though. I put her in the "safe space" while I fed but she wondered out after I let all the goats in the barn. I keep the big ones out with a pallet door on hinges, but yet the little ones can come thru for first dips. She got pushed around with all of them scurrying around to get to the feed.
 
grayghost668 said:
sorry you lost him.....I lost a young billy last year,maybe 5 months old and fought to keep a doe alive,,she made it,,,the neighbor brought me one that was very young not eating and had the scours,,,,,,he pulled thru and is into everything he can find
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It is always a nice feeling when you can pull one thru issues. :) You have a couple special ones now. I tend to have a more persomal connection to the ones I have to help survive.
 
Danil54grl said:
It is always a nice feeling when you can pull one thru issues. :) You have a couple special ones now. I tend to have a more persomal connection to the ones I have to help survive.
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when I first got the goats I bought hay from a local and it was pure crap,,,they all got the scours, at the time I had 4 little ones,,so far I have had a total of 12,,,,I sold 2,they were to small for my billy and lost one,,,,,,,,,,,,I have 9 healthy goats

the first 6 months were rough, I have learned a lot in that time
 
If you dont loose more than 10% you are doing good every season as I am told. I strive to do better though. Right now I have about 40. I dont keep count just because I can not lie to my hunny ;) I am putting a lot up for sale right now.
 
The first pic is of the one my hunny found this morning. When we got home from Mom's last night it was almost dark and needed a flashlight in the barn. I found mom and another babe, the second picture. Apparently mom cleaned and maybe nursed the runt? First time this momma has had twins. Really hoping that he was not rejected for a physical/medical problem. Did get momma to stand so the little guy could nurse after I got home from work today but did bring him in tonight. He was trembling. Had hunny set up the playpen in the hallway. Right now I have him wrapped up in a warm towel sitting on my lap. Every year it seems I always need help now since my heard has gotten larger.
 
In-laws kept goats for years as pets until they died of old age. I had to dig the holes to bury them by hand. Big....a$$...holes...by...hand
 
I am glad you don’t have predators. Several people have goats and sheep up the hill from me.
Mountain Lion bait. Conservation Dept has had to come trap.
 
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