Kansas is just Special

Kansans do indeed belong on the short bus, and that is only because we like the coziness to chat.

Last night I walked outside to milk. The hot water I was carrying in my silver pail, sent steam whispering into the air as the snow fell around and into it. As I shut the door, I noticed that not a sound came from my cows. Normally my ladies are loud and demanding. And they can hear the back door shut. In Pavlovian style, drool swings in a sticky string from their mouths as they bellow into the night air, fighting for my sole attention and whoring themselves for a treat. But last night was different. No sounds emerged from the tin barn.

The night air was chilled, but not uncomfortable. Not a creature disturbed the light sound of an early spring zephyr that swirled the large snowflakes. Even the dogs that are normally boisterous, and ready to throw down with one another, were subdue. Murrial, my strawberry brown and white speckled milking short horn, waited for me on the other side of the field gate. Her ears perked, wanting to know if what was inside the bucket was something special for her, and her alone. I hated to disappoint the girl, but all I carried was water, a milk pail and wash clothes. Nothing she would be interested in. She sniffed at me, stuck her long pink tongue up her left nostril, and skipped, in only the manner a cow could skip, away from me. Hopping to avoid any physical contact.

Mama was waiting patiently for me beside the milk stanchion, while her sister made baby cow sounds on the other side of the gate. No one bellowed and no one ordered. Mama, black as a long winter's night and just as stubborn, walked quietly into the stanchion. Tonight the snow effect made a difference in her bullish attitude. No wandering over to the feed bin in attempts to steal a little nibble.

With the milking completed and the Dams back with their proper calves, no one complained as I left the barn. No one followed, no one tried to sneak out the gate. The magic that is a Kansas snow had the same effect that the Poppies did on Dorothy, the Lion, and the Scarecrow.

Say AAAWWWWWW

Vetting and grooming

Not a lot to tell you on this one. I maintain my small but growing herd with quality feed. This is the best prevention.

Worm any new goat you bring it. Worm everyone at the same time. I am not recommending any wormers, this is a to each there own, be it natural or not.

Lice are a big issue with goats. You need to dust them each spring.

I don't debud, if you have a post on how to remove horns, please leave a link in comments for my readers. I don't do this because horns are useful. You can grab them, and they can defend themselves. Horned goats tend to run, turn and defend. While hornless goats merely run. to debud or not to debud is a personal question.

Talk to your vet about banding your bucks. I have seen and heard some nasty things about this process. And it should be done by 1 month of age.

Toenails, need to be filed once a month. Keeping a playground of large rocks helps with hoof growth.

Dog attacks. Prevention is key, but if it happens (and it is common) Monica of The Dancing Farmer, has a great article over on Not Dabbling in Normal. Dog Attack Part 1 and Dog Attack Part 2

Shots are another personal choice. I see nothing wrong with infant vaccinations. I have issues with the over use of anti-biotic.

I am only partly def, or should that be Deaf?

oh please, please don't make me explain the word Def. I feel old enough as it is.

I have a nasty ear infection. Haven't had once since my swim team days. Forgotten how bad they can be. I keep thinking I am yelling at people, turns out I am mumbling. My voice echos in my head, my breathing echos in my head.

Oh just suck it up and deal.

We are getting ready for my husband's birthday party this weekend. We will be eating those yummy looking pork ribs. I am just amazed at how old my ol' man has gotten. 37. He's a bit older then me, but it strikes me as odd. Probably because we have been together for 13 years. He still looks good though.

Here he is showing off his muscles for all the ladies.

Monday he met my mom and I out at the farm after getting Small on the bus. He was climbing up trees, playing Tarzan in the rain. And then he complains he has the body of an 80 year old man. But then he will tell anyone that will listen that he "wakes up pretty".

He got the windmill drawing water, but we need one wooden link, and to straighten it up and the farmstead will have a working windmill. My mother and I pulled up the carpet tacks, and rescued the jars from the smoke house. I think we got a total of 540 jars. Not enough.

As mom says, we work all day and it seems little gets accomplished.

(sorry about the jumping subjects, I must be having one of those days)

Just wait until your mother gets here

I was just reading up on udder care, and you know, I still say that books are great guidelines, but they never tell the whole story.

Caring For Newborns

It's pretty simple when it comes to goats, by the time you find the new kids, they are usually up, dry and nursing.

Sable a few minutes old

If not, use a clean dry towel, and keep them warm, wait until they are standing and help them nurse, all within about 15 minutes of birth.

No worries about umbilical cord care. It would be best for you to leave that alone. But you can dip it in iodine to help prevent infections.

With nursing, if the kid has a weak suck, you will need to help it. Multiples may need help as well, and if your mom hangs low, help need there too. You should only need to help for up to three days, no more than 5. Weening should take place 2-3 months. (but doesn't always)

It always helps to have a very dirty child around to help with the kids

Now my own experience with milking a goat differs from what the books say. The books say that kidding causes the doe to be gentler and more cooperative at milking time. hahaha! Sorry fell off my chair. We are getting the ya know kicked out of us everyday. This wasn't a problem before kidding. After your kids have began to eat solids, you can separate them for a twelve hour period, milk and return kids to mom.

If one of your kids is weak, or chilled after birthing, warm her up best you can within the reach of mother. Try not to separate them for 6 hours. This is claimed to be the magical bonding hours. If you have to separate because of weak sucking or chill, try not to over use the bottle, and return them to mom asasp. There are studies out there that say that udder fed goats are more respectful of humans than bottle fed. This could be due to the fact that a bottle fed baby will see you as part o the herd, not something you really want from your goats. This is where the butting and biting can become a problem.

Before you know it, they are into everything.

All that is left to talk about is vetting and grooming. And then our goat tutorial is complete. Any questions?

You Should See the Other Guy

I haven't felt this beat up since the last time I found myself in a mosh pit. Friday, I think it was Friday, I was hallucinating. Had to call my husband to let him know that I was in no condition to watch after the kids once they got home, nor make dinner. At least I thought that's what I said. Turns out I said. "sick, hurt, dying, food."

My jaw still aches. I am still a little sick, but nothing like the other day. On the plus side, my ankle feels a whole lot better.

Last night I went out to milk. I was able to get Murrial to eat her treats in the barn while I was milking. It took a few minutes as she worked out that her head would not fit through the hog panel and she would have to come into the barn. She snuck up behind me. I watched er carefully from my peripheral vision. She was cute about it, almost on tippy toes. She smelled my shoes and decided that they were rather rank after about 2 minutes of sniffing, and quickly jumped back, but then she did get up enough nerve to walk into the barn and put up with me talking to her and Mama.

I have to be a real smooth talker with her. It has been proven a little difficult because the Dexters want to steal her treats, and I have to be a little, ok a lot bolder and harsher with them to get them to listen. Right now it is a balancing act of not terrifying Murrial, but getting Mama and Eddie to listen and do what they are told. Almost like dealing with pre-teens and a toddler.

I am off to the farmstead today. Not sure what we are doing, but I am going out none the less.