FarmerDenise's journal - full on harvest time = busy, busy, busy

[Blackbird]

Oooh!! I hope you can get some goat kids!

I will tell you - when you are first starting out all the supplies and everything can get a bit expensive. I think that's the only reason I have registered 'show' goats, any kids I sell are worth more just because they have those papers with them.

 

[FarmerDenise]

The expense of goats is one of my big concerns. When you only make around $50 a week, you really need to pinch those pennies. I am thinking that by taking 2 bottle babies, I might be able to sell one, once it is of breeding age and make some money back. Then I could eventually keep one of the offspring. We'll see how it goes.
One of my mottoes is: "Nothing ventured, nothing gained".
I haven't got the goats yet. I might wait til after Easter and see if I can get some rescue animals. But I like that these guys come from a goat dairy. Since I do want them for the milk as well as weed control.

Wooohoo! we got the greenhouse up. It took all afternoon, but we didn't rush it. And we had 2 friends drop by at different times. We made use of one friend and made him help us hold the plastic.
I'll have to download the pics. It isn't anything fancy, but it should do the job of sprouting our tomato, pepper, squash and melon plants, and anything else, that needs warmer temps to sprout and grow.

I am so tired now, but feel like I really accomplished something. SO is real happy too. I do not feel like cooking. I hope we have hot dogs in the freezer somewhere and that SO feels like cooking them up
Hot dogs, pickles and sauerkraut sounds real good to me. I skip the bun. I like them with potatoes. I suppose I could throw some potatoes in the oven.

 

[Blackbird]

..And.. your at 2k posts!!!

 

[FarmerDenise]

..And.. your at 2k posts!!!

Woahh, how did that happen

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

hey look at that! 2000... thats a lot

re:

OFG made me so jealous of her goat babies,

who me?!!?

and nope, you'll never be ready so might as well jump in. you MAY be able to get milk for cheap/free from the dairy?? some of the breeders around here dump up to 50 gallons of milk a day (A DAY!!!) b/c you cant sell raw milk and they dont want to deal with it. so anyway - may be an idea for you.

our little goaties were pip popping around.. very cute. and i cant wait to milk our momma goat for us.... we were complaining about having to buy milk again. boo!

 

[FarmerDenise]

I heard from the goat dairy and they have two alpine doe kids and two LaMancha/Alpine doe kids. I can pick them up on Wednesday. I asked if they would sell me goat milk for the babies and she said no. They sell it all and keep what they need for the kids they keep.
So it looks like I'll be feeding them cows milk from the store.

I've been researching fencing. We'll have to fence 80-100 ft in the back of the property. I have been saving up for this for some time, So even though I am super broke, this is something I have money set aside for.

It has been terribly warm here. We have been working outside, mostly weeding. SO trimmed the peachtrees. We were concerned, because most of them bloomed during the rain. But we did have enough sunny weather that we have a good chance at a decent harvest. There weren't very many bees though. I really need to get my own again.

I redid my garden. We have a small section fenced off that I started growing stuff that SO doesn't care for or about. The chickens had breached the fence and then the cats, dog and wildlife got in on the act. So I had to fix the fencing and mend the hole in the gate. Then I decided to take everything out and change the layout.

I spent all last week working on it. I had to dig up some good sized roots. The neighbor's wild plums love my garden and their roots all all over it. I would pull and pull and finally I would either give up or the skin would slip off the root and I would land in the dirt on my behind. My back is sore from all that pulling. Now I know why the indian women used roots for weaving their baskets. Those roots are tough!!! I still have to go back out there and cut off all those roots that are now sticking straight up from the ground.

But I replanted the chives along one side of the fence, inside the garden so they'll be somewhat protected from cute little goaties
I got the strawberries replanted all in one section and also planted the cabbage, spinach, cilantro and lettuce plants that I bought a week ago. And I still have 1/2 the garden left to plant. SO has all kinds of plans for it and I tell him: no, no, remember this is MY garden

I started uploading the pics of our green house. But it takes a bit of time and I have been rather tired at the end of the day. I have been falling asleep on the couch in front of the TV. Then I end up waking up at 11, turning the computer off and telling the dog to move over so I can get into my bed.

We ate one of our birds we butchered last fall. We soaked this one in milk for 24 hours as recomended by a friend. It came out very well, tender and tasty. I roasted it. Today I broke it down for dogfood, chicken sandwhiches and soup. The bones are simmering on the stove for broth. The dog already inhaled hers
My kitty danced around it for a while and then sniffed it and walked away. I guess he doesn't fancy it. He'd be wanting it, if its on my plate though, the little stinker.

 

[Farmfresh]

I'd price milk replacer at the feed store. I am sure that would cost less and be better for the kids than cows milk. (If you price it gallon by gallon)

 

[rebecca100]

If I remember right cows milk is not good for baby goats. It either causes scours or constipation in most baby goats. Better look into that before you get them. I was always told to never give it to them. Milk replacer is expensive(about $1.50 a lb around here), but it is way better for them. Congrats on the greenhouse!!! We just finished ours Sat.

 

[FarmerDenise]

If I remember right cows milk is not good for baby goats. It either causes scours or constipation in most baby goats. Better look into that before you get them. I was always told to never give it to them. Milk replacer is expensive(about $1.50 a lb around here), but it is way better for them. Congrats on the greenhouse!!! We just finished ours Sat.

I went by what Fiasco Farm recommended. I'd love to hear from more goat people, what you think. I am able to easily get goat milk replacer at the same place I get my feed.
I want to get these gals off to a good start. So I will do what is neccessary, regardless of cost. I can always get creative on how to scrimp on something else. maybe I'll have to do without my jarsberg cheese for a while

 

[FarmerDenise]

Sooooo, I called the goat lady this morning. She told me that the goats she had emailed me about last week have been sold. But I should come out and see the farm. So I went out there this afternoon. She had quite a few kids. Many of them they are keeping. AFter chit chattting a while, I told her I was interested in LaMancha, she said she did have one doe. She is a cute little chocolate brown baby. She is very cuddly. She has been on the bottle from birth, because her mama rejected her. As we are talking she told me all about all the different kids they had. I told her I would actually prefer to get a wether as the second goat, because I don't want to take on too much. Then she told me thay had a little premature runt. The momma died. He was one of triplets. She said I could have him, because she is unlikely to sell him and she doesn't want to take him to auction, because she is afraid he won't do well at an auction, as in survive the auction ordeal. She would rather he just go to a good home. She wants to keep them til friday, to make sure they are doing well.
She told me that most people have been using store bought cow milk to raise them. That people around here have had problems with the milk replacer lately. She showed me the kind of nipples they use, so I could go out and buy the same ones.

I took pictures with my cellphone, but I don't know how to load them on the computer

So by friday evening, I should be the proud momma of two little kids. Oh and you know what? They are sooo cute!!!
And their tongues are not sandpapery like calves tongues.