Frustratedearthmother's Journaling Journey

[sumi]

for her!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Thanks ya'll - she didn't make it.

 

[sumi]

I'm so sorry

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Thanks @sumi. It was not a great day I had just said that I was going to get rid of that line of Nubians - but I didn't want it to happen that way. But, that's life on the farm. Now to get on with the business of raising those babies.

Had another delivery yesterday. Patch (sister of Not Patch) delivered a single doeling. Since Patch is of the same line of Nubians that I'm going to move out of my breeding stock - I decided to pulled her baby. That way I don't have to keep her for months and months to raise her baby. If I'm already bottle raising - what's one more?

I've got to decide on a semi-permanent home for the little ones. I had them in the trailer but it's not exactly rain proof being a stock trailer. There is a crate in there that the little ones like to curl up in, but we're supposed to have some serious rain/wind today so not sure that's going to work for that. It's also getting pretty cool-ish so I brought them in last night. Oh my - three ring circus! I can already tell these little guys are going to eat me out of house and home, lol. Kinda wondering if I should sell the little buckling as a bottle baby. My plan is/was to neuter all little bucklings and butcher. But, the other part of the plan was to keep them on their mama's and not to bottle raise for 10-12 weeks. Still debating that one.

 

[sumi]

again. It sucks to lose animals, even if we planned to get rid of them anyway. I WISH I lived closer, so I can help you with the bottle babies, or take one off your hands. They are so stinking cute! But I imagine a lot of work for you too. Congrats on the new doeling, by the way! What does she look like?

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Thanks @sumi! She actually looks a lot like the little orphan buckling. Of course they have the same daddy so it's not surprising. They are cute - but yes - a lot of work. Gonna get worse when I go back to work. I guess I'll be coming home at lunch for a couple of weeks at least. Shame DH is still 6 weeks out from retirement. But, after that - he can have 'em, lol!

 

[Mini Horses]

I'm sorry you lost the doe. Any chance you can milk enough from others to feed them in a goat-bar? Just dump warm milk in and go.

I knew a lady who made one with an old insulated water cooler...the milk stayed "warmish" into afternoon and they could drink at will. Of course, first few days they had to be put there but, didn't take long for them to figure it out. May be a consideration for time AND real milk. Yeah, I know you go to work.... Maybe use some comp time to go an hr late each day for a week or two.

We need to be home.

There will be Kiko does around all summer. Plan to shop.

 

[sumi]

Any chance you can milk enough from others to feed them in a goat-bar? Just dump warm milk in and go.

That's a great idea! I've seen farmers here use it for calves.

 

[baymule]

I am so sorry about your doe. She was so darn gorgeous, I love moon spots. I hate to see an animal sicken and die. Mine, yours, anybody's.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Thanks @baymule. I hate it too. She was a beautiful gal.

I have looked at plans to build a goat-bar type thingy. It doesn't look that hard. But, for the first couple of weeks I feel the need to be pretty hands on. After that I'll be sick of bottle feeding and will think more seriously about building one, lol.

I've been locking up the oldest kids at night since I've been on spring break. I'm milking their mama's each morning and I'm getting a gallon a day from them. Tonight I milked a little kinder gal and got a pint from one half of her udder. I guess I'll try to work her into the rotation because these little guy/gals are only a few days old and they're going through a whole bunch of milk already....yikes!

There will be Kiko does around all summer. Plan to shop.

I've been looking, lol. But, not going to bite the bullet until I lower numbers around here some more.