NH Homesteader's journal

[frustratedearthmother]

Wow - I'd love to see an AGH farm. If you go - I'd love to see pics! Farrowing is pretty stress free here, lol. I go out and find piglets... no muss no fuss...at least so far.

It was like a pregnant goat lady party there the other day, lol!

OH wow - now that's funny stuff! She sounds like me with all those goats!

 

[NH Homesteader]

I think it's her primary business though, lol. She sells a TON of soap, lotion, etc. She does all the local farmer's markets and sells some online. See- goats occasionally make people money. The rest of us haven't figured THAT out yet!

I'll get pics if we go there for sure. DH drove by it the other day and said it looked fantastic. Pig farmer envy? Lol

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Make money? With GOATS? Dang, I need to come take a lesson.

 

[NH Homesteader]

My goal is to make my goats pay for themselves with selling lotions and soaps. It would be a multi-year plan at this point!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Yea,,, there are better ways to do it than what I do...

 

[baymule]

Just go get the AGH gilts...... put the other pig in the freezer, she will help bridge the gap between growing off some AGH piglets. LOL

 

[NH Homesteader]

Lol I know. We might, but it's getting cold for butchering and we need another freezer.

 

[NH Homesteader]

@frustratedearthmother and @Mini Horses can I quiz you on something? Do you grain your does year round? Someone told me not to feed grain to pregnant does, but I don't know why... I've been graining Peppermint and Patty because they were still growing but since they're with the buck... Should I not be? So many ways to raise a goat, lol!!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

My does do get grain year round, browse just about every day and hay in the winter. I'd say just watch their body condition. I've seen problems from does that are too thin....and problems from does that are too fat. Personally, I'd rather they carry a little bit of fat reserves than to be too thin at kidding because milk production will pull that extra fat off. Ya just don't want them roly-poly, pig fat at kidding.

You can Google Body Condition Scoring for Goats. I generally aim for a minimum body condition of 3, maximum of 3.5 at kidding. I had one Uh Oh breeding of a very thin goat last year and while she delivered triplets - she couldn't feed them. I felt really bad about that one...

I'll probably start increasing their feed around January if it looks like they need it. It's a little harder (and costlier) for me because I feed the herd...not individually. So, if one gets more feed - they all get it. I generally leave my preggo goats with the herd until a day or so before they kid. I think the exercise and the browse is good for them.

BUT - If I have one that I just can't seem to get enough weight on I will separate them for feeding - it's just a pain in my patootey!

 

[NH Homesteader]

Ok thanks makes sense. I had never heard not to grain pregnant does so I kinda got nervous! I have 2 who need to lose a few pounds and the rest look good (to me).

So I just found out I can get round bales delivered to my house for $40 and they're organic (not certified but I know the people's farming practices and they are). That would cut my hay cost by almost 75%!!!

DH is going to grab some cattle panels tomorrow to build a winter dry lot area for the gang, plus we'll use them as dividers in the barn. They don't go far in winter anyway! We are going to get the barn up soon, but it'll be smaller for now and we'll add on in the spring. For now it'll be about 12x12, which will give me room for the goats and a milking area, then we'll add on another section when the snow melts.

Oh and it's snowing. Fun.