Thoughts for the Day

Springtime is here, hopefully to stay!  The day was glorious: a deep blue sky with lazy, wispy clouds floating overhead, a wonderful temperature of 75 degrees, and bursting wildflowers scattered on the lush grass carpet.

As I sat outside, rubbing the puppies tummies and petting Edna, I thought of how much I enjoy being with the animals.  I thought of my amazing Creator who made them.  I also remembered how God strictly warns us about worshiping the creation:

"They changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen."  Romans 1:25

When I enjoy the animals, they remind me of the amazing Artist and Designer who made them.  Instead of worshiping the animals, I worship the One who made them!

Today I gave Edna her first dose of wormer.  I mixed up the herbs with a little bit of water in a plastic Dixie cup.  Then I sucked up the herbs into the syringe and squeezed the mixture into Edna's mouth.  I am not sure she got the full dose, Edna had a green mustache afterwards and I had herbal mixture running down my sleeve!  Oh well, I am planning to repeat the process again soon.  (The herbal wormer I am using has two parts.  One is a strong formula to be given every several weeks.  The other is a "maintenence" formula to be given every week.  I gave the weaker, "maintenence" formula today and plan to give the strong formula later this week.)

 

The Wormer

 The Drench Syringe

Ahhh...the empty milk bottle.  It seems that I keep leaving these things around and finding them hours later!  On a fence post, on top of the dog food barrel, next to the sink... Goat care is an endless adventure!

The Adventure Continues...

Life with a goat has settled down a bit.  However, owning a goat truly is an adventure and there is always something new!

Edna is now 3 weeks old!  She weighs over 14 pounds and can definitely out run me.  I thought she might follow me around the yard this morning, but she took off and I felt like I was a part of a rodeo calf scramble!  When I caught her, I put her back in her new shelter arrangement: Part of the large goat pen is partitioned off with welded wire and a leftover piece of goat paneling is being used as a gate.  It won't work long-term, but right now she can enjoy some freedom while the puppies are close by in the goat pen.

Edna is getting some "free time" with the pups.  When the puppies are sleepy it works great!  However, sometimes the puppies (especially Blue Bell, the female) seems to think Edna is a toy.  No!

What is this?  A tail!  Nibble, nibble…

Speaking of nibbling, Edna consistently nibbles at grain and hay and she drinks her water.  This is in addition to about 40oz. of whole cows milk daily.  I need to start adding minerals into her diet, but I am still researching exactly which minerals I need to put out!

I thought a hay net might be a good option for saving hay and cheaper than a manger.  For some reason I forgot that goats like to chew on twine…We'll see how long it lasts!

Some of you may be wondering when Goat #2: Elly May is going to join the herd.  I am wondering the same thing!  I am working with several breeders to try and get another doe soon.  Edna needs a friend!

Until next time…

Bottle Feeding Basics

Bottle feeding a goat is lots of fun.  But it is a "life-consuming" task.  Although I have written a little bit about bottle-feeding in previous posts, here is my routine:

Times: Four times a day, typically 7:30am, 11:30am, 3:30pm, and 7:30pm
Amount: 9 oz. per feeding, 36oz. total
Type of milk: Alternating feeding between raw goat's milk and whole cow's milk from the store
Heating the milk: Measure into a glass soda bottle, place in a small saucepan of boiling water, heat 103 degrees.

Thermometer: I have a "cool" laser thermometer to check the temperature.  I point the laser at the milk, pull the "trigger," and the digital screen tells me the temperature!

Nipple: I am still using the lamb nipple.  It has popped off a couple of times (making milk spill everywhere!), but now I just make sure to hold it on the bottle myself.
Feeding: about 5 minutes, my goat is greedy!
Other: Edna is also drinking water from a bowl, and she has crushed goat pellets available to eat.  She has hay in her pen to nibble on as well.

Crushed grain pellets (Before I crushed these with a hammer, these pellets were several inches long and about a centimeter in diameter.  Hopefully Edna will be able to eat them whole when she gets a little bigger!)

Edna has a new toy!  An old tractor tire made its way into the goat pen and Edna thinks it is great fun!

Edna likes to play in the hole...

She also runs around the rim...

Frolicking Fun!

Goat kids and frolicking go hand in hand!  Edna has enjoyed prancing all over her goat pen, and her owner has been quite amused by her antics!  She stands on her hind legs, tries to run sideways, and jumps up on anything elevated.  These snapshots capture a bit of her energy!

Dashing away...

 Here I go!

 Up in the air!

 Running!

 Lady-like…

To Worm? Or Not to Worm?

To worm?  Or not to worm?  That is the question.

This complex question hit me a little sooner than I would have liked.  No, my goat doesn't seem "wormy" that I know of ("wormy" would include symptoms such as weight loss, anemia, diarrhea, a dull coat, etc.).  However, worms are a huge problem with goats and need to be prevented.  When I went to the vet, I was told I needed to give a chemical wormer to start preventing these invisible destroyers.  The vet sent me home with Panacur (Fenbendazole) and instructed me to give the wormer this week.

Wait a minute!  The words "chemical wormer" did not go over very well with the aspiring goat-farmer who wishes to raise natural goats.  So off I went, researching online and calling trusted goat-farmer friends.  There has to be another way, I reasoned.

Here is some of the advice I received:

• My goat's dam (mother) received wormer while pregnant.  My goat probably is not quite ready for a heavy wormer if she still has her mother's wormer in her system.
• Most goats become to immune to wormers after a while.  If I start with a strong wormer, my goats will become immune to it early-on in life and I will have created a "super worm." Yikes!
• Giving wormer stresses out the goat.  Not something I want to purposefully induce with a fragile kid.
• Chemical wormers are a money-making industry.
• As long as the goat is not mineral deficit, in minerals such as copper, the goat's body should effectively combat any worms.
• Pasture rotation is a good way to prevent worms.
• It takes a lot of study to truly understand how to naturally prevent worms.  However, the right herbal treatments really do work!

With this information in mind, I have decided to wage war on convention.  I set out on an adventure, not a vacation.  What is an adventure if it doesn't involve the unknown, the suspenseful, or the risk?

I have decided to use the "Molly's Herbal Wormer," found HERE.  The main herbs are wormwood, garlic, fennel, black walnut, cucurbits pepo, mugwort, hyssop, and thyme.  Amazingly, almost all of these herbs can be safely taken by humans as well.  Hurray for chemical-free!

I am so excited for my herbal wormer to arrive at the post office.  I am eager to see--for myself--if herbal wormers really do work!  I might still need to give a chemical wormer every now and then to get rid of really tough worms.  But for now, I will seek every possible natural means to keep my goat healthy!

Eager Edna jumping up on the fence! 

Unpredictable.

I truly intended to post yesterday.  In fact, I even had the post written.  But being an aspiring goat farmer is sure to be unpredictable!

In my communication with the goat breeder where I purchased Edna,  I expressed an interest in seeing a goat give birth.  She said she would try and call me when some does were in labor.

Last night around 8:30pm, I was finishing up the day's duties.  The phone rang.  "Does in labor…Do you want to come?"  Within minutes, the car tires were crunching the dirt road while the full moon and twinkling stars smiled down.

When I arrived at the breeder's farm a little after 9pm, I found two little bucklings from two different does.  One goat that had given birth to a strong baby buckling.  The goat kid was a little bit premature, so his pointy Alpine ears were flopped down. Another doe had given birth to another buckling shortly before I arrived, but this buckling was in trouble.  His umbilical cord looked funny, and he was very lethargic.  The doe was supposed to have twins, but the second kid had not arrived.

I helped with the healthy buck.  For being only a few hours old, he was quite strong.  In the early hours after a kid is born, it is crucial for the kids to get their colostrum (a pudding-like milky substance full of antibodies and nutrients for the kid).  I fed him some out of a bottle, then helped him latch on to his dam.  The mama goat was really short, and the baby could hardly fit under her tummy to nurse.  He eventually resorted to laying down to get underneath her!

We kept waiting for the other doe to kid.  I got to feel her tight tummy, trying to feel if there was another kid or if she was contracting.  I had to leave at about 10:30pm, and there were still no more births.  However, I am still thankful for the opportunity to help with the newborn goat kids.  It was a sweet time!

Edna all cuddled up...

On the home front, I am experimenting with a new bottle-feeding schedule and some shelter changes.  I am especially trying to get the puppies to "bond" with Edna.  Although the puppies and the goat are only together with supervision, the new shelter arrangement allows them to watch each other 24/7.  Edna seems a bit more "tired" than usual, so I am watching her closely to make sure she is not getting sick or stressed from the changes!

Edna being "Protected"

Puppy and Goat Love!

Coming up next: To worm?  Or not to worm?

What's in a Name?

Edna!  Edna. Edna!  Edna?  EDNA. EdNa…

Edna

This name is shouted, whispered, and squealed around the barn almost all day long!  The cute little goat often comes bouncing towards the caller of the name.  The meaning of this Hebrew name describes exactly what I feel when I call her: "pleasure!"  Edna sure has brought much pleasure on the goat adventure!

One way Edna brings pleasure is by the way she briskly "wags" her tail while being bottle fed.  That little thing is like a fan!

Another way Edna brings pleasure is by her hopping and jumping and prancing!

Edna also brings pleasure when she is cuddled!

Edna will always be just a "goat" (hopefully a productive dairy goat!), but like her name's meaning,  she brings much pleasure!

Learning…Milking and Shots

Edna has now been home a week!  After all of the "excitement" yesterday, it was a wonderful, peaceful day!  Although it rained a lot, Edna enjoyed exploring inside the barn.  She especially enjoyed playing on some metal car ramps; it looked like she was standing on a mini-milking stand. 

I can climb!

Off she goes!

Although Edna doesn't have a fever anymore, the vet gave me two more doses of antibiotic and anti-inflammatory to give her.  The process of giving a muscle shot is fairly simple.  The most challenging aspect is finding where to stick the needle in.  My sister held the goat, while I felt around for the muscle above her leg (it seemed like a "thigh" muscle).  After I found a good "chunk," I pushed the needle into the skin.  Edna gave a little squawk!  I pulled the syringe back a little to see if there was any blood.  This was to make sure I had not put the needle in a vein.  Then I squeezed the syringe down to inject the medicine.

Milking Report:

Thursday I had the opportunity to milk the breeder's goats.  I got to milk three does: one was the breeder's best goat with huge teats, another was a first freshener (first-time mama) with small teats, and the other was Edna's mother with average teats.  To milk, I first squeezed around the teat with my thumb and forefinger to trap the milk in the teat so it could not squeeze back up into the udder.  Then, I squeezed my other fingers around the teat to move the milk down and stream into my jar.  My previously acquired cake-decorating skills came in handy for this process.  I can't wait until Edna is ready for the real milking stand!

Unexpected Excitement!

I was thinking about writing this post about bottle-feeding, or Edna's frolicking, or goat resources.  But, alas, those posts will wait for a few more days.  Raising a goat is sure to bring the unexpected, and this morning brought an unplanned trip back to the vet.

Edna wants attention!

The evening after Edna was disbudded, I noticed one of her eyes was red and the eyelid was swollen.  I assumed that this was a reaction to the stress and heat of the disbudding.  Yesterday it seemed to be much better, with only a little puss-like stuff coming out of her eye.  Just to make sure, I called the vet and he said to keep watching it.  I also noticed some golden gel was oozing out around the disbudding area.

This morning, I woke up at 5:55am to to feed Edna early since I had a program to attend and needed to get started on my day early.  Edna had her usual voracious appetite, but her eye was still watery and there was lots of golden gel around one of her buds.  Being a new goat owner, I didn't know what the golden gel was, or what was causing it!  I was concerned about her getting an infection.

Come 8am, I called the vet and they told me to bring her in.  I was racing the clock to get to my commitment on time.  This time, I braced myself for the funny looks people gave me walking into the vet.  "Oh!  Here comes the girl with the goat!"

When the vet was finally able to see the goat, she examined the golden gel and explained that it was serum that was oozing out.  When the goat was disbudded, the goal of the procedure was to cut off the blood supply.  As a byproduct, a bit of serum from the blood was seeping out from around the wound.  It makes sense, I just didn't know!

However, the trip was not in vain.  I found out Edna was running a fever (probably due to the stress of the situation).  The vet gave me an antibiotic and anti-inflammatory medication to function as "goat Tylenol."  Although I still dislike the idea of giving my goat shots, I feel it was a good decision in order to give her system a boost.

I arrived home from the vet.  I gave Edna a quick bottle, changed clothes, grabbed a piece of Spearmint gum since I didn't have time to brush teeth, and rushed off to my commitment.  I was 20 minutes late, but I didn't mind.  I am so thankful to have a goat to take care of!

This afternoon I noticed that there were several raw spots on Edna's head.  After another call to the vet (they know who I am now!), I determined it was probably from her itching.  The vet said to leave it alone, and it needed to be kept dry.  When I took her temperature this evening, I found that her fever was gone.  Hurray!

Temp. Taking

It was a hectic day, interacting with the vet, learning to make goat-health decisions, and enjoying my goat!  I am loving this goat adventure, and all of it's twists and turns.

Another piece of information about shots I recently learned: I read that the CD/T shot given to Edna at disbudding is not usually given until the goat is 3 or 4 weeks old.  I don't think it is dangerous to give it to them earlier, just maybe not the best.  I will keep researching…

Edna has been busy making new discoveries!  She is getting really good at jumping up on things.  Remember her "Goat Cave?"  Although she hasn't been sleeping in this little house (her bed is a dog crate now), she has figured out how to jump up on it!

Up she goes…

"Queen of the Mountain!"

Disbudding--A Not-So-Pleasant Experience

Before you read on, please understand that disbudding is not one of the joys of goat-keeping.  However, it is a necessary part of goat ownership, despite the unpleasantness.

Today, Edna took her trip to the vet to have those tiny knobs bulging from her head "disbudded."  Many people choose to disbud their goats themselves, but I thought the $18 for the vet to do it was well worth it!  It might be a skill I learn in the future.

Edna's budding horns

Although the vet specializes in both large and small animals, I still got some interesting glances carrying little Edna into the office.
"A goat?!" said one man as we entered the building.
"Oh, how cuuuuuute!" exclaimed another lady standing at the desk with her Dachshund running around on its leash.  "It's a goat!"
Oh well, I'll take my goat despite the out-of-the-ordinary remarks.

We were escorted into the barn area where the vet heated up a hot iron rod.  The end was shaped in a circular ring about 2 inches in diameter.  While we were waiting for the iron to heat up, Edna received her CD/T (tetanus) shot.  I have debated with whether or not to give my animals shots.  As I do more research, I hope to gain more understanding about shots.

When the vet got ready to disbud, he shaved off the hair around Edna's horns.  He then placed the iron to burn around each horn.  The smell was awful!  After he was finished, he sprayed a "spray-on bandage" over the area to protect it.  Poor Edna!  She looks so silly with her silver dollar spots on her head!

As I understand it, the procedure does not actually burn the horn off, instead, it severs the nerves which make the horns grow.  In several weeks the nubs will fall off and the hair will begin growing back.

Some goats are born polled (without horns).  But most of these polled goats end up infertile (a bad situation if you want milking goats that reproduce).  So, at least for now, almost all goat keepers are stuck with disbudding!

On a happy note, Edna is getting stronger every day!  She has been exercising her climbing skills and is almost able to climb over her play yard fence!

Blessing and Goats

So the Lord alone led him, [Israel]
And there was no foreign god with him... 

He made him ride in the heights of the earth,
That he might eat the produce of the fields;
He made him draw honey from the rock,
And oil from the flinty rock; 

Curds from the cattle, and milk of the flock,
With fat of lambs;
And rams of the breed of Bashan, and GOATS...

Deuteronomy 32:12-14

This verse came up in our Scripture reading today, and it seemed so appropriate!  When God blessed Jacob, He blessed him specifically with goats!  I feel that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has blessed me in a similar way.

As a side note, my parents, siblings, and I are reading through Bible in a year.  We read about 3-4 chapters per day, just enough to enjoy each day's reading, but not so much to feel overwhelmed.  It has been a great exercise and just like today's reading, it often speaks directly to the events of the day.  I have posted the link to the reading plan HERE.

Edna is going through milk like wild! She's a hungry and happy goat!  I went back to the breeder to milk Edna's mama yesterday.  It was so much fun!  Squeezing the goat's warm, squishy teats between my fingers, feeling the teat tighten, then hearing the pressurized "zing" as it streamed into the milk pail was a satisfying thrill for an aspiring goat keeper.  I was able to get about 20 oz. from the milking.  Since Edna is drinking about 8 oz. per feeding, 4 times a day, (36 oz. daily) I am starting to supplement with whole cow's milk from the store.  According to what I have read, cow's milk from the store is better than a powdered goat's milk replacer.  I plan to alternate goats and cows milk.

The weather has been lovely.  Such a wonderful change from the ice storm that had settled on our community a mere week ago.  Edna has been frolicking in the goat pen, although she doesn't like to be left alone (and she lets me know!).  Edna performs a funny little dance by rearing up on her hind-legs then flopping back down.  It is quite the show.

(You can see the reflection of the sunset in this picture!)

At a week old, I weighed Edna.  I did this by weighing myself, then weighing myself with the goat and subtracting the amounts.  She is a hearty 9.6 pounds.  Goat kids should gain about 10 pounds per month, and Edna is right on track.  

 

Next up: Disbudding Time!  Edna should be disbudded at the vet tomorrow.  I have heard it can be a uncomfortable procedure, but it is absolutely necessary if I don't want a goat with horns!

New Goat Ownership

There is something awe-inspiring about a tiny creature being entirely dependent on you.  The first full day of goat ownership was filled with many of these moments.

Edna seems to be thriving!  She frolics around the yard, her wobbly legs bouncing up and down as she chases me around.  It is amazing how she can climb (She is a goat!), and she easily jumps up into our troughs we use as flower beds.  She has also been socializing with the Pyr Pups (our twelve-week-old Great Pyrenees puppies).  "Blue Bell," the female dog, seems to be especially protective of her new "charge," licking Edna all over and showing attentive interest in her.

Kisses!

With Daylight Savings Time today, it seemed to take all day just to bottle-feed and care for the goat!  The lamb nipples are still working excellent for bottle-feeding.  I purchased them at Tractor Supply Company in a package of 3 for about $8.  I cut a tiny slit in the top of the nipple.  The milk drips out slightly when turned upside down, and it squirts out in a steady stream with the slightest bit of sucking! The nipples fit over a standard soda bottle.  I am using a glass bottle from a Mexican Coca-Cola, which makes it easy to heat the milk in the bottle.  At each feeding, the milk is heated to around 103 degrees, although I don't think Edna is too particular about the exact temperature.

Bottle Feeding! 

Edna has been guzzling down the goat's milk.  At her last feeding, she drank a whole 12 oz.!  I presume missing several meals yesterday has added to her greedy appetite...

Hungry Girl!

Shelter is still a bit of an issue.  The original "Goat Cave" on the front porch didn't seem to work out, so Edna now has a dog crate in the barn.  She has a "play yard" around her crate, but she is almost able to jump out of it.  So, if the weather stays cool, it will not be too much longer before she will be sent out to the big goat pen waiting for her!

Other points of interest:
I took her temperature for the first time, and it registered 102.7, absolutely perfect for a goat (normal temp is 102-103)!

Her nose seems a bit stuffed up, so I gave her a little bit of Probiotic paste (Acidophilus) to boost her immune system.

Taking care of a goat is hard work, but it is very rewarding!  It was a wonderful "first day!"

Home!

 Edna the Goat is finally on her new homestead!  She was picked up around 10:00am this morning.  Goat ownership has been wonderful so far, although not without its challenges!

As far as I understand, goats in Texas must be tattooed before they leave the farm they were born on.  Edna was tattooed with the 2WS (the farm identification) in her right ear and E4 (E for 2014, 4 for the 4th goat born on the farm).  This tattoo will serve as an identification of the goat, with "codes" for identifying where she was born and what year she was born.

The tattoo process was quite interesting.  First the numbers are loaded into the tattoo gun and tested on a piece of cardboard to make sure the configuration is correct.  The numbers are formed out of many tiny "needles."  The numbers are pressed into the goat's ear, puncturing the skin slightly.  Then, bright green ink is smeared all over the ear and absorbs into the punctures.  The excess ink will be wiped off in a day or so.  Although the tattoo may fade, it should be readable for many years.

In order to prevent the green ink from getting everywhere on the car ride home, I tried placing socks over Edna's ears.  It made for a cute picture, but the socks easily fell off!  Oh well! 

Ahhh....The joys of bottle feeding!  Both Edna and her owner have been trying to figure this one out!  She is being fed pasteurized goats milk for now.  Originally she was drinking from a baby bottle.  She would only drink 1 oz. at the most, and put up a fight every feeding!  After a couple of failed attempts, I tried a larger lamb nipple on a soda bottle.  This arrangement was much more successful and Edna downed several ounces at once.  There is still no schedule to it, except for trying every couple of hours, but hopefully that will come soon.

 Edna stayed in her goat cave for the first couple of hours.  However, it started pouring down rain and the arrangement got all wet.  Uh-oh.  So for now, Edna is staying in an enclosed area in the barn.  I plan to work out more permanent shelter, but raising a goat is just a lot of "trial-and-error!" 

Raising a goat is also a lot of fun!  Edna has the cutest little cry (I think she is looking for her real Mama.)  It feels so good to tuck her wobbly legs under her body and stroke her baby hair.  I look forward to the days and weeks ahead, watching her grow and watching me grow as well!  Warning: Character Lessons Ahead!