Susan, my wife, Goat Momma/Doc, is down at the barn this early AM......In the last week she has spent probably 18 hrs per day down there nursing and taking care of the mommas and babies.........REALLY not a good season. Don't know if it is because of all of the rains we have had for the last 2 months or what; but LOTS of problems...........
One momma of 3 billies on the ground died. Susan fought off toxemia for a week previous to birthing. Drenching with fluids and food 3 or 4 times per day. After birthing, she came down with what looked like milk fever, then wouldnt eat, then wouldnt drink and finally died......She was our herd momma, a genetically high powered, 5 YO who had produced a lot of really nice kids..........
The day after she died a really finicky momma gave birth to a really great single doe. REALLY GREAT. Wide front, full chest, LONG, and nice butt..........Susan took the afterbirth and put it on one of the orphan billies, the best, and loe and behold the momma accepted it.......One down......2 to bottle feed..........This momma though, due to the size of the kid, Susan had to go in, and now despite LOTS of anti-biotics is showing signs of a uterine infection..........
The first momma that birthed that we had to have the vet out to hook up a harness is doing fine after HUGE rounds of flushing out the uterus and again anti-biotic regimines......The baby though, has real pastern problems that will require splinting; but they have been taking off because trying to encourage nursing........First it had lung problems that have pretty much gone away, but now it seems the digestive tract has shut down.......Tube feeding, with momma's milk with supplements to set up rumine and stop the clear diareha........
Meanwhile, or Pipeline daughter, yes daughter, Pipeline has been dead for 8 years and she was kept as an embroe frozen for those 8 years........She is going on 2 now, totally beautiful and AI'd with some really great genes........She is perhaps a month out and getting huge................
ON and on...........We have let our herd get down to what was 6 mommas due to the drought, pasture over-grazed and worm problems, and we wanted to improve our total genetic pool.........We got rid of our billies, they were great but everyone was becoming related and have switched over to AI to improve the gene pool.........This is gonna take a few years; but should end up with some show stoppers and therefore profit at the market auctions..........Our pastures DO NOT allow a meat herd and so we are limited to perhaps a max of 10 to 15 mommas.......Wish we could do meat, but only 5 of our 23 acres are true grass and the rest is hardwood old growth oak and hickory.......We run them on this in the fall as they get FAT on the acorns and leaves........
Anyway, will shut down for now and go work on the garden........thanks for listening/reading this list of frustrations with GOATS...........I really do NOT know how you folks with hundreds or even 20 make it.............God bless......Dennis
