After the birth of the kids, Steve and I went out to dinner with some friends. As soon as I got back from that little respite, I checked on the new babies. Then I went into panic mode again! The little girl was chilled to the core and very sluggish. It looked like Caramel had given up cleaning her up to spend time on the bigger, more vocal boy. So I scooped up the tiniest baby goat in a towel and started rubbing and drying her off. I grabbed my goat book and told Steve, "Look in there and see how to get her warmed up!" We ended up putting her in a warm bath in the kitchen sink for about 30 minutes before she started wiggling around and making noise. I even managed to get some warm milk down her. Then we made a warm little bed for her in a cardboard box. She is still in that box in the house. She finally stood by herself about 10 am today. So I gave her some of the colostrum. She drank it down like she was starving. I hope that means we are out of the woods. She is sleeping now along with her brother and our grandson. No, I didn't put my grandson in a cardboard box with the goat. Although, he'd probably like the idea! I'll post some pictures soon.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
So far we have had 3 kids from Jenny (one died, 2 boys live), 2 kids from Bobbin, a boy and a girl, and a boy and a girl from Caramel. Lucy is the only one left to have her kids and since she was the last one to be bred on Dec. 29, she isn't due until May 24th. At least that is the closest I can figure. So I will have a chance to get these new ones off to a good start before going through the trauma of another birth. Believe me it is trauma! I've never been so nervous in my life as when I am waiting to see how these kids are going to come out and survive. Well, maybe when my first grandson arrived I was.
Caramel would be a good mom except for something she cannot help. That is she doesn't have an udder so she cannot nurse her kids. So that makes my job that much more scary because I have to make sure they get the nutrition and care they need to thrive and grow beautiful fleece for me. I have been able to do that so far. Thanks to lots of help from my friend Liz. She has been great and even gave me some colostrum for the new babies this morning. Thanks Liz! Colostrum is a thick yellowish milk that comes in before the real milk. It gives the kids a little extra including some immunity from diseases that they need to survive.
Caramel would be a good mom except for something she cannot help. That is she doesn't have an udder so she cannot nurse her kids. So that makes my job that much more scary because I have to make sure they get the nutrition and care they need to thrive and grow beautiful fleece for me. I have been able to do that so far. Thanks to lots of help from my friend Liz. She has been great and even gave me some colostrum for the new babies this morning. Thanks Liz! Colostrum is a thick yellowish milk that comes in before the real milk. It gives the kids a little extra including some immunity from diseases that they need to survive.
Yesterday was supposed to be our shearing day. Unfortunately our shearer never showed up so I guess we will have to reschedule that. I was a nervous wreck all day getting ready and waiting,waiting,waiting and waiting... I wish I knew another shearer who was a little more reliable. Someone still has to shear the animals and soon. It is going to be way too hot for all the fleece they are carrying very soon. But maybe there is a reason for such things. At least I always hope that is true and yesterday it was. Our angora doe was due to have her kids any day and I was hoping it would be before shearing. Well, now it is. At 5:15 yesterday afternoon, as I gave up on the shearer ever arriving and was feeding the animals, Caramel started bleating like crazy and laid on the ground and I knew those kids were on the way! She had a beautiful boy and a girl. The girl is the tiniest goat I have ever seen. She has a white head like her sire and a chocolate body like her dame. So cute! The boy is a dirty white color, kind of like chocolate milk that you didn't put in the whole amount of Quick.
Thank goodness for LGDs, that's livestock guardian dogs for you city folk out there. Our LGD, Buddy, probably saved our new kids yesterday morning. He was barking like crazy when I got up so I went out to see what was so all fired important. What did I see sneaking ever so furtively through the tall grass? Why it was Mr. Coyote, of course! I saw his back and tail just on the other side of the goat fence. So I ran out to open the gate for Buddy to give chase. He had a great time and I'm sure felt as if he was doing his duty, but, alas, Mr. Coyote was quicker and craftier and disappeared without a trace!
Monday, April 27, 2009
"Monday, Monday, can't trust that day..." It's here again, Monday. The weekend was very busy with cleaning pens and cutting toenails, the dog's, not the goats. I still have to do the goats. And our grandson's 5th birthday. We celebrated with a family party at our house. Great fun and my daughter did all the work! Yes! Somehow I'm still feeling exhausted though.
The new kids are growing fast. Yesterday one of the mom's and one of the kids got tangled up in an old straw hat that had blown into the pen. This was after the birthday party, so I had to go in the house and change back into "farm clothes." I don't like trying to catch goats in flip-flops and a dress! How funny would that be? I dragged my husband out too. Can't catch a kid without a little help. Anyway, I got the mom, Jenny, to come to me for a sweet cracker and managed to grab the edge of the hat brim that was circling her neck. She didn't like that much and put her head down. The hat brim slipped right off! Yahoo! One down, one to go!
Steve, that's my husband, got on one side of the herd and I got on the other side. We just started walking closer together and edging the goats we didn't want out of the way. Eventually, we cornered the little buck with the top of the hat wrapped around his neck. I grabbed him up and then noticed Jenny standing real close to me. She didn't charge me this time. It wasn't even her kid afterall, it was Bobbin's boy. When I picked him up, I couldn't believe how heavy he was. He had at least doubled his birth weight, probably more than doubled it.
The new kids are growing fast. Yesterday one of the mom's and one of the kids got tangled up in an old straw hat that had blown into the pen. This was after the birthday party, so I had to go in the house and change back into "farm clothes." I don't like trying to catch goats in flip-flops and a dress! How funny would that be? I dragged my husband out too. Can't catch a kid without a little help. Anyway, I got the mom, Jenny, to come to me for a sweet cracker and managed to grab the edge of the hat brim that was circling her neck. She didn't like that much and put her head down. The hat brim slipped right off! Yahoo! One down, one to go!
Steve, that's my husband, got on one side of the herd and I got on the other side. We just started walking closer together and edging the goats we didn't want out of the way. Eventually, we cornered the little buck with the top of the hat wrapped around his neck. I grabbed him up and then noticed Jenny standing real close to me. She didn't charge me this time. It wasn't even her kid afterall, it was Bobbin's boy. When I picked him up, I couldn't believe how heavy he was. He had at least doubled his birth weight, probably more than doubled it.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Thank goodness, it is Friday! I don't know why I feel that way. Probably an old habit from the days when I worked away from home! Ha!
A roadrunner crossed my path yesterday while I was walking. "Roadrunner, the coyote's after you..." I sang to him but he didn't care. He just kept bobbing his head and twitching his tail and went on his way. They are awesome birds. I love to see them and they eat rattlesnakes. Thankfully we haven't had a rattlesnake in the yard yet this spring. I will knock on wood!
Someone asked me why I had all the goats. I had two big dairy goats when we first moved here. They were an experiment. I did not want to milk goats or cows every day. When the wether's horns got too big and dangerous, I re-homed the two of them. But then there was a void on our property. So I got what I thought was a good deal at the time, three pygora does. Silly me, they were fairly young and I thought I could tame them. Well, that hasn't happened. They are still wild and skiddish but they had beautiful kids. And the kids they had last year are tame and manageable and the kids they had this month will be too.
I do like goats in general. I just needed to figure out what kind I wanted. I think I will be moving toward all pure bred angora goats. They are small and cute and fairly easy to handle. Their fleece can be blended with the alpaca fleece to make a more durable yarn. Now, If I could just manage to keep everyone's fleece clean and free of vegetable matter. That is a work in progress for this farmer and an ongoing challenge for a lot of farmers, I think.
A roadrunner crossed my path yesterday while I was walking. "Roadrunner, the coyote's after you..." I sang to him but he didn't care. He just kept bobbing his head and twitching his tail and went on his way. They are awesome birds. I love to see them and they eat rattlesnakes. Thankfully we haven't had a rattlesnake in the yard yet this spring. I will knock on wood!
Someone asked me why I had all the goats. I had two big dairy goats when we first moved here. They were an experiment. I did not want to milk goats or cows every day. When the wether's horns got too big and dangerous, I re-homed the two of them. But then there was a void on our property. So I got what I thought was a good deal at the time, three pygora does. Silly me, they were fairly young and I thought I could tame them. Well, that hasn't happened. They are still wild and skiddish but they had beautiful kids. And the kids they had last year are tame and manageable and the kids they had this month will be too.
I do like goats in general. I just needed to figure out what kind I wanted. I think I will be moving toward all pure bred angora goats. They are small and cute and fairly easy to handle. Their fleece can be blended with the alpaca fleece to make a more durable yarn. Now, If I could just manage to keep everyone's fleece clean and free of vegetable matter. That is a work in progress for this farmer and an ongoing challenge for a lot of farmers, I think.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Happy Earth Day everyone. Did you do anything to help the environment today? I planted 2 asparagus ferns, four tomatoes and 6 petunias. It was a gorgeous day here in Southern arizona. It's amazing to me how quickly the weather changes. Last week we had blasting wind and cold. This week it is in the 90's and still somewhat windy.
I didn't get to spend too much time with the critters today. My grandson needed my attention today. I did get to read some more of my Alpaca Magazine.
My little bottle-fed buck needed his bottom cleaned. Not a fun job! I had to get another formula to feed him and sometimes that makes babies a little messy. He is fine though. I think he has the loudest mouth in the barnyard!
I didn't get to spend too much time with the critters today. My grandson needed my attention today. I did get to read some more of my Alpaca Magazine.
My little bottle-fed buck needed his bottom cleaned. Not a fun job! I had to get another formula to feed him and sometimes that makes babies a little messy. He is fine though. I think he has the loudest mouth in the barnyard!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
So yesterday I got as far as the angora goats. Falkor is the sire of all the kids this year. So far four kids have been born, Jenny had two boys and Bobbin had a boy and a girl. The new kids are all white like their sire and seem to be very healthy. They are getting little horns already so I will have to decide whether or not to de-horn them soon. Jenny's two are in the picture on the right.
The other picture is of one of our alpacas and our youngest grandchild. This would be a good picture for advertising our alpacas, our farm and our lifestyle. The alpaca is Tinker. He is a pretty big alpaca and he humms alot. Alpacas hum instead of barking or clucking or whatever. It is a pleasant sound and unique to alpacas. Tinker's half brother, Viking Prince, is our other alpaca.
The other picture is of one of our alpacas and our youngest grandchild. This would be a good picture for advertising our alpacas, our farm and our lifestyle. The alpaca is Tinker. He is a pretty big alpaca and he humms alot. Alpacas hum instead of barking or clucking or whatever. It is a pleasant sound and unique to alpacas. Tinker's half brother, Viking Prince, is our other alpaca.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
Today was a busy day. I started with my usual morning walk at about 6:30 am. I walk in a nearby neighborhood because they have paved roads and it is easier than walking on our rocky dirt road. Then I come back to the farm and feed the animals. I feed the alpacas first, then the goats and chickens. After that I feed the dogs and then I return to the kitchen and prepare a bottle for my new little buck who did not learn to nurse from his mom.
The buck is only 13 days old and he already knows to come when he hears my voice. I haven't named him yet or any of the new kids. That is because I'm not sure if I will keep them or sell them. I will probably keep this bottle fed little guy and the girl kid. It is difficult to think of selling any of them. They are so darned cute! But my husband says we will have too many goats. He is right.
Anyway, we have 12 goats. Three are pygora does that I bought last year. Their names are Jenny, Bobbin and Lucy. Jenny had one doe kid last year. She is gray and the grandkids named her Butterfly. She is a little bossy like her mom. Bobbin also had two kids last year. They are both bucks. One is gray and the other is black. The gray one is Silverado and the black is Valentino because he was born on February 13 or 15. I'll have to look that up in my records but it wasn't exactly Valentine's Day, just very close. Valentino was also my first bottle fed kid. He and Silverado were neutered so they are not really bucks anymore. Lucy, a black doe, had three kids last year. They all died becuase she was a new mom and didn't nurse them. I was new at raising goats too so didn't realize until it was too late that she wasn't nursing them. Sometimes animals teach hard lessons. So that is what, 6 goats counted.
Last August I was fortunate to purchase two registered angora goats from Kathy Withers Farm in Tucson. Kathy is terrific. If you get a chance you should visit her farm and her beautiful shop. She sells all kinds of unique yarns and gives classes. Visit her website: www.uniquedesignsbykathy.com. The goats I purchased from her are a white buck and a chocolate doe. The doe was named Caramel and the buck just had a number. I named him Falkor after the luck dragon in the movie "Neverending Story." I'm hoping he brings good luck to this little farm and he looks like the big white luck dragon!
The buck is only 13 days old and he already knows to come when he hears my voice. I haven't named him yet or any of the new kids. That is because I'm not sure if I will keep them or sell them. I will probably keep this bottle fed little guy and the girl kid. It is difficult to think of selling any of them. They are so darned cute! But my husband says we will have too many goats. He is right.
Anyway, we have 12 goats. Three are pygora does that I bought last year. Their names are Jenny, Bobbin and Lucy. Jenny had one doe kid last year. She is gray and the grandkids named her Butterfly. She is a little bossy like her mom. Bobbin also had two kids last year. They are both bucks. One is gray and the other is black. The gray one is Silverado and the black is Valentino because he was born on February 13 or 15. I'll have to look that up in my records but it wasn't exactly Valentine's Day, just very close. Valentino was also my first bottle fed kid. He and Silverado were neutered so they are not really bucks anymore. Lucy, a black doe, had three kids last year. They all died becuase she was a new mom and didn't nurse them. I was new at raising goats too so didn't realize until it was too late that she wasn't nursing them. Sometimes animals teach hard lessons. So that is what, 6 goats counted.
Last August I was fortunate to purchase two registered angora goats from Kathy Withers Farm in Tucson. Kathy is terrific. If you get a chance you should visit her farm and her beautiful shop. She sells all kinds of unique yarns and gives classes. Visit her website: www.uniquedesignsbykathy.com. The goats I purchased from her are a white buck and a chocolate doe. The doe was named Caramel and the buck just had a number. I named him Falkor after the luck dragon in the movie "Neverending Story." I'm hoping he brings good luck to this little farm and he looks like the big white luck dragon!
Introduction to Saguaro Hill Farm April 20, 2009
April 20, 2009
Hi, I'm Debbie Hedin and this is my new Blogspot! I moved to Arizona 5 years ago. My dream is to raise alpacas and goats and sell their fleece. I currently have two male alpacas and 12 goats. At Saguaro Hill Farm, there are also chickens, cats and dogs. With this blog I will try to tell you a little about each of our animals, events that happen and our progress as a farm.
Hi, I'm Debbie Hedin and this is my new Blogspot! I moved to Arizona 5 years ago. My dream is to raise alpacas and goats and sell their fleece. I currently have two male alpacas and 12 goats. At Saguaro Hill Farm, there are also chickens, cats and dogs. With this blog I will try to tell you a little about each of our animals, events that happen and our progress as a farm.
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