Bring on the Babies!

[dggoatlover]

I am counting down like crazy - four weeks and four days to go until we expect kidding season to start. Eight of my girls are expecting this year and going by looks (and previous kiddings) I am expecting approx 11 or so kids. Yeay! 4 of my girls will be kidding in August, 2 in Sept, 1 in Oct and 1 in Nov. And milk - oh I have been missing my goats milk so much - can't wait to start milking again.

We are actually hoping to get a couple of little boys this year for the freezer as I have researched some excellent recipes to try. So fingers are crossed for healthy bubs and mums and hopefully no major issues!

[minnie]

Sounds great Desley,

Look forward to hearing more down the track on how you go with the boys in the freezer.

Hope all goes well.

Vicki

[Shadowgirlau]

Yes it does sound fun.

Some one will be getting babies this year though I don't think it will be me

The sheep we bought have turned out not to be pregnant. Today we were given a poll dorset ram to run with the girls for the next month. Shall have to wait and see what comes of this. the girls so far have been keeping their distance although every now and then one of them goes up for a look see and a quick sniff then takes off quick. Little teases!

Kathleen

[Heidi]

Kathleen,
I remember when we bought our Wiltshire Horn ram, named Ben. We unloaded him off the trailer, and set him loose in the paddock. All the ewes came rushing up to him to check him out... and this big burly ram with huge horns RAN AWAY! He has since proven himself to be a reliable worker so has redeemed himself.
H

[BJTJ]

We are presently lambing and about 25 born, we are hoping we have about 100 pregnant ewes, and have been dropping over the last week. Our plans of milking are now on hold as we are doing this three month trip instead and also the dairy area is still not finished. On a brighter note, the orchard is now half net covered and will be finished before we go so we will not lose as much fruit this year. Hubby has promised that dairy area will be priority when we get back. Problem is I work Mon Tues Wed and he works Wed Thurs Fri. We could get so much more done if we worked the same days!! We have been baiting for foxes and have been losing about 1 bait every second day. They are so blazen here and regularly see them on my way to work in mornings. We have lost four lambs so far. Is a bit hard to tell whether foxes have killed them or natural causes but we can only do the best we can. Will seriosly consider getting a alpaca in the future but at this stage baiting is a must. I love watching the lambs when they get in a group of 10 or so, they are just like little children and play chasey and round and round, I can be entertained for hours just watching them. When we had them at home, we used to sit on back verandah and watch them play chasey round and round the dam wall, was so funny. Due to lack of rain and not enough feed, they are at another property about 2 ks away with plenty of feed. BJ

[Shadowgirlau]

BJ I am sorry to hear about the loss of your lambs and hope that not many more are lost. We have quite a big fox problem down here as well, something which worried me quite a bit when we were expecting lambs earlier. The farmer down the road was losing lambs every night. Foxes being so abundant round here was one of the reasons why i was so fussy about the chicken coop and looking the chickens up of a night.

Heidi, loved the story about your ram. I guess the main thing is he gets the "job" done

Kathleen

[dggoatlover]

Sorry about your lambs I have all my fingers and toes crossed that we will not have too many problems. I've got the two alpacas in with the girls keeping them company - they were on full alert last night! Heard a noise and went out with the torch to check on everyone - the alpacas attcked the moving torch light It was so funny! But I turned it off and left them to it - didn't want to disturb them too much.

I am concerned though as we have a big empty scrubby 400 acre block next to us and we know there is a small dingo pack living there. We can hear them howling nearly everynight. Hopefully between the boys and the fencing and keeping everyone locked up tight at night I can keep them at bay.

Kathleen - hope you boy works well for you this time round - it won't take long before you hear the pitter patter of little hooves

[BJTJ]

Desley are you allowed to shoot them or bait them if they come onto your property? BJ

[dggoatlover]

Not sure but as we have three dogs of our own I don't want to take any risks that something will happen to them so would prefer not to use baits. And we don't have a gun - I don't think I feel real comfortable at this stage in having one. I think if I got desperate down the track I night consider it I'll try for the natural methods first before resorting to those. We haven't really had any problems with them coming on the property - we saw one when we first moved in and chased it off - but we haven't seen any since.

[BJTJ]

We were travelling on Eyre Peninsula a couple of years and there was 6 dogs circling a sheep, it was so horrible, we tooted our horn and yelled but it was too far down the paddock and we weren't game to go near them. I felt so sick about it. BJ

[minnie]

Hi Desley,

I think dogs are allowed to be shot/baited but I think (could be wrong here) that dingoes are protected. So if they're pure dingoes not much other than what you're doing and normally they keep their distance if no-one is feeding them close to you.

We have them down the back here and here them singing, but they are mainly crossed with dogs (grrrr if people would desex their dogs and cats) and some look very german shepherd a big problem, but still they keep down in the gullies and deep in the bush.

A pack would kill an alpaca, I know someone who lost her female and the cria to a dog pack.

I'm like you not too comfortable with the gun thing, although DH would like to get one for when we move... I'm just not sure, so at the moment say hmmm instead. We'd need to do a course to get a licence I think and then it's got to have a certain gun cabinet etc etc, so it's not as easy (in NSW anyway) as what it seems. So even though we've both used a gun (Army and Cadets) in the past I'm more to waiting and seeing before leaping into that one.

Fingers and toes crossed, that winter passes and the dingoes have food in their place, so they don't need to come to yours.

Vicki

[BJTJ]

Would you go bushwalking in your area? BJ

[minnie]

Hi BJ,

Do you mean me?

If so, yes I would... why do you ask? Because of dingoes/dogs?

DH has been at a waterhole in one of the gullies and a dog appeared, it saw him and took off.

Vicki

[dggoatlover]

I have no problems walking around on our land. Don't think I would go to the block next door where the howling comes from. It's four hundred acres of overgrown scrub with rubber vine and lantana everywhere. We are currently in the process of complaining to the council and Landcare etc as the weeds keeps encroaching on our property from the block - see if they can make the owners do anything about it. Its not very cosy looking for a bush walk. The dingo(?) we saw was a rusty brown colour - looked almost fox like. It bolted for the hills when my son started chasing it.

The weirdest thing is that there are two shetland pony geldings that live in the paddock. Just wondering around. They make their way past our fenceline probably about once a fortnight. We feed them bread whenever they pop by and I run my eyes over them - they seem in pretty good health - no injuries or illnesses etc They don't seem to have any problems living in there and they are the fattest things I have ever seen!

[minnie]

Hi Desley,

Ah the joys of Lantana!

Regardless of how much you clear lantana new seeds are dropped it's one of the most invasive plants in the warm climes that's for sure.

We have it all along our creek, over the property, along the roadside and it's in the plantations.

All you can do is try to keep it under control on your property.

Usually the dingoes are shy and keep to the bush, and if they have plenty of food, you don't see them, only hear them... they are though a very smart animal which is why to crossing with large dogs isn't good, a big shepherd with the smarts of the dingo just isn't a good combination!

On a personal note I wouldn't like to see them bred or killed into extinction, they are a very old breed and recently they published findings that they are possibly the worlds oldest dog breed on par with wolves. I think they get a bad rap, and most is due to people wanting to 'tame' them... domestic dogs have been domesticated for many many generations and yet they can still turn and attack, same with domestic cats and yet we (as humans) want to 'tame' the wild instead of allowing them to remain that way and protect their habitat to support them. Hmmm just my slant...

Vicki

[dggoatlover]

Yes the joys and pains of lantana - I have already lost one of my beloved girls to it! It was the most horrible way for her to die and wathcing it happen was very distressing. I hope I never have to see it again. I walk my block constantly trying to keep an eye out for anything sprouting that sholdn't be there and remove it as quickly as possible.

[minnie]

It concerns me a lot, that we have some on our new property and the cattle will be out there soon... especially when they eat the pink stuff which isn't poisonous.

I hope you don't have it happen again too.

Vicki

[dggoatlover]

We have babies! So far three lots of twins born all doe/buck combos. Just beautiful! Only had to intervene with the last girl as her first kid came out backwards and had a leg tucked under. But everyone is safe and happy and healthy which is the main thing

[dggoatlover]

Here are a couple of pics of two of my new bubs. These are Ellie's babies - the little one is the buck and the large one is the doe.

Baby 1 (boy) has made an appearnace and number two is ready to arrive!


Both arrive safe and sound


30 mintues later after and clean and feed


Nap time!


They are so much fun to watch running and jumping around - especially when there are six of them all playing together. I've disbudded four of them and the last two will be done this afternoon when I get home from work. Still another four girls waiting to kid over the next month - going to be busy but I love it

[childoftheearth]

Thanks for the photos. Gorgeous little things. Are twins very common in goats?

Elaine