So today was the day we chose to do our spring goat maintenance. That is hoof trimming, worming, copper boluses and CDT vaccinations. This is also the day that the weather turned on us, and we had a rather prolonged hailstorm. The video is the view out of front door when we were gearing up to go out to the barn to tackle the chores. Below is Brown Sugar getting his pedicure on our makeshift (but back friendly) platform. To the right is the equally makeshift pharmacy table (on a large dog kennel). You learn to improvise.
Anyway we successfully caught and maintained all 21 of our goats. We noted that two of our small does that we had not intended to breed have udders developing. So it looks like Peewee and Miss Smith were impregnated when Bumble escaped his breeding pen in October and visited the flock. I sure hope they do OK despite their petite sizes. Regardless nothing to be done now except move them into the prenatal ward with the other ladies in waiting. I am now going to take a long hot bath and soothe my aching muscles.
Oh, your hoof-trimming system does look back-friendly. I still haven’t set up a very good system for this, and my white-hoofed goats have to be maintained quite often. What to you use to de-worm them?
Thanks Monique! It is back friendly once you get them up there. They used to go up for grain but now they are too suspicious to fall for that. We trim every 6 weeks. I use different wormers. I do fecal egg counts so try to limit my worming. But this time everyone got albendazole to cover for liver flukes except the potentially pregnant got ivermectin instead. The one doe we are milking did not get any wormer.
Hi, Donna,
Keep me posted on the kids – I’m almost ready (mentally) for milking and am planning on a Nigerian, and perhaps a Pygora for company. Or can/do you milk your Nigoras?
Hi Maureen,
I will let you know. My Nigoras are all wethers so I do not know about milking, only about their great fiber. The Nigerians are great for milk though.