The family. We are a strange little band of characters trudging through life, sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another's desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that binds us all together.

- Erma Bombeck

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

It's the Start of the Second Inning...Stitch is Rounding First...

Looks like my bet was a good one.  Stitch is showing the first signs of labor.  She's been up and down, up and down.  I thought it might just be nerves with the wind and the excitement from yesterday, but while she was lying down, I watched her poop.  That's not a normal goat behavior.  She's adjusting.

So, I am getting ready for another night of kidding.  J is at work until late, so the boys and I will be handling this one on our own.  We can do it.  I only wish the weather were a little more cooperative.  Not only is it cold, but it's windy - blow your hat off your head windy.  Not pleasant weather to be sitting vigil while a goat decides when to kid.  But this is Stitch's first time and I plan to be there with her all the way.  Better put the coffee on, I have a feeling this is going to be a long cold night.

Ares...the First Buckling of the Year

Yesterday afternoon, while the boys were having a podeo in the adjacent pen, Lilo was quietly delivering her kids.  I had come out to feed and when I went in the goat pen to grain the girls, I noticed two small dark lumps in the dirty straw.  Icalled to the boys to get J.  I had just bought a bale of straw to replace the bedding - I guess I was a day late - and I needed J to bring it in so that we could get the babies up out of the muck.

As I entered the shelter, I realized that one of the babies was still very wet.  Lilo was licking it, but it was not moving.  It had died sometime close to delivery.  A buckling.  I scooped the baby up in my hands and carried it out of the pen, placing it temporarily in a feed bucket so that the dogs wouldn't sniff around it.  I wanted Lilo to focus on the baby that was alive.

J came out and began spreading straw in the shelter.  I plucked the other kid up in a towel that K brought out and the three of us (K, the kid, and I) walked into the house to dry off.  There was a yellow liquid all over the baby, something that looked a bit like egg yolk.  It was meconium.  There had been some stress in this delivery.  I wondered if it was the circus of pig-riding next door.

I wiped the baby down with a towel, snipped his umbilicus off to about two inches, and poured a generous amount of iodine over the remaining stub.  By the time I was finished drying this little boy off, he was chewing on my chin, looking for his first meal.

While I dried the baby off, I directed K to make up a bowl of warm water and molasses for Lilo.  When we were finished with our tasks, we headed back out to the pen.
I returned the baby to a happy momma.  There she continued to clean him.  I purposely didn't wash the baby completely because I wanted Lilo to know exactly who he was.  I helped to position him up to Lilo's udder and he had his first snack of his life.

Lilo still had some work to do with delivering the afterbirth.  She slowly managed to deliver the placenta and as disgusting as I find it, I let her eat it for the protein.  I had to focus on something else as her teeth chomped through the placental sack with a crunch.

Then the doubt began.  Both bucklings had been somewhat small.  Not unacceptable, but small.  I know that our protein levels have been lower since we haven't been feeding grain consistently, but I was concerned that there might be a third.  Lilo kept behaving as if she were still in active labor.  She would paw the ground.  She would squat and push.  She would lick anything close to her mouth.  She would lie down and then get up again.  The only thing that I could see was what looked like a second afterbirth.  But while she was lying down, I thought I saw baby movement.  I was convinced there was a third.
For almost an hour, I sat with Lilo.  Fed her grain and water.  Pet her.  Comforted her.  She didn't seem to be progressing at all.  I was hoping to see hooves, but all I ever saw was this thick cording that looked a bit like an oversized umbilicus.  I asked J to call the vet to see when we should intervene.

The vet said that two hours was a long time inbetween births and that we should reach in and feel for the baby.  Ok, then.  I had prepared for this moment.  I had watched all the videos, read all the books, talked to all the experts.  But when you are preparing to reach inside your goat and feel around for her baby, you're not prepared at all.

J and I went out to the shelter.  I used J Jelly to lube my hand and wrist, about half way to my elbow - the point that I was willing to reach.  J gently held Lilo's head and I slowly violated her inner sanctum.  It was warm and squishy.  Too squishy.  I felt no hooves, no head, no rear, nothing that resembled a baby.  Lilo contracted several times and I slipped my hand back out.  I was sure that if there were a baby inside, it was nowhere near the birth canal.

J and I decided to give her some quiet time.  We went back in the house.  A friend of mine (my goat guru) called.  She had seen that Lilo had delivered on Facebook and wanted to check in.  We talked at length and she suggested that we check on Lilo one last time.  If she wasn't in diress (panting, pawing, crying) that we should leave her alone for the night.  She was pretty sure that there wasn't a third baby from my description.  So that's what we did.

This morning, the boys went out to check.  Lilo and her handsome little boy, Ares, were curled up together at the back of the shelter.  The afterbirth was nowhere to be seen (and not hanging from her anymore).  And there were no more babies.  It was twins...and while we will never know for certain, Ares looks more Nubian than Boer so Neptune may be his daddy.

We will be watching all of the other does very carefully over the next few days.  It is likely that at least one of them will kid.  Most herds cycle at around the same time, so that babies come around the same time.  My money's on Stitch.  Any takers?

Friday, March 23, 2012

Spring Activities

This afternoon was beautiful.  The sky was clear blue and there was barely any wind.  It was almost warm enough to wear a t-shirt.  So, I went out to the goats to get some of the much needed chores done that I have been avoiding due to weather.

The boys decided that it would be exciting to help me prepare the syringes inside, so I showed them how to take the cap off of each needle and twist it onto the 6ml syringe.  We talked about how the ends were sterile and how we needed to keep them that way.  We prepared nine needle/syringe sets.

I gathered the other tools I needed - trimming shears, selenium and vitamin E gel, the Covexin-8 vaccination and a container for spent needles.  We then headed out to the goats.

One of the boys filled the grain bucket on the milking stand and I grabbed the first goat out of the pen.  Lilo.  I figured I'd start with someone who knew how to get on the stand and wasn't going to freak out when I worked on her.  She did fine as long as I didn't touch her belly - she's weird about touching her belly when she's pregnant.

I had one of the boys hold Lilo's leg forward so that I could give her the Covexin-8 behind her elbow.  I then gave her the selenium/vitamin E gel (to promote good health for the babies), and lastly I trimmed her hooves.  She finished with a few good pets and enough time to eat her grain.

By the time I had put Lilo back and was getting the second goat out, I had lost the boys' attention.  Two were goofing around in the goat pen and the third one had gone back inside.  So I continued alone.

I managed to get almost all of the goats done.  Everyone but Midge and Zeus got their Covexin-8.  One of the needles was broken in the syringe so I tossed it.  Another one had a contaminent in it when I drew up the meds.  I tossed it also.  Everyone but Zeus got their hooves trimmed.  And all of the does that might be pregnant got a dose of selenium/vitamin E.

I will need to repeat the Covexin-8 in a few weeks because none of them have been on it consistently enough to be protected.  I also will repeat the selenium/vitamin E in a few weeks for the pregnant does, unless they have kidded, in which case I will give the kids a Bo-Se shot to boost their selenium.

I'll try to get Midge and Zeus in the next two days so that they are still on the same schedule as everyone else.  Next stop...the pig pen.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Realities of Living On A Dirt Road Continued

Well, I knew that I had a slow leak in the right rear tire, but it was holding air and going to Les Schwab wasn't going to fit into my schedule until Friday.  But that changed when J came in from the front and told me that my FRONT right tire was flat.  I corrected him, "No.  It's the rear tire."  It was actually both.

The flat was so bad that when J aired it up, you could hear a hissing sound as the air escaped from the hole in the tire.  We couldn't see it, but we knew it was there.  Probably a rock had punctured the tire.

We filled the tire and then I took off down the dirt road with J right behind me.  We had to stop when we reached the pavement and he aired the tire up again.  At that point, we decided that I would only drive up to the market (about 5 miles away) and call AAA for a tow from there.  I made it to the market, but the tow truck driver had to air up the tire to load and unload the car.

Four ply tires just don't make it on a road with as many rocks as ours.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Guess My Due Date

Well, we don't have an exact due date for any of our does this spring.  We had the bucks running in with the girls from about September or October on.  That means that we could've had babies a while ago.  This isn't the optimal way to plan with goats, but at the time, it was the best way to keep the goats on the farm (and out of the road).

Since we don't have an exact breeding date, we have to use other clues to help determine when the girls will kid (or IF they will, for that matter).  I did notice that Lilo came into heat around October 22nd and Tumbleweed came into heat around November 22nd.  Most of the time, goats will cycle with one another, so it's a good bet that the other does were having a heat cycle at the same time.  Whether or not they bred successfully is another story...but with those two dates, I can guess that Lilo (who did not come into heat in November) is due around March 22nd (tomorrow) and IF Tumbleweed took, she'll be due around April 22nd.

One of the first clues to impending babies is whether or not the girls look pregnant.  This sounds like it would be easy, but some goats have a fat belly all the time.  What I've noticed is that rather than just a "big" belly, the line on the bottom of their belly is straighter than normal.  It doesn't lift up as it goes back to the udder.  Lilo has this look for sure.  Asha, Tumbleweed, and Stitch seem to have this look, but it's sometimes hard to tell.  I'm guessing that just like with humans, goats who have kidded before tend to show earlier than new mommies.  Sox doesn't look pregnant...and that's just fine with me.

The second thing to check is the udder.  As I said, Lilo should be due around tomorrow...but I'm pretty sure that's not the case.  Within a week of kidding, a goat's udder will "bag up" which means it will fill with milk.  Lilo's udder is not full at all yet.  While she could deliver without bagging, it's unlikely.  None of the girls have any substantial udder on them.

The third thing to watch are the ligaments and pin bones.  I talked about this last year.  Checking the pin bones and ligaments around the tail helps to determine when the doe is within hours of kidding.  Our goats ligaments are just fine...no signs.

The last thing is discharge.  I list this one last, not because it happens right before the doe is going to kid, but because it's not the most reliable time table indicator.  The mucos plug will slowly expel from the doe, showing a slimy snot out of the vulva.  This could happen one day, one week, or one month before kidding.  Both Lilo and Stitch have started to show this.  Doesn't tell me much...but I suppose it's a sign.

In addition to the goats, we have a pig preparing to farrow.  Ruby has been living in the same pen with Jaws since we moved them here in November.  I seem to remember him getting some pig love toward the end of December and he hasn't really tried to mount her since.  My guess is that was the date of conception.  A pig's gestation is three months, three weeks, and three days.  I know that Ruby is pregnant, as she is showing pretty nicely already.  My guess is that Ruby will be due sometime around the end of April...but who knows.

Annie, our friend's gilt, has finally come into heat.  Jaws has been giving her the once over, but she isn't standing for him yet.  I think we will have the owners pick her up this weekend, as her heat cycle will be 5-7 days only regardless of whether or not she takes.  Then it will be up to the owners to watch her in about 21 days and see if she cycles again.  If not, there's a chance she's pregnant.  I'm honestly not very hopeful.  This pig has a lot going against her breeding - she's older than she should be (17 months), she's overweight, and she has never been exposed to a boar so this is likely her first heat cycle.  If she's not, they can bring her back.  By then, I hope to have the hot wire fixed so she doesn't destroy the fence again.

Friday, March 16, 2012

Hog Heaven

Well, after a long couple of weeks, the mobile slaughter truck arrived this morning to take care of our problem pig.  It was truly the only solution to her problem.  And while we were saddened to see a pig in this condition, I was relieved that her suffering would finally be over.

When this pig arrived, we surmised that there had been some type of injury...a broken bone, a neurological injury due to the use of the cattle prod, something that had happened within the few days of transport to our home by the new owners.  This was not the case.

As the butchers skinned the hide off of this pig, we found abcess after abcess along her front and rear legs.  She had scabs on her front elbows - an indicator that she had been using her elbows for support for a long time.  She had bruising along her front legs and rump.  It was sad to realize that these injuries were not only a week and a half old, they were months old.  This pig had been suffering for months.

I spoke with the new owner and she believes that the gal that sold her the pig really didn't know that there was anything wrong with her.  I would like to believe that, but for as much as an optimist that I am, I have a really hard time believing that anyone with any sense at all would think a pig that rarely gets up and shakes when she stands is healthy.  Regardless of whether or not the previous owner knew of her condition, the new owner is now facing almost 300 pounds of sausage.

She asked us if we would like to trade the meat for one of our younger gilts.  She would really like to have two bred sows to take home.  Unfortunately, we are not interested in trading anything for this pig.

We take pride in how we raise our animals.  They are well-fed, well cared for, and happy.  We believe that happy, healthy animals create excellent meat.  This pig was not happy, nor healthy.  She was miserable.  We don't know what she was fed - other than what the owner told us, which was hog racks (large amounts of day-old bread) and grain.  And we don't know if she was given any type of medications within the last month.  And if we wouldn't eat it ourselves, we wouldn't sell it with our names on it.

So now, when we look back on the pig's behavior in transport and for the first day, she was showing signs of pain, not stress.  When the gal walked into the pen at the owner's home, the pig was standing and shaking.  She wasn't nervous, she was in pain.  She was being forced to stand.  And then she was forced to ride in the trailer for an hour, balancing herself while in pain.  So when she arrived here, she was reeling from the pain.  She was panting and shaking in pain.  She was barely able to get herself back down and that was it.  Such a sad affair.  I am glad that it's over.

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Pig Problems

I am often accused of jumping into things before I know the whole plan...like bringing home chickens and THEN building the coop.  I admit, when I get an idea stuck in my head, I have a hard time being patient and doing things in the "correct" order.  So when I met a gal who had decided to buy some pigs without any prior knowledge about them, I understood.

She purchased two 18 month old gilts (virgins) and wanted to use my boar to breed them.  The plan was to breed the girls, sell the babies, and recover some of the original purchase cost - which was a bit steeper than she should've paid.  I agreed to let her bring the girls to my place and let the pig love ensue.

Well, one of the pigs was pretty stressed out.  It had taken two days and a cattle prod (something that I have never used with pigs) to get her to load into the trailer.  The gal brought her directly to me and we unloaded her into a pig with other pigs she didn't know.  It would've been better for her to have a pen next door to my pigs for a week or so, but I didn't have an empty pen to offer...so it was sink or swim.

This pig began to sink.  She was panting and shaking - both signs of stress.  I wasn't too concerned as most pigs experience some degree of stress when you transport them.  But she kept lying down on my fence - the charger was not working, of course - and I was feeling some degree of stress thinking about explaining the damage to my husband.  The gal used the cattle prod several times to move her off of the fence, but it was futile.  She eventually settled in a corner.  I figured she would relax over the next day or so and start moving around so I could fix the hot wire and the fenceline.

She didn't.  By the afternoon, she was crawling on her front legs - something I have never seen a pig do.  And believe me, it looked wrong.  By the evening, we couldn't really coax her to get up at all.  She tried to stand a little to go to the bathroom, but she was unsteady on her feet and quickly resumed her prone position.

Over the next few days I had to bring buckets of water right to her snout just to make sure that she was drinking.  Pigs can die very quickly without water and I didn't want to let her die.

I talked with the owner - who had no suggestions at all - and told her that in my opinion, regardless of what was causing this behavior, it was very unlikely that this pig would breed anytime soon.  In the back of my mind, I was thinking that maybe the cattle prod had caused some neurological damage.  So she called the mobile slaughter truck.  They are scheduled to come out next week.  I guess this piggy has that long to figure out how to get back up, but honestly, I think she's headed to town next week.

It's hard to watch an animal go downhill so quickly and not have anything you can do.  In this case, I don't think that there is anything that I can do other than try to keep her alive and comfortable until they butcher her.  I question whether the meat will taste off due to the stress she's been under.  But with her body condition (about 100 pounds overweight), I would suggest all sausage anyway so I guess the spices will cover any unusual flavor.  Ahh...the joys of farming.