The Old Folks Home

[maddysmamaw]

Sound if we all do this old hen is headed to her roost nite all

Night penny!

 

[Alaskan]

Cute photos..... yes, it has snowed all day.

 

[perchie.girl]

Cute photos..... yes, it has snowed all day.

 

[lilwildrabbit]

okay I lied was able to get them tonight had to close them in after we found two running loose one in blackberries across the street the other was on the other side of property and had come back to the coop trying we use 3 inch pvc I have 20 give or take a few hens eating from 4 to get home after snow played catch me again

Great idea I'll have to check that out!!

 

[Wickedchicken6]

@perchie.girl and @Wickedchicken6

Great pointers.

Kid #2 has offered to "get er done".

From what I have read it does sound like the slitting method is better and less painful than banding.


Good to hear that you usually do the lambs at about a month.... in that case I think we will wait a week.


Deb, I too have heard that some bite them out!

We are most certainly going to skip that option!!

I actually saw a pic of a man castrating by biting! Ewwww, ewww, ewwww. Not my thing.

I didn't realize that was a thing.

Ok. I went back to catch up. You want to eat the kid...and THAT's why you want to castrate. Got it. Somehow I missed that earlier.

I've never banded a lamb, but we helped process lambs with the lady we bought our first sheep from. The poor little lambs just fell over on their side and lay there. If they got up they walked around stiffly. (I would too) The calves don't seem to mind the banding as badly. Even with banding a person is supposed to be extremely sterile with the entire procedure. There are anaerobic bacteria that can proliferate with the banding procedure. The lady had issues of infection with that.

Of all the castrations I've done by cutting, I've only had two ram lambs that had issues. And one piglet that I can think of.
One ram lamb had excess fat in the testicles and I made the mistake of leaving it. It prevented the sac from healing properly. I had to recut and trim. It healed well then. One piglet and one ram lamb herniated and required a couple of stitches.

Just like perchie.girl said just be really clean and sterile. My employer used to pull out his dirty, dull jack knife and use it. I just about fell over the first time I saw him do that. It really hurts them. I just bought a new scalpel...lol. I finally got people on board here to use antiseptic washes, disinfectants and gloves.

It's been a long road.
10000+ castrated animals can't be wrong.

That makes me feel tired. No wonder my shoulders pop out of joint.

I'm assuming goats should be close. They look close by the pics I looked up.
The only things I know about goats: 1) they're cute

, 2) they have horns and 3) the males like to pee on you.

 

[perchie.girl]

-
The only things I know about goats: 1) they're cute

, 2) they have horns and 3) the males like to pee on you.

Males like to pee on you and on their chins.... and take a sip while in the process.... Even the castrated ones.

My Goaty boys were Wethered before I got them.... And Disbudded.... Two Nigerians and One Pygmy. The biggest boy was Rikki... a nigerian who was the pee expert. The other nigerian was Diego... Sweet sweet red boy with Wattles The Pygmy... Was Domino.... and the excape artist.... He bulldozed many goat gates in my chainlink fence.....

As much distruiction they did I would have em again in a heart beat....

No Goat eating here.... their job was being Cute Keeping the horse company and keeping me company on walks....

deb

 

[Alaskan]

Males like to pee on you and on their chins....  and take a sip while in the process....   Even the castrated ones.  

My Goaty boys were Wethered before I got them....  And Disbudded....  Two Nigerians and One Pygmy.     The biggest boy was Rikki... a nigerian who was the pee expert.  The other nigerian was Diego...  Sweet sweet red boy with Wattles   The Pygmy...  Was Domino....  and the excape artist....   He bulldozed many goat gates in my chainlink fence..... 

As much distruiction they did I would have em again in a heart beat....  

No Goat eating here....  their job was being Cute Keeping the horse company and keeping me company on walks....

deb

Dang! Drinking goat pee.

I know they do that...but so far we have only had the ladies.

As to escape artists.. We tried all summer and fall, and found out that goats are smarter than we are.

Yep.

Sad...very sad.

Ours free range. Luckily they USUALLY don't go far. They like coming up to the house, eating the house, and then asking for carrots.

This year though, when the dirt becomes visible (whenever that might be) I need to put in a fence...that actually works....a working fence.....a goat proof fence.

I might have to pay money for a functional fence.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
I am the least experienced with goats on this thread... Oh lots of reading... but I can attest ..... A proper goat fence will be worth its weight in gold. Mine will be built... and it will have airlocks.

... Rub bars on the bases Hot wire on top and be made of cattle panels. Feeding will be done through a secure feed bin from inside the poultry house... Where upon when I open the door the ONLY thing that can get through is goat faces.....

deb

 

[sdunmoyer]

okay I lied was able to get them tonight had to close them in after we found two running loose one in blackberries across the street the other was on the other side of property and had come back to the coop trying we use 3 inch pvc I have 20 give or take a few hens eating from 4 to get home after snow played catch me again

I need some sort of set up like. Some of mine are extreme food wasters.

 

[sdunmoyer]

I am the least experienced with goats on this thread...  Oh lots of reading...  but I can attest .....  A proper goat fence will be worth its weight in gold.  Mine will be built...  and it will have airlocks.   ...  Rub bars on the bases Hot wire on top and be made of cattle panels.   Feeding will be done through a secure feed bin from inside the poultry house...  Where upon when I open the door the ONLY thing that can get through is goat faces..... 

deb

I've wanted a couple of goats for a while. Trying to decide if I want just pets or maybe for milking but I'm not sure if the cuteness outweighs the trouble they can get into.