Spring is on its way!

Date: 01/03/2008

March 2008 Spring is around the corner and we are well into kidding with over a hundred baby goat kids to feed, we even have over 70 already weaned and doing well. It can get quite hectic at times especially when we had 90 kids born in one day. They all need moving, tagging, navels spayed to stop any infection, and also importantly taught to drink quickly so that they get the vital antibody rich first milk called colostrum.

This Easter weekend has been bitter, with high cold winds and even snow. We have special gale breakers like huge blinds to keep the wind out of the sheds and have made little shelters inside the pens with a lid on and hay and straw on top for extra warmth. Of course being goats on warmer days the kids do tend to sit on top of the pens and eat the hay which is a little frustrating when you have just filled up their hay racks with nice fresh hay, but if it keeps them amused, which it evidently does.

We are looking forward to warmer milder spring not least because we still have a lot more goats to kid and it so much nicer when it’s warm and sunny. The goat kids all seem happier and stronger and healthier when the sun shines, and actually they’re not the only ones. It will also mean we will be able to turn some of the older goat kids out in the fields. I can’t wait to see them jumping around in the long grass. Most people don’t realise that goats are not the hardy animals they think, when it comes to a bit of rain they are really little wimps and need to be able to run back inside, that with the wet ground that means they need housing all winter, and shelter available all summer. So roll on the sunshine and summer.