Here you can see the babies have moved to sitting much lower in her belly than before. They were up higher by her hip bones and just this week are sitting lower. She also doesn't look *quite* as fat. The girls' udders are definitely getting bigger, not huge yet. And so far everything else the same.... no changes or signs... yet! Soooo close! I can't wait! Both girls ligs are still firm and no discharge yet. Udders a little bigger, but no other signs yet. Knowing my luck it'll be on the very last day! Next day: Minyette had a little discharge for the first time today, but I've heard that's normal. Also, she is pawing the ground a lot, but still has all her ligs so I don't think it's time yet... Getting soooo close though!!! Feb 15th: Yes Minyette's udder is HUGE almost as big as it was when I was milking her last summer. I know it can't be long. Ghia's is bigger but not huge yet. I know I haven been writing a lot about Minyette, but I haven't been neglecting my other ones I promise. Ghia is due at the same time and is bigger than I've ever seen her, but nowhere as big as Minyette! I'm hoping for twin pinks from her!!! Funny how she doesn't look as big in the pics as in real life. Love my goaties. So... fat... can't... get... up...!
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I haven't written very many blogs about chickens, but I will start! In fact, I will start writing more blogs period! I transferred all these blogs from a forum, and it's been so neat going back through our old stuff and reading it! Anywho, I found a blog about how we need a cabinet incubator! And in case you were wondering, there are Wheaten, Blue Wheaten, and White Ameraucanas, Easter Eggers, Olive Eggers and Silver Appleyard Ducks. "I really really really need a cabinet incubator. Lookie what I have to hatch!" Since this is my first kidding AND we are pulling the babies to bottle feed them, I am being extra diligent to watch everyone and make sure I don't miss anything! I wouldn't want someone to get sick or have something happen to a doe so late in the game! Today Minyette was lying down a lot more than usual, she didn't even want to get up when I came up to the pen, and they usually all come running. After I got the stand out though and she heard the grain she got up and waddled out of the barn. I don't see how she last another minute let alone another three weeks and not pop! I got everyone up on the stand today. I went over each one very carefully, and then bolused them with copper and vitamin e. I also trimmed the nether regions and tail area, brushed them, trimmed their hooves and gave them probios. Everyone seemed good and happy and eating and drinking great! And since I had someone ask why we are pulling the babies and not dam raising, here's why! We're actually pulling the babies for three reasons. 1. I need them to be bottle babies so we can sell the males as fast as possible so we have more milk for our co-op. 2. In my experience the bottle baby goats have been soooooo much friendlier, and easier to work with, and all our doelings will become our next years milkers. 3. Dairy goats have to be friendly to be shown, and we plan on showing next year! Steve and I were relaxing this evening and while surfing the 'net we thought to ourselves, "how cool would it be to have a place where we share all our favorite and most interesting websites and articles". Since most of our time on the internet revolves around educating ourselves about all things homesteading and a bit of survivalist stuff we decided to name the blog "The Homesteading Survivalist". Here is where we will talk about all the things we are currently researching and learning about. This evening we are re-discovering the truth in skincare. I say re-discover because there are a lot of subjects in which we know about, but are not masters of. We have known for quite a few years that most commercial skin-care products (including shampoos, conditioners, soaps, toothpastes, body washes, deodorants, make-up, shaving products, lotions, etc) are not healthy or safe for you. Most skin care products contain chemicals which are skin irritants as well as allergens. We have been using Burt's Bees for quite a while, and knew it was "better", but we were still curious to see if it had any harmful chemicals in it. Upon researching "natural products" we were made aware of several "chemicals" that are allowed in natural products, and we were curious to see if they are harmful. Upon researching we have found some really amazing new websites that we want to share. A really amazing website that we have found is called Truth in Skincare. http://www.truthinskincare.com This website is packed full of articles on all kinds of different chemicals, what they are found in, and what they can do to you, such as Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate, a new one we learned about! Today I wanted to give you a heads up on a preservative called Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate (yeah, it's a mouthful!). I have found way too many companies and websites touting how it is a "natural preservative" or trying to whitewash it by saying it's a gentle preservative based on natural amino acid glycine. Some claim that it's safer and better than parabens because it won't release formaldehyde. Guess what? All false! And the second new website that we found is called EWG's Skin Deep Cosmetics Database. This website has deconstructed over 78,000 different skin care and cosmetic products, broken them down by ingredient, and then rated each ingredient (as well as the whole product) on a "safety" scale- the "ingredient hazard score", from 1-10 reflects known and suspected hazards of ingredients. This is based on toxicity, irritant levels, etc. Why is this important you ask? Because the American government doesn’t require health studies or pre-market testing of the chemicals in personal care products, even though just about everyone is exposed to them. This website helps put the power of information in consumers’ hands. When you know what’s in the products you bring into your home and how those chemicals may affect your health and the environment, you can make informed purchasing decisions — and help transform the marketplace. Care about your health and vote with your dollars. Your health is the most precious thing you have in life, so own it! http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ That should keep you busy for a while! That's all for tonight for us... more to come!!! Our very first time birthing baby goats and I want to make sure I have everything on hand that I could need! Here is my list; On hand: Shoulder length gloves Pen G Clean towels Bloat Ease Baking Soda CD&T Vaccine Copasure Selenium/ E Paste Iodine Trash Bags Dixie Cups Floss Syringes Rubbing alcohol Molasses And I am ordering this stuff this week; Clost Perf C&D Antitoxin Tetanus Antitoxin Weak Kid Syringe (feeding tube) Vet Thermometer Di-Methox Soluble Powder Lamb Bottles w/ nipples Probios Dispersible Powder Non-Spermicidal Sterile Lubricating Jelly Pritchard Teat Nipple Triodine-7 Fortified Vitamin B Complex Micro B-1 Oral Gel Elastrator w/ rings Bulb Syringe Surgical Scissors Colostrum Hope this is everything and hope this helps someone! Pretty normal day today. Did horse chores then farm chores. I'm very excited about my goats kidding! They are due in 4 weeks! YAY! It's getting sooooo close! Although I guess they could kid earlier if the breeder bred them before the date she gave me. It's crazy just how big they are getting, AND they are looking very "open" in their girly parts. I guess that means it'll be soon! Gave them their Selenium/ E paste and CD&T shot today. I wasn't worried about them kidding early until someone on my other thread it looks like she could pop any minute and was I sure of the dates. Now I want to go out and check on them every single minute! LoL now I'm a nervous nelly; was fine until I read that! Oiy! Ok here's some pics of today, though it doesn't do them justice as to how big they are getting! Getting down to the wire!!! Only 4 weeks left eeeeee!!!!! All the girls got their Selenium/ E paste and CD&t shots today. I put each one on the stand and groomed them and gave them some grain and probios. Minyette and Ghia are huge!!! Minyette nosed her grain today but didn't eat it! I'm amazed, usually she is the very first one to gobble it all down! I hope that's not a bad thing! The grain is a little old though, I will try with a fresh bag soon, maybe she is just being picky. She is still eating her hay and minerals and drinking fine. I'm also starting to think Ghiselle is preggers too! I think she is showing! She isn't very far along now so it's still hard to tell but I'm hoping hoping! I'm still not sure about Joline. She isn't "showing" and is still acting completely different than before I bred her, but I just don't know! The bad news: It's been raining like crazy! We're quite a bit over for our averages for this time of year! (Little did I know a year later I would be PRAYING for rain!) The Good News... My girls are 16 weeks pregnant now... Were at 112 days!!! That means only 38 days left!!! (Or 5 weeks)... One more week before their CDt and BoSe shots! It's sooooooo hard waiting!!!! Will get pics asap! 1/17/2013: WOW what a crazy morning! We had hurricane like winds last night and it was just insane. It completely trashed the yard, demolished my rabbitry cover, blew everything all around and even picked up my quail cages and flung them about 60 feet away!!! Thank goodness my quail were ok! They sure had a crazy roller-coaster of a ride last night! Oh AND the rabbitry cover blew over by a wild bees nest so when I went to go try and retrieve it I got attacked by bees! EEEk! They were in my hair, I had to swat them out a bunch, and then walk calmly away. They stopped following me after about 20 or 30 feet. I had to wait a while and then come back and sneak in from the other side and pull the canopy away from that area. And it's SUPER hot out today! The hottest day in like a month! Oiy! I'm hot, tired, and sunburned now... took me about 4 hours to do morning chores and clean everything up! LoL that's what happens when you live in San Diego... sunburns in the winter! Just to make it clearer; last Christmas eve I was shopping at a nursery in shorts, t shirt, and flip flops... and yes I was wearing sunscreen... this is Christmas mind you, middle of "winter". That's the only bad thing... it's just a little too warm here for me, I'd like at least a LITTLE season changes. =) Just wanted to update here: Sooo tired... we had so much going on this last month that I am just pooped, farm, moving, school; I've been so busy and stressed that I thought I was getting sick for almost a week straight. Took lots of supplements and I do feel better. Today is the first day I've been able to sit and rest for a while. (Not that there isn't anything to do, lol). Still have to send biotracking out, and still waiting to hear back from the interview I had yesterday. Going to take more advil and relax on the couch a while!!! Took my last girl (Sable, the American Nubian) to the farm I used to breed the rest of my does today. I was holding out, hoping to find a boer buck to breed her to, as we wanted meat babies, but ultimately I wasn't able to find one. So I took her to the same breeder I used for the rest of my girls and bred her to a Nubian buck. Her due date will be in May! Jan 2nd: Just brought my last girl Sable back from the breeders today. I've been holding out and looking for a Boer to breed her to but unable to find one and so now it is very late in the season. Her due date is May 30th! Whew! Hope she settles. It was really cold out at the breeders house and she was all alone and stressed out and miserable. Fortunately it was only for a few days. Crossing my fingers she settled! |
AuthorsIn 2009, we moved to a rural rental on the outskirts of San Diego to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, and to get away from the chemicals in our food and in our life. Little did we know that just a few years later we would be real farmers; growing fruits, vegetables and herbs, as well as many different kinds of chickens, ducks, turkey, bunnies, guineas, quail, goats and more! We left the suburbs for "Green Acres" and haven't looked back since! Categories
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