Janmarlea boer goats

March/April2010

Brenda — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 08:06:40 +0000

We have had a realy good lot of rain, every where has been green since middle of Feb. The old horse died a combination of old age (about 34y )and capeweed as that was about all there was to eat ,lost some older does properly same as the horse some did not pick up after kidding our buck Edward died ,snake bite I think, frothing around his mouth.

November 2009

Brenda — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 05:15:07 +0000

Well we have had quite a bit of rain, a dam that has not had any water in it for about three years, it is half full it’s spring feed so the spring must be running again. We did not get the boes in kid this year well that is I put the bucks with them but felt so sorry for my girl after a couple of days I took the bucks away but some did get in kid and we have 20 kids mostly buck kids and that all there will be. With all the green grass about the goats are starting to get back to looking good and healthy.Had trouble with some of the older does scouring one after the other they got over it after a few days,had to give some of them a couple of doses of scourban. None of the young last year does had any problem. All around the farmers are cutting rolling and wrapping silage and the weather has be so good for them very warm and dry.( old saying make hay (silage)while the sun shines) Nov.8 I can see the paddocks are staring to turn to seed and brown off, a bit early I think. Hope it’s not going to be to hot this year. There has be a week of temptures around the 30c mark.

June 2009

Brenda — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 01:24:29 +0000

We have had some rain in the last couple of months,the hills are nice and green not much growth in the grass, goats are competing with the rabbit and kangaroos for whats there. We are cutting a lot of our tagasaste trees right to the tree guards (feeding to the doe) because the rabbit are standing up on the 50 cm high guards and ring barking the trees, hope they will shoot again. We have lose a few of our first does, they did not pick up at all after their kids were weaned even with special feed and a small paddock so they did not have to walk so far eveyday, they would pick up a bit then die. We were able to get some big rolls of wheat hay from Thooner which is close, it is good to handle as I pull it from the roll put it in a wheelbarrow then throw it out on the ground, take a couple of loads but it dose not get wasted.(long stalks no grass seeds) We did not put the buck with the does as such, except for some that did not kid last year, lost a kid or in better condition, as they came into season they went with Len .( to see what he produces)

March 2009

Brenda — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 05:33:39 +0000

March 9th weaned all kids from the mother . There will be a lot of bellowing for the next few days. It’s so dry hope our bore holds up as it supplys water to troughs in all the paddocks. Put around bale of hay in each paddock for the weaned kids, and put builders reo around them so the kids can pick through the squares and not climb all over them, other wise the bale just disapears in a couple of days.

February 2009

Brenda — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 10:56:00 +0000

Well today is a cool day it has been 38/41c all week but on Saturday the 7th it got to 45c with winds that nearly bent the trees in half. A day to stay inside with the air conditioning, hoping the power did not go off. Not everyone stayed in out of the heat,there have been unbeliveble bush fires in Victoria, hundred of lives lost and whole towns burn to the ground some of the fires started by people.

The heat did not worry the goats not even bothering to sit in the shade but a koala came into our house yard looking very distresses I thought he may have been looking for water I put some water in a container but he did’nt drink any. He sat himself in a low fork of a Melaleuca tree so I put the garden sprinker on,he sat there with the water spraying on him licking this paws and also licking the bark on the tree. After a while he would move up the tree and sleep then come down to the lower fork and I would put the sprinker back on, he did this for two day but now that it is cooler 25c he must be feeling better as he has gone back up the top of a very big gum tree. Had to keep the two dogs shut in their yard as they did not like the koala intruding on their territory.

kidding

Brenda — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 01:21:11 +0000

Kidding started on the 23/08/08 without much trouble finished 9/10/08 . Lost one set of twins, doe had them one freezing and wet night they where very small brought them inside to keep warm but could not save them. Another doe, (she was kidding for the first time) I watched her all day wondering all over the paddock probably looking for the worst place to kid which she found in among a fullen tree. When I found her she had one big doe kid, it was dead I think it may have suffocated as the bag was tight around it nose and mouth but about 1 hour later she had a very nice buck kid. 49 kids from 33 does 23 doe kids and 26 buck kids averaging 3.5k. Still not enough rain and the hill are yellow with capweed flowers.

July 24

Brenda — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 07:13:15 +0000

Last week Peter noticed one of the does(edna) had a very large bag I thought this is not good she must be going to abort,but next morning she had twins no trouble, next day another doe (susann) had one doe kid. I went back through my diary to see if anything had happened five month ago February 15th… goat out on road again ed out with them not out long enough to do any damage. I was wrong he was a quick worker. I remember coaxing edward back with a white bucket of pellet and Peter trying to get the herd of does to go the other way back to the paddock they were in. Anyway three nice kid six weeks earlier than the rest. 80mls rain so far this month.

May/June

admin — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 06:17:09 +0000

Edward has been removed from the does back to his smaller paddock and romeo is with him. We have had some steady rain about 135 ml hope there will be alot more. Sold half of the 2007 does and we are keeping the rest for Romeo.

July 5 We went to a APGM ( australia preimium goat meat) confrence.This was very interesting and informative I must be very careful about what is a saleable meat goat, not only look and weigh right its got to and proberly most important feel right.

Does in season

admin — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 08:18:15 +0000

I have to keep rotating does and bucks every morning and night. When the young buck goes out into the bush paddock the young does have to be moved so there is a paddock kept between them. These does are just coming into season.

April

admin — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 07:56:42 +0000

The buck Edward was been let in with the does at Easter.

Rain is still very scarce. We have been feeding out canola hay and tagasaste branches everyday now.

Last of the 2006 does have been sold.

We have a new buck called Romeo he is still a bit young, 5mth; but will be ready for next year.