2020 Goat Report

[Farrier1987]

Last fall, I went into the winter with three does. Dulcinaya 3 year old, had twins in 2018, empty last year. Two year old Cleo had twins in 2019, and a doeling Cleo that the dog had raised. All three bred at different times in the fall. Winter went pretty well.

Cleo had twins first week in April. Boy and a girl. Was milking Cleo as volumes allowed. In late April I had an ad up on Kijiji for hatching eggs. A family of 4 came to get eggs and I showed them the goats and told them some stuff, gave them some goats milk. Over the next week, the 13 yr old son was emailing me asking questions, and I was answering. Then the family showed up and asked if i would sell one.

I sold them Dulcinaya. Nice natured, had been milked on the stand, due in about a month, bred to Cleo's boy Gretzky from the year before, so from well known good dairy lines and good nature. Got top dollar, 600. I'm almost ashamed of that, but they got high value for a high price. She kidded early June, I stopped by just today and they are great pets, boy and a girl, they plan to eat the boy this winter.

I had started advertising Cleo's boy on Kijiji a few days after he was born hoping to find a pet or breeding home. Took a month and a half, but I did. Had to deliver him to Guelph, got 250 delivered to Guelph. I neutered him beforehand. He went as a pet and companion to a mini horse. His sister went to the guy that owned the buck, he had really liked Cleo and spoke for a doeling if I had one to sell. No cash that one, he and I deal back and forth on lots of things, it will work out.

Cinco had twin girls in early June bred to Gretzky too. So my old line carries on from Priya my first milk goat , her daughter Cleo, Cleo's Son Gretzky and his offspring from Cinco, Rona and Gilley. Good lines, not inbred, always dairy.

Decision time, what to keep for the fall. Cinco is ok, good mom and dairy lines and all, but short teats, so more difficult to milk. Her doelings appear to be coming nicely in that regard. So the people that got Gretzky last year were looking for a doe. They could see the kids on the ground that were the cross. So she went in August for 300.

Looked set for the winter. Milk Cleo til December or so, maybe breed her November for March/April kids. Breed the two young'uns January or February. Have some to sell and keep next year. I decided that she was my one long term milk goat like her mother had been.

Then a couple weeks ago, the three of them in the barn pushing and shoving as Cleo was getting on the milk stand, she made a loud cry, hurt her hip. Kept her in for a few days hoping it would get better. It didnt. Had the vet out and it was either a really bad sprain or broken. Could exray for $110. Treatment in either case was 4 to 6 weeks stall rest. So I didnt exray. Got some oral pain killer for her.

Two weeks later, it was no better, and the pain killer wasnt working as well. She had also developed a swelling on that haunch.

The hard part of these things is not the doing, it is making the decision. I gave her extra pain killer in the evening, and again in the morning. Twenty two long rifle to the back of the skull where the spinal cord meets. I promise all my animals they will be well treated and I will take care of them best I can. I did that.

Took her out to the neighbor's bush to recycle into the natural world. Took my jack knife and did a post mortem. Broken femur. Jagged ends that were never going to be immobilized enough to heal. That swelling wasnt swelling, it was a huge blood clot. I mostly did that to confirm to myself that I had done the right thing. I did.

So going into the winter, I have the bad tempered mini horse and the two doelings. No milk til probably June. They jump on and off the horse whenever they want to. They are real nice goats and I cant complain, but darn I miss Cleo.

Thats the 2020 goat report. Anyone is interested, they can look back at my post "They really got my Goat" It traces a bunch of stuff with my old girl Priya.

[Killerbunny]

Cleo was a very lucky girl to have you. It's always a tough decision. Glad the rest of your goats are working out. Always nice when they can go to nice home too.

[Happy]

Sorry you had to do that @Farrier1987

[Kbr42]

Sure was the right decision. It's always the ones you love the most!

[kenya]

Poor Cleo, sounds like a freak accident.