Comments on: Saving Kate

By: Tyler

Tyler — Tue, 12 May 2009 17:10:53 +0000

Kate,

I order my dolomite from Gary of Goat World and the Jolly German. You can find them at http://www.jollygerman.com/products/goats/
You can order everything you need for Coleby’s mix from him as well, but I only order the dolomite and sulfur because he is a bit expensive, especially on the kelp. I order Thorvin Organic Kelp meal from Wolf Creek Ranch. They have excellent quality products, and great info. You can find them at http://wolfcreekranch1.tripod.com/index.html

Minerals have made a huge difference in my goats, (both milk and meat), and I am totally convinced of their merit. I think Pat Coleby’s management advice is absolutely great but I have had to adjust it a little for my personal situation.

Hope this helps, and if you have any more questions feel free to ask!

All the best,
Tyler

By: kate

kate — Mon, 11 May 2009 20:15:16 +0000

Where does one get dolomite for Pat Coleby’s mineral mix? I’m going nuts trying to find any.

By: Tyler

Tyler — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 17:05:07 +0000

That could very well be the case since the milk does produce probably four time the milk. We also have to supplement with a little grain while our goats are lactating.

Your comment on the Jersey cows sounds familiar. If there’s too much grass in with the alfalfa the milk goats simply turn their noses up at it and decide the’re not that hungry after all. As browsers they do like the weeds though. On the other hand the meat goats eats it all like honey.

Well, there I went and stuck my foot in my mouth. Just this morning when I went out to feed and milk one of our boar does is not doing well, and we haven’t yet figured out why. There’s nothing like health problems to get one’s thinker working hard.

Thanks, and all the best!

By: Taci

Taci — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 23:31:31 +0000

Tyler,
Here’s something I’ve observed that may be the reason that your Boers do alright and your dairy goats struggle.
When a cow or goat is lactating she uses a lot more minerals and nutrients than an animal that is not producing a quantity of milk. Our cows have to have the best possible hay each winter, but our sheep and steer thrive on hay that our milk cows won’t touch (oh, Jersey cows are SO picky- but they have to be).
Even with excellent hay we still have to feed some grain (organic oats and corn) to the cows if they are lactating in the winter months.
Keeping our animals in good health is a challenge. There is so much I still have to learn in that regard! For us, though, it is critical that our cows are in the best of health because we (and all our dogs and cats) nearly live off of their milk right now.
Thanks for all your prayers. Gee, I can’t imagine what it is like to only get a couple inches of rain in a year! Your poor grass :) !

By: Tyler

Tyler — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 04:18:22 +0000

Thanks for the advice Tacy! I have wondered about mineral deficiencies with some of the problems we’ve experienced with our goats, and this was one of them. We have been supplementing our dairy goats with a powdered mineral mix and baking soda for for some time, but a week or two before kidding the minerals ran out and we didn’t have a replacement box ready because of a mix-up in our order. I’m not sure if it has potassium in it or not but I will be sure to check. If you’re correct that vinegar would have been an easy fix!

I wouldn’t be surprised if our hay is mineral, (our just plain nutrient), deficient. It’s not that we’ve used any chemical fertilizers, but that we have not done a good job adding nutrients or fertilizer any other way, so it has been left mostly to itself … and for a long time. We do a lot of composting and the like but we only have enough on-farm “supplies” to take care of our three gardens and so the field has suffered our neglect. It is really time we focussed on revitalizing our hay supply!

The one thing that puzzles me in this respect is that the only goats we supplement are our dairy goats. Thus the Boar goats only get hay and yet they seem to be almost problem free. The difference is so dramatic that I have sometimes wondered if it could have something to do with genetics. We got our dairy goats from Texas, where they had originally been bred for show and we have speculated that in trying for the perfect conformation the breeders neglected some of the other important traits. Not that we know what we are talking about! Still, we have over four times the amount of boar goats over alpines and although they get the same hay and live next door they seem to miss all the problems. I guess that just shows that we still have much to learn.

Also, I have considered ordering the book you mentioned and am glad to hear it is likely to be a good choice. For years we have been heavily focused on natural methods when it comes to our own care but have been woefully slow to make that transition for our animals. There is much I need to learn in this area and am convinced I need to do just that. Still exploring new territory can be a little intimidating, especially in the midst of crisis.

We are happy to hear you all survived the resent storm and that none of you animals were hurt. It sounds like it was really bad, I can’t even imagine what something like that would be like. Just the rain from that one storm is almost half of what we get in an entire year! I hope everything recovers well, you are all in our prayers.

By: Taci

Taci — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 13:44:26 +0000

I know this comment is quite late, but I thought it might be of help in the future.
I’d noticed that my cows were having some mineral deficiency, and I was looking through my books trying to figure out what it might be, so I could correct it (there is a cause behind every animal ailment, nothing just happens). I came across something that might explain why Kate had to have a c-section. She was probably in great need of potassium. Difficult births are usually the result of a potassium deficiency. The kid just can’t be delivered because mama can’t dilate. I don’t know what you are feeding or what Idaho land is like, but hay that has been chemically fertilized will be seriously low in all minerals. Also, potassium uptake is inhibited by land that is too acidic or high in iron. The best way to supply potassium is through raw apple cider vinegar, especially close to birthing. There is a book I would highly
recommend, we have it too- Natural Goat Care- by Pat Coleby. It is a available on http://www.amazon.com. All of Pat Coleby’s book are very good. Her coverage of minerals and their effects is excellent.

By: Lynn

Lynn — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 03:25:12 +0000

Thanks for sharing this story. I am thankful we’ve not needed a c-section, but this year we did lose one kid. We also learned about milk fever, and how quickly it comes — and goes, with an IV. I was amazed that Jim and the boys could read about what to do, and then do what was necessary. We did lose a cat recently; by the time we found her, she was too far gone and we had to put her down. I suspect she was unable to deliver her kittens. It was one of those things that happen with farm life.

By: LM

LM — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 19:30:27 +0000

Very thought-provoking, on the spiritual side, and very interesting, on the practical farming side! We have goats, but haven’t had a C-section (yet), but my seven year-old son who was born via C-section seemed deep in thought as we read the captions on the photos…

And yes, getting up in the middle of the night, going from sleeping horizontally to fully awake, vertical, and grabbing for a flashlight when I hear a distressed cry (predators? other trouble?) from the barn or chicken coop a couple hundred feet from my bedroom does make you think about our Good Shepherd, and how He MUST hear our every sigh and cry for help…)

By: Ginny

Ginny — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 13:31:59 +0000

Well, when I saw the disclaimers at the top, I was hesitant to look further, but when I did it was not as bad as I expected. It was actually rather nifty to see what could be done. Too bad about the dead ones, but at least mother and one baby are doing well! Praise the Lord! Thanks for these kinds of posts. :-D

By: Allen

Allen — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 04:55:48 +0000

Tacy,
I agree wholeheartedly. Those who do understand are certainly kindred. Those that do not, will simply stare at you as if you’ve lost your mind!
It’s interesting how getting up in the middle of the night to check on your animals is not as hard as people believe it to be, and how much you can enjoy the gentle mood in the barn at 3:00 AM as the animals acknowledge you with a quiet greeting as if knowing others are sleeping and take care not to wake them. They seem to understand your caring. Janis was up in the middle of the night, last night just checking on the goat kids, dogs,turkeys and new pullets…and enjoying the quiet night air. Nothing wrong or pressing, just checking on things! Perhaps it is these moments that God is actually rewarding us with. It’s a good time to pray – under His canopy of stars that He has provided!

Judy,
Thanks for the encouragement. I was actually a little hesitant to post any of this because of the pictures, not knowing how some folks might take them. But these things are what life is made of on a farm. If it repulses a person, then I would say they do not have what it takes to be a farmer/husbandman. We who have animals are not misled by idyllic pictures that paint only scenes of beauty and perpetually green pastures. However, we certainly relish those moments when they come as well.