Spring 2011 Goat School Day 1

Does this post sound familiar? Are you thinking, "didn't I read this about a year and a half ago"?
You are right! I went to Goat School at Stony Knolls Farm in St. Albans Maine October of 2009. Janice and Ken Spaulding have put on this very informative program twice a year in the spring and fall for several years. They have been breeding and caring for goats since 1989. Together they have a wealth of information to share and share they do with Goat School. Why did I feel the need to attend this program again? Well, there was just so much information to take in the first time around. We still call Janice and Ken with questions and problems about the goats. Secondly, Ted did not attend the previous session and he needs to develop his knowledge base too . We work this farm together. This is the Goat Bible of sorts. This manual has a wealth of information. I refer to mine all of the time.The Table of Contents is easy to follow. Your goat has a problem, the answer is here. Janice and Ken are not Veterinarians nor do they portray themselves as such. Life experience here. What works is here.

I love getting here early just to look around and see who is new. Ted found the kids first. A whole bunch of lovin in this pen.

We got started at 10am sharp. The pace is easy so questions can be asked and answered. Nutrition is subject near and dear to Janice's heart. She has a tendency to get on her soap box....

Literally...about goat nutrition. "You don't feed goats sheep food, and you don't feed sheep goat food. EVER." This said she introduced Andrew from Poulin Grain. He makes the subject of nutrition understandable. It has to make sense to put it to use.

We had lunch provided by Janice. Her recipes are so delicious. We had goat chili, salad with goat feta cheese, corn chowder with goat milk, noodle casserole with cheve and oh my goodness goat milk fudge. If you notice I didn't take pictures of the food? I think I got carried away and forgot. Janice has a cook book coming out on Amazon.com and I will be pre-ordering this book. I feel it coming on. After lunch we had some sweet talk time with Velocity. This handsome gentleman is the father of our Annie. Just look at that sweet widdle face. Smooch. Yes folks, I did kiss this goat. I love goatie kisses. Don't let Ted know that I said this, but, he does too.

We aren't the only ones with this past time. Janice is guilty too. Yep, she is a goat kisser.

I want one of these. It is a special edition covered hay feeder made by Ken. It keeps the hay and goat dry while they eat. Now, if you know anything about goats you know they don't do water. Not puddles, snow, or the dreaded rain shower. Best of all it keeps the goats out of the hay.

We spent time learning how to tattoo ears. This baby required extra lovin after the trauma of having her ears tattooed. Remember DRAMA QUEENS!

Finally, we could see it in action.

Next. A subject that I don't plan on putting into action unless necessary. The emasculator. Just looking at it make me have sympathy stomach cramps.

Janice and Ken demonstrated how to apply and when to apply the band.
Don't worry. This guy was left intact.
Again, there was so much information provided. At least this time we have some experience and know what questions to ask. Day 1 done. Before we left I had the chance to ask Janice what to do about Isabella not putting on weight. We have de wormed her but she just isn't snapping back. After we got home Isabella and Corina got de wormed with Valbazen. Sometimes it takes a different de wormer to get the job done. I don't think the girls appreciated the Goat School. Sometimes you just got to do what's best. Like it or not.
Back tomorrow for Day 2 of Goat School. More subjects to cover and questions to have answered. Thank you Janice and Ken.

I'm tired and need a shower.

Much Love and Prayers from Mainely Ewes Farm, the home of many caprine friends.

Feel free to visit Janice and Ken's website to find a Goat School near you. They do Goat School on the road. www.goatschool.com

Darn Strongyles

Isabella is doing much better and appreciates all of the advise given on her behalf. We took that advise. I had to work and Ted was a good sport, collected a fecal sample. A fresh, very fresh fecal sample from Isabella, and trekked over to Dover-Foxcroft Vet for analysis. I called in the afternoon and yes, it was worms. Strongyles. We had de-wormed in the fall. The vet recommended using Ivermectin anthelmintic (big word for de-wormer). When I got home I looked up the treatment recommended for goats in my "Goat School" book. Out to the barn we went with Ivermectin Sheep Drench (off label use for goats is okay but the dosage is different), a drenching gun, tape measure, and a weight chart from Fias Co Farm. We measured Isabella just behind her legs, around her chest. She was 38" and from the chart she weighs approximately 160 lbs. According to the book she was to receive 3ml of Ivermectin for each 25 lbs. We withdrew the 21ml's with the drench gun and placed the nozzle to the left side of her mouth and instilled the liquid. No coughing. She did make a horrible face. One that I have seen on my children's faces with medication administration. She wanted to know where the bubble gum or grape flavor was. Goats! I noticed that she had picked up a little weight with the extra grain over night. Annie, Isabella's daughter, was with her so we weighed the little girl and treated her too. The spent the night in the stall with fresh hay, water and some grain. Everyone else still looked good. No other outward signs of weight loss. We will weigh and treat all of the goats after I get through with my 3 shifts this week. Ted said that everyone was happy in the barn and Isabella's appetite was back to normal this morning. Our temps got down to -14 last night. Isabella is refusing to give me back my shirt. I guess it does look kind of good on her.
Much Love and Prayers from Mainely Ewes Farm

My Nose Has Bumps!

We were out feeding our goats this morning and I noticed something strange with Bella's nose. She just didn't look right. Their stall doesn't have lights on during the day so I wasn't sure what was wrong. There was something definitely wrong. We love to spend time with our animals. This shared time is always a good time to look closely, observe for any changes. We lift tiny hooves looking for any lodged foreign matter like rocks or small stones. We look at poop. Is it normal for goats? Little pellets or diarrhea? Are there changes in the texture of the coat? Is there a runny nose? Is someone coughing? I kiss my goats. They kiss me back. I love goatie kisses. So when I noticed that Bella's little goat nose had some bumps on it, I took a closer look. These bumps are not normal. We were immediately concerned. We looked through a couple of reference books on goats. We searched for anything that would cause the bumps. Nothing we read fit. We called Janice Spaulding from Stony Knolls Farm. We went to Goat School there and bought Isabella and Carina from their farm. Janice and Ken are a wealth of information. They have been raising goats since 1989. After exchanging info over they phone one possibility is that Bella had contacted stinging nettles in the dried hay.

Janice said to see if there were any thorns in the bumps. There was a small amount of pus in the bumps but we couldn't find any thorns. Bella was not happy with our treatment. Alex had to hold her to prevent her from bolting.

As you can see they were rather large bumps. Not much bleeding.

Next we were told to clean the area with Regular Listerine Mouthwash. We had this on hand as an antiseptic for the animals, again items we gathered goat after school. After reading about Listerine I found out that it was originally formulated in 1879 as a surgical antiseptic by Dr. Joseph Lawrence. It was named after Dr. Joseph Lister, the pioneer of antiseptic surgery. It was later sold as a mouthwash in 1914. This information was compliments of Wikipedia.

We cleansed the area with sterile gauze dipped in Listerine. Bella was even less impressed with us. I'm sure that it stung on the open sores.

We will continue to keep a close eye for any signs of infection or any problems that come up. We aren't opposed to taking her to the vet. However, we are trying to learn how to manage as many issues as possible at home. Each episode is a learning experience for us. The upcoming kidding and lambing season with be another learning experience. We strive to be good shepards. It is wonderful having such patient animals to work with. We are thankful for our friends and mentors for their aid. Last winter we kept asking Peggy from Hidden Haven, and Bev from Bee Haven Acres chicken questions. This year we feel more equipped to deal with problems as they come up. Our animals are healthier and happier and we feel the reward of keeping them safe and healthy. Thank you to everyone who has sent advise. Keep warm and safe. Much love and prayers from Mainely Ewes Farm.

Goat School Part 2

Today was the second day of Goat School with Jan and Ken Spaulding. We hit the road at about 8:30am after feeding our animals and of coarse making coffee for the trip. There is no Dunkin Donuts between here and Saint Albans. We had a beautiful trip as the sun peaked out from behind clouds. The autumn colors were bright and intense with these bursts of sunshine.

Up and down winding country roads with peaceful views of lakes and woods.

We arrived to a breakfast feast of homemade muffins, chevon sausage and egg bake, coffee, tea, and apple cider. After we ate and socialized with our new friends class began in earnest.

Jan and Ken started with a discussion of vaccinations specific to goats. There is so much information available on the Internet that it is easy to become confused and not know which way to turn. I like to keep it simple. Limit our selections to medications that are specific to goats and are effective in our climate. Jan introduced the class to the vaccinations that goats need on an annual basis. CD&T (Clostridium Perfringens Types C&D with Teetanus Toxoid) is one of the main vaccinations for goats. It protects them against Tetanus and Overeating Disease. Then Jan got on her soap box, literally. She is a strong proponent of providing the correct and necessary nutrition for goats. Not using the same feed for all livestock. Goats dietary needs change through out the year as the season changes, gestation occurs and after delivery.

We welcomed Mr. Andrew Beals, Technical Manager- Speciality Feed for Poulin Grain. He discussed how to obtain a hay analysis, how to understand and apply the information to your herd. We learned how to supplement with the proper minerals specific for goats. Sheep and goats are not interchangeable. Sheep are very limited on how much copper they can ingest, goats need this included in their daily feed. Mr. Beals discussed where Poulin Grain obtains feed components, how the mix is done. I think we may be switching to Poulin Grain in the near future. They work pretty hard to meet the customers needs and provide a valuable service in a rural setting.

All questions were answered and I think we all went away feeling that we had a better handle on goat nutrition.

The weather was cool but not as windy as the previous day. We were all bundled up and sitting in the sunshine.

The farm is located at the bottom of a ridge surrounded with woodlands. It was so peaceful.

Jan works very hard canning all sorts of vegetables from pickles to salsa. She even makes goat milk soap. What a treat to the senses. They sell these items along with chevon, baked goods and cookies at local farmers markets in the area and at the Common Ground Fair. This fair is a unique fair that occurs every year in September. It is sponsored by MOFGA. Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association. MOFGA is the oldest and largest state organic association in the country. No midway just agriculture and green technology. Our kind of fair. We love it but didn't get to go this year. We had to work. Next year we will have that weekend off.

Before we knew it lunchtime was here. Again Jan went to great lengths to provide a healthy and delicious menu to please all. We had chevon with cabbage which was a comfort food to warm us

Chevon with noodles in a tomato sauce.

Macaroni with cheese made with goats milk. It was so rich and creamy. Goat milk is an excellent base to start with.

Chevon lasagna. What can I say. It tasted wonderful. No we did not stop with just one. I tried to get a little of everything.

So when desert came, I took a small white brownie. I couldn't hold another bite. There was the goat milk fudge calling to everyone, cake with that bowl of whipped cream. It all disappeared with such speed.

Even the goats were taking it easy in the sunshine.

As promised we got pictures of our new girls. Please meet Isabella, a registered Nubian with long flowing ears. Isn't she a dream? Her personality is as sweet as her face.

She is a rich brown with that typical Nubian nose. I just love those eyes.

This gorgeous lady is Corinna. She is a registered Alpine complete with beard and wattles. Wattles are little pieces of skin complete with hair that are located just under her jaw. They are soft and she looks great with them. Both girls will remain with Jan and Ken at Stony Knoll Farm until the are bred. We didn't think we would have kids next spring. Sophie and Bella are still too small to breed this year. What a treat we will have with new babies.

Alex the Alpine buck was still in a tither over this Toggenburg doe. We were able to observe a breeding at the farm. Time will tell if she took or not. If not she will come into heat again in about 3 weeks. To have milk you must have a baby. That is the goal of this whole process. It's is nature and we try real hard not to make it complicated. Keepin' it simple. We had another question and answer session after all was done. We feel that we left with so many more answers than questions. We may take the class again when we find out that we have so many more questions than answers again. It's a process. Learn, do, learn, do and repeat.

After class we headed over to Skowheagen, Maine where our favorite store is located. Tractor Supply. We needed to pick up a heated water bucket for the goats inside the barn. Our water freezes solid in the winter and the animals must have a fresh, clean, and continuous supply of water. They are not good at eating ice pops. You never just pick up one thing at that store, we also got more goat minerals, new feeding buckets, a big tank water heater for the sheep. New Toys! We stopped at Thunder Road Farm on the way home and got winter squash.

To much to resist. We were exhausted when we finally arrived home. We fed all the animals and tucked them in for the night. I am going to tuck myself in now. And by the way, the acorn squash was so good. Fall is such a comfort time of year. Warm and cozy inside and chilly out. I love Maine. Thank you to all the new friends we made at this years Goat School. We will keep everyone in our thoughts and prayers for a safe trip home whether it was close or far away. With the internet we hope to keep in contact with everyone. Much love and prayers from Mainely Ewes Farm. Goodnight to all.

Kelly

Goat School 2009 Part 1

This morning we got everyone fed and out where they belong early so we could take off for, Yes.....GOAT SCHOOL! We have been waiting for this since Lisa from pinkporches.blogspot.com
told us about a Goat School that she had attended recently. She highly recommended it for us. It was only about an hour away in Saint Albans, Maine. It is put on by Jan and Ken Spaulding at Stony Knolls Farm. They have been in the goat business for 21 years and are very knowledgeable. Not only are they knowledgeable, but they share this knowledge. They have an informative website Mainegoats.com . We signed up immediately. Today was the big day. The weather was cool this morning, the drive was Maine at it's Autumn best. We will take pictures on the way there to share tomorrow. When we arrived we were handed our text book. All good classes have a text book. What a unique name. Goat School.

Janice and Ken work together to present an informative program. Questions are taken immediately. The atmosphere is friendly and easy going. Attendees are as near as the next town to as far away as Shreveport, Louisiana and Georgia. Much time was spent on the basics of goat husbandry and kid delivery. We discussed the different needs of goats up north from their southern cousins. Medications, wormers, disinfectants and sanitizers were all explained at a comfortably level. The class was made up of people from all levels of goat experience. The mix was very nice. We all shared laughter and experiences that brought us all closer.

We weren't the only ones that were impressed with Janice and Ken's knowledge. They were chosen as a feature article in the Nov/Dec issue of Hobby Farms magazine. Although we are not a hobby farm we do find this magazine very helpful and informative. It mostly addresses farms of a smaller scale. Not the big mega farms with hundreds of goats. Our needs are totally different.

Great picture of Ken working with one of their Boer goats. They have both Boer and several breeds of dairy goats. Boer are short stocky meat goats. They have a very laid back personality.
For lunch Janice prepared dishes that featured chevon. There was stew, chili, lasagna, corn chowder with goat milk. Baby greens salad with feta cheese.

I had my very first taste of goat milk. I didn't know what to expect. It was mild, fresh and clean tasting. I was greatly impressed.
Janice served milk from different breeds allowing us to taste the difference in the butterfat content of each. It was nice having milk to go with the goat milk fudge. Wow what a wonderful combination.
There was apple crisp and whipped cream to die for. I had to stop with the fudge. It was very sweet.

We got a chance to visit with the goats. They all seemed very happy and well cared for. All of their needs were met. The had free choice of hay in this centrally located hay feeder complete with roof to keep the hay dry.

Romance was in the air between this young buck and his beautiful doe. He is young and his hormones were raging. Not unlike young love in the human world. They kind of acted the same. Jumping around, trying to show off and impress the girls.

The Oberhasli were taking it easy in the barn. They are quiet and peaceful goats.

Everyone wanted to get into the picture. They want love and kisses. Such sweet beings. Just look at those eyes and I swear she is smiling.

This beautiful Saanen was all about getting a close up. Very close! See my beautiful nose? Give me kisses now.

This Sable has quite a personality. She is all that and knows it. Can you tell what she is thinking? Yea, just get a little closer.

One of our favorite breeds is the Nubian. They have the most lovely ears. It makes you just want to kiss their noses and rub their ears. And they don't mind at all.

Janice and Ken went in depth about trimming goat hooves. This is a very important aspect of goat care. If trimmed too close the goat can become lame and very painful. They brought in Caribbean, otherwise known as Beanie. She has such a peaceful and loving personality. She stood very still in the fitting stand for the hoof trimming demonstration.

Janice showed how to trim and inspect the hooves for any problems.

Then they provided the cadaver hooves for students to work on. No harm to live goats. What a great experience. Gloves were provided. Thank You.

The afternoon was another treat. We had a chef from The New Forrest Institute come and prepared 2 dishes on the grill. The first was garlic goat sausage on french bread with an oil cured black olive tapenade. It was a nice blend of salty from the tapenade with a rich meaty garlic flavor.

The second dish was Capra Scottadito (grilled goat chops). Scottadito means "finger burning" in Italian. Refers to a joke that in cooking the chops they are so good that you would risk burning your fingers snatching them from the grill. Not an off description either.

We head back tomorrow for day 2. More pictures to follow. Oh and guess what. We bought more goats. Yes, we will have two beautiful girls after they are bred late next month. We will be welcoming Corinna, a registered Alpine and Isabella a registered Nubian. I will have pictures. Somehow I took pictures of every other goat except the girls. They are beautiful. I got to milk Corinna for the first time today. It is harder than it looks. I will have to practice and build up my finger and forearm muscles. We have to get going on a milking stand. We have to train Bella and Sophie to eat in the stand and be still for milking. Hahahahahahahaha......hahahahahaha. Yea right! I can just see it now. Oh, what have I done with the spoiled children? See you tomorrow with family photos. Much love and prayers from Mainely Ewes Farm.

Kelly & Alex