The Season Begins...

Before the season begins... Before I can sell milk... This has to happen. (see video). Newborns need to be tended to. In my instance, I pull them at birth. Mostly, because my dams lost the momma gene. They give birth, look at them, see me, and then lick me. Not the newborns. Mom's don't care.  Kids disappear into the house and the momma's could care less. 

Pulling them at birth is a standard procedure for many farms. While not for my particular reason, they do it for biosecurity. CAE is a serious disease and its passed thru milk and other fluids (discussion on what fluids is always on going i.e.. amniotic, mucus etc.). Milk is the key in transference. I don't want, and other breeders don't want, to allow them to milk off of mama.  

This is called CAE prevention management. I have colostrum and milk waiting that is guaranteed CAE free. I thaw and feed. Over the years, I've tested. and tested. But the only guaranteed way to suppress this from continuation is not to feed the dams colostrum or milk to the kids as raw milk. Testing is only as good as the day you tested. There is so much complication to this that pulling kids for this reason alone is enough.

Another reason is weaning. If you keep the kids on mom, 3 months from now, they will need to be weaned. And that experience isn't always pleasant. If you pull now, and you have dams to be milked they really never experience the weaning process, it at the outset you milk them. The dams bond to me. I'm not going anywhere. The kids bond to me, and i'm well versed in weaning easily and without drama.  It's a win- win. I have tried both over the years. The constant screaming from both sides can be awful. When you pull at birth none of that happens. EVER.

If people want to purchase a kid still on milk, they're already on the bottle. Try putting a kid on the bottle that have been dam raised. Not always a fun experience. or healthy because transferring over to either milk replacer or cow milk is not seamless. One bout of scours can kill a small kid. Selling to a new owner and now the kid is being fed in a new way, with a new ingredient, disasters happen. 

The other reason I like to bottle feed is when they get sick. As they age, they look to me as the herd leader. As the momma. This is without fault. When I need to do something - Tube feed. Shots. Control or restrain. Guess how they behave?  Dam raised kids turned adults are not the easiest patients. Sometimes, not able to be caught, as they don't trust you like they would if you bottle fed them, and they think of you as momma...

Whether you farm for fun or for business, the last thing you need is a goat that won't come to you when needed. The added stress chasing them around to try and dose them is not productive. 

Overall, the 3 months of extra work, I believe makes for an easier farm life over the long haul. But, not until these cuties come along. :)