So, what do you think? Has she "dropped"? Here she is with Puffin in the background.
I can still feel tail ligaments, I think, but I'm not sure. I'm so new at this. Her tail feels sort of similar to the others. Sort of like diagonal pencil shaped ligaments either side? Is that what I'm supposed to be feeling?
Her udder is very slightly "puffy" but not swollen -- but not as flat as Puffin's udder. She keeps stretching her neck out today, as if to play at being a giraffe. If anyone has advice, I'll gladly take it!
In other news, our friends at the Animal Rescue League called on us today, to see if we'd like to add one more duck to the herd. Thus, we welcome Disston, whom Kelly named after a famous saw maker (Kelly loves tools). He is a Muscovy duck, and he's HUGE!
Muscovy ducks are extremely good at keeping insect populations down, including flies, ticks and other nasties, and they even eat mice!! Kelly is particularly impressed with that aspect, since we do have some mice in the barn. Right now, Disston is inside, but once this cold spell has passed, we will see how he does outside.
What a handsome boy! Do any of my blogger buddies have Muscovies? What do you think of them? Any advice on making best friends with Disston? Hope everyone is staying warm - we're trying our best, and keeping the animals well fed and snuggled in the barns.
19 comments:
I can't wait for the baby goat! And just how far are you from Onawa? I really can't wait to visit your farm when it isn't 20 below outside :)
Oooh! What a handsome feathery duck he is!
Welcome to Disston. I have to say that, not knowing anyone named Disston, I thought your blog post was referring to someone who had been 'dissed' lol!
Oh, so exciting about Stuffin's impending birth. She looks 'stuffed' with babies, too!
Having no experience with prego goats, I can't add much, except maybe to visit and e-mail:
Fias Co Farm
its hard to tell from the photo if she has dropped. Watch her udder. You should see a rush of milk prior to her kidding. Don't forget to take out all deep water buckets so the babies won't fall in them. After she kids, give her a nice hot bucket of water w/ Karo syrup mixed in(maybe 3 tablespoons). She will love it! She will also rub up against the wall or fence trying to push the babies down into position. Good luck, hope this little advice helps.....like the new duck:)
Diane - Survey says....2 hours and 15 minutes! Not bad for a day trip!
Lisa - I told Kelly nobody would get the Disston name. Sigh. Our dog Stickley is named after the furniture designer, but not many people get that either. If Disston had been female, she would have been Sulis, named after the Celtic Goddess of water bodies associated with healing. I thought that would be a good duck name.
Kristi - THANK YOU!! She is rubbing the wall a lot. The water bucket is the kind that hangs on the cattle panel so they would not be able to reach it I don't think. We will be watching for milk!
Oh, you two must be beat. I admire the both of you, troopers that you are. I am sending all the good vibrations I can muster. I look forward to hearing the tale of your adenture.
Oh, my husband wanted to make sure that I told you (and Kelly really) that he so got the Disston name, and Stickly? We were wondering. We had two goldfish for awhile named Greene & Greene, I'm pretty sure our next pet will be called Lie-Nielsen. We should match those two up and they can geek out about hand planes for hours.
Take care
yay 2 hours is nothing! and ps- field of dreams was on tonite- did you see it? and i'm glad iowa changed your 'tude too :)... i can't explain it but midwest is best.
Well, no experience with goats, but quite a bit with sheepies. I think when they talk about the liagments 'going' you need to feel on either side of the tail at the base. It's not exactly the tail itself. Once she drops and the liagments relax, you should see on either side of the where the tail joins the body, slight depressions. Also, once they drop it is very noticeable just in front of the hip bones--gets all hollow looking. From the one picture, it looks maybe like this has happened, but having no reference point its hard to really know. Some ewes (still thinking sheep here!) will bag up, and it's very obvious, but others (esp. first timers) will only slightly fill out so it's not an easy indication. I hope everything goes well for your and your little goat this time. Take care,
Tammy
Hi, Claire - and welcome to Disston (and no, I definitely did not "get it"!) I'm reading "Enslaved by Ducks" by Bob Tarte - a book I saw mentioned on someone's blog - yours? Anyway, once you get past the bunnies and birds he and his wife adopted you'll reach his experience with a Muscovy duck.
I know you're both busy now watching Stuffin...I'd love to be there!
You're ahead of me on the babies. We bred our two girls to deliver in mid-May, sounds like yours arrived bred. Since we'll be first-time parents/grandparents :-) we wanted the girls to deliver when it was warmer.
About the tail, my breeder made a V with her index and middle finger, then pushed around on each side of the tail, and that may be what you have been doing. Good luck.
Have you been to Peggy's blog at HiddenHaven to see her new three does with the little dog sweaters on 'em? so darling.
Ditto what everyone else said about Stuffin's impending delivery...keep an eye on that udder! Almost always the udder will fill up and be tight & shiny before delivery. The ligs do feel like diagonal pencils on either side of the spine near the tail. They will start to feel more elastic-y as she gets closer. When you can't feel them at all it should only be a matter of hours. Make sure to have some iodine on hand to dip navels ASAP after the birth. Another good way to keep them warm is with the heated mats for dogs. They will lay on them once they figure out they are warm. Good luck & I can't wait to see pics of her baby(ies)!
I'll add sheep experience. 90% of my ewes get a HUGE udder 24 hours before. {Like someone said, first timers not always, and one of my ewes still has a pretty small bag at deliver}. The neck stretching is a definate sign! Neck stretching, head turning to nip her sides. Also, they will generally get up and down alot [trying to get comfortable] and if you see her pawing the ground, it's time. As long as you have her in a contained area, you'll do just fine. Good advice on keeping big water buckets away, although the mama must have water all the time [I use shallow feed buckets, and add the mollasses in warm water the first day]. Are you ok with giving shots? Typically the mama should have had a CDT shot 10 das before lambing, then the baby gets a CDT at 2-4 weeks, then a booster CDT at 4-6 weeks. Don't worm the mother until after birthing. ANd worm the baby at 3months or older [but check with your vet since we are in a whole differnt region]
When my does are close their ligaments are so gone there is depressions on either side of the tail head almost to the point it feels like I can practically wrap my hand around it. Their udder will get very tight and get a kind of shiny look to it. They get up and down a lot and some will "talk" back at their sides or just look back. They will have a little discharge for quite a while before they kid but watch for a long, thick string of kind of amber colored mucus, they will kid very soon after that. I added your blog to my blogroll on mine so I can keep up with it and the new goat babies too! I hope she doesn't make you wait too long!
I don't know much about goats, but we had Muscovy ducks when I was a kid. They were always my favorites. The hens make great parents and I always loved to see the various color combinations that they came in. They are awfully quiet and do not quack. When they get agitated, they make a huffing/hissing sound. Disston looks so quiet and peaceful sitting on your lap... I'm sure he'll be happy on your farm!
Oooh! I love baby goats! I'm glad to know that Stuffin makes goat yummy noises and I think that she is beautiful! I might like to have a baby someday but our lady says probably not. Better to keep my girlish figure. I wish Stuffin all the best! I love her heat lamps! Isobelle.
Sorry, can't help with advice on the goat, but wishing you (and her) success! You might check into the forums on Homesteading Today for lots of good info RE goat birthings, poultry, etc. http://homesteadingtoday.com
Wow, you're doing amazing work there.
Great photos! Never seen a goat like that, very pretty. And I just love ducks ... so cute.
Good luck!
Anxiously awaiting news about Stuffin! I know you're busy - Hope all goes well.
Nancy in Atlanta
Oh the roving is gorgeous! And..yes, you are making progress....oh so lovely!
did Stuffin ever kid? I've got a pygmy goat who's udder is similar (at 3months preggers, and first timer), and I'm looking for signs to be sure she's pregnant. Adorable pygmy!
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