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Yeah I have to agree with the other posters: that's a pretty bitching trophy you got there.
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Sep 26, 2014 13:16
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Oh god, this thread. I can get 40 acres of good pasture with a trailer and a barn on it for less than what I'm paying for rent and this thread - I've always wanted a little flock of sheep since they're just so....useful. I mean, there's the wool, obviously, and then if you want you can do sheeps milk/cheese/etc and meat and...all them baby sheep in here are just making me want to drop poo poo and go move out to the middle of nowhere and raise a bunch of sheep. Everyone i know out here that does the ranching thing though does swine or cattle. And while I've worked with cattle on my friend's farm it's just so much effort and such a massive investment compared to sheep - especially your prim types. You said you really don't have to do much for the Jacobs, outside of basic vet care/dewormings/etc, right? Also, poor Rex. The thought of having to irrigate and pack a hole like that isn't pleasant. How are the other goats holding up? \/\/ it really seems that with farm work when you have a bad year, it's always freakishly bad. First the lambing problems/wobbleman/etc, then the CAE test with iphi, and now Rex loses a horn and Electra is not long for the world. That sucks, and I hope things turn around for this upcoming breeding season for you. Cute bun buns though! Dr Jankenstein fucked around with this message at 00:09 on Sep 27, 2014 |
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Sep 26, 2014 17:41
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The jacobs are so easy to deal with. Especially compared to the goats who are precious hothouse orchids that are just looking for a way to fall apart. If I sold more for meat they could pay for themselves. I could really sell as many meat lambs as I could produce to the local muslim community if that's what I wanted to focus on. Spinners and knitters love the wool because its affordable and fun to work with. They need to be sheared once a year and vaccinated for CDT at the same time, I trim their hooves once or twice a year, and they get wormed if they need it which isn't often. Mine had lambing issues this year but it is really not common and that wasn't a jacob thing. For the most part you can toss them out in the pasture, throw them some hay in the winter and just sit back and enjoy watching them. I love the jacobs  Electra is sort of circling the drain and I wish I had talked to the vet about euthanasia yesterday but he didn't bring it up and she isn't in pain or anything so I'm just keeping on with whatever I can do to keep her comfy. I'll be stressing out about the rest of the herd until her tests come back. All the other goats are fat and happy. Well, except Taffy who I'm cutting off from bottles now that she's just about 6 months old and really doesn't need milk anymore. She has been screaming at me nonstop all day. Have some happy buns enjoying the bun run we built for them. Artie  Cameo 
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Sep 26, 2014 19:06
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This vid is doing the rounds. I immediately thought of this thread: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7SVrt5H-dA Jellyfish have any goat-inna-fence rescues ever gone like that?
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Oct 1, 2014 02:02
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Hydrolith posted:This vid is doing the rounds. I immediately thought of this thread: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7SVrt5H-dA I cannot figure out why on earth I thought it would be a good idea to read the comments.
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Oct 2, 2014 00:30
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I once had to free a goat from a tree. He was a decent ways up too, we could not for the life of us figure how he got so badly stuck. It was a swiss alpine though, they have catastrophically poor judgement.
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Oct 2, 2014 03:13
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Man, it has been a crazy week. Of course since my mom was on vacation and couldn't come help me deal with all the many things that came up. First up on Saturday I decided Electra should be put to sleep. She was just getting weaker and weaker and it wasn't fair to her to keep her going. A hard decision but the right one. We still have her twin sister Dido, her daughters Iph, Lacey and Marzipan, and even her ridiculous granddaughter Taffy to keep her spirit alive here on the farm but she will be missed. Then on Monday I noticed Heath was acting weird. He was arching his back and straining like he was trying to pee. Goats have a weird freaky penis with a little thin doodad on the end (possible  goat penis)that gets blocked really easily which can then lead to the penis dying or the bladder exploding so straining to pee is a really, really bad thing in goats. I grabbed him and got more intimate that I ever wanted to be with Heath again and his penis seemed as fine as a goat penis ever is but he's in with Rex and getting treated ammonium chloride for a while to break up any urinary stones he might have. Rex is doing great and is amazingly cooperative with me squirting things into his head hole. He's such a good buck He's happy to have a buddy again but I'm watching them closely to make sure there isn't any head butting going on. Tuesday someone called and said they urgently needed an older ewe to be friends with their pet sheep. They had recently lost it's buddy and it was sadly wailing so much that neighbors were starting to complain. They had a little pasture with an apple tree and their two daughters loved spinning and spent every day out hugging the sheep and giving them cookies. I'm sure if I had asked the sheep they would all be lining up for accommodations like that but I chose Dahlia to move to Erie and become a beloved family pet. I wasn't planning on selling her but she wasn't a particularly productive ewe and she is so mellow and confident and adorable that I thought she would be a perfect fit. Of course the pickup was also on vacation so yesterday Dahlia got to ride in style in the back of my little hatchback. I destroyed my back lifting her into it by myself but she was really good the whole way there and the family and their sheep all seemed to adore her. They said it was the first time in a week their sheep had stopped calling for its friend.  An excellent end to a rough week Now to not move for the next 3 days and hope my back is functional enough to finish shearing goats next week! Truffle is starting to look like a tumbleweed.
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Oct 3, 2014 17:39
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That's such a cute story. Enjoy your new home and friends, Dahlia!
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Oct 3, 2014 17:52
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Aww, sheep buddies.
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Oct 3, 2014 23:14
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Instant Jellyfish posted:
How is this in any way necessary?!?! At least with ducks the corkscrew penis sort of has a reason.
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Oct 4, 2014 04:06
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bamhand posted:How is this in any way necessary?!?! At least with ducks the corkscrew penis sort of has a reason. It spirals upon ejaculation, either to help spread the sperm around up in the cervical end of the vagina, or to get sperm into the opening of the cervix.
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Oct 4, 2014 06:52
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Vet called and said both goats they tested were negative for johnes disease! He has no idea what was wrong with Electra, maybe a kidney or liver issue, and said it was too bad she had to be put down but if it had been johnes it could have spread through every animal on my farm and I'm so happy that isn't the case. One less thing to worry about with those dumb goats.
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Oct 8, 2014 00:18
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So glad you have some good news for a change IJ!
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Oct 8, 2014 01:10
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So I forgot I had a video of my temporary goat from years ago exploring our living room. Behold: Swampy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOlB7K9G1qw
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Oct 8, 2014 01:52
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RabbitMage posted:So I forgot I had a video of my temporary goat from years ago exploring our living room. Spastic tiny goats are the cutest things  Here are how my own spastic little goats are doing. They've almost all been sheared now. Just have to do Truffle and the big boys and I'll be done until spring. They are somehow even more cute than usual now that they've had their haircuts. It's almost painful how adorable they are. Also I can't tell Marzipan and Lacey apart at all anymore.    Trufflumps is so sweet   Taffy is ridiculous.  Angela was being a weirdo.  And Dido wanted to see if I had any hidden snacks. 
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Oct 8, 2014 17:45
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Look at you. Look how silly you are. My partner has decided we're getting Angora goats someday. I am okay with this.
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Oct 8, 2014 19:41
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New residents in my spare bathroom/baby animal in peril sanctuary. Anyone want some kittens? I thought I heard mewing when I was putting up hay a few weeks ago. My place is really not safe for cats though so I'm going to call around and find a rescue for them and their mama this weekend. I don't think the kittens have ever seen a person before but didn't bite or claw or hiss when I grabbed them so I don't think they're too feral to find a new home.
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Oct 11, 2014 00:30
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Instant Jellyfish posted:New residents in my spare bathroom/baby animal in peril sanctuary. Anyone want some kittens? I wish my cat wasn't terrified of cats or I'd offer to take one. You aren't too terribly far away. I'll put the word out down here in Columbus.
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Oct 11, 2014 00:49
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luloo123 posted:I wish my cat wasn't terrified of cats or I'd offer to take one. You aren't too terribly far away. I'll put the word out down here in Columbus. I'd totally deliver to Columbus if anyone wants one. Really I'd drive them to anyone within like 4 hours of me. Two black ones are girls and one black and the black and white one are boys (I'm pretty sure) and they're around 6 weeks. One is a little hissy but none of the kittens had seen a person before yesterday so they're really pretty chill considering.       
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Oct 11, 2014 16:58
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Mom looks like she's a sweetheart, at least!
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Oct 11, 2014 17:03
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Momcat is the sweetest, prettiest, best cat I've met (and I've met some pretty great cats). She starts purring and kneading and rubbing the moment she sees me If it was at all possible to keep her I totally would.
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Oct 11, 2014 17:58
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Has Major figured out that you are hiding interactive food from him yet?
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Oct 11, 2014 18:46
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Tasty_Crayon posted:Has Major figured out that you are hiding interactive food from him yet? I have two doors shut between them at all times and he still stands outside the first door breathing heavily like a creeper.
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Oct 11, 2014 19:16
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Ahhhhh give me momcat!
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Oct 12, 2014 13:08
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Instant Jellyfish posted about her kitten crop on Facebook, and her description of momcat lured me in. Once mom is done caring for her kittens, she'll come live with me. She'll be my first cat, so I'm getting ready to spoil the gently caress out of her. Her name is Pigeon (the fact that Major wants to pluck and eat her like a pigeon is coincidental).
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Oct 12, 2014 14:10
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Instant Jellyfish posted:I'd totally deliver to Columbus if anyone wants one. Really I'd drive them to anyone within like 4 hours of me. Two black ones are girls and one black and the black and white one are boys (I'm pretty sure) and they're around 6 weeks. One is a little hissy but none of the kittens had seen a person before yesterday so they're really pretty chill considering. Thanks for the offer! I would have been happy to drive up to you as well. Unfortunately, all of my friends who want a cat seem to be maxed out on the number of cats that they can have which is a bummer because I was hoping for some kitten cuddle time. I wish I could take one of the black ones. She'd look adorable curled up with my white cat, but I don't have enough space or time for another cat at the moment, especially with the added challenge of having a cat that's terrified of other cats. Momma cat has the most beautiful eyes. Have you found homes for any of the other ones?
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Oct 12, 2014 17:16
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All 4 kittens are still unclaimed but I'm contacting rescues and people seem to be willing to take tiny adoptable kittens more than adult cats so I'm sure I'll find someplace for them once they're old enough to go. They're getting less scared of me every day and have figured out the litter box and are eating solid food so that's a good start.
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Oct 12, 2014 18:30
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Since we won't be having hoofed babies until April and technically they were born in a barn have a few more kittens.   
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Oct 13, 2014 02:24
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I love the little wall-eyed tuxedo boy How many acres do you have jellyfish? It's my long term dream to run a little fibre farm when I'm older, and sometimes I'll google around for acreages to check the land prices. I wouldn't have a herd any large than yours, but I'll mostly have alpacas which need more land than sheep. Maybe five head of alpacas which need an acre each, two head of sheep and five head of angoras
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Oct 13, 2014 11:03
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Fruity Gordo posted:I love the little wall-eyed tuxedo boy I have 16 1/2 acres, although only about 12-13 are fenced pasture. It used to be a big 50 acre dairy farm 100 years ago but got divided up between brothers for a couple generations until the portion I live in now fell into the hands of some methy cousin who sold it when he ended up in jail. Alpaca people, at least in my state, are freaking out at the moment because one of the biggest producers in the state (and OH has the most alpacas in the country) is selling off their entire herd and its going to totally tank the already feeble alpaca market. One of the alpaca folks I know told me she has already resorted to eating her extra ones because they just would never sell, but swore me to secrecy because the other alpaca ladies would lose it if they knew. People keep trying to give me free alpacas but its so much easier to just buy the fleece for like $4/lb wholesale from people who have barns full of the stuff they can't sell at retail prices. Whenever they ask I'm always tempted to say "sure, I've got room in the freezer" but I also have to continue working with these people.
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Oct 14, 2014 14:58
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Oh drat, that sucks! The alpaca industry here in Australia is still growing and doing quite well, especially since it's beginning to be marketed as a sustainable, low-carbon source of meat as well as fibre. The thinking is that you use them for their kid fibre and when they get to six or seven you cull them for meat. IDK if I'll be doing that, though I'd probably be amenable to eating all the boys since boys stink.  I would have thought you'd be on more land, that's really awesome. Is the amount of arable land the reason you buy hay, or is it just because you have fierce winters? I can't remember if you're in OH or PA or another state, I didn't think the winters were so terrible in those areas but obviously I've never experienced a midwestern winter, and climate change is loving poo poo up. I loving love this thread, I've learned so much about caring for angoras and you've actually made me want to have a few sheep. I was always put off by the risk of flystrike and my opposition to mulesing, but I'd never thought of primitive breeds. They're so fabulous-looking, and that brown/cream plied yarn you've posted is loving lovely.
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Oct 14, 2014 16:14
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What is alpaca meat like? I've never heard of people eating them before this thread.
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Oct 14, 2014 23:24
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It's a little bit like goat, I've only had it in stews so idk exactly what it would taste like just grilled. Lean, but not as lean as kangaroo
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Oct 15, 2014 05:48
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I keep seeing all this positive press about alpacas, then I realise it's probably being done by people who desperately want to get rid of theirs and sucker someone else into dealing with them. Are any alpaca boom people from the early 2000's still around?
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Oct 15, 2014 15:25
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Suspect Bucket posted:I keep seeing all this positive press about alpacas, then I realise it's probably being done by people who desperately want to get rid of theirs and sucker someone else into dealing with them. Are any alpaca boom people from the early 2000's still around? There are still some but a lot of them are jumping ship now that they're realizing they are never going to be able to sell 'pacas for $20,000 each anymore and it takes a lot of work to get money back on their fleece when there is so much of it around. Plus alpaca shearing is like $40-60 each depending on if the animals are sedated or not. There's no way you're going to make that back by selling it raw. They try to say there is nothing softer than alpaca but people have just been breeding whatever together and there is a lot of lovely fleece out there (and in my basement). It makes me sort of angry because alpacas were basically used as a pyramid scheme and now people don't know what the gently caress to do with their dozens of lovely alpacas that they can't give away so they all end up in livestock rescues. In my mind livestock shouldn't go to rescues unless they have actually been abused or severely neglected and need saving. Its your job to suck it up and deal with them if you've produced them. In my area foodbanks love it when people donate fresh meat and I'm betting they would take alpaca if you asked. Fruity Gordo posted:I would have thought you'd be on more land, that's really awesome. Is the amount of arable land the reason you buy hay, or is it just because you have fierce winters? I can't remember if you're in OH or PA or another state, I didn't think the winters were so terrible in those areas but obviously I've never experienced a midwestern winter, and climate change is loving poo poo up. I live in OH, about 5 miles away from the PA border. I'm in the snow belt of Lake Erie so it just dumps snow down on us starting any time after September and lasting through May in some years. My pastures are all pretty heavily grazed so I can't hay them out myself and the parts that aren't pasture are woods. So I've got to buy a lot of hay to last the winter. Instant Jellyfish fucked around with this message at 16:13 on Oct 15, 2014 |
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Oct 15, 2014 15:53
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Oh wow, that's hosed. The industry here seems a lot different, we have pretty good stock industry standards since a huge part of our country's history is in sheep farming and, surprise, loving up your breeding is the first step towards loving up your industry. Basically if you're not in the peak association's registry nobody wants to talk to you There was a scandal a few months ago about serious animal abuse happening in our shearing sheds though. It was loving horrible. I grew up on and around farms and I wouldn't want to run a big one where you have to contract everything out. Give me ten head, some shears, a spinning wheel and some dye and I'll have a happy retirement selling what I can of it and making art with the rest
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Oct 15, 2014 16:03
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My mom has a friend who got in on the alpaca thing. Dunno how she's doing now, but at the time, I remember my parents and I thinking it was such an obvious pyramid scheme.
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Oct 15, 2014 17:03
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Araenna posted:My mom has a friend who got in on the alpaca thing. Dunno how she's doing now, but at the time, I remember my parents and I thinking it was such an obvious pyramid scheme. Thog am take baby sheeps, put in big hole, NOT EAT YET. Let sheeps make more sheeps, ONLY EAT MEAN ONES. Show clan mates, trade sheeps for wives. Then clan-mates get hole, make sheeps, and trade for wives. All come to Thog for learning. IS SELF PERPETUATING SYSTEM. wait why sheeps of thog son looking cute and harmless
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Oct 15, 2014 17:37
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now i'm ridiculously curious about what happened with Alpacas to make them go from "guaranteed profit maker omg you guys buy 1,000 of them and swim in the money you'll make like scrooge mcduck" to "uh poo poo i guess i'll eat them they're still good for that right?"
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Oct 15, 2014 20:53
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| # ? Jun 10, 2024 22:20 |
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Women's Rights? posted:now i'm ridiculously curious about what happened with Alpacas to make them go from "guaranteed profit maker omg you guys buy 1,000 of them and swim in the money you'll make like scrooge mcduck" to "uh poo poo i guess i'll eat them they're still good for that right?" They were mostly marketed towards middle aged women as something to do now that the kids have moved out and turns out handling large livestock gets harder as you get older. Also there are really only so many people with the right property to sell them to and at this point I think anyone who really wants/can have alpacas already has 20 of them because you gotta breed them nonstop to get your money back!!! I know someone who has all of their (probably 30) alpacas for sale and have had them up for sale for over a year now and they still breed them. They've had 3 born so far this year. They make more money selling honey and eggs than alpacas/alpaca products but maybe this one is going to win all the shows and people will pay $5000 to breed to it and they'll be rolling in dough again!
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Oct 15, 2014 21:18
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