Colostrum is the first milk produced by a goat after she freshens, and it's the first milk that the goat newborn kids must drink within the first few hours. Why Newborn Goat Kids Need Colostrum It's a thick, sticky, yellow milk that contains high levels of fat, protein, vitamins, and antibodies that newborn mammals must ingest within a few hours after birth. This is how the dam passes immunity (specific to her location and environment) to her kids, and the faster they get colostrum, the ... continue reading...
2019 Baby Nigerian Dwarf Goats Arriving on Bramblestone Farm!
The 2019 baby Nigerian Dwarf goats began arriving April 2nd! We anxiously anticipate kidding season each spring, both with apprehension and excitement. Excitement about the birth of new Nigerian Dwarf goat kids, and apprehension over whether everyone will arrive without issues.First 2019 Baby Nigerian Dwarf Goat Arrivals: On Tuesday afternoon (4/2/19 at about 1:00 PM - 147 days), Bramblestone Harle Quinn decided it was time. She delivered one buckling and two doelings. They were ... continue reading...
Homestead Blog Hop 233
Welcome to the Homestead Blog Hop! Now on to the hop... Homestead Blog Hop will take place every Wednesday and is for all things homesteading: real food recipes, farm animals, crafts, DIY, how-to's, gardening, anything from-scratch, natural home/health, self-sufficiency, self-reliance, natural remedies, essential oils, & more! Basically anything related to homesteading. Meet Your Hosts! Follow Their Blogs Kelly - Simple Life Mom (Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter | G+ | Instagram) Natasha ... continue reading...
Goat Fetal Development
Goat fetal development is on our minds since our mature Nigerian Dwarf does are all obviously “in a family way”, and I was wondering how developed the fetuses are as we count down the days to kidding. They still have a few days to go and they look so big already. Here’s what I found: 1st Trimester Goat Fetal Development20 days – apparent heart beat 28-35 days – limb buds appear 35-42 days – differentiation of mouth, toes, and dew claws 42-49 days – nostrils and eyes ... continue reading...
Preparing for Goat Kidding
Note: Several readers have requested posts on topics that have already appeared here – "Preparing for Goat Kidding" this is one of those posts that has been updated and republished.Kidding season is here again, so of course, we're preparing again (see Kidding Schedule). I'm always both anxious and nervous, but there's nothing I can do except to make sure we’re prepared. What does being prepared mean? Well for us preparing for goat kidding means:Going ... continue reading...
Pre-Freshening Goat Clip
Pre-Freshening Goat Clip It's a good idea to give goats that will be freshening a "baby clip" before they give birth. It's not an all-over clipping, it's just a clipping to remove hair in areas that are likely to get messy during the birthing process, or that you and the goat kids will need clear access to.Instead of a pre-freshening goat clip, if you live in an area where it's warm enough, you could clip them all-over; however, we're still likely to get some cold weather, so we don't ... continue reading...
3 Reasons For Homestead Honey Bees
The 3 reasons for homestead honey bees that we feel are most important are described below. This is the time of year when we review what we've been growing, harvesting, and selling from Bramblestone Farm, and try to make plans for the coming year. As we were reviewing sales from the past year, it's clear that the honey bees continue to be a good addition. Here's why you might want to consider them too: Honey Bees Are Profitable You do have to invest in the hives, bees, and ... continue reading...
Why Heirloom Vegetables are Better for the Backyard Garden
These days, we’re all trying to cut costs without sacrificing quality and growing heirloom vegetables is a smart strategy for doing just that. Heirloom vegetables are the old-fashioned, open-pollinated varieties that breed true from year-to-year. This leads to some definite benefits for the backyard gardener: Heirloom Seeds Cost Less There are two ways that heirloom seeds save money; they cost less than their hybrid counterparts and you can save the seeds from year-to-year, thereby ... continue reading...
