Charlotte

So back in early spring we said goodbye to our sweet Jersey/Holstein, Honey. She was my like my 5th baby. When times got tough and this momma was stressed, I'd go sit and snuggle with Honey because cows don't cry. I miss her. But she went to a great home and allowed us to buy Miss Charlotte.   Charlotte is a beautiful 5 year old pure bred Brown Swiss. Her demeanor is to die for. So sweet and gentle in nature. Yes, she does have her moments of bratty diva, but for the most part, she makes my morning chores worth it.

We noticed in June that her hooves looked so bad. Completely overgrown and starting to cross, and with the insane amounts of rain, I feared hoof rot. We called all over and finally found a vet with a tilt table that would trim cow hooves. $70 later (ouch!) she was much better. Her hooves naturally cross which is why she was sold off the dairy line. Bad feet can't stand on concrete for long periods of time. She has a good home here.

When we got her we decided we wanted to go ahead and start transitioning her off of grain. Cows don't need it. We aren't requiring some unruly amount of milk from her, so she can eat grass like she was created to do. When her bull calf went to his new home we removed all grain. She did wonderfully and is still a grain-free cow. We dropped her to 1 1/2 gallons 1x/day the last month before we moved. It was just too chaotic to "do stuff" with the milk. Now I'm in the process of bringing her production back up to somewhere around the 3 gallon mark. Our plan for her is to raise calves. Genetic testing revealed she is A1/A2. Eventually we won't rely on her milk for our family directly, but she loved her calf so maybe she'll enjoy being an adoptive momma until she has another baby of her own. We shall see.

We did AI (artificial insemination) Charlotte in July in attempts to get this girl pregnant again. I don't think she took. She's shown too many signs of heat cycles in the past 3 months. I probably should have her vet checked. Hmmmm. Or the big ole black angus bull across the street could kindly jump the fence for me just to make sure.

For now she just provides yummy liquid gold for my amazing family and a few of our current farm critters. She isn't the happiest cow on the block right now because, due to fencing issues, she is in a pen with our goats and heifer eating hay. She does get tied out in the front yard in the evenings some, but it's a big culture shock for her coming from 12 acres of whatever she wanted.

Ta-Ta for now!

What's with All the Silence?

So, I got off facebook. It was a personal decision really. I don't miss it. I miss knowing what's going on with my friends, but I don't miss it. That little blue icon on my phone was like the "eye of target". It just reeled me in every time I was close and took up way to much of my time. So, I removed myself permanently from the social network and that included all RBG Ranch updates.

Where have we been? What have we been up to? Lots really. Spring and summer brings a season of busyness to any farm. Whether you grow big crops, cut and bale hay, run a load of cattle or raise poultry... it's BUSY! That was no different for us. Baby goats born, chicks arriving and butchering, a few animals departed, and another farm addition. I will update on every little thing I can think of over the next few weeks. But, the biggest part of "busy". Well, we moved.

Yes, we are still in the best state EVER! But we are further out. Surrounded by beautiful pines (Mr. Smash is more than happy because pine trees=deer) and other hardwoods. There is amazing sandy loam soil, 2 full pear trees, mature peach trees, apple trees, and persimmons. And our hoofed grass eaters are already enjoying bits and pieces of pasture and meadows that this place has to offer.




I say bits and pieces because our fence isn't completed. We decided to splurge and get good strong pipe around the front of the property and a small pasture closer to the house. The rest has pretty good 5 strand barb. Mr. Smash is also down a "shop", and our chickens are sleeping in a nice predator-proof pen but have no real coop. Which means there are tools and machinery everywhere, and every day is an egg hunt. Just waiting for the crew we already gave 50% to, which is quite fun and full of suspense.

But I got a milk room!

Stay tuned.


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So You Want to Buy a Bottle Calf? Read This First!

We moved to our property and immediately started buying animals. Knowing we would have to fulfill the requirements for ag exemption on our property, we were on the lookout for some cattle. We found some calves reasonably priced. We could afford to get bottle calves but would I have the time? 4 children under 6 was a lot to care for already. PLUS, bottle calves. PLUS, a new still packed up home. PLUS, a piece of land and a lifestyle I know nothing about.

It came down to 1 weaned calf or 2 bottle calves. Big decision. 4 young children, homeschooling, Mr. Smash has a 40+ hr/week job off the farm, we just moved in, and we know nothing. Why in the world would we get a bottle fed calf let alone 2?!

So we got 2 bottle fed calves. Our homeschool demands are still pretty low. 1/2 of our children will remember this time. I've never done it and would like to try. It was either now or not until A1 is atleast 15, and that's a long time. It was a great decision and I wouldn't have changed a single minute! Bottle feeding a 3 day old calf is almost up there with nursing your own child. They are just so sweet and so dependent on you and they'll let you know how much they love you. And they grow to be huge and you know that YOU helped grow that animal. But they don't all end up with a happily ever after.


Babies are meant to be raised by their mommas. PERIOD. I understand that sometimes cows die during birth and there is still a calf that needs to be raised. I also understand that the production demands of large scale dairies depend on ALL of the milk from their cows, so there will be no sharing with a calf. These things will produce a bottle calf. If you want to be one of the ones who raise one of these calves then that is great! It is a very rewarding experience. It can also be very heartbreaking. Here are some tips, do's and don'ts, and a bit of caution.


1. Where are you buying your calf? It is very difficult to find a full beef bottle calf. It is possible but difficult. Your best option is a dairy breed. Jersey and Holstein bull calves are extremely easy to by. Dairies are always looking to sell their babies, and don't let anyone tell you dairy breeds make bad meat. Jersey meat is AMAZING! So marbled and tender!!!  You can also find dairy heifer bottle calves as well. The good thing about raising a bottle heifer is you get to keep her! She can be a great calf grower for you in the future. Some find it very hard to raise a calf on a bottle and then eat it. If this is you then get a heifer!
  Places like craigslist, facebook, and even auction barns are some places you can find bottle babies. Unless you personally know the farmer, you will never know what you're gonna get. Just come to terms with that.


2. You need to feed them something. The options vary from raw goat milk and raw cow milk to whole milk from the grocery store and formula from the feed store. The ultimate best would be milk from the calf's momma. Anything after that is equal game. A few words of caution and wisdom. If feeding raw milk make sure the donor is healthy. If feeding formula/replacer be absolutely POSITIVE there is NO SOY product in the ingredients. Soy is not easily digested by ruminants and can cause nutrient absorbancy problems along with an array of other issues. Stay consistent. Too much change in milk can be very bad.



3. When feeding your bottle calf, HOLD ON! These little boogers nudge so hard they'll knock ya on your butt. You will need a giant 2 quart bottle to feed with. The nipple doubles as a teething toy for human babies. You may need to open the hole just a bit because some places sell them without the hole. Make sure the milk is very very very warm. At least 100 degrees. Remember your mimicking a momma cow. Find a system. 1-2 qts 2-3 times per day. I've successfully had a 2x/day regimen. I know people who prefer 3x/day. They need milk for at least 8 weeks. Some bucket train their calves. With our next one I may go that route, but for your first one, do the bottle. It's fun!


4. Get familiar with the term "scours". A fancy word for diarrhea really. Calves on milk  will have a typical "baby" poop. It's soft a yellowish. With scours it is more watery. When you go shopping lift up that baby's tail and see if there are any remains. Look around their living quarters. Even better, wait until you see it poop before you take it home. That way you know if you are about to spend a few hundred $ on a calf that will need some extra attention as soon as you get home. MANY things can cause a calf to scour. Change in milk, feed, and environment. Bacterial and viral infections like e.coli and coccidiosis. <--- a lot can be spread to other animals on your property so take caution of which boots and gloves you use and even which animals are allowed to come in close proximity to your scouring calf. Some are even contagious to humans so wash your hands!


5. So, what do you do about scours? There are so many options from home remedies to vet assistance. The first thing is to replace what is being lost. HYDRATE HYDRATE HYDRATE! There are many electrolyte formulas out there; re-sorb, bounce back, deliver are a few. Even gatorade when you're in a pinch will do. I've found the absolute best thing to hydrate a calf is iv fluids. YIKES! That's a vet trip. You're right, it is. You don't have to do it, but it's the best way. The other ways have worked for us at times too, but nothing beats fluids directly and constantly into the body. Then what about the nutrients that are lost? Adding a SAFE raw egg and plain yogurt to the bottle does some good things. The egg amps up the protein, and the yogurt helps replace the bacteria that was not only lost during the bouts of diarrhea but also gives probiotics that they aren't getting from momma's milk.
   Next, stop the scours. Some use Kao-pectate, also known as pepto-bismol. Both do great. If you are crunchy, a blend of peppermint oil and ginger tea internally would be an option. We have used crushed activated charcoal in the bottle also. There are scour boluses available which is basically a giant sulphur pill. This also comes in a paste form that's a bit easier to administer. Both can be bought at your feed store.
  What is causing the scours? This can be a little tricky because a blood test may be needed to find your answer. By the time you get the results back it could be too late. A fecal can be done by your vet as well to rule out parasite issues. A good brainstorm of outside factors would help. Really though, you may never find your answer. You must decide how important it is to you. And, you must keep reading.

4. Shelter. Little calfy will need somewhere to be. Having grass available to sniff out is a GREAT place to be. Some say keep them penned for atleast 2 weeks. This could be beneficial as to make sure nothing the calf brings home can infect your other animals. It also keeps them in a "safe" place; like kids, they need boundaries. Others allow them to have pasture available alongside other animals. Often a calf can go downhill just from being buddy sour. Cows, no matter how young, are herd animals and they need other animal contact. If you aren't comfortable with having them around your other animals make sure the calf is in a spot where it can see you and interact with you regularly.
   The temperature in the shelter needs to be no less than 50 degrees for a healthy calf. A struggling calf needs to be much warmer than that. I've had many a calf in my bathtub because of freezing temps. If a calf gets too cold they can't digest their meals. If you find your calf has gotten too cold, warm it up first then feed. NEVER feed a cold calf!!!

5. Make a decision before you buy the calf about protocol. Bottle calves can range anywhere from $150-$400. Know that a down calf can easily cost you $200 more in treatments and vet bills. Will you go to the vet or will you treat from home? I would suggest getting everything you may possibly need BEFORE you bring the calf home. When a calf starts scouring you can lose them in a blink of an eye and there won't be time to run to your local feed store, so be prepared.

This is just a quick run through. Please don't let it scare you! Bottle feeding a calf is so much fun and you will remember it forever! But it can end badly and I want you to know that going in.

If you do have a problem with your calf, there are so many ways to treat but I have only 1 definite demand. Do NOT call the one who sold you the calf and jump down their throat about selling a sickly!  There are way too many variables that come into play, and when you pay that money you take the chance.

Do you want to know how you can buy a bottle calf and lessen your chances of it going down? Purchase 1 that's already a month old. The difference between 5 days and 4 weeks is tremendous! The digestive system is already well on it's way to developing and calfy should be nibbling on grass by then too.


 There is much more and no amount of reading can do what experience will. Good luck! Let me know if you have any questions. And if any of my experienced followers feel I forgot something and need to add it, comment below!

What's In A Goat?

Snowball

Do you ever play the game hi-lo? Where you tell the people around your dinner table your high point of the day and the low point of the day. Last week my high was that we sold 85% of our goats. The low was that we sold 85% of our goats.

It started when a few of our goats kept squeezing through gate rungs and eating our ducks' food. Our ducks eat grass, bugs, algae, and the amazing high protein grain we feed them. Our goats get sweet feed and have a 55" round bale of beautiful coastal, and they choose to kick our ducks off morning feed. I was livid. I mean I was throwing gloves, scoops, halters, and anything else I could find to get them off the feed from across the barn. I had HAD it! I called Mr. Smash, and I believe the words out of my mouth were "we are selling these turds or we are having goat for dinner."

So, fast forward to 14 days after that. We've sold 12 goats. At the beginning of this fiasco we had 16; including 3 babies. I could deal with getting their head in the fence and even jumping the fence; they always came back. But eating my ducks food was the last straw. The first 10 that were gone included our very first goats, Spot and  Stripe, and also included our first kid to ever be born on our farm, Tater. I did get teary eyed. We were left with 3 doelings, 2 does we were milking, and our 1 horned doe (Elsie) who was due to kid any day.

Sweet Patty

Last night we sold Patty. I did more than get teary eyed. If you remember her story, she lost her little buckling to a horrible donkey attack. She was the reason we started our milking adventure. We bonded. We also sold snowball last night. A3 was hysterical! This little goat mimics ADHD on steroids, but is the sweetest little thing in the world. They both went to a great family who are beginning homesteaders... like us!

We have kept in contact with the buyers of our goats. We love them and want to keep up with their progress because many were pregnant by big man Tater.

Buck.

 But wait, so we are getting out of goats?  Good gracious NO! We have moved to a bigger breed. And it was a GREAT plan God had for us. I really do agree with Him on this one. ;)  8 days ago we purchased a beautiful Nubian buck named Goliath. Everyone knows that Goliath was a big mean giant. This guy, not so much. What a pansy! He is so very handsome and sweet and it's a good thing because his horns are huge! He is considered "moon spotted" and is about 2 years old. We've changed his name to Buck after a vulture on a show called Oscar's Oasis. 






But, we can't have a buck without some does. Nubians are big goats. It is possible to breed a small buck to a big doe, but not the other way around. Birthing problems galore. So we set out to find him some women. An amazing family that has decided to change breed sold us the most amazing goats I've ever encountered. Sunny and Diamond are both registered full blood Nubian does. They love to be loved!

A1 and Diamond

We decided to go with Nubians for 2 reasons; their size and their milk production talent. There was one time in my life that I swore I would never milk a goat, much less drink goat milk. It all completely changed when I realized that was God's plan for our family at this time. 7 days ago we bought Sunny and Diamond, and for the last 6 days we have been drinking raw goat milk.

We go out about 20 minutes earlier to have time for milking. We follow safety protocols, and by naptime we have ice cold milk available. A1 is starting to get really good at it too! We have plans to build a new barn with a milking parlor this spring. Hopefully by then we can have 3 does being milked by 3 A's. Maybe that's too much to ask. Honestly though, I enjoy it! It's peaceful, the goats love you for it, and I know exactly what I'm feeding my family. Well, the milk anyway. Does it taste funny? Not really. It tastes like whole milk, but there's a freshness to it that is hard to describe. Right now, ours has a "goaty" aftertaste because they've been in with Buck. The pheromones that are given off from the buck affect the taste of the milk. It doesn't bother me or the A's, but it does Mr. Smash. He is just going to have to make his weekly Braum's trip until we get Honey and Missy going.

So, what's next? We're always in the market for a goat. They are so very addicting, and you will never get it until you have one or two or twenty. Tomorrow we take our sweet Frostine to a man in east texas to trade for 2- 5 month old Nubian doelings. That will leave us with 4 total kids and 1 doe who will domino any day. Plus 1 buck and 2 adult does who are most likely pregnant. We're going to keep milking and I'm looking into raw milk laws from our extension office. We are getting a ton, and I'd love to sell it. There's a market in our area for it, so it may be a new business endeavor. Maybe I should've paid attention in that business class I took in college.