Baking Soda: This mineral is to be given free choice to your goats, to help prevent bloat and other rumen problems.
Bloat: An accumulation of gas in the rumen and reticulum, this requires medical attention asap. 
Buck (Billy): A full grown sexually matured male goat.
Buckling: A young male goat who is not sexually mature.
CDT:Vaccination given to build up antibodies against Enterotoxemia type C and D. and tetanus vaccination. 
Cud: Partly digested food returned from the first stomach (Rumen) to the mouth for further chewing.
Dehorned: A goat who has their horns removed.
Deworming: The process of removing intestinal worms by use of medication.  
Doe (Nanny): A full grown sexually matured female goat.
Doeling: A young female goat who is not sexually mature.
Free choice (Ad Libitum): Feed or supplements made available at all times so they can eat whenever and as much as it chooses.
Freshen: When a doe gives birth and begins to produce milk.
Gestation: The period in which a doe is pregnant (average 150 days).
Heat (Estrus): The period in which the doe is ready more mating.
Kid: A goat less than one year old.
Minerals:  Wether in a lick or a loose powder form a must have for all goats.  
Open: A female that is not pregnant.
Polled: A goat born with a gene that make it so they will not acquire horns.
Rumen: The first compartment of a goats stomach containing microbial population that breaks down forages and roughages.
Scours: Diarrhea.
Wether: A castrated male. 
Yearling: A male or female sheep or goat that is between 1 and 2 years of age.

Coco and Lucy, our Pygmy Goats, are by far the clowns of the barnyard. They are not only entertaining to watch but to interact with as well. You can not spend any time with these girls with out laughing. They make the simplest tasks a true delight, from cleaning out their house to water changes. I dare you to bring the wheelbarrow in without snickering a bit. It never fails as I try to clean the straw and toss it in, these girls jump in thinking its time to play. As I bend to grab the pitch fork from the ground Coco jumps onto my back. She jumps from me to the wheelbarrow and back again. Scott tries to bring in a new bale of straw they spring into his arms. Like a bale of straw is not heavy enough lets add a goat to it or maybe two? He begins to fill the hay feeder and Coco jumps in, looks at him, and lays down. She gives him this look like wait, let me get comfortable, as she begins to eat the fresh hay that she lays upon. Lucy looks on from the top of her pallet fortress side jumping from one level to another. The youngest member of the barnyard family comes in to join the fun. Baby Kitty comes to get in on all the action, as he snuggles into a mound of hay that fell on the ground. He waits for the perfect moment stalking his prey. Lucy runs past he jumps and pounces on her back. She tries to shake him from her back, he jumps off, and begins to chase her. She stops stands on just her back two legs he scampers off back to the safety of the other side of the fence. And what is Miss Coco doing while all is taking place? Laying in the manger enjoying all the new feed like she is a human with popcorn watching a movie. Now who needs TV when there is true live entertainment to be watched?

Author: Carrie Miller

The babies enjoying the feeding station hubby built for them this weekend.
All the materials were reclaimed. An old deck a friend tore down built most of it. My parents had a piece of metal left from their barn roof job.

Cost? The screws used to put it together


Author: Carrie Miller

Homemade electrolytes for goats
1 gal warm water
2tsps table salt...
1tsps baking soda
1/2 cup honey, Karo, or molasses (never cane sugar)