Weaning Day!

Yesterday was weaning day for the majority of our goat kids.  Only five of the later born kids are staying with the does for a couple more weeks.  The rest of the kids, currently numbering 47, have reached the age of 90 days and it was time for them to be on their own!

Prior to weaning, we spent a full day sorting and hands-on evaluating the entire herd.  We weighed every animal, and did Famacha checks of each one as they came through the chute to the scale.  Any showing a score of less than 3 were given a dose of dewormer.  We have been working hard at eliminating the need for any deworming by constant pasture rotation.  This year we also have been researching other methods of fighting the war against parasites.  One interesting idea was the use of copper oxide wire particles; several studies have shown that copper deficiency in goats causes a number of problems such as depressed immunity, poor reproductive performance, anemia, etc.  The use of copper has also been shown to help the goats fight the effect of parasites.  So, this year we've been giving each of our goats a bolus containing the copper oxide wire particles.  We purchase the large boluses from a vet supply company, along with empty gel caps of various sizes, and then refill and use the appropriate size according to the weight and age of the goat.  Each kid received a small bolus as part of the weaning regimen.  The kids also got their second CD/T shot, and the bucklings were all neutered.

Once the does had been taken to their new pasture, the newly weaned group was brought down to a secure pasture where they'll stay for a week or so until they acclimate to life without mom. In the third picture below, you can just barely make out the doe herd at the far end of the pasture.  This distance between the two herds dramatically reduces the stress on both the does and kids as they all adjust to the separation.

Just below the pasture where the kids are this week, is a field that was seeded early this summer with millet and  forage brassicas.  (Note the bright green field in the following photo.)  Once this reaches a height of about 12", the kids will be pastured on it until it starts to get ahead of them.  When the "Summer Feast" is getting too lush for the kids alone, the does will begin to share the pasture with close but separate paddocks.  This field will then have a permanent seeding put on it late summer/early fall.

Following this, the kids will be rotated through 2-3 day paddocks just ahead of the does, on regrowth from earlier pastures.  The kids will be able to benefit from the best forage, necessary for their optimal growth.  The does will follow, still finding more than enough feed to put condition back on them prior to fall breeding. It is incredible to see the improvement to the pastures by using this rotational method.  Paddocks where the goats grazed just about a month ago are thick with clover, trefoil, and grasses.