Here are some useful tips and ideas that can be used on the goat farm.
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Here are some useful tips and ideas that can be used on the goat farm. |
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How To Take A Vacation! by Sandy Larocque When you have livestock, taking a
vacation can be a major undertaking. I have found there are two kinds of
vacations – those you take with your goats and those you take from
your goats! I show my goats, so, when I leave home,
all of the milkers have to go with me. It is just too hard to get someone
that knows your animals, as you do, to milk. This effectively limits my
milking herd. This was all I cared to milk, as well
as all I could stuff in the pickup truck. I, then, would have to find
someone to take care of all the animals left at home. If you don't have
milking animals, this usually isn't a problem. Taking a vacation (from) without your
goats can be more difficult. A few years ago, I got a chance to go to
Florida for a week. All my does were still milking, so this presented a
challenge! I finally decided to leave all the kids on the does, and got my
daughter to come over twice a day to feed. This presents a completely new
list of problems. No one takes care of your animals like you do. The
challenge is to make a list of chores that includes everything. Things
that you do as a matter of course need to be broken down into steps. Making a list of your chores needs to
include all of the animals, their locations, descriptions, how much of
what each animal gets and where it is located. Don't forget the
all-important location of the feed – I once spent about a half an hour
looking for the cat food for a friend's kitty. She told me how much and
when but not WHERE! It helps if your feed containers are labeled clearly. The master list that I make has a
simple map showing the locations of the pens and they are numbered or
named. The feeding list starts where I normally start my chores, listing
how many goats are in each pen, who they are and how much of each type of
feed they get, any medications they get and any incidentals about the
goat. Each pen is listed. Dogs and cats have their own section. I
try to have all the needed buckets and such sitting in one place for the
chore person. One page of the list is devoted to emergency instructions. I
include a contact person if I will not be available and my vet's number.
This sounds like overkill but better safe.… An easy way to do this is to set up the
list on your computer in a program like Word. Save the list and every time
you need it, update it. Some sections won't have to be changed at all and
others will change with the season. Print out a copy for the chore person,
and a spare copy in case someone eats the first copy (this does happen,
trust me!). Actually finding someone to do the
chores may be the real trick! Professional pet sitters are fine as long as
they have experience with livestock. They can be pricey but are used to
doing this kind of work and generally are reliable. Your local 4-H or goat
club may have a goat person that will chore for you. You may be able to
trade chores with them. If they chore for pay, the price is almost always
reasonable. I am very lucky as my daughter and grandson do chores for me
when I have to be away but everyone isn’t as lucky. Make your chores easy to do both for
you and for your chore person. It will pay off in the long run and you
both will be happier as will your goats! Everything should be clean and
organized. If possible, have a time set for the chore person to come over
and go over all of the chores with you so you can answer any questions.
Then, you can go on your vacation worry free!! |
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Here's an idea from Pat Farquhar that may save you some
steps this summer. Troughs and pails get dirty and may need refilling
frequently. Try hooking your garden hose up to a nipple waterer. The goats
seem to catch on to the idea quickly and you can spend the time you save
hauling water doing something more fun....like moving bales? Too bad this tip doesn't work in Manitoba winters. |
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a devoted guardian dog can make all the differance to your goat herd. |
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