Goat care ect.

Spring time can be such an inspiring time of year with blossoms on the fruit trees, the greenhouse full to the brim with plants, a soft breeze with the wind chimes singing, and the warm sun shining through the clouds after a sprinkling rain. Some where in the midst of all that inspiration though fits goats and all the fun that goes with them...like electric fence repair, one goat who escapes about 5 times a day regardless of the condition of the fence, giving shots(ugh), trimming feet(which includes getting kicked over and over and over), oh yes and don't forget getting ready for birthing. I'm coming up on the one year anniversary of me purchasing my first goats. Originally I thought it would be nice to get some goats to eat the pastures down because we had too much mowing to do, then I though that if I was going so far as to buy goats then I should get them bred that way they would be productive in more than one way. Don't be fooled though, nothing is ever as simple as it may seem...pregnant goats need supplements, alfalfa, grain, salt licks, shots, shelter, feet trimmed....oh and don't forget, they think they are people and so they aren't happy enough with their own company, they want me to stay in the barn and visit them.
Well this week we had to give shots, since the idea doesn't make my stomach feel too well mom offered to come and help. It still didn't go very well, goats just don't have much skin on their necks and we couldn't get one of the goats to stand still at all! In frustration we didn't finish that day. The next day I read that giving the shot behind the front elbow was a much easier place so I set out with determination to get those shots done. We have a milking stanchion so I went ahead and locked the goats one by one in the stanchion and administered the shots with ease. I was so happy!!! It didn't even make me feel sick. With the right tools and some good advice a job can be made so much simpler and make a beginner like me feel like a pro.