Goats with Winter Coats
Memories
One problem with running the buck year around with the does is remembering to separate him from the females August through October. Last August I forgot. Christmas babies are wonderful but the cold can be deadly to the little darlings.
Early Christmas Present
This year we had one born a week before Christmas. She was born in the daytime and it was fairly warm - high 50s. After she was safely born and her mother was cleaning her up, we left them alone. Within a few hours, the doeling was already stiffening up so we brought her in for the at-home treatment (see Reviving Stiff 
Goat). Unfortunately we never could get the mother to take her back so “Pecans” (the name on the box she sleeps in) is happily living in and out of our house. A bottle fed baby. Loved by everyone and unaware of her goatness.
Bottles Up
As enjoyable as it is to bottle feed a baby (at least for a short time), our objective is for the kids to be raised by their mothers. So when the next set of twins were born a day after Christmas, we looked for a quick solution to keeping them warm outside. Three bottle babies were beyond our job descriptions.
Hallelujah
And then as the “Hallelujah Chorus” was playing loudly in the background, I bumped into this site:
http://arkansasdairygoats.com/preparinggoatsforwinter.htm
Walmart dog sweaters!!!
Happy and Healthy
These two kids are doing great through the cold nights. The only problem is when the coats get swapped around and the poor buckling has to flounder in pink all night. I’m hoping he will not have a goatie complex.
Shelly
January 2013
Partners
Resources
www.greenhomebuilding.com/adobe.htm
www.earthbagbuilding.com/articles.htm
www.earthbagplans.wordpress.com
We moved from the city to the country in 2005. Since then, we have been building structures, raising livestock and growing some of our own foods. We are crazy about family, nutrition and want the best for our growing family.
