Baymule’s 2021 Garden

[baymule]

Oh, man, how are you doing? I hope you are not part of the massive power outage. Stay safe.

We are NOT set up for this kind of weather. I've been carrying 2 buckets of boiling hot water to melt ice in the water buckets for sheep (9 mom's nursing 15 lambs) and the chickens and dogs. The steer and horse tank I've been able to break ice most mornings and afternoons. But had to haul boiling water to them several times because the ice was so thick. Have had 2 ice storms and snowed 3 times for 10" of snow. DH keeps the water boiling on the stove and feeds the bottle lambs while I'm outside caring for the animals. It takes 3 hours twice a day. I'm exhausted. House is a wreck, but I don't care. LOL

Giving extra feed and hay. Have fed EIGHTY POUNDS of birdseed and on bag #3. We have been Blessed with no power outage and water pipes have not frozen.

 

[ducks4you]

When the weather abates, invest in some smaller and portable waterers, like this one:

Tuff Stuff Heavy Duty Oval Tank 15 Gallon KMT103

The Tuff Stuff Products 15 Gallon Heavy Duty Oval Tank is great for water and feed while being portable in trailers. Also good for planter, mixing tubs, pond and pond liner. Go green, buy recycled. Product Features: Heavy duty 15 gallon oval tank/tub 22

www.ruralking.com

I can turn it over and empty out the ice. I try to fill it with ONLY what my animals are going to drink in the morning, but even if it freezes some on the bottom, the sun will melt it and I can remove the ice cube to dry it out.
I am SO SORRY you are experiencing this! You are Really TOTALLY unprepared for it. I turn over my 110 gallon stock tank in early November, store it on it's side until mid April, when I fill it up for use again. This (above) is what I use during the winter. I cannot hammer ice out of it, but it still serves me well. I often use it when I need to isolate the horses in the pasture during the summer away from their big water tank, so that they have some water, like when I strip their shelter.

 

[AMKuska]

I've been worried about you @baymule lots of people asking for help out of Texas, and some of them are in real bad situations.

 

[baymule]

Even in a real bad situation, I’d be ok. There’s always someone worse off. If our power went off and pipes froze, we were going to scoop snow and use neighbors gas stove to melt it for the animals. LOL LOL

 

[Niele da Kine]

Resourcefulness is probably as good as preparation? Although, preparation for a disaster doesn't hurt!

Is this early in the year for lambing? Would there normally be grasses and things for them to eat when they get weaned when they're born this early? How can a doe find enough feed to support her and babies during this time of year? If they were a wild goat, that is, as a domestic goat, they have servants to bring food.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Undomesticated goats (that translates as deer) give birth later in the year when there is plenty for them to eat. That's not for the babies to eat but for the mothers to eat so they can produce milk for the babies. Nature takes care of those breeding cycles.

Humans control when domesticated deer (translates as goats) breed. Not sure why Bay chose now but in her defense this is a freak storm. I'm sure she has a logical reason for the timing.

 

[Carol Dee]

@Niele da Kine Living in Iowa I have friends that raise goats and sheep for a living. This is the time of year they give birth. They are kept in pens/barns and feed a good diet. No need to live on just what is in the pasture. By being born in Feb. they are ready for market before snow flies again.

 

[majorcatfish]

been keeping up with y'all looks like texas got<is still> a big ass whopping.....sorry

bless both your hearts for everything your doing for the animals there at <the baymule ranch> in these trying times.

it really does suck when the power goes out for a extend time. good lord we have been though it many times over the years...

the ice storm that was to drop up to 3/4" of ice never happened here the last couple day. thank goodness....
but we were prepared the best we could be.....


anyone want a bathtub of water..it's free....you haul

 

[baymule]

Before it got buried under a foot of snow and ice, I had winter rye grass and the clovers were coming on. By March, the grass is ready to start grazing and it gives me a 2 month jump before the summer grasses are ready. By March, lambs are ready to graze. I can graze them a couple days, rest the pasture for a week, then graze again. I have 3 small pastures for them and I rotate them.

I limit the sheep grazing to a few hours to start with and slowly transition them to the grass. I put out baking soda to keep them from bloating.

I have a creep feeder in the barn and the lambs are eating feed now. The oldest is 3 weeks old. They are also already eating hay. By planning for January/February lambing, they get a jump start on grazing. The grass has probably suffered a weeks worth of no growth, but will catch up once the snow melts and the sunshine hits it.


This was March 9, 2020

 

[ninnymary]

How or why did such a sweet baby goat get the name of Reject? Oh wait, did it get rejected by it's mother?

Mary