tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post787868108707932153..comments2024-03-28T14:37:45.575-04:00Comments on 5 Acres & A Dream: Adventure of the Week: ElvisLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-42071106292821636532013-02-20T13:39:30.587-05:002013-02-20T13:39:30.587-05:00Oh man..... This is why I disbud. I had a horrifyi...Oh man..... This is why I disbud. I had a horrifying incident as a child with a goat that had it's head in the fence and that was all the convincing I needed. <br /><br />Good thing you were there to free him and I must say, I laughed out loud that once you made sure he was ok, you broke out the hoof trimmers and vaccinations! LOL * Crystal *https://www.blogger.com/profile/05747729287507332288noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-73002957692028859212013-02-12T05:57:45.576-05:002013-02-12T05:57:45.576-05:00Michelle, maybe we should!
Jen, thanks, LOL. I&#...Michelle, maybe we should! <br /><br />Jen, thanks, LOL. I've learned to make the best of my situations. :)<br /><br />Sandra, thanks.<br /><br />Donna, a bucket stuck on her head, oh how funny! Not for the cow of course. It is a dilemma about what to do. Good reasons on both sides of the horn issue.<br /><br />TL, I need to see a a photo of that. Of course, catching Elvis and him allowing us to do that .......<br /><br />Kev, I'm not familiar with sheep so it's interesting to hear folks; stories about them. I love cattle panels because they are portable and sturdy. They can be a problem however.<br /><br />Jocelyn, good to hear from you! Unfortunate about the botched disbudding job. Actually one of the reasons Dan is so much against it, is from a YouTube video. He was researching how to disbud and came across a video showing somebody (who didn't know what they were doing) burning a hole through the kid's skull. Our Buck Gruffy has grown small scurs from his disbudding, but they've been knocked off several times playing with Elvis. I can't help but wonder if the same would have happened if he still had horns. <br /><br />Al, thank you and welcome! That's exactly what I should do. Probably the easiest solution for now. :) <br />Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-71514234291580112392013-02-11T23:14:51.338-05:002013-02-11T23:14:51.338-05:00Leigh, I'm new to reading you blog. My questio...Leigh, I'm new to reading you blog. My question I have is this: Could you place/wire tie a strip of chicken wire or smaller square roll of wire panel at head height to discourage this from happening?<br /><br />AlAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07861327680058416378noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-43672076235633691552013-02-11T14:51:55.476-05:002013-02-11T14:51:55.476-05:00I would have done the same--all the maintenance wh...I would have done the same--all the maintenance while he was in a "good" position, LOL. I have one goat with a horn and a half. She was disbudded as a kid, but they grew back and by the time we got her, they were really big and it would have been cruel and expensive to dehorn. She gets stuck from time to time as well. Jocelynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14823007336688773304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-76636310614780009372013-02-11T02:59:52.491-05:002013-02-11T02:59:52.491-05:00We used to get sheep stuck like this but with no h...We used to get sheep stuck like this but with no horns, but if you got close to them they'd panic themselves free. Whereas otherwised they'd just stay and die with their head stuck in a hole! I like the fact you did your jobs on him before you let him go!Kev Alvitihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04992625860900617194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-14898443528239271872013-02-11T01:17:42.097-05:002013-02-11T01:17:42.097-05:00Many times I have had to twist a goat back out of ...Many times I have had to twist a goat back out of the fence, ones that are a constant problem get the PVC pipe / duct tape treatment. The problem with their horns are they are pliable enough to squeeze thru panel but you have to push horns together to get them back out, with only 2 hands it's hard to do. Try the pipe / tape solution on him usually by the time the duct tape wears off their horns have either grown more and won't fit thru fence or they give up thinking they can't do it.Tombstone Livestockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07022776395762826903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-71311056165149218062013-02-09T23:38:07.582-05:002013-02-09T23:38:07.582-05:00Leigh, hmmmm. I hate to think what "tasks&quo...Leigh, hmmmm. I hate to think what "tasks" you might complete on your hubby should he ever get his head caught in a fence one day!<br /><br />We stopped dehorning our calves three years ago. Hated the smell and the obvious pain they endured.Every once in a while a cow will walk up to the barn with abucket stuck on her head but no other issues. We are the only longhorn herd on the Central Illinois Plains but we are used to being the odd farmer out. Donna OShaughnessyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08266654110280149719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-34813626578705914212013-02-09T20:08:40.114-05:002013-02-09T20:08:40.114-05:00You used the time wisely; well done! You used the time wisely; well done! Thistle Cove Farmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15722295191884810953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-77633971296167976212013-02-09T18:15:15.648-05:002013-02-09T18:15:15.648-05:00Way to go Leigh! What an adventure. I love how you...Way to go Leigh! What an adventure. I love how you busted out moves to not only free him but used his condition to admin some vet care too. Awesome!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16711169722488606559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-67703175924786429242013-02-08T22:19:32.083-05:002013-02-08T22:19:32.083-05:00LOL! We should start a campaign to make Rhinehart ...LOL! We should start a campaign to make Rhinehart correct their terminology! :-DMichellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16852320721216631639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-39103464868499159082013-02-08T17:34:55.927-05:002013-02-08T17:34:55.927-05:00Laura, hmm. What direction do you tape it, from ho...Laura, hmm. What direction do you tape it, from horn to horn? The problem though, will be him letting me do it, LOL<br /><br />Janice, I knew what you meant. ;)<br /><br />Veronica, thank you so much for your comment. I cannot tell you what an encouragement it is to me. I'm familiar with the video you mention and even have the website bookmarked, but I've yet to actually sit down and watch it. I'll have to finally make that a priority. :) I'm a huge believer in mulch too! It is available from tree services here, but it's pricey. We do rent a chipper periodically and make our own from our own brush. I use leaves too. Somehow though, it's never enough, LOL. So glad to hear you have the dream. I hope it comes true for you soon.<br /><br />Michelle, thanks for the verification on the terms. What doesn't help, is that the Rhinehart disbudder, which is so popular with goat folks, actually calls their's a dehorner. Whatcha gonna do?Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-16932278019797717092013-02-08T16:05:59.142-05:002013-02-08T16:05:59.142-05:00Oh my!!! I literally laughed out loud when I read ...Oh my!!! I literally laughed out loud when I read that you siezed the moment and took care of his hoof trim, etc! Smart girl! Hahahahaha!!! :-D<br /><br />Your definitions about disbudding/dehorning are correct. I am with you. Going into goats I thought disbudding was cruel and unnecessary. God gave them horns for a reason! Then I met my goat mentor. She shared my initial view. Her very first year with goats she was holding a kid that had hopped into her lap when it threw back it's head at just the right(wrong?) angle. It's 3+" horn rammed up her nose and nearly ripped out the nostril. She said she's never felt pain like that in her life, and she really expected the nostril to be torn because it hurt so badly, and of course, bled like crazy. That was her turning point. You can build expensive fences, mangers, etc. that protect the animals from getting their horns caught, but there is still the risk of accidents. That changed my mind. I will not even allow a horned goat on my property because of it.<br /><br />I have yet to disbud a goat myself, though I do expect to learn how eventually. For now my goat mentor does them for me. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the kids scream and fight over being restrained much more than the actual disbudding. It is true that within a minute of it being over they are running around happily.Michellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16852320721216631639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-7460811630389281682013-02-08T14:19:08.935-05:002013-02-08T14:19:08.935-05:00Hi Leigh
I recently discovered your blog and fina...Hi Leigh<br /><br />I recently discovered your blog and finally am all caught up thanks to the archives. I absolutely love reading your posts.<br /><br />I don’t have the 5 acres yet, but I do have the dream. I live in a very urban area and dream of one day having some land of my own. Somewhere where it is peaceful and I can be more connected to nature and live more simply. In the mean time I am reading as much as I can to learn and saving money like crazy.<br /><br />Your posts are entertaining and informative and often also help us all to really think about our lives and this world. I appreciate that you are honest about your experiences and also how you share the resources you have used, always citing books, websites, etc. I enjoy and appreciate all the pictures, and your “how to” posts whether for making cheese or determining protein quantities for animal feed are written so clearly that I always understand, even the math stuff! Another wonderful thing is the community you have created on your blog. I often learn from the comments too!<br /><br />Beyond thanking you, I also wrote because as I’ve been reading about your gardening efforts I keep thinking about a resource which may offer some ideas to you. You probably already know about it, but there is a video (free to watch online) called “Back to Eden” It is religious in nature, which may or may not matter to you, but has great information about a different approach to gardening.<br /><br />I see you’ve made progress when it comes to mulching (pulling the mulch onto the paths for when you sow seeds, then moving it back once they sprout) Back to Eden basically puts forth the idea that nature does not leave the ground bare. The man featured in the documentary, Paul Gautschi, essentially mulches everything, paths included, in a very thick layer. Then he sows in the mulch (if it’s been left over the winter) or simply digs down till earth is reached and sows there. Then once the plant comes up he puts the mulch closer around it. I highly recommend watching the video as my explanation doesn’t really do it justice. It can be found at backtoedenfilm.com<br /><br />Also I thought of you because Paul Gautschi has local tree trimming services that deliver their chipped wood for free that he uses to mulch. Maybe that would be possible for you in your area.<br /><br />Thanks again for sharing your experiences.<br /><br />VeronicaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-49208888464535093262013-02-08T14:01:32.747-05:002013-02-08T14:01:32.747-05:00Oops . . . I didn't mean to imply only the mal...Oops . . . I didn't mean to imply only the male kids were debudded, she debuds all the baby goats.CaliforniaGrammyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05137556336315915924noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-48708525842947268332013-02-08T13:59:21.664-05:002013-02-08T13:59:21.664-05:00Oh my gosh, those are big horns! We don't have...Oh my gosh, those are big horns! We don't have goats, but our granddaughter has a herd of six dairy goats. When a male kid is dropped she debudds then at a very early age and it seems cruel but the pain seems to last only a few minutes and then the cute little goat is off running with its siblings as if nothing happened. <br /><br />My favorite part of your story is the fact that you took advantage of the situation and tended to those grooming and vaccination chores before setting him free . . . hilarious!CaliforniaGrammyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05137556336315915924noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-20233086978870684192013-02-08T13:25:00.153-05:002013-02-08T13:25:00.153-05:00You can duct tape a 1 ft. section of 1" pvc t...You can duct tape a 1 ft. section of 1" pvc to his horns - with that, he won't be able to get his head through the panel. I had lots of experience with this with horned ewes and does. While the ewes' horns weren't as long, and they could have pulled them out, they didn't until I closed off their breathing with my hand - then they popped their heads out right quick. I got tired of cutting panels to get them out. The pvc works really well.Laurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08421589409738817614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-13791678304903259562013-02-08T12:47:58.359-05:002013-02-08T12:47:58.359-05:00Stephanie, having animals is exactly like having a...Stephanie, having animals is exactly like having a bunch of toddlers around, LOL<br /><br />Buttons, thank you, hello, and welcome. I agree that adult animals should never have their horns cut off. Dan though, doesn't even want to do it with a disbudding iron when they're babies. We may always have horned goats. :)Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-21009654999590685262013-02-08T12:13:24.306-05:002013-02-08T12:13:24.306-05:00Oh poor Elvis but all's well that ends well. W...Oh poor Elvis but all's well that ends well. We have coyotoes here but none of our cattle have horns it is safer that way for us but I do agree with your husband it is hard (cruel) on the animal to cut them off. Should have been done when he was young. Our cows are polled. Interesting blog.<br />I love goats. BButtons Thoughtshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05029439906543077861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-47857646357937862412013-02-08T11:40:26.482-05:002013-02-08T11:40:26.482-05:00Sneaky you, getting in all that "goat mainten...Sneaky you, getting in all that "goat maintenance" while he was hung up :) Seems to me, most critters are like having toddlers around again.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-90991133969408640592013-02-08T10:44:46.057-05:002013-02-08T10:44:46.057-05:00Mama Pea, I'm wondering what we'll do if w...Mama Pea, I'm wondering what we'll do if we have kids this spring. I'd still like to disbud for all the reasons you mention, but I'm not sure Dan will go along with it. <br /><br />Debbie, I think Gruffy was saying, "pay attention to Me! Not him." :)<br /><br />Martha, he is a good looker. We're hoping he and my Nubian girls make good looking babies too. :)<br /><br />Renee, afterwards I thought about tying some welded wire fencing to it. THat's what I do to cattle panels I don't want chickens getting through. I should probably put that on my to-do list.<br /><br />Lisa, I'm assuming that by dehorning, you actually mean disbudding, based on what you describe. I know not everyone does, but I differentiate between the two. To me, disbudding is the burning of the horn buds before the horns actually begin to grow. I consider dehorning to be the surgical removal of horns on an adult animal, or one that has horns growing. Most vets will refuse to do it anyway, but I've heard some horror stories about folks trying to saw off horns. Our Pygmy was disbudded as a kid, but has scurs (for those who aren't familiar, scurs are the remnants of horns that grow after disbudding). He's had the scurs knocked off a couple of times and what a bloody mess that was, as you can imagine.Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-29461877786660167192013-02-08T10:34:09.341-05:002013-02-08T10:34:09.341-05:00dehorning only takes a minute or 2 when they are 1...dehorning only takes a minute or 2 when they are 10-14 days old, they scream at being restrained but always come back to be petted as soon as released, I think about cost of panel too that has to be cut up versus a few minutes of burnt smell that they don't remember anyway, as for protection they can still slam into someone without horns to protect if necessaryLisa Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15648485087571625919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-6245805977822049342013-02-08T10:26:26.135-05:002013-02-08T10:26:26.135-05:00wondering if you could weave some wire or somethin...wondering if you could weave some wire or something into the cattle panels to make the squares smaller but leave the ones near the bottom so the chickens can still get through? <br />Although having Elvis stuck like that helped with the necessary upkeep. ;)Renee Nefehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08167893445846427824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-87086116455836630872013-02-08T10:18:51.043-05:002013-02-08T10:18:51.043-05:00Very clever of you to to take advantage of the sit...Very clever of you to to take advantage of the situation and get all the goatie chores taken care of. Elvis is a beauty or should I say handsome guy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-329383239204969942013-02-08T10:01:34.686-05:002013-02-08T10:01:34.686-05:00Poor guy! You handled it great, and nice to have t...Poor guy! You handled it great, and nice to have the fence help with the tricky hoof-trimming and vaccination. I giggled at the description of Gruffy's "help". DebbieBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00508692845369401119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-65783668669782540672013-02-08T09:44:22.221-05:002013-02-08T09:44:22.221-05:00I will side with you all the way on not wanting go...I will side with you all the way on not wanting goats to have horns, Leigh. <br /><br />In this particular situation, had you not seen the situation, Elvis could be dead Elvis. If he had been panicky, you could have been seriously injured trying to help him. Those horns are lethal weapons. <br /><br />Although a goat with a good personality would never intentionally hurt a handler, the horns could inflict a very serious injury . . . accidentally. It's too much of a risk. <br /><br />I know you and your hubby could hardly be more conscientious, but think how you'd feel if somehow, someway a child was visiting (possibly without permission!) and was injured by those horns? You'd never forgive yourself. <br /><br />I understand it's not my place and I have no right to tell another person what to do (and please know that's not my intention here), but seeing those horns on Elvis sends chills up and down my spine. Mama Peahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03649357184167949247noreply@blogger.com