Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Buddy Update and Janice's milk production

Buddy is doing better. I almost can't believe it. He is up and walking, eating hay and grazing on the pasture. He is drinking milk and some water.

He had 5 days of Albon. Our new order arrived yesterday but we decided to give his body a break from antibiotics for 48 hours to see how he does.

We also weighed him last night. He weighs 32 pounds. He has gained weight through his illness and that is wonderful!

Also, whatever has happened to Janice through this last pregnancy and kidding season has been a wonderful blessing. This is Vet2B's fancy 6* milking doe that didn't seem to ever produce much milk. Yesterday morning she gave 8 pounds, 7 ounces. Last night she gave 8 pounds 11 ounces. She has small teats that are nearly impossible to milk when she is producing that much milk, so we use the milker at every milking. Last year we were lucky to get 4 pounds from her at any milking.

The things that changed this year are that Janice had twin bucklings, she lost weight before the pregnancy, is grazing very well after the pregnancy, and is taking a multi-vitamin and vitamin C every day. She looks very good. I think she is about 7 years old, but you wouldn't know it by looking at her on the outside.

Janice was raised at a dairy and then spent some time at a friend's home before she came to us. The friend taught her how to get milked by hand and how to be around people. We finished the job here. Because she was at the dairy and then at our friend's home, she had never grazed before. She had to learn that last summer at our place. This will be her second summer with us and it looks like she is doing very well.

Tuesday (May 25) was the first day all the kids (except Buddy) were in the dry lot away from their moms. They yelled most of the day, of course. But they are eating and drinking and doing fine. Someone is coming to pick up one of Janice's bucklings today, and someone else is coming this week to pick up Gingers doelings.

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