Giveth and Taketh Away

Ask any farmer or homesteader about the circle of life, and they'll be sure to tell you they've seen it firsthand many, many times.  They can probably cite examples as well.  Let me add another.  As you know, kittens were born here on Tuesday.  It was wonderful, and we are all thrilled.  But there has to be a balancing, which every farmer and homesteader knows.  The circle turned again, and yesterday, I lost 8 young pullets in the rain.

Let me just say here--hybrid chickens are the STUPIDEST things on the earth.  They don't have enough sense to get out of the rain.  And they don't have enough sense to stay out of the rain, either.  It poured yesterday, thankfully (because it's been SO dry), and the pullets, who live in the coop, went outside in it.  So my husband went out and threw them back in the coop so they would stay dry.  Well, wouldn't you know it?  They went back outside immediately in the pouring rain and proceeded to stand in a large huddle.  And suffocate each other.  Not smart birds.  Needless to say, there were many losses.  When I went out there at feeding time, there were bodies all over.  Not pretty.

But the scales are balanced, I hope.  Maybe the circle can go turn for someone else.

In other news, I have started Replamin gel on my goaty people.  This is why:

Minerva

Dulcinea

Stewart

 Because they looketh like crapeth.  And that's putting it politely.  Minerva and Dulcinea have lost their black and settled into an ugly reddish brown.  Lilly is going that way.  Stewart's hair is brittle.  The only one not effected?

 

Cleo.  Probably because she sucks minerals down like it's going out of style.  Her coat is beautiful and soft like a kitten.

Currently, the regimen is: free choice minerals and copper sulfate once a week.  The minerals are Right Choice Onyx, which has a lot of copper in it: 2,500ppm.  That's way above the content in the minerals that are offered here, SweetLix  and MannaPro.  Unfortunately, it's not sold here, so I special ordered it.  I am happy with it and I believe it would be a good choice for my girls--if they would eat it consistently.  However, they do not.  This is why I added the copper sulfate regimen as well.  However, they are losing color and losing it fast, which means that all is not right with their mineral balance, and that's got me concerned.

We are in a very copper deficient area.  The girls (and Stewart) are all on hay and have been for a long time, since there were no leaves on the trees.  The hay doesn't have what the girls need.  The minerals didn't seem to be absorbed enough to make a difference.  So now I will try the gel to see if it makes a difference.  I am hoping that the gel form that the minerals are in will make the goats bodies' absorb them more readily.  It's a hope. 

If you are curious, the Replamin Plus gel is the one I am using.  The regimen is: 5ccs once a day for three days, then once 4 days later, and then once a week after that.  I will be tracking their progress to see a difference, and I will take pictures!  We'll know together if it helps. So far, I am on day two.  Cleo and Max (my mineral eaters) did not get any--I am putting them on a once a week regimen to maintain them.  Stewart, Lilly, Minerva, Dulcinea, and even little Cynthia are getting the full blown treatment (though Cynthia gets a smaller dose)  because they are all showing signs of stress.  I am hoping this works.  Wish us luck!