Frank White

Hi all.  One of our goats, a 3 year old Nubian, started having a hard time getting up from laying position several weeks ago.  All 5 of our goats were due for a worming so I administered the Cydectin as prescribed to all goats, as well as a few daily injections of Flunixin for her to see if she improved.  The goat's situation seemed to improve for a few days, however it ended up getting worse again to the point where we had to have the vet come out.  Vet seemed to believe it was nervous system related, since the left rear leg didn't seem to want to move voluntarily.  He gave her a steroid injection (Medrol) and said to give it a week.  I separated her from the other 4 goats and the donkey because they were picking on her.  I wonder if one of them may have hurt her to the point where she won't recover.  It's hard to tell for sure but her situation seems to be improving, albeit SUPER slowly.  In the last two weeks she has gone from not wanting to try to get up at all, to trying her best to get up off the ground (but can't).  The rear leg still is not strong enough to hold up her rear end so I have to tend to her every few hours so she is able to squat and urinate (I hold her up).  She is still eating, drinking, pooping, and peeing (when I hold her up) but I wonder how long I should give her until I know for sure if she can/will be able to stand again.  She is able to stand up if i help her but she still has trouble controlling the rear left leg.  

Is there any chance that this could be Lyme disease?  We have deer ticks around here, and our dog has tested positive for Lyme.  He had some lameness in one of his legs which the Doxy treatment seemed to remedy.  The vet didn't seem to think it was Lyme but it seems like something we could at least try to treat before giving up hope.  Anyone else have issues with Lyme in goats?

Hi all.  We are interested in getting guidance and feedback from individuals that have implemented arrangements for "help" (terminology intentionally vague), and also looking for interested folks to convince me why we would allow someone to live on our property, either short term or longer.  I have a full time job that takes care of bills and insurance, and my wife works occasionally which brings additional income.  We have had our place about 2 years now and are outlining some of our potential income opportunities on the farm.  While I truly enjoy farm chores and taking care of the homestead until dark or later most evenings, we may need an additional set of hands or two if we are to get ahead and generate income, either passively or actively.  We have plenty of land, water, sunshine, barns, fenced pasture, easy accessibility to a major city (Asheville), and just about anything else a homesteader could dream of.  

What I'm looking for I guess is reassurance that if we were to enlist help from one or more humans, that we are focusing on what will start generating income for us.  And if you are searching for an arrangement in Western NC, let us know what skills you possess that can help us generate income and achieve some of our goals.  We are friendly folks, but we're not looking for someone to live in our house, and not really looking for more mouths to feed, or juveniles that need babysitting.  

Some possible opportunities include:
- Renovating Airstream trailer that is on the property.  This could be used to generate passive income for rentals, and also be used as guest quarters.  If someone wanted to live in it while renovating, or in a tent,camper,etc. near it, we would consider an arrangement that was beneficial to both parties.  
- Renovating (or demolishing completely) a singlewide trailer on the property.  Also looking for rental income and/or guest quarters.  Same sort of arrangement as the Airstream.
- Food crops.  We have plenty of water, sunshine, and animal manure to continue building on the gardens that I have started and are already producing food.  Market gardening or specialty food crops are possible options for income here.  
- Christmas trees.  Again, plenty of sunshine and water but would need extra sets of hands to get it up and running.
- Hemp.  Depending on how some of the current legislative issues pan out federally and also within North Carolina, we have what should be good land for up to a few acres of hemp.  
- Animals.  We have some ducks, goats, chickens, donkeys, etc. and have plenty of fenced area and living quarters to expand any of these flocks but would need help if we were to try to do anything of scale for meat, egg, fiber purposes.  This farm used to have several dozen sheep and a dozen or two pigs each season under the previous owner.  

Comments and inquiries are welcome!

Frank

Wow.  So many great ideas!  I need to enlist the help of another set of strong arms and see if we can put this thing together.  The Cool Bot answers one of the question I had in my head about how much it would take to climate control the box.  I have a barn where I can store it until its purpose becomes known.

Thanks everyone!
Frank

Hi all!  With the purchase of our land we inherited a walk in cooler.  It is separated into its various parts (sides, floor, etc) and I have not tried to put Humpty Dumpty back together to verify all of the shell exists.  The various pieces appear to be in decent condition.  I'm wondering if I should try and sell this to get some cash or if there is a better creative use for this.  I have been thinking of using it for things like a mushroom cultivation "box", or something like a seed vault.  We have an old root cellar on the property and I also though about putting the cooler together inside the root cellar to provide for extra protection against varmints while reconstructing the root cellar, which is somewhat in shambles (needs new roof).  

I really could use the extra cash but I have no idea how much I could get for something like this.  

Thoughts?

Frank

Thanks R!  We were wondering if we added another wether or two if she would shut the he11 up.  Maybe it would make her feel more relaxed and less stressed?  We have plenty of room but are trying to grow the herd slowly and not take on too much responsibility, but if adding another male or two will shut her up, we're probably up for it.  

For the record, we would be heartbroken if we lost any of the other 4 but I would have ZERO sadness processing that goat.  If she was a wild animal making that much racket she would have become dinner a few months ago.  

Hi all.  We acquired our first goats this year and everything is going smoothly with the exception of one thing.  The matriarch of the herd of 5 has a bad habit of yelling at me constantly.  Our herd consists of:

- 1 French Alpine (about 5 months old),
- The mamma Nubian (3 years old) and her two kids (now 4 or so months old)
- An unrelated bottle baby Nubian (6 weeks old)

Annie (the mom) bleats almost constantly, although she is provided with all a goat could ask for.  I move them from their home base paddock, which has plenty of good browse, to other bountiful browsing paddocks regularly.  I provide them with fresh water throughout the day and they actually have their choice of running spring water or warm water i fill into a bucket.  Both of her kids seem content and healthy.  She herself seems healthy overall and shows no signs of illness (that i can tell).  If i walk into their paddock she quiets almost immediately and begins browsing.  

The incessant bleating is making us consider getting rid of her, and it's becoming temping to start looking up goat recipes.  

Any ideas that don't involve butchering?  I'm starting to hear that goat's voice in my sleep.  

Frank

Hi all.  We are looking to acquire some animals in the spring and are thinking of goats and/or sheet, some fowl of some sort chickens/guineas/ducks, possibly some rabbits, and maybe even a pig or two.  We have plenty of fencing in place (after i patch a few spans that have had trees fall on them), and we have plenty of barn space.  Water is also not going to be a problem since this was a working farm in the 2000s; it's just been sitting for a while.  I have some electric mesh netting that I intend to use for rotational grazing where I can.  

#1 - Can anyone recommend breeds that would thrive in our area of western NC?
   - Sheep or goats would be expected to tame some of the brush that's been growing wild the last 10 years or so.  We have a lot of wild blackberries and multi-flora roses.  We also have fallow pasture that to me looks like there's actually pretty good base of pasture grass.  Bonus points if we can harvest the animal for meat down the road.
   - Fowl would be expected to provide eggs and also eat bugs, especially ticks.  
   - Rabbits would provide compost and meat for me, and entertainment for the children (not in that order :)).
   - Pigs would provide entertainment for us and also help us create disturbances in the pasture, the Joel Salatin way.  

#2 - Does anyone actually have any animals that are for sale?  I'm interested in healthy animals that are raised mostly on pasture.  

Thanks in advance!
Farmer Frank

John, thanks for turning me on to the state nurseries.  I may end up trying to order some from Iowa since it looks like I could get 25 for $16.  The NC nursery has a decent selection of hardwoods, but no elderberries.  I may order some of those River Birches though; we love them.  

Hugo, thank you for the suggestion to find the cuttings.  Finding someone who can give me a ton of cuttings would be great, if i can find someone that has some themselves, or knows where some are wild.  

Thanks!
Frank

Hi all. I’d love to get a hold of some elderberry cuttings, anywhere from a dozen to a hundred or two. I’m in Western NC near Asheville. Anyone know who to talk to for that?

Thanks Mike. It’s quite the inheritance indeed, along with many other cool things we’ve found in our new homestead. I’ll check those links. Thank you!