Rustic Farm's Articles
This is where we place some of our random articles. It will give some insight on how we do things at the farm and may help other farmers as well.
Articles
Feeding meat goats naturally is a hot topic among goat raisers. If you think politics is a touchy subject try debating about feeds to goat raisers. I am going to explain my experience with meat goats and show you my progression to my natural feeding program.
I started with a trio of goats a few years ago that were pet goats. They were spoiled on top quality bagged feed. They were fat and looked great, at least I thought. Even though I had wanted to be a natural goat meat farmer, I figured I would keep the same feed regimen there previous owners used. A few months in I realized that I could not raise goats this way and make money at it.
I read everything on the net and talked with many goat raisers but seemed to be more confused than ever but learned many things as well. I learned that overweight goats don't breed well and after reading some labels we wouldn't want to eat anything that feed on those chemicals.
The real reason we got into goat meat was that we loved goats and figured they would thrive on anything which is not true. Goats are quite picky and need a specific balance to be healthy. We have changed our goats diet to a healthier way and we think if you want to eat goat meat you should feed naturally. We feed a high quality mineral called Crystalyx. I believe it to be the main reason we don't have to feed bagged feed. It has all the minerals that a healthy and fast growing goat needs to survive. High quality hay and wild brows fill the diet of our goats. We feed about 8 lbs of hay per day in the winter and about 2 lbs per day in the summer. We don't grow grasses for our goats in the fields but let them brows to help control the worm population.
Not all goats will thrive on this natural system so remove the goats that are not doing well. You will spend less money this way, have healthier goats and be eating the best goat meat available. With the rising costs of feed you will be able to offer a better quality animal and make a higher profit for your farm.
You should make any diet changes to your herd slowly. One of the worse things you can do is to change a feeding regimen over night. If you are feeding bagged feed you should start by offering the hay along side of it. Then gradually over a few weeks cut back on the bagged feed while increasing the hay. You may find that your goats will lose weight if they were over weight but remember a fat goat is not a healthy goat.
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When raising goats the biggest hurdle will be parasites. First, let me inform you that goats can be raised naturally without drugs. You will find that working with medications can harm goats and cause more parasite issues.
Most goat raisers start by medicating regularly. Following models that will flip flop between wormers or just keep giving higher doses of the same wormer. Most of the time it's by the vets suggestion. You should learn to do fecal exams or have a good vet that will do them quickly for you.
Coccidia is about the hardest to handle and will put a goat down quickly. Most strong adult goats will contain an immunity to coccidia but may pass it on to young goats. It is most easily caught when there is unsanitary wet conditions. You can prevent and treat with mustard seed, pumpkin seed, clover, and garlic. Most of the stomach worms can be easily controlled by using Diatomaceous Earth regularly. It will cause small cuts on the worms and dry them out. It also has a host of minerals that a healthy goat needs. Wormwood is another natural goat wormer that will aid in removing worms. It's an herb you can grow indoors or out doors and feed to your goats.
The easiest way to raise a healthy herd is to stop buying goats, keep a closed herd and cull hard. When dealing with worms don't bring in new goats they will have different resistance's and can throw things off. If you find that you have some goats that need to be medicate often they are either not getting the right minerals or they should be culled.
Another thing to keep in mind is that goats will have worms and you are not trying to get rid of them all. You are trying to keep your goat healthy and in balance. If you have sick goat and they have a worm infestation they may die if wormed hard. Having many worms dyeing off at the same time causes a chemical to form in the stomach and that can kill your goat.
By feeding goats good hay (get your hay tested), giving them a mineral such as Crystalyx for goats, allowing them to eat browse and giving them clean water will make life easier and healthier.
A good practice to get into, is to look at there the inner eye lids (FAMACHA test). Depending on the color of the inner eye lid you can find out if you need to worm harder or that things are going well. Perform this test daily on a few random goats then do all of them when its feet trimming day.
Give your goats Diatomaceous earth daily in water or on hay. Black strap molasses (top dress hay or use as a drench) has many minerals and will give your goats a boost. These supplements will take longer to show results so start this before you have a worm infestation. Remember worms don't want to kill there host they live off of them so try and keep a balance. If your goat is dying it has a secondary issue, could be from poor house keeping, pneumonia, or a host of other issues. You can raise goats naturally and learn to control goat parasites
What works for one farm may not work for another so a variation may be needed. No one knows "the steps to raise goats" although there are things that need to be done. Make sure you supplement with quality minerals such as Crystalyx, good hay, clean water and clean environment. So get natural, only keep the healthiest goats and you will have a healthy herd in months to come.
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Why Natural Goat's Milk Soap is a better choice. Regular soap is actually called “detergent bars” they are made to remove dirt and oil from your skin. Today's people have a higher rate of skin issues like psoriasis, eczema, acne, dandruff and other skin ailments. Most of this is caused by the chemicals used in these soaps. When we wash ourselves with them we strip ourselves of oils that benefit our skin. Natural Goat's Milk Soap will not do this to you. It will clean your body without stripping your skin and add essential oils to keep your skin healthy.
Psoriasis plagues many people in the world today and worsens by using regular soaps. My daughter has suffered from psoriasis all through her childhood and it wasn't until she used our Goat's milk soap exclusively that is has virtually gone away. I am confident that with use of our Natural Goat Soap that others with psoriasis can possible receive relief or even rid of it after a few weeks of using our soap.
I myself suffered from bad dandruff/dry scalp since I was a young child and when stressed or participated in extreme sports it would worsen. My parents at the time bought many brands and types of shampoos, medications and doctor recommended drugs to try and remedy the problem but nothing at all worked for very long until I started using our Goat's Milk Soap as a shampoo. I haven't had any dandruff/dry scalp issues since I started using it as a shampoo.
Natural Goat Milk Soap has also gotten great reviews from women who use it to aid them when they shave there legs. They tell us that they don't have to use any moisturizer after shaving and will never use anything else.
Switching to Natural Goat's Milk Soap will get rid of just about any skin ailment you may have. There is no need for expensive moisturizer's, medications, or chemicals. Live clean and natural and your body will thank you for it.
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Goat milk soap is growing in popularity with the green movement because it is more natural and organic than commercially sold soaps. However, milk soaps particularly goat milk soap has been heralded for generations for its beauty and healing properties. Many people make their own soaps to assure they are pure but these soaps can be bought and are easily found on the internet, pharmacy or in grocery retail chain.
Goat milk soap can be made with fresh, canned or powdered goat milk. Most of these soaps come in bar form but you can make or purchase a goat milk body wash which contains the same formula in liquid form. Body washes are often preferred as they lather more easily and tend to leave fewer residues but many prefer the bar as the truer soap form.
When deciding to purchase goat milk soap it is desirable to find soap made in a small controlled batch as it is more likely to be organic and assure a quality product. A small controlled batch will often offer more natural ingredients without detergent, alcohol or chemicals that are often found in commercially sold soaps.
If you prefer to make your own goat milk soap there are many recipes available. There is an investment in time, supplies and space to assure that your soap making venture turns out a usable product. Many local farms and colleges offer soap making classes that will teach you how to mix your formula, place it in molds and dry it into a finished product. If you chose to make your own goat milk soap you will have the quality control to assure you are indeed using an organic product.
If you decide to purchase your product seeking a bar or body wash made from fresh milk will net you the most benefits of goat milk soap. This is because the fresh milk will contain the highest percentage of nutrients. These nutrients include: fat, protein, vitamins, minerals and lactic acid among other properties. These nutrients can be used to treat a number of different skin conditions.
Skin conditions include but are not limited to acne, dryness, itching, odor and dull skin tone. The protein in the milk is said to kill bacteria which is very helpful with clearing acne and reducing odor. It contains the lactic acid that sloughs off the dead skin creating an exfoliating effect eliminating dull skin and creating a natural glow. There is a natural cream in the milk that moisturizes the skin this is thought to be more intense in goat milk because of the high level of cream found in the milk. The PH levels are also the same as a human level so it is less likely to dry the skin.
Additives can be added to goat’s milk soap to increase the benefits further. These can include oatmeal, Aloe Vera, essential oils or other moisturizing oils. These additives will intensify the benefits of goat milk soap but they are not necessary to reap the benefits of goat milk soap.
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