Urine soaked newspapers

[Ozark Lady]

I have 3 baby goats in the house. I was surprised with early kids this year. Add to that: variable weather, and mama rejected them, hence, won't protect them and no safe, warm place for them outside.

This doe never has nursed her babies. But she normally loves them and takes care of them, as long as I bottle them, not this year and she had triplets.

I blocked off an area on the linoleum, and covered the floor with newspapers, which are changed daily. The babies go outside on nice days and when I can be there to observe them. They haven't learned to escape as of yet!

A dog in the neighborhood just killed all of another neighbor's chickens and as far as I know hasn't been caught. It wasn't hungry, it did it for fun. Well, how much fun would chasing baby goats be? I keep them inside and safe! There is a set of twin babies with their mama, but she is taking care of her babies. And she would fight off a dog, as would my dogs, but it could be too late for these little orphans. So, they remain inside, as long as I can confine them and as long as that dog is loose.

I had boxes full of newspapers, which are being used quickly. I have the used newspapers in trash bags waiting for me to decide the best way to use them. Unfortunately, I didn't separate out the colored sheets from the black and white.

Would you just throw them in a compost pile, or would you layer them in there with dirt? They are falling apart due to being saturated. Can I just top dress beds with them, and then plant through them?

Think of 2-3 thick Sunday papers and you get the idea how much is used daily.

[tomc]

Would you just throw them in a compost pile, or would you layer them in there with dirt? They are falling apart due to being saturated. Can I just top dress beds with them, and then plant through them?

Yes to either or both.

[applestar]

I think in a colored newspaper pages discussion a while back, members stated that US newspapers are printed with soy based (nontoxic) ink, but some advertising flyers could have been printed abroad and can be suspect.

They must be so cute! ...but a lot of work. Would they be about size of small dogs?

Newspapers doesn't sound like they are absorbent enough. at this point, would you consider also using things like woodypet type compressed sawdust? Or is that bad for babies?

[Ozark Lady]

I have 2 Chihuahuas (5#) in the house and they can walk underneath the baby goats. The goats body size is a cat with long legs!

When I sit down outside, the babies come and crawl up in my lap for a cat nap, so they are small enough to fit in my lap with room to spare and I am just average sized.

They went for a walk with me yesterday, and were running and bouncing... when they walk beside me on all fours they are below my knee and when on their back legs standing up on me, just above my knee. They are typical of goats, deer etc... mostly legs!

Baby goats mouth every thing in their world. I don't know about that mat. Is it edible? I don't want hay or straw inside, my allergies are bad enough to the hay in the barn! I just really, really, need to get them to an outside stall that is secure and warm, then bed them in fresh sweet hay.

Another weather front is coming in, calling for lots of snow, we haven't had any snow this year as of yet, so we are overdue. No chance of getting anything ready for them with weather like this.

They were born on February 12th and everyday they are bigger and producing more "compost" material.

I figured that I could treat the newspaper like straw, since it has no seeds in it at all!

I honestly didn't look at the colored ads, so I can't tell you what kind they were to know if they were local or imported.

[tomc]

Utility trumps organic certification. Your kidletts will out of the kitchen soon enough.

Kids are four legs with a wiggly tail.

This is just about the only time a billy will be cute this lifetime.

Next summer you may want to make a platform you can tuck a drop-light under with a dog house on top of the platform as a mini-heated hutch for orphaned kids.

[toxcrusadr]

I would compost them, but rather than layering with dirt (which will do nothing to enhance the decomposition), mix them with something else like leaves, kitchen scraps, whatever you have.

I would not be too concerned about the inks as this is a temporary situation. IF any metallic inks are even there, the contribution to your soil will be negligible.

[Ozark Lady]

I love the hutch idea, thank you.

The kids are 2 does and a buckling. So 2 are keepers.. Cookie and Licorice... buck has no name until I see if he has a home or... not to be kept either way.


Hey, you are right about the compost, the soil on top wouldn't do much... Maybe a small bit to start the microbes?
Lots of hay from the animals and plenty of leaves around.

[estorms]

I would put that paper between the rows. When you start mowing the lawn you can cover with grass. By fall, they will be far enough gone to till in. Now, not related to the question, but you need to get those goats out of your house. Billy goat urine is very strong. You will have to take out the sub floor to get rid of the smell. A friend of mine took care of a Billy for a week while her friend was on vacation. She claimed she could still smell him in her barn fifteen years later. He may not smell yet, but when he does, it will be too late.

[Ozark Lady]

I have raised dairy goats for 26 years.
I rarely have to keep a baby goat inside longer than the first day or two.
But, there are years that I have to have them inside or lose them.

Baby goats have no odor, it is natures way to protect them from predation. The newspapers are wet, but not overly smelly. The kids just aren't that mature at this point. The newspapers are changed regularly and not urinated on over and over.

[Ozark Lady]

Well, no more urine soaked newspapers will be accumulating.

The baby goats learned how to jump over the child gate, and at 3am I was awakened with baby goats strolling the house!

I would put them up and before I could walk away, they were out again. I turned all lights out and just sat by them, until they finally went to sleep.

Today they are outside in a pen.

I went to check on them, and they were gone... just gone.
I looked all around, expecting them to come running... nothing.
I listened and heard only the twins, no sign of the triplets.

Hubby looked pen over, they were definitely not in there, then he began a search. Finally, he called in the 'army'... the grandkids... all of them searched and called and looked everywhere. No evidence, no kids, no hollering. Very odd!

One grandson stated that he found how they got out of the pen.

About an hour longer and the kids were discovered... buried up in the hay in their pen, right where they were suppose to be!
Three of us checked that pen! Boy, were they hidden.

One more cold night and then, we warm up... just in time for more kids to get born! Sheesh... I have several now looking very expectant.

I hope that it doesn't mean more newspapers to compost, I was brought another full box of newspapers! So, I am ready... but I hope no more...
3 am goat chasing inside just doesn't get it... did I mention they destroyed three of my houseplants including an African violet, last night? Bad goats!

At least the three were edible ones. By 4 am I was thinking goat jerky! Grrr

[valley]

ozark lady, We have goats also, 11 of them, but we chick in the house at this time.
When we've had kids in the house, I use the paper to start the wood stove.

We have no does in milk at this time, sure miss the cheese.

Richard

[applestar]

Ozark Lady, how are they coming along? Did the very expectant does deliver? I missed your last post or I would have commented -- hilarious and not so much at the same time.

I cant imagine what you must have been feeling when you couldn't find those rascally three!

Regale us with more goat tales. I love them all.