Spring tasks on the farm

Every spring here on the farm means alot of work LOL.

Around this time every year we have to do our annual shots and wormings for all the animals. The donkeys and ponies get their shots every couple of months and shots once a year. The goats and sheep usually get theirs once every spring and then we worm them again in a week to ensure all the worms are out of their systems. Its an all day job, doing 100 or so animals. 

First we start out with a band castrator for all the little boy babies. The baby goat get a tetnus shot first to before we band him.

The green rubber bands fit overtop the little arms on the castrator. Then we exspand the bands with the handle and it goes right over the little boy goat parts :0). It hurts a bit but soon goes away due to the circulation being cut off. I know it sounds cruel but its part of farm life. The vet actually recomended us to cut the testies out with a sergical knife. We dont care to do it that way however. Its pretty gross.

These bands are also used to put on the baby lambs tails to dock them. Sometimes we will do that but We are trying to stay away from that since we think its not needed and inhumane.

This is what it looks like after the boy baby has been banded.

Here we have our antibiotics. Given to goats who look like they have colds or if we see anyone with some sort of infection. Its hard to keep up with the goats when they get sick. Sometimes we will overlook one in the group of 100. So doing this every year is a great way for us to look over every animals health.

This goat had a runny nose which means a cold. So he is given a shot by my mom.

Here is our goat and sheep wormer. And the yellow think is called a drench gun. It sucks up the medication like a syringe. It is then stuck down the throat a bit to ensure the goat or sheep doesnt spit any of it out. 

Here we are worming a goat.

Each goat is caught seperetely. Sometimes chased LOL. Next year we hope to have a run in shoot so it will make this job alot easier!

This is a goat Dehorner. The worst part! I hate watching it and I choose not to show the pictures of it being done as it it upsetting. This is a hopt iron which is used to burn the baby goats horn buds so they wont grow horns. The reason we do this is for the goats and the kids in the petting zoo's safety. Last week we actually had a goat accident here on the farm due to his horns getting caught in the electric fence. He was electricuted but he was ok. So Dehorning in the long run is better for all goats!

And the last job is to trim hooves. Which my dad was in charge of. Their hooves can get very overgrown. We have little shears which resemble prunning shears to do the job. The goat is put on its back and all 4 feet are done. If we get the shoot we are wanting it would make this job alot easier as well! And not as back breaking.As sometimes the goat doesnt want his feet done and will pitch a fit. They are stronger than you think! LOL

After everything is done. We smell like the barn and I couldnt wait to take a shower LOL. Im so glad this is just a yearly job!