I'll be taking medical leave from March 7th through March 30th

I'll be happy to respond to your comments upon my return to the office.


If you are inquiring about purchasing goats, please call 704-699-3531.

I'd appreciate your prayers.
Pat Allen

Migrating Sleeping Dog Ranch Nubian website to this blog

As with my Gran' Nanny's Goat Milk Soaps website, I'm migrating my goat information to this blog. It's easier, faster, and offers affordable stats.

All I have to do is work within their design constraints and that appears to be relatively easy. Easy is good because that means FAST, too.

I'm working on managing my time better so everyone receives more attention and I spend less time on this silly computer.

 This computer has owned enough of me. I have other things to do. Join me as I reacquaint myself with life away from the computer.

See you later ... . Pat

We're all making tracks in the ice

This snow/ice storm is taxing on everyone, including me and Bob.  Sigh ... just like everyone else in this storm. We're thankful that our families are warm, safe, and comfortable.

But the babies will be warmer in the back barn. It has smaller stalls for critters that need more attention. THEY may not want the attention but they're going to get it anyway. Most everyone gets a Red Cell/Power Punch cocktail everyday along with free feed hay and feed laced with Deccox for coccidia. It pains me to lose because of these parasites.

But earlier that day before we moved a few of the ladies to the back, they were faced with a dilemma. No one had a path to their hay feeders. All the pastures were iced over. The little boys were slipping and sliding across the ice, not being heavy enough to break through. The larger boys, on the other hand, were are to break through the ice and make a few tracks to the hay. Those little guys were all over what to do then. I love watching them learn from each other. Goats are quick studies.

Husband Bob went to Bucky's pen to help out those goats by making tracks to their hay.when he noticed that the little girl goats in the next pen were watching him. Once they 'got it' that they had to break through the ice, they marched right over to their hay in their own path. These goats are so much fun.


But later that afternoon we noticed that the cold was getting to a few of them. Those are the goats that are now in the back barn. Everyone is looking better after only one night. We're thankful that we have enough shelter, hay, feed, water, and minerals for everyone.

We're lALL ooking forward to melting ice, and the mud. Oh, yes, the mud. goodie ...

More snow! Mother Nature WHAT are you thinking

Is this snow/freezing weather gonna kill pasture bugs? If yes, then OK, I'll 'happily' deal with it. BUT if not, then I'm not gonna be happy. I know you don't care, and you're gonna do what you want anyway. But I'd like to think there's a good reason for this snow/freezing weather.

We have put heat lamps in the goat barns and have just given them plenty of fresh hay and water. So they're secure. That silly horse still goes outside at times. We just brushed the dried mud off him yesterday. Hopefully, he won't roll in the snow. Stupid he's not but a horse he is.

We love living with this guy. The Husband and I have wanted horses since 1994 so we have tons of catching up to do.

When we first got him, he stayed outside for the longest time. His previous home didn't have a barn for him, so I'm thinking he was used to being outside. But when he did get comfortable inside, he stayed inside -- especially during the summer. We have 4 foot fans blowing into the common area. Silly horse, he'd put his face in the strongest wind then stand there for the longest time. He's a hoot.

OK, I've thawed out now. I'm feeling better. Should I mention, Mother Nature, that it's still snowing. Sigh ... . Thank you for the fresh, clean snow. I'll shovel that into the goat water buckets so they'll have clean drinking water. Their buckets are heated so it doesn't take too long for it to melt.

Thinking of you fondly,
GaNann of goats (aka Pat Allen)

Now that you have poop in your hand, what's next?

Somewhere in Internet land is a comment about falling in muddy pasture dirt in the chicken area. Lost it. Can't find those comments anywhere. In lieu of starting over, I'll just move on.

Last year we had several paths of rock strewn around the barn. No more falling in the chicken yard for me. I still cringe at the thought of what I had fallen into. ughhhhhhhhh. No, those clothes did NOT go into the washing machine as is. They were hosed down in the barn first. Then put in the washing machine a few days later; after I made sure no 'clumps' had dried on them. One of these days we're gonna get a heater for the barn. It's cooolllllddddd.

At the time, I didn't think about the micropisic critters in the barn mud that were crawling all over me. But my poor goats live with them 24/7. I had briefly mentioned parasites, in particular coccidia and how it had killed several goats. (I'll always be sad about this. But each goat death has lead to a process change, barn enhancement, or new/different/upgraded something.) This past snow storm has ignited the need to flatten my learning curve on fecal testing. OK. I'm on it. Fecal testing is my game. Come to find out, it wasn't as difficult as I had thought.

Now all I gotta do is conduct enough tests that I'll be an expert in identifying the parasites. Husband Bob is famous for his researching skills. He has collected the best equipment along with the most in-dept text books on parasitology. These tools should allow me to better care for my goats.

That's how I know coccidia are in the pastures. After identifying the parasites, then I had to figure out which deworming chemical to use. There's more than one for each little critter. I tested the herd not individual goats, this time. As I learn more, I'll be able to more quickly go through the herd and identify a goat's individual needs.

I'd used Corid for years and had given my poor doomed goats Corid drench, albeit it too late. Only recently have I become aware of its side effects. In searching for more information I turned to Fias Co Farms. Here's their link http://fiascofarm.com/goats/coccidiosis.htm. I also researched the Merck Veterinary Manual, and several deworming suppliers. Now I have several options for coccidia instead of only Corid, which I will not be using any more. And I have confidence in my research. I know which chemical to use and how much to use. Since most goat meds are 'off label' dosage can be tricky. But I always check with my vet before using a new anything.

After weighing several options, I've decided to feed my goats food medicated with Decoquinate through the winter months. Corid didn't work for us, maybe the parasites had built a resistance -- which happens. Now I have options for coccidia and will be more aware of which animals have the most parasites.

Now that the coccidia are being handled I get to focus on the stomach worms I found. While my goats have fewer stomach worms than they did coccidia, those little critters still need to be addressed. I'll address them, all right. My little goats will be dewormed then in 10 days I'll be conducting fecal tests again to make sure the meds are working. I'll no longer rely on watching for diarrhea or of wishing I could find out which parasites were taking over my little goats so I'd know what to do next. Checking their eyes is critical. The FAMACHA methodology helps me there. It works.

I'm still of the frame of mind that I want to care the best for my goats and not let the weak ones die out. I want to give them the best chance possible, even if that means picking up poop every day then putting in under a microscope. After all, look what Mike Rowe has done with a career of picking up poop.

Goat Frenzy

If you've ever been inside a goat frenzy, you know to extricate yourself -- and FAST. The following pictures show just how forceful a herd of goats can control of a situation.

Bentley, the horse, and I didn't have a chance. We were out muscled. Each goat weights more than 140 pounds; multiply that by nine or ten goats then you'll know how much muscle controlled this frenzy. This 'herd' clearly out-weighted us.

It all began when I fed Bentley. One goat, Sherry Red, stuck her head in his bucket. Usually I can retrieve the feed bucket with a little bit of effort; but, not this time. She was determined to get that grain; I couldn't budge her. In a heart beat e-v-e-r-y goat ran to the bucket. Their cumulative herd-think clicked in and they owned that bucket.

Silly me, I FINALLY let go. There was no way I could get that bucket. So, I grabbed my phone camera and clicked away.

Normally Bentley can control his feed but not today. His size meant nothing to the 'ladies'. Mine either. Sigh ... .

Don't worry about the goats being too slim or mistreated. They get plenty of food; you can see how fat they are. Besides, I'm with them every day. My mistake was feeding Bentley first instead of them.  Lesson learned.

Oh yes, Bentley eventually got his feed. That horse is well cared for. Me? I wear steel toed shoes. HA

Baby goat breaks his toe

Mama Crystal comforts Gene when he returned from the vet's office.

My heart breaks when one of my babies gets hurt. So naturally I scoop them up and head to the vet. Here, our 2.5 month old buck is photographed with his cast on. Luckily he only broke one tie. But a bone break still hurts.

Be on the look out for more photos of him as we turn him into a pet. He'll start by learning to be a pack goat, carrying our water with we go hiking.

The sauna is working very well.

You just gotta love this humidity. That's why I look forward to cleaning the barn every morning. Morning is the ONLY time it could be cleaned because it's the coolest time of day. Apparently I'm the only critter out there who suffers.

We have two very large fans, ceiling fans, and a gentle breeze flowing through the barn most of the time. I can always tell when it's cooler in the barn than outside. No one is in the pasture. ALL the critters are not only in the barn but they're in front of the fans.

A site to see is Bentley, our horse, with his nose in the biggest fan. Watching the air flow through his thick main makes me smile. Our vet told me how spoiled he was. One of these days I'll send her a picture of him with his nose in the fan. THAT's  spoiled horse. That's OK. he's worth it.

He's not suffering the heat. Today is Gatorade day. Gotta keep the critters hydrated. Everybody enjoys Gatorade.

gotta go,

Just returned from my morning exercise

My morning activities begin around 7:30 a.m., just like most businesses. The big barn houses our does and kids. Actually, the big barn is where the babies are born and kept until they're about three months old. With so many critters in there and the surrounding pastures, it's a challenge to keep it clean and healthy.

When we first built our big barn we put sand in as the flooring. The good thing about sand is that it doesn't harbor bacteria so the goats could live in the barn more comfortably. But, on the surface, no pun intended, what seems like a good idea caused us to dig out the barn floor every year. We've grown tired of digging.

In addition to the sand, this past winter tons of hay, poop, and other unknown materials had built up and up and up. Cleaning the barn manually, like we did last year, was no longer an option. This year we hired our favorite landscaper/land-grader and his front-end loader to help clean it. I've learned that big jobs require big tools. We could move the contaminated sand but the urine smell was deadly -- we couldn't breathe. We quickly rounded up every fan on the ranch and turned them on full-blast to give us some relief. Sigh ... . Those living conditions had to go.

Well, the barn is now clean, most of the sand it out, and the odor is, although not fragrant, it won't kill you. The trick is to clean it every day. What may take about 30 minutes a morning, if neglected for even one day, takes more than an hour. I don't have to do the math for this one. Cleaning every day is much easier. Besides, I need to check out my goats every day anyway. This gives me more time with them.


We're looking for a new flooring material. One that will be comfortable/healthy for our critters while allowing the humans to maintain it easily and quickly. Got any ideas? Please let me know.

Released new family into common area in barn

New baby is spunky, jumpy, and ready to run everywhere. This little lady is a power house. She and mama did well with the other goats and babies yesterday. Other babies checked out the new lady, with mom an inch away. Fun was had by all.

That is until ...

New baby got separated from mama. Then the squealing never stopped. Neither one of them could yell loud enough. That lasted all of about 5 minutes. but sounded like a lifetime. It's fun watching their relationships.

With this confusion between mom and baby, I put them back into their pen for the night. Do NOT want them to get separated at night. Not good.

Three days is just a bit too young to be released in the common area. More bonding is needed, along with stronger legs, voice, and self-confidence. Yes, goats need self-confidence, especially the babies.

Looking for gift ware sales firm in the southern region

We've decided to expand our market and are looking for a sales firm to pick up my line of handmade goat milk bath and beauty products. If you know of anyone in the Charlotte, North Carolina region, please let me know.

Sales firm must know gift ware industry in the southern Region with possible expansion to the west.

Independent representatives are encouraged to contact us.

Make that 16 babies

Finally Wynonna had her baby. Her first and all went well. Her instincts kicked in a bit faster then some of the other goats. Apparently she had an easy time during delivery. She had her daughter while I was at the grocery story. Thank goodness she had no complications. Even though I checked her before I left and was gone only about 2 hours, she could have gone into stress while I was gone. Enough of the 'what if's'.

We'll announce her name as soon as we come up with one. Gotta go finish feeding the barn critters.

Just got in from the Barn Sauna

What may take a spa sauna about 20 minutes to heat up took my barn about 10 minutes this morning. I was wringing wet while feeding our critters. The humidity was so overwhelming I had to stop feeding and come inside the house and cool down.

The critters seem to have adjusted quite well, though. They show no signs of stress. But then again, they have two huge fans, cool water, and shade to loaf in. After stressing out so quickly with the heat/humidity, we make an extra effort to make sure our goats and horse are comfortable.

Seeing Bentley, our horse, with his nose in the fan, his mane gently blowing in the breeze is comforting. Our vet would call him spoiled but we love this guy and want him to be as happy here as possible. After all, I'm still sucking up to him 'cause he's only lived with us for abut 6 weeks. We're still getting acquainted. But I will tell you that he is so gentle around the baby goats, it's remarkable. His foot could squash a baby but so far he's made no aggressive gestures. Actually, he's very gentle with all the goat and they can move pretty fast.

The goats, on the other hand, would suck his grain out of his mouth if they could. They are so funny. As far as staying cool, they curl up on either side of Bentley catching the wind from the fans.

Keeping the poop picked up has reduced the flies and cleaning twice a day makes the chore go fast. Now if only we could air condition the barn, I'd be as comfortable as our critters. Sigh ... .

Dairy goats for sale

Many new babies are ready to be weaned and move to their new homes. See what our goats look like at our website.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Patty, Maxene, and LaVerne have joined our merry band

I've always said that if we have triplet girls, we'd name them after the World War II trio. We've been so graced. Triplet goats are not as common as twins but we've had our share. They've been any combination of boys and girls so we feel like we've hit the jackpot with these three ladies.

Ah ... my cell phone was fried last Thursday so the photos are a bit delayed. But as soon as I get a new phone, I'll take pictures then upload them for you.

We also had a little boy born about the same time so we put all four of them together. Over the past two weeks, they've become fast buddies and are inseparable. We can't decide on a name for him. Should we call him Andrews to complete the trio's name. Or should we name him after one of their songs. I'm think Boogie Woogie or Bugle Boy.

What do you think?

Make that 15 baby goats

Two mamas delivered twins today. Even the one I didn't think was pregnant. Silly me.
Only one more doe in waiting. I'll keep you posted.

We're up to eleven baby goats

... with two more does in-waiting. Yup, I promise. This is the absolute last year that I breed this many goats. While I get great joy in working with the mamas and the babies, caring for them (a labor of love) is wearing on me. On day one (the first 12 to 16 hours) I make sure the babies get their colostrum by either milking mama then force feeding baby, or by holding baby on mama's teat for about five minutes.

I've seen too many babies become weak before getting their colostrum. To keep them healthy and on the right development track, helping them with this task is an easy fix. Colostrum is truly a magic elixir.

Having said all that, feeding them every three hours is becoming a bit too much for me, especially the night-time hours. I've asked the ladies to deliver in the mornings around 6:30 so I'll have daytime hours to help them. Naturally, there was no response but I'll keep asking.

The second night is every four hours so I divide sleep time in half. That's easier on me.

Do I have to do this? Well, yes, most of the time. In a real world, babies are standing and nursing within minutes or they die. In my barn, I do what I can to help them. As long as I personally observe the babies nursing, I'll leave them alone. But putting a little mouth on a life saving teat is a small task to ask.



I do love my goats.

Little Man moves in

Meet Little Man. He's our new horse and will be moving in Friday, March 26th.

Bob and I have wanted horses for several years but never found the time nor the right horse. That is until ... Monday. Jordan, my goat-helping-angel, mentioned that Little Man was for sale, thank you very much. The voice inside my head screamed, "Little Man! For sale!"

I remembered that husband Bob had ridden Little Man, a TWH, a while back during a visit with our vet Amy and her family. Bob and Amy rode her horses in a nearby field while the rest of us stayed in the shade.
 
Following his ride on Little Man, Bob was aglow for days, babbling about how smooth the Walker's ride was. He had fallen in love with his smooth ride. We had to get this horse before anyone else did.


I immediately called Bob to tell him that Little Man was for sale. I didn't know the facts yet but would keep him in informed. Then I talked to Amy about LM. She confirmed that he was for sale and told me the price. Without hesitation I said, "Fine, I'll take him." She asked if I was serious. "Well, of course. Does this price include delivery?"

She said that she could have him ready by Friday, if I could wait that long. Hey, it's better she come to closure by preparing him, than me rushing in. "Fine," I said. After all, health checks and current records are important.

Minutes later I called Bob back to let him know that LM would be delivered sometime Friday. Wonderful, we had wanted horses for so long, now we were getting one that we had been introduced to. Another dream is coming true.

I'll keep you posted on our progress. We have much to learn and Little Man is the horse who can do it.

Check out the view

Welcome to the arbor view. Getting the arbor up took a few years but it's there now and we love it. Isn't it nice when visions pan out.

I bought it about four years ago and had visions if it on the north side of the house. This side of the house is extremely windy so without exception every time we'd put it up, a wind would knock it down and into pieces. I got tired of rebuilding it so it just sat for a while.

Well, one thing lead to another ... rust set in just a weeeeee bit and the iron rods started warping. Sigh ... .

Welding it together was one answer and anchoring it was the other solution. Terrific! All I wanted to do is have a nice arbor leading to the secret garden. Now I've got a bigger project.

You can hardly see the welding spots and the crooked lines make it look more Art Nouveau-ish

We have so many projects out here it's hard to keep up with them. At least we were smart enough to not put a time line to all our projects. After all, the goats and soaps come first.

Goat Garden Compost

The north pasture is closed right now because we're cleaning up THE poop pile. What a mess. Maybe we ought to clean it out more than once a year. But it stinks and no one is looking forward to working with it -- including me.

We clearly need a better solution to our barn waste management. Maybe turning it into a compost. That might work.

But the main use for it will be our new garden. Yup, we're going to build a garden so the barn poop can enrich our veggies.

The two pictures show the site we've chosen. That red structure is our well house. So placing the garden in this field was a natural decision.

I'll keep you posted on our progress so please check back.