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[KNat <knat AT sprintmail.com>]

Clansgian AT wmconnect.com wrote:
> Our approach is to forget that agribusiness ever existed and approach 
> husbandry from a completely different angle.  Given a chance, goats know far more 
> about raising goats that goat experts do.   This type of husbandry works to 
> provide the most natrual condition for goats and let them find their way and their 
> niche rather than working the goats directly.  It is similar to how the 
> organic gardener farms the soil rather than the plants with the latter following 
> naturally if given half a chance.
I appreciate your reminding us, especially new folk about the 
difference. This list was very patient with me while I integrated my 
sheep (and other lifestyle changes.) Since I started from books I was 
cookbook farming. My local support came from small farm sheep hobbiests 
(my version of goatarist.) They did not have enough animals to be 
profiting from them and spend amazing amounts of time and money, made 
off their farm, to support their sheep. They followed books like Bibles. 
They imported much of the sheep's nutritional needs and barely used 
their offerings. Any event like lambing was potentially traumatic and 
required farmer intervention w special supplements, controlled diets, 
antibiotics, invasive poking around internally, surgeries, and equipment.)
Those methods were a struggle for me and had me puzzled 'til I followed 
advice like this goat advice on this list and watched the sheep to learn 
about sheep. I've shared back with a number of those hobbiests that my 
flock has midwifes and nurseries. Isolating a ewe in the "jug" every 
book (even homesteading books) had me building defeated their flock care 
system. If I instead provide a safe area for a few pregnant ewes and a 
midwife ewe (basically clean, out of weather, with material for nests, 
and dad outside until after birthing) they handle remarkable things up 
to and including turned lambs. The older ewes coach first timers and 
return their lambs to them. I now believe those small farmers in their 
fussing and isolating to control everything about feed and temperature 
are causing much of their heartache losses at delivery. The nights of 
alarm clocks and "checking" instead of sleeping are unnecessary if 
animals live more of our lives together. Our ewes call if they want me 
(which they sometimes do even if they don't want me to do anything 
particular, that's okay.) It's not that we never lose one. But, when we 
do, it is a group effort and a group loss. It's also much less often 
than my first mentors, who accept a few losses every year. Much more 
where I choose to fit in. I only started with raising meat because I was 
concerned about the lives of commercial meat animals. It doesn't work to 
think of them as a market commodity for meat or shows. Trying to do a 
commodity model didn't fit me (but we also don't spend anywhere near the 
costs of those sheep hobbiests so it is much more affordable.)
Thanks all.

Peace,
Kathyann