Pygmy Goat

Hi I wonder if anyone has experience of a Pgymy Goat that doesn't want to eat. She went off her food very suddenly and although she appears to be interested in whatever she's offered she refuses everything. With the exception of Ivy (which she eats ravenously). The vet has given her various antibiotics, steriods, vitamins. She is having Vetrumex daily to stimulate her gut and is now having a nutritional drench as well. She is getting very weak. Any suggestions at all would be greatly appreciated. She is a lovely lady and we hate to see her like this.

Reply: With regard to your goat which is off her food, I have a variety of suggestions that you could try.

First of all, has anybody checked the inside of the goat's mouth? There could be a problem with teeth, the throat itself or an infection of the parotid glands (salivary). I would expect the goat to be salivating if that is the case but it should be checked. The parotid glands can be felt at the angle of the jaw on the outside of the cheek. If they are swollen, they will present as a soft swelling. This could be on one or both sides. Does the goat have bad breath and is she cudding at all?

Once investigations into the above have been carried out - or indeed during this time - try to offer her soft foods such as banana, grapes, oatmeal "porridge" sweetened with honey, steamed soft hay or "spring" grass which you may be able to find underhedgerows or even on your garden lawn.

You do not say whether she has any scour or whether she is passing urine regularly and properly.

Has she been regularly coming into season through the winter or even if she is pregnant?

Has she kidded in the last 12 months?

When was she last wormed and with what?

Has the vet blood tested her for Johnes Disease?

If you can answer these questions accurately, then it might be possible to make progress.

Please feel free to email me direct on castlemilkmoorit@aol.com.

Felicity Stockwell.

Other suggestions on the forum included copper deficiency and also using Blue Chip Horse Feed to encourage her to eat! Go to the forum in May's Smallholder for full details.

Hebridean ewes

When can I re-introduce a ram to Hebridean Ewes without the fear of any lambs?

Reply: You can't! Not unless the ram has been vasectomised. Left running with ewes long enough and providing all parties have all their functioning bits and pieces in working order at some point in the future you will get lambs!

If you are going to run rams and ewes together your only option is to decide when you want your lambs.

Sheep are seasonal breeders or in other words will only breed during certain times of the year. When this period is varies with breed of sheep, temperature and feeding, it tends to be most affected by day length.

Basically sheep breed in decreasing or short day lengths so ewes should start to come into season September up to March, i.e. 5 - 7 months. In theory you should be O.K. during the summer months, e.g. April to August, but there is a very real risk you will be caught out! Suffolks regularly come into season during August and I know of several commercial flocks that have had lambs well before Christmas due to matings occurring during high summer.

Hebridean sheep are a native breed which has evolved to adapt to its own particular environment. Its breeding cycle, when in that environment tends to be well regulated, but if your sheep are kept differently then there is a good chance some of the animals will deviate from the norm. Even if kept in their indigenous conditions, nature has a habit of catching you out now and then!

Getting some direct advice from the Hebridean sheep society would seem like a good idea if you have no choice but to run both sexes together during the summer. http://www.hebrideansheep.org.uk.

Planning permission for a barn - help needed

We need full planning permission to erect a barn on our 7.5 acres. I have the forms but now I'm a bit lost.

Does anyone have any applications that they have already done that I could possibly follow or just explanations on how to do the maps, etc, that are needed.

What information do I have to ensure I give them, etc, etc, and about 100 more questions.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

Reply: Planning application forms can be slightly daunting for the first time applicant which is why applications are commonly submitted by an 'agent', for example an architect, as an application usually involves some form of architectural design.

The amount of information required to support a planning application depends upon the Local Authority for the area where the application is to be submitted, and would typically consist of the application form, Ordnance Survey maps to locate the proposal, architectural drawings of the proposal and the application fee. A further requirement is the submission of a 'Design and Access Statement'; this is a written report to accompany the application as a form of justification of the proposal to ensure quality design.

If the barn proposal is bespoke, rather than a barn chosen from a catalogue, then it will need to be designed, and as an architect I would always advise that an architect is appointed. Quite often I do see barns that appear to have been chosen from a catalogue and whilst they are functional they do not enhance the environment and appear quite alien in the landscape.

In essence, planning applications are not always straightforward and it is prudent to appoint an architect to help with the process. If I can help in any way with the application I would be more than happy to offer some advice directly to the questioner.

Alistair McIntyre, Lune Architects