Good job!
Raising animals is hard work. Occasionally we lose calves, and I hate it. I think my husband takes it worse than I do, though. He gets very attached to the animals, the babies especially. I have to keep some distance or else be totally wrecked when we wean and sell every fall.
One year, weather forecasts were for a really cold and wet calving season, my husband built a calf-sized box with a false floor in it, drilled a bunch of tiny holes in it for air circulation, and you can plug in a standard hair dryer into a larger hole on the outside... it’s for helping warm cold/frozen calves. You can stick them in it, start the hair dryer, and put a towel over the top and it warms them up in no time. If you are interested, I will happily share the plans (although hopefully you won’t need them!).
What a great idea that animal "brooder" of yours is
A blog on it would be great to share for other homesteaders, maybe?
Thanks @heatherthebard. I also don't take it too well whereas my husband distances himself. Your plan sounds like a wonderful one. But I've never had this problem with goats. I always plan their pregnancy so they kid in the warmer weather. This out of season rain may have broken the drought but it caught us off guard. Our lambs drop in the worst weather but they seem to handle it. Not goats. Perhaps you could email me the directions if they are more complicated? [email protected]
All measurements are in inches since I’m in America... but the dimensions are flexible. Goat kids are way smaller than Angus calves. Ideally, you want the box small enough that you can get them in and out, but not so big they try to wiggle and scamper around in it (or crawl out!). We used 5/8” or 3/4” plywood for ours, but it is very heavy and again — bovines are bigger and heavier.
Just stuff the blowing end of your hair dryer in the hole as indicated, plug in and turn on. It will circulate warm air in the gap, which will then rise through the small holes you’ve drilled in the false floor. Cover the top with a towel or quilt and it will incubate poor frozen critters pretty nicely while you tend them.
Good luck!
Such a brilliant and easy idea. Thank you very much @heatherthebard. I probably won't need it as our weather is warming and I don't separate mothers and babies. But one never knows.
That’s good. I definitely agree it is best to not separate moms and babies, but you are right that you never know. I know having one built and ready to go has saved our bacon a few times, and it’s nice to know it’s there, just in case.