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animals. We will be run-ning a series on the vari-ous animals including sea-sonal advice and possible related skills for survival, barter, and even income.
Whether it’s a well-planned adventure, or ser-endipity, you should have an idea beforehand of what care the animal will require. Candidates for
Somewhere along your homesteading journey,
you will probably get the
itch to include some type of livestock. Or, you'll run
across an offer you can’t
refuse. Perhaps someone is giving away a flock of
'free' chickens or rabbits,
or you fall in love with a baby goat and decide this
is the right time to add See LIVESTOCK, 8
SHOULD YOU ADD LIVESTOCK
TO YOUR HOMESTEAD?
URBAN SURVIVAL: Key Differences Between the “Get Home” and “Bug Out” Bag
You've no doubt heard of the bug-out bag, the go bag, and the 72-hour bag (hint: they’re pretty much all the same). Lately, there’s been a noticeable uptick in chatter regard-ing something called the "Get Home Bag."
It’s a good thing that the “Get Home” concept is getting the attention it deserves. In fact, the focus that’s now placed on Get Home Bags is long over-due for reasons that will be explained later in this article.
See URBAN, 2
VOLUME 2, ISSUE 12 DECEMBER, 2014
WHY GOATS ARE A GOOD CHOICE FOR
LARGE OR SMALL
HOMESTEADERS
In many parts of the coun-
try, you'll be spending a
lot of time indoors. Those
long evenings by the fire
are the perfect time to
plan and dream about
your homesteading goals.
What livestock will give
you the most bang for
your buck? Goats are one
great option.
What can you expect
from the goats?
New homesteaders may
think they can buy a few
goats and just let them
forage without any supple-
mental feed. In fact, many
people don’t like the idea
of having their livestock
“grain fed.” Here are some
examples of why you
might need or want them
to be and when “grass on-
ly” is the better option.
If you have dairy goats,
and want good milk pro-
duction, you will need to
See GOATS, 10
your homestead run the gamut from goats, chick-ens, rabbits, ducks, sheep, turkeys, cows, pigs to even fish or bees. There is much to be said for practi-cal, hands on learn-ing. Truthfully, we have not always followed these tips. As the saying goes, hindsight is 20/20!
2 PATRIOT CALLER DECEMBER, 2014
Still, you’re not alone if
you’re wondering just how
many of these darn bags it
takes to be truly self-
reliant? Not to mention, if
you're going to keep weap-
ons in each of these bags,
that's a lot guns, knives,
and pepper spray to keep
track of...
Not to paint with too
broad a brush, but I'm
guessing that you're not
the type of person with
eight pairs of black dress
shoes, one for each nu-
anced occasion.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m
not saying you should dis-
miss the concepts behind
these bags. In fact, I’m
from URBAN page 1
recommending you do just
the opposite…
Why You Need a
"Get Home Bag"
With a self-explanatory
name like "get home bag,"
I'm not going to waste
time explaining this bag's
purpose. What I am going
to do is highlight why this
concept may inspire you to
seriously re-examine your
crisis preparations.
Do all of your backpacks
and supplies really serve
their intended purpose?
More importantly, are you
Continued next page
PATRIOT CALLER 3 DECEMBER, 2014
ones, well… come out of
the other side of the crisis
alive.
In short, roughly half of all the people with a bug-out bag sitting in their home/car/office have a vague and romantic no-tion about themselves roughing it in the wilder-ness somewhere.
That’s not a plan. That’s a fantasy.
Unless your SHTF plan
includes literally "bugging
out" to a very specific re-
mote cabin OR seeking
refuge in a very specific
location in the forest/
desert until things quiet
down, then you are kid-
ding yourself.
being completely realistic
when you imagine what
you truly need to be self-
reliant in a SHTF crisis.
You see, whether they
know it or not, most peo-
ple treat their bug-out bag
as a kind of hobby, i.e. an
escape from the daily
grind. Like most hobbies,
there’s a major disconnect
with any real world prac-
ticality by default.
The problem with this
mindset is, of course, this
is actually the bag you
plan to carry in a very se-
rious crisis -- your insur-
ance plan. The key factor
that decides whether your
bag is a success or failure
is that you and your loved
You don’t really expect
any campsites or cabin
rentals to be available in a
SHTF crisis do you? If you
don’t know exactly where
you’re going right now,
you’re not going to get
there in the worst of con-
ditions. Sorry.
Most Americans Will
Encounter Urban
Survival Scenarios
The truth is that the vast
majority of us are better
off adopting the "get
home" mindset, rather
than the “bug-out” mind-
set. Why? Because human
instincts make us want to
be at home with our loved
ones during a time of cri-
sis.
The primary difference
between these two mind-
sets has a lot to do with
the environment you'll be
carrying your backpack
through: Urban versus
Rural. Considering that
less than 20% of Ameri-
cans live and work in a
rural location, it's im-
portant that you be honest
with yourself about this
fact.
In a rural area, shelter
making materials, as
wells as fire tools and
hunting/fishing items will
be highly applicable. In an
urban environment, carry-
ing around a pack full of
fishing gear probably
won’t feel so smart, unless
you’re trying to fish a ten-
nis shoe out of a drainage
ditch.
In an urban or suburban
setting, you'll want to ap-
proach things with an en-
tirely different perspec-
tive. Form should follow
function with urban sur-
vival items. Get home
bags, specifically, should
be exceedingly practical,
as well as inconspicuous
to a fault.
Case in point, you're more
likely to encounter securi-
ty checkpoints, metal de-
tectors, and other crowd
control measures in a pop-
ulated area. This means
that you need to avoid
looking like a "bad guy" at
almost all costs.
You may need a
"get home" bag if:
You live in an urban/
suburban area
You work in an urban/
suburban area
You plan to shelter in
place during a crisis
You've stockpiled food
and supplies inside your
home
You don't have a crystal
clear SHTF destination
Your evacuation route
includes interstates and
major highways
After many years of ex-
haustive research, I feel
it’s safe to say that rough-
ly 90% of survival tips are
next to useless outside of
wilderness scenarios.
Most Americans spend
their days at work, typi-
Continued next page
URBAN (cont inued)
4 PATRIOT CALLER DECEMBER, 2014
cally in an urban setting,
and then commute to their
homes in an urban or sub-
urban setting. Thus, it’s
highly likely that, at the
very least, you’ll spend the
first several hours of a
crisis scenario in a popu-
lated urban environment.
Urban Survival
Considerations
As we all know, urban en-
vironments come with
higher concentrations of
law enforcement person-
nel and official controls.
When a crisis strikes, rad-
ical police action will like-
ly follow in order to man-
age recovery efforts, re-
store order, and protect
property.
If you do encounter au-
thorities, they are likely to
be full of anxiety, fear,
and raw adrenaline. If you
appear to be a looter, riot-
er, or virtually anything
but a fully obedient and
compliant peon, then you
risk being detained or
worse.
You’ve heard the saying:
When all you have is a
hammer, everything looks
like a nail? Well, what do
you think everything looks
like when all you have is a
baton, tear gas, and a
Glock 19?
The best thing you can do
is to avoid the police, FE-
MA, or other agencies by
getting off the streets as
quickly as possible.
That's food for thought as
you consider whether or
not to keep a guns or oth-
er overt weapons in your
get home bag. Attitudes
toward self-defense vary
from region to region, and
especially between police
departments.
Building an
Effective GHB
An effective GHB begins
with the right backpack,
preferably one that’s well
made, comfortable, and
with plenty of storage and
organizational features.
Last but not least, the
backpack you choose
should be expressly non-
descript.
Stealth is a key principle
when it comes to urban
survival. You don’t want
your gear to draw any at-
tention to you by looking
either too militaristic or
expensive. Looters and
thieves will target items
with any obvious value, so
laptop bags and camera
bags are not the wisest
option.
The next step in building
your bag is, or course, se-
lecting the items that
would be most useful to
you in a crisis scenario.
You’ll want to customize
you own GHB, of course,
but here is a list of a few
of the most universal
items:
LED Flashlight - While
there are lots of more ex-
pensive options available,
there’s nothing wrong
with the simple Mini Mag-
lite.
Cash and coins for
vending machines -
Cold hard cash is often
cited as the most common-
ly overlooked crisis item,
but I think coins are a nu-
ance that’s often over-
looked. Vending machines
will be extremely valuable
in the immediate after-
math of a crisis (before
others catch on).
Bottled water - At least
two 12oz bottles.
Portable phone charger
- A 1000mAh backup
phone charger can com-
pletely recharge your
smartphone 4-6 times,
depending on the model.
2 Way Radio - An inex-
pensive two-way HAM
radio like the Baofeng UV-
Continued next page
URBAN (cont inued)
PATRIOT CALLER 5 DECEMBER, 2014
doors for you, not to men-
tion turn screws, cut
through zip ties, open bot-
tles, etc.
Pry bar/Emergency
hammer - If you need to
break glass or pry through
any damaged doors, a tool
like this is very handy. It
doubles as a weapon too,
of course.
Paracord - This stuff has
a million uses; one is to
make a ridgeline for a
temporary shelter.
First-aid kit - A basic
kit with bandages, tape,
pain relievers, antiseptics,
etc.
Detailed regional map - Make sure to closely ex-
amine your own neighbor-
hood to make sure the
5R is a great backup com-
munications item for
when cell signals are
down.
Food bars - For a get-
home bag, skip the MREs
and go for something
that’s actually edible, even
tasty.
Pepper spray - Pepper
spray is easy to conceal,
and it won’t raise eye-
brows with most authority
figures should your bag
get searched.
4-Way Water Key - You
may need to open some
non-standard water
valves, e.g. industrial taps
on the sides of buildings
that are “tamper proof.”
Multi-tool - A good mul-
ti-tool can open lots of
map is current and de-
tailed enough.
Heavy-Duty Trash Bag
- A good trash bag can
double as poncho, emer-
gency blanket, even a tem-
porary shelter material.
Medications - If you reg-
ularly take medications
that are critically im-
portant to your health,
then it’s very important
that there’s at least a 48-
hour supply in this bag.
Since the GHB bag is de-
signed to be carried with
you every single day, you
may just want to change
your routine and keep
your meds in your pack.
The Everyday
Carry Concept
The key to success with
any of these bags is, of
course, carrying them at
all times in order to en-
sure that (drumroll
please) you have your
GHB when you need to
access it in a SHTF crisis.
One way to look at your
GHB is to incorporate it
into your daily life. For
example, you can use this
bag to carry your laptop, e
-reader, or that old paper-
back you’re reading dur-
ing your commute. De-
pending on your choice of
backpack, you may have
space for more everyday
items, or not.
Yet another way to ap-
proach the GHB is to
think of it like a concealed
carry weapon. The con-
cepts are very similar. In-
corporating these concepts
into your daily routine is
paramount. For any weap-
on to be effective, you
must have it in your pos-
session when you need it.
Combining these concepts
may help reinforce your
readiness, which brings us
to the next topic.
What to do
About Weapons
Perhaps the most contro-
versial topic when it
comes to you GHB is
whether or not you should
carry a dedicated weapon,
or a covert weapon. Local
laws will have a lot to say
about whether you can
legally carry a firearm in
your pack on a daily basis.
Also, your workplace may
have policies that prohibit
weapons, as many now do.
If you’re not familiar with
the NSRA’s official opin-
ion on carrying a pistol in
your backpack, we don’t
endorse it. If you plan to
carry a handgun, we rec-
ommend you carry it in a
secure holster.
A revolver in your back-
pack can be stolen. Your
backpack, for that matter,
can be stolen. If you en-
counter a deadly confron-
tation with your pistol in
your backpack, what are
you going to do? Ask the
assailant to give you a
courtesy timeout so you
can unzip your pack, lo-
cate your pistol, and rack
a shell?
Backpack guns are typi-cally only a good idea for
Continued next page
URBAN (cont inued)
6 PATRIOT CALLER DECEMBER, 2014
rural bug-out scenarios. It’s as simple as that.
4 Highly Effective Covert
Backpack Weapons
If, for whatever reason, circumstances prevent you from carrying a machete, hatchet, or pepper spray in your backpack, that doesn’t mean you can’t carry a damn good weapon -- even if that’s not the object’s primary function.
These 4 items can deliver fight-ending force without
even being classified as weapons. Some of these may already be part of your GHB’s primary car-go, thus once you add in their value as weapons, they’re now serving at least 2 very critical func-tions.
Tactical High Lumens Flashlight - Flashlights are great at creating di-versions, confusion, and asserting power in a dark situation. This is why the police are trained to ap-proach suspects with their flashlights focused on the suspect’s eyes.
Not only is the light tem-porarily blinding, but the
With a range up to 29 feet,
you can certainly shoot a
lot more than wasp nests.
In fact, you have enough
range to reach out and
stop an attacker at a pret-
ty comfortable distance. If
they come closer, you can
take a whack at them
with the actual can itself.
Conclusion
Over 80% of Americans
live in semi-densely popu-
lated urban or suburban
areas, not the wilderness
or even the “country.” Un-
less your crisis plans in-
clude very specific wilder-
ness or rural bug-out loca-
tions, then it’s time to face
the facts: You’re likely not
going to “bug-out,” but
instead go directly home
in a major crisis.
Knowing this, it’s time to
consider adapting your
SHTF plans to your real
situation, rather than
something romanticized
on cable TV shows. If a
crisis strikes while you’re
at work, running errands,
sitting in traffic, or visit-
ing friends across town,
you won’t need a
takedown hunting rifle
and MREs. You’ll need a
much more practical tool
kit to get you from where
you are to where you want
to be: Home.
person holding the flash-light can see exactly what their subject is up to, while the subject can see nothing. That’s quite the tactical advantage.
In addition, many
“tactical” flashlights are
quietly designed for use as
weapons. Ever wondered
what those flared teeth
things are around the lens
of a flashlight like the
model pictured (top left)?
Imagine those teeth hit-
ting you in the face, or
jabbing into your ribs with
a twisting motion. Plus,
have you ever heard of
hitting someone with a
roll of quarters in your
hand?
Long Handle Maglite -
We’ve all heard about how
Maglites are made out of
heavy-duty aircraft alumi-
num, right? Well this dual
-purpose flashlight dou-
bles as a heavy, 14.75”
baton in a confrontation.
Not only does this extend your reach, but it also re-quires nearly zero skill to use effectively. A directly blow with one of these flashlights to virtually any part of the body will cause
blinding pain, a glancing blow may be sufficient.
Pry bar/Emergency hammer - You can imag-ine the countless reasons you may want a pry bar in an urban crisis scenario. Self-defense is just the icing on the cake.
A good emergency ham-mer, like the 18” Annihila-tor by Dead On Tools (pictured below), is techni-cally a multi-tool. One of its major functions is a brutal battle hatchet.
Wasp Spray - Yet anoth-er unlikely, yet highly ef-fective self-defense weap-on is a can of aerosol wasp spray. Despite the fact that it’s the only single purpose item on this list, it’s effective range makes it a serious candidate.
We all know how repul-sive wasp spray is, right? Whenever it’s sprayed nearby, your body has an almost involuntary reac-tion to close your eyes, shut your mouth and hold your breath.
While we’re not sure what it would be like to get sprayed with this toxic substance directly in the face, unpleasant is sure to be an understatement. The Black Flag brand, pictured nearby, advertis-es that it “shoots up to a 29-foot spray to reach the nests.”
URBAN (cont inued)
PATRIOT CALLER 7 DECEMBER, 2014
PatriotCaller.com/Blog
No matter what is going
on outside, a little old fashioned resourcefulness
can always make your
home more comfortable...
With the cold weather and
snow already setting rec-
ords from coast to coast, many patriots are wonder-
ing what they can do to
keep their homes warm this winter... without
breaking the bank.
Most of us take our home's heating system for grant-
ed, but with the nation's
aging power grid in disre-pair, that's a dangerous
assumption.
What if a massive snow-storm knocks out electric
service in your area for
several days? Last winter, sections of Kansas, Mon-
tana, Massachusetts and
several other states lost power at the most critical
time -- during a brutal
winter storm.
Heating oil and electricity
costs are not coming down
anytime soon, so it's worth investing in a few low-cost
with a blanket when you
sit on the couch, you can
stay warm without adjust-
ing the thermostat.
Stay active Exercising is important all
year long, but many of us
get particularly lethargic
during the winter. The net
effect is that you don't
take advantage of your
body's natural heating
abilities. With just a little
light exercise a couple of
times each day, you can
benefit from your in-
creased metabolism.
Wear hats A significant percentage of
your body's heat loss oc-
curs through your
scalp. By wearing a hat,
you create an extra layer
of insulation that keeps
your head from getting
cold.
Avoid wet clothing
or hair Evaporative cooling can
work to lower your A/C
bill in the summer, but it
does the exact opposite in
winter. Dry your hair
thoroughly when you get
out of the shower and
change out of wet clothing
as soon as possible.
ways to make sure your home stays warm and
comfortable no matter
what comes. Plus, why not increase your family’s
comfort level?
Here are a few low-tech
ideas:
Place bubble wrap
over your windows Simply stick a sheet of
bubble wrap directly
against the glass and it
will stay in place. You can
still see the light through
the bubble wrap, but your
windows will be much bet-
ter insulated. Obviously,
you may not want to do
this to every window in
your home.
Limit your heated area If there are rooms in your
home that you rarely use,
consider closing the heat-
ing vents in those rooms
and shutting the doors.
This will divert more heat-
ed air into the rooms you
are using, while cutting
back on your heating
costs.
Dress in layers Wearing the proper attire will keep your family warm, even when your heater isn't running at full capacity. There's no rea-son to run you heater just so your family can dress like they're at the beach.
Infrared space heaters Highly efficient space heaters like the Eden-PURE can keep large rooms warm, allowing you to turn down your thermo-stat throughout the rest of the house.
Eat well Eating can elevate your body temperature and make you feel warmer.
Cook stews and
crockpot dishes Dishes that require boil-ing, or at least heating large volumes of water, release heat and humidity into the air.
Check your caulking
and weather stripping Don't let warm air out or cold air in. You'd be sur-prised at how much heat escapes through poorly sealed windows and doors. Check all of the caulking around your win-dow frames, as well as the weather stripping around your doors and replace where necessary.
Keep a blanket handy When you sit for an ex-tended period of time, your body temperature will naturally decrease. By covering yourself up
11 ways to stay warm without Raising your Heating Bill FROM THE BLOG...
8 PATRIOT CALLER DECEMBER, 2014
Of course, many home-steaders do not have the opportunity to raise do-
mestic livestock, either because of limitations of space or restrictive zoning ordinances. Sadly, these are becoming more and
more common. However,
before giving up on the idea of raising a few ani-mals of your own, check out the possibilities. You may find that ordinances are not quite as restrictive
as you thought. Or, the livestock 'police' are not as nitpicky as they could be.
from LIVESTOCK page 1
cure housing. Be aware of predators in your area and learn how to keep your animals safe. Make sure you have a way to get plenty of water to the ani-mals, even in subfreezing temperatures. Having eve-rything in place before the animals arrive adds a lot to the enjoyment of rais-ing livestock.
Which animal is the best one for you? That first de-pends on your ability to care for them and your
Perhaps, you could start a quiet little operation with zero 'nuisance value' and
attractive to your neigh-bors' children. Sharing eggs or other produce could be part of keeping in your neighbors' good grac-
es as well. As long as they
don’t complain, it may be that your mini-livestock operation will remain un-der Big Brother’s radar. It might be worth a try. Rab-bits, for example, are ex-
tremely quiet and unob-trusive, as are pigeons. You might find keeping a
small flock of laying hens raises no objections, whereas a crowing cock might bring complaints. You might even consider guinea pigs. In parts of South America, Africa, and Asia, they are an im-portant food source. They are easy to raise, even in the middle of the city.
Ask lots of questions and be ready for on-the-job learning! That said, try to be as prepared as possible, BEFORE bringing the new additions home. Build suitable fencing and se- Continued next page
PATRIOT CALLER 9 DECEMBER, 2014
even if just as a brush eat-er or pasture ornament.
All livestock require eve-ryday care. We recom-mend feeding your ani-mals twice a day. Cer-tainly, there are folks who feed once a day, but feed-
ing twice a day gives you
twice the opportunity to
head off a potential prob-
lem. 24 hours can make a
difference in the health of
your animal. Catching an
illness early can often
save the animal's life.
Weekly, more intensive
labor chores are needed,
such as moving hay bales
to the barn, cleaning stalls
and pens, and filling up
water troughs. Basically,
the larger the animal, the
larger the cleanup effort!
Finally, and this is just
common sense. Livestock
need constant care similar
to children. You won't be
taking long vacations or
going away every weekend
without making arrange-
ments for outside help in
that department. So, con-
sider that fact, and its ef-
fect on your lifestyle be-
fore you jump into raising
any livestock.
particular passions. If you love fiber crafts and yarn then you may want to raise your own sheep or fiber animal. If the thought of caring for a large sheep scares you, perhaps an angora rabbit would be a good choice.
Another important tip, buy from someone who has a similar management style to yours, or at least one that’s similar to what you are planning. For ex-ample, when buying dairy goats, buy from someone who milks their goats reg-ularly and keeps track of their milk weights. It's also a good idea to buy from someone whose health protocols match yours.
If you want to have an organic farm, you should buy from a breeder with an organic management
style. There are many
breeders out there who
inject kids with various
supplements and vaccines
within minutes after they
hit the ground. If they re-
ally need to do that to
keep their animals alive,
then those are not the ge-
netics you want on an or-
ganic farm.
Sometimes, it can be a
challenge to find organic
producers selling stock. If
you do buy animals from a
different management
system, be aware that
your results may vary,
and you may need to in-
clude 'hardiness' in your
list of reasons for culling.
Remember, culling does
not have to mean butcher-
ing. In many cases, an
animal that's not right for
your farm will be just
right for someone else,
LIVESTOCK (cont inued)
10 PATRIOT CALLER DECEMBER, 2014
as, you can purchase dairy
goats for under
$100. That is not a bad
deal! A friend bought one
last year that was a pure-
bred Nubian in milk for
$75.
You can keep bucks to
make breeding season
simpler. Yes, they can be
smelly during breeding
season, but otherwise,
they’re reasonably pleas-
ant to be around.
In fact, you don't need to
keep bucks at all, if you
know someone locally who
has one of breeding age.
You can haul goats around
in the back of a little
pickup with a canopy or
even a minivan (quite con-
venient)! Goats can be
“man-handled” by women,
your teenage daughters,
basically 12 year olds and
up. It is easy to load your
doe(s) up and take them to
the buck when they go
into heat.
The dwarf breeds have
higher butterfat than the
full size goats and when
fresh, the milk does not
taste goaty. Depending on
the breed, goat's milk is
slightly sweeter than cow
milk. Even goats not con-
sidered dairy breeds can
produce high butterfat,
and the cream does sepa-
rate. So you have the op-
tion to make butter.
Goat milk is more delicate
than cow milk so needs to
be handled more carefully.
It helps to chill it right
away. If the milk has a
goaty flavor, then there is
something wrong with the
goat: either what it's eat-
ing or the way the milk is
handled.
They are trainable, and
have great personali-
ties. Goats are said to be
seven times smarter than
a dog. They have fantastic
personalities, and I dare
anyone not to succumb to
their ways!
Goats are not expensive
to purchase. In many are-
feed them grain. If you
have meat goats and want
them to grow as fast as
possible to reach market
size, you will also have to
feed them grain. If you are
raising them for your own
consumption, however,
and you can wait longer,
grains aren't necessary.
If you want to cut out buy-
ing outside your opera-
tion, consider planting a
critter garden with corn,
sunflower and peanuts.
(The peanuts you can eat,
but the peanut hay and
the rest is for the animals.
You can even plant some
alfalfa if you have the
space.)
Pet goats and ones kept
for clearing brush don't
need extra feed. Be ad-
vised though, if you plan
to use your woods for sus-
tainable woodlot cutting,
goats will eventually put
an end to that.
from GOATS page 1
Animals in the US, espe-
cially commercial dairy
breeds, have been bred for
high production for a very
long time. Taking a high
production animal and
then cutting grain out is
not going to go well. If you
want a grass-only herd,
you need to select animals
that have been specifically
bred for that.
Milk Production
Goats produce a reasona-
ble amount of milk for a
family. If you are just in-
terested in simply provid-
ing milk for your family, a
goat will give a half gallon
to a gallon a day. That is
manageable for many peo-
ple. Two miniature goats
will keep your family in
milk, and if you stagger
breedings, they will keep
you in milk all year. Mak-
ing cheese is also an op-
tion.
Continued next page
PATRIOT CALLER 11 DECEMBER, 2014
come in a large array of
sizes. The average price is
under $5. They are de-
signed to slip over the
goat kid’s head, front legs
fit thru the leg holes. The
sweater covers the back to
the tail as well as chest.
The belly portion is usual-
ly tapered to allow a more
comfortable fit for buck-
lings. The sweaters are
machine washable and
last for more than one sea-
son.
Runs or play yards
Even if the weather is
cold, goats will need time
and space to run and jump
around. Exercise will help
keep energy levels high,
lungs clear, and appetites
hearty. As long as there
isn’t a lot of wind or heavy
precipitation, dairy goats
are better off outside play-
ing during the day. Mod-
erate snow on the ground
should not prevent the
goats from having some
exercise time outdoors.
Keep in mind that the
snow and ice can get
wedged in their hooves, so
take care to make sure
their feet are properly
trimmed and remove ice
as often as possible.
around the corner, a white
fuzzy layer of hair (called
the undercoat) is noticea-
ble. This undercoat is
what keeps the goat
warm. Some types and/or
bloodlines of dairy goats
do not develop this under-
coat. These goats are can-
didates for a nice, well-
fitted goat sweater.
Goat coats can be made
from fleece or other warm
material that fastens
around the goat with Vel-
cro or some sort of snap.
There are companies that
sell pre-made goat coats in
different materials, sizes,
and colors, or patterns are
available for those who
want to make their own.
Alternatively, you can ac-
tually get a large dog coat.
Many are made with dou-
ble fleece. It slips over the
head, and has a belly band
that fastens on the other
side with Velcro. When
soiled, you can easily
wash and dry it. Some
coats are big enough to
accommodate growth.
Kids have a harder time
maintaining their own
body temperature. Some
department or discount
stores carry knit dog
sweaters around Christ-
mas time. These sweaters
Having bucks can you
make a little extra money
during breeding season as
service animals. You can
also use them for meat.
Tips for winterizing
goat housing and cold
weather goat care
Preparing for winter isn’t
generally something that
can be done at the last
minute. Preparation of
barns, grounds, and goat
feed supplies should be in
place prior to expected
cold weather.
Preparing the barn
or shelter
Goats do not like extreme
temperatures, whether
hot or cold. Proper man-
agement of your goats will
dictate that you have
some form of shelter for
them. Goats are hardy
animals, but they are sus-
ceptible to pneumonia, a
possible result of being
subjected to damp, drafty
conditions. Dairy goats
can handle the cold tem-
peratures if they have a
shelter to get out of the
wind and have a good un-
dercoat of hair to protect
them from frigid tempera-
tures.
The ideal shelter for dairy
goats should have a door
or enclosure to block wind
and precipitation from
blowing in on the animals.
Goats thrive much better
in the cold if they can
avoid being wet. The dif-
ference between summer
and winter housing for
goats is the amount of in-
sulation from drafts re-
quired.
Never over-seal an animal
enclosure though. Proper
ventilation is vital to
avoid a buildup of ammo-
nia from urine. Keep your
housing areas cleaned reg-
ularly during winter
months and check on your
goats' condition daily.
Most healthy, adult goats
are better off self-
regulating their own body
temperatures and cozying
up with their herd mates
for added warmth. Place
heat lamps with extreme
caution for young or in-
firm animals. Many barn
fires have been started by
a heat lamp in close con-
tact with bedding or other
flammable substances.
Goats prefer to sleep and/
or relax up off the ground.
Wooden pallets are great
for this purpose because
they allow the goat to get
up higher, and bedding
can be placed on top of the
slats for added insulation.
Pallets are also easily
moved for cleaning pur-
poses.
Bedding should be fluffed
and rotated as needed. It
is important to make sure
the bedding is dry. Choose
a bedding material that
will drain well and fluff
up, like shavings.
Keeping warm
Most dairy goats, when
healthy, will grow a nice
thick coat of hair in the
fall. When cold weather is Continued next page
Continued next page
GOATS (cont inued)
12 PATRIOT CALLER DECEMBER, 2014
There are various udder
balms on the market that
prevent chapping and
wind chill protection. Bag
Balm is also a good reme-
dy for protection against
frostbite.
Nubian goats are also
more likely to have frost-
bite due to their long pen-
dulous ears. Udder balm
can be lightly coated onto
the underside of the ear
for protection. Another
suggestion is using a light
coating of Vaseline, which
will not freeze because it
is a petroleum product.
The downside to using
Vaseline is dirt and grit
stick to it.
Even in cold tempera-
tures, there are many lit-
tle things that make a
goat’s life easier and more
enjoyable. The most im-
portant is to prevent
drafts and moisture in
sleeping quarters. A little
preparation can go a long
way towards making win-
ter more enjoyable for you
and your goats.
GOATS (cont inued)
Feeding and minerals
During the coldest
months, eating is one im-
portant way that animals
maintain body tempera-
ture. Keeping good clean
hay available to dairy
goats at all times will
keep their rumens active
and energy levels high. If
they appear to lose weight
during the colder months,
increase feed accordingly.
Free choice minerals and
salt/mineral blocks should
be available for consump-
tion at all times. General-
ly, goats will only eat the
minerals when their body
needs them.
Water consumption
Water is as important to
animals as it is for hu-
mans. Without water, ani-
mals can dehydrate and
become sick. In the cold,
livestock tend not to drink
as much because of the
temperature.
Livestock supply compa-
nies sell electric tank
warmers for outdoor
troughs that ice over.
When purchasing a tank
warmer, look at where the
electrical cords join the
heater itself. Some cheap-
er model tank warmers
get shorts in them and can
give a shock to the animal
as they attempt to drink.
Another option is bucket
warmers that plug in.
There are several different
sizes to choose from.
Here's a tip if you are con-
cerned your goats are not
drinking enough. Pick up
gallon jugs of orange fla-
vored Gatorade from the
store. I'm sure you know
Gatorade has electrolytes
in it. Add a cup or two of
orange Gatorade to their
water. This ensures the
goats get plenty of fluids.
Worming
It is a good idea to worm
prior to winter. Goats that
are housed in a more con-
fined or enclosed shelter
have a greater chance of
developing a worm related
illness. Whatever the
wormer preference, it is a
good idea to follow up with
a dose of a probiotic to re-
activate the rumen. It is
also a good idea to worm
again 10 days after the
initial dose to stop other
worm eggs and larvae in
their additional stages of
development.
Frostbite prevention
Dairy goats that are out-
side in cold temperatures
run a risk of frostbitten
udders. Udders that have
been clipped are unpro-
tected and can suffer dam-
age from exposure to
freezing temperatures.
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