TWISTED HORNS DIARY
OK, Mother Nature, it’s past time to turn off the sprinkler
Is anybody else tired of this rain? I feel like I have asked this question a million times this summer! While many states have had record rainfall this spring and summer and we are by no means alone in the summer down pours, I can tell you that I am tired of sloshing through wet pastures and mud! Oh, the mud! We live in the South and northeast Geor- gia generally has its rainiest months in March and July, but this year we have already seen the rainfall in April, May and now June, well above average. Honestly, I never paid much attention to the weather until I had a farm. Yes, I would look at the weather but now I live by the weather. Everything that we do on the farm is weather dependent and living in a mud puddle with rain that does not seem to want to sub- side is grueling. The ground just cannot take any more water. It’s as if the ground is flood- ing from the inside out!
As frustrating as it is for us, sometimes I must take a step back in my mud-filled boots and be thankful that at least I can go inside,
BY TESS FETTERLY
sit on the couch, wrap up in a blanket and turn on my favorite show to wait out the storm. Imagine what it must be like for the animals. All our livestock live outdoors. This statement seems obvious, but what I mean by this is that we do not bring them up to the barn unless it is freezing outside, they are sick or we have maintenance that we need to do with the herds. Some people that I know do bring in goats and other livestock all the time and they live in the barn and outside. We do not do that — we have too many!
The animals have shelters and natural areas to go and get out of the rain but even with all the shelter and ability to get out of the active rain, one thing that they cannot es- cape is the wet ground, mud, bacteria, fungus and parasites.
Wet spring brings lots of problems — like foot rot.
The rain and humidity are breeding grounds for a multitude of organisms and par-
asites — especially gastrointestinal worms — that are not ideal for goats or other livestock.
While it may seem that new sprouting grass would be good for
July 2025 | Goat Rancher
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