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The Goat Source Newsletter

Volume 4 Number 12 December 2007

Here is your Dec. issue of The Goat Source Newsletter. We have lots of fun in store for you this month! There will be games and prizes and it will all be hidden in the newsletter, the blog and the forum! Read below for more details!!

On the serious side, there have been some devastating fires recently in the goat community and so I thought this would be a good time to review safety in our barns and homes so we can all enjoy the holiday season without worry. There is a benefit auction for the Hitch Family. They lost their home and everything they owned ( fortunately the family was not injured but they lost one of their dogs ). I encourage you to visit the auction and bid. Details are below.

Please feel free to pass this newsletter on to your friends.

 

What’s New This Month?

  • Christmas Contest!!

  • Barn Fires – What Can We Do To Prevent Them?

  • This Month’s Quiz…

  • Classified Ads

  • The Goat Source Christmas Store is Open

  • Benefit Auctions

  • Answer to the December Quiz

  • Helpful Hints

Christmas Contest!! The Twelve Days of Christmas are Here!!

You can win cool prizes and have fun at the same time! Enter the Twelve Days of Christmas Contest!!! Here are the rules:

  1. Hints for each day will be provided on the blog, on the web page or in the forum. Check back frequently for the hints.

  2. There will be twelve hints, one for each day.

  3. Hints will be a question that can be answered by following a Hyperlink to the place where the answer is. Hyperlinks may appear as a regular link, or be hidden in a picture. Click on the link or picture to access the answer.

  4. Collect all twelve answers and email the answers to me at goatsource9@cowisp.net

  5. The hints will appear throughout the month of December ending on December 20th.

  6. The first email (determined by time stamp) with all twelve correct answers will win the Grand Prize (to be announced). I will be the sole judge of the winner. Winners will be notified by email. No purchase is necessary to enter. Make sure I have a good email! If you win and your email bounces, I will pick another winner.

  7. All entries will receive a prize just for entering (also to be announced).

  8. There will be daily prizes – on the day the hint appears, be the first to answer and get a bonus prize!!

  9. HAVE FUN!!

 

 

Barn Fires – What Can We Do To Prevent Them?

To often, we don’t give a thought to fire safety until it’s to late. I know from personal experience, when the house/barn is on fire, a little preventative work can save the day! Our old ranch house caught on fire many years ago and because my Father thought to put in a hose hook up under the sink and stock the house with fire extinguishers, our house was only damaged not destroyed. Sometimes just small precautions can make all the difference in the world.

Take time to read this excellent manual put out by the Humane Society:

 

Preventing Horse Barn Fires

 

Fire Extinguishers vary in the type of fire they will work on. Here is a basic list of different types:

    1)Class ABC extinguishers are good all ’round extinguishers but can
    ruin hay and may be toxic to animals if respired.
    2)Class A (loaded stream water) extinguishers are nontoxic and easy
    to clean up but, because they are wetting, can render hay useless.
    On the plus side, they are easy and inexpensive to recharge and
    nontoxic antifreeze (propylene glycol) can be added to prevent
    freezing.
    2)CO2 extinguishers are nontoxic, non-wetting and won’t freeze at low
    temps but are expensive to buy and recharge.

Here are some links to articles that demonstrate the dangers of a fast moving fire.

 

http://www.drycreekranch.us/barnfire.html

 

Barn Fire Claims 125 goats

 

Fires can start unnoticed and smolder for many hours undetected. Once they take off, the structure can burn to the ground in minutes. If you have a plan in place, those minutes may make the difference between life and death for you, your family and your livestock.

  1. HAVE A PLAN!!!

  2. Make sure everyone in the family knows the plan and how to react. Have family fire drills!! Designate a meeting place for the family.

  3. Take precautions every day! Keep a clean barn and inspect wiring frequently.

  4. Enforce the NO SMOKING rule in the barn!!

  5. Have Fire extinguishers handy and keep them serviced. Make sure every member of the family knows how to use them!

  6. Install smoke detectors. An intercom system hooked to the barn will let you hear unusual noises in the barn. Handy and not just for kidding season!!

  7. Have access to a portable phone – When our house caught on fire, the phone was dead. My Mom had to race to the nearest neighbor to report the fire, wasting precious minutes.

  8. Have an emergency kit with extra clothing and some necessities where it can be grabbed at a moments notice (behind the seat in the truck is a good place as long as it isn’t parked in the barn!)

  9. Make sure your insurance policy is updated frequently and includes the outbuildings. Replacement cost is an option you should think about. Have an inventory of your belongings and keep it in a safe place (a safety deposit box is good, as long as you have a key for it!)

 

Some breeders are kidding out in the cold weather and use heat lamps to warm newborns. They can start a fire if improperly used – take a few moments to make them safe. Try not to use extension cords. Plug into hardwired outlets that have been installed safely. Have lamps securely attached and up where they can’t be broken or torn down. Keep hay and straw away from the lamps. Remember, once dry and fed, babies can stand much colder temps than we think they can! If it’s to cold to leave them out in the barn, bring them in the house. Some inconvenience is way better than burning the barn down.

Take a few minutes to check your fire preparedness and save heartache down the road.

 

     

 

This Month’s Quiz…

Bill the Goat appeared in 1893. Who is he and what does he represent?

 

Classified Ads…

The Goat Source Christmas Store is Open!!

 

MOON JUMP – Children’s book about the goat that jumped over the moon. Get both the video and the PDF in one file. Christmas special - $5.00 for both!! Learn more details here!

 

“I Love Goats!” Pocket Knives Laser Engraved folding pocket knife (opens to 6 ¾ inches). Black composite handle with pocket clip. Every goat person needs a good knife!!

Order today - $6 each plus S&H. Discount when you order more than one. Need a good fund raiser? Order these for resale OR get your own design laser engraved (custom orders must be for quantity of 100 or more). Quantity discount on all custom orders!! The Goat Source

Benefit Auction for The Hitch Family

This auction is to help raise money for April and Mike Hitch who lost their home in a devastating house fire. They have lost all of their personal items and were only left with the clothes on their back WalMart cards or direct donations can be made to:

April and Mike Hitch
1561 Bridgeville Rd.
Germantown, KY 41044

The auction address is:

Hitch Family Auction The auction close dates are VERY SOON!! If you don’t get a chance to bid, you can still send the family a donation. I’m sure your efforts will be appreciated and put to good use!!

Answer to the December Quiz:

Bill the Goat is the mascot of the United States Naval Academy. The mascot is a live goat and is also represented by a costumed midshipman. There is also a bronze statue of the goat just inside Gate 1, the main gate to the Academy grounds. This statue also plays a role in “Army Week” traditions.

The first Bill the Goat appeared in 1893. Currently, Bill XXXII reigns as the 35th mascot and is the 31th goat to be named Bill. His backup is Bill XXXIII.

In the 1880s, ships sailed with livestock in order to provide sailors with fresh food.

There is a legend that a Navy ship sailed with a pet goat. The goat died during the cruise. The officers preserved the skin, to have it mounted when they returned to port.

Two young ensigns were entrusted with the skin. On the way to the taxidermist, they stopped by the United States Naval Academy to watch a football game. At half time, one ensign decided to dress up in the goat skin. The crowd appreciated the effort. Navy won the game.

Helpful hints:

A double ended lead can be used to clip a gate shut if you need a quick fix latch!

I use bales of hay as weight in the back of my (gutless) pickup when it snows. When the snow is over and the road is clear, I just dump the hay off at what ever pen needs more hay at that point. I only want to handle the hay ONCE – my bales weigh about 85 pounds this year!! Oh, and don’t drop an 85 pound bale off of the top of the stack onto your tailgate. They bend (the tailgate, not the bale!).

That’s all for this month,…

See you next month!!

Leslie, The Goat Source

The Goat Source

13611 NCR 9

Wellington, Co 80549

(970) 568-9622

http://www.goatsource.com

goatsource9@cowisp.net

 

Copyright by The Goat Source 2007

Information in this newsletter is not guaranteed to be accurate. However to the best of my ability, I will try to make all information as complete and correct as possible. It is up to you, the reader, to determine how to best apply the information presented! Use your common sense!! If you notice errors, please bring to my attention! Due to the nature of the Internet, some links may not work, or may have moved. Please let me know about non-working links as soon as possible!

Thanks, Leslie, The Goat Source