Fun and Work

If there was a trophy for goats with personality, I think we all agree at our farm, that Adeline would be a winner. She is always first at the stall door demanding to get out and get the day started. No lingering in the background for her.

Julia has her entered in the Westmoreland Fair again this year, and we hope they can do well again. 

Trixie had been an entry all along, since the day she was born, and was a very big girl until she had a bout of pneumonia about two months ago. We almost lost her, and to save her, started bottle feeding her again. Lucky for us, we have 4-H friends who traded us goat milk so that we could nurse her to health. Of course, now we will have to wean her again, but it was worth the effort. She is not as robust as she was, but passed her fitness vet check and will show at the fair.

Each morning, when she can, Julia helps get the goats out, fed and watered, and helps with any special tasks, like shots, where another pair of hands is helpful.

To get the three goats she is taking ready, she has tried washing off those dirty knees and grooms them at night. With her mother and brother helping she gave all three a major bath yesterday while we had a nice warm day to dry them up. No need to have them catch a cold now.

 There's a lot of fun in all this work.

Today I even LET Julia dump the manure!

Its a bit of a walk up the hill, but I remind her of what a good work out she's getting to keep her in shape for running (yes - she runs races with her dad).

 Jock helps of course!

 Can you see? She's still smiling!

So tomorrow the animals go to the Westmoreland Fair, and a busy nine days begins.

Good Luck Julia, Adeline, Ali and Trixie!

The Farm Work Out

At some point in the dregs of winter mud, I read a Facebook conversation about gym versus farm. I've had time to think about that this past week or so even more, as I stand with my rump against the belly of Zola, holding her collar in one hand and an angry hind leg in another. She is pushing and bucking with all her might as I lean into her with all of mine.

After one day of this, my arm pits felt like I had taken up bench pressing again. Problem on the farm - no rest day.  As a matter of fact, its one or two long reps at heavy moving weight, three and four times a day. 

Sore? Too bad. The kids are starving, and now attacking you like 12 pound blood sucking mosquitoes. They have caught on to the fact that when the two legged goats show up and tie off that kicking, biting monster of a mother of theirs, they do get fed. My knees, varicose veins and knuckles have goat hickeys from their attacks.  No wonder Zola was frustrated. We all were frustrated.

Meanwhile there are two hungry bucklings that aren't quite sure of where and how this thing works, as the teat never seems to stay still long enough to latch on. Thank goodness, with the help of neighbors Allison, Jeff, Julia and Karen, we have lasted long enough to keep the kids alive, well and thriving. 

I posted a couple days ago that Zola finally allowed the first born to nurse. Well Number Two has figured out the survival technique.  When older brother latches on and wags his tail in front of mom and she lovingly nuzzles him, he latches on from behind. There she can't pull his tail or throw him off and is distracted by Favorite Son.
See the VIDEO below for a successful feeding. Hurray!

I mean look at this face. What is the problem Zola?  His persistence has played a big part in this, and obviously some smarts.  We have been supplementing a bit of the orphan's milk replacer here and there, but I think after today, we are letting nature do the work.  The more we interfere, the bigger the mosquitoes get, and truly, my knees can't take it!

But back to farm versus gym, and now cross training.

 The work out isn't even started yet because we have to walk goats and food back and forth to the fields, muck the stalls, and there still is the bottle baby orphan who was getting a bottle three times a day.  Then there is the capturing for shots, dehorning and castration. Its like the greased pig contest sometimes. Carrying buckets of water and bales of hay (I try not to for the shoulder and the knee injuries, but no choice a lot of times), moving fences and dragging the occasional uncooperative goat to the correct destination, whether stall or field, all take strength and coordination that doesn't always come so easily to one person.  That's why its great to work in teams around here when possible. Just like the old marathon days of running with partners. You still do the work, but misery loves company!

And Jock.  He needs a walk too.

Anytime your gym gets boring, we can use your help here I'm sure.  Stop on over. And you get to cool down with a goat hug as a bonus.

Busy With Babies and Bottles

Its been in the mid 70's for three days and the lawns and fields are greening up fast. The wild grandiflora roses are budding and the goats are snacking.  Onion grass is doing nothing for the goats' breath but they are loving it as it is growing fast.

I think if it doesn't snow or freeze soon, we will be mowing our lawn next week.

Zola and I have been butting heads - so to speak. 

She has not been willingly nursing both of her boys. At first we figured she was sore and tired from kidding twenty pounds of goat. Its been three days and my patience is wearing thin. The kids are running to me already as they know when I show up, somehow, they get fed.

This little guy will nurse on a syringe and a Pritchards teat, but hasn't figured out Mom yet. I have been milking Zola and now bottling it, but he is not getting enough. She is not what one would call cooperative. I have begun to add a little of the milk replacer that the orphans have been using.

Son Number Two has figured out the source of the milk, but it takes myself, or neighbor Allison, holding Zola's leg to prevent her kicking, for a successful feeding. Once on, he gets a good amount and he is thriving and bouncing around.

I am seriously thinking about seeing if there is someone out there who wants to bottle feed one of these boys if we don't get on the correct system very soon. I'm giving it another day or two though.

Snow, Blue Skies and Bottle Babies

Beatrix has become quite a screamer, especially for the afternoon bottle.

She'd be through this fence if it weren't for the electricity.

As soon as I(or anyone) step though the gate, she is butting my legs to get between them to line up for her bottle.

We use this larger black nipple and I try to put one with less of an opening on hers to slow her down just a bit, but as you will see in the VIDEO, she really goes to work.

I have to really hang on because she gets impatient if the milk doesn't flow fast enough, and tries to butt it like she would the udder to let down the milk.

 Claire is home for Spring Break, and came over for some goat duty.

4-H started this month and Julia is getting ready with some early goat work too. She also helped with the kid weigh in Sunday.  There IS math in goat herding!

Our other bottle baby Becka is still supplementing her bottle by stealing from Trinity, and is here in the middle of her foster brothers Pip and Squeak.

This is the pile on at night. Becks is in the corner, almost out of sight. Trinity has no hope of getting rid of her.

The newest little guy, Britches(middle right), joined the herd this week-end after a short two days of fence training, and tried to be a tough guy from moment one. He isn't a shy one, and at three and a half weeks on Sunday, already weighed in at 19 pounds.

 Back to dry fields and blue skies for a week-end.

 After all that prancing and running all over the field, Britches is one tired little kid.

Adeline and the rest of the herd might not be the youngest, adorable goats on the farm, but they still get some love from Julia.

Outlaw Orphan

Its been a busy couple of weeks on and off the farm.

I spent some time with my Mom doing some spring cleaning. Now that she's 85, turning mattresses and climbing ladders isn't as easy.

Here at the Farm, the herd is doing fine and we are waiting for Zola to kid next. Saba is moving along nicely too.

The weather has been all over the place. In the 40's an 50's making more mud, and now freezing and about 24 hours of snow flurries.

Meanwhile, the orphans are doing great on the bottle, and as of two days ago, Beatrix wastes no time getting hers down. She gets between my legs as if I have the udder and takes the bottle there. She even butts me if she thinks the bottle is too slow! Becka still needs to be caught and held, but then she slowly nurses away, wasting nothing.

The story with the blog title,is that while I was away, Dave went to pick up one of Trinity's kids who was nursing on her.  Instead, he found that he had Becka. Ooops!   He put her right back and she continued nursing. Trinity was too busy at the hay rack to realize she had a milk thief. It's been going on a week now. That's Becka thieving above. She sneaks in from behind.

Since Trinity has not been a mother of triplets for long, her coordination is to be admired, as all three are trying to nurse at once here. She is not a large doe, and all three give her quite a challenge.

Not to say that this is an always loving relationship, as Trinity bites at Becka and pushes her away sometimes, but she does let her lay with her and the twins as a family, and does let her nurse enough to tide her between bottles. I have to give Becka credit for persistence too. She really is a survivor.

For her generosity and cooperation, I have been giving Trinity extra hands full of corn. She was getting thin, but we are trying to keep her healthy so that she can remain a mother of triplets.
PS: Frgv spling errrs. Blogger is not cooperating today.