Free's kidding journal 2011: Plum's death wish p 42

[freemotion]

After the half-La Manchas, those ears are soooooo wonderful! They look like alien cartoon goats and just looking at them makes me giggle many, many times a day.

 

[glenolam]

It's a shame to let those ears go, but, you know free - next year I'll have LOTS of long eared kids running around.... JESS SAYIN'.

 

[savingdogs]

Beautiful goats,free..........

 

[freemotion]

I got word that the doelings are leaving Friday along with the older pygmies, so I will start switching them over completely to cow's milk from the store. I will need to save Ginger's milk for Mya's babies anyways, and then we will have Mya's milk for us....let the cheese making begin again!

Still no nibbles on the buckling.... :/

I was looking at my main calendar for some other bit of current info when I spotted Mya's name written on May 2, tomorrow. Then I saw Peach's name written on Monday, May 9.


I transcribed the dates for those two incorrectly into my planner and the list on the fridge of critical dates! I quickly checked the other dates and they are all correct. Not sure how I did that, but it has been quite a winter/spring here in my household, with lots of bad stuff going on that I don't talk about here, so really, I'm not completely surprised by the goof.

But......YIKES!!!! I was looking at Mya the other day and thinking, wow, I think she'd gonna blow! She doesn't look like she can hold out for over a week....This morning her udder was noticeably bigger, but still not that basketball tightness that she gets, with the shelf on the back that I could probably set my cup of tea on.

The preps begin again. I spent the day yesterday, not working on my list, but doing the huge spring barn cleanout. Took out something like 33 loads of heavy pack and put it right on the far end of the pasture where nothing useful grows. I decided to move it once instead of composting it first, since this little section of pasture grows moss and a few sparse and useless weeds, low-growing ones that everyone ignores. I also left it in piles hoping the chickens will get around to knocking the piles down for me. Since it is right out in the open, that may take a while. With the hawk and eagle problem, they tend to avoid the middle of the field unless it is overcast for a couple of days, then they start venturing out there.

Gotta finish both does' hygiene clips today. And restock the kidding kit with more rags and paper towels, get the kid coats washed and dried, locate Ginger's colostrum in the freezer for Mya's kids, etc.

Gotta strip that second kidding stall and re-bed it once the turkeys are gone later today, since the triplets are still occupying the primary kidding stall.

And make sure the camera batteries are fully charged!

 

[ksalvagno]

If the buckling is old enough, why not band him and sell him as a wether? They really do seem to sell much quicker as wethers.

Good luck on your kiddings. I'm glad I'm done. It was one heck of year for me.

 

[I'm A Gardener :)]

My doe may be just starting in labor now, but shes at a different farm (She's leased) so I'm not really that sure,but they think she might be

 

[freemotion]

If he is still here in a month, I will be buying or borrowing a bander for sure! I hope to move him, though. I just put the ads out last night and this morning, another thing I was behind on. The doelings were sold to someone who came in response to an ad for goat's milk soap.

Mya had strong ligaments this morning and a somewhat flabby udder. Just now it was tighter and her ligs seem to be softening. She was panting, but it is warm and she doesn't tolerate heat very well. I am watching her closely. VERRRRRY closely. She'd better behave and deliver two doelings, perfectly presented, and during daylight hours!

(Keep us posted, Gardener, be sure to start a thread with pictures of the babies! Everyone loves baby goat pics, even "non-goat people".....who are just people who have never held a newborn baby goat. )

 

[I'm A Gardener :)]

Yes, and the kids are gonna be purebred oberhasli kids, which are extremely adorable!

 

[freemotion]

I love Oberhaslis! They look like deer to me, only cuter.

False alarm with Mya, she was out grazing this evening and her ligs are strong. Her udder is getting the shelf, but I'm not gonna get out of bed tonight. She's holding out a bit longer, I'm sure. But she's gonna get poked and prodded first thing tomorrow morning.

Peach is walking like an old matron while her mother was cavorting and bucking and leaping several times today. She is targeting Plum for some reason. They spar and play, but somehow Ginger is just a bit serious at times and Plum runs away, although Ginger is dehorned and Plum has horns. Ginger bulldozes and outweighs Plum by more than 2:1.

Herd dynamics have always been interesting to me, and I had many opportunities to observe subtle (and not so subtle) interactions among the horses I cared for years ago when I worked full-time at a private breeding and show stable. The shifts in heirarchy as the yearlings grow up and go through their first pregnancies are fun to watch. Who needs tv?

 

[Dooley]

OMG they're so cute! I've got baby fever...