3 May 2010
What a weekend!!!! My brother called again, wanting to spend the weekend here. He lives in the city...Cincinatti. :/ It just grates him raw living in the city, but due to circumstances...he cant move to the country. He is 52 with an almost 3 yr old DAUGHTER!!
What was HE thinking!?? LOL Better him than me, I can tell ya!
Anyways...he showed up Friday night with little Anna in tow. She is Sooo cute, and smart...and fun to have around the farm. Everything is new and wonderfull to her. Saturday morning we took her into the woods mushroom hunting. It started out grand...flowers...leaves...everything excited her...for the first acre.
Then it was " hold you"
Her wanting us to carry her. So, we didnt find mushrooms...but both of us were worn out from carrying her through the woods. Back to the house, dry clothes, cookies, and juice. She was worn out. :/ And needed a nap.
After her nap, we all headed to the animals...and they "helped" do the chores. OK, well...not really helped...but watched, and asked.." why do you do it that way..why dont you do this?? I love my brother, but I have a certain way I like things done..and thats that! It rained most of the weekend, so we didnt get to do much outside. We were able to get the gutter on the henhouse fixed, and the water barrel quickly filled...and overflowed. :/ I will be looking for several more water barrels.
Hubby and my brother "worked" on the lawn tractors...sharpened blades, cleaned, and filled the gas and oil, and changed filters. Anna kept ME busy...her running..me chaseing her. LOL I swear...I would turn around for 10 seconds, and she would be gone! Oh, and she doesnt like to answer when you call her...so it was usually a search and find thing. :/
Today I didnt get much done at home...did a LOT of running this morning. We have to have a new roof on the house. Seems there is damage from the 2 big snows last Feb. We are missing several shingles, and the roof sags. UGH! I called a contractor, he came out, wrote the proposal...I ran into town today to the insurance to get the claim number, had to run that to the contractors, then take the signed proposal back to the insurance. Then I went on a search and destroy mission. We were told there was an office here in town that handles Farm ponds grants. So, i went, I talked, I was told to go to another office, in the next little town. So, I go, I talked, I was sent to another office, in the same building...then another, then another. UGH! Come to find out...no one has the funds, or the knowledge therof, to get a farm grant.
So, while I was in the Gov office, I was able to get the paperwork to get our farm officially named. Now to get it filled out, and notorized.(sp?) Tomorrow the claims adjuster is supposed to call to come look at the roof. I just hope it all goes smoothly. We have never had a claim on the insurance...and to tell ya the truth, I have NO IDEA how this works! LOL
Once I got home, I had to get in there and clean the cornish cross coop.
Man oh MAN do they stink!!!!! I was able to get it all raked out, and put in the new shaveings. Hopeing this will calm the stench a bit...at least for a few days!
Well....the rain is coming in AGAIN...and I hear thunder..and saw lightening. Guess its a good night for spinning wool.
Oh, and Pebbles....I think I will rename WOBBLES! Still no babies. She is getting so big, I fear I will see those babies just rip through her sides any day now. The last few days, she will walk along the fence, and rub her right side along the fence. I think she is trying to work them out as well! LOL Poor baby. I sure hope its soon!!!
Happy Day After Mother's Day.
I got in there with her, and felt the little face, it was ice cold, and not breathing. I panicked!!!! I called a friend that just had goat babies... Alpines..and as I was forceing myself to hold back the tears, I pleaded with her to come over. Once she showed up, I sighed a little...but as she tried to get the baby out, she could not get her fingers past the pelvic. She suggested I call the vet. The vet instructed us to just pull slow, but hard, since the baby was not alive. So, I grabbed Pebbles by the shoulders...she grabbed the baby, and finally we were abel to get him out. My poor Pebbles screamed...I BAWLED!!! That boy weighed in at almost 5 pounds!! My friend and I came to a conclusion that because of his size, there was probably not another in there, but she decided to waite there with me untill Pebbles passed the afterbirth. After about 20 minutes...Pebbles squated, and started puching. I was relieved to see she was passing it on her own. Then, to our surprise, there was a little tiny face peeking out at us!! My friend quickly grabbed it and pulled. The feet were not presented with the head. ( just like the boy) and she was able to pull out a beautifull, tiny little girl! 
She weighed about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds. It was cold, and even tho Pebbles was taking great care of the wee one, she got chilled fast, and would not try to stand, or suckle. So my friend milked the colostrum into a baby bottle as I wrapped the little one, and ran to the house with her. I made a tent with a blanket, and put the hair dryer in with her to get her temp back up quickly. She was shivvering, and laying down. After a few minutes, she tried to stand, so I kept her in the tent a little while longer, then force fed her the 2 teaspoons full of colostrum. After about 30 minutes, she was standing, altho wobbly, but she was up!! 
I decided to bring Pebbles into the garage, where I have electric, and put a heat lamp on them. I was able to get the little one to suckle...so I felt confident leaving them for a while to get to know each other. I went back later, and they were snuggled up together. 
As of today, they are back in the barn, and doing fine. I will get pics tomorrow...I am so worn out tonight. Oh, and I named the new one... Half Pint. 
