Last year my moms decided to take their kids with them to pasture almost as soon as they were born. I don’t know why they did, but it was horrible. I was wandering the Back Forty (as in forty acres of hilly pasture) two or three times each day looking for kids. I was horribly upset when I wouldn’t find one and had to wait until the next day for its mom to bring it back.
Can you find both of Vinnie’s kids in the grass?
In Bonnie’s case, I had to follow her and steal the kid and bring it up to the barnyard and then lock them in until the kid was old enough to keep up with her. Last year was a drought, and I still had kids coming up muddy from not making the jump across the ditch. They’d wash away this year. I thought I had it figured out really well.
I shut the big boys in the little paddock surrounding their shelter. It’s not huge, but it should feed them a few weeks.
I divided the barnyard in half, like I did for breeding, and the not bred goats, my wethers, and the ones that had March babies could all still go to the Back Forty like they’ve been doing all summer.
“Um, what’s this doing here?” Myson and Casey
My girls due in June would get the small front pasture that the boys usually occupy. All I have to do is open the gate. Okay, not so easy with all my barnyard washing into it. I had to dig it open. At least I only have to have it open wide enough that Betty Lou can still fit through.
Everyone has pasture, and I don’t have to feed them hay!
I figured with the greenhouse, northlean-to, love shack and a bit of the main barn, that would be plenty of shelter for the new moms.
Victoria and kids
and the cattle lean-to and the rest of the main barn would be plenty for the rest of them. Then we had fifteen inches of rain in about ten days. It’s still been rainy off and on since then. My cattle lean-to is a total mess. Nobody goes in there.
I’m really struggling to find shelter for everyone. It would be hard if we weren’t kidding, but it’s impossible with everyone having kids and wanting some quiet bonding time. The shelter that is still dry enough for them to use is horribly filthy. They are in there way more than usual, and it’s too muddy for me to get any equipment in to clean it out right now.
I’ve made it through the first eight girls to kid, but we still have twelve more to go, and I dont’ know where to put them. I’ve already got Maisie in my storage area in the greenhouse.
Maisie and kids
During one rain shower, Dolly was not happy with me shutting her in with her kid and two grandkids. She was trying to isolate herself in preparation for having her kids. She was planning on having them out in the wet pasture with more rain and night coming soon.
Dolly
I made a temporary pen for her in the middle of the barn where I store hay.
Dolly and kids
I’m almost out of straw that I’ve been using to give them a bit of clean bedding for kidding. It could get interesting. Hopefully, the rain will stop for a while and let things dry out.
Linking to Friday’s Fences and Farmgirl Friday.
Teresa
