A Kidding Conundrum

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.

Magnolia Skies

1.  This week, the topics for Nurture Photography are home or pink.  It’s perfect timing to share pictures of my magnolia tree.  I love my magnolia tree.  Honestly, when it doesn’t get frosted or destroyed by rains, there is nothing more beautiful.  I also love the way it makes my whole yard smell.

SOOC

2.  We’ve had more rain this week which has completely eliminated the drought in my area.  In fact, it’s too wet for anyone to get in the fields.  It seems like we’re constantly going back and forth between too wet and too dry.  I’m really not made for this gambling farming lifestyle.

SOOC

3.  This week I got to do senior portraits for some of our students graduating from the alternative high school where I work. I really enjoy doing these, and I think the kids appreciate it too.  You can see a sampling HERE.

SOOC

4.  We’re about three weeks away from the start of kidding round 2.  Bonnie will kick us off on May 31.  It will be a whirlwind of kids being born with ten girls due between June 3 – 5.  Then there are a few after that.  I don’t plan on sleeping the first week of June.

5.  I have a buch of tomato seedlings sitting around my house, but it’s been too wet to work in the garden too.  This weekend is supposed to be cooler but dry.  Hopefully, I can get it cleaned off and ready to till and plant.

SOOC

Linking to Random 5 Friday, Nurture Photography, Skywatch Friday, Weekly Top Shot, and SOOC Sunday.

Nothing But Rain

We’re still in the midst of rain.  That’s good for pasture and cropland and lakes and ponds and such, but we’re actually seeing some places flood with it coming all at once.  Luckily, I’m not in one of those places.  The only flooding here is the barnyard.

All that rain makes it hard to take the camera outside and find wonderful pictures for the blog.

So I’m thinking back to last Saturday when we had a pretty nice day!  The skies were blue with puffy white clouds.  The maple tree was enjoying the sunshine.

Instead of being closed tightly with lack of sunshine and pouring cold rain, the crocus were blooming.

The bovine are not getting hay now, so they are out wandering around the edges of the field and in the waterways and the old homestead yard to eat the grass.

Maxine and MJ

If I had known we were going to have no days without rain, I’d have made sure to get more of the fence in there last weekend.  The rain is supposed to end tonight which will give us a break to let all this water soak in, and then there are more chances for rain the beginning of the week.  I’d better take lots of pictures this weekend.

Linking to Thursday Favorite Things, Thursday’s Inspiration, Friday’s Fences, Skywatch Friday, Farmgirl Friday.