Checking Goats

During the day, checking goats is easy.  I just head out to the garage.  I look at tails and udders and see if they have dropped.

Flora

Then I wonder if they are in labor or just dropping pellets.  Nothing exciting, so I move on the the next place.

Tansy and Cupid

That’s Joy in the buck room/pen with Sidney.  Again, nothing exciting.

Joy and Sidney

So I head out to pasture.

the herd

There I get to again look at tail position and udders and see if they’ve dropped and whether or not they stop and stretch or are off by themselves.

Ava–please not triplets again

Then I head back until I do it again in a couple of hours.

2TC

At night, the routine is pretty much the same.  But I get to go out to the barn instead of pasture.

Antigone

Then I come back about three hours later.  They are checked around the clock–no more than three hours from one check to another.

Seriously Snow?

Well, my plans for getting kids out in pasture and following their moms took a hit.  Luckily I watched the weather report Saturday evening and had time to prepare.

Maybeline on pasture at sunset

I already had Perdita shut in because she slept outside with Moxie the night before–her poor ears were nipped with frostbite. I hope they will heal without losing any of them.

We had sleet overnight that also turned into snow.

Trying to go out to pasture during a short break in the snow.

Antigone was sheltering under the picnic table, so I had to put her in with Perdita. Luckily, they are done with fighting and can get along again.

And it lasted off and on most of the day.

Casey and Maisie in the barn door.

I was too lazy to switch to a macro lens, but they were perfect snowflakes!

Seriously. I know it’s still March, but I really need the weather to cooperate for a little bit to get these kids going.  Instead I had to shut them all back in the garage overnight.

Why do I only see big goats?

And it stayed cold, so they spent most all day in there.

Nobody wants to share the buck room with Athena but kids.

I do not think the sparrows were happy with their confinement in the garage, but it’s my garage. I can shut the doors if I want to.

sparrow perched on the barn swallow nest.

I have to prepare for the next round of kidding. Go away snow.

Roger and Anita in the hay tub.

I’m also tired of feeding hay.  I still have plenty in the barn.

That’s still a nice stack before I’d have to start throwing it out of the loft.

And I think what’s in the middle will still last so I don’t have to touch what’s in the loft, but still…

I put a bale of hay out in the evening for the moms and old ladies.

I’m really ready for real spring.

A Walk in Pasture

Saturday morning, I decided I was going to take advantage of the warmer weekend weather to go for a walk.  Of course, I took my camera.

OK-the blue jay was in the yard, but I’m including it anyhow.

icicles on the barn on my way out to pasture

looking back at the barn; the goats did not join me

There was an eagle (sorry the photos are horribly cropped)

frost was still on the wood

the ditch was still frozen

and the grass was still icy

Sunshine and sparkling ice in the tops of the trees

old leaves on the oak tree still covered with ice

The ice from last week’s storm was still on the fence

A dead weed in the ditch on my way back to the house

Hope you enjoyed walking with me.