Released

When I got home from work on Friday, I released the moms in the garage and little south pen onto the entire front pasture.

Moms, kids, and the other girls on that side

I really need to get the moms out where they have all that pasture.  It’s almost impossible for me to put enough hay in there to feed all those girls–especially since I have four big pushy bratty girls in this group along with my shy ones.

Athena has been horrible

The kids were having a lot of fun playing.

kids by the gate

They did explore a little bit.

Purl’s girl

Purl with her girl to the right and Penelope’s to the left

Of course, I had to deal with the yearlings wanting to check the babies out and play with them..

Heidi checking out a baby

I did make sure everyone was shut back in the garage that night. I’m hoping, they will naturally move the kids over to the barnyard (greenhouse).

LilyAnn with one of her kids

Next weekend, I will try to get them switched with the ones who are kidding next.  This is a crazy fast turn around between rounds of kidding.

The Eviction Plan

Sunday was decent weather.  It was still pretty cold in the morning, and the winds were strong with a bite in the afternoon, but I had to start making adjustments to get the goats out of the garage.

Goats and pens everywhere

I started with letting the girls in the buck room out onto the little pen south of the garage.  That’s all any of the moms are getting for this week.  I took the panels down.

Hilda and Onyx were penned on half of the buck room each

Then I opened the door and let the next group out.

Aphrodite (checking out Hilda’s boys)

Then I started clearing more panels.

The rest of them didn’t think it was fair.

As the mom’s went outside, the kids got to meet each other, and they were really having fun!

I was going to leave Purl since her baby is so young and small, but Purl put her head through the panel and knocked my concrete filled buckets down trapping herself, so I had to let her out too.

Purl and her girl

Everyone was out!

Of course, Penelope escaped, so I had to find that hole and fix the fence, but I think we’re good now.

Penelope waiting to be let back in

Then I moved my three non-moms to the front pasture.

Victoria (Ostara and Pretzel in front)

Antigone (she was back to fighting with Perdita before I put her in the Love Shack)

Because with no pens, it’s a free-for-all when I shut them back in for the night.  But soon, I’ll have them completely out–hopefully this weekend.

We Made It

I am not a fan of this spring break.  If felt a lot more like winter break with the challenges of kidding.  On a couple of those cold days we had wind warnings as well.  It was sub-zero wind chills.  This was not kidding weather.

But we made it.

Penelope and doe in front. At one point I had 6 pens and 23 goats in the garage.

I really was starting to think I was wrong about Purl and Perdita and they were going to have April babies.  But, on Saturday, when I went out for one of my numerous checks in this cold weather, Purl had a little girl with her!  She was five days past her due date, but she finally arrived.

Do you see the baby? I had to move them to a warmer pen after she was born.

This one looks an awful lot like a grandpa Xerxes baby.

No name yet.

I still wasn’t sure what to do with Perdita because the garage was full. After Purl’s baby, I had 22 goats in the garage and I was still waiting on Cutie. That means I prepped the milk room for Perdita.  Because I still was leaning towards she had to have a baby now.  So I continued my every couple of hours checks around the clock.  And she did nothing overnight.

Perdita with Ostara, Heidi and Pretzel (It was easier to add them to this side than keep feeding them in the middle of the barn.)

I hate to tell these girls that I have to go back to work today.  I mean they should have all had them by then.  Cutie finally got with the program and went into labor Sunday morning.  Right at noon I went out and she was screaming.  I saw two huge feet and a nose.  I pulled the feet, and once the legs got straightened out, we had no problem getting this giant boy out.

Cutie and BJ

BJ. (Benji Jr.)

That just leaves Perdita.  But it’s warmer, and I’m getting more and more of the notion it will be an Easter baby, but I will still check her for a couple more days.  She’s not happy, but she’s penned in the Love Shack since we’ve warmed up some.

Perdita yelling because I have her penned alone.

I never want to do another spring break like this one again.  Now to get the goats out of the garage…