Time to Prep

It’s not just that I am tired of goats in the garage.  I really do need to get them out of there.

Brigit, Ostara, and Bull

Believe it or not, it’s time to prep for my first oopsie baby(ies).  Aphrodite is due April 14th.

Aphrodite in the middle

That means, ready or not, I am moving goats around this weekend.  The kids really are old enough to go out on the front half of the back forty with their moms.  They just haven’t had a lot of practice with the cold, rainy, snowy weather we’ve had.

Claire, Tommy and Spunky stayed in the buck room while everyone else was in pasture.

Last weekend, when I was out there, Shellie got behind the herd, and she gave a big yell.

Shellie

Her mom answered, and they were right back together.  They will be fine, but I do wish the weather had been better before making the change.

Hilda and Shellie (Flower in front)

Anyhow, after I get the moms back with the main herd, I’m going to move the bucks. There is no way I could ever catch Lemuel in the front pasture, so I have to sell him Saturday morning before I start making my other changes.  It just has to happen.

Frodo and Lemuel with Benji standing

Then the other bucks will all go onto the front pasture.  If I can get help loading, I could sell Freddie this weekend too.  Less testosterone will be good.  But I will miss Freddie. I really will–dang sweet boys.

Freddie and Xerxes up north

I’d like to leave the north paddock empty to grow, but that just isn’t going to happen.  I’m going to have to put Flower up there.  I’ll leave Coral with her.

Flower chowing down on last year’s grass

If I have to, I can put more old ladies up there, but I’m hoping warm weather and green grass will help them.

Old ladies: Reva, Joani, and Bambi

And all that moving goats around means I can put Aphrodite in the Love Shack.  That way my mom can check her while I’m at work.

Aphrodite (I think one baby)

I’ve also told Aphrodite to clamp that tail down and hold off until Friday.  I have Good Friday off work, so that would be a perfect day to have an oopsie baby.

Randomness

More from my photography spree last weekend.

Tiger

Joy and Zinnia are still giving me milk, but my freezer is full.  I keep thinking I need to stop, but I just can’t bring myself to quit milking.  They enjoy coming in for feed, and I like all that milk.

Joy

Sky was protecting the property from whomever was shooting.  He’s not afraid of gunfire, but he wants to try and scare it away.

Sky

Flora has been naughty lately; I had to give her a middle name so I could properly scold her.  She is now to be known as Flora Jean Goodberry.

Flora Jean Goodberry

I still haven’t decided for sure if Penelope is going to have spring break kids or not.  I’m really thinking not, but time will tell.

Penelope

Maisie was so starved after she decided to have triplets her last year of having babies.  They just sucked the weight off of her.  Well, she’s found all that extra weight again.

When the weather was nice, the llamas were actually going to out to pasture and staying out for a little while.

Aurora, Maybeline and Odie

Pluto is so stinking cute.

Pluto

Haley is doing well.  I am still just in amazement that she’s doing so well after that infection nearly killed her last spring.

Haley

Reva is nursing a sore foot.  I really think the copper has messed with their hooves.  Poor babies.

Reva

Cupid was using the remains of the Christmas tree to have a good scratch between the horns.

Cupid

Hera is starting to look big.  She is due for spring break.

Hera

Astra and Perdita are really happy to be back together now that I’m done breeding.

Astra and Perdita

Perdita is really growing into a beautiful young doe.

Perdita

My old Dolly girl is still doing really well.

Dolly

Happy weekend!

Finishing Clearing the Barnyard

After a break from scooping the paths, I went back and started clearing the bigger spaces.  The greenhouse was actually pretty quick to put in a couple of piles.

Flora

It was the north paddock that I figured would wear me out.  The snow was deep.  All the way from the gate to the building.

From the gate to the north

I have to go around the pen.

Then it’s a stretch to the shed.

They didn’t even come out despite the wind dying down and the sunshine.

2TC in the doorway

Then I scooped for them, and they were happy to come out!

2TC coming out on my path

Chiffon, Trace, and Benji

Then I did the main part of the barnyard.  I had to clear it enough to get all my food pans out and make sure everyone would be able to find a place to eat hay when I fed them.

Hilda testing out the path.

I did it.  I still had the yard and some other little parts to do, but I had it so that I could do chores.

It was close, but we did it.

Hilda and Rosie eating hay

Of course, Pretzel is still going into the barn to eat hay while I’m doing the rest of my chores.

Pretzel

They were very happy to get their food after that storm and the huge drop in temperatures again.