A Rough Start

The snow continued all afternoon and well into the evening.

goose headed into the barn

The hill is white again.

Throughout the day, when I checked the girls, I managed to catch a couple more to put on the side where we are kidding.

Athena in the greenhouse

I checked them all night, and somewhere early in the darkest part of morning, Onyx went into labor.  I came back every hour and then, when I checked her about six o’clock, I felt the baby’s bag.  It was still clear back and she wasn’t pushing, so I left her to give her a chance to push because she was not happy with me being there.  When I came back about fifteen minutes later she was lying down and pushing hard.

the next morning

I checked and the baby was head first, so I immediately went in and found the legs folded completely back, brought them in front, and pulled her.  But it was too late.  So many times, I have to wait for a vet or work for what seems like forever to get them out, but she was stuck where the umbilical cord could no longer provide for her and she wasn’t far enough out to breathe on her own, so we lost her.  I immediately went back in and pulled the second girl.

It wasn’t easy to get this one going with the cold (even in the buck room because of the strong west wind).  I finally put them in the soap room.  Sigh…

Baby was finally warm and sleeping

She and mom are finally doing well, but my heart breaks for losing the first little one.

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.

A Little Extra

You already know about Victoria and Dolly coming in and getting extra feed.

Victoria eating her extra corn

I tried to keep it going with the little girls, but they are horrible. I can not go through the door without them rushing it and trying to break in. Pretzel is the worst.

Pretzel

So I finally came up with another plan to give them a little extra.

Pretzel and Ostara in the middle part of the barn where the hay is.

They get to go into the middle part of the barn where I have the hay.  They get to eat with nobody bothering them while I do the rest of chores.

Ostara and Pretzel with a jealous Casey in the doorway

It works. Pretzel did this all last year, so she’s a pro.  And they are working on a bale that is mostly alfalfa, so it has more protein to put some weight on them.

Pretzel

Ostara is still not quite sure about it.  And she really hasn’t figured out that when it’s time to go out she shouldn’t make me run in circles and lunge over the bale of hay to grab her back leg.

Ostara

Hopefully, it gets better. Or spring gets here. One or the other.