More Moving Goats

The cold broke just in time for the weekend.  That’s good because I needed the three days of cold (as opposed to brutal cold) to make a couple more adjustments in where goats were located.

Zinnia finally came into heat and got bred, so she and Joy could go back to the main herd.  Honestly, I was also looking forward to going back to milking in my nice warm milk room instead of the garage.

Zinnia

I also hate having goats alone, and Freddie was by himself.  I needed to put him and Xerxes together again.

Freddie

The only question was where and how. I really didn’t think the two mean bucks should get the warmest accommodations on the farm when I have old ladies who are struggling with surviving the winter.

Victoria shivering after the last cold snap ended.

So Saturday morning I decided to trust that Xerxes would just follow me through the barnyard to the north pen.  But I always move bucks when the rest of the herd is out in pasture, and that isn’t going to happen for another six weeks probably.

Myson, Chiffon and Moose–no reason to go out in the snow

I got just a little corn and went to the west side of the barnyard and tossed it around.

Rosie and Tansy searching for the last kernel.

All the goats but Coral and Dolly ended up over there.  I tied a panel across the barn door and just left those two girls.

Dolly and Coral on the east side of the barnyard

Xerxes is such a good boy (As long as I don’t try to touch him)!  He followed me right out the garage door.

He did pause by the little gate into the barnyard because my dog was going crazy barking at him.

Sky

But he decided grain was worth walking past a barking dog.  Then he went right in the north paddock.  He and Freddie acted like they hadn’t been separated for the last two weeks. Thank goodness because I’m tired of fighting goats.

Xerxes and Freddie

Zinnia and Joy followed at a more cautious pace.  They were disappointed they didn’t get grain too, but they got it at milking time.

Joy and Zinnia

Then I wrangled Flower over to the buck room.  She really dropped weight during the last cold spell.

Flower

She was followed by Coral.

Coral

Then I brought Victoria over.

Victoria stopping for her snack in the milk room

The nice thing about the buck room is that it is an insulated room in and insulated building.  While we’re cold, I just shut the door, and their body heat and a heat lamp will keep it nice and warm.  This really is the only chance for Flower to make it through the rest of the winter.

Victoria, Flower and Coral enjoying the sunshine.

I decided to leave Antigone in the Love Shack with the three little bucks because she can’t get stuck in there, and the boys are all three good to her.  Frodo tries to play with her occasionally, but it’s not like he’s being mean to her.

Antigone

And she’s not getting stuck. So, unless I had to move any other goats into the buck room, this was the arrangements until further notice.

Getting Through the Cold

Last week started nice, but Wednesday flipped the switch, and we’ve been miserably cold and windy since.  It’s been a challenge just to do chores and keep everyone going.

Maybeline, Odie, and the goats

The breeding groups have proved a bit of a challenge. Kind of.  Xerxes and his girls are really pretty crowded in there.  As soon as they start getting bred, I’ll move them back to the main herd.

LilyAnn, Joy’s back end, Xerxes, and Daisy

Benji and his girls are nice and cozy, but the lean-to isn’t quite as warm.  I need to do some work up there next spring.

Benji and Venus (Chiffon behind)

The two little bucks were acting like bucks with Flower and Antigone when I put them in there, so I let Antigone out.  It didn’t take too long for them to settle down with Flower.

Frodo (Lemuel inside)

I did finally put Antigone in with Freddie and his group.

Antigone

Penelope also decided she wanted to go in there.   That’s fine. There’s plenty of room.

Penelope and her sister Flora

I just have a hard time getting Freddie to let me open the door without smashing other goats or jumping on the gate.  He is being a pain in there.

Freddie (my makeshift gate is a challenge)

I’m also trying to keep a close eye on my old ladies. I have so many old ones that I worry about when it’s cold.

Coral

Aurora and I about froze standing out in the negative wind chills while she ate her extra feed, but she got it. I do think she’s holding her own. You know, as long as I keep giving her the extra feed.

Aurora

Perdita and Pretzel are the two little ones I worry about.  Haley has actually been pretty good to Pretzel and she seems to be doing okay. Haley is also back on the pain meds to help that back ankle where she had surgery and has arthritis and bone spurs.

Pretzel and Haley

Perdita I’m trying to make sure she always gets a little pile of hay to herself, and I’ve been letting her come into the chicken pen when I feed, so she can eat some corn.

Perdita (stretching)

It seems that our stretch of miserable cold has come to an end.  Within in a couple of days, it looks like a stretch of above average temperatures.  Sigh….I still want a long stretch of average.

Basking Season

After a week of gloomy, drizzle, fog, clouds, snow and horrible wind chills, we’ve had a slight turn.  There’s sunshine and no wind this morning.  Granted, it’s only 4°F out there, but it’s still better than yesterday.

The goats agree.  They came out of the barn to bask in the sunshine.

During the winter storm yesterday, I found Antigone huddled behind the door (that crack to the right of Bubbles).

Margarita (front), Joani (middle), Bubbles (back) and Caroline (right)

I had to pull her out because she has just a tiny bit of baby bump that meant she couldn’t get out.  I put her in the Love Shack with Flower.  She looks much more content this morning.

Antigone

Some of the critters are still staying inside.

Aurora catching the sunshine

Hera (top); Popcorn (bottom)

I still really worry about the animals.  We have a couple days of warmer temperatures coming and then another dive into Arctic temperatures before jumping up to the freezing point again.  Poor babies.

Bambi

Others are out looking for bits of leftovers from yesterday.

Penelope

Don’t worry, they are getting plenty to eat in this cold.