A Quick Switch

With losing Fionn, Xerxes was lonely in the front pasture all by himself.  Goats do not like to be alone.  That’s why some people will just keep a wether for their buck to have company.  I had tried weaning Uno in there with the two bucks a while ago, but the little snot escaped back to his mom.  Yesterday, I decided I’d just do a quick switch, putting Xerxes and Uno up north and putting Joy and Blaze on the front pasture. That way I could also add my upcoming moms on the front pasture too.

Xerxes and Fionn just a couple of days before Fionn’s death

It should be easy peasy, right.  Well, the first step was waiting for everyone else to go out to pasture.  Then I just used a bit of sweet feed to bribe Joy and Blaze into the Love Shack.  2TC followed, and I had to haul Seven over, but it was easy.

Then I opened the gate to the front pasture and tried the same method of moving Xerxes.  He usually just followed Fionn wherever the food led.  This time, he was really good at following me. Easy peasy.

Xerxes

Of course, I was constantly tripping over Popcorn.

Popcorn

When I turned around though, Maybeline and Odie had gone through the gate and were exploring the front pasture.  Brats.

Odie and Maybeline

I bribed them back out with llama food, and I waited until the llamas went out to pasture before my next step.

Odie eating her bribe

That was putting the girls on the front pasture. I had to “lead” them, but it wasn’t too bad.

Blaze and 2TC

I also added Antigone and Pistol.  Antigone is due in June, and her maa, Pistol, could use a little extra attention.  Tonight, I’ll try to add Margarita since she is due the end of next week.

Antigone and Pistol (front), Blaze, 2TC, and Joy

That just left catching Uno and putting him with Xerxes.  He’s tame, so it shouldn’t be a problem, but he has these slippery-as-butter horns that I just can’t hang on to.  I got him up to the gate, and he slipped away.  I caught him again and decided to do the hold both horns and walk straddling him method.  I got him to the gate and opened it and we were half way through, and then he escaped.  That kid is really a momma’s boy.  He did not want to be weaned at all.  He wanted to stay with his mom and all his other friends in the herd.

Uno

I left him alone, mostly because I couldn’t catch him a third time.  He was on to me by then.  Finally, when I came out later in the evening, his mom, Maisie was in the Love Shack pen eating the leftovers from Blaze and Joy, and Uno was in there too!

Cupid (left), Moira and Gidget (back), and Maisie

I shut the gate and caught the little stinker.  I put a collar on him this time and went back to the straddling him and using both horns to steer method.  I also had the collar as a backup if I lost my grip on his horns again.  This time, I had success!

He even stayed in all night.  That’s good because he’s just four months old, but that’s a lot of buck.

He can do some serious damage to my plans of not having fall oopsie babies.

Popcorn

Athena’s little buck that she refused to take is actually doing quite well.  I’ve named him Popcorn!

He’s staying with my mom.

I think the biggest problem he’s going to have when he returns to the farm is the shock of realizing he is a goat instead of a house cat.  He enjoys being brushed, peeing on her floor, and napping in his pet taxi.

You can check out how rowdy he’s getting in a video HERE.

Getting Along

It’s been a long time, but I’ve decided I need to get out of my own little world and join up with some blog linkups again.  I miss seeing other people around the world.  Today, I’m joining Tom the Backroads Traveller for the Weekend Roundup.  This week’s items are: Starts with D, dark and a favorite.

Some of the critters are getting along with each other and the winter weather better than others.  The ones in the Love Shack are actually getting along with each other.  I still worry about my old girls in there, but so far they are hanging in there.  Harley has really become one of my favorites.  She’s such a character.

Harley waiting for her meds in peanut butter

Athena, Cinnamon’s only daughter (a doe), was reallly being picked on in the greenhouse, so I let her out. I did manage to check her udder, and I think she’s bred.  I guess if she isn’t I don’t really care.

Athena

Luckily, she settled right back into the main herd with no problems.

Athena, Annie, Daisy (Caroline in the back)

The one who was doing most of the picking on her is Caroline.  Brat.  She might look sweet, but she’s got a naughty side to her.  Here’s she’s enjoying the sunshine instead of staying in the dark greenhouse (ironic, huh, but we had to take the windows out since they were collapsing).

Caroline

I am worried about Penny and Litha and Flower, but they are hanging in for now.  I’m not sure how they’ll do if we keep having these crazy temperature swings.

Penny

Blaze is really starting to look close to having her oopsie babies, so I’m planning on moving her into the garage this weekend.  I think Mary will be a couple of weeks after her, but I’ll keep checking them closely.

Blaze

Hilda and Xerxes are happy with each other, but I don’t know what I was thinking putting those two chickens together.

Xerxes and Hilda (don’t lick Hilda! You’ll get your tongue stuck!)

Every time I go in there, they look like I’m going to kill them.  They run away.

Xerxes is not quite so bad when he’s with Fionn, who is as calm and sweet as a buck can be.

The geese act like it’s a perfect spring day.  I swear they have rubber feet.

Gander jerks standing; nice girls sitting

They do like the hay I put out there for them though.  You’d think the ganders would quit being so nasty when I do nice things for them.

But no.  They still nip at me.  Jerks.

Edit: I tried visiting other blogs, but blogger eats my comments and they disappear.  Sorry.  Guess I won’t get back into linking up again.