The Circus Continues

By the time I went out to do chores Saturday, Fionn was out again.  He saw me start to feed, and he was happy to go back to the Love Shack and have his private meal.  Since then, he’s stayed in.

Fionn, Xerxes and Astra

I also noticed that Antigone was coming into heat.  When I went out the next day, I saw that she aborted from the shot I gave her.  That means she had been bred by one of the little boys I hadn’t sold yet.  I’m glad she isn’t going to have babies in February (or January) some day while I’m at work.  I will give everyone else a shot also to make sure my old ladies aren’t going to have oopsie babies, too, because it would kill them.  She will have a chance to get bred for June babies.

Antigone

Do you notice anything about Caroline?  She’s behind a fence.  She’s not supposed to be behind the fence.  That’s where I have Chiffon and Venus trying to recover from the copper (Chiffon is doing well; Venus is in pretty bad shape).  Brat.

Caroline in back; Anubis

Although, that’s better than Hera who came into heat and keeps jumping up on the workbench where Anubis can’t get to her.  We’ll have to wait and see if she comes back in heat or if she decided to love him for five minutes. I swear…  If only I had waited a day I would have realized that, like Antigone, the little bucks had already bred her.  She will also get put back with Anubis for June kids.

Hera

Finally, Sunday night, I saw Wanda was in heat.  Xerxes was happy, but Fionn just kept staring.

I told him if they had all stayed where I put them, he’d be the one dancing the rumba with her.  Anyhow, Monday was the day to get everyone put back where they belong, and it actually went better than I thought it might.  It didn’t hurt that Zinnia had finally come into heat and was distracting Xerxes while I moved the rest of his girls.

Advertisements

My Circus; My Monkeys

I tell ya… Things are not going well.  After the times I’ve already had to get everyone put back where they belong, I got up this morning to find Fionn in the barnyard happily munching grass by the greenhouse.  He and Xerxes had smashed (and destroyed) the panel I used to replace the previous one they had smashed.  I once again got him back where he’s supposed to be.

Fionn

If I hadn’t been sick, I’d have never put the two big dominant boys in the main barnyard and the Love Shack.  I was just trying to get at least a few of the girls bred for spring break kids because they always do so much better than the June babies.  I never did get all of the girls moved. It really is bad planning to have those two boys so close together with a wimpy fence.

Fionn; Xerxes and Victoria by the barn door.

Fionn is actually surrounded by Xerxes and his girls.  He says that is not fair.

Fionn; Xerxes, Astra, and Victoria (Reva to the right)

He especially thinks it’s not fair since I did not put any girls back in there with him this morning, but I’d already drug Wanda into the Love Shack four times when I wasn’t feeling well, and I decided that was enough.  There was no need to put Ava back because she was bred last night. Fionn recovered from the escapades of the day and managed to find energy to do his job.

Wanda

Anyhow, at least three of my milking girls have been bred.  I know Ava, Astra and Cutie have all been in heat.  I will be able to milk again next summer.

Cutie

Just when I thought I finally had things under control because Fionn was napping happily in his pen and Xerxes was very focused on Reva,

Xerxes

Anubis wandered by.

Anubis

I had already had to catch him and Caroline and put them back once.  But wait, I forgot.  When I first put them in the greenhouse together, Caroline tried walking out through the gate.  She put her head through the panel that had not yet been tied shut, so she couldn’t get her head out.  After beating Anubis off so I could work with Caroline, I got her head out and told her not to do that again.  Then she put it through a different little piece of panel that she managed to completely pull loose.  I think she got her head out when she got the panel wedged into a different corner, so she could actually maneuver out of it.  I caught the two of them and put them back.

Hera (she was added the next day), Caroline, and Anubis

Anyhow, she’d pulled it loose again and was standing there with the chunk of panel on her head while it was still attached in one little place to the rest of the fence, and Anubis could just walk through the hole.  I put him back before he got chased by Xerxes.  Then I went to get Caroline’s head out.  This time, I couldn’t do it because the panel was swinging wildly around her neck, and she was not cooperating.  I ran to get the bolt cutters, and by the time I got back out there, Anubis had slipped through the hole again.  I got Caroline cut out, replaced the panel and put Anubis back again.

Luckily, Hera just stood there watching it all like it was good TV.  I’m very grateful for that because I’d never catch her again if she got out, and she and Anubis are supposed to be helping me make the perfect kid.

Hera: Who knew she’d ever be the good one?

Then there’s Zeus and his girls.

Zeus

They are where they belong.  They are being good.  I don’t know how I got so lucky for Cupid to just happen to be in the barn when I shut it the first night to sort girls, but she was!  I caught her, and she’s been bred.

Cupid

It’s awesome. But who’s that?  Oh, Antigone, didn’t want to be with Xerxes and his girls, so she put herself in with Zeus.  But by this time, I don’t care.  Stay where you want Antigone.

Antigone (But there’s good grass here. I didn’t want to stay in the barnyard.)

And the last little monkey (so far) is Button.  She says that I can’t wean her.  Only her maa can do that, and she’s not about to wean her.

Button in front of Aphrodite

Touché Button.  For now.  Stay with your maa.  It’s a circus around here!

Just Some Leftovers

Well, I’ve made it through the first couple of days back to work.  Here’s some leftovers from the past week.  Penelope is doing better now that she’s had some copper.  She was one of five March kids who got copper when everyone else did.

Penelope (front) and twin brother Pepe (back)

Why is it I see all these great pictures of butterflies sitting on pretty flowers, and the butterflies here sit on goat poop?

I need to band some little bucks since we’re getting to fall weather.  I really don’t need any oopsie babies next winter/early spring.

Pipsqueak and Moira; Chiffon in back

Vinnie’s little girl is adorable!  She is still getting one bottle a day, and she really looks good.

Venus

The red-headed woodpecker found something in the tree.

I wonder where s/he was taking it.

This dog is so goofy!

Sky

Cookie was enjoying the salt/mineral block.

Cookie

I am almost finished with making the cheese I need.  Then I need to do some yummy Mozzarella sticks and feta.

I did finish scooping the barn before I went to work.

Caroline

Lots of green beans!

I think I’ve decided to keep Moira.  She’s calm.  I can pet her, and she loves food.  That means she’ll be a good candidate for milking (I hope).  She also reminds me of her grandmaa, Coffee.

Snow White (facing away), Angela and Moira

The bottle kids are kind of annoying when I go into the north paddock.  I can’t get away from them, and they need to be weaned.

Vulcan and Venus

We finally have had several days with good rains.  That means I had a visitor!

Just a hawk flying over the trees.

Some of the ladies out in the Back Forty.

Bonnie, Vicgtoria, Stormy and maybe Pistol

Happy weekend!