Friday Photodump

With the nice weather last weekend, I really overdid it with the pictures (sorry). But it was so nice out walking last weekend!

My sweet Casey

Astra

still waiting for my corn to be harvested

Crystal

Cutie in pasture

Maybeline and Odie

sparrow

Benji and Chiffon sharing a pan of sweet feed

another of the red-bellied woodpecker

Maybelline might have a bit of something stuck in her teeth

Hera

the herd coming up from pasture

another sparrow

Pluto

Reva

Sidney

Frodo

Barbie

Margarita

Mini

my barn (Victoria is in the big doorway

Victoria

Hilda and Myson

Caroline

Athena

Have a great weekend!

Flashbacks

This year was hard to decide who was in heat and getting bred because I was working and sleeping and the majority of the goats were out on pasture with Benji, and I just didn’t see them.

Benji eating out in pasture with the girls

Right after separating the goats from their breeding groups, I started having flashbacks.  The day Benji was out I saw a couple of girls in heat. The next day, when I finally had him contained, I came out to find Antigone in heat.

Antigone by Xerxes

That evening, both Joy and Ava came into heat.  I started thinking about last year when I only ended up with six girls settling for spring break.

Joy

Just like last year, it got to the point that every time I stepped outside for the next three or so days, someone else was coming into heat.

Venus and Wanda hanging out by the bucks (Freddie in back; Xerxes by the fence)

Both the girls I had given shots to so they would hopefully get bred for spring break, and those who I hadn’t put with a boy.

Caroline by Xerxes

I swear to you, I have seventeen girls who came into heat between Oct. 19 – 21.  Wanda is the only one who is for certain retired.

Daisy by Freddie (Pretzel’s ear because she was also in heat)

I am not happy with this situation.  I don’t want another year of lots of difficulties with June kids/moms. I swear, after the last three weeks, I’m just ready to get out of the goat business.

Breeding Prep

Last weekend, I decided I’d better spend some time getting ready for mixing the bucks and does to make spring break babies.  I can’t believe it’s already that time of year!

Xerxes and Perdita

I have four bucks, so I had to figure out where each of them would go and where my old ones and kids and those taking a break would stay to be away from bucks.  It’s looking like a logistical nightmare this year, but I think I have a plan.

Caroline (and several others) are taking a year off.

I got panels ready to put by the cattle tank.  I needed to block the area from the tank to the post, so I can split the barnyard in two.

Chiffon wondering why she can’t walk through

I had to cut another new panel to divide the first section of the barn.

Rosie, Pretzel, and Ava in front: Reva, Maisie, and Wanda in back

There will be a big group of goats without a buck on the east side of the barnyard.

Ostara won’t go in with a buck until we make June babies

Benji will get the Back Forty with a majority of the girls.

Benji

Then I’ll have Frodo in the Love Shack with his Pretzel.

Frodo is growing into a handsome buck

Freddie will up north with just a couple of girls–Purl and Perdita (or maybe Penelope).

Freddie

Xerxes is going to be disappointed.  He will stay in the buck room and its little pen with only Joy and Ava.

Xerxes

If all is going as planned, today and tomorrow will be the day I get to move everyone around. And hopefully, I have more girls come into heat and settle than I did last year.

Onyx might already be bred–no shot to sync her.

And I don’t think I mentioned that I’m watching to see if Bumble gave me any oopsie babies for the end of February when I had to let him out for a couple of days.