A Cold Weekend

Well, after some good rains the end of this week, we are cold again.

rain on the window from a squall just after I got home Friday

It’s cold enough that we had a freeze warning for Friday night and another for tonight.

My first dandelion in the yard!

Luckily the kids are a little older.  I don’t worry too much about them.

The pile of kids.

But there’s a lot of delicate plants that I am worried about.  Hopefully, the rhubarb will be okay.  It is a cool weather plant.

I was thrilled when I saw my plum tree was still alive.  And seeing blossoms was even more exciting!  I haven’t had a plum for several years, and I was already planning on wine and cake and jam.  Hopefully, the freeze doesn’t destroy my crop.

plum blossoms

I also noticed I have a lone remaining bleeding heart under where the magnolia tree was located.  I guess I got to enjoy it for a day (and it’s protected somewhat, so maybe it will survive).

bleeding heart

I am certainly ready for real, lasting spring.  Happy Earth Day!

We Made It

I am not a fan of this spring break.  If felt a lot more like winter break with the challenges of kidding.  On a couple of those cold days we had wind warnings as well.  It was sub-zero wind chills.  This was not kidding weather.

But we made it.

Penelope and doe in front. At one point I had 6 pens and 23 goats in the garage.

I really was starting to think I was wrong about Purl and Perdita and they were going to have April babies.  But, on Saturday, when I went out for one of my numerous checks in this cold weather, Purl had a little girl with her!  She was five days past her due date, but she finally arrived.

Do you see the baby? I had to move them to a warmer pen after she was born.

This one looks an awful lot like a grandpa Xerxes baby.

No name yet.

I still wasn’t sure what to do with Perdita because the garage was full. After Purl’s baby, I had 22 goats in the garage and I was still waiting on Cutie. That means I prepped the milk room for Perdita.  Because I still was leaning towards she had to have a baby now.  So I continued my every couple of hours checks around the clock.  And she did nothing overnight.

Perdita with Ostara, Heidi and Pretzel (It was easier to add them to this side than keep feeding them in the middle of the barn.)

I hate to tell these girls that I have to go back to work today.  I mean they should have all had them by then.  Cutie finally got with the program and went into labor Sunday morning.  Right at noon I went out and she was screaming.  I saw two huge feet and a nose.  I pulled the feet, and once the legs got straightened out, we had no problem getting this giant boy out.

Cutie and BJ

BJ. (Benji Jr.)

That just leaves Perdita.  But it’s warmer, and I’m getting more and more of the notion it will be an Easter baby, but I will still check her for a couple more days.  She’s not happy, but she’s penned in the Love Shack since we’ve warmed up some.

Perdita yelling because I have her penned alone.

I never want to do another spring break like this one again.  Now to get the goats out of the garage…

Making Adjustments

I think I left my post yesterday with Onyx and Melba (yeah, she’s that toast color) in the soap room.  It wasn’t long before Melba got warmed up and could nurse, so I put them back in the garage.

Melba and Onyx

With temperatures on Monday night supposed to be down to single digits, I knew I had to make more adjustments to my kidding plans.  The strong west wind didn’t help either because that’s why the buck room was so cold, causing Melba to get chilled.  I put a tarp over the sliding door. That helped.

Poor Victoria had to stay in the buck room by herself because she couldn’t get along with anyone else.  I swear, if they could just get along my life would be so much easier.

Victoria (under a red heat lamp)

I took the Ranger into town (yes, an open cab in the cold and wind) and left it at my son’s shop.  That made more room.

Athena, Caroline, and Antigone

That’s good because Athena was doing a lot of looking like she might be in early stages of labor.

Athena

Aphrodite had dropped and was also looking like she could go into labor soon, so I brought her in.

Aphrodite

Cutie also dropped, but she’s not due until Friday.  But it’s cold, and I can’t take a chance.

Cutie while she was still in the greenhouse

So far, Hilda is just pretty chill, but she’s due on Tuesday, so I’m pretty sure I don’t want to leave her out when it’s that cold.

Hilda

Somewhere between the Ranger out and goats in and tarping the door, I decided it was no longer safe for Tux to stay in the garage. A couple of goats might have wanted to kill him.  It’s a mom thing. So I moved him into the soap room.

Tux

He’s not happy with that, but it’s much safer in there and he hasn’t been out in the cold in so long, I can’t just let him out right now.

Tux was happier once I brought his blanket in for him.

And I still can’t decide whether or not Purl and Perdita are going to kid this week or wait until April because their udders are small enough that it makes me think it will be April.

Purl

Perdita

And I still haven’t caught LilyAnn to put her on the kidding side of the barnyard.  It might be a long spring break.