Munching

Now that we’re deep in winter and the goats are all getting room service, I probably won’t be able to take another picture of a critter not munching on hay.

2TC

I put it out there in a lot of different places to make sure everyone has a pile to eat from.

On both sides of the barn and by the garage–lots of piles

I don’t want the old ones or young ones to have a hard time eating.

I’m not sure what’s going on here because goats are not known for sharing food.

Zora, Daisy, Casey, and Cutie sharing a pile

The llamas like their hay too.

Odie

Maybeline

Even Ms. Goose likes to nibble on the hay.

Well, at least they’re cute with full mouths.

Athena

Because we still have about two months before they go back out to pasture.

Other Happenings Around the Farm

My nephew brought their Christmas tree to the goats.  They thought it was a fabulous tree-t.

Zinnia, Caroline and Hera

The next day, I had to turn it over because the only green left was on the bottom.

Maisie checking it out after I turned it over

It didn’t last long.

Dolly and Astra enjoying the treet

I took advantage of the nice weather over break and gave everyone another round of copper.  It was time.  They hadn’t had it since the first part of November.

Sisters Rosie and Purl

The first day, I had a lot of them swarming the milk room.  It gets hard to control the chaos when they all want in.

Cupid (some day I should wash the hoof prints off the window)

I am impressed that my evil plan worked.  I grabbed Zora while she was eating and drug her to the milk room.

Zora eating with maa, Daisy

She was too mad to even try eating any sweet feed, but she got her copper and she got her hooves trimmed.

I did not try to kill you, Zora. Quit telling tales.

It wasn’t so traumatic for her that I couldn’t pet her again by the next day.  She really is a brat.

On the first, I decided I couldn’t put off scooping any  longer.

Ava in front of my door that was snowed shut

I am way too old to be tossing bales through and then me climbing over the Dutch door.  So I chipped away and got it cleared enough that I could get me and a bale through it.

The girls were interested in what I was doing.  Not that they care how I get the hay out as long as I feed them.

Tansy, Onyx, Cupid, Flora, and 2TC

Another thing I did over break was spend a lot of time in the kitchen.  I used the bags of vegetables I froze in the fall and canned a lot more vegetable stock.

I did a total of ten quarts and thirteen pints. Hopefully, it will last me until next fall.

Warm Weather Means Barnyard Brawls!

Wednesday was warm.  It started warm and got warmer as the day went on.

This sunshine brought warmth and melting

After a blizzard, and another snow shower and ridiculous cold for a week or so, the warm weather had the goats ready to get out of the barn.

Daisy and Zora in front; Popcorn and Sidney in back

But they had nothing to do out there, so that meant they decided to fight.

Tansy and Chiffon

Purl and Popcorn

Seriously.

Hilda and Athena

Aphrodite and Pluto

I kept trying to separate them.  Finally, I decided to feed them a bit early to try to distract them.  It did help, but there was still a lot of brawling.

Athena and Trace

Pluto, Aphrodite, and Hera

There were some minor injuries.  Trace had a bleeding horn.  I had to rescue several goats because Athena was being brutal.  Someone went after Wanda. I didn’t see who, but I did see her going through a big snow drift. Later, she was limping a bit.

Wanda

That means I was not about to throw Victoria and Dolly into that mess.

Dolly

Victoria

Hopefully, I can let them out soon.  I really want to have a break from goats in the garage, and they would be happier back with their kids.