Saturday Morning

With the fence being knocked down I decided Saturday morning that I’d let the goats go through the gates onto the back part of the Back Forty rather than having to climb over the fence.  I was planning on doing it this weekend anyhow (if I found time; otherwise next weekend).

I headed out to pasture while the herd was on the bottom by the gates.  Luckily the post that I keep under the gate so half the goats don’t sneak under just washed to the side and stop.  You can see how high the water was rushing down the hill.

It also put a lot of pressure on the chain fasteners.  Pretty sure they aren’t going to work again.

Since the goats were right there, I had Cupid and Caroline heading through as soon as I opened them.

Cupid and Caroline

As soon as the herd noticed the first girls going over there, they came on the run.

Tramp had no idea what was going on, but he was caught up in the excitement.

Tramp

They were all in a hurry to get back there.

The grass back there is taller because nobody has been eating it yet.  It’s still not tall because of the cool weather we’ve had, but it’s a lot better than what they have been on.

Pluto

Then I realized Antigone was still down by the gates even though all the other goats had headed up the hill.  She had her kids.  And  then I noticed four other kids had been left behind.  I shooed them over to Antigone and hoped they would stick with her.

Antigone

Then, I headed back up to the house.

the herd on the hill

Later I went out to check, and they had all joined the herd.

The llamas were quick to head to the summer barn for some lounging.

Maybeline

Everyone was enjoying it.

Closing the Gates

I decided last weekend it was time to close the gates to the back half of the Back Forty.  I noticed the llamas up in the barnyard getting a drink, so I decided it was a good time.  Of course, by the time I got out there, they were headed back out to pasture.

Maybeline and Aurora

I also saw the goats were on the back part of the pasture, but it looked like they were coming back up.

Goats on the back side of pasture.

I went out and greeted them by the gate.

Moose leading the herd.

When they went through, I was waiting to close them.

I did have to wait for Antigone; she was well behind everyone else.

Antigone

The goats continued on towards the barnyard.

After fastening the gates, I turned around to see Aurora right there.  I had gotten it in the neck of time!

Aurora

All three of the girls were none too happy that they couldn’t get through.

Although Odie was content to just keep eating on this side of the fence.

Aurora, Maybeline and Odie

I feel a lot better with everyone shut away from the coyote woods with the days getting shorter.

Back on the Back

When they were baling hay on the Back Forty, they were careful to close the gates so nobody got on the back side.  Remember, I had everyone shut off because they goats were in the corn field.  I have posts, but I’ve been waiting for the hay to be made before I went out and fixed fence.  Well, when they had to change hay racks, they didn’t see the llamas, so they left the gates open for the few minutes it took to switch racks.  Yep, the llamas came in.

Aurora, Maybeline, and Odie coming through the gates the next day.

We tried getting them out.  But they were having none of it.  And you can’t herd llamas.  Odie just kicked her heels up and laughed at me when I tried herding them out.

Odie

So I did a quick hobble job to hold them out of the corn field for now, and everyone is back on the back half of the Back Forty.

No goats in the corn!

Even Haley made it out there.

Notice how brown it is.  Luckily, we had about two-tenths of an inch of rain right after we finished making the hay, but we are still way too dry.

Pretzel running to get a bottle. Poor girl just had her mid-day bottle cut.

Soon, this back hill will get cut and made into the rest of the hay I need for winter.

Getting the barn filled with hay will make me feel good.