I Just Can’t

I’ve had so many good-byes lately, and I dread the couple that I know will still be coming this year.

Victoria is old and struggling

But even more than losing my old goats, I have a fear for Tux.

Tux

I can’t get him to get along with my dog.  And it would break my heart if I came home to find that Sky had killed him.

Sky in attack mode–looking at kids.  He has to learn the little ones are not short-tailed, funny-colored squirrels.

I thought about trying to bring him in the house where it would be easier (more frequent) to get them together.

But I have a tentative truce in the house with four cats.  That’s huge and I am afraid what Rocky would do if I brought an adult cat into the house.

Rocky

I’m afraid I’m going to have to find something else for Tux.  I just can’t keep him shut in the soap room or garage forever.  He deserves so much better.

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.

Kidding Prep

I decided that this was the weekend I had to get everyone adjusted for kidding. I put my gate across the front of the barn with the whole herd on the back side so I could do my adjustments.

The herd stuck on the other side when they came back up from pasture.

Ava wondering why she can’t go where she wants.

I now have the two bucks up north.

Xerxes

They are getting along.  Xerxes is a pretty nice guy when he’s not in rut.  Frodo is still properly petrified respectful.

Frodo

I also put the fence through the middle of the barnyard.  I left Antigone on that side even though she isn’t due until April.  I didn’t want her to have to fight her way back into the herd when she’s that far along in her pregnancy.

Antigone is due next month.

I also added Penelope who had been up with Frodo.  She is due next week.

Penelope looking for leftovers.

Victoria came over by the cattle tank, so I opened that and let her in.  I’ll let both her and Dolly on this side so I can keep giving them extra feed.

Victoria

I let Caroline out.  She was not eating well in the garage, and I hoped that getting out would give her a mood boost.  She will stay on the side with the moms so I can still give her extra care.

Caroline will stay on this side so I can give her extra care.

Because I opened the door for Caroline to go out, it also means that Tux is out.

Tux came out; I put him in; we’ll keep bouncing back and forth for a while.

He might be underfoot outside.

That was a pretty good morning’s work, and all I had left to do was move the first of the spring break moms and Dolly over there.