Goat news

Well yesterday morning I went to feed the goats and Miss was down.  Now usually they are both laying together but are upright with their legs tucked under them.  But Miss was flat on her side and the hay was kicked all around her like she had been trying to get up.  There was no reason she shouldn't have been able to roll to her stomach and get up.  I pulled her up and she was very weak in the back end and she wobbled and leaned on me a lot, but she did her elimination business.  Then she went back down.

Not good.

I pulled her back up and put down some grain and they both went for it so I was encouraged a little bit but new I would need to do some research on what had fouled my goat.  But I also had a doctor apt in St. Louis and was leaving with Rob to go to that after dropping him off at work.  I finally did some research at a friend's house and from the symptoms it seemed like she had meningeal worm which can eat the spinal column and cause paralysis.  It is usually passed from deer.

Deer in the area? check.
Goats been on grass? check

Ohh ratspit.

A quick call to a local large animal vet and they say they can get her in at 10, but I am in St. Louis and it is 8:30, and I have a doctor apt at 11.  Time to skip the doctor.

Rush home, get Miss back on her feet and haul her but into the back of the truck (took Camo too just so he wouldn't go buggo without her) and went to the vet.

Good news - likely not the worm.  She stayed up the whole ride to the vet (and from) and passed the nerve test.  This is when you try to let them stand on their ankle and not their hoof (seen it done with horses).  According to the vet Camo has probably done so major bruising while trying to breed her.  But they were both wormed just in case and Miss has a few days of anti-inflammatory shots.

So today they are separated and Miss is staying on her feet some more (was down again this morning).  She is grazing and seems content in the sunshine.

Warmer Days

A lot of things done around here are based on the weather.
Will the goats get to go outside today?  Is it raining, snowing or to cold for them?  Today is going to be a glorious 70 degrees and they are on fresh grass for the day.

No more need to bust ice from buckets or defrost rabbit water.  No more sliding on snow and ice.  No more getting snow in my shoes.

Yesterday I finished putting the nest boxes in the chicken tractor.

 (yes this tractor was expertly painted by M and D)
Soon I will take the cardboard off that kept the wind from the chickens all winter.  I am proud of my scrappy chickens for surviving the whole miserable winter without a heat lamp.

I am still culling some roosters.  I have a red ready to go today.  I have two barred rocks that I need to cull and then I will be down to the two I am deciding between.  A big barred rock and a white with silver lace that I am unsure of the breed.  They are two of the bigger birds and it comes down to who is the quietest.  Wish I could explain that to them.

I also wanted to share the first signs of spring:  The daffodils are sprouting.

Calling Spring

I have spring fever.  I want to start my garden, have eggs fresh from my chickens' butts and have Miss finally let Camo breed her.

Camo is little but he is trying like a champ.  If Miss would hold still he might get the job done and we would have some baby goats and milk.  His papers finally got worked out so the babies would officially by purebred Nubians.

This is Miss during late summer/fall.  Nubians have the pendulous ears.

The first shoots of green will be welcome.  Hell, bugs would be welcome at this point so the chickens could have something different to eat.

For now I sit at the computer pounding away at the keys, hoping that the story I am putting so much work into will eventually be printed and people will actually want to read it.  But now that the snow is thawing again I will need to stop my typing and get outside and put the nest boxes in the chicken tractor for my eggs.

News from the snow globe

It seems like winter is never going to end.  And that isn't just me saying that.  I would hate to think what it must have been like for those people who had to suffer through the ice age, much less a mini ice age.

Dispatched two more roosters, including my favorite colored one.  He was the noisiest and the smallest so I didn't want him making babies.  I am trying to pick which of the remaining roosters I want to keep.  There are two that look like they grew quickly and are a good size.

So for my birthday I got a snowstorm from mother nature ..... So Rob is spending the night with some friends in St. Louis so he has an easier time making it into work (or rather can make it into work).  Good thing bull riding was on today or it would have been a total loss.  That and Jr. came in second in the nascar race, which I only caught the last half of.

I noticed when I was moving the chicken tractor that our new (well less than a year old) metal roof was having an issue.  On the side of the house there is some flashing that comes down to keep the wind from getting under the roof and ripping it off. Except that flashing is now popped up - from the wind.  So will need to clamber up there when the weather gets better and pop it back down.  Oh goody.

I had hoped to get more trees cut down this winter but the weather has just been so bitter I can't bring myself to go outside and get it done.  Hopefully the world will trend toward a warmer trend soon and I can knock down a bunch before they start drawing up too much sap.  I need me a pasture for more critters.

And Freezing...

Time to start culling more roosters.  They are getting noisier.  Don't want to bother the neighbors that much.  Especially at 5 am.

Another Thaw

Big Mama only had one kit, this time several days after I removed the nest box and moved her back outside.  She and Lil' Poppa are now chilling in the freezer.

I am doing well with my weight loss, I am hoping that with continued effort I can cure my diabetes but that is a long road.

My first seeds came in for the garden!!  I can't wait till the trees come in April.

Camo is interested in Miss, if you get what I mean.  He is still kind of small to do the deed but he is trying and that makes my hopeful.

We have another dog for the moment.  Not sure if we will keep her but she is learning the ropes here.  Received her from some friends because she and their other dog weren't getting along.  Giving her till March to worm her way into our hearts.  Right now to me she still feels like someone else's dog that we are just watching.

The back yard was a skating rink the past few days.  The snow melted just enough to refreeze into a thick coat of ice.  Especially on the paths I use where it was compacted.  I am looking forward to spring and no more snow and freezing temperatures.

I am making progress on my book again (the third one in the series).  I am waiting for a friend to help me out on the first one, to make sure there aren't glaring mistakes with spelling, grammar, or plot, before I self-publish on Amazon.

&#@%$ you winter!!

I am so tired of the cold and snow.  The constantly frozen water and the slippery snow is depressing.  The world has become a white canvas with grey trees.

I am so ready for spring I will dance in the yard when I can start my garden.

I do have some nut trees on order as well as some berry plants.  I am excited to get them and get a start on having a harvest from this land.  It will likely be several years at least before the trees produce but at least it will be something to tend and look forward to.

The rabbits are back inside because of the temperatures.  I still haven't gotten rid of my extra male.  I just don't want to have to stand out in the cold and do it.  Hopefully next week will be better weather.  I will need to start taking out some more roosters too.

Tomorrow I have another doctor appointment.  If it hadn't been for trying to keep my CDL I would probably never gone to the doctor.  Apparently I have been diabetic for awhile.