Ice

The temperature is dropping and the ice is forming.  I put together a little extra comfort of several hay bales stacked together in the goat house.  The new goat loves it, the others just munch on it.  The chickens didn't feel like producing much today, I guess because of all the clouds.  But I have been getting 4 eggs fairly consistently, and a peak of 7 one day.  I think the girls are well on their way to full production.  Rob will be taking some eggs to work to sell soon.

I also got in my meat grinder and cheese making kit.  I hope to get the last turkey processed soon and made some sausage from him.  I will make my milking stand and start milking Miss in the mornings and begin my attempts with cheese, butter, soap, and yogurt.  Very excited to get some goat milk for ourselves.

Miss is getting thinner though, so I may have to dry her off sooner than I would like.  I hope the new goat drops kids and can take over for her as she is in better condition.  I will make sure to get Miss in better condition before her next pregnancy.  I feel bad that I let her get so thin, but she is still up and alert and keeping her kids in great shape.  I know that sometimes with animals it is live and learn, especially with certain animals needing more feed or less as the case may be.  I am just disappointed in myself that I didn't catch on sooner.

I will correct my mistake though and move on.

The only thing I can't fix is Camo and I don't think I could have done anything more for him. The day after he came up lame I took him to the vet, and made sure to doctor him to the best of my ability.  What happened to him was a freak accident and I am still not entirely sure what he did to cause the leg injury.  He and Miss lived a whole year in the portable goat cage and never had a problem.  I hate to cull him, but I don't see him getting better.  However I wonder if her couldn't survive as a three-legged goat.  He was very interested in the new doe and runs around just fine on three legs.  He isn't in pain, except for when I doctor him and manipulate the leg.

I think I will talk to the vet again and see if there is something else that I can do for him.  He is a blue papered Nubian and a friendly buck, I would hate to lose him.  It seems I have talked myself into another vet bill.

New Doe

Her previous owners called her Twilight but her registered name is Astrids Godiva Truffle.  So I may call he Godiva (snicker snort) or Truffle.

Fence is up

Got the fence up last weekend with some help from friends and family.

And the goats are happy in their new digs.

Also gathered to yard carts of wood from the neighbor's and cleaned up the garage.

We're still getting some orders for cookies and rolls and such but it has slowed down a bit.

Hope I can get the two kids sold when I wean them and start getting milk off of Miss.

kid video

Better video

still spinning but you get the idea

Mostly pictures

Here is the progress on the new shelter.  Rob can walk into it without ducking.  In fact he has to reach up to touch the top so it can be used to house a horse too.  We didn't get as much done as I had hoped, but the weather will still be fair this week.  It'll be a little cooler but the babies seem to be handling it without problems.  Not that the bigger house would make them warmer.

It being a one woman show today I cobbled together some tow straps and hauled the tarp over the hoop myself.  Hardest part was keeping the hooks and ratchets from catching on the panels.

Best use of a McD add I have found so far.

Pardon the spinning camera, I couldn't remember which way was "up" on the phone.

Spike, the rooster, says, "this brand new fence looks like a great place to mark my territory.

Next step is getting the fencing up and the gate.

Kids!!

So Miss had her kids on the 16th.

I had hoped to have the bigger shelter and pen set up for her, but at least she didn't have them when the temperatures were in the single digits.
They are both boys and won't be of much use around here.  I make castrate them and sell them to 4H kids since  I will be able to register them.  Now I just need to think up some names.  I know I want to name the darker one Frost cause his spots look frosted on, but the lighter colored one with the white spots I will need to think of something.

I'll post more with the progress of the pen.