Garden talk

The garden is an on-going work in progress. Let's just say that. 

I've still got beds to clear of weeds. I do have a lot of beds planted: two onion, one garlic, four carrot, three beet, one horseradish, one sweet potatoe, two potato varieties, and a lot of tomatoes!

These little chicks were hatched recently. They are a week or two old. I think they are all pullets. I was surprised too by the fact that two of these appear to have been fathered by the beta rooster, Bob the Buff Orpington. 

The one with the racing stripes on her wings is definitely Chip's kid. 

Hand Milking Goats

Oh my hands!

I'm milking three goats twice a day - trying for between 7/8 am and then 6/7 pm. I only started on Sunday morning doing two-a-days; I started getting them on the stand at night the week before.

Fiona, the oldest mixed Saanen/Nigerian Dwarf is getting a little persnickety. This is her third year of being milked. She comes to the gate when she's called, but wants to take her own sweet time about walking to the stand. She has been producing a good half-gallon of milk for the past three mornings but she loses patience being on the stand for as long as it's taking me to get her completely milked out. I think she's turning into a diva.

It's Franny's second year of being milked, and she's actually the most well-behaved. She's at the gate when I come back with Fiona, and walks fine to the stand. She hops right up and starts munching. She's producing about a quart a day total but milking her tiny teats takes some time.

Now, Feisty is a first-freshener and she's just wild. I have to trick her with a bucket of food to catch her so I can drag... er lead her to the stand. She hops right up and starts eating her sweet feed treat, but getting her to and from the stand is a giant pain in the ass. She's fine while being milked. I couldn't catch her this morning. She's going to have one sore udder tonight. I hope I can catch her for the evening's milking session.

I've got five babies that are being fed on a caprine bucket feeder. The girls have caught on quite well, The one mixed buckling, I'm calling him Splotches, is doing much better than his half-brother, Big Nose. I have to catch him in order to get him on the feeder whereas the other babies see me, know what's coming, and run right over when I set it on the stand. Stupid boys.

Baby Goat Cuteness

Babies all over the place!

One of the newest bucklings. 

His brother...

Their sister is such a sweetie. 

They are Saanen and Nigerian Dwarf mix. 

Three More Baby Goats!

Fiona had triplets last night: two boys and one girl. Long legged and ganglier than the other four. 

The boys have Black and Tan spots. The girl has tan spots. 

I'm so sick right now

I can't find one of Franny's kids anywhere. I'm so afraid a coyote got her. 

FRANNY FOUND HER!! She was hiding in the corner of the cabin. Franny kept calling for her, walked closer, and I heard the baby calling back. I'm so relieved 

More kids!

Went outside around two o'clock today and discovered that Feisty had her babies! 

I thought she'd only have one since she's kind of small, but she had two little doelings. 

I brought them inside to dry them off quickly. It's overcast a and chilly out today. 

This one looks like her daddy, Freckles. 

It's kidding time!

Proud mama, Franny.

Franny had two kids, a buckling and a doeling late Sunday/early Monday March 23, 2015. 

Both are really healthy, passing yellow stools so are getting milk, and are adorable and inquisitive. 

For now, we're calling the buckling Freckles the Second. That's him in all his fluffy cuteness above. 

The doeling we're calling C.C. short for Cookies N Cream. She's only slightly smaller than her brother. 

It's funny how much of a combination they are of their parents compared to their first offspring. 

Last year, Franny had two doelings - one who was a buckskin like herself (her mini-me) and the other who was black and white like the dad. These two look very different from their sisters.

Both parents were registered; one with one goat association and the other to a different one. However, they are both 100% Nigerian Dwarf so I'm selling these. 

The other does I have that are expecting are mutts. Not much income from them.

Too bad. These guys are super cute and crazy corny!!