Round Up

Serendipity Butt Naked

Cinnamon - Look how big he's gotten!

The girls' hooves have been trimmed with the exception of Serendipity. I'm waiting until she kids. Everyone has been sheared. I'm sure they were happy to get out of those winter fleeces. Shots have been given. The house has been cleaned. Laundry is done. Cynthia's little buckling has been wethered and her kids given shots. I injected lidocaine in his scrotum and Cynthia placed the band on him. I will go back in a few days and cut the sack off beneath the band and dip it in iodine. This method was very humane and done with ease. By cutting the sac the risk of infection in a closed wound has been eliminated. He was more upset when I gave him his CDT shot than when this procedure was done. We did a really good job and I'm so proud of both of us. I really don't think there is anything we can't do together. We've helped each other dehorn, band, give shots and kid. She checks in on my goats and I check in on hers.

My little ones are just so playful. It is becoming increasingly more difficult to round them up at night. They just want to romp. I'm moving Gabby over tomorrow. Cody is going to be depressed. Vacation is over. It's time to get her back to work. I can say I am honestly worried about predators. This little ones would just be a small mouthful for a mountain lion. We look so silly trying to gather them up for the night. Every time I go through this I laugh to myself thinking of my friends who are cattle ranchers riding and rounding up cattle. I can't even imagine the skill and practice needed for that! The theme from Rawhide plays in my head as I try to cut one of the kids off while they run around the feeder.

I went to see Rosemary's lambs this evening. They are adorable! She has 3 bum lambs that have been on bottles who are really very friendly. They are having some stomach issues so I made a trip home for some FastTrack, Probiotics and Pepto Bismol. Rosemary, Cynthia and I are fortunate to live close to one another. If one of us needs something it is likely another has it on hand.

I'm really whooped so I'll leave you with these videos I took today of my little ones.

Eye Candy on the Ridge

Serendipity has not had her babies yet. Goats are so unpredictable. She is probably going to surprise me with puppies. Cynthia has been stopping by to check in on everyone. Mike has been checking regularly too. Mike is a bit concerned about having the shearer come tomorrow. He doesn't want to upset her. We usually wait until kidding season is over. I really can't wait much longer or I'll be shearing again in November or December.

There was a mouse in the grain bucket again this evening. I dumped him in the empty trash can outside the tack room. The last time I set it free. I was tempted to run water in the can but I couldn't kill him. If there is a famine I'm in trouble. I'll be out there digging up roots to eat. I'm not a big meat eater but I do like a nice big juicy steak as much as the next person. I have no problem walking into the local King Soopers and buying a rib eye. I'm detached from the process. One of the 5 Reiki precepts for happy living I repeat 5 times every day is, "I will be kind to all living things." It's not living when it's in cellophane.

Speaking of unpredictable..........I read Kristy's post today. She wrote about the passing of their family dog. She relayed the news to Clayton and they cried together. I had to read it a second time. Surely she wouldn't tell her critically ill son the family dog died. Why oh why oh why???? Couldn't that wait???? I had a fusion on three discs in my neck a few years back. I told Mical that he should not say a word to my kids until I was home and well. Thank God he didn't have to put me in the freezer until summer vacation. I don't think I would have fit anyway.

I remember Simon calling his friend James to tell him how sorry he was his dog died. James responded, "what???? My dog died!!!!!???" Opps. Lauren hadn't told him. There are some things that should just wait.

Simon is moving in with Mel and Brad this weekend. Mel is just a hoot. She told her neighbor they might see his truck there and not to worry. It was just her sponsor son. The neighbor told Mel her daughters saw Simon outside washing his truck last weekend and came in the house drooling. They peeked through the window and watched until he was finished. So....I'm posting these pictures of Simon tonight for all the girls next door and because I didn't take any cute goat pictures today. I asked Mel to cut Simon back to one meal a day. He needs to fit in his parade uniform for graduation. Brad said he would feed him twice a week. I'm not too sure about that either. We don't want it too baggy either. I guess I should have also warned them about the girls next door bringing over cookies. I was a girl once too. I know how they think.

The Kid Count Rises

Play Time

Anyone wonder why I was so anxious to tag everyone??

This is Hanni's little doeling. She has the sweetest face and gorgeous eyes.
I might have 10 red kids but I can pick her out of the crowd.
She's going to be a "looker" just like her momma.
Hanni is my prettiest goat.

Willow's new baby.

Yang

Gabriella

Cody

Mike was on goat watch yesterday. He called to see if I was on my way home. We passed along the highway. Since he had just been home I didn't check in immediately. When I went to the barn I saw a little wet goat. My first thought was someone had fallen in the water bucket. Upon closer look I noticed these were new goats! Of course they are red. The first one I picked up was a little buckling. Darn. I was pleasantly surprised he had arrived with a little sister.

The count is: 13 new kids.
4 doelings
9 bucklings
10 red kids
2 black kids
1 white kid

I still have one doe holding out. She's in a kidding pen while unattended.

My buck is turning redder and redder by the day. No wonder I had so many red kids this year. He was a light coco color when we brought him home two years ago. Mike took some pictures this evening. He looks so small. He only looks big when he's rearing up on his hind legs to ram me. I've been telling myself this is no bull. I can tame this buck. In the pictures he doesn't look much larger than Cody. What am I so afraid of???

Lori at Sweet Goats forwarded me another goat forum. I'm waiting for my acceptance and then I will list my kids for sale. Marcy called twice. She and her husband are anxious to see the goats. They have been working on fencing for days. I've told them their girls can borrow two goats for 4H this year. I was going to let them take Camilla but have had second thoughts. They don't have a guard dog and I'm not sure about their shelter arrangements. I don't want something horrible to happen. They would feel just awful. It would be painful to lose any goat but I think Camilla will be a show goat like her mother. I will, most likely, keep all the little doelings.

Max and Camilla

Max and Camilla have stolen my heart. They quickly became my favorites. I am fond of Waddles. He's striking with his red fleece and blue eyes. It's going to be difficult deciding who stays and who goes. I'm not at all happy with the Buck. He challenges me every night. Tonight I had to hit him on the horns with my grain scoop. He's lucky I don't know karate. The first time he nailed me I was taken by surprise but I've gotten wise to his shenanigans. He pulls his head to the side and tries to come in at my knees. I've been able to block him with the grain bucket. Once in the barn he rears up on his hind legs and looks like he wants to charge me. Cynthia said I should keep him since he's throwing so many little red kids but it's only a matter of time before I end up in the emergency room. I never did like him. He only came along for the ride because I didn't want to separate him from his brother. In the end he was partially responsible for his brother's demise. They had been fighting for the affections of the does when a tree fell down on Ying's back.

Sunday

Despite fighting off a cold I had a very productive weekend. The barn was cleaned, ears were tagged, the house has been cleaned and the laundry is nearly done. I've been taking Yin Chiao for the cold along with vitamin C, mega doses of Ambrotose and Ambrotose AO. I'll be good to go by morning. I've been trying to be careful while working around the students. Over 400 kids went to Mexico over spring break. I'm surprised they didn't extend break until the incubation period for swine flu was well passed.

Mike let the moms out with their babies white he cleaned around the outside of the barn. We had to refer to the chart when we put them away since we have way too many red kids this year. Willow and Serendipity haven't kidded. They will wait until the most inopportune time. Serendipity got her head stuck in the fence today. She has to do this at least twice a year and always when it's raining.

The buck and I had a show down this evening. He keeps rearing up at me and trying to sideswipe me with his horns. The shearer is coming on Friday and I'm sure he will give us a hard time. He usually does. I don't know what's gotten into him. He's been really gentle with Mike.

I'm going to call the mill and ask if they want to buy red fleeces. If they do I'll just keep all the little red babies this year. I know....I don't have room.....but I'm working on it. Mike and I will move to the barn and the goats can move in the house.

Tag You're It

Sock and her Bucklings

Run Rocky Run!
Rocky celebrates the removal of his E-Collar.

Sunny Days are Here Again

I tagged all the babies today. I have 8 red babies so far this year. I was afraid they would get all mixed up and shuffled around. When I visited the barn later in the afternoon there was a lone buckling cuddled up in a corner. I scooped him up and put him in the pen with his momma. When I turned back to make sure all was well I noticed she had 3 babies in her pen.

I have a chart with tag numbers and identifying each kid to each mom nailed up in the barn for quick reference.

I was so excited when I had my first little red buckling. By the time the 5th one came around I just shook my head. When the 6th one arrived I was just grateful he made the journey with a little sister.

I either need to find homes or wether them. I will call the mill and see if she is interested in buying red fleeces. It's a beautiful color. I think I've settled on Cloe and Ginger for the two red doelings and either Nutmeg or Waddles for the red buckling with blue eyes.

I was going to band the boys but I think I will learn to cut them myself. How hard can it be anyway. I've heard banding hurts worse and they flop around for over an hour like fish out of water. I've seen them cut and they hardly make a noise. Plus....it's a good skill to have....don't you think??? You never know when it could come in handy.

What Do You Get When You Cross a Goat

Spot

Zonkey

Zhorse

What do you get when you cross a goat with a zebra? A very cross goat and a very frustrated zebra.

What do you get when you cross a horse with a zebra? A zhorse of course.

James and Bentley are the proud parents of a 7 mo. old baby zebra. His name is Spot. He came with a companion donkey. When Bentley was asked why she wanted a zebra she responded, "to keep my camel company." That dropped a few jaws.

She is going to raise him and hire him out for stud. I think the Zhorse's are stunning! She's also hoping he gets a few movie roles like his older brother, Starwind.

No babies today. Mike let two of the moms out to exercise. They didn't want to venture too far from their little ones. Paddy is coming tomorrow to help me tag ears. I can't tell all the red ones apart or who belongs to who unless they are tagged. He will also help me cut the boys that aren't sold. I'm considering learning how to do that myself too if for no other reason than to keep all the males in the family on their toes. Out of 11 new kids I only have 3 doelings but Willow and Serendipity are holding out. Maybe they will surprise me with little girls.