There is always one trouble maker in the group.....Cherry

This morning my Cherry Berry was stuck in the fence she is chewing through in this picture. And as you can tell it didn't stop her from going back for more. I tired to put her in with Amber but she was just running around trying to get out....so I let her out...she was driving all of us crazy. She has an ability to get her head stuck in almost everything......she just has to stick her head in every hole or fence......I had to cut the fence today to get her out.... She has 4 acres to eat on but no... she has to have that one particular piece right, ok right......there. I will never be the same.

Enjoy

The Queen eats.....

You can't tell from this picture but she is big too. She is ready to pop any day as well.

Enjoy

Here is what my first baby pen looks like.

This is what I made to house the new mother and baby. The baby is blocked by Angie's head....She is my Queen of the goats and as this picture was taken she was inspecting the birth housing to make sure she likes the layout. The unit comes fully furnished with food, water, heat lamp and ceiling. Not bad.....hmmm I think she approved.

Enjoy

Next up for some kids......

Amber, my elegant lady goat I think is up next....she is big...so I separated her yesterday just in case. I am going to create a baby pen, which is smaller so her baby and her can bond faster. She isn't showing any signs of birthing but....boy does it happen fast.

Enjoy

Now this is 'Peace in the Pasture'

The babies belly was good but I plugged him in for a little more and he seems to be getting the hang of it. He was just a slurping away...and I was standing by like a proud papa. Then when he got full he looked for a place in the sun and collapsed......and I said....'now this is peace in the pasture'.

Enjoy

A baby goat...I'm not ready......I'm not prepared....but nature was.

Oh my, I walked out to my pen today......and saw a surprise...but it broke my heart....one of my does...Little K had a baby and it was dead....so I stood there looking at it wondering why everyone was so upset.... Well I looked across the pen and there was Princess....on the ground pushing something out... I ran over and then my mind went blank. I didn't know what to do..should I pull it out..let it go or what, I just couldn't think so I immediately called Kathy Withers.....she was my godsend. She said let nature happen and it did. Above you can see mother bonding with baby. The pictures below tell the continuing story.

Enjoy

Kathy came right over and knew just what was happening and what to do. She asked a lot of questions...well it seemed like a lot of questions of which I had no answers. I wasn't prepared...my pens weren't ready.....I wasn't ready. Well she said lets get started and that is what we did. We trimmed the hair around Princesses teats so the baby could find them. Kathy is just so good. So we did.....next

Baby and mother bonding....kid now standing on his own. He is just so cute. Oh by the way....Kathy asked me to check to see if it was a boy or a girl. Well I did and I said a doe, she said what about the things between his legs. OH, I gasped.....I stated I looked.....she said, did you feel....I said no...... Learning one.....feel for the parts, looks can be deceiving. Next...

More baby bonding.....but we wanted to make sure he was nursing so we did what I am calling 'Plug and Play' or PNP. Next...

Kathy teaches me how to 'PNP' the kid. It is a lot harder then it looks. You would think it would be a simple thing....well I am here to say it is not. Kathy is just wonderful....a few seconds later you could hear the kid suckling......oh what a relief. More to come....next...

Oh boy....it is going to get cold tonight.....so my friend Michelle and I went next store and asked if they had any little baby t-shirt. They did....and they let me have one. This picture is just so cute...me putting the t-shirt on and the mother checking it all out. Me still out of my mind....I was thinking will I get through this. You would think I was the one delivering.......

Chris, me, trying the PNP....looks liked it worked here.

Well lets make sure your attached. Come on it is right there...just grab hold. I had a teat in one hand....the other held the back of his head with one finger opening his mouth and me trying to put all the pieces to play. Oh sweet success.....slurping sounds.....he is getting some......ok, I can pass out now.......whew I am wore out.....well now that his belly is full he finally gets some rest. Next...

Ok, the baby says 'I am done for the moment and leave me to sleep'......I was exhausted....and the baby naps quietly in the warmth of an Arizona sunset. Success for the moment.

Well Kathy informed me that my other does are ready.....so they are now separated. The bucks have been put into their own pens and are not happy about the whole thing.

I am so grateful for Kathy's help today. I thought I would be ready and ok with the thought of having babies.....I guessed wrong. Nature is such a wonderful thing and I thank God for all the wonderful people in my life and all that he allows me do. I learn new and wonderful things about life each day and I look forward to learning much more.

Kathy, thank you for being the person that you are. Thank you for your patience that you have with me and for showing me how to do things.

Well I am sure I will have more pictures and more stories in the next few weeks...as the kids starting coming.....oh boy....... Lets 'Plug and Play'

Chris

I think I am going to freeze.......

Ok, maybe not but I am not liking the cold. I much prefer the warm to hot weather. When I get home from work it feels like it is midnight when it is only 7 in the evening. To feed I am dressed to go on an arctic hike, gloves and all. The goats love the cooler weather, the days are in the 60's and the nights are in the 40's....so it really isn't that cold but for me I rather the 80's and 90's.
My only concern is some of my females look pregnant....oh I hope not.....my buck broke out of his pen about a month and a half ago.....he was with the females for about seven hours....and we all know that a lot can happen in seven hours especially in the goat world with hormones rushing. Well if I kids then it was meant to be......and I will be just as excited with two or more....time will tell.

Chris

What happens to a plant that has been growing in the same spot for three years...

This Aloe has been growing in the same spot for over three years and I was really nervous about moving it. I needed to move it to clean the area before putting the flooring in place. I thought it would be ok.....but what I didn't consider was it will probably move towards the light because over pulling it in so far.....well it did and it fell over. What a mess. At first glance I wasn't sure what to do with it.....it was just so top heavy. Well I did what I did three years ago when I started the plant...see below.

There it is....all new. Ok, maybe not new but if it grows it will be new..right..I cut the top off...and then pulled off what I could....put root hormone on the stump, which is in the pot about a foot and placed it in a really big pot. The pot at least sixty pounds of dirt it.....I hope it lives..... The other part I picked up and left it in the original pot. Maybe it will grow a new one from the stump.

All this because I started my flooring.....I am building my excuses as to why I shouldn't have started flooring.

Enjoy,

Chris

After five years I have finally started my flooring...Lets Party

As you can see it is started. Right now I am about half way. It has only taken me five years to get this far...lets celebrate.....hopefully I will continue it right across the house. The only problem I am having is when tapping in some of the planks others come apart and that really gets me going.....but I will keep working on it.

Enjoy,

Chris

Hog Panels for Christmas

My best friend Susie asked me what I wanted for Christmas.... I said, 'hog panels'. She said, what, that's what you really want and I said yes. So she came over and we went to the feed store and bought some hog panels. Now I can continue to create pens within pens for my goats. Eventually I would like to enclose the back few acres in hog panels....it will keep my dog, Abby in. Well, at least it will make it harder for her to get out.

Oh, by the way....the panels are so big we had to lay them over the truck. Thank goodness for bungee cords.

Enjoy,

Chris