Brisk as all Get Out!

The sustained temperatures in the 20s have been discouraging the girls from having their babies, I think -- I have 2 definitely overdue pregnant does.  The chickens seem to be going broody too -- rather an odd season for that.  This lady is setting under one of the coops. 

She seems to be one of the smarter ones, though -- she decided not to be broody and sit on eggs right  NOW when it is so cold.  Little Reggie (Oregano) was enjoying the mommy goats (on the left still mom-to-be) and their cuddly demeanor today.  He snuggled up right between them for a nap, and only got up to have his picture taken.

Tommy was displaying his full regalia today, too.

We took in a dutch rabbit boy named Harley today.  In a few weeks, we'll also take in a batch of kits (baby rabbits).  We've offered to help their owner rehome them, as she has pressing business that will take her away for a while. She has someone who takes care of her "regular" rabbits and other animals while she is away, but these are rescue bunnies.  Harley got a warm spot in the brooder shed, and seems quite content.  Rodney, the vivacious guinea pig who is also looking for a home, already lives there, as well as the porch silkies and the various baby chicks of varying ages.

"Grandma," (my mom) is here for a visit, so all the critters are getting extra spoiling, especially the dogs and the cats.  Simon is doing well, he sleeps on her bed all day.  In the week that he's been here, he's doubled in size!  Chessie is still busily hunting mice anywhere they might think of being.  And Reggie, the baby goat, is growing strong and lively.  Among his latest antics are sneaking up on the turkey to try to pull a tail feather, butting chickens, jumping straight up in the air with all four legs all at once and tossing his head, butting the air and trying to tag you with his nose somewhere around your waist, running between your feet, trying to stay right between them all the time, and jumping up on anything he can get up on, including other goats.  Silly Nubian!  Baby goats call for their mothers, waiting to hear their mother call back.  That's mostly all they want, is to know they are heard and that mom is within earshot.  So, when Reggie, calls, I call him back by name.  After a few calls, he goes back to whatever he was doing before he suddenly realized that "mommy" was out of range.  He will probably be going home soon.

I hope Fawn and Keelee hurry up -- I have two other goats due in January!

Hope your day was warm and lovely.

Simon Sez

The weather has continued to be cold, freezing at night so that there is a skin of ice on the goat waterers in the morning.  The goats want more to eat to fuel their metabolic furnaces and feed the kids growing inside them.  Fawn should kid by early next week - there is no way she could be more than one cycle behind her sister, Nightfall.  Nightfall is giving near a pint of milk a day.  Baby Reggie is enjoying drinking it from his bottle. 

Yesterday morning found Amandapanda, the paint LaMancha doe, dead in her barn.  Nothing is known yet about the cause.  She was up to date on all her medical and vaccinations, and was pregnant with a kid due in spring.  She was not scouring, was eating fine, she just passed in her sleep. We will miss her.


The same day Amanda left us, Simon Sez came.  Mid-afternoon, wandering out from under one of the farm buldings was a small orange swirly patterned kitten with short legs.  He wound around the goats' legs and rubbed on them and tried out goat food but found it unpalatable.  I picked him up, carried him to the porch and offered him milk.  He offered no objection to being held, but his reaction to milk was, "What's that?!?"  When I put him down he went into the hay barn.  At dusk I could hear him down by the creek, and he came when I called.  Crunchy food didn't appeal to him, either,  so when I brought him in and fed him some shreds of cheese and meat.  He does not act like a feral kitten, is friendly to people, and is satisfied to be in the house.

Tootsie, the Belgian Shepherd, was intrigued.  Simon was docile, lethargic even, and wanted to curl up and sleep  Tootsie was trying to figure out if he was a stuffed toy, a puppy, a baby goat, or just WHAT he was.  He didn't hiss and spit or run away from her, so it COULDN'T be a cat!

She nosed him all over, nibbled him everywhere, ended up putting herself in charge of his grooming.  At the same time she was half convinced he was a toy, so when he was somewhere inconvenient for her, she would nose him around to where she wanted him to be.

After a while, exhaustion won out, but as you can see, Tootsie is still quite concerned about what to do with him and what her responsibility is.  She does not want him to go outdoors unless she is there to supervise him, and if he's let out without her, she paces and whines until you open the door, then she runs out to find him. If the other cat tries to play with him she is right there to intervene, too.

Finally, having wallowed the cover off her sofa, she decided the little buzzing (purring) critter that patted her nose with his paw, rubbed against her "everywhere!" and would not leave her be, was doing just fine, and it was time for a nap. 

Poor Fawn has not had her babies yet, although today she looks like she is beginning to dialate.  We should have more goat babies soon!

Another project for yesterday was installing the small wood stove, which makes a nice warm nook if you come in chilled from outside.  Mother will arrive tonight for her winter visit.  The bitter cold of last December/January helped her choose a slightly earlier date to visit this year.  She will enjoy the warmth of the stove, too.

I hope you are enjoying warmth and comfort!

Cool Weather

Today brought overcast and cool. Baby Reggie (Oregano), a little Nubian buck bottle feeder that belongs to Griffins' Ark, is starting to settle in.  The doe we were hoping would foster him is not interested, but the micro flock he is with is accepting him well.  So he's being bottle fed, and cuddling up with the other goats at night.  Yesterday, he only played with the chickens.  Today it was good to see him following my older, Nubian nurse maid doe around, and pretending to play with the other goats.  They are all stodgy "old" ladies, mostly pregnant, and find his shenanigans mildly amusing and mainly irritating.

So here he is -- the chickens made a nice heap of hay, and he curled up in the middle.  One of his half brothers is supposed to be coming here from the farm to keep him company.

Poor Fawn is still very pregnant -- wishing every day, but no more than I, that she would kid.  I hope your Thanksgiving was full of feasting, friends, and other good things!

Have a lovely day.

Moving Right Along

The days fly by, with new births and growth.  Since I last visited you here, we have new chicks and new baby goats.  This is Nightfall, the mama Nigerian Dwarf, and her two doelings, Eve and Dawn.  Eve is dark and Dawn is light!  They are miniature dairy goats, and the little girls have already gone to be bottle fed at their new home.

Nightfall is coping fairly well, and we expect her sister, Fawn, to kid any day now, and she looks like there will be babies enough to share!

You can see how broad she is in the beam!  Her mother had 4 the first kidding, 5 the second, and 6 the third.  She has genes for multiple births!

And little Nightfall milked a pint today, about half of what she had, which is super in a goat her size. This is her udder.  She had never been on the milkstand and wasn't thrilled about being milked, but it did make her feel less uncomfortable.

Both of the silkies that were broody on the porch have hatched their babies. One has two, the other has one.  I'm not quite sure whose eggs the one mama hatched -- one is tiny and black like the old English game, and looks nothing like a silky.  The other is yellow, with wings barred in black, and looks nothing like a silkie!  She is the hen I transferred from the broody pen together with her eggs when I sold her pen mates, so I have no idea what the breeding of the babies is -- The other hen has a beautiful silkie chick.  With the onset of cold weather, she, too, has moved from the porch along with her baby, back to the pen with her flockmates and the baby.  She is the hen I kept in my kitchen last winter, who hatched babies there in the spring!

Four new goats are being delivered from Night Sky Farms on Friday (Thanks, Jennifer!) Two of them are LaMancha grade does for my milking herd and breeding program.  The other two are Boer and Boer/Nubians bred to a Nubian for Pam's farm, and the babies will probably go for a breeding program Chris (Griffin's Ark) is looking into.  Because they have been de-horned, and are pregnant, I'll keep them here with my hornless herd for now.  Later they will likely join the herd in Union Hall.

Weather has been good, friend Neil has been busy with shrub trimming and leaf blowing so my yard looks fantastic.  There's a new shed being built down on Pam's farm to house the tractor and haying equipment.  Another friend stopped by today and offered me truly awesome hay at $2 a bale -- a blessing from God!  Because my pastures are small, I feed a LOT of hay, and prefer to mix different types for my girls.  We have several different grades of hay from Pam's farm, and I am happy to be the beneficiary of that, too -- but I like having some "gourmet" hay available for my girls as well!

Friend Stephanie brought a wealth of half gallon canning jars and an old metal washtub that I am planning to paint with enamel paint and put to use.  I think it will be a water container for the goats, since they jumped on the (admittedly sun burned) plastic tub and broke it.  Five gallon buckets need to be refilled too often!

Last Sunday we held our Harvest feast at Pam's.  Good friends and family came, everyone ate until they were very full, and we enjoyed one another's company in between visiting with the horses, goats, and chickens outdoors.  And never being in favor of wasted trips, Chris and Tina brought the feed order Sunday, too.  We're so glad you joined us!  There was Waldorf salad, Black Eyed Pea salad, Green bean and mushroom casserole, birthday cake (Happy birthday Pam, Stephanie, Chris, Claire!).  Sweet potato pie, pumpkin pie, and Tina's homemade cheesecake headed up the dessert list.  Oh, and there was ham and turkey in abundance and some roasted sweet potatoes, along with a wild rice and a brussel sprout casserole dish.  It gave us a chance to celebrate the blessings of the year and pray for the blessings for next year!  It should be a fruitful one.

Ducky Duck has suborned the turkeys -- he likes them, they like him -- but he is teaching them to leave the pasture and stand around the truck bumper to look at their reflections.  That is Ducky's only duck friend. The rest of the day he spends trying to tempt them to fly up onto the farm building roofs with him.  I think he was just trying to be nice, but it is not good to have turkeys in the driveway.  So I gave them a mirror of their own: 

Of course, if you peck the mirror hard enough, you can get it to flip around!  It is more important to me to have it available from the pasture side, as they free range through the day and I prefer them to be in the pasture instead of in front of the truck bumper.  The longer they stay in the pasture, the longer they get to stay out free ranging.  Once they make the trip to the yard, it's time for them to go back to their pen.  They have a small outside run and a large inside coop.  Thanks for the beautiful birds, Stephanie!  Tommy and Chelle (Shelley) are not destined for anyone's holiday table.  I am looking forward to their spring eggs for hatching.

Have a lovely day, and come visit!

Tricky Turkeys

It has been a busy week.  Our friends, the Griffins, had their first kidding today, which means the two of their girls I'm hosting shouldn't be far behind.  But then, I've been expecting them to kid any day for at least 8 weeks!  Babies are expected NOW, from the Nigerian Dwarf does, end of November/first of December for the Toggenburg doe, and end of January for the Nubian, the Alpine, and one of the LaMancha/Saanen does.  The rest will all be due middle to end of March.

The turkeys were in full dress regalia today.  This is Tommy, a Red Bourbon.  He and Timmy are quite confused by the warm, sunny weather and are fighting to the point of bloodying each other.  So I've made arrangements to rehome Timmy and the older Royal Palm/Naragansett cross hen, Patience, to a pet home.  They are waiting for their new owner to come and get them.

 

 This is Timmy, the smaller of the two gobblers.  He usually ends up on the short end when it comes to turkey wrestling matches.  They fluff up and show, they drum, they circle, and then they grab each other and pinch and bite.  If I stand in betwen them and tell them to behave, they just reach around me and snap at each other.  Both of them are this spring's babies, as is the other hen I have. 

A few nights ago, dusk was gathering and suddenly I heard splashing in the creek.  It sounded like whales breaching, but I'm too far from the coast for that!  And my creek is deep in spots, but mostly too shallow for whales.  So I eased down across the pasture to see what was going on.  There, in the deep pool by the big rock, was Ducky Duck, my lone Muscovy drake.  (He likes to hang out with the turkeys, too!)  He was splashing and pumping wings and kicking in the pool. Then, he'd make a sudden dive under the water.  Apparently, he was stirring up minnows for his late night snack!  He'd pop back to the surface, then cruise over to the sandbar and swallow his treat.  Then he'd start all over again.  It's hard to believe that one duck could make such a big ballyhoo!

Bev, my ballerina doe, (jumping and dancing all the time) thinks that fences are only mere suggestions.  She only jumps back and forth between the two pastures, but yesterday she missed her footing and caught one hoof in the fence.  Neil had to help her get loose.  She is being more cautious today, choosing an alternate route for her "secret passage."

I trimmed the feet on two of my pregnant LaMancha cross does today.  They are both pregnant, and need to have sound feet to carry their added load.  Gracie, who is due the end of January, has decided to dry up already.  She would be due to dry off the end of November, anyway, so she is only a couple weeks early.  Keelee, on the other hand, the Togg that's due in two or three weeks, is STILL producing milk from her last kidding.  I am trying to convince her to quit, but she's not sure about that.  All of the girls are pregnant, I think, so they are all always hungry.  They are going through a bale of hay a day, not wasting it, but eating it.  And of course they get a ration of sweet feed, as well.

I hope your day is as entertaining as mine have been this week!

Farm Circus

There are always plenty of things to do on the farm(s).  Yesterday we were blessed to have great help to get up the hay from second cutting -- the first time we've used our own tractor and equipment to cut our hay.  Some of the bales weighed nearly 100 pounds early in the day, and took gargantuan effort on the part of the men "liftin' and totin'" them to get them into the wagon and from there into the hay stacks.  We have two more small fields to cut and bale.  We put up around 200 bales on Wednesday.  It is nice hay, with plenty of lespedeza in it.  My part of the job was to fill in wherever help was needed, and to fix a warm supper for the hungry "hands".  That, and picking up the trailer from a neighboring farmer kind enough to share, was enough to tire me out completely.

While I was at the farm I got to visit with Andy and Rudy, which is always a pleasure.  Rudy is getting spoiled, though.  He thoroughly checked ALL my pockets looking for treats!  Poor baby -- no treats from mama yesterday.  I came home with muddy mouth prints on the top pocket of my overalls.  The other day, friend Neil was working on the tractor in the pasture and Rudy came by to "help."  He started by stealing Neil's hat off his head when he wasn't looking.  That situation resolved, he grabbed one of the plastic jugs Neil was using, and made off with that, instead.  A personal escort out of the pasture lasted only long enough for Neil to get back to the tractor.  Boys will be boys!  Rudy is a 15 year old Morgan cross, 14.5 hands.  His friend Andy is a 16 hand Appaloosa.  They loved the new hay.

Hungry hands dinner was simple.  We call it goulash.  Sauteed onions and ground beef mixed with diced canned tomatoes and combined with cooked pasta.  They worked hard enough and it was cold enough that everyone enjoyed eating when they were done.  No fancy spices for this crew, they like "just plain food."  Another neighbor brought home made corn bread.


The turkeys took a wild turn last night, (berating mama for not feeding them before dark) and three of them spent the night on top of the garage, one huddled next to the dusk to dawn light.  This morning they had come down and were wandering by the creek, and with some coaxing and a lot of unhelpful help from the goats, I managed to encourage them to go back in the pasture.  I did feed them early enough tonight that they were satsified to go into their coop.  And this morning the three silkies in the back wall coop had let themselves out, so it took some feed and some stealthy stalking to get them penned again.   Baby Polish chicken has moved out of the baby brooder and in with the larger birds, the ones that aren't quite large enough to be mainstreamed yet.  He likes the company and the warmth.  I am still giving them a light at night as it's getting down into the 40's.  We may even have a hard freeze over the weekend.  Tomorrow will be a day to stuff hay in all the coops for warmth and comfort, and to take the Duke of Renfro to his off season home in Chatham.  Keelee, the Toggenburg doe due the end of the month, may be ready to come home tomorrow too.  She has been sharing milk with friends, but finally seems to be drying up, which is a good thing with her kidding imminent.

Hope you enjoyed some sunshine today!

Too Many Toms!

Pretty boys, they are pretty.  But their attitudes today were not pretty, not even gracious.  The tom turkeys were grabbing each other's snoods (the dangly thing in front of their beak/eyes) and pinching, and wrestling each other with their necks, and biting and flogging.  Of course, I stepped in between them and counselled them to be nice and to play fair, and just like kids they were reaching back and forth around me pinching each other.  I finally separated them into different pens -- BIG pens  -- and they would run to the fence as fast as they could and pick at each other through it!  I hate to say it, but one of them might have to be someone's Thanksgiving dinner if they don't stop. 

It was a fine day otherwise, cold and fresh with a fall snap to the air.  The leaves crunch crisply underfoot.  Tomorrow looks like baling day for the hay, so I will go to fix a harvest meal for the workers.  They will be ready for something warm to eat by the time they are through.  Pasta with meat and tomatoes and buttered bread.  We call it goulash, here.

In order to understand how funny it was, I have to explain that the upper and lower pastures are divided by a shed that once was a chicken coop.  It has a people door in the upper pasture side, and a pop door (little square door for chickens) on the lower pasture side.  Sometimes, FinnAgain, my Boer wether who was born last spring, (Lower right in the photo) slides through the pop door.  When he was younger, it was easy.  But now that he's older, it's quite a feat.  Normally I keep him in the upper pasture while the buck is here, as the buck tends to pick on him, and if the buck does, several of the large does do, too.  But today he decided to slide through the pop door into the lower pasture.  I had barely noticed that he was down there when there was a commotion at the chicken shed.  When I went to look, the buck had his head under Finney, and was trying to push him back through the pop door!  Finn got the message, I guess, because he did go back through.  It was funny because instead of banging on Finn, the Duke was actually lifting him with his head toward the hole he had popped out of.  Anyway, that was my chuckle for the day.  Each of the very pregnant Nigerian Dwarf girls has made one trip through the pop door hole, and that was enough to satisfy their curiosity.  I was not there to see them do that, but I imagine it would have been quite a remarkable sight.

So... Does anyone need a pet Red Bourbon tom turkey?  Timmy is looking for a home, before he gets sent off to freezer camp.

Hope your day was fine.

November!

Cool crisp fall days, the leaves are now mid-color change and quickly going brown and raining down from the trees.  Several days of light frosts have closed the summer chapter on most local gardens.  Today I will go to Pam's farm and start the pre-cooking for the hay crew.  Wednesday or Thursday should be baling day.  This is our first adventure in baling with our own equipment.  It's exciting!  More than half the hay for this cutting is laid down and drying already.  Saturday saw the start of muzzle loader hunting season, so you hear the occasional "pop" of long rifle fire in the distance.  It's time to gather winter meat.

Yesterday brought a visit from friend Stephanie, complete with a new turkey hen to join the Red Bourbon pen, a crippled  roo (born with a deformity) that we've been passing around among us for several months, and a duo of young Silkie hens to join Mulberry's crew.  Among the treasures she brought were an old washtub that needs to have its rust banished, an armload of fresh eggplant from her garden, and a flock of half gallon jars. 

I need to find my recipes for making tofu to share with a friend.  If you like it, and have never made it yourself, you should try it.  It's a little labor intensive, but the delicate, mild flavor and texture make it exceptional.  It's a little like making cheese.

The new turkey hen seemed to settle in fairly quickly once Patience, the Naragansett cross, gave up picking at her.  It was an adventure to convince the two toms that they really COULD get on the roost, even though there was someone else up there and it looked "different!" Standing in the turkey barn with a flashlight at dusk, patiently talking them through the half flying leaps up on to their 4 foot high roost, I was thinking how comical it was that 15 lb. turkeys were so insecure.  They should know by now that no one is gong to eat them!

The crippled roo went into a cage in the brooder house where the young birds live, so that he could have company.  The last hot light brooder bird went in with him so they could keep each other warm.

It will soon be time to gather up the milking equipment and go start the goats' day.  You have a great one, too!

A Touch of Sadness

Today we lost tiny Fizzbo to pneumonia.  He was a special little goat, and brought tremendous joy to many people in his short six week life.  His foes were the weather, his mother's history, and life in general.  His mother came to the farms through a meat goat auction, less than 30 days before he was born.  That means she didn't have time to adjust to all the bacteria, flora, and fauna of our farms and pass that to him.  I held him while he passed and we comforted his mother as best we could.  Many people will miss him.

This was also a day when friends came.  Reba's owners came to first try to help with the baby, and then to take her home.  Others stopped by to visit, customers came for birds, the milk shipment went out, and we made plans for future fall feast days and celebrations of birthdays.

There is never an end to the battle for life on the farm.  We don't always win, but we never stop fighting.  And we celebrate the life around us even as we say farewell to those who leave us.  Always look forward.  Never look backward, except in fond reminiscence.

A new hen is coming for the turkey pen on Sunday.  Some "old friends", roosters that have been with us for a season before, are coming back.  There are 3 broody hens sitting on eggs on the front porch.  See the farmer.  See the farmer walk forward, on the promise of hope, and faith, and tomorrow's joys.

Rainy Monday

Today we had some rain, but we needed it -- and though it rained hard and was windy as well, it wasn't a damaging rain.  By late mid-day it dried off and the sun came peeking through.  And with the sun came visitors.  In her first ever in her lifetime pair of overalls and a pink t-shirt is my sister by choice, Pam.  She and I raise Boer goats and keep our horses on her farm, about 15 miles from mine.  She never passes up an opportunity to help me, or to be around the animals.  From the right rear corner, you see the house, the tool shed, the garage, a white coop, the milk house, the bantam house, (shared by Reba and Fizzy), and one of the other chicken houses.  Both the milk house and the chicken house are lighted when necessary by solar lights.  The critters, again from background to foreground, are Ringo the Polish roo, Ginger, a Nubian doe, Bodacious Bev, an Oberhasli/LaMancha doe, FinnAgain, a Boer wether, Patience, a Naragansett/Royal Palm cross turkey hen, the two young Red Bourbon toms, and a Delaware hen.

Among the visitors were our friends, Chris and Tina Griffin from Griffin's Ark, who "co-farm" with us.  Tina got to meet Fizzbo, the tiny Nigerian Dwarf buckling who'll be 6 weeks old tomorrow.  Part of what I get to do is host some of the small goats when they are close to due.  The Nigerians are from Chris and Tina's herd, and so it's like meeting your grandbaby for the first time!  And they were kind enough to take the pictures, bring feed and farm news, and help with vaccinations for the goats.

Pictures don't do it justice, but we all had fun feeding ginger snaps, alfalfa cubes, and apples to the goats.  The turkeys love the apples, too, and if you hold it just right, one goat and 3 turkeys can all eat the same apple at the same time.  Words don't really do it justice either -- imagine a kindergarten circus with everyone in "Me first!" mode!

These are the days that remind us, when the work is hard and the hours are long, why we do it all.  The pleasure of the company of friends, the fellowship and companionship of the animals, and the way it feels to be at least in part self-sufficient and productive are the rewards.

After late feedings and putting the critters to bed,  and before a late milking, a bird friend and customer came, to pick up some mini-flocks of Silkies and Pendesencas and a group of laying hens with their rooster.  Then, milking, and a moment to visit with you.

Thanks for the pictures, Chris and Tina!  Come again, soon.

Friday Already?

It seems like only moments ago I was heading out to get The Duke from Ararat, Virginia, but tomorrow he will have been with me for a week.  He still has a sunny disposition and is easygoing with most of the herd.  I can identify Olga, Amanda, Bev, and Spring as being bred,  and Hayley and Luna will be ready soon.  That leaves Mocha, Myrtle, and Martha to be confirmed bred yet.  Gracie was bred before we got her and should freshen the end of January.  Down at the farm, Keelee should freshen in about 6 weeks, and Hildy has been bred for March kids.  For those readers not familiar with kidding milk goats, that basically means that come March, we will have a pile of bottle babies to either feed or sell, or to feed until we sell.  And we will have a bunch of girls come fresh (start giving milk again) all at once.  We try to dry them up about 2 months before they are due to kid.  But with does kidding in Nov/Dec and the end of January, we should have at least 2 milking during the dry period for the others. 

Today one of the little Nigerian Dwarf does is bagging up -- that means her udder is developing and her babies will come soon!  Her sister appears to be a little behind her. 

Yesterday was a fine, bright afternoon and I enjoyed keeping company with Andy and Rudy, the horses.  They were pleased with the attention.  We fitted saddles and bridles yesterday.  They were anxious to ride, but there wasn't time. 

The turkeys are more comfortable with doing some free ranging.  Today they checked out the lower pasture and were pleased to discover the lower gate into their coop.  So after a busy day playing, they went in for dinner.  Playtime will come again tomorrow.

Hope your day was pleasant and beautiful, too.

Rain Today

A gentle, soft fall rain came today, and stayed for most of the day. That meant riding was out, but that the Duke ended the day slightly cleaner than he started it!  Most of the day was mild enough that the critters could be outside.  The turkeys enjoyed it.  Today they found the pear tree, the one that is dropping hard winter pears.  They had a feast day.

Bodacious Bev, Olga, and Amandapanda are officially bred now.  Hayley and Luna will probably be next.  They are flirting outrageously with the buck.

We'll wish for sunshine for tomorrow!

Today's Musings

So here is Miss Reba, with her morning cargo -- today she had 3 passengers!  Today was a special day for the turkeys, too.  They had their first free ranging in the goat pasture.  The only problem with that is that two of the three were hand raised in my brooders, eggs a gift from a friend, and they think Mommy is the answer to everything!  So you can picture me walking through the pasture with an escort of 3 nearly grown turkeys, chupping and crooning.  When it was time for them to go back in, we had a local riot because the goats that were sharing pasture with them today thought THEY ought to go in the turkey coop and eat turkey feed, and the turkeys weren't too sure about passing through the horde of goats to get into their own coop to eat their food.  Finally, they all got it sorted out!    If you have special feelings for turkeys, you won't need to worry about these.  I don't like turkey, so they are not going to freezer camp -- they'll flourish here until they get old and cross over the rainbow bridge to animal heaven.

Not long ago my friend and neighbor enlarged their coop and pen.  He is an avid hunter, and hopes their calls will draw in the wild gobblers for hunting season.  The turkeys appreciated his efforts, and have moved their roost up about 2 feet higher, now that their coop extends to 7 feet in height.  With fox, coyote, and other hunters around, the wild turkeys must remain alert and extra wiley to live long.  Our population here is plenteous enough that there is no danger of losing them.  About 25 years ago, the population here was slim, and then farmers that uncovered eggs when haying would give them to folks who would incubate them and re-release them into the wild when they were poults.  People still follow that practice here today.  No one needs to worry about people keeping wild turkeys captive.  They are really not tameable, and every farmer that's tried it has stories of how their wild foster children taught them that early release is best.

Duke of Renfro kept himself busy today.  I penned the non-breeders away from him for most of the day, so they all had an easy day of it.  I still haven't bathed him, but as more does come ready to breed, his work is closer to done.  Then we'll get him cleaned up and take some pictures of him.

Today I moved two young silkies from the brooder house into the white roo's cage. They are around 12 weeks old, and he is a little over a year.  He was lonely, and he's good with young ones.  I believe both of them are hens anyway.  When it was time to cover their cages for the night, they were snuggled up underneath him, purring happily.  He is big and warm!  The coop silkies where the black hen was setting yesteday has two hens setting now -- one of the partridge hens has joined her.  The other 3 hens will continue to lay their eggs under them for a while, but then usually they go broody, too.  At this time of year they don't get to raise the chicks, as it's too cold for them, so they will go to the brooder house after they hatch.  The hens don't seem to mind.

We have adopted two older horses, one a 20 year old Appaloosa, and one a 15 year old Morgan.  The horses have been eager to go riding, and since we've finally assembled all our tack, tomorrow we'll try it out.  Wish you all could go with us!

Farmin' Monday

Daylight, and little Reba, the Nigerian Dwarf, parades out of her night time housing with a little Polish cross chicken perched regally on her back.  "Everyone else has to fly or walk.  I have a majestic steed!"  She doesn't seem to notice, and just goes in search of breakfast.

Ducky Duck, the lone Muscovy, waddles up from the creek looking for his breakfast.  He likes to eat just in front of the chrome bumper on the front of the truck, because his best friend is his reflection!  He eats, chats, postures, but his "friend" never wants to share his breakfast.  The chicks in the brooder house want their night lights off, their waterers filled, and their morning ration in their feeders.  Rodney, the guinea pig, settles for fresh water and pellets, but Ginger, the rescue Mini-Rex rabbit doe, wants her cage cleaned FIRST and then she'll eat and drink.  Ginger's been placed out twice, but each time she manages to bite someone hard enough to draw blood -- so she comes back.

The two pair of sultans and the quintet of siilkies on the porch all want rations, and fresh water, too.  Their attitudes improve immensely once the feed and water is in their cages.  Then it's on to feed all the other chickens, and take hay down for the goats.

They eagerly begin plunging back and forth, plucking strands from the hay bats I am carrying, as soon as I am through the gate.  The hay gets divided between the feeding stations.  Today is a day to observe how the buck behaves with the girls that aren't his breeding flock.  Not far into the day, he bashes one of the little girls.  I rescue her, and her best friend, and move them to a paddock where he cannot bother them.  He seems to be doing okay with the other girls, and the wether -- they are all big enough to stand up for themselves.

Not long, then, and the little girls are loaded into the truck along with a milk delivery for the Chatham group.  They are bound for the eastern farm soon anyway, and it is better to have them secure there where they won't get battered.  The buck will only be here for a few weeks, but he's needed here while he IS here.  Soon, we'll be offering registered LaMancha, Boer, and Nubian stud service at Griffin's Ark in Chatham.

After the trip it's time for goat dinner and evening milking, and closing up the birds in their coops.  The birds like to go to bed early.  Silkies in a coop are quite hilarious.  They make a big pile, looking like a giant powderpuff, where they lay together to stay warm and comfortable.  The black hen is broody again, as is one of the partridge hens on the porch.  The silkies' "roost" is actually a half barrel filled with straw.  They like to nestle down in it, ignoring the roosting poles.  Black hen has rolled her eggs over to one side of the big trough where she can sit on her eggs in peace, but if they follow their usual pattern, it won't be long before 2 or 3 more of the hens in her flock are nestled down on eggs right beside her. 

Night time -- everyone is quiet, fed, settled.  I wonder what tomorrow will bring?

Quiet Day

Today was a quiet day, nice for a Sunday.  The new buck (Duke of Renfro, the LaMancha) was busy sorting out his surroundings. The herd seems to have coalesced overnight, happy to have a buck among them.  Apparently, a lot of the niggling and picking that was going on was due to the does being in season.  Now they have other things to think about!

We are still waiting for kids from the Nigerian Dwarf does -- they could be due anytime.  Their breeding date was unknown, so we've been expecting the babies for at least 6 weeks.  What that really means is that both of the little goats are probably expecting multiples.  Their mother had 4 her first season, 5 the second, 6 the third, 2 the fourth, and 1 last year.  So right now we are anticipating anywhere between 3 and 6 for each of the two girls.  The Nubian doe, Ginger,  may have been pregnant when we got her as well, so she may be expecting within the next 3 to 4 weeks, as the buck is paying her quite a bit of attention. That means she is either near kidding or is not currently pregnant.

Bodacious Bev proved today that she can clear a 4 foot fence with ease, especially if it stands between her and food.  As an unbred doe not in milk, she would normally eat with the buck and the other big girls that are neither milking nor pregnant.  She wanted to eat with the little girls and pregnant mamas today.  The girls in milk get fed on the milking stand, private dining.  She is gorgeous, an Oberhasli/LaMancha cross.  Her babies will be registerable as grade does once she settles (gets and stays pregnant).

Tomorrow or the next day will be Adventures in Buck Washing.  Poor Duke has sprayed himself so much he is quite sticky and nasty, but still wants to be everyone's friend -- so it's bath time for him!  I have no doubt he will be able to scent up again quickly enough to interest the does.  He is quite calm and sweet, just over a year old.  He appears to be white, but under his hair he has numerous spots on his skin, which indicates that he's truly a spotted buck, it's just that his hair color variations are so slight you cannot see them on his grown out hair.  That's good because we want him to throw a spotted baby with AmandaPanda.

We have a nice color spectrum right now -- from silver gray to dark brown, including light and dark chamoise (like deer color) and black and white spotted.  We should have an interesting color group of babies the end of March.

I am glad to finally have the basic herd settled.  My goal is to have a squad of milkers to provide me with milking therapy (!) and milk for cheese, butter, and yogurt.  And to supplement Griffin's Ark with milk for their needs.  Having all the does bred over just a couple of weeks means that when we have dry does, they'll be dry about the same time, which is poor planning in the long run.  We try to dry them up for 2 months before they kid.  On the other hand, Keelee, the Toggenburg, should be in milk then, and Gracie, the LaMancha/Saanen cross is due the end of January so she should also be in milk through that period.  If their performance picks up a little from this year, that will give us a gallon a day even during our "dry" period.

It's time to make butter now!  Tomorrow maybe we'll try cheese.

Beautiful fall day

Today was a beautiful fall day!  I drove south and west from my home in southern Virginia to a place near Renfro Mountain, close to the North Carolina line.  The trees were beginning to put on their fall wardrobe, with bright patches of yellow, red and orange showing among the green leaves.  The winding roads across the shoulders and knees of the mountains kept me on the edge of my seat, waiting for the next gorgeous mountain view to appear.

The Blue Ridge Mountains were definitely blue today, and decorated with those splashes of color -- another week should bring on the full color everywhere here.  Then it will change, almost overnight, to the bare branched canvas of limitless shades of gray, brown, and black, beautiful in its own monochromatic way.

Today's trip brought home a registered LaMancha buck,  White Dog Farm Duke of Renfro, and another registered LaMancha doe,  White Dog Farm Crepe Myrtle.  He is white -- a rather smutty white at the moment, as he is in mid-rut.  She is beautiful black with a white heart on her forehead.  One of the fun things about LaManchas is that they can be any color.  His excitement was plain, tongue hanging out, as he charged into the pasture full of LaMancha girls.  We have established a foundation for a registered herd.  Today's purchases brings our total count of registered LaManchas to 6 does and a buck, and our count of LaMancha crosses to four does.  The other herd members are one Toggenburg doe, one Alpine cross doe, one Nubian doe, and a Boer wether.

Among our guests at the moment are two dairy mix doelings, June babies, not old enough to breed, and three Nigerian Dwarf does.  One of those has kidded and the other two are due any time.  They will all be returning home soon.

I wish you peaceful travels and beautiful scenery!

Adventures with Goats

Today started off with a photo-worthy view.  Unfortunately, I left my camera in the house!  Reba,  a Nigerian Dwarf (goat) doe, and Fizzy, her 4 week old baby, sleep in the bantam chicken house at night.  When I went out this morning to open their door, Reba and Fizzy were cuddled up together, and tucked in between them was a half grown polish cross chick.  He found the warm spot!

Another chicken/goat story -- after their dinner tonight, I went out to give the goats their bedtime hay.  There was Ginger, a beautiful old Nubian doe, and perched on her back was Smoky, a half grown Blue Orpington.  He apparently got confused about where he sleeps, and found Ginger to be nice, warm, and perchable!  After a few squawks and flaps, I got him settled into his regular coop.  Some of the goats seem to have an especially close relationship with the chickens.

Good Measure Farm is in Rocky Mount, Virginia, a tiny, pocket farm.  Founded in 2008 on an old farmstead, the inhabitants include turkeys, rabbits, guinea pigs, chickens, goats, 2 dogs and a cat.  And me, of course -- I'm the farmer.  Multiple strokes and brain hemhorrages slowed me down to the point where the farm is about all I can handle.  With the help of good friends and family, I manage to keep things together and the animals fed.  They do not care that I walk with a brace and a cane, or sometimes don't wake up early.  Milking the goats is part of my post-stroke therapy.  The alternate hand use helps my brain work better.  If it weren't for my animals, I would probably still be sitting in a chair drooling.  They motivate me to get up and get going every day.  They always need SOMETHING! 

The weather was cool today and a little damp.  The trees are beginning to change their summer green frocks for rainbow cloaks of autumn, and soon the branches will be winter bare.  It is amazing how many shades of gray there are in trunks and branches alone.