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!