Fresh out of the oven

This set of twins just born to Blaze's daughter this morning. After she dug up the barn. Some does paw the ground like there is gold under that straw that I put down to keep the pens clean. She kept it up for about an hour afterward, I bottle fed the babies some colostrum and put them on the other side of the pen while she continued to dig. She later decided there was nothing under the straw and nursed her babies. She had nice kids also. Both are dark red with white markings, just like Mom. Now I have a headache from not much sleep and way too much worry.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch

While Blaze was being the drama queen of the day, Curlie was grazing in the pasture with a clear stream running out and just dropped her kid out while standing, cleaned him up and nursed him. Curlie is no drama queen when it comes to kidding, she doesn't get fat and moan and groan at night, drops a small kid out and looks great as ever, milks great too. This buck kid will be a keeper. Mom Curlie is the finest haired doe with good lock structure that I have.

Ground control to Blaze

Blaze was in a daze all day yesterday, walking the fence line, restless, around 3 in the afternoon she stopped. Nothing, no wet back end, nothing. Moved her to the drop pen in the barn. Pacing around the pen, finally washed her up and went in to check it out, she was dialated, wide open, could feel something in the cervix, she started contractions. An hour later she had a big head out and no feet, went in, got one foot and pulled the kid out. The kid just wasn't pushing its way out because it couldn't get those feet in position, and those legs are still bent but slowly straightening. Then another kid followed shortly. Blaze is retiring this year. She still has a beautiful dark brown fleece, it was first place in the adult mohair class at SAFF last fall. Bonnie Nauman, the fleece show judge from Texas, said she still kid tips on her fleece at nine years of age.

Help

Alex took the weekend off and I realize how much help she is. Little things mean a lot. A pleasant smile and sweet personality goes a long way too.How can you be in a bad mood with someone so nice? And I've become dependent on someone to hold this sheep or goat while I check their eyelids or give them a vaccine or wormer. And someone to block that goat while I sneak up and grab her by the horns, catching goats is not easy. Unless you don't want them, then they are all over you. Walking into a barn of hungry goats or sheep can be taking your life into your own hands. Once that head is in the bucket, you've lost the game. And, there's that annoying Alpine, Tanner, that can climb and knock the bucket of feed off the fence post, scattering it to the four winds. Alex has a quiet nature around animals and has made pets of many of them, but I think she has learned to not pet the billy goats and rams, the males will turn on you. Once you start petting them they want all your attention and become agreesive and some will butt you, best to keep your distance from the males. Another of life's lessons.

another winters day

Didn't get very many goats shorn yesterday, had a quick shower of rain then the sky got gray and cold and windy, same today, will wait for the sun to reappear. Did get a few dye pots brewing and more on the wood stove, along with vegetable soup and cornbread on the kitchen stove. Kids due to start dropping any day now. Had to make a big pen in the center of the lambing barn for the yearling does shorn yesterday, can't risk them getting pushed out in the cold.

Take a goat walk

So much to do on this perfect day. After feeding and checking all the sheep and goats, started skirting,washing, dyeing and picking some wool and mohair. Late afternoon I heard someone calling to me. I never listen to the radio, just listen to the earth, and there is always a goat calling or chicken cackling. It was Miracle. So I took some time off to enjoy the sunshine and a walk in the back pasture with the goats. Great medicine. Guaranteed to heal all that ails you. I rarely leave this place, instead, I prefer to spend my leisure time with nature, and I don't have to drive to get there.

Fence line

Good thing I took that goat walk, there was an old tree that fell on the fence. Just a constant thing to check all the pasture fencing to keep the grass,weeds and trees off so the electric fence has a chance to do its job, help keep unwanted varmints out.