Still praying for rain

Well, we got a sprinkle last night.  Just a tease.  Not enough to do any good.  The ground is rock hard and most of the pasture is bare and brown.  Calling for rain on Thursday but why do I think it will pass us by again?  And just think; winter is coming...

RIP Riding Mountain Treasures Lily

We lost Lily on Thursday.  My own feeling is the heat got to her.  It's been so hot and so dry for so long.....I know this is a normal state of affairs in some parts of the world and even North America but this is not normal in Southern Ontario.  In the late spring it rained for three weeks straight, heavily.  Our pastures were flooded, everything was soaked, the goats barely left the shelter.  Babies died because they either got crushed in the shelter or not fed because the dams didn't bother to stand up  to feed them.

It's been over a month since it rained here.  We are watering the pastures to keep a little bit of grass growing but I've been forced to feed hay.  The hay is for winter not July!  Now, of course, I will need to buy more hay for winter and because of this drought, hay is going to be in short supply.  There has already been many farmers who have given up on a second cut.  More people are going to be after the first cut which has already been spoken for.  Are the animals going to go hungry?  No, I don't think so, but hay will go up in price as things always do.  There will be enough hay to go around but it will be expensive.  And to cover costs farmers have to raise their prices and so on and so on.

The Myotonic babies reaching 12 weeks are in the weaning pen.  Boys with boys and girls with girls.  Don't want any unwed teenage mothers here!  All are doing well and learning to like the new Calf Manna pellets they are getting to help them forget about Mom and milk.  Lily's two little girls are still getting some milk to tide them over but weaning will begin for them soon as well.  I don't want to upset them more after the death of their Mom.  I know how they feel...


It's been almost a year since my own Mom passed away.  Aug 03.  It's been hard not to miss her every day.  I guess that part never changes....

So shoot me...

One of these days I might actually have time to keep up with this blog.  Of course, when I have time to keep up with this blog there will be nothing going on so...  Anyway,

The weather has been brutally hot this past two weeks, no rain, and no rain in the forcast.  Looks like the second cut hay will be non-existant.  That's not good news for anyone.  First of all, a lot of people buy second cut hay for their horses and cows and if there isn't going to be any or not very much, then those people are going to be buying up the first cut hay whenever they get a chance.  That means there may not be enough first cut hay for the people who usually buy it, like me!! 
We can only store about 1000 bales of hay, here at the Stables and we may need as much as 1400 bales for the winter so we have to find another 400 bales somewhere and hope that farmer will agree to store it for us.  That usually works.  On occasion we have had an agreement with a farmer to store hay, only to find out, when we get there, that the farmer went and sold our hay to some one else.  Boy, does that make you mad!!  We were counting in getting that hay and now we have to start searching for some and hope we find some before the animals go hungry.
So we've got most of our hay in now, still need another couple hundred bales to fill up our storage and then some to last the winter.  That is, unless I can sell a few more goats!!

I should be sleeping...

It seems winter has finally come to an end.  I heard Peepers in the pond tonight and it has been a most beautiful day!
Let's see, where did I leave you hanging last time?  Oh, right, Bonnie and her babies...  Well, there has been some action since then.  Geez, I'm not very good at this am I?
Ok, so, Bonnie had her babies,  Esme has finally had her babies.  One of each and they are really cute.  Then Sprocket has, at last, had her baby.  One darling little girl.  We are still waiting on Tweek.  I can't believe she is holding out so long.
All the babies except Esme's and Sprocket's are out in the pens for some good sunshine and fresh air.  They are just loving it!  They spent more time flying through the air than on the ground!  The moms are happy because they have more room to get away from the little hooligans.

Shadow is recovering nicely from her spaying surgery.  Except for the bare belly, you'd never know she had a major operation.  She's a good girl.  Ghost, her brother, is doing very well too.  He kept pulling her cone off so I finally left it off and Shadow hasn't even touched her incision.  Good Girl!

But, as I said, I should be sleeping so I'll sign off for today and hopefully, I will get more time over the next few weeks to keep us more up to date!

Thanks for reading!!  

Busy Little Beavers

Wow!  We have been some busy here at the Stables the last few days, as if that was something new!  We had a few days rest after Elly had her babies but not very long!  Next thing you know Lily the Pygmy goat has had 2 little doelings during the night and then Bonnie, the Pygmy goat goes into labour.  Well, I want to keep an eye on her because her babies died last year, whether they were still born or she didn't clean them, I don't know.  This year, I did not want to take any chances.  I stayed with her through the whole thing.  (Or so I thought).  Anyway, she is having a tough time pushing the first kid out, crying in pain and looking very tired, so I clean up, put on my rubber gloves and go in to see what the problem is.  At first, I can't determine what part of the baby I am feeling.  It really feels like a knee or hock joint but if that's the case, the poor baby is really twisted up.  Finally, I can get a grip on something, still not sure what and I pull.  Out comes a still born baby.  Feeling that there is more than one I go in again and find the nose of another baby.  Sure enough, with a lot of help, out he comes. I was gentle with him only for Mom's sake as I assumed he was also going to be still born.  Not so!  Little Alexander comes out with a cry and a wriggle and a big gasp of air.  YAYY!!  I am so happy!  Bonnie is so relieved!  I get him cleaned up and then Mom takes over.  While disposing of the little dead baby I keep an eye on Bonnie and baby for a while.  She is licking him and finally he gets up to nurse.  YAYY!!


After all that I take a break a go and visit my little girl staying down at Faye's.  


After dinner, I go back down to the barn to check on everything and feed the goats and lo and behold!!  Bonnie has had another baby!!  She is weak and can't stand up to nurse.  I really don't hold out much hope for her.  She is cold and wet.   Mom is so busy with the second baby she is ignoring the third one.   So I wrap her up in a warm towel, yell for Chelsea and we head down the road to Faye's AGAIN.  Of course, my dear friend, Faye, who has a bigger heart than anyone I know, takes her in.


So Emily has a friend.  Faye has named Emily's new friend Trouble and boy does she know how to find trouble.  She gets into EVERYTHING.


Both babies are doing remarkably well under Faye's wonderful care.  I really think she will end up keeping them.  How can you save something from certain death and then give it up?  That's ok if Faye keeps them.  If it wasn't for her, they would not be here.


So, we have a good many babies in the barn waiting for the stupid snow to melt so they can go outside.  Everything is a big sloppy mess and more snow on the way, I hear.  Will this winter never end??

More babies!

Wow!  I go out to the barn this morning and there are 3 babies in Elly's stall.  Just born maybe half an hour before.  She has cleaned off the two boys but the little girl is crying and still really gooey.  So I put the little girl under mom's nose and mom butts her into the wall.  Hmmmm....that's not good.  Try again, another butt.  Put her under mom to see if she will eat.  mom checks identity of said baby goat and finds out it's not one of the boys.  Butts her again.  So, I take her down to my very good friend, Faye's house and she will going to be spoiled rotten.  Stupid mommy goat.  Faye loves little goats and will take very good care of her.  Thanks Faye!! 

New Babies!!

March 18 is our lucky day!  Isabella and Bonnie the Nigerian Dwarf, both had their babies today.  Isabella had 2 cute little boys and Bonnie had two babies, as well.  The blackest one is a doeling and the whiter one is a buckling!!    Moms and babies are all doing well!!

 http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=339416&id=538687834&l=9301234a45

Pictures at the link above!!