Bigger goat pen!

For the last year, I've been lamenting the size of the goat pen.....it's TINY!  My hubby keeps reminding me that it was built for the ONE goat that we were going to get....which has now turned into 13!! 

We spent the day cleaning up the area destined for the new pen, wrapped the pine tree with chicken fencing to protect it, moved the debris, and killed a baby rattlesnake that was hiding under it.

As we were finishing putting up the fencing, my hubby reminded me that this was NOT an invitation to get more goats....then I reminded him that the angora buck that I wanted is still for sale.  ;-)

We decided to leave up the existing posts *just in case* we get a goat (or few) that I want to separate out into different pens, my hubby bought enough fencing for that brilliant idea (he's such an enabler!!)

Vertical Strawberry Patch

Last summer I found some plans for PVC gardening online.  I showed them to my hubby and mentioned that I would love to do our strawberries like this.  We discussed and planned over the winter and finally got to work last week!  One of our main concerns was that the tubes be UV resistant.  We spoke with our favorite 'garden' store, Bryant Pipe and Supply, and they told us about the UV resistant tubing that was CHEAPER than PVC!!  BPS employees have patiently guided us through our different watering scenarios, allowing us to keep most of our trees and plants alive after years of killing them!

 My hubby put in 4"x4" posts, then assembled four 4"x10' PVC type tubes for each row, which he screwed together.  We hung them on the posts using plumbing tape.

I drilled 2.5" holes every 6 inches using a drill.  

 Then I used weedbarrier on the end of the tubes, secured with hose clamps.  We discussed using solid end caps, but I liked the idea of having drainage on the ends.

We love the "Square Foot Gardening" method and I've had great success with 'Mel's Mix' of vermiculite, three different composts, and peat moss in the greenhouse.  

My hubby built a garden box in the garden, so the kids and I were able to mix the different dirts in the box.  Using old milk jugs, we slowly filled each hole and tube up with dirt.  We had to cut our workday short after our eldest got dirt in her eye.  We took a trip to the ER after irrigating her eye at home with saline solution to make sure it was completely out (it was!).   

(You can see that now we were wearing goggles to keep dirt out of our eyes!)

We were able to re-use the 6" drip system tubing we used on the strawberries last year and fed them into the tubes, luckily they were the perfect length, saving us from buying more tubing.  I ran around hooking up hoses trying to make sure the water was flowing in each tube.  We will need to add a pump eventually, since we water using reclaimed rain water, but to test it all out I hooked it up to the well water.

Then came the task up digging up the plants in the garden and transplanting into the holes.

We have about 320 holes.

 I have about 200 or so plants STILL in the garden, so now I have to figure out what to do with them!

I found this plan and maybe we'll build this next:  http://www.pvcplans.com/trellis.htm

Best buds

 The kids are bouncing all over the barn, even venturing outside when it's nice.  However, when it comes time to chill out, they snuggle up in pairs, Jett and Marlee (above) and half-sisters, Diamond and Star (below).  It's too cute!!

Rough Kidding

{Graphic picture warning!!} 

 

 I still have 2 goats that were due to kid this week, they are both a couple days late, but I wasn't too worried.  Both are second time mama's.  I went into the goat barn to feed and noticed that Greta wasn't eating and was just standing around, so I knew that it was her day!

 

 Throughout the morning, I kept checking on her and around noon, she finally started laying down.  No babies were coming, and I started to worry.

After an hour, I noticed a protrusion, but not the snout and front feet I had been hoping for, I couldn't figure out what I was looking at, and it was NOT coming out.  By this time, Greta was screaming in pain and I could tell she was getting exhausted.  I ran inside for my goat birthing books, gloves, vaseline, towels, warm molasses water, and some disinfecting iodine.  I came back to find Greta lying down and grunting, so I got right to work.  I slipped my hand up inside around the baby, trying to distinguish body parts, but it was still confusing, bumps where there should not have been bumps.

I worked the baby slowly out, her head was bent under instead of pointing out and she was stillborn.   I cleaned up and showed her to Greta who gave her a couple licks and nudges.  I even tried giving her some chest compressions, but I knew she was too far gone.

 Just then another baby came sliding right out, followed by another one!  Triplets!!!  I knew she was pregnant with twins, but didn't know there would be a bonus kid!  Greta was too exhausted to move, so I opened up the sacs, wiped off their mouths so they could breathe and gave them to Greta, one buckling, one doeling.

 She couldn't even lift up her head to lick them, so I dried them both off and gave Greta the molasses water.  She started to perk up, so I kept the kids by her head and cleaned up the afterbirth.  The kids got up and started staggering around looking for food, so I got Greta up on her feet, gave her some grain and attached each kid to a teat.  They took to nursing right away and I knew that they would be ok after that.  I came inside and got the big girls so they could see the new babies.

It was an exciting, stressful, happy day!  Her granddaughter, Star, wants her up playing with her!

First 2012 kid!

 When I went out to the barn last night to close up, I encountered a nice surprise!  

Twinkletoes had her kid a week early!  

It's a girl, we named her "Star".

Almost kidding time!

 Only 7 days to go until the first due date for our kids!!

I have 2 does due on Sunday, the 25th and 2 does due on the 27th.  Nawww, I'm not going to be busy or loony from lack of sleep that week!!

The girls are waddling around, their udders are forming nicely and I'm getting very excited!

I have their coats and collars ready to go, the camera battery is charged and I've got some colostrum frozen 'just in case' and the nurse-cats are all ready!

Goat coats!

It's inevitable, whenever we have a birth on the farm, it's ALWAYS snowing and cold!  The does are due to kid starting March 24th, and since summer doesn't hit until after the 4th of July, I spent the day making kid coats.

 I just hope 1. that they fit, and 2. that I made enough!!

I found a coat at Wal-mart that I figured was about the right size and traced it.

Not the best sewing job I've ever done, but I don't think the kids will complain!!