Mamaboid-Bad day turned out a whole lot better than it could have.

[daisychick]

Sounds like you are healing up well and getting a lot accomplished! Can't wait to hear how Elsie's first milking goes. I will be in the same boat in a couple months with 2 girls that have never been milked and me who hasn't milked anything since I was 12 years old, it could be fun. When are the does in the kidding pens due?? Do you have the camera streamed online so we can watch??

 

[Mamaboid]

Sounds like you are healing up well and getting a lot accomplished! Can't wait to hear how Elsie's first milking goes. I will be in the same boat in a couple months with 2 girls that have never been milked and me who hasn't milked anything since I was 12 years old, it could be fun. When are the does in the kidding pens due?? Do you have the camera streamed online so we can watch??

They are both due May 17. The camera link is in my signature. Right now, the camera is on the goat enclosures during the day, and on the girls at night only. Once we lock them in 24/7 it will be strictly on them before, during and for a few weeks after birth of kids. Poor Elsie was on camera 24/7 for 49 days as we had just gotten her and didn't know her due date. Hopefully we are better prepared and informed this time.

The first milking went GREAT. I haven't milked anything since I was about 12, and trust me that was a lot of years ago. Elsie stood great for me for quite a while as I fumbled about getting my rhythm going. I got almost a quart of milk from her, and didn't milk her all the way out. The kids (just the two girls) were very happy to find that mom still had breakfast for them. I wanted to make sure that the first experience on the milking stand was enjoyable for both she and I, so as soon as I could tell she was getting uncomfortable, I left her down.

Everybody survived the night in their new digs just fine. Elijah (the boy kid) spent his first night alone and came out into the big boy herd this morning. They were curious, did a little play head butting, but the big boys were both very gentle with him. Brandy is still running with the boys, and she was a little more aggressive with him, but she is overall herd queen and like that with everyone. She did play with him a bit, so I think everything is going to be fine there.

The does are a whole nuther story. All three of the adults were headbutting, stomping feet, and yelling about the new arrangements. They settled down after about an hour and at last check they are all eating together and getting along also. The little girls could have cared less, all they were interested in was breakfast.

I took care of my milk, and tasted it just to make sure it tasted like I remembered, and that I still like it..................I DO!! We drink a lot of milk, and I am very excited about this! Cannot wait for DH to get home so he can taste it too. If he likes it as much as I do, I may have to look into getting more than one 'dairy' goat. Sounds like a good excuse to get more to me,....right?

Hope you all have a great day...I am going to download some pics from phone now and will work on getting some posted later in the day.

Later

BJ

 

[Mamaboid]

DH likes goat milk too! All went pretty well with all the moving around today. I didn't get a chance to download the pics though, so will try to get them up tomorrow.

Night all.

BJ

 

[Roll farms]

I'm glad you like the milk still. Be a major bummer to go through all this and not like it.

I was too chicken to try it for years. Then I had one of those "Mikey" moments. "I like it, I really LIKE it."

 

[Mamaboid]

Good morning all. (I think it is still morning)

Well, it has been a couple days since I promised pics, and I finally got them ready to go. They are just cell phone pics, but ......

Oh, and as a disclaimer, my clippers suck and I need a new pair. The clippings are rough at best and I finally gave up on Dusty (gray doe) because her hair is long, thick and she didn't like the clippers even a little bit. So here goes.

Dusty girly parts

Dusty from above

Stephanie girly parts

Stephanie from above

New Hen (there are two just like this)

Ducklings

New male guineas

"Token Rabbit" BB

View from front porch

My Nephew and Elijah getting acquainted.

The pics from the top of both goats do not do justice to how big they are. Stephanie is not fat on the sides, just little baby bump. She is really deep from back to bottom of belly. Dusty is kind of square.
She is a real wide load from behind. They are both due May 17.

Hope you all have a great weekend. Later

BJ

 

[SmallFarmGirl]

Your kidding me! THAT'S elijah???
HE's such a big little fainter! Boy he's grown to be a little man!

 

[Mamaboid]

I know. He is almost as tall as his mom. He still gives kisses tho, and stands with his head on my shoulder if I sit on the 'jungle gym' where he can reach me.

 

[Mamaboid]

Morning. Update on milking....getting 2, 2-1/2 cups in the mornings from Elsie, a little more each day. I really enjoy the milking, it is a peaceful, quiet time for her and me both.

I set 24 chicken eggs in the incubator yesterday afternoon. My broody hens both decided that they didn't feel like sitting, so I decided to fire up the bator.

Going to SIL house for dinner, one nephew is here from Florida, and the nephew that just got back from Afghanistan is on his final weekend home before reporting for duty in New York, so we are having a family get together. As usual, I am taking the pickled eggs. I always get the egg dishes. Wonder why?

Have only lost 2 of the 25 meat chicks, and haven't lost any of the black giant chicks. As you can see from the pic I posted, the ducks are going great.

Guess that is all for this morning. Have a great day.

Later

BJ

 

[Mamaboid]

Well, it is 1am, and I cannot sleep, so I am going to write one of my 'book length posts'.

We went to my SIL's house for dinner, and had a great time. We played cards and ate and had a really good visit with nephews, great nephew, and great niece. My MIL was there, and she always makes me laugh. After we came home, we fed everybody, and then walked over to the neighbor's house to see the new Peacock pen they finished today. They did a great job. The birds seem to really be settling in nicely. Boy are they beautiful birds. One is the traditional blue color and gorgeous, and the other is a black and white bird with the most gorgeous blue neck. They are spectacular. Anyway, on the way back across the field, I kind of stepped wrong and pulled my stomach muscles. So now I HURT. I am sitting here with the heating pad on my belly. I gave up a couple minutes ago and took two pain pills, so if I type anything funky, you will know why.

After we came home from there, we were sitting in the shed with the two soon to be mom does, and Papaboid says that he doesn't think Stephanie (the nubian FF) is going to make it all the way til the 17th. She is really getting bigger and deeper by the day, and her ligs are still there and solid, but they are way down deep and hard to find. I never saw a goat eat like this one. Elsie ate a LOT when she was getting close, but Stephanie is making her look like a dieting diva. She just doesn't stop. I had been thinking she would only have one kid because she wasn't getting very wide, just deep. I figured one and it would be a buck. I am kind of changing my prediction. I think she may have two. She is bred to Dude, the tri-color, and I am really anxious to see what colors we come up with. I think this has to be one of the most head-strong, stubborn goats I have ever dealt with. She is loud, clumsy, and obnixious. I love her. She was a bottle baby, raised by a teenager, and you can tell she never had any discipline at all. She was also raised completely alone and was never around any other goats til she came to us. She was spoiled rotten. We have been working very hard to instill some 'respect for the humans' into her, but it is an uphill battle. She charges doors and gates, steps on your feet, and in general bulls her way through life. When she first got here, she had a really nasty habit of putting her feet up on you. We have successfully stopped that for the most part, although she does occassionally forget. My biggest concern with her is that she is so self centered that she may not be a good mom. My hope is that by being in with Elsie and her kids for the last 4 months, she has learned from Elsie what it means to be a good mom. She does play with the triplets and is very gentle with them, so I am
I have been putting her on the milk stand every day so she gets used to it and me messing with her. She is pretty good about letting me touch udder and ligs etc. so I am hoping she adapts to being milked easily.

Dusty, on the other hand, just keeps getting wider and wider. With all her mixed up genes, I am really looking forward to seeing what colors she produces also. She is silver with black stockings, and is also bred to the tri-color, but we know nothing about what colors her parents were. We know that her mom was Alpine/ND cross and her daddy was Angora/Fainter cross. We don't know what any of them looked like. I am getting really excited about these births. (I know I have typed those words before, LOL) Her ligs are still strong, and she doesn't seem to be changing as fast physically as Stephanie. She is getting really clingy towards me. She will stand forever and just let me rub her back and sides. When I stop, she nibbles on my arm or hand like 'hey Mom, don't stop'. She is my sweet girl. I love her personality. She is calm, and quiet, and very eager to please. She studies you when you talk to her like she is really trying to understand what you are saying. Her udder is compact and round but she does have decent size teats, so I may try milking her after she kids. Time will tell on that. If I decide it will work , it means i will be hand milking 3 goats. So far, I am really enjoying the milking, I hope my hands hold out. Papaboid says if I decide it is too painful for my hands we can get a milking machine, but I enjoy it so for now we are gonna wait and see.

Chicks, ducklings, and rabbit all doing great. We opened the cage tonight and left the new male guineas out into the chicken house with the rest, and tomorrow morning (or should say this morning) they will be allowed out to free range and get to be with their girls. I am looking forward to seeing them pair up. Sold 11 dozen eggs in the last 3 days, and have a single order for 10 dozen by the end of May. She wants me to start saving them for her soon because she is going to be using them all for hard boiled applications and wants to be able to peel them easier. I think I will start about the middle of the month setting her back a dozen a day.

The bator is holding temp really well, and they should hatch around the 19th. With goats due the 17th, and eggs the 19th, it is going to be a very busy month. My sister's birthday is the 16th, and she is hoping that Stephanie has her kids on that day. Stephanie's kids will have names that begin with S, so she wants me to name a doe Sherry after her if we get one.

OK, well the pain pills are starting to kick in, and I think I might be able to sleep now. I hope you all have a great day.

Later

BJ

 

[Roll farms]

Love the pics.

I have a doe that I swear listens / understands me, like your girl. Some just think, "FOOD", but Penny seems to want to know what I'm saying.

eta: good luck w/ your birthings.