Ragdollcatlady's Just a Little Patch of Weeds Farm journal

[ragdollcatlady]

Both baby geese are out, but I had to help both of them. They are weak, but move and talk to me and I have to type one handed because they are currently keeping my company, snuggled up under my chin. I really hope they make it, They are my first baby geese to hatch by myself.

Lucy died today too, one of my rescue geese. She was the grey Toulouse. Every year she had issues with her leg/abdominal muscles???... not totally sure why, but she would get nearly paralyzed for days or almost a week or 2, and then recover. I imagine it had something to do with having spraddle legs as a baby and being splinted. I tried to be sure that I always saw her in different places or that she would at least get up when I approached. She avoided becoming christmas dinner and earned her keep here by protecting my poultry from hawks. She had several years here just being a goose, so I hope they were happy years.

I separated Spelly from her monster kids for 8 hours and milked her out. I got 2 cups that weighed in at 1 lb. I looked back at a note I had from September and that is pretty consistent for my girls weight vs volume wise. It looks like Georgia and Spell were giving me the same oz for oz at the time. Makes it easy to guestimate for my own herd! I only weigh once in a while for fun, otherwise it takes too much work.

 

[ragdollcatlady]

One baby goose died and the surviving one has spraddle legs. I used paper bandage tape to make a hobble for her and so now she can stand, hopefully by tomorrow I can take them off. I tried shelf liner, kitchen towels, bath towels, but her legs just seemed weak from hatch and slipped out to the sides no matter what I put under her.... She is a happy little thing!!! Ill try and get pictures soon!

 

[babsbag]

Sorry you had one die. Hope the other one does ok. I have tried to raise guineas and I have horrible luck with them, even when the hen hatches them and I steal them I still have leg problems. I think it is a genetic in breeding thing. I will be looking for some more this summer hoping to add some variation to the gene pool.

 

[ragdollcatlady]

I ended up hobbling the little goslings legs for a couple days, once she was getting around OK I took them off. She is doing great. Very cute!

So I am about the worst business person ever.... I sold one baby goat and gave my best typed little doeling away for zero dollars!!! I was really starting to like the little chocolate with blue eyes doe out of StinkerBelle, I mean REALLY like her! She is nice and long, pretty profile.....

Her sister, the little black with blue eyes doeling, sold and when her new owners came to pick her up, we were talking. The daughters goat just had to have a C section, mama survived but they lost the kids. This is her 4H goat. So I offered her this pretty little baby goat if she would let me have a kid back in a year or 2 when they breed her, and of course send me pics of how she is growing and how she and her new human did in showing. I don't think the daughter really believed what was happening until I picked her up and plopped her in her arms. After a couple minutes with the content little thing in her arms, she started to get excited and said she would pick out the cutest kid for me! I felt karma needed a little push.... What was I supposed to do? She was a kid that needed a goat....

Work has been crazy, but hopefully things are on the way to getting better.

We made our Easter cream puff recipe tonight.... a yearly tradition.

The twins might be heading off to college or new adventures soon, so we are feeling the possibilities of holidays maybe being a bit different and trying to get in a few last traditions with everyone here before life gets in the way.

Happy Easter everyone!

 

[ragdollcatlady]

I forgot to mention that since Stinkers doe kids are gone, I am having to milk her...What a dream! For a FF and never been milked, she only fusses a little bit then gets busy eating. Her udder is beautiful, nice larger teats like her mom, but better orifices, and she milks so easily!

 

[ragdollcatlady]

Oh yeah, and we are expecting Ravi and Little Italy (Crepe Suzette) to pop anytime from next weekend on.....

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I'll bet the smile on that kids (the human variety) face was worth the price of that goat. What a wonderful story and who cares if it wasn't a great "business" decision - it was the best decision of the heart!

 

[ragdollcatlady]

I know that the kid needed the goat and knowing that she (the human) mattered enough to get one of my best babies will hopefully make her feel special. Everyone needs a little of that sometimes.

Yesterday, my little gosling and I puttered around and helped DH plant and water some tomato seedlings...and taste them of course.... just a few leaves. Besides, they didn't taste too good anyways!

The big kids hunted for easter eggs....I was mean! I hid them out of site! Had to give clues for the last 7 or 8! I was threatening to do the hunger games type version of easter eggs hunting....the difficulty level increasing by whether you had to brave a setting chicken or goose!!!!...But we chickened out and just used the front yard instead.

Jack went to his new home today. They wanted to buy a doe too ( like, well....the little one I just gave away!!! ) They are wanting more of the dairy type of nigerians and were hoping I would sell one of my does (sorry no adults for sale right now). I will have to decide if I want to sell Reeses black doe kid after Little Italy kids next week or so. I think they might want to buy her if I decide to let her go.

Very sad day today. Despereaux (my gopher getter cat) had to be put to sleep. He had signs of a vestibular problem, and his labwork showed issues with his white cells. He turned up FIV positive. He was a great little rescue cat and we were very sad to let him go. He had been sleeping alot lately and in weird places. Makes me even angrier about people dumping their mean cats out here to beat up and infect our little herd of rescue kitties. My kid that helped me tame him was there when we let him go. I hurt for my kid too.... "He lovzes me more" was our little game with this particular cat many years ago. One of us would start petting him and the other would come up and say, "but he lovzes me more" while trying to convince him to rub or head butt us more than the other person....I think Despereaux really lovzes him more, but don't tell him I admitted that!

When I had gone outside calling and trying to find out which cat was crying, I was calling "here kitty kitty". I look over and Skye is standing up peering out the bedroom window meowing at me "I am right here!!!!" Silly spoiled ragdolls...... They can all tuck me in tonight while I dream of the hardest working cat on the farm......

 

[Hens and Roos]

So sorry about your buddy

 

[babsbag]

Sorry about your kitty, you gave him a good home when he needed it and he repaid you with catching gophers and loving you back; you did good.