Wehner Homestead

[CntryBoy777]

Walk-a-bouts can be really fun and enjoyable....I still miss our goat walks sometimes, but am so thankful that it isn't and everyday chore anymore. I did cut some honeysuckle off the ditch bank today and threw it over the fence to the goats....it wasn't very much and soon after the "Boys" were bleeting at me for more....it wasn't but a taste for them....

 

[Bruce]

Did you drive all the way to NC or did GW and/or SBC meet you half way??

 

[Wehner Homestead]

Did you drive all the way to NC or did GW and/or SBC meet you half way??

I cannot reveal my secrets at this time...

 

[Bruce]

They didn't make the poor goats walk all that way by themselves I hope!!

 

[Wehner Homestead]

We had a heifer calf arrive from Moxie. Pics on the Calving thread. She’s beyond adorable and has the neatest markings.

Sparkle and CeCe seem to be adjusting well. We are in a routine with their bottles and are trying to teach them their names and not to jump on us. CeCe loves to chew on my hair when I’m trying to give Sparkle a chance to finish her bottle. CeCe is the more aggressive eater of the two and typically takes in more.

I noticed that Sparkle was done if her bottle was empty and wouldn’t try eating again if I switched the nipple to the extra bottle and tried to offer her more. We were using 16oz bottles and taking out an extra 8 oz. CeCe would often eat some of the extra and averaged closer to 20 oz. Sparkle was staying closer to 16 oz. I used a 20 oz bottle this afternoon and Sparkle drank the whole thing! Makes me feel so much better. Both are starting to eat some of the pelleted feed we keep out for them and they nibble at their hay.

They enjoyed some play time in the aisle of the barn yesterday. Their antics are quite comical and I can’t wait to get them switched to a larger pen with some room to run and some blocks to jump on and off of!

 

[Goat Whisperer]

I am just getting caught up! Loved all the pics. Congrats on the calf! I saw the pics but didn't have to post. So many babies running around!

As I was transitioning them to the bottle, CeCe always would eat more than Sparkle. Glad she is increasing. I fill the lambar 2x daily and let them (lamancha kids) eat until full. In the the middle of the day they get a 1 gallon "snack" (7 goats). With CeCe being a single out of a mature doe it would make since that she is eating more. How are they liking that chopped alfalfa? The Nigerians love it. The lamanchas like it but would much prefer "real" alfalfa/orchard hay LOL

For those wanting to know the "other side" of the story, click the link
https://www.backyardherds.com/threads/made-a-trip-to-indiana.37652/

I didn't want to take up @Wehner Homestead 's journal so put it in its own post.

 

[Wehner Homestead]

Just a quick update:

I’m scheduled to work this weekend so we tried to get in some Easter fun tonight so the kids colored eggs. We hadn’t done it since DD1 was an only child so it was definitely a new experience for them. It was hard on me to buy eggs to use when I have a surplus!

Sparkle and CeCe continue to grow and amaze us. Sparkle actually ate more than CeCe today but I think it was a fluke. The girls love their exercise time and we will be getting them moved to a bigger pen soon so it’s easier for them to stretch their legs. They got nosy while I was taking pics of Diamond’s boys. CeCe is difficult to get a pic of since she’s solid black.

DD2 was using her “binoculars” to check on the cows!

 

[Wehner Homestead]

I’m on call. May have to go into work later and may not. Either way, I’ve been up since 4:15. Made my trip to the barn first to check everyone over. Snowflake and Nellie were content so I’ll wait to check ligs until a little later. Maxine was breathing heavy. Decided to play the Easter bunny since I may end up working tomorrow. Figure it’ll be a fun surprise for the kids since we didn’t mention it last night.

 

[Wehner Homestead]

Kids were up before we were (I fell back asleep after updating BYH) and didn’t notice until DH had cathed the youngest and told them they needed to check out the dining room table. They were shocked!

Anyway, nothing too big. A toy each, container of play doh, bubbles, a shovel for the sandbox, a small milk carton box of goldfish snacks, and some eggs with candy to open. They were still very excited and amazed.

We then decided to get some projects done since I was home and could help. We really got some things marked off of our list, plus the human kids were outside for more than three hours enjoying their animals and the sunshine while they played!

We started with cleaning out Diamond’s quarantine pen, next to the dogs. Sparkle and CeCe were loose while we worked and got sunshine and exercise too! After it was clean and we had put down some fresh straw and set up all of the necessary feeders, mineral feeders, fresh water, and heat lamp, the pen became the new, larger area for Sparkle and CeCe! They have already made it clear that they like their bigger pen and can get more exercise in it. We still need to work on a new gate for the front but that’s something we can do one evening.

The new pen before we put the girls in it.

The girls all worn out from their workout!

Our next project was moving the two bucks and two bucklings all together instead of being in three separate pens. We had to take down a divider, wire the barn door shut so that the bucklings couldn’t even attempt to escape, and then we took down a board that had been used by the previous owner to create a barrier instead of using a gate. DH put up a piece of goat panel in that opening and then fashioned a temporary hay feeder from a piece of pig panel that he cut down. (The males’ prior hay feeders allowed them to pull it out and then they just ate it off the ground. I hated that so something different was absolutely necessary!) DH also cute boards (I think 2x8) to length and attached those at the top and bottom of the goat panel to strengthen it in case it would ever be necessary to put a cow in that pen.

The boys did better than I thought they would. King and Knight both bloodied their heads but nothing horrible. King had small scars before. One is completely broken off and the other is now shorter. Knight is polled but has the giraffe bumps. I think he skinned one on King’s scurs. We let them simmer down a bit while we put hay in the feeder, got fresh water, and put in their mineral feeder then moved the bucklings in. Some minor rearing up and head bumping occurred but the the big boys were obviously more interested in each other than the bucklings.

All of the boys together. It makes for more space for all of them.

Jackson-front, Jericho-back, after everyone settled down some. (King is sniffing Jackson and wouldn’t stand still enough to not be a blur. He’s the closest to the bucklings above though.)

Knight settled in well.

The pen with was Diamond’s kidding pen had been divided for the Lamancha doelings and Diamond’s bucklings and is now a kidding pen again. There is also a kidding pen inside the doe pen so that I have two if we need them.

We then played musical chickens! I’d wanted to make the most of our space and I finally made some cull decisions. (Scheduled for freezer camp on next Sat.) I had two destructive Isas that thought they were roosters and had worn lots of feathers off of their penmates. I’d put them in another pen hoping that they would get knocked around and not be at the top of the pecking order. No such luck! They just terrified the Isas that I had put them with. I also discovered that those two weren’t laying regularly but I’d already suspected that. The “nice” Isas were moved into the feather damaged pen. I then moved the egg-eating RIRs (8) in with the two crazy Isas since all are headed for freezer camp in a week!

Some serious cleaning had to be done to the RIR pen where they had busted so many eggs in the nesting boxes that they were wet and saturated! I finally got a fresh feeder and waterer in place, along with the immaculately cleaned nesting boxes and moved my FBCM (Mia), 3 production silkies, and the 7 pullets that Mia hatched around Thanksgiving. All were thrilled with their newfound space and seemed to settle in without too much issue.

It was then lunch and naps for the human kids. DD1 picked some daffodils for me from the side of the barn.

Oscar also snuck up to take a nap with her. (I’m sure she didn’t help with him getting to that particular locale at all.) The pink tint is from her curtains.

Continued on next post since I’ve got severa more pics to post.

 

[Wehner Homestead]

Previous post continued...

Kids were down for naps so time for round 2!

Bottle time for the girlies...
CeCe

Sparkle

After the girls had full bellies, we started on the tank that we use between the brooder box and moving outside to the coop. We cleaned it out and put in fresh shavings then made a better “lid.” The previous lid had been a piece of goat panel and a piece of plywood. I didn’t like that as it wasn’t very functional so DH used some poultry wire and two posts off some huge skids he got from work and fashioned a foldable cover that didn’t block the light. He did steeple the middle to help hold it in place. We also got the feeders, waterers, and a heat lamp set up so that they could adjust to the temperature difference between the garage and barn. I think they love their new space as they outgrown their brooder. There are 22 that are a variety of breeds.

This is in the tote I used to carry them from the garage to the barn. The lid has punctures to serve as airholes.

Grouped around the waterer.

After 2nd waterer in place.

Tonight when I was checking on our maternity ward.

We then had a family Easter dinner at my parents and visited DH’s brother’s family to see how their show cattle and first heifer to calve in about a week looked. Whew! Now to bed so I can face another day tomorrow!