Yes, its 2012, and we got our FIRST snow! What a weird year! Out poor Llama wasn't sure what the heck this was!
Lorena, our daughter, is now established with the kids, Avalon and Sila. They will be doing the dairy portion of our farm to start with. Our plan was to milk the dairy goats as they had kids and begin making soap. Licorice kidded first, and had triplets! That means she needs all her milk for 3 kids. Next came Spot, who got mastitis and is only milking on one side, so we can't get milk from her as her kid needs it. Now we're waiting for Isleigh, Ginger, Paprika, Poppy and Daisy. Somebody better hurry up or it'll be to hot for making soap and all our plans will go on hold for a year!
We were very fortunate and got the chance to purchase some British Gurnsey goats and now have a buck and 5 does. This is a rare/developing breed based on the Golden Gurnsey milk goat and Lorena hopes to slowly transition to these goats exclusivly. I'm looking forward to seeing how she does.
We were snowed in during the bad storm this month. We were warm and had what we needed but no one got out for over a week. I was suprised at how many people I know didn't have back up wood heat. So many people were cold as they're electric had gone off. They couldn't cook, heat the house, or shower. Guess as rough as we currently live we are lucky. We could do everything.
Whats happening in 2012
We're well into the start of kidding now. We've had 4 sets of triplets this year, which is a lot for us. I generally prefer twins, they seem to grow better, and are easier on my does. Triplets are more of a challenge. We're having a good run of color, about 25% have color so far. Kiko's tend to be white, so color isn't real common in our herd. This will be the last kids from Albus Dumbledor, he has been purchased and will be leaving the farm for his new home next Saturday. I've had him since he was a buckling so will be kind of odd not having him around.
Our dairy does haven't done very well so far. Licorice had triplets and all boys, so not only will she not have milk to spare for our soaps, she won't have milk to spare at all with 3 boys to take care of. Then came Spot, who had a lovely doeling "Toth" and developed mastitis in one side. We've got the mastitis licked but shes not milking as heavy as we hoped. Isleigh had a single boy and lost him, and now doesn't want to put out much milk as well. We still have Goldenrod, and the 5 British Gurnseys to kid, so haven't lost hope yet! have to say all the kids have been real fun this year. The grandkids are playing with them almost every day so they're getting pretty tame. I'm sure looking forward to
the beautiful days of spring so I can watch them playing in the pasture.
Sad day and happy day as yesterday Albus Dumbledor went to his new home. We've had him since he was a baby and it will be strange to not have him around. I think his new owners will be really pleased with him, he's so darn easy to keep.
Lorena's British Guernsey goat Cardamom finally had her kids. Two bucklings, and both healthy and up very fast. She looks to be a wonderful mother. We are up to about 40 kids right now. I hope they get some nice sunny weather soon. If they do and they get to go outside and play, its so fun to watch them!
March and it seems like it can't decide if it wants to be spring or not! I've been waiting for it to thaw enough that we can put in fence posts. Around here, it gets so dry in the summer that the clay soil sets up like cement. Fence posts need to go into the ground in the winter when its wet. Unfortunatly it freezes pretty deep in the winter, so I have to wait until its unfrozen, but not so late that the wetness is gone. We have a lot of fence areas we're trying to get up this spring. Its snowed the last 4 days now, usually just enough to scare us, then it melts off, and the next day it does it again. The kids still have the chance to get out into the sun almost every day, so I'm grateful for that.
The guild I belong to makes bulk purchases once each spring, so this year its field fencing and posts. I sure will be glad to get some of the fences finished. Once we have the perimeter complete I won't worry about the cows or goats wandering off and getting lost.
We went out a couple days ago and banded Licorice's boys. They all are getting really good sized and poor Licorice is losing weight trying to feed all 3 of the boys. I need to get them weaned and eating hay!
I've had several really nice doelings this year. I think I mentioned that I'm trying to expand and replace some of my really old does so have been holding back several of my good doelings. I have 3 from this kidding that I'm going to keep, and most of the others, including the last of our crosses look to be sold.
Renee and I went to the Farmers Market in Vancouver, WA and did well for the first market of the season. It was pretty chilly for a lot of the day, and we had several episodes of pouring down rain. We met a really nice lady who owns a store in Vancouver and will now be carrying Little Farms meats in her store. (Neighbors Market). The meat shares (CSA) is doing well. We have room for about 10 more so are trying to add them onto our client list. Half Creek Farm is taking over most of the goat production for Little Farms so we'll have a nice outlet for our surplus wethers.
Well its getting late, better close for now.
May 13, 2012
Lorena and I went to Bernice Bakers to look over a new buck for her dairy herd. Montana has been used often enough that we need to change blood lines. We chose a very handsome buckling and have decided to have a registered one this time. othe his mom and grandmother are in Bernice's herd and look spectacular, so I'm thinking he has some amazing genetics just waiting to get passed on.
We have to go get straw next week for the Goat Academy, then chicks and turkey poults are arriving next week, and we are blood testing the goat herd on Friday. David is cutting some of the dead tree's out of the pasture. Looked pretty funny having him out there cutting up pine tree's surrounded by 4 cows, 2 goats and a llama.
Its been very warm for the last several weeks, the grass is growing well and the goats are out enjoying all the tasty morsels. This is the time of year when pasture is plentiful and everyone is putting on weight. Several of my does are getting pretty old and I have started losing a few every winter, so I'm saving out several doelings each spring. We saved 6 from last spring and all look
good. We'll breed them in November or December for spring kids.
The little black and white spotted buckling on the far right is the one we chose, the one in the middle is his brother. The speckled doe is his mom and the cream one is grandma. Sure is hard to choose when you're surrounded by so many adorable choices!
