Fiona's Birth Story

Our week started with great excitement, Fiona, was showing signs of near kidding. I had a neighbor check on her during the day while we were gone. Christmas day night I went out to feed around 11:30pm, and as usually I sat and watched for awhile.  She was showing signs that labor was close: her ligaments were gone, she was up and down, her udders were full, and she was licking me.  After a few minutes I figured it would be within 12 hours later than sooner since she wasn't streaming her amber goo, and got up to leave. I hadn't even made it to the door before she laid down and started pushing.  I grabbed the blowdryer and some towels.  I had to assist with the first one since her legs were in the wrong position.  I pulled her and started to suction and dry pulled the second one out once she was 1/2 and cleaned suctioned and ran to the house.
I burst through the front door trying to be quiet because all I would need is fore Eli to wake up during this. As I kick open our bedroom door poor sleeping Brian bolts from the bed, and is standing there in a daze, while I yell for him to hurry and get towels.  At this point I"m kneeling on the bedroom floor unwrapping the kids, at this point it dawns on him what is happening and he springs into action.
 The girls were premies, very early, and in the end to early.  At one point I even tried mouth to mouth but it was usuless. After a minute, and making sure Brian had a handle on things.  I bolted back to the barn to make sure their was no more kids. Finding Fiona in a daze, eating, I bounced her a few times to confirm she was done, being fairly confidant she was it was back up the hill to the house again. Brian at this point, was still working on the bigger girl. After about 10 minutes it was apparent they were not going to make it.
  Fiona, is doing good though her placenta detached and was out after 15 hours. Her milk is really coming in. I have the colostrum frozen in the off chance we need it for another one. (*side note breast milk bags are great for freezing milk in..anyone have extras send them my way!).
  Since this was her first time kidding she has no idea what happened and thinks I"m her kid. I get a bath now every time I go down there.  She's pretty easy to milk doesn't go all crazy on me like buttercup does. she would have made a great mom.  To her dismay she's in with the other pregos for a month or so, I don't want her to be around our Buck Deputy Dangle in case she's fertile.

More Snow!

It seems all it does anymore is snow snow snow snow, granted I'll take the snow of the freezing -8 million degrees, but enough already!  As of yesterday I cannot use the service door on the barn it's frozen shut.  It actually happened while I was in yesterday morning feeding the animals, when it was time to leave I could not open the door! I ended up going out the animals door and stepping over the electric fence, cringing praying i wouldn't slip!
  Since I started giving the horses vitamins and weight booster in their grain they have been less crabby and grain crazy.  For awhile thats all they wanted all the time, constantly cross!
   Flicka let me "ride" her again yesterday, ( I climbed on her bare back and held on to her mane hoping I don't die) she stood pretty good for me and didn't try to plow me into any rails this time so I guess she's getting better. I get off of her anytime she leaves the barn I'm not ready for her in open spaces yet.
  I went out into the yard with Ritz a few times, the last time I ended up in a snow bank.  This is when they were in the grain crazy stage. I swear they're like a person needing a fix and nothing else matters they just want their "drug"!
  The new ducks seem to be settling in and the chickens are sharing food with them.  We've lost a few chickens this month anymore and everyones getting wormed! But for the most part our poultry is doing well.
  Our 5 meat birds are getting pretty plump and I won't be able to put the deed off for much longer, and our egg layers are doing great, we're back up to about 35% yippee!!

Wishing you all a merry Christ filled Christmas!

Coming together

Everything is beginning to fall into place around here, looking back it is hard to believe we moved here a mere four months ago.  We have learned and accomplished so much, with a ton more togo!
  We sold the "boys" the ones that we're kidded earlier this year, and gained a new stud. He's a boer, which is a meat bread that we plan on mixing with our dairy girls. 
   Two girls are close to kidding and already bagging up. Keeping them warm this winter will be a challenge! Our original girls both pregnant too.

  About a month ago a neighbor gave us two Aarabian horses, Flicka, and Ritz.  The are both unbroke, for now.  I did get Ritz to take a bit yeterday for the first time.  I am able to hop on his back most of the time.  Flicka is a bit more freespirted but did let me on her back for the first time yesterday. 
  After coming off a big high from the horses yesterday I was feeling a little cocky today and got on Ritz and ended up in the snow!  I normaly cannot even get him to "walk on", today he decided to canter out of the barn, and away I went, I made the decision to bale off while I could since I didn't want to end up in a pile of poo!  We are looking for a saddle which should help greatly!
 
Most days I spend a bit of time in the barn in the morning and evening working with them, the kids say a smell like horse! Ha better than a lot of things!

  We're still working on finding a balance of in and out door chores school and play time but we're getting there! 
  In the last few months we have added a pen to the barn, fenced in a few acres, pulled up old fencing, painted the whole house, and mostly unpacked.  At times I feel discouraged at lack of daily progress, but am re-energized when Brian puts everything into perspective! I miss our online journal and am hoping to have more time to keep track of our daily crazies! Plus if I magically do get these crazy horses broke I will need to come back and re-read because it will certainly be by accident ;-)

Rosie's birth story

Last week I went to check on Miss Rosie around 11pm Wednesday night. I could tell something was off her poor feet were even more wobbly than normal.  I checked with a goat friend and we decided she was in labor.  Around 2am the temperature had dropped and was hovering around 0.  I was cold and so was Rosie, We moved to a warmer place. At 3 something wasn't right I spoke with my friend again and she thought a kid maybe was stuck so I gloved up and went in.  Finding that her cervix was not dilating, she was a fingertip.  Poor girl I manually stretched the cervix on and off till 7:30.  Nothing! I called the vet around 8, and her first owner, Jackie.  Jackie came over to try and help. She took one feel and said get her to a vet.  I loaded Rosie in the back of my truck and rushed her to the vet.  He was able to stretch her open and get a buckling out but he presented wrong and as he was coming out Rosie's cervix ripped! She was rushed back for a c-section. The buckling's twin was born alive but I don't think the techs knew what they were doing :-( they were swinging him around instead of just holding him upside down and sucking his airway.  The third little doe was a stillborn. (she was sooooo pretty too, just like a mini Rosie!).  Rosie was touch and go for awhile but they were able to stabilize her.  I took the buckling home with me where we bottle fed him a few times till I received a phone call around 4pm, " can you please come get your goat she's up and trying to eat everything in the surgical room!" Best call I could have got.  Rosie since then has continued to recover and is doing well.  I don't believe we will be rebreeding her, the little guy is doing great and was just de-budded this morning and is doing great we named him Billy the Kid.(eye-roll I know)

soon I think...

buttercup

 I just came in from checking on the girls and bring out warm water for everyone...It feels so much nicer out now that we're not in the negatives! I noticed Rosie has bagged up even more from this morning, really hoping that means we'll have little ones in a day or two all this waiting is maddening! Buttercup is as big as ever but not showing any signs of being close, so for now we're good. HOping to get good sleep tonight and have babies tomorrow AFRER costco!

Rosie

foot tapping....

NOTHING STILL NOTHING!!! I cannot figure these goats out, they are bagging up poor Rosie looks like she could sneeze and the babies would come flying out!  I guess they are waiting for it to warm up, which would be nice but I'm getting sick of running out to the barn every few hours to check...I have given up at night if they go then they're on their own! Rosie's ligaments are gone have been for a week now!
 

This is from a week ago! Her milk has come in even more since then.

The chickens are doing good, I"m looking at new blueprints to make a smaller coop that can be moved when we move. I just asked my FIL to draw up some blue prints, we'll see how it turns out...Sadly nothing more to report :-(

Fingers crossed

 When feeding the girls this morning I was checking them over, feeling their tummy's, rubbing them down and checking for any signs of near labor.  Since I didn't suspect they were pregnant until recently I have NO IDEA how far along they are.  I can remember in August and september signs of them being in heat but thats the last I recall.  Therefor I'm going off of September sometime.  Anyways Buttercup has a but of slimy wetness, I'm really hoping she just sat in something for now.  Its to cold for a baby to come this week! Either way I"ll be running to the store tomorrow and gathering all the supplies I need. I'm hoping the thrift store has a lot of sweaters left with zippers.  Any suggestions of size for kids? I have a feeling there are going to be long days the next few weeks!

Hell has frozen over...

And landed in Minnesota! 

We have had a very cold busy day around here!  Bill was put down this morning due to an injury. Which saved him from the freezing -18*s but made Rosie loose her snuggle partner.  To improvise I gave the girls jackets. It did take a bit of trial and air though.  I learned regular ACU tops will come right off if they are not covered by another jacket with a draw string and the waist.  You can see with Buttercup here this was prior to me learning this, notice how loose it is at the "waist".  

Buttercup

I went outside around 9 p.m. tonight to double check on them, the temp right now is -18 windchill has to be somewhere around -40's.  When I got out there buttercup was topless.  So I added a fleece that had a snitch at the waist, which should fix the problem.  Right now both girls have two layers added an ACU top with a jacket over.  

Rosie and Buttercup

I keep bringing buckets of hot water out for them.  Rosie seems to enjoy the fresh water over the main water bucket (which is heated).   Right now we're just trying to make it through tomorrow, they say it will start to warm up then!

 

  Rosie seems to be missing Billy too, they've been together for over a year now, she will not leave the gate, and keeps calling for him.  When we got Billy the people told us he'd need to be re-dehorned, I didn't think it would be a big deal I saw the paste at the store.  The more I learned about it I realized it couldn't be done anymore, since he was older.  The only way would be to have a vet put him to sleep and surgically remove it, since a piece of skull would need to come off too.  I had noticed his horns growing in but figured they'd turn back out. Yesterday, I went out to feed them and he was bleeding.  The horn had been growing in  and down the top of his head had split open. He didn't seem to be in pain, but we didn't want an infection to set in either. Nor did we want him to get to the point of pain.  This morning Billy was taken to the butch and we should be eating Billy Burgers this weekend. . . hey come on now this is a farm! What does goat taste like?  Not a clue I'll fill you in later, I was told though he's going to be more gamey tasting since he was not a wether. We'll see I don't have anything to compare it to yet. . . Any of you want some meat to let me know there is going to be well over 100 lbs! 

The Chickens have three heat lights going constantly and seem to be okay.  Baloo and Lady are nice and cozy in the laundry room, and the kitties have been banished to the basement since one of them hasn't figured out the litter-box up here. Causing way more laundry than I'd like. 

  Speaking of kitties, funny story...

    Sarah's, Thing 1, likes to dominate Micah's, Thing 2.  Lot's of "wrestling" Eye-roll I think one of them will be neutered in the near future!

   Overall, were just trying to stay warm and inside! Brian should be off the next few days so if he can just make it through tonight he should be good. The trains don't stop for anything apparently!

  Thats all for tonight I want to get this house picked back up before I head to bed. 

Jen Hatmaker - Brave Moms Raise Brave Kids

Jen Hatmaker - Brave Moms Raise Brave Kids

fast catch up

So it's been awhile since I've been on here.  Life is still crazy there was a balancing act that was hard to figure out!  We took the girls down to once a day milking in september, and that seemed to help me balance family and animals. Since then we've had a sick billy, I got to give my first shot to a goat.  He's much better now.
   As for the girls, I think their expecting.  I didn't think that they were at first but now after reading more about the breeding processes I'm 99% sure Rosie is at the very least.
  Early fall I was grossed out that Billy would stick his face in the girls urine stream, come to find out that's a sign mating is near. GROSS!
  Brian and I have also had may discussions on where we want to go with the goats.  After talking with my grandpa, (and really really really not wanting to take his advice) we're going to be selling billy and artificially inseminating from now on. (still not sure who will actually do it, crossing my fingers it will be Brian!)
   As for the babies, We'll be selling the males for meat and keeping the girls. (Time to start spreading the word, send goat eaters my why!).  We've done some research and it's pretty apparent Minnesota has a high population of ethnic groups that like the meat.
  I keep saying it will be a few years before I can eat one, we'll have to get away from the pet mentality.  ALthough if one pisses me off enough who knows.
  We're down to 9 chickens, luckily the dogs are not the cause of them dying.  They seemed to have some illness.  I switched their feed to a medicated one for a few months and that has seemed to do the trick.  We were just talking about how many chicks we are going to order this spring.  THe kids are excited Micah remembered that they start off in boxes in the kitchen!
  Thats a fast catch up and I hope to be a lot better in the future. I'm off to see why the dogs have been barking for 30 minutes.
******* Anyone out there with any suggestions for birthing send it my way.  I'm starting to make a list of supplies.  I'll have to get them soon too because if they are the kidding should be in a few weeks!