Goat Doe Woes

Nettie is due to kid in just seven days and she hasn't bagged up yet.  Normally I have a hard time drying her off, but last year she had a mastitis infection and the medication dried her up after a few weeks of treating her.  Last year her udder looked like it was going to explode almost two weeks before kidding and now she's just got a "saggy baggy" thing going on:  

Wow, I didn't realize how fuzzy she was back there.
Time for a pre-kidding haircut, I'd say!

I'm a bit worried that she won't produce milk for her kids this year because of her bout with mastitis last spring.  And although I obviously would, I really don't want to be bottle feeding kids.  Not only that, but I've been a bad keeper-of goats and never saved / froze any extra colostrum to have on hand in case of such a perdicament.  So I guess I'm going to have to make a trip to the feed store for some "factory" colostrum and milk replacer just in case.  

Our entire herd (all five of them, including insanely-stinky Pan) also got wormed yesterday afternoon:

I normally don't worm them in the winter, but since the weather has been so unusually warm I suspect that there weren't enough freezing days / nights to kill many of the parasites out in the barnyard.

Even though the Ivermectin isn't labeled for goats (as if anything is), it is pretty much standard practice to use that type of wormer on them.  Each goat gets 1mL (or cc) of Ivermectin per 50 pounds of weight.  The syringe and needle in the picture is not used to inject the goats with, but to get the medication out of the container as it is normally given as an injection to cattle.  Once I've filled up the syringe to the appropriate amount, I then squirt it into the drenching gun (the yellow thingy pictured above) for oral administration to the goats.

Since I had everyone clipped to the fence for worming, I figured I may as well keep up with trimming their hooves.  Chop Suey and Pan's feet don't need trimming more than a few times a year; they both have black hooves and are both Nigerian Dwarfs.  But the other gals need a good trimming probably once a month; they all have white hooves and are either purebred Saanen (Nettie & Ishtar) or a Saanen / Nigerian cross (Annette).  Not sure if it's the breed or the color of the hooves that makes the difference in hoof growth.  Trimming the guy's hooves also prove to be more difficult since they are black and it's harder to see the quick and I usually end up nicking one of them and they'll bleed a bit.  That and I need to don my stinky-buck-handling clothing for dealing with Pan.  Peee-U!

Catching Up, Part Two (Homemade Challenge)

Now that I've got the Blogger Awards thing finished I suppose it's time to get on with the other item I've been putting off.  Although I've purposely put it off (really, honest!) because at one point when it started, there were posts about it everywhere and figured I'd lay low until the initial hub-bub subsided and smoked cleared.

I'm placing the blame on Susan over at e-i-e-i-omg! and she can then go back and blame someone else.  But it's really not anything bad; on the contrary it's very good!  I believe it was called the Handmade Pay-It-Forward Challenge.  And the rest I just copied right from Susan's blog post on same:

As part of the Handmade Pay It Forward 2012, I hereby pledge to send something hand made (by moi) to the first five people who leave comments.  But wait!  Before you hit that publish button, there's a catch!  YOU first-five-commenters have to pledge to do the same!  It doesn't matter what you make, how complicated, or simple, it is.  And you have to pledge to send them out by the end of 2012.  So there is no deadline looming over your shoulder breathing guilt fumes down your collar.  You have the whole remaining year.

So, being a glutton for punishment, I commented on Susan's blog and was one of the first five.  So now I have to think of something to make for you, yes YOU first five commenters on this post.  But once again, I remind you that if you choose to participate, you are pledging to make five handmade gifts for the first five commenters on YOUR blog.  

Sounds like fun, eh?  I though so, and I hope you will too.  

I'd also like to mention that Hoosier Girl at Blessed Little Homestead Life also took up the challenge and that she's needing five willing participants in order to complete her side of the challenge.  If you missed your chance here to get in on the Handmade Pay It Forward Challenge, go over to her place by clicking HERE and join in over at her blog!

Now if I can just manage to not wait until December of 2012 to make something homemade and handy-dandy........

Catching Up, Part One

Wow.  There are like a million things I need / want to post about, but I've been busy!  Really, I have!

I know I hinted that there would be a post on the illumination of the chicken coop, but since Paul did most all of the work involved in that project, I was hoping to get him to write about it (or at least have him tell me what he did so I could then write about it).  And since that hasn't happened yet, the post will have to wait.  I'll try cornering him tonight during supper and get the details.

I've also been working on "first" project the past two weeks.  And I'm dying to show you all the progress, but since it's a birthday gift for a friend (and looks like it's going to be a slightly-belated gift at that), I can't show you quite yet!  But I wanted to let you know that "I know something you don't know" and tease you just a little about it.  Ha.

Then I've been trying to do work outside since the weather has been so nice.  You know, like raking leaves, cleaning out the garden and burning brush.....things that should have been done like three months ago.  I'm a procrastinator.  Big time.

But here are the things I need to post so I don't forget about them.  Forgive me for lumping them all in one blog post, but I need to get 'er done or it'll never get done!

I've been recently awarded the Liebster Award from Pioneer Preppy over at Small Holding.

Although I like to think of our family as being of the "Prepared" or "Preparing to be Prepared" kind of folk, this guy has it down to a science.  He does a regular posting on how it really is in his neck of the woods, has product reviews for electronic-y things (which I know nothing of), but also raises bees; how's the for diversification?  And for goodness sakes, he's got a Prep Level Chart that includes "Zombies inside the wire".  Oh, and you got to scroll down to the bottom of his blog page; there's a great kitty picture!

The Liebster Award is one of those Pass it On kind of awards.  Here are the details in a microscopic nut shell: Pass it on to five other deserving (exactly what "deserving" means is up to you I suppose) bloggers, linking their blogs on your page.  They will then in turn pass it on to five more bloggers and the vicious cycle continues.  Although I tend to view things like this as a blogosphere chain letter, it is a great way to find other blogs out there (and add to my mile-long list of followed blogs!).

And to think that "The Lieb" was only one of two internet-bloggy-award-thingies I was the recipient of this week, the other being one new to me:

This one was bestowed upon me by the SciFiChick over at Bacon & Eggs.  She's a fellow Liberty Loving, Gadsden-Flag-Waving prepper and just moved to her own little slice of heaven.

And since I'm lazy as a sloth running out of time before Rhiannon pulls me from the computer, I'm going to just let you go over there (by clicking on her link) to find out all the nitty-gritty on that award.  Basically same "rules" as the Liebster Award.  Pass it on.  Spread the Award Wealth, and get some of those little-known blogs some more followers!

Being a lazy sloth busy person today, I'm going to consolidate both awards into one award.  Am I cheating?  Probably.  But you know what?  This is my blog and I can do whatever I damned please.  Besides, it's not like the Liebster or B.A.D police are going to come after me.  Or will they??? (OMG, are those awards really computer-tracking viruses???  Paul's gonn'a KILL me!)

So here are five bloggers that I'm going to pass on the double-awards to and that I'd think you'd like to meet:

Yukon Mike at Living Prepared
Hoosier Girl over at Blessed Little Homestead Life
Lisa at Ewe's Crazy & So is I!
Tom with his Worms-a-Crawling Farm
Sharon at Fitzgerald's Family Farm

And to those five I just spammed nominated, please don't feel like you absolutely must continue the awards.  You won't run into bad luck for five years if you don't keep the award going.  And you won't get free money from Bill Gates if you do pass it along.  And we'll still keep you on our "Follow" list, regardless of your decision to perpetuate the cyber-spreading of the awards.

There are other bloggers I'd highly recommend, but some I've already passed on awards to and some of them aren't into the "Blog Award" thing.  Of course, if you really want to know what bloggers I think highly of, just check out my reading list on the left side of the screen.  

Part Two will follow shortly.

Rooster Review

Paul kicked the injured rooster out of the Rooster Recovery Room last weekend because I couldn't manage to be so mean.  And I suppose it's good for him to get out and about, soak up some sunshine and stretch his chicken feet, although he is definitely still limping.  His left foot must have been broken and the middle toe is bent a little out of wack, but I still can't believe that is making him hobble around so much.  Maybe his leg or hip joint is also messed up, but I really can't tell.

He hasn't crowed yet, and is still really underweight.  And it doesn't help that the the juvenile roosters are chasing the poor guy around the goat pen.  So he spends a lot of time by himself:

How sad; the rooster's only friend is the stinky buck goat.

Yesterday I closed up the chickens for the evening and noticed that he wasn't in the coop with everyone else.  I looked under the barn and in the kidding pen but didn't see him so figured he was either driven off or eaten by our local coyotes / bobcats / hawks / owls.  The next morning I went to open the barn and heard some scratching in the milk parlor, and there he was.  When I was milking Ishtar the day before, the parlor door was open and the rooster came hobbling up to me so I threw him some goat food and even made him a little bowl of scratch with fresh goat milk in it.  When I finished milking I closed the door and he was obviously still in there.

Paul says I'm babying him, and I'll have to admit that I am.  When I feed the chickens I'll sit down away from the flock and call him over so he can eat out of my hand or covertly dump some scratch on the ground in front of him, away from the prying eyes of the other chickens.  I don't know how much longer I should continue trying to nurse him back to health.  I'd feel a little more confident if he weren't limping, of even if I heard a crow from him (what rooster doesn't crow???), but in the meantime I'll just keep trying to get some weight back on him and hope his health improves.

I've also got a rebel pullet that will not go into the coop at night.  And the coop even has light in it now!  She hunkers down underneath the barn, usually next to a goat and I can't shoo her out from under there for nothing.  I keep telling her that she's going to be a 'possum dinner, but she's certain that she can manage.  I may as well consider her a goner I suppose.

Post on the illumination of the poultry sleeping chambers tomorrow at 7!

Saturday Oven Lovin

I got my oven back!  So here's my contribution to Tiny Gardener's Saturday Oven Lovin:

Homemade Soft Pretzels

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/buttery-soft-pretzels/

Yes, it's a link, sorry.  Nothing original.  But here's a picture of the goods:

The person who posted the recipe does mention that it's a sweet pretzel and I'd definiately agree.  Not that it's necessarily a bad thing, but next time I think I'd reduce the sugar to a 1/3 or even 1/4 cup of sugar.  As is though, I think it would have been good with a sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar instead of the Kosher salt.

I need a RoboCat

I spent yesterday cleaning out the goat / chicken barn.  I spent last weekend cleaning the kidding pen, the smaller pen used for the recovering rooster (who is now outside) and the milking parlor / feed room.  The chicken coop was a bit poopy, but I just threw some wasted hay on top (and in my mind called it "the deep bedding method") and put clean shavings in the nest boxes.  Not that it matters because the chickens obviously prefer the kidding pen now to lay their eggs.  Go figure.

Anyways, there was just one more section of the barn to clean out.  There is a seldom-opened section that has empty cages, unused chick feeders, heat lamps and minerals and oyster shell in rodent-proof containers (old popcorn tins from past holidays).  I swung open the doors and was greeted by mice hurling themselves out of a huge pile of pine shavings.  I had an unopened bag of pine bedding in there and the rodent bastards had made a sprawling community and nearby suburb out of it.  Since there was no use in trying to save the shavings as it contained two nests of pinkies, several mummified mouse corpses as well as mouse poop galore, I just swept it out into the chicken yard and let the chickens scratch through it.  Oh, and everything else in there had mouse pee on it.  Mouse turds are bad enough, but mouse piss is just horrid.

I did manage to bash about a half-dozen rodent brains in and they went to the chickens along with the nest of pinkies.  My chickens LOVE to eat mice and there is quite the poultry ruckus when I toss one to them.  And why is it that the first chicken to get it's beak on a particularly choice chunk of food is never the one that gets to eat it?  They'll quickly grab the mouse, then run around the yard with it, sometimes even slowing down a bit for the rest of the chickens to catch up.  Then there's squawking and flapping and more chasing and the mouse (or other tidbit) ends up being taken from one chicken, then another, then another.  Just EAT the damned thing already!

So after about two hours of cleaning (and a mild asthma attack.....why don't I wear a dust mask??) and a garbage can full of rodent-gnawed items I was finally finished.

Now I just have to keep up with the cleaning and try to reduce the rodent population.  I really, really wish we could have a barn cat.  Of course, Paul shoots me an evil look and threatens divorce if I bring up the idea of having a barn cat, but I really do think a feline in the barn would take care of the rodent problem.  But then again, I think it would be almost impossible for me to have a barn cat.  I'd be continually worried about it being outside at night (even though I could lock it in the barn in the evening) and being cold (even though I'd supply nice fluffy kitty beds & maybe even a heating pad during the winter), but most of all I'd be worried how things would work out with Susan and Evil Kitty.  They are both indoor / outdoor cats (and indoor, and outdoor, and indoor, and outdoor.....) and as they occasionally venture as far as the barn, they would eventually meet the barn cat and I would be worried about a potential cat fight.  And the fact that I know that Evil Kitty and Susan would tell the Barn Cat that THEY got to sleep indoors and that HE didn't get to, that I must love THEM better and why is it that they get to go inside while he suffers out in the stinky barn?  Well, something like that.

So the next best thing is a mechanical mouse eradicator (or shall I say "reducer", as I'm convinced it is an impossibility to be totally rodent-free in a barn).  Paul has made a bucket trap that worked well for a while, but then all of a sudden the trap would be empty for weeks.  And not because there were no mice.  I suppose after a while word got out that it wasn't wise for a rodent to indulge in peanut butter as it surely meant a watery death.

Then there's the old stand-by snap trap.  Or the sticky traps.  I won't use poison because there is just too big of a chance that one of the other animals will get into it or eat a mouse that expired because of the poison.  Or maybe I'll get something like this:

In the meantime, I'll be trying to build a better mousetrap.......and hope that nobody beats a path to my door.

Tiny Oasis of Green

I finally got my butt into gear so I could do some planting (and Paul be damned!) in the raised beds.  One of the things I knew I had to do was to get the plastic sheeting out of the corner of the berry garden.......where it's been sitting since I used it late last fall to cover up my late-planting of Zucchini.

When I pulled up the mess of plastic & leaves, look what I found underneath:

Don't know what some of it is, but I wanted to eat it up!

Oh, wonderful, beautiful GREEN!  This little sight of green and growing life really strengthened my resolve to plant something in the raised beds.

Ever since I cleaned out the beds over the weekend, the chickens have been scratching it up to their heart's content and adding a bit of nitrogen to the soil in the process.  And as much as I like seeing chickens scratching around in dirt, they were no longer going to be welcome to scratch around in this particular piece of real estate.

After much "shooing" and waving of arms (and later swearing and yelling), the chickens finally vacated the immediate area.  It also helped that I eventually had the bright idea to fling some chicken scratch in an area a distance away from the beds.

Rhiannon and I made twelve short rows in the wonderfully soft dirt and planted two kinds of spinach, two kinds of lettuce and even some radishes.  Still not quite sure why I planted radishes, I don't even like them.  Maybe Paul will eat them.

During the seed scattering, Evil Kitty came to say hello to us.  Actually, she came to say hello, then proceeded to dig a little hole in the dirt, and take a whiz.  Nice, eh?  Wonder if cat pee is good for vegetables.

I still had two hoop sections of dirt left to plant, but had other barn chores to attend to so we covered up the bed with the plastic sheeting and hoped for the best.

Maybe in the next week or so I'll have pictures of my sprouting spinach or lettuce to share with you.