Good Timing

Finally, a well-timed birth! After dinner yesterday, I went out with the boys to let them have one last romp before bedtime. The rain had let up and it was very pleasant weather. Merry Kate was pacing the field, getting up and lying down, obviously in labor. So I let the boys occupy themselves in the rock firepit for mom turned sandbox-wannabe for boys, but currently occupied with homemade potting soil mix leftovers instead of sand.

I was able to observe the birth from a distance. She delivered a white heifer calf at 5:45 pm and it was up standing at exactly one hour later. It's a very light blonde and is the friskiest calf we've had to date. Right after she delivered, Munro and Hot Shot came over to welcome the new bundle as if they'd been waiting the whole time in the lobby. They were suprised when it wiggled and jumped back a bit.

Andes' ram shield from Premier arrived also and he seems much happier with it than the sun visor. As long as it doesn't cause any problems, we'll keep him in it until the lambs are old enough to stay out of the way.

After Midnight -- Ba Ba Black Sheep

One of our twins joined us at 4 am, and about 5 am I woke up to the sound of rain. Got the strong urge to go check the animals but needed to wait until our fussy toddler was sound asleep so I wouldn't risk waking the entire household with his wails if he saw me escaping. I was out the door by 6 am.

Sometime between midnight and me getting out there this morning, Eve gave birth to a single black ewe lamb with white marbling highlights on her head. She looks as if she stuck her head in a paint bucket or went and had her hair fashionably streaked! She was already cleaned off and lively. I brought her in against Eve's protests. Jeff looked a little suprised when I brought her into the bedroom at 6:30 baaing for her mama. Our little toddler who was crying before I came in was even more suprised than Jeff but he did quit throwing his fit, temporarily. I made sure she was dry and warm and doing well then took her back to mom -- who was very glad to receive her back. I'm so content to finally have a dark colored sheep. We all got a little more sleep before the little boss decided he'd had enough of this boring sleep thing and it was time to get up. Our other little guy slept through the whole ordeal, even with the baaing sheep temporarily in the bathroom next to his room. In fact, he actually got to sleep in and seemed glad that Mr. Early wasn't sharing his room this morning.

The rain has turned into a light sprinkle but we're due for rain through Saturday. Hopefully every pregnant animal won't decide to give birth NOW...but... chances are!!! Think we'll call her "After Midnight" or "Storm".

After a spinach manicotti lunch and putting the boys down for a nap, I ran out the door to make sure and see her nurse as all the other animals were down the front hill grazing the newly green grass and wouldn't catch wind of me out with her. Went out onto the snotty muck of a hillside and gave Eve a snack so the little gal would have a shot at nursing. Sure enough, she got her milk mustache.

Snapped these shots. Our lcd on the handycam doesn't work anymore so I'm shooting in the dark with no viewfinder. If I get another crack at getting out there I'll give little black sheep some drench to keep her perky. Eve doesn't seem to want to take her into the shelter yet. Ande has had a tattered golf visor (with the inside support removed) tied on for a couple of days now and hasn't posed a problem. It suddenly humbled him.

After Merry Kate the cow, we expect Martina to be the next to deliver, followed by Hot Cocoa the goat, and finally Kayla.

Standing By

Our smaller Highland cow, Merry Kate, is finally developing her udder so we'll be expecting a little Highland soon.

Also, Eve is developing her udder and has begun to distance herself from the flock of sheep so we're watching her closely.

We hope to sell the white cashmere buck intact and also his white son (a wether) by this fall.

Camped Out

Hot Milk on a Cold Morning

10 am this morning, went up to the goat cave to check on the young 'un. He was all cleaned up and catnapping. Mom was up and out of the cave. I pulled him out and put him under her to make sure he was nursing. He took several good swigs of mama's milk from both sides so I put him back and headed back down. She had eaten some of the hay bedding so I will take some more up this evening or bring them down to the quonset hoop house.

We've received a winter weather advisory for 4-8-10-12 inches of snow tonight and tomorrow with windchill temps at 10-15 below with up to 30mph winds. YIKES!!! More than usual here. She couldn't have kept him in for a couple of more days?

The cave may actually be warmer as it's small, the boulder retains heat, blocks north winds, and is just the right size. She lays in front of him and he's snugged up to her in the very back. They usually prefer to be up there on high instead of the hoop house down below so I'll probably leave them where she is most comfortable. I'll use the other two goats back there as a guage. If they head for the hoop house I'll get mama and baby down.

Our boys are both sick with something they caught at the mall after their 2nd birthday photos were taken...so we can't even go out and take advantage of the snow. First one slept all morning on the sofa (he always gets croupy and won't sleep well tonight with trying to breath, so I'm glad for him to sleep ahead of time) and now the other is sleeping in his room. That doesn't often happen so there has actually been far less crying, fighting and whining today and I've been able to pay attention to each of their needs individually.

Going to be an interesting night. May need to add some kahlua to the coffee this evening.

New Arrival

1 pm Molly just delivered as I watched with binoculars. 1:15 pm our boys went down for a nap. 1:30 pm it's a single white/tan buckling and is standing. He took 2 squirts of goat drench and then I showed him Molly's teats and took them both to the goat cave as it's been sprinkling on and off. Will take hay up for bedding when our guard bull decides to take a nap.

Babe Watch

Molly, the smaller of the white does who gave us two bucklings last year, developed a full udder about 5 days ago and had full teats for at least a week or so prior. Today Rocky Top was chasing Milly around before they all came down to steal yesterday's leftover cow hay. Then Molly didn't come down when fresh was put out...which they normally do. Rocky and Milly were calling her to no avail. Even Jeff called for her.

So I went out as they always think it's snack time and haul tail when I call. No show. So up the mountain I went (11:30 am). There she was up at the very top looking bewildered that it took me so long to get up there. She came over for a pet but wasn't interested in coming down and didn't follow.

Our boys had a big birthday weekend, turning 2 years old. When they go down for an afternoon nap around 2 I'll head up the mountain again and check Molly. No signs of Milly coming due anytime soon but with Rocky chasing her this morning I'm wondering if she's just late to come into heat.