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02/25/2010: "Baby Goats!"

We recently went through a birthing cycle at the farm: three of the goat does gave birth to a total of six baby goats! One of the cute fellas is shown above.

The process, however, was not without its drama and trauma. One of the goat mamas gave birth to three of the babies, and had complications involving the afterbirth. I heard about it from a neighbor who had come by to help, recognized that this goat was in serious trouble, and likely to die without medical care. Medical care had apparently been sent for already, but the doe died before it arrived. So, this left some orphans; one of the orphans died, and the other two were sold off quickly. This left the three baby goats that you see below.



In other animal-related news, Lou moved the pigs out of the barn into the outdoor sty to free up the little room on the main floor for a goat birthing area. The pigs seem to be doing OK outdoors, although I have to say these are not the smartest pigs I've encountered.



Lou and I have been working on the barn gutters again. One afternoon after the pigs had been moved out of the barn, and we were working nearby we heard a terrific piq-squealing commotion over near the sty. The bigger pig had apparently come in contact with the electric fence, and not being too bright had gone forward through the fence rather than pulling back. The pig was running around in circles screaming near the sty, trying to figure out a way back in. Unfortunately, in its travels it managed to run into a section of non-electrified fencing nearby, and that just terrified it even more. For few seconds it looked like it was going to knock that fence down in its blind determination, but somehow it slid down the fence a ways, got through or under it, and then made a beeline for the electrified sty. It ran right through the electrified fence a second time(!), and then settling into its little house proceeded to complain loudly for the next fifteen minutes. It would have made an interesting movie, if I had had the presence of mind to pull out the camera. At the time I was transfixed: this is kind of funny, omigosh what is it going to do next!?!

Here's Lou putting the finishing touches on the north side barn gutter with the riveter.



Last weekend we finished the whole gutter project on the barn, and we talked about the next steps for saving the barn. Lou said that he's very concerned about the west wall foundation falling outward down the hill. He proposed that we should get some 6x6 angle steel and form some bracing to tie that wall to the adjacent floor to stabilize it; he has good relations with a local welding shop, and should be able to get the material for a little above scrap price, he thought. I said, go for it! So I'm waiting hear from him how much the materials might cost.

Meanwhile, out in the pasture the spring grass is coming up. Bees are buzzing back and forth on their journeys. Jays are chuckling and imitating the sounds of larger predator hawks. Under the soil the bindweed undoubtably sleeps, biding its time. I've purchased a good supply of pumpkin seeds; later this spring I'll till the area, and we'll plant pumpkins over a good portion of the bindweed area. All that comes later, though.