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4 Apr

Goat update….

Posted by ivegonecountry in Uncategorized. Tagged: animals, nature. 2 comments

Charlie and Lucy turned 2 months old yesterday.

I thought they looked a lot alike then…

But they both have changed so much. This was Charlie the day he was born.

And here….

Hang on….because you won’t believe how much he has changed.

This is Charlie now…..crazy isn’t it? I am amazed at the black markings around his eyes, they weren’t there before. His little horns are really growing.

Here he is with his mother. Billy and I held him a few weeks ago and he felt like he was about 20 -25 pounds.

This is Jed the father, May the mother and Charlie……

Lucy and the black and white goat were rejected by their mother. The black and white goat died before I knew she wasn’t tending to them. It was an extremely cold night that night. She must have only fed and warmed Charlie. He was the only one she was lying with when we checked on them the next morning. That is when we found the black and white one dead.

So Lucy came home with us…

and we have tended to her ever since. Needless to say…she was really pampered.

She has come a long way from that weak little baby who couldn’t walk and could barely hold her head up.

Once she gained strength….and got her gimp leg to work…there has been no stopping her. She is one tough cookie.

When she got really strong we put her in the fence during the day and let her come in at night. She liked the fence alright…until she became bored. Then she started escaping through any gap she could find. Being that she was pretty small…it was easy to find a hole that she could fit through.

One day I had left for about an hour while she was in the back yard. When I arrived home she wasn’t crying for me…so I thought that was odd. I went into the house to set some things down…when I heard a knock on the door. It was my neighbor across the street. I’m sure you guessed who she had in her arms.

She had said that Lucy came to their front porch and was playing with their new hound puppy…who also happens to be named Lucy.

They have a little girl…and she can’t say Lucy…so they call the dog…. woosy.

And since they have this little girl…they let our Lucy into their house….and believe it or not….put a diaper on her…until I got home.

Isn’t that a hoot.

She really hammed it up for me…as I took her picture.

Anyway….this is what Lucy looks like now. Her markings are still about the same…except she does have this black spot on the top of her head that she didn’t have before.

Since the new babies have arrived…Lucy has been much better about escaping. It might also have something to do with the fact that she has plumped up a good bit. She is still however, about half the size of her brother Charlie.

She is enjoying the babies. She now has someone closer to her size to play with. I hope that she will be the leader of these four new babies.

Here is Billy with all five of them.

They all play in the backyard if it isn’t raining. The older two girls….Viola and Frieda have spent several nights in the fence with Lucy and the big goats. We hope to move the other set of twins in the fence for good with in the week or so.

Meanwhile…Billy is really good about helping me take care of them. We give them five bottles several times a day and yes…sometimes you have to clean them like you do babies.

Lucy has even grown more since her last picture with the diaper. Her horns are becoming pronounced as well.

If you want to see them in action you can see this short video, of Lucy and the older twins…Viola and Freida.

It looked as Lucy was trying to show them how to get up to the porch and then how to jump….Viola is the vocal one of the group.

Have a great week.

27 Mar

Oh….What A Night!!!

Posted by ivegonecountry in Uncategorized. Tagged: animals, nature, outdoors, winter. 5 comments

Sunday marked a week since Violet’s babies were born. They seem to be strong, healthy and happy.

It is exceptionally neat that they have each other….and Billy. All the babies think he is their daddy….and love to go wherever he goes.

They push and shove to get fed first…they romp and play on the rocks in the back yard….and cuddle together when they sleep. They even include Lucy whenever she wants to join in.

Today, as well as this past weekend…. was rainy and cold, so the babies are still being kept warm by the wood stove. They have advanced to where they can be fed every 6 hours. That is a schedule that isn’t too hard.

We have gotten a pretty good routine going. Of course that means Lucy is still among those being fed.

Needless to say, we are going through a lot of milk around here. Billy said….hey, we should start milking the cows to get the milk we need. I looked at him as if he was talking in a foreign language.

You do know that it would be a whole lot more work than what we are doing now….right?

Can’t you just see us milking the cows twice a day to feed the goats, four times a day…. Whew…no thanks…we are not at that level of farming just yet. I don’t know that we ever will be. Besides, this schedule won’t last for much longer…well….a month….. or two….or….

I’m pretty sure we don’t have any more goats expecting any time soon. But, before long….it will be time for some baby calves to be born! I think as long as we can have a little down time in between.. things will be fine.

We try to start morning feedings around 6:00 or so. That puts another one around noon…dinner time and one at bedtime.

Monday was another COLD, COLD day. After dinner…Billy rounded up extra wood for the stove, while I prepared bottles for everyone. Billy came in the house quickly and ran his hand under cool water. He had burned his hand on the wood stove. Somehow, while reloading the wood ring, he performed an acrobatic move over the little fencing where the goats are. Loosing his balance he knew he was going down. He chose to brace the fall with his hand…instead of a full body burn. Bless his heart….he burned his palm and the tips off almost every finger. I don’t think he has any remaining fingerprints. Seriously…we weren’t really sure just how bad it was, until the next morning. For hours he FELT the burn. (Thankfully Billy’s “WORK ” hands were tough enough to take a burn like that….If it had been the top of the hand it would have turned out much worse…he is blistered…but we think it will be alright) Once his pain subsided around 11:oo p.m…..he headed toward bed. I warmed bottles and headed to the sun room, for the last feeding of the day. Just as I went out the door I heard a cry.

WHAT? OH…NO……

I darted back into the house and approached Billy with the news……..

Guess What?!?!?!

What?

I just heard a cry from the back yard……Pearl must have had her babies!!!!

OH…. NO…..ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?!?!

I wish I were……

I will have to admit….of all nights…it was just not a good time.

Quickly I fed the babies their warm milk bottle and grabbed a flashlight. I saw Pearl behind the goat house in the woods. Once again….I heard a little cry. I entered the gate….that is when I saw two precious babies. Shivering in the cold night air. They were beautiful of course!!!!!! One looked like a little gray rabbit…and the other was white with a black/brown head and spots here and there. OH…. BOY!!!! Now what…..

Back into house I went to report what I had found to Billy. Poor guy….he bundled up…burned hurting hand and all…. to take a look. Mama seemed fine and must have delivered without any trouble. This was her second time to give birth. She had Hoot-n-Nanny around this same time last year. Pearl…the mama…was Violet’s first daughter…. anyway, the babies were wet and cold. The wind chill was 26 or so earlier in the evening.

Trying to decide just what to do….we checked out the babies. They were so cold…..especially the little boy…..he was limp and could barely hold his head up. We started brain storming again. How can we keep them all warm and together. It is always best to keep Mama and babies together.

Billy with his bummed up hand started gathering materials. Tarps, saw horses…blankets…Maybe we could do this….maybe we could do that….

But……looking at one another with that look……well…you know what happened next. We took the babies inside to warm them.

I know….I know….trust me…it wasn’t our first choice. We debated and debated, but it was our only choice if we wanted the babies to live.

Billy took the little boy and worked with him. He held him close, to get his body temperature up, while standing near the heater. The little girl was wrapped in a blanket and we placed her near the wood stove…all while Violet’ two were crying and trying to see what was going on. Lucy was in a cage in the sun room too…because it was so bitterly cold. Meanwhile, I warmed a bottle of colostrum for the newborns. I was able to ease a little bit down the little girls throat….then just a tiny bit down her brothers. When the babies are cold like that….they can hardly swallow. It is a slow process….warming them and getting nutrition in them.

We pulled out the blow dryer, rubbing and warming the baby boy. He slowly started moving around a little. He really grabbed Billy’s heart. Finally, we were able to get a little more food down him. The warm milk also warms them from the inside too….from what I understand. Billy had him in his coveralls all warm and cozy. Baby girl finally started sucking the bottle. That was a really good sign. About an hour after bringing them in….baby boy also started sucking the bottle a little bit.

So about 1:30 p.m. we put them to bed in the sun room with all the others….cuddled up in their own little box.

They were worn out……and so were we.

The next morning…..we gathered them up to see if Mama would still take them.

She looked excited to see them.

Checked them out carefully.

Poor Billy…. he had Lucy at his heels, the newborns under the tarp….and Mama just walks away.

So, we stepped back, waited and watched. The only problem with slow progress is that the temperature was still at freezing. That is brutal to a baby without heat from their Mama’s body. Pearl had decided to go to her house….without them…..so he took them to her.

He placed baby girl in first….

and then baby boy…..

Ah….progress….She laid down in the back of the house. We hoped that things would all fall into place now.

But…Mom decided to go into the woods with the herd. I checked on the babies throughout the hours to make sure they were warm. The little house provided a good bit of warmth, so that is where they spent several hours.

Eventually they toppled out of the opening. After crying and picking themselves back up they snuggled into the straw.

They were pretty strong for a good part of the day.

Then came the tricky part. Do you feed them to keep their strength up, or do you wait for them to get so hungry they scream and cry and cry and cry……and MAYBE she will come feed them?

So….we waited….hours…..

Meanwhile between the cold and the hunger….they became weak.

She would walk near them…but wouldn’t offer to feed them or lay down with them to keep them warm.

I know it is our fault….because we moved them the night they were born. The boy would have surely died and the girl…had a 50/50 chance.

You make the call at the time. It is just hard to go to bed knowing they will die due to the harsh elements. Especially when you can warm them and feed them…and they will probably survive without problems.

Baby boy was crying…hungry and cold. He looks strong here….but actually it is all he can do to stand. He can’t walk …he is so drained. Now, I was worried that I had let them stay out too long…waiting on Mama’s instincts to kick in.

Baby girl walks a little distance…. then takes a little rest. Both are ready for some food. It is amazing how much that energizes them.

Meanwhile, Violet’s girls…Viola and Freida….are playing full steam ahead…..

I have actually been able to let them play in the fence with Lucy when the temps go into the 40’s during the day.

Poo-pa took Riley and Layla to lunch and brought them by to see the new babies.

They arrived just in time to help feed the babies. Notice how this baby is all sprawled out….she needs nourishment. Their little legs slide out from under them and they don’t have enough strength to pull themselves back up. After food and rest she will regain her strength.

I really appreciate the girls help…we fed five bottles at each feeding yesterday. The babies will have to be fed every 4 hours for the first week or so. I hope and pray they progress as quickly as the other ones have.

Billy and I worked with Pearl and tried to get them to nurse yesterday. They aren’t strong enough to fight for it yet. This morning we milked her. By dingo’s we are trying our best to keep her milk producing, at least the kids were able to benefit from that. We are still hoping that we can have her take over….somehow…someway.

Meanwhile….we warm more bottles!

9 Mar

Lucy Jane

Posted by ivegonecountry in Uncategorized. Tagged: animals, nature, outdoors. 2 comments

Little Lucy is finding her place…..

I introduced her to the back yard the other day. She shook like a little leaf when I first went through the fence with her and set her down, by my feet.

Violet is the oldest goat, the mother and grandmother of everyone in the pen….except Freddy. Violet gave her a head butt…letting her know that SHE was boss. I scolded Violet and she looked at me as if to say….that’s the way we do it here in the animal world. So, I stood corrected. However I did tell her to “BE NICE”. Violet and all the others walked a short distance away and just watched Lucy.

I stayed in the fence for a while…once I saw that they weren’t going to hurt her…I eased out and let her check out her new space.

Jethro…..which was our first baby goat born on the farm just a year and a half ago…..welcomed her.

He was soooo sweet, I was very proud of him. Hard to think I was holding him not so long ago….and now I couldn’t if I tried. He does still like for me to pet him and hold his little face in my hands. But only for a little while….then he is done. I think he remembers those days….but he’s a big boy now….and off he goes. Which is the way it should be.

It wasn’t long before they were all fine with her being among them. She did however, watch herself around Violet…..she didn’t want to get another head butt.

She looked so little. I felt like a mother sending her child to kindergarten….dropping her off to be with all those BIG kids.

Freddy was intrigued by her. Violet had given him a hard time when he first came to live with them, this past May. Now, they all live together nicely. Maybe he was reflecting on those days as he looked at her. He chose to be kind, and seemed to accept her without any hesitation.

Before long she was playing “king of the hill” with Jethro.

She is really enjoying smelling everything and even taking little nibbles of the moss on the rocks.

She looked like a little kid saying “watch this” as she showed off her new trick of jumping off the rock to Jethro.

And like a good friend…

Jethro watched….over and over again.

Hoot-n-Nanny on the other hand….

Says SHE is “king of the hill”!!!

Lucy played and played for a long time. Each day since….I have placed her in the fence to hang out with the others…and bring her in at night, until it warms up and she matures a little more.

Each day when the bigger goats decide to wander on….she stays behind. In one way that makes me glad…because I like to check on her and make sure she is alright. But on the other hand…I want her to go on…..and be a goat. Join in with the group.

She gets bored when the others aren’t around…..and well….you know what that means.

YEP….she squeezes through the fence….and scratches at the door…..just like a puppy.

That is one trick…you do not have to teach. I will be glad when she gains a little more weight and can’t fit through the fence.

But meanwhile……isn’t she CUTE?!?!?!?!?!?!

28 Feb

Little Lucy

Posted by ivegonecountry in Uncategorized. Tagged: animals, health, nature, outdoors. Leave a comment

Sunday marked 3 weeks since the goats were born.

As you know, I had to bring Lucy home to warm her up and feed her since her mother wouldn’t take care of her. She was so weak that I wasn’t sure she would even make it through the day. But…..I have found that she may be a little thing…. but she has a whole lot of spunk.

Each week she has amazed us with her progress.

It was obvious that she was feeling a little bit better every day.

She had a lot of little issues. We went through a spell where her little nose was red and swollen….and would clog up. I found that a soft wet cloth helped to unclog her nose and a cloth with Vicks Mentholatum rub hung above her bed seemed to help. She also had a tiny little mouth complete with an under bite. I was worried that she might have a problem taking a bottle. But it didn’t seem to bother her.

Because she was so small she could only drink two or three ounces at a time. Now she has no problem inhaling a full 9 ounces at a time.

We have learned a lot along the way. Like they make electrolyte formula for goats…..who knew? I really believe that was the one thing that helped pull her through until we could get some colostrum in her. We have also had to use it when tummy issues have happened. I’m learning…..

From what I have read the rumen is still developing. We have been working this week on moving her off this supplement and onto other stuff. But it is harder than it would be if her Mama would have raised her. I noticed her brother Charlie was nibbling last week on some of the goat pellets. This week Lucy started nibbling around on the grass outside in the yard. She doesn’t really eat it yet…but she is picking at it. I hope that is a good sign that she is going to make the transition well.

Now…. her little nose is all better….

and she doesn’t have an under bite anymore.

She could hardly stand…. let alone walk, one of her back legs wouldn’t work right…so when she started trying to walk she would just drag it along. She seemed to be able to get around on the three good legs, so I wasn’t too concerned with that leg. You could tell she wasn’t going to let it keep her from walking. But by week two…all of a sudden….that leg started working! WOO HOO!

When we would go to the farm to visit her Mom and brother she wouldn’t move around a whole lot. She enjoyed being outside, but she didn’t have much desire to walk around or play.

Now you would never know that anything was ever wrong. She moves around just fine.

She is busy checking everything out….even taking time to smell the flowers along the way.

The first week or so she had her little tucked tail. She was pitiful. They say that means they do not feel good.

Now she holds her little tail UP….and wiggles it….A LOT. That means she is healthier and happier!

When we first got her she would just lay in your arms while she ate. Now she wants to stand and take her bottle…as if she was eating from her mother. Of course that means milk splatters on the floor…but that’s alright….I am glad she is getting better.

She is in fine form these days. She plays until you make her go to bed.

I have given her a blue collar…I am attempting to walk her with a leash. Mostly because I would like to be able to move her from pasture to pasture easily. She doesn’t mind the collar at all…..it is the leash that she hates. But I am as hard headed as she is….so she is getting used to it.

Billy took her on a little walk the other night, without the leash, and she followed him like a little puppy. She is really walking great.

Matter of fact she not only walks really well….she RUNS!!!! and JUMPS!!!!!

I had plans this week to inch her into the goat fence in the back yard, since her Mama won’t have anything to do with her at the farm. I figure we might as well put her closer to us…because we will still have to feed her for a while. Maybe Violet, Pearl, Jethro, Freddy and Hoot n Nanny will enjoy her company. We will see.

It has been raining and now it is really cold….so for now she is still in her little goat condo in the house.

Today, I let her hang out with me for a little while…

I was going upstairs when all of a sudden I heard the pitter patter of little hooves……

She discovered how to come up the stairs. Nooo…Noooo….NO. We are not going there.

I try to give her a little space…but contain her. She has broken through every little barrier I build. She has definitely gotten stronger and feels good enough to play.

I am so glad we are at this point, we have really enjoyed her.

However, she has now moved into toddler mode. She is getting into everything….just like a kid going through the terrible two’s!!!

She needs her freedom so she can run and play with the other goats. She tries to talk to me…I have even tried to talk back….but it just isn’t the same. When we are in the yard the goats all look at her with tilted heads and listen to her talk. They all seem a little puzzled as they watch her.

She is a sweetie.. She thinks Billy is her Daddy…she follows him around everywhere. This morning she tried to follow him all the way to the truck as he was leaving for work.

It is cute. But she will be CUTE in the goat pen too.

16 Feb

Barnyard Brawl

Posted by ivegonecountry in Uncategorized. Tagged: animals, nature, newest additions, tail feathers. Leave a comment

Say hello to our newest additions…..

This is our new Rooster. He is very handsome…if I say so myself.

He has beautiful colored feathers and his tail feathers are long and fluffy. I did happen to notice that he also sports SPURS on his legs. (SCARY)

Roosters have some good and bad points.

He will announce to the girls that he has found food. My neighbor said her rooster will call all the girls together and show them where some worms are. Allowing them eat first….that’s sweet.

He will also protect the girls from predators and fertilize their eggs so they can have babies.

And then of course they have that early morning wake-up call that they are famous for!

One of the bad points is….he could hurt the girls with those spurs.

Another bad point is….he could hurt me with those spurs.

The absolute WORST point is….he could hurt my grand children with those spurs…..and HE DOESN’T WANT TO DO THAT!!!!!

As you know from previous post…. I still cannot tell my hens apart. They all look alike. Well…. now I have 4 more that look just like the others.

So for now….only the rooster will have a name…..and it is Roo.

When I first saw them join my girls I thought they looked slightly different in color. Like they might be more beige toned…..but then again….it could have just been the way the light was shining on them. They started to mingle and go here and there….and before long…I couldn’t tell which ones were my regular girls and which were the new girls.

I was all smiles…thinking…. well now….they all seem to be settling in just fine…….Isn’t that nice.

BUT THEN:

Two of the girls decided to take it out back. They started into one another….and it didn’t take but just one minute and the MAN stepped in and broke it up!

They backed down, walked away and joined the others….

but it was only a few minutes when…..

Two more girls started up again…..

It is pretty interesting how that Rooster runs and gets to them as soon as the fight breaks out. He steps right in there and lets them know that HE is the boss.

Then he strolls or maybe I should say he…..struts….away.

I hope the girls work out this pecking order thing.

I just want them to be one happy family….but…that may take a little while.

So, now we have a total of 10 hens and 1 rooster. One rooster is suppose to be able to handle up to 10 girls.

Good luck ROO!

I don’t mind him keeping order as long as he doesn’t get too aggressive. This breed is suppose to be docile. So far….they have been. However our first rooster didn’t live very long…so I’m not sure how he would have been as an adult.

Roosters tend to scare me….so he better be nice….or he won’t be staying long. We CAN do without him.

Hens can lay eggs if Mr. Roo is around or not. We wouldn’t be able to have baby chicks….but I suppose I could buy some if I really think I need them.

So, Mr. Roo…..watch your step….you may be king of the roost….but Billy and I are King and Queen of the COOP!

14 Feb

Happy Valentines Day from us to you

Posted by ivegonecountry in Uncategorized. Tagged: animals. 2 comments

Valentines Day…..the day of Love.

It is always nice to know that you are loved, I like Valentines Day. However, I think our true Valentines are the ones that show love to us not just on this day but…..all year long.

My Valentine does just that. He was a real sweetie today as well.

I am blessed to have such a wonderful husband.

Love is patient and kind…..Billy shows these things to me every day.

He has also been very patient and kind to our little baby goat.

She is doing great. We actually can’t believe how much better she seems to be.

We decided to section off a little space….kind of like a play pen area. That way she could practice walking around. Yesterday she even hopped a little here and there.

I couldn’t help but think that she might be lonely. I found this stuffed animal tucked away in a toy box….perfect for the occasion.

She snuggled right up to it.

We really hope she continues to make great progress and will be able to return soon to the farm.

Today was a really nice warm day….so we took a treat to her Mom and brother.

I think they liked it…..

We decided to name the little boy Charlie and the little girl Lucy. Charlie wanted to play…but he was a little too spunky for her.

He liked running all around.

Lucy just savored the warm sunshine and the fresh air.

She even posed a little for me….

Complete with a SMILE.

We have all had a great day…..we hope you did too.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

9 Feb

A Beautiful Day….

Posted by ivegonecountry in Uncategorized. Tagged: animals, nature, outdoors. 2 comments

Today was a beautiful day. It was the perfect day to be outside. We are supposed to have rain, rain, rain for the next few days…so everyone was outside around here…..enjoying the sunshine.

We had some of our kids and grand kids come out for a walk and to take a peak at the new goats.

We had a bit of excitement yesterday afternoon. Our little baby girl decided to start walking!!!!! I was sooooooo excited.

She has to be on a rug or on certain fabric….but she is walking. Yesterday when she would venture off the rug all four legs would slide in a different direction. Today she could walk on the hardwood a little bit better…but the rug is still her best place…. for now. She drags one of her back legs a little bit….but all in all she is amazing me more and more each day.

We took her to see her mother and brother. Once again I had to set her down and move back. Shortly, her mother came up to check her out. I was so proud of her….she was able to stand up on her own most all day. She even showed her mother how she could walk.

Surely her mother was impressed with her progress…….

Here are brother and sister, aren’t they cute together?…..

You can see that the boy is a good bit bigger…but this next picture will really show the difference in their size.

Isn’t that amazing……

Mothers nurturing is the best….but at least we are trying. Although Mama spent a little time with baby girl it is still obvious that she really isn’t very interested in her. At least not enough to tend to her needs.

Last night Billy and I noticed that baby girl was making a little noise….it sounded as if she was sneezing or something. We both looked at each other like…oh no….that’s not good.

When Billy gave her a bottle he said….it looks like her nose is clogged. Sure enough it was. I applied a warm wet cloth to it….and things loosened. It just might have been dried milk or something. She likes to bump the nipple of the bottle several times before she takes it. Of course she ends up with milk on her snout. Mama goat probably cleans her baby after all that….I don’t know. I do know that once the nose was cleaned good….the sneezing noise stopped. Poor baby. This morning I noticed that one side of her nostril swelled a little….but I think it must feel better all in all.

She also has a little under bite.

I personally think she is just a little beauty…swollen nostril, under bite and all.

She is a brave and courageous little critter. So far she has put up a good fight for life.

Once again we milked Mama and Riley was able to feed baby…

I am so glad the grand kids get to see nature and have a part in taking care of God’s precious creation.

I can’t help but think that these things make God smile…..I know they do me.

Genesis 1:26 (King James Version)

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

5 Feb

The Baby Goats are here…..

Posted by ivegonecountry in Uncategorized. Tagged: animals, motherhood, nature. 4 comments

You might remember that we had a goat named May that was expecting. I thought that she was going to have them a long time ago….but I didn’t know her official due date. She just kept getting bigger…and bigger….and bigger. Until she was big as a barrel. Saturday….Billy and I said surely she can’t get any bigger, she has to be close.

She finally delivered in the early morning hours this Sunday. She had four babies. 2 girls and 2 boys. One of the girls was still born. I hate to see that happen.

The other three seemed to be doing fine.

I couldn’t believe how cute they were.

Layla and Poo-pa checked in on them and gave them a little love.

They also decided to name the little girl goat that was still born Angelina. They buried her while I checked on Mama goat…May. The babies seemed in pretty good shape, but it didn’t seem like the mama was giving them much attention. She was still trying to pass her afterbirth. I think she was too preoccupied with that to care. We watched them throughout the afternoon, but never saw them nurse. Billy got a rope and as Layla said….Poop-pa Lassoed her. He did a very good job at it too. He’s looking more and more like a real cowboy these days. May has always been very skittish. We bought her back in May…hence her name. And she never has let us touch her. She is getting to where she will get closer to us….but just not too close. Billy gently lassoed her and then petted her while I milked her. The babies must have the colostrum from the mother within hours or they will die. Not knowing if she had nursed earlier or not….we felt we had to try to help.

She produced about 3 1/2 ounces for me. We gathered the babies up in a crate and took them to the house. It was a cold day although it was warm if you were in the sun. I felt like they needed a little warmth and some warm food in their bellies to give them a good chance at survival.

It took a while….but I was finally able to get them all fed. We made the tough decision of returning them to their mother for the night. They were much stronger now and would be able to climb toward their mother if she would lay near them. She was laying down resting and eagerly greeted them when we brought them back to her.

Billy and I couldn’t help but worry about them…..

Yesterday morning bright and early….Billy checked on them. Everyone was fine….whew…what a relief.

A little after nine, I checked on them….things weren’t fine.

The black and white goat who was the biggest of them all had died. He was laying beside the runt of the litter, who is the other little girl. The mother and the other baby boy were on one side of the hay bales and these two were on the other side. The runt seemed alright so I placed her near her mother and brother and quickly grabbed the black one up and tried to revive him. I cuddled him up in a soft towel and held him close to me inside my jacket and brought him to the house. I warmed his body with the warm air from the blow dryer…all while giving him breaths of air and massaging his little chest. But it was just too late.

This is a picture we took on Sunday afternoon…he was a cute little thing.

After working with him I decided I had better go back and check on the baby girl (runt) that had been laying beside him.

(This is the baby girl…. runt…picture taken on Sunday)

By this time about 20 minutes had passed by. She looked very weak. Apparently Mama wasn’t letting them nurse.

The baby boy goat that had been laying next to her must have been the only one she was taking care of. He was very strong and was wiggling his tail….which is a good sign.

(This is the boy…picture taken on Sunday)

I gathered the runt up and once again wrapped her up in a towel and put her inside my jacket. I didn’t have time to try to get colostrum from the mother so I headed to the feed store with the baby. I was able to buy some. She was so weak she could barely hold her head up. She wouldn’t even try to take the bottle. I squirted a tiny bit in her mouth and hoped it would ease down her throat. Little by little I was able to get some in her. Back at home I arranged a bed for her complete with a heating pad under a pad of towels. She laid so still it was pitiful. Every once in a while she would cry out…..sounding like a little baby.

Through the afternoon I pampered her, loved her, held her and fed her. She slowly started sitting up and seemed to be gaining strength.

Finally by suppertime….she started taking the bottle.

She ate real well.

Soooooo…..Last night I went to bed with a box on the floor beside me…complete with a baby goat. I woke up sometime during the night and just had to laugh. The next time I woke up it was to the cry of that baby wanting a 1:30 feeding.

I know……What do you do? I couldn’t let her just die. So even as I type this blog she has given the I’m hungry cry.

I just took this picture while holding her….she is much stronger today.

Thankfully, I was able to also buy some goat milk supplement . She is supposed to graduate to drinking that today.

Meanwhile….we wait for the bottle to warm!

11 Jan

A full year….

Posted by ivegonecountry in Uncategorized. Tagged: animals, lifestyle, nature, plants. 1 comment

Christmas marked a full year since I became a . com.

I thought it would be neat to reflect on a few of the things that happened this last year on the farm.

In January of 2012

Our first goat was born.

We named him Jethro…..

and he stole our hearts!

In February….

I reflected on being married for 16 years….

and how we went from”City living”….

to living out an episode of “Green Acres”…and loving every minute of it!

In March…..

Cupid delivered a beautiful baby girl…that we named…Toots

and the very next day….we were blessed with our second goat….

Hoot- n- Nanny….

In April…..

Billy delivered his first calf…..

I suppose this was one of the most beautiful moments we have experienced so far. We had lost a cow named Jett and her calf…black beauty…. in labor just a day before this delivery. It was exceptionally special that Billy and I were able to help Zsa Zsa in her time of need on this particular night.

I love this picture….I just happened to catch an exhausted Billy….. thanking God for a healthy Mama and baby.

Precious…Precious

We named her JOY!

In May….

We had a new dog join us. And of course there was all kinds of new excitement with her.

and as puppy’s do….she grew

and grew….

and grew…..matter of fact…I think she is still growing!

In June….

We picked beautiful blackberry’s from the very bushes we planted a few years ago.

It was soooo exciting to pick containers of fruit each day…. for weeks. But…. man…. those thorns HURT!

I had a very interesting time making my FIRST batch of blackberry Jelly.

Then I made Blackberry Jam and well let’s just say……before long we had many, many jars of jelly.

In July….

Our first donkey was born….on July 4th!!!!!

He is a real beauty…. we named him Jack.

In August…

Every where you looked…you could see the area….was covered in wild flowers

Even the things you see everyday…seem to have an extra beauty about them…..

as the flowers turned ordinary into extraordinary.

even fields that were without flowers….had their own beauty….

In September….

We brought chickens home to their new house.

they seemed to settled right in….

and we have enjoyed them….very much. I never knew chickens had personalities….but they do.

In October….

Beautiful colors came to the mountain…..

and yet….these pictures cannot truly show you just how beautiful the colors really were.

I found that a walk in the woods was the only way I could absorb it all.

In November….

Billy received his Buffalo head mount …..

Billy said it all…. when he saw him…..WOAH…..he’s BIG!

Funny….the animals just don’t look THAT big in the field.

In December….

We celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ….

I love seeing country churches…especially at Christmas.

We also enjoyed a nice country breakfast with our family.

Our neighbors shared their fresh homemade sausage with us.

Billy also cooked up some bacon

and we enjoyed fresh eggs from our hens….

Of course we also had a nice selection of Jelly and Jam to choose from too!

It has been a fun year experiencing all the things that the country has to offer.

Everyday is a reminder of this verse….

I was shocked that the blog had over 7,000 views this year.

I was equally amazed that it is being seen all over the world, places that I have never been to in person. I find it interesting that most people like to just read and not comment. I am that way myself with the blogs I visit. However, I love reading what other viewers think about a post. So please feel free to comment.

Thank you for taking this journey with us this year…I hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.

Have a very Happy New Year,

Billy, Sonya and all our critters!

13 Dec

Then there were six…..

Posted by ivegonecountry in Uncategorized. Tagged: animals, little miracle, nature, photo opportunity. 2 comments

It seems as if there is always something going on since we moved to the land. The other morning I went to the coop and let the girls out. I counted as they waddled out of their little coop opening. Softly cooing as they scampered down the walk board, they are just full of energy in the mornings. I counted only six….as I made my way into the coop I looked for the missing hen. There she was….pretty as a picture…sitting in her little hen box.

She was working real hard, trying to produce an egg. I couldn’t leave….I just had to hang out for a little while…hoping to catch it in action. Sure enough, after a few more minutes, she laid an egg…right there for me to see. I tell you…..it is just a little miracle. Every time I see that happen I stand in total amazement.

I notice that the hen tends to stand over the egg for just a minute while the shell dries….causing it to harden. It is the neatest thing. She took her foot and rolled it over a tad, then exited the hen box. She scooted down the walk board and headed to the feed. By this time several of the other girls had come back into the coop….cackleing….as hens do. It is too cute. They all have such personality. One of them likes to stand at my feet while I scoop out the feed and put it into the container. She likes for me to put some in my hand and offer it to her. She gets all excited when I lower my hand and let her feed from it. I was a little scared to do this the first time…..thinking… what is going to happen if she misses the food and gets my hand? Well….I found out…because that does happen from time to time…but surprisingly enough…it feels like a tug…it doesn’t hurt. So that has become a regular thing and it seems that we both enjoy that time together.

This is a picture from a different day…but our routine is the same.

I love it when the girls stop and give me a photo opportunity….such as this one.

The other night after work I went to check on May, our goat. She is nice and round…I do not know exactly when she got pregnant…but I have a general idea. You can’t go on the fact that they are just…. Round…but taking that and my calculations into consideration….hopefully…. I am at least close to predicting the date. So…I opted to pin her up so I could help her IF she needs it in the near future. Besides, being pinned up is like staying at a goat hotel. She gets a lot of extra’s…..I am not seeing her complain about the accommodations….if you know what I mean.

This picture was actually taken back at the end of November…..before I put her up. She’s a cute little Mama to be.

It’s been about a week since she entered the goat hotel. Thus far, when I go over to the farm to take a good look at her….she just looks right back at me. Nothing happening…..yet. However…..I am anxiously waiting.

It gets dark so early this time of year…it makes it hard to check on everyone in the evenings. Billy and I decided to divide and conquer…the other night after work. I was to check on May…and Billy said he would put the girls up.

May and I exchanged “LOOKS” once again and then I headed toward the house.

Billy was still at the chicken coop. I slowed the car down and saw that he was in the adjoining woods with a flashlight. I stopped and observed….. up and over came one of the girls….her feet hit the ground running as she scooted as fast as she could to the coop door. He stayed in the woods for a few minutes longer. I didn’t have a good feeling about what I was seeing. Sure enough, a few minutes later he came to the car and said….and then there were six.

When you see this….it is NOT a good sign.

It literally made me sick to my stomach. Apparently something reached through the fence and attacked one of the girls.

I’m not sure why the other hen was on the outside of the fence when Billy arrived. Possibly she got frightened when the other hen was attacked and flew over. Billy said she was trying so hard to get back into the fence. She ended up alright…but the other hen….not a good ending.

Possibly you remember that we lost our rooster and a hen while we were on our Mission trip a few weeks ago. The hen disappeared, leaving nothing but a mound of feathers. The rooster lost his head….and many feathers. This latest attack was another one where the head was taken off…..but she was left….laying in a pile of feathers. I spared you from having to see that part. I buried her before taking this picture. It is a very sad thing to have any of our critters die….especially like that.

I made the girls stay in the house the next day. The coop is big enough for them to meander around….but they would rather be outside. I just couldn’t think about having to bury another one. I was also in hopes that whatever had been lurking around might go away if the hens weren’t out for a day or so. Meanwhile, I have been thinking about how I can better secure their surroundings. I know these things are going to happen from time to time…but I sure DON’T like it.

I suppose when you have animals…you have to take all the good excitement along with all the bad excitement.

Even though I never was able to name each hen….because I still can’t tell them apart….I find that I still get attached to them.

Hopefully, we will just have good excitement for a while.

I am on a quest to find more girls to add to the coop…and another rooster.

And I will be busy…. securing their area….trying to make it as safe as I can.

Ah….the ups and downs of farm living.

All life is beautiful…..precious…..and fragile.

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I've Gone Country A blog about a city girl learning a whole new world

Posts Tagged ‘animals’

Goat update….

Oh….What A Night!!!

Lucy Jane

Little Lucy

Barnyard Brawl

Happy Valentines Day from us to you

A Beautiful Day….

The Baby Goats are here…..

A full year….

Then there were six…..

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