New Kids

We have been waiting and checking every two hours throughout the day for these little ones to start to arrive! I was playing Wii with Julia and heard a little sound over the monitor...told Julia I'd have to run to the barn to check on the goats and sure enough PomPom had gone into the barn and had twins. I just stood their in awe! I was so thankful that they seemed to be okay and that she was cleaning them off as they had already started to move around. It's amazing within minutes of birth they are moving and trying to stand...within 10 minutes they usually have stood and are trying to find a teat to nurse! It truly is amazing!

Their was a copper colored doe with a lighter topknot and a darker buckling with a lighter topknot. The kids and I had already decided to name them after Disney names as we had gone to Disney before Thanksgiving. So therefore we had Ariel and Sebastian our first of 2009!

Lo and behold an hour later Girl presented us with Snowball and that little girl was just fine too! She is pictured below and is minutes old! What a blessing! Both PomPom and Girl have been terrific mothers!

Challenges

Farming is a challenge...We have had many obstacles to overcome in the last year. Do I dare question why? We lost many animals in a barn fire last March and several shortly before that due to age, birth related or accident. My most favorite ewe Squall ,who is pictured with Julia, we discovered had gone into labor Thursday morning. I had been dreading her labor because last year she was unable to deliver her ram lamb and we had to call the vet to help. I called to Steve to help me get her inside a lambing pen so I could evaluate her progress. It was obvious that the placenta had been delivered but no lamb! Steve had to leave because it was time to pick Julia up from preschool and then take her birthday party which was to be at a local restaurant with a magician! I was alone! I had to check her so I tied her and tried to check to see if I could feel the lamb and I could just barely feel it...up to my elbow! I called my neighbor and she came down and tried and tried to pull the lamb out to no avail. I called the vet and told them we needed help. She, mind you she!, was there within a half hour and she tried and tried she eventually was able to pull the lamb out but of course it was too late. Poor Squall I know it hurt her terribly but it was at least finally over! I took care of getting her comfortable said goodbye to the vet and my neighbor and then raced inside to shower and get to Julia's party (1/2 hour late!).

Well at least we thought it was over! Next day we discovered Squall with a foul discharge and shivering...something was up. Called the vet. The vet came and told us that he thought their was another lamb and that he would have to induce her and that the best thing to do would be to take her to his office/barn to be able to remove the lamb where it was warm. Oh boy was I worried...first off I had already lost what we thought was our first animal, the lamb, that was born this year now they tell me their is another! Then we were terribly worried about her!

Well it turned out that they were able to remove the lamb and that she seems to be okay. I pray as we wait to see how she is and then wait for our other ewes and does (13 more to go) will have an easier time of it and that the babies will be okay. I try to remember the things that we do have to be thankful for but it isn't always easy!

Winter AHHH

Well frozen ground, frozen buckets, frozen hose because yesterday I couldn't get it to lie flat to drain because I would have had to cross a glacier to get to it so therefore the bottom kinked. I guess the true farmer is like the mailman through snow, sleet and heat of day to do his (her) job HMM did I sign up for this? We are waiting for the goats and sheep to kid and lamb. Their due date if they actually bred on the day we put them in with the bucks and rams was the 11th. We have a baby monitor hooked up in the barn with the receiver in the kitchen and then a second monitor in the kitchen with the receiver on my nightstand to be able to hear if anything is going on. I also check on them periodically throughout the day. It is nerve wracking to say the least but I wouldn't trade this type of life to go back to the city for anything. Will post as soon as babies start to come.

New Babydoll Lamb

My husband Steve just picked up our new Babydoll ewe lamb Maggie. She is two months old and adorable. We have never had a babydoll lamb before and this will be a new expereince for us. We are trying to gain her confidence but she is very skittish. It seems like most of goats and sheep are at first but if you put the time and effort into handling them its a wonderful feeling to go out to the barn and have them run up at the sight of you!

It's supposed to snow later and we are trying to make sure their is enough straw for bedding in all of the shelters and barn for all of the animals. I am working on dyeing some wool for roving and getting some samples for Phat fiber ready...http://phatfiber.blogspot.com. You have to check out Jessies blog its a great idea and it benefits everyone!

Better check the dyepot!