MsDeb's Journal - Lookin Out My Back Door

MsDeb

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I'm really good at journaling in my head. Hard to get it to stick in print anywhere but I need to document this great adventure that is our back yard.
The basic info about me is in my intro. I'm Deb, married to David. Blended family of 5 human children, 9 grands, cat, dog, and very recently....goats.
Goats need shelter. Shelter means build a shed. These were my shed building thoughts in some sort of order:

I have always liked goats.
Other people's goats are nice.
I like other people's goats. Especially the "on loan" goats currently living in my yard.
We can do this goat thing.
I will never forget the excitement of acquiring OUR very own first goat.
I will never forget the heartbreak of her dying in my arms.
I am glad we decided to go ahead and purchase more goats.
I really believed they'd get along with each other.
How the bleep did we end up with three separate pens of goats?
How the bleep are we going to fix this?
How the bleep are we ever going to finish this shed?

I think one of our new does is pregnant.
I plan to attempt to milk.
I have no idea how to do this.
I also don't know how to midwife a goat.
The more I try to learn, the less I feel like I know...
...about life...about goats...about building sheds.


Neither David nor I are carpenters.
Promising looking scrap material might become a shed for some people, but not for us.
Home Depot sells build-it-yourself shed kits.
The instructions say "easy".
The instructions lie.
Goats love to help.
"Love to help" is not the same as "helpful".

My husband can say, with a straight face: "We probably should have gotten the thicker flooring but if anyone asks we'll tell them it said that was the recommended thickness for goats."
I cannot say, with a straight face: "If anyone asks why the shed floor slants forward we'll tell them it said that was the recommended pitch angle for goats."
I would rather sped a weekend building a goat shed in the back yard with my husband than go on any vacation anywhere.


Here are some pics of David, the goats and our friend during our first attempt at building a shed from scraps. I remain confident that I will soon be posting pics of our completed "easy" build-it-yourself shed.

1.jpg 2.jpg 3.jpg 4.jpg 5.jpg 6.jpg 7.jpg
 

Sumi

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I'm subscribing to this thread :) Great pics and I can see what you mean with the "helpful" goats LOL We have a number of goat experts on board here who'd be happy to help if you get stuck. So if you need help, holler.

Good luck with your shed building and if you need advice and long distance support... well, holler!
 

SA Farm

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If it wasn't for my hubby, I would have to buy already put together stuff delivered from Lowe's or Home Depot or hire somebody to build sheds for me. Somehow all my shed or coop plans look fantastic in my head, but they just don't go together very well for me lol
Long story short, I totally understand the frustrations of shed building :cool:
 

MsDeb

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Our wether, Scotchy, reminds me of the stereotypical big, dumb, lovable sidekick. He's so muscled up he looks like a calf. He wouldn't hurt a fly but he's definitely not the smartest rock that fell out of the box and he doesn't seem particularly curious. He just happened to wonder up on the porch this week and caught his reflection in the window. He stood there for at least 20 minutes staring at "that other goat". He'd tilt his head to the side, then stare some more. A couple times he started to walk away and then would have to stop and stare again. Tripod will see her reflection and yell at us because she's sure there is another goat in HER house... and why isn't she in there too? Scotchy, big mellow guy that he is, just looked. And looked. And looked.
I was taking pictures with my zoom because I wanted to see how long he'd stay. The pics look the same except in one his head is straight and the other it's tilted. That's pretty much how he looked the whole time. We eventually needed to go inside and so we moved him off the porch. He hasn't been up there to visit "the other goat" again so far this week. I wonder if he'll remember. Or if he will just happen to notice himself again. What does it say about us that we are so easily entertained by watching a goat stand and watch his own reflection for 20 minutes?

Scotchy2.jpg Scotchy1.jpg
 

MsDeb

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This morning I really just wish we'd started with chickens.
(I realize this isn't a private journal so make note of whiner alert.)
I'm tired of moving the portable pen.
I'm tired of cutting branches and weeds for the goats in the pen I can't move.
I'm tired of our friend telling us not to feed hay yet because we have plenty of branches and weeds and places to move portable pen.
I'm tired of getting home to late to let them out to graze in the clover that I know they can see all day.
I'm tired of Tripod continually finding ways to get her head stuck in the portable pen while trying to escape.
I'm tired of worrying I'll come home and find her with a broken neck.
I'm tired of looking at our half finished "easy to assemble" shed.
I'm tired of our stupid busy work schedules making evenings impossible to get anything done.
I'm just flat out, bleeping tired.
 

Sumi

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:hugs Vent all you want, we understand. There were times when I also felt like giving up, but it'll pass. Get that enthusiastic friend of yours to come help out a bit ;)
 

SA Farm

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:hugs Vent all you want, we understand. There were times when I also felt like giving up, but it'll pass. Get that enthusiastic friend of yours to come help out a bit ;)

x2
 

MsDeb

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Feeling like we've had a very productive weekend! YAY!!! The goat shed finally has a top on it! First layer anyway. Still have quite a few things to do but getting the roof on was a biggie for us.
We have all the panels we need to get the permanent area fenced. Made a deal with our friend to pay him out for panels he no longer needs. Just want to get the shed done first. Although help is appreciated, the help of 5 goats is not. (Although it is not without entertainment value.) With another awful work week coming up for David I doubt we get anything done this week, so we are just going to celebrate the progress we made and do what we can when we can.
Tripod and Scotchy did a walk through on the shed during this morning grazing time and seem to approve.
Despite being wormed just over a month ago, Tripod is looking on the skinny side to me, although inside lips and eyes seem OK. Talked to vet and he said to bring him a fecal sample on Tuesday. We got out the scales to weigh her and she's gained between 2 to 3 pounds in the last month. She's somewhere between 24 and 25 pounds now. (And I've lost 2 pounds. Woo Hoo!) Then the guys wanted to weigh themselves and of course all the rest of the goats wanted to see what was going on. Everything seems to be a group experience in the backyard these days. Ready to relax and enjoy a lazy Sunday afternoon.
Goats1.jpg Goats2.jpg Goats3.jpg Goats4.jpg Goats5.jpg Goats6.jpg
 

OneFineAcre

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This morning I really just wish we'd started with chickens.
(I realize this isn't a private journal so make note of whiner alert.)
I'm tired of moving the portable pen.
I'm tired of cutting branches and weeds for the goats in the pen I can't move.
I'm tired of our friend telling us not to feed hay yet because we have plenty of branches and weeds and places to move portable pen.
I'm tired of getting home to late to let them out to graze in the clover that I know they can see all day.
I'm tired of Tripod continually finding ways to get her head stuck in the portable pen while trying to escape.
I'm tired of worrying I'll come home and find her with a broken neck.
I'm tired of looking at our half finished "easy to assemble" shed.
I'm tired of our stupid busy work schedules making evenings impossible to get anything done.
I'm just flat out, bleeping tired.

I wouldn't listen to your friend, I would give them some hay. :)
 

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