Jumping the Moon Dairy - the next chapter

Wehner Homestead said:

I’m sorry Babs! I’m at my breaking point too. Things were better but my buttons are being pushed and the anxiety is becoming overwhelming. There isn’t enough of me to go around. All I can say is I’m praying and !!!

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I am sorry that you are being overwhelmed. There is nowhere to go but forward. Maybe your husband could give you a 24 hour pass and you could go to a hotel and chill out for awhile. At least once a month, we take our 3 grand daughters for the weekend so their parents can get some sleep, spend time together, go eat or whatever their hearts desire. I realize you have some special circumstances, but even a few hours of alone time would be a precious gift.

I am with everyone on the dog issues. I don't have LGD but, listen & read all I can. It is a given that they have a different life function than a "pet" canine. HOWEVER, with any animal, if there are distinct personality changes -- there is a reason!

She may have a medical issue (most common suspicion) of some sort -- maybe not one that is "seen", like a cut is. You also know that her life has been affected by the storm damage, just like yours and the goats. So anxiety is high for everyone. No matter, the situation is obviously progressing and definite.

My thought would be to do an extensive medical testing for disease, injury, epilepsy, etc., first. That may be the extent of your search if results show issues. If nothing found, a hard decision will be yours but, Alondra would be kept until -- if it were my judgement call. No doubt this is beyond anything you anticipated. My prayers are with you

And, yes, YOU need a little break to just think and calm.

Something else to consider....may be the "evolving of the pack"....how old is Mia?.....if she is feeling ill, then she is expecting a "challenge" for dominance.....she might lash out quicker to assert her "position".....or, the younger sees the opportunity to elevate their status in the pack.....animals "see" things in others that is oblivious to the human eye and tho we want to control and "appoint" a leader.....the pack may have a different "code" to live by.....just trying to bring some "understanding" in explaining the rift that has developed....isn't Alondra the younger?.....

Mia just turned 3 and Alondra will be 3 in a few months. Today Mia acted fine, baby goats sleeping next to her, happy to see me, and acting normal. It is the not knowing that is frightening. I think it is time to bring her to the house and Alondra back to the barn so I can monitor Mia a little more.

I know you know what you are doing with your dog, I hope it goes well,..... please be safe

Miss @babsbag,

Just caught back up. I am sorry you are having so many troubles. I wish there were something we could do to help. I noticed that you haven't posted here in quite some time. I hope everything is OK.

Senile Texas Aggie

Just caught up on several months/pages of updates. I am so sorry about the issues with your dogs, the storm damage and mud/barn issues, the difficulty separating moms n babies, I truly feel your pain @babsbag !

I know that no words will help, so I am sending prayers and all the love I have instead

@ragdollcatlady Thank you. I will take all the prayers that I can get. The kids are gone...all but the last 4 that aren't weaned as of yet. I have bought a few new ones this year and I have new motto..."keep the best and cull the rest". I am trying to improve milk production so I can get the 15-20 gallons a day that I want with the fewest number of goats possible. Of course it is hard when some of my old timers are not the best producers but I still love them.

The mud will never end. We are still getting rain...4" last weekend and this is just wrong for CA. As you know we are supposed to be hot and dry by now. While the temperature is nice this wet stuff needs to just leave.

I have someone coming to visit with Alondra on Sunday. It still breaks my heart to rehome her and I pray that this is the right decision. I love her to pieces but the juggling of dogs is really pushing me beyond what I can tolerate right now. Alondra isn't fond of cats so I have to watch that when it is her turn in the house and Mia is a little dominant with my old house dogs so I have to watch that when she is in the house. It gets hard and I just don't have it in my right now. But I feel so guilty thinking about giving her away. I wish that it was someone that I really knew that was taking her. She is a great LGD.

I need to get the old barn torn down but it won't stop raining. The goats still hang out under the old barn and I still feed in there. But I have to get it gone so I can start a new one. I am not sure what I am building. Maybe another hoop, maybe a single slope roof, maybe a carport...I can't make up my mind. I also want to build a bigger processing room for the dairy and move the dairy to the land next to us. So much to do and so little time to do it all. Who needs sleep???

I am so glad to see you here, been wondering about you. Sorry about Alondra, I hope she gets a good home.

Barn-what kind to build? On a concrete slab? Gable roof? Are you going to build it or have a crew show up and in 2-3 days you have a new barn? Stressful, but you will come through with flying colors.

Miss @babsbag,

So glad to see you are OK. It's sad to still see you under a lot of stress, though. I wish there was something we all could do besides keep you in our thoughts. Please know that we all care about you and want you to come through this for the better.

Senile Texas Aggie