Jeff & Monica's Journey

Please don’t lock your thread. Continue on with your musings. You have said what you want it for, I respect that. Use it for your enjoyment and documentation of your progress.

Well apparently I can't because I need your direction to close that as well. lol

I respect everyone advice, but this thread is for me to sort out all of what I know from what i learn here vs., What I currently supplies I already have, what i already know DOES NOT work, What my Dad wanted to try next if he ever had a chance. Don't mess with it.

I will also delete my post so you can have this the way you want.

No it is ok. I want it mainly for my own musings and thoughts and not a discussion thread of what i should not be doing. Be certain: i will post if something doesn't go as planned.

Ok so busy these last couple days!
I put $550 down on 5 Pygora goats yesterday! They are gorgeous silver grey with curled hair and soft silky shine. OMG not enough adjectives to describe how beautiful they are. Even Jeff is excited we are getting them. He thinks they will make awesome pets, but I am thinking fiber! I looked up some knitting patterns and I absolutely can't wait!

We are asking them to hold them for a few days so we can configure a safe enclosure and build a shelter to keep them out of the sun and wind. Jeff thinks that we can build a better space in the woods later, but for now up closer to the house will be better so they can get used to us and we can keep a close eye on them.

My Mom's house needs a little less mowing this time of year, so we can slow up a bit which is a relief! I planted a pretty big garden, but mostly all I have picked is weeds.

We had our first taste of the cornish rocks: I put some legs on the grill and they took longer to cook than I thought so I finished them in the oven. So proud of myself for getting them fed and moved to new grass just about every day, except the few times I asked Jeff to move them.

Hope you can post pictures when you get those goats. Curly goats! Cute.

Jeff ordered the things for at the corners and joins of the goat panels...they should be here friday. This fence will go in our yard and connect with the fence that will go on the hillside. "Wire panel connector hinge" is what they are called and we are pretty excited to see how they work. My Mom's land is mostly flat and we want a combination of pens that we can move and pens that we can leave them in the same space for a few days. There is a construction company that sells their old fence posts for 25 cents each and Jeff knows the driver of one their truckers that can install them in the ground for us. There is a long fencerow that is overgrown and full of poison ivy, that they will have plenty to eat. After they clear out what they want, we can get in and chop out the brambles and nettles. I think spring will be easier for them to accomplish so they don't get burrs in their fur.

I am checking garage sales for slides and kid picnic tables for them to climb and keep them entertained....ehh ok US entertained. I can't wait to watch their antics! I would like the have at least one new plaything in each pasture area so they always have something new. I always loved watching the mom teach the babies how to down the slide! Dad somehow knew that their time was getting close when she didn't want to show the babies and left it to the older kids to demonstrate.

Water supply is a huge consideration! I have a rainbarrel at our house and a cistern at my Mom's. Since they will be at our house over the winter, I will have a bucket heater and fill it with water from the house as the rainbarrel will freeze. Jeff put a water pump in at the cistern and has an electric spool for a base. The bucket would not fit under the spout with the table, so he cut a hole in the table and the bucket sets on the table base. Clean water is so important! I have been researching using goldfish to keep the water clean--they eat what dribbles out of the goats mouth and they keep control of the mosquito and algae. I am looking for pond plants that will process the fish poop, but that the goats will leave alone or that they are not able to reach.

Pictures will have to wait til the goats are in our possession. I want to have our setup in the pictures LOL

BIG purchase yesterday to buy fence panels and the fedex guy almost got a hug when he arrived! He brought the fence panel connectors and it was like seeing an angel arrive in blue LOL. We spent almost $1000 on fencing, hay and misc livestock stuff, just this weekend. And that is with my employee discount! My yarn is quite an investment, but the goats also have a purpose and that is to eat the weeds and brush.

I found a kid slide that fits perfect in the little pasture behind the house--only $6 bucks at a day care garage sale. As I recall giving them some place to rear up and butt heads is a popular activity and prevents boredom and limits bad behavior. We have a bench that Jeff built, but we don't use much which we can put in the pasture for us to sit and relax and allow the goats to come up and check us out. Food is a powerful motivator. If they are a bit skittish, a little over the fence feeder like what you can put pellets will fit on a slat on the bench. They are still at the sellers house til we can complete at least one pasture. Jeff and I have discussed that we can get them a gift certificate to the farm store and a local fast food resturant.

I took the rest of the meatbird chickens to get processed. The man was very nice and charged only $3 per bird and even cut it up. They are Amish, so we had to bring in 2 coolers full of bagged ice.

OMG the goats are here! I will take some pics tomorrow if I can get them up close enough LOL. They are a bit skittish, but getting settled in a bit.

Another chapter of the story about to unfold!

Ok it is picture day. I give up on the ohone and will just take out the laptop LOL. I think i found someone to shear them and she is willing to drive 3 hours! I have clippers and she will show me how to use them and give some pointers on how best to manage to get the job done and have a good batch of fiber to send for processing!
Tango is in the feeder

click on the link! my technology not so good.