This afternoon, Angelica gave us the first of this year's kids - a dark brown single doeling.
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DH told me Angelica was bellering earlier. I figured she was close, as this was day 147.
We have been working on getting the calf huts ready, to give the new moms separate time with their kids, within the goat pasture. So, after I checked out the new “kid” on the block and betadined her umbilical cord, we got busy moving it to the pasture.
First we moved all the birds into their night time run. Then the goats and dogs got moved out of the goat yard, into the chicken yard, so we could open the big gate and move the finished calf hut into the goat yard.
The pasture is very lumpy and bumpy, as well as sloped, so we had to collect patio blocks, to level the hut. Well, that meant there were gaps under the hut, so DH cut strips of barn siding, to fill those gaps, one of which was big enough, that our tiny, new little girl could slip underneath it.
Next came the fencing, to keep the other goats and dogs out. First, we hauled a cattle panel over, and hooked it up to the right side and brought it around to the left side, where we planned to use carabiners to hook it on, so we could open and close it, for easy access. Well, two problems with that. The calf hut is so narrow, the bend was tight, making it hard to work with, for opening and closing. Second, the holes were too big, and I could tell our tiny girl would be able to slip in and out easily.
So, back went the cattle panel, and we got the 4x4” fencing wire, that we recently got from Joe’s place. That, with a few well placed T-posts made for the perfect enclosure.
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It’s hard to tell, from the photos but the fencing is about a foot away from the corner, of the goat shed. You can barely see the corner, of the shed, on the right, of the first picture. That way, Angelica and her little girl are close by the rest of the goats.
Today is going to be another busy day. We are exhausted after five hours of hard work yesterday, so we are going to pare down a bit, today. Rosemary is also due soon, so we need to get her area ready, as well. Since we no longer have the roosters in the back chicken runs, we will be cleaning out those areas, for her and her kid(s). Eventually, we will move the second calf hut into the goat pasture, with a larger fenced area, and that is where Danny Boy will go, so he will be close to the other goats but won’t be able to get anyone pregnant, until WE are ready for that next fall.
April already has the hoop hut, since she is still in quarantine, after moving here, from Joe’s place.
And she definitely looks like her daddy!
It is an easy mistake, if you don't know all of my goats names.
