Look who I found!

This was waiting for me outside in the calf hut where we currently have our goats in their winter pen.

Babies were NOT supposed to be here, yet.  I was supposed to have a couple of weeks before we got babies.  So, either I can't count, which is a possibility, or the goats can't count.  I'm going to blame it on their counting.

Isn't she sweet?  She's only 9 inches tall and maybe weighs 4#.

She doesn't have a name, yet.  I have exercised veto rights on the names: First, Goatie, Rita, and Kendle.

What to do with Picky Kids????

Picky kids.

Wait, that is not exactly true, as I only have one PICKY kid.

That would be Bug, my middle child, my sweet child, my "don't-let-my-food-touch" child.

She likes Daddy's homemade bread, but not mine.  (His is better, but it's almost the same.)

She doesn't like weird vegetables like brussel sprouts - wait, neither do I.

She doesn't like homemade stuff, unless she helps homemake it.

I was making homemade goat's milk ricotta last week, which actually turned out very well. I was offering everyone a taste of it and this is the conversation that I had with Bug:

"Try this."

"Nope."

"But I made it."

"Nope."

"Why not?"

"Because I know where that milk came from.  It came from the 'gutter' on our goat.  I'm not eating it. I only eat stuff from the store."

"Where do you think the milk from the store comes from?"

"The store."

"Milk from the store comes from cows.

"I don't see the cow or it's 'gutter,' so the milk from the store comes from the store."

(I didn't tell her that the lasagna we had used most of the ricotta I made from goat's milk.)

A Day of Firsts and Did I Really Do That?

It was a day of firsts around here.

Weather finally calmed down to below 90, so we had to give the goats their CDT booster.  It was due to be given about a week ago, but I refuse to stress animals when it is that hot outside. 

So, today, we gave them their CDT booster shots.  No biggie, except when I was pinching the skin on Bell's neck, I accidentally shoved the needle through both sides, so we lost some of the medicine.  oops.

Another first was that Bell's hooves NEEDED to be trimmed again.  They were trimmed last time, as far as they could be, but she had to be worked on again.  I wish I had someone who really knew what they were doing coaching me on that part.  The internet is great, but this is when I would prefer a live person with hands-on know-how.  I really worked on them and they look better, still wouldn't be ready for a show, but we're not showing her, so just need to get them decent.  Guess I can work on that once a month or so and keep them in shape.

Carmel also got her first hoof trimming today.

p.s. The end of the brand new hoof trimming shears are really sharp, but as the girls say, "I'm okay."

Then, on to the Did I Really Do That portion of the day.

It's a really good thing that I have an extremely tolerant husband.  I really love him and he MUST REALLY love me, because he puts up with an amazing amoung of garbage and weird ideas from me.

So, when I went to the local Amish store a few weeks ago, someone was trying to sell their floor loom.  K loves to weave and we had been looking at loom for her, but even the small table looms start around $800.  When I saw this, I wrote down the information and hemmed and hawed about it for at least 2 weeks.  I wasn't going to do it, of course it's gone already, etc...

Bob is actually the one who told me to call.  So, I called on it last night.  Yes, they still had it and the husband knew nothing about it.  The wife called me this morning and I got her to knock $50 off what she wanted for it.  Should have started lower!  I should have backed away from it when I asked if she could help me get is set up and started.  Her answer was, "My first husband bought this for me 30 years ago, and it's been in the basement ever since."  Gulp. 

I didn't back away.  I am now the proud owner of a Weaver's Friend 45 inch floor loom, that we can't get up the stairs to the spot that would be perfect for it, because it won't fit up the stairs.  It has definitely been loved.  It's from at least from 1930.

That led to another first today. I learned what the heddles are and how to put them back on the frame.  Now, instead of 501 pieces, the loom is only in 10. Gulp.  Gotta go help try and figure it out. 

Wish me luck!

Goat Pictures

Here are some pictures of the new goats.

Snowbell  is the mother and Carmel is the baby.  They are both sable Saanens - according to Eileen Lamm, one of Shawano County's 4-H goat superintendents.  She was so great.  I emailed the extension to find someone to help trim Snowbell's hooves and disbud Carmel.  The 4-H agent sent back a couple of names and I lucked out when I called her and she told me that she could come over.  So, Snowbell's hooves are now much better - and I learned how to trim them, so I can keep working on them.  Carmel's horns are gone and her scabs will be gone in a couple of weeks.  Plus, she brought along the CDT (tetanus) vaccine and gave both of them shots and left the bottle with us, so I can give them their boosters in a couple of weeks.

These are what happens when you are the only one in the goat pen and trying to take pictures.

Snowbell - see the dusting of gold on her back?

It's really hard to take a picture of a bouncing goat kid

Carmel, the goat kid, and Fixit, my kid