Lorraine

Lorraine: She's more coat than kid as of yet.

Leslie's surviving kid, little Lorraine, still has the saggy skin of a newborn--with more coat than kid at the moment. For now she's spending her time indoors, staying within the safety of the stall rather than venturing into the home pasture. Although the weather has been well above freezing, I've left the heat lamp on for the past couple of nights. Kids take a few days to get to the point where they can regulate their own body temperature.

Leslie has more milk than this single kid will drink as of now. Yippee! I love the extra-fatty milk from our Nubian does, and Leslie is promising to be as good a producer as Miss Marcie this season. Praise God for all the blessings of farm life!

Boot Season

Warm days and abundant rain encourage snakes to appear.

This morning I was reminded quite suddenly that the time for wearing Crocs--those rubber clogs that slip on and off so easily--around the farm has come to an end. Biscuit and I were wandering in the lengthening grasses up near the kennel when a spring snake slithered out and away. He did not rush, but he had obviously been disturbed by our mucking about.

Now the snake we saw this morning (pictured) appears to be of the harmless garden variety, this area is known for copperheads and rattlers. As such, I will try to remember to venture out only after donning socks and boots--if not step-in muck boots, then at least ankle-high tie-on shoes.

Leslie Kids

Leslie labored long before her kids arrived.

Yesterday our final dairy doe kidded, finishing off the spring 2012 kidding season for us. Miss Leslie had quietly been getting wider and heavier for some weeks, and when her time came I was lucky to have been able to hang close to her for the day. She was in labor for a good while before the first kid began to make an appearance. When her nose became visible, no little hooves accompanied it--although momma strained valiantly--so I intervened and helped deliver the first kid.

The alpacas listened and stayed close as she labored,
getting up to watch once the kids were delivered.

The appearance of Leslie's first doeling gave us cause for celebration, but no sooner had she cleaned the first kid off, than a second appeared. This little doeling was aligned correctly, but momma was tired so I pulled a bit as she pushed and out she came--another perfect kid.

Two beautiful doelings.

Both kids were pretty floppy that first day. When they rose to nurse, they were unstable and they seemed most steady "standing" on their knees. Although I saw each nurse and spent the afternoon with the dam waiting for the afterbirth to fully pass, the kids didn't have the strength I would have liked to see.

When morning came, both kids demonstrated evidence of "floppy kid syndrome," a phenomenon I had only read about before today but which is most aptly named. Unfortunately, even after being fed with a stomach tube, the second kid did not live. Although I have gotten used to allowing Nature to take the animals she chooses, in a season of female births, I was sorry to lose a promising dairy doeling.

The thriving kid, named Lorraine, is sleeping enough for two kids as she adjusts to her life outside the womb.

Springtime

This is just a part of the springtime carpet decorating our farm.

The wildflowers of springtime have begun to carpet the landscape. As the trees explode into leaf and the earth renews her green mantle, I enjoy poking around the farm and countryside because every day looks different and beautiful. If I had time, I imagine I would be out photographing often, but usually I drive by a dozen scenes on my way from here to there and think What a nice picture that would make, without stopping.

The trees, buds, and flowers unfolding present a magical treat. Another joy is the number of young appearing: kids, calves, foals, and fawns abound. Watching the endless cycle of life play out through the changing seasons delights me to no end. I do love life here in Middle Tennessee.

Cannibalistic Chickens

Biscuit treat: an egg wearing the yolk of its predecessor.

Those white Leghorn chickens have become problematic. Not only did they kill one of their own a while back, but now they have begun eating their eggs--regularly. The three white eggs we should be collecting per day have dwindled. Some days we get one; many days we get none at all.

I suppose it is my fault. By sometimes dropping an egg though the chain link between the hens and Biscuit, the kenneled livestock guardian, I allowed them to get a taste for eggs by reaching through the mesh. Although I noticed it at the time, I did not realize that I was actually helping them to acquire a taste for eggs.

Now even if I wanted to let them free-range with the other birds, I fear that this would put the rest of our egg harvest at risk--so they will remain caged, although I do hope to transfer them to a pasture-based chicken tractor soon.

Playing with Hamilton

Getting acquainted.

Starlight's gregarious buckling, Liam, was busy making friends, or at least acquaintances, with our alpaca Hamilton this afternoon. After all, an alpaca in the "cush" position provides a suitable play surface for a newborn kid. The fiber is deep and soft. Kids can jump up and down without risk of injury. As long as an alpaca will sit still for the behavior, a kid will take advantage of the opportunity.

Hamilton's patience was short-lived.

Liam picked out Hamilton promptly when his dam brought them down to the front of the home pasture. His sibling, Harriett Ann, stuck closer to their dam, but Liam was all about having fun. I find it amusing that Hamilton, the alpaca who loves to chase anything he can get to run or fly, will sit still for the antics of a goat kid. Indeed, I think he was taken aback at first by the new kid's forward actions.

Gregs looks on as the young whippersnapper gets his comeuppance.

Shortly, though, his head snaked up in that, "I'm pissed now and am thinking about spitting," gesture that the little goat has yet to appreciate. Luckily for Liam, Hamilton kept his cool and did not spit at the little fella, but he did stand up--making it quite impossible for Liam to jump onto him again for the time being. Game over.

Spring Weather

Starlight's kids are eager to eat after a few hours apart from their dam.

With the warm weather we're currently enjoying, the forage has been shooting up quickly. This provides us with ample opportunity to let the does roam to forage during the day, and snag some milk for ourselves--after the runt little Emmilye has had her fill, before returning the dams to their by-now-hungry kids. At just a few days old, Starlight's kids have not yet begun slipping through the fence to be beside their dam; however, that should start any day now. Today I reached over the fence and carried each of the new kids to Starlight before getting the other dams--Pamela and Marcie--onto the milking stand.

We cannot claim to be "in milk" for the season yet, since we are still sharing so readily with the kids. But their days as sole recipients of the delicious milk are numbered. As soon as I am convinced that Emmilye can fend for herself, we will be able to enjoy milk regularly again in the house. Can't wait!

Life on the farm is a daily gift for which we are most thankful.

Starlight Kids

Starlight's new kids: Harriett Ann (L) and Liam. (R).

Starlight brought her litter of two into the world a couple of days ago. The kids look just like her, so I assume that Skyler, the young man from whom I purchased Starlight, was correct in assessing that the buck who bred her was most likely a dairy buck. After a couple of days of musing, we've named the pair Harriett Ann (for the doeling) and Liam (for the buckling). Liam is a lucky little goat, by having full dairy blood he's bought himself a life on the farm (as opposed to a date with someone's barbeque).

All white with pink skin, the only way I can tell them apart at this point is to pick them up and check the sex; however, Liam is proving to be rather gregarious, and it's a good guess that if a little white kid is chewing on my t-shirt or pants' leg that the goat is probably Liam. Starlight was very efficient, delivering and cleaning up after her kids while I was out; we were relieved that she had no difficulties.

As usual, the kids gravitated to the heat lamp we had left on in the stall, knowing right where they could bed down comfortably. Yesterday I moved the new family into a pasture with the alpacas because our bigger goats still pick on Starlight, and she has enough to deal with without having to worry about ornery goats. Since they're the newest and littlest, they got the heat lamp in their new stall. The air is not bitingly cold at all now, but I still prefer to give them the option of additional heat until each kid can better regulate his or her own body temperature.

Starlight is a very conscientious dam, attentive and alert yet relaxed enough to tolerate my interference with her new offspring. Welcome kids!