Farm Update

Jessica's baby boys

Happy Monday, dear reader. I hope you were able to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather. It continues to be busy here on the farm as we care for the new babies, mamas, and await the arrival of more babies. All the babies born thus far are doing well and beginning to bounce. I love it when the babies are thriving and making progress every day. The mama goats are all doing well, are healthy, strong, and recovering quickly. Each of the girls is producing an abundance of milk for both the babies and us. It's a fun time to be a goat farmer.

This morning, Jessica, also known as Horns, gave birth to triplets. One was stillborn and not fully formed. It's always a bit sad and a little scary when things don't go perfectly. However, the two bucklings born are strong and healthy. Jessica is a good mom. She is doting on them and making sure all their needs are met. Jessica is an excellent milk producer. Her little guys are already as fat as fools. One little boy is black with white spots, and the other is brown. We're very proud of Horns for being such a good girl.

We currently have two bottle babies. Lazarus, the little boy who almost died last week, is doing well. He eats every four hours and consumes nine ounces per feeding. That is excellent. He is strong and steady on his feet. He is just beginning to bounce and play with his brother and our other bottle baby, Minnie-Boo. Lazarus will be next year's herd sire. We don't believe it is healthy to breed fathers with daughters, granddaughters, etc. Lazarus and his brother are the least related of the little boys, thus making them a natural choice for a herd sire. Because Lazarus is our bottle baby, he will be extra sweet and friendly, which makes for an excellent billy goat.

Minnie-Boo is our teenie-tiny girl born to Mama Boo. Mama's pregnancy was a surprise. Although Minnie-Boo is still very dainty, she is full of energy and a little chowhound. She has learned that she can latch on to just about any of the moms and get a snack, if not a belly full. She also eats every four hours, consuming nine or more ounces at each feeding. She is an absolute lovebug and my favorite so far. Her mom, Mama Boo, is doing well. She is beginning to look better and gain weight. Mama goes into a private stall for feeding time and eats her fill of a mixture of mineral supplements, alfalfa pellets, and sweet feed. To date, she is producing enough milk for her little ones, but we believe that as they grow, along with their appetite, she will struggle to keep up. When that time arrives, we will supplement her little boy with bottles as well. Observing Mama with her little ones is fascinating. She willingly feeds the little boy who is the strongest of the two kids. She won't permit Minnie-Boo to eat unless the little boy is eating. I believe it is her natural instinct to focus on the strongest kid. If we weren't here to intervene, poor little Minnie would probably starve and die. It isn't kind, but it is survival of the fittest.

Our sweet girl Boo, have birth to a singular little girl. We call her Honey Boo. She is my second favorite little girl. Honey Boo is very friendly, warm, and cuddly. She hasn't gotten any more or less attention than the other babies, but she loves her humans. As soon as we enter the barn, she is at our feet, nibbling on our pants, following us everywhere, and wanting to be cuddled. I love it when the babies are friendly and outgoing. Honey Boo is an absolute delight and we look forward to many years with her.

Saturday morning was disbudding day. Disbudding is the removal of the horns. It is our least favorite day of the year. I no longer attempt to help. I hate it. The Bibbed Wonder knows I hate it, he hates it too, and I make him feel even worse about it when I am around, cringing, teary-eyed, and fussing. It's better for everyone if Eric works alone or if The Bean helps him. She is less emotional about the babies than I am. A few of the poor little buddies seemed traumatized by the act, but most were back to bouncing and playing in a few minutes. Honestly, they seem to hate having their little heads shaved more than the actual disbudding. We are keeping a close eye on everyone to ensure they heal properly. Thus far, everyone is doing well, and no one seems to be any worse for wear. Disbudding day is everyone's worst day, including Eric's.

My new chickens have completed their first week of quarantine. My lavender cochins are very healthy and have settled in nicely. Roux is crowing in the morning. He even has a beautiful crow. If I could be in love with a chicken, Roux would be my choice. He's delightful. My little lavender girls are laying eggs, which is very exciting. Their eggs are about half the size of those from my laying hens and have a lovely, buff-brown color. I can't wait to incubate their eggs and hatch little lavender babies.

My four little Serama chicks are doing well. They are in a tote in the garage, where it is warm and safe. As soon as my lavender cochins are introduced to the rest of the flock, I will move the Seramas into the little green coop. Frizz will have seven small chicken friends, and hopefully, she will fall in love with Roux and produce lavender frizzle babies. I can't tell you how excited I am for this possibility. I am quickly becoming obsessed with fancy chickens.

My friend, Abby, came to visit on Saturday. Abby and her husband, Dylan, own a small farm that features goats, chickens, ducks, and geese. Abby hopes to improve her dairy lines and is interested in using Ace as her herd sire. I know Ace will have the best home with Abby and Dylan, so I am quite happy to let him go to their farm. Abby has extensive experience incubating eggs, so she candled my goose eggs for me. I thought only two eggs were viable, but Abby showed me five of the seven are viable. Abby said the eggs are within four to five days of hatching. I want to record the geese hatching and post it on our YouTube channel. I have decided that unless the babies are African geese, I will sell them. I don't need any more grumpy white geese running around hissing and nipping. However, I only have two African geese, so if they are Africans, they will stay. I am almost sure they aren't African, though.

Abby also took home my beautiful barn rooster. I don't want him beating up my lovely little cochin or muddling the lines of my lavenders, so he went home with Abby. Roux will now be the main rooster in the flock. Poor little Romeo, our Icelandic rooster, is old and decrepit. The big rooster was chasing him, and it was just a matter of time before poor old Romeo got hurt. I feel that Romeo and Roux will live in harmony. Roux is very gentle. It's a good thing the barn rooster went with Abby. It works out well for all.

Today, I will be in the studio working on a new soap we are very excited to introduce. I am extruding flowers for embeds and making miniature violets for the soap top. I will be using a few new tools to create the flowers. I have a pasta machine to flatten the dough into workable sheets. I will then use a small cookie cutter to cut out the flowers and place them in a press to add dimension and texture. I'm eager to master the process.

We are also preparing for our farm event on May 3rd, and looking ahead to the market. It is bustling indeed. On this overcast spring day, stay safe, be smart, and keep washing your hands.