Free's kidding journal 2011: Plum's death wish p 42

[freemotion]

Oh, I meant that if I rented the machine from someone else.....wait, are you offering to rent the breast pump to me??

The machine is getting easier and easier to handle. I finished in about a half hour today, but it is really hard to tell because I do other things in between. But the machine worked for me without a hitch, I got it to seal and vacuum with each first attempt, the pulsator worked each time, the goats cooperated, etc. Woohoo! Video in the near future, when it is not so cloudy and dark.

I decided that I would hand milk everyone last night just to keep us all in shape for it. It was lovely. My hands didn't ache so much since they've had such a break from it.

In other news....I have been taking some comfort in the fact that Plum has been so narrow and not looking too pregnant, although her udder tells a different story. I decided she had one tiny, properly positioned doeling in there that is going to slide right out on my day off closest to her due date, June 19.

Today she looks like she suddenly swallowed a large watermelon and I saw the baby.....babies?.....moving and put my hand there and felt it. She blamed me and walked away, annoyed. She has one month to go. One baby shouldn't be looking so big so soon. Yikes.

 

[freemotion]

I took a deposit and a signed contract on the three bucklings today. The family is in the process of moving into a new house and they want goats to keep the field in shape but aren't quite ready for them yet....so they want me to keep them until weaning, so will pick them up on July 5 when the youngest two are 8 weeks old. I'm charging extra for that....almost double the price. I'll have them down to one bottle a day (they agreed to keep them on one bottle a day for the third month, which I suggested but said was optional) and will have them vaccinated and banded.

Now it is just the two doelings and then Plum's kids. The farmer next door came over to the fence today and he is interested in a couple for his teenage daughter....but he likes them, too. His fuel tank for his tractors and mowers is right next to the end of my kid pasture and they all run up to anyone who comes near the fence. He thinks they are adorable and fun to watch. They have plenty of pasture and a good, big barn with a horse. He asked about fencing today. I'm hoping I can sell the doelings to a family that is inquiring today (sent out pics, hope they'll come visit tomorrow night at milking time) and then Plummies' kids can go to the neighbors. Wouldn't that be nice and neat?

 

[freemotion]

Sold the two doelings last night and they went home with their new owners.

Ooops, I mean

So once I am paid for the bucklings on July 5, we will have enough money for really good hay for the year for the five who will winter over, the buck and the four does. I will buy it off the field this year and will pack my barn. Later in the fall, I'll probably get a few more bales and store them on pallets in the hoophouse chicken tractor, which I'll move into the backyard for convenience. I want to have too much hay this coming year and not run out and have thin does right at kidding and lactation time.

It was so much easier giving bottles to three kids last night and this morning! And I think I might have enough milk to make cheese.....tomorrow!!!!! Woohoo!

What will it be? Gouda? Cheddar? Feta? Caerphilly? Hmmmm......I'll be taking my recipe book to bed tonight to choose a recipe and will start first thing tomorrow!

 

[glenolam]

 

[freemotion]

Well, inspired by ofg, I made both gouda and chevre. The gouda will be waxed and aged, and the chevre will become cheesecake Friday or Saturday.

The people who reserved the bucklings sent names via email to me today, so I started using them when I bottle fed tonight. It made it a little more real to me, so I also worked on not allowing jumping on my tonight. Two of them responded quickly to my firm push whenever they jumped and gave it up. I rewarded them with lots of scratching, which almost put them to sleep on their feet....so cute! The third one, Charlie, was rather insistent. When there were five babies vying for my attention, Charlie got into the habit of using his long legs to stand up over everyone else and jump up against me to get attention. Now he has to learn that he needn't be pushy and that quietness will be rewarded.

I will dig out the tiny collar and leash this week and get them started on that, too. These folks will be getting a great deal by leaving them with me until weaning! I'm getting a great deal by finding pet homes for my boys, and being able to enjoy them while they are babies. Once Plum has her babies, it will be chaos here again, so I need to get as much done as possible before then.

 

[freemotion]

I couldn't find my brining jar....where did I store it for the dry season??? So I used a different one and now I can't get the gouda out....sheesh. May have to dump it out. I used Celtic sea salt so I don't want to lose the brine. Hmmph.

My dad came over and we finally fixed the main gate to the goat barn. That thing has been driving me nuts. The post rotted out and the whole thing fell down during horrid winter weather, so it has been held on by wires ever since. Now it is solid again, and the hinges are back on the correct side so there shouldn't be the daily struggle to get through the gate with just ONE goat (six times a day, really....ok, 12 times if you count coming and going to milk 3 does twice a day each! ) I just have to get the lining fencing (pole gate lined with horse fencing, woven wire) on solidly with wires instead of the temporary baling twine that is there now. As soon as the gate is not in full sun....it is HOT today!

Everyone is panting and lying in the shade. They grazed in the shade for a while, but I had mercy and gave them two flakes of the precious alfalfa hay. Mya and Peach are still too thin, and Plum, well, she is gestating for another three weeks.

I sat on a block in their pen around noon, gabbing with my dad during a break in our work, and twice Peach tried to get into my lap. The second time she actually had her knees folded and her front end settled in my lap! We really bonded during her kidding crisis. She is very snuggly with me now. It is very sweet. She even let me smooch her face today!

Plum is solidly in "don't touch me" mode, so even checking ligaments is a challenge. I'll have to start going out with treats in my pocket so I can keep track of her impending kidding date.

 

[freemotion]

I got to see Ginger's two doelings today! They are ADORABLE with those huge airplane ears. They are so big, and have lovely big rumens. They are amazingly gentle and well-behaved, just like their mama. I told the couple that bought them that I would like to be notified if they ever wanted to sell them. They are gonna be wonderful does.

One of them is named....Monique! And the other is Jane.

Te'a and Willow looked very, very happy, too. Their names are now Nan and Kate. Willow pretended I was a stranger and hid in the barn, peeking out at me like she did here when a stranger was around....silly girl! I went in and gave her a scratch and all was good. I was very pleased to see that none of them was frantic to see me, all were relaxed and very happy with their new family.

The husband said he could really tell that they were raised with love. He said they were the most loving livestock he's ever come across. They both really enjoy them immensely. I am so pleased! It was very hard to sell them as they were the first. Did I mention how happy this visit made me?

They gave me three bales of first cut alfalfa/grass hay that they made, in exchange for my opinion on the condition of their first batch of hay as far as which type of livestock it was best suited for, which I gladly would have given for free.....but didn't want to prevent them from having the joy of giving, either....it was obvious that the gift gave them joy! Definitely some of the most gorgeous horse hay I've seen in a while. Too stemmy for goats, but mine will pick out the alfalfa and I'm hoping it will put a bit of weight on Peach until second cut is available.

It smelled heavenly. It is after 11 PM now as I just got home from substitute teaching, but I simply must go out to the barn and feed everyone some of this wonderful hay.

 

[freemotion]

I just got in from the barn. I started out dividing two flakes amongst the five adult goats, then ended up giving them a flake each. I'm such a pushover. They loved it! It was so satisfying to see them plow into it, taking huge mouthfuls and munching it down. There will be some cud-chewing tonight! And hopefully they will thank me in the bucket tomorrow!

I told Peach to eat more than her share and gain some weight back. I also gave a handful to the boys, who were only interested in trying to get another bottle to appear out of my clothing.

There is nothing like the sound, at night, of one's domestic animals chewing contentedly on hay. The only thing that makes the sound perfect is a softly falling snow in winter, and the smell and sound of them all eating quietly in the cozy barn.....heavenly!

 

[freemotion]

Plum is officially due on Sunday. I forgot, in the chaos here what with the death of a friend and then an F3 tornado ripping through MA, to send a blood sample to the lab for testing for CAE. Plum's mother is positive and although we pulled her at birth and bottle fed her, her mother didn't forget her and she may have gotten a quick sip once. So I really need to know. Plus I only was able to steal about 6 ounces of colostrum from Peach because she and my other CAE-free doe both had triplets. Mya's twins got all the colostrum I was able to steal from Ginger.

It is all Ginger and Peach can do to feed the three bucklings that remain here until weaning on July 5. There is only about 2-3 quarts a week left over per week, not even enough to feed one baby.

The blood was sent in last Friday and I overnighted it even though they do the CAE testing on Friday. I couldn't risk it getting lost in the mail. I sent some soap to another member of this forum and after a month, it never arrived, so I sent another, paying extra for delivery confirmation. Is that the way it is now? And the USPS wonders why it is losing so much business!

Plummy is showing signs tonight. Ligaments soft but still detectible, and she has been rather unfriendly (DON'T TOUCH ME!!!! STOP IT! FEED ME WITHOUT TOUCHING ME! ~expletives deleted). Tonight she was sniffing my arm a LOT. Strange.

And of course I ran out of clean shavings with all the rain and the local stores were out tonight. I have her in the spare stall with hay, water, and a snack of grain, sunflower seeds, and alfalfa pellets. I'll set one alarm for me tonight and dh agreed to go check on her when he gets up around 4:30 AM.

I hope she holds out until those results come in tomorrow afternoon!

 

[freemotion]

Single brown buckling born sometime around 4 AM, unassisted. Up and nursing. :/ Plum is very quiet but looks fine, still waiting on the placenta. I milked 9 ounces of first colostrum from her and rubbed my hands on the buckling so she could lick me and bond with me for ease of milking her.

I put the colostrum in the fridge and will freeze it if she is CAE negative, which I should know by this evening. I plan on separating them a bit later. I think.

Yay, Plummy, for having a baby all by herself and having no problems!