Odds and Ends: Fodder, Kids and More

My kitchen has been overtaken by fodder! It's so pretty. I love seeing this bright spring green on these dreary, wet days.

I picked out this tray to feed. I started with 5 cups of wheat (which I haven't weighed) and ended up with about 4 pounds of fodder. Not real scientific, eh? I'll be sure to weigh the starting wheat seed today. I also managed to have 3 trays of wheat fodder that look ready to feed today. Go figure.

I broke some of the fodder up into their feed buckets and they turned their noses up at it. Silly goats.

When I offered it by hand, they went crazy for it. Goats are just crazy, what can I say?

I brought a bucket of warm soapy water up to wash Onyx's hooves. I cleaned them up and sprayed them with blu kote again. My hands, clothes, and milking stands are perpetually purple now. She seems to be getting along a little better today. I wrote to a vet about her, but he really didn't have any ideas.

The chickens loved the fodder too. They've been locked up the last couple days since I planted some wheat in the temporarily empty buck pen. Magnum is still living with the ladies until his new buckling friend is here and big enough to move into the bachelor pad with him. Unfortunately, the ducks seem to be doing a good job of eating the wheat seeds. I hope enough of it washed in with the rain that we get some growing out there.

 

Trixie's girls have been introduced to Asher now and released from the kidding stall into General Population. I'll have to go check on them soon, but they seem to be doing well.  I can tell that Trix is getting up in age as she doesn't seem to be bouncing back as quickly as the younger girls. I think she's 7 or 8 this year.

I disbudded Cash and Cara on Monday. I went slowly and really took my time at it. I went over them both several times and made sure I burned down to a copper/white mix this year. I still can't help but second guess myself after the fact though. 

I suppose if I see scurs, they can always go back in the box. I just hate to torture the little things twice.

Phoebe's babies will get disbudded this weekend. Then I'd like all Alpine and Mini-Mancha babies gone. Get them on a bottle and move them out before I become too attached. The market is starting soon and I need the milk.

 I love the three little white spots on Shamrock's nose and her pink lower lip. She has "lipstick" like Betty Buttercup.

Cash is all tuckered out.

And Kat is enormous. She is not due for another month. This picture does not even capture her truly immense size.

Next up to kid- Onyx 3/25 and Buttercup 3/27.