Weathering the Arctic Blast

 

It has been cold here the last few days. The kind of cold we aren't used to down here. The "I have to haul buckets of water to the animals because the waterers are frozen" kind of cold. 

Fortunately, everyone seems to be pulling though okay. Everyone with the exception of some eggs. I forgot to collect them yesterday and there were several with burst shells. That made the dog happy.

The goats have been taking siestas in the sunshine. It still scares me when they look like they're lying there dead.

 

Scilla saw Trixie's advanced pregnancy as an opportunity to move up the ranks. After an entire day of fighting, Trixie was banished to the far fence and not allowed anywhere near the barn. She's back in the barn now, but there is a new hierarchy in place. 

 

Opal decided she was ready to get on the milking stand like the big girls and sneaked right out the gate past me. Poor little thing still hunches over and shivers up there, but she's starting to get the hang of it. I'm glad that her temperament is nothing like her dam's, who I decided to sell because of her milk stand manners. I told the buyer all the good, bad, and ugly about her and she still wanted her. The price was right. 

 

Magnum went to his new home this week. His new owners seem like really nice people and I'm sure they will take good care of him. 

I opened the gate between Magnum's old pen and Lulu and Rocco's pen. They had a big time exploring their new space.  I would love to move Lulu and Rocco into the barn with the rest of the herd, but I am sure that Buttercup will let Lulu nurse. Rocco is still young and all the girls are bred, so he would be no trouble in with them until our Jr. Herd Sire is born and comes here to live.

This shelter used to have walls that went all the way down to the ground to block the wind. Magnum thought it was much more fun to walk through the walls than use the door. Boys.... They'll just have to make-do with hay bales for warmth and be glad for a roof over their heads.

I'm looking forward to some warmer temps. We hung out with my family last night so I didn't light the woodstoves. It was toasty in the house when I woke up this morning and when you have a heat pump, that means just one thing- emergency heat, which costs a small fortune. Ouch.