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(This post is from SUSAN)
For the last couple of years, I haven’t done any breeding or selling of goats. One reason is because I’m having such a fun time with the fiber aspect (harvest, processing, selling, spinning and knitting) but the other one is lack of TIME.
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I finally figured out that my energy is not endless and that there are only 24 hours in a day. Unfortunately, for those of us who goat farm on a small scale, it is not a business that keeps us fed and clothed (actually it’s more of a hobby that partially pays for itself). Therefore, like many other farmers across the country, somebody has to work off the farm to keep things going and to bring home an adequate salary and benefits.
During the business week, I drive 60 miles into Portland, and I must arrive there by 7am. Since I have to feed and water 29 goats, 1 guard llama, 14 chickens, 3 guineas, 9 cats, and 3 dogs (well, my husband does help occasionally with the dogs and cats and even the goats when I have a special project or have to go out of town), the alarm clock is set at 3:30am. Yes, it is an ungodly hour to rise – heck, the goats aren’t even awake when I stumble into the barn! At night, by the time I fight rush hour traffic out of the city, I don’t usually arrive back home much before 6pm. I don’t even stop to read the mail when I get home. I quickly change my clothes, put on my garden Birkies and head down to the barn to once again feed and water critters, finally getting a moment to eat some dinner and open mail sometime between 7 and 7:30pm. Soon after that I find I can hardly keep my eyes open and finally get to bed around 8:30 or 9pm at the absolute latest.
During the years when I was breeding goats, my days were even longer and, as a result, I was sleeping even less. My goats were never very cooperative when it came to delivering their kids at an opportune time. Nope, they wanted to do it at 2 am, or occasionally during the middle of the day, requiring me to use one of my precious vacation days from my employment. There were more chores than ever when there were 26 kids added to the mix! None of this left any time for my fiber endeavors so a decision had to be made. I’m really not a very good goat farmer in that it’s very difficult for me to part with them. They’re such engaging creatures and each one has a unique and fun personality, plus the kids are adorable. I have worried and fretted over each and every goat that I’ve ever sold, hoping that the folks that bought them will love them as much as I. So it seemed logical for me to quit breeding and concentrate on the fibery end of things and leave the breeding and selling to others. Selling fiber and fiber products is easy – no worry at ALL about it going to its new home!
However……..one day last October, a very determined young buck in full rut found the one weak spot in the fence between the buck yard and the doe yard. I’m quite sure he had a wonderful day – probably thought he’d died and gone to GOAT HEAVEN! I got out my bottle of Lutylase and gave each doe an injection ten days later to undo anything that buck might have done. But, unfortunately, there’s no guarantee that it will work 100% of the time.
Two weeks ago, while shearing, Terry happened to comment on a rather “round” doe that she was working on. When these critters are in full fleece it’s almost impossible to notice body shape. However, when Terry sheared off all her fleece, there she was in all her glory – big udder and all! I was shocked! All of a sudden I was remembering all those very late and cold, dark nights in the barn, waiting for kids to be born and worrying about whether things were going right. Darn.
The “oops” kids, all three of them, were born last Saturday evening. Both Terry and I were there to help if necessary, but “Chable” delivered all three boys (wouldn’t you just know it would be boys!) by herself. It was a classic triplet delivery – boom, boom, and boom. All I had to do was dip navels and clean up the kidding pen a little. There’s a white one, a brown one, and a pale caramel one with light gray points. All are adorable and will likely be tremendous fiber producers. They’re WONDERFUL!
To see photos (compliments of Terry, who takes very good photos and is not digital camera challenged), click these links:
Each evening I go to the barn to snuggle babies. They LOVE having their backs scratched and I must admit that I was missing the happy sounds of baby goat calls and little hooves dancing on wooden pallets. Mom has plenty of milk and they’re growing like weeds. But I already have plans for fixing any fence issues before the next rut begins in late August and, in fact, am considering some areas for DOUBLE fencing.
March 28th, 2006 at 8:16 pm Oh my goodness, they are so adorable. And they didn’t want to be born when you were at work. That’s a good sign.
March 29th, 2006 at 5:57 am I don’t suppose one of those little babies would like to cme live in my high-rise condo? No, I didn’t think so, but I figgered it couldn’t hurt to ask!
March 29th, 2006 at 6:59 am They are absolutely adorable!!!
March 29th, 2006 at 8:53 am OMG, they are soooo adorable! Thanks for sharing them with us!
March 30th, 2006 at 5:05 pm omg, i thought my calves were cute, but those baby goats beat them hands down!
April 5th, 2006 at 8:27 am Congratulations! (errr…um…I think) What cute little surprises…simply adorable!
April 6th, 2006 at 8:07 pm When I read about the amount of hours one has to put in on livestock, I was convinced it was not for me….until I saw the pictures–may have to rethink this.