decisions

I'm working through my thoughts these days on whether or not I want to keep goats any longer. I've given this adventure 2 years now and it hasn't been something that I feel that I have fallen in love with. Yes, you may think, based on my blog posts, etc., that I love my goats. It may appear so. But as with anything blogged about we can make anything look good. It's the downside to blogging. We think everyone else has the perfect life. Life here is far from perfect. I love my farm and I love the chickens, but I haven't fallen in love with the goats. The babies are amazingly adorable! But then they grow up. The kids like the milk, I don't. My husband loves the cheese and he loves to make it. I don't and he works 12 hours a day! Yes, I've blogged about how cool it is to make cheese, etc., but I just can't seem to get into it. It might be the fact that I am having a hard time fitting it in on a regular basis. There is just so much one can do every day.
What I'd like to do is expand my egg business. I KNOW I love that and I know I can make money on it. We are constantly turning people down. So, right now I'm working on a "business plan" to expand that part of the farm. I'll probably start out by selling all but 2 goats and and then we'll think about it, pray about it and move on from there.
So if anyone wants a Nubian doe in milk, who gives a gallon a day of fresh, amazing goat milk let me know. I also have a doe and whether that are 8 weeks old and ready to go.

From left to right you see Singeli, Pepperjack and Butter. They are enjoying a branch of maple.

Butter is a very friendly goat. She loves attention.

It's a very hard decision for me to make because everyone else enjoys the goats. But no one else does 95+% of the work like I do. I just don't want to feel like a failure. But one of my friends pointed out that I'm not failing because I want to focus on another aspect of the farm that I know will bring money in. My focus is just going elsewhere.

Funnies

Farm Photos

Me and Singeli

I love her coloring on her face! She'll be hard to get rid of if we decide to do that. I need to decide soon, she's of weaning age this week.

Killick intently watching the ducks.

Several weeks ago.

This is more recent. They love water! They are getting their feathers now and their coloring is wonderful! They are also AWESOME slug eaters!

Heidi and her mama, Brie. She is a nursing pro now!

From across the garden, this is my view.

The rooster we inherited. He's beautiful!

Singeli

Pepper "Jack"

morning project for kids

Grandma decided it would be fun to help the kids make slingshots.

Thanks Grandma Faith!!

Actually, this project is probably in their book Dangerous Book For Boys. It was bound to happen.

Brie kidded today!

We had a very exciting day. After 2 1/2 weeks gone, James returned home from Uganda today. And approximately 6 hours later Brie gave birth to a beautiful little doeling that has been named Heidi! She was 2 days early!
She is a perfect mother! She took right to her baby and has been very attentive.

Here she is just seconds old!

These 2 pictures are beautiful pictures of bonding. My other 2 goats that I have experienced birthing with didn't take to their babies. Last year both mothers rejected their babies. With Firefly I think she was just overwhelmed with triplets. Butter, well, maybe we didn't try hard enough. And this year with Butter I purposely separated her from her babies because she had a terrible rash on her udder that I was unsure about. So, this is our first experience with a mama letting her baby nurse.

Brie is a very proud mama!

Here is Heidi latched on perfectly!

When I left the barn at nearly 10pm she had suckled several times and they seemed to be doing well together. I'm hopeful all will go well in the night.

Slugs must go!

The slugs here in the Pacific Northwest are ferocious! If you haven't heard my story of how I collected over 200 in one evening last summer then I'll spare you the disgusting details. Especially the part where I left them in the coffee can on the front porch the next day in the sun.

Anyway, I fight slugs. I've not done too much up until now (except the incident mentioned above). But I'm determined to have a full garden this year so I'm off to slug war.

My arsenal?

Beer and small containers.

We take the containers out and dig a little into the ground so they are flush with the ground. Buy the cheapest beer possible! Fill the container.



Watch the slugs come from miles around. They can't resist!

This picture is actually kind of cool if you click on it to enlarge.

I found about 40 slugs total in my 7 traps the first morning.




I changed the fullest ones the next night but left the others. I got a bunch more in the 2 traps I changed out but didn't count. The others need to be changed. I don't think the slugs are out full force yet, I expect this is just the beginning of the battle!



More gardening update soon.