Homestead Happenings

This is the homestead blog.  We strive for self sufficiency and self reliance at the homestead while embracing everything farm and forest.  Livestock, gardening, food preservation, fiber production, DIY, and traditional arts and crafts can be found at this blog.

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General Post-HH, Homestead Happenings

Boone

I am writing this post with a very heavy heart.  The little white buckling born to Coco passed late last night.  He had issues from birth and try as I might, I could not save him.  He was fed every 1.5 to 2 hours, kept in a warm room, and seemed to be recovering, but turned quickly on me.  

A typical kid will be up on all fours within a short period after birth and take their first milk.  We noticed that this kid had issues standing.  That was the first clue.  With help, we tried to get him to suckle.  He struggled.  I came to the resolution that I would supplement feed and let him take milk from Coco when he could.  By the afternoon of the second day, he was still getting milk from a bottle, but was also taken to his mama for additional milk.  He also began to stand on his own.  Everything was looking promising.

At this point, I named him “Boone”.  It means blessing.  It also reminded me of Daniel Boone, a folk hero to the United States, who was a pioneer in the 1700’s and early 1800’s.  Seemed appropriate given that the kid was born at Pioneer Mountain Homestead.  

I bonded with Boone.  He would snuggle into me and nap with me between late night feedings.  He was my constant companion for the past couple days. 

However, something changed dramatically within about a 2 hour’s time frame.  Boone went from seemingly a recovering kid to limp and nearly lifeless.  It was very late.  I struggled making decisions.  Should I call a vet?  If I call a vet, would there be time?  Meanwhile, I was trying desperately to warm up a kid that was getting colder by the minute even though we were in a very warm room.  I was also trying to get any milk I could into him.  He would try to drink and it would just dribble out the sides of his mouth.  I rubbed his back and legs trying to keep circulation and get him stimulated to drink.  It all happened so quickly.  Finally, Boone looked at me as if to say “Good bye” and snuggled his head into me.  Tears filled my eyes.  

I know it is all a part of farming and raising livestock.  I have been down this path before and I know I will go down it again.  It hurts.  It really hurts.  However, I never want to lose that feeling.  I believe they call it compassion.  I hope to never cross the line where I no longer care.  

Boone was my reminder to remember to always care.  He was my blessing. 

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General Post-HH, Homestead Happenings

Baby Goats!

“What is that noise in the goat barn?  It sounds like baby goats!  But that can’t be.  They are not due for another five days.” 

I slid open the big barn door and there they were.  Two beautiful black and white spotted kids.  Just born and still wet.  Coco was anxiously cleaning them off.  Just one problem.  They weren’t Coco’s babies.  They were Willow’s.  So where was Willow?  Well, Willow, a first time Mama, was filling her belly with hay and completely ignoring the kids.  

It often happens that first timers don’t quite “get” the concept of giving birth.  I was thankful Coco was taking care of the situation.  Newborn kids need to be cleaned and dried as soon after birth as possible or they can suffer hypothermia, and it was a cold day.  

This was not going to be a good situation.  Willow was not caring for her kids and full of milk.  I decided to move Willow and kids to a kennel in the garage for a couple of days that way I could observe and step in if necessary.  Additionally, the garage would be warmer than the barn for these new kids. 

Once alone with her babies, Willow’s instincts kicked in and she began caring for her little ones.  

But, this was not to be all the excitement.  Coco started contractions.  I moved her to the second kennel in the garage and within an hour she produced two kids, one brown and one white. 

The kids appear to be doing well, with the exception of the white one.  We will keep an eye on him.  

In total, Willow had two does and Coco had two bucks.  

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Come Along to the Barn

Today was a long day because I was out of the local area. On my trip back to the homestead I ran into a snow storm. The roads weren’t treacherous, but the driving conditions were terrible as the winds blew the snow directly into the windshield making visibility nearly zero. My anticipated arrival of 5 P.M. became 7:30 P.M. But, work on a homestead never stops. The animals still needed to be fed and were done as soon as I changed into my barn clothes. I took along the camera to give a glimpse into feeding time in the goat barn.

I will try to video or take pictures of tasks and life around the property this year. The number one criticism last year was that I was not giving enough insight into what we do around the property. I guess daily life has become so routine to me that I did not realize so many people were interested. I am so glad so many people spoke up, and I will try to deliver.

So here is a quick video of the late night in the goat barn.