Animals
This weekend we moved our bucks into one of the big pastures...to serve as their winter home. Imagine this scene: It is 24 degrees out, 7 AM. Becky, Jack and I meet at the goat pens that are situated between our two properties. The smell of stinky bucks hangs in the air...even in the cold. Becky opens the gate to the bucks pen and lures them out with the ever tasty Ritz crackers. Jack's job is to stand at the high end of the goat pens with pine branches in each hand to act as arm extenders (making him look truly scarey and a deterrent to goats who think they might run in the wrong direction.
My job, as usual, is that of camera crew. With very little difficulty (except for the fact that Chip took off and ran laps around the fenced in area with Jack chasing behind) the boys were herded to their new home. Almost made me want to yodel!!
He and Forest did a little dominance posturing. It didn't take long for MoJo to discover the girls on the other side of the fence.
Now we will see if he can figure out the rest of his job. After a day of courting through the fence, MoJo joined Sissy and O'Malley in the same pen. Forest is with them...to run interference. Let's hope MoJo finds his MOJO!!!!
- Goat Rodeo
Yesterday was goat relocation day.The bucks were moved from their summer pasture to their winter quarters.They have spent many months in their summer pasture,and the pasture needs a rest.(Pasture rotation helps to decrease parasites.) Relocation first...
- Mojo Lost His Pizzle
Poor Mojo. He had quite a tough weekend. Saturday morning at morning feed time, Becky and I noticed that Mojo did not come out of his house for breakfast. This is quite unusual, but he has been out of sorts for the past week, ever since he was moved away...
- Mojo's Mojo
Happily I can report that MoJo and O'Malley were seen "dating" this week. Their courtship consisted of a few games of tag, after which O'Malley teasingly called "You're it!" and MoJo willingly obliged. The act was observed to be a bit awkward,...
- Babies On Board!!
Happy news for Bee Haven Acres: Missy and Myrtle are pregnant! You might remember a post from about two months ago, when we led our bucks, kicking and screaming, down to the yard closer to the gals. Here is Smoochie in an act of protest. We put Chip...
- The Dating Game
It is mating season here on the farm. The other morning, Becky and I did a bit of rearranging and paired up bucks and does for mating. None of the does wanted to leave their pen, so we had to move everyone together and then remove the ones who were not...
Animals
Goat Herding
This weekend we moved our bucks into one of the big pastures...to serve as their winter home. Imagine this scene: It is 24 degrees out, 7 AM. Becky, Jack and I meet at the goat pens that are situated between our two properties. The smell of stinky bucks hangs in the air...even in the cold. Becky opens the gate to the bucks pen and lures them out with the ever tasty Ritz crackers. Jack's job is to stand at the high end of the goat pens with pine branches in each hand to act as arm extenders (making him look truly scarey and a deterrent to goats who think they might run in the wrong direction.
My job, as usual, is that of camera crew. With very little difficulty (except for the fact that Chip took off and ran laps around the fenced in area with Jack chasing behind) the boys were herded to their new home. Almost made me want to yodel!! Earlier this week, Becky and I led the does and the wethers up to the goat yards on her property. This will be their winter home (the delivery room and nursery are there...so they will winter there in preparation for spring kidding season). The bucks will winter in a larger pasture that has a large run-in shed for shelter.
Once the bucks were introduced to their new home, we led MoJo (this summer's buckling acquisition....our newest little stud) up to the upper pen with the does and wethers. His job over the next couple of weeks will be to mate with O'Malley and Sissy. You can see that he was a little reluctant to leave his buddies. 
But, once he reached the does, he quickly forgot what he had left behind....
and started to reacquaint himself with the girls and guys.
But, once he reached the does, he quickly forgot what he had left behind.... and started to reacquaint himself with the girls and guys.He and Forest did a little dominance posturing. It didn't take long for MoJo to discover the girls on the other side of the fence.
Now we will see if he can figure out the rest of his job. After a day of courting through the fence, MoJo joined Sissy and O'Malley in the same pen. Forest is with them...to run interference. Let's hope MoJo finds his MOJO!!!!
- Goat Rodeo
Yesterday was goat relocation day.The bucks were moved from their summer pasture to their winter quarters.They have spent many months in their summer pasture,and the pasture needs a rest.(Pasture rotation helps to decrease parasites.) Relocation first...
- Mojo Lost His Pizzle
Poor Mojo. He had quite a tough weekend. Saturday morning at morning feed time, Becky and I noticed that Mojo did not come out of his house for breakfast. This is quite unusual, but he has been out of sorts for the past week, ever since he was moved away...
- Mojo's Mojo
Happily I can report that MoJo and O'Malley were seen "dating" this week. Their courtship consisted of a few games of tag, after which O'Malley teasingly called "You're it!" and MoJo willingly obliged. The act was observed to be a bit awkward,...
- Babies On Board!!
Happy news for Bee Haven Acres: Missy and Myrtle are pregnant! You might remember a post from about two months ago, when we led our bucks, kicking and screaming, down to the yard closer to the gals. Here is Smoochie in an act of protest. We put Chip...
- The Dating Game
It is mating season here on the farm. The other morning, Becky and I did a bit of rearranging and paired up bucks and does for mating. None of the does wanted to leave their pen, so we had to move everyone together and then remove the ones who were not...