Ohiofarmgirl's Adventures in The Good Land is largely a fish out of water tale about how I eventually found my footing on a small farm in an Amish town. We are a mostly organic, somewhat self sufficient, sustainable farm in Ohio. There's action and adventure and I'll always tell you the truth about farming.


Thursday, February 23, 2012

Debbie's New Digs

The Big Man and I have both been a little under the weather - and with my recent trip - there have been a few projects that have gone undone. One of them is to separate Debbie - again - from last spring's doeling, Dahlia.
Debbie's new digs - in the turkey house.

Our prize milker, Debbie, may or may not be pregnant after her time with Too Short. But its hard to tell if she is making an udder - a sure sign of pregnancy - when Dahlia keeps sipping off her. Unfortunately the best place to put Debbie is in the turkey house on the side where the meat chickens are currently living. But they are still....well.... living as we haven't been able to send them to the freezer. You could say we were stuck between a silly goat and a meat march. Then it occurred to me that the turkeys sure did have a nice coop.....

So today I shoveled out the turkey-coop-side of the turkey house, shuffled them right on out and into the smaller auxiliary coop....and marched Debbie right in. She hated it. The turkeys were a little confused but I think it will all work out.
Debbie has a nice big coop to herself...and nest boxes to jump up on. Debbie! Get down from there!

The only downside, along with Nibbles and Dahlia screaming their heads off all afternoon because Debbie was gone, was that Debbie immediately jumped up on the turkey nest boxes. So I had to block her from doing all that hopping around. At one point she made a break for it and ran directly back to the goat yard fence. Dog #1 ran after her and there were a lot of sad faces, mostly Debbie's. I marched her back to her new digs with steam coming out of her ears. The dog smirked. (So did I.)

The plan is to keep Debbie separated for the next couple of weeks. She won't like it at all but at least she will either make an udder and have some babies... or she will just dry out and prepare to spend the saddest summer of her life with a sign around her neck that says "This is what losers look like" and listening to me tell her to put that coffee.. I mean.. hay down and get back to grazing because "hay is for milkers only."

The good goats news is that Nibbles is looking bigger and bigger everyday and her udder has just about filled out. She still has another week or so and I hope she can keep those buns in the oven. The other great news is that today Dahlia had a nice round handful of udder going. So it looks like Too Short really was Just Tall Enough.

That's the word in the barnyard. How about you? Anybody else have does making udders and getting fatter?

Happy Thursday everyone!

9 comments:

Carolyn said...

My first gawd-awful-long goat labor went well after all the waiting last week. Just one more kidding coming up in three weeks. It will be nice to have kiddings finished so early. Last year there were four pregnant does....too many for us. Two is a much more manageable number for our needs. Good luck with yours!

Beth of the Rocks said...

I'm getting fatter, does that count? Hee hee. So two for three for sure - I really do hope it's 3 for 3. When are they due?

~Beth

Traci Sumner said...

Found something for you and thought I had to share it.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Bacon-Roses/

yeah, I'd want that kind of love!

JeffJustJeff said...

I do, I do! We built the birthing stall a couple weeks ago. I put two of the expectant mothers in there together. All they did was scream LOL. They're the two that get bullied the most by the herd queen. You'd think they'd enjoy a little reprieve. No fighting for food or huddling in the corner, but no, they wanted to go back. I'm sure they'll get used to it and when those contraction start, they'll forget all about it. I'm hoping I'm going to have 3 popping out little kids. One I have no doubt about, the other two, the 8-ball says "All signs point to yes". Guess we'll know in a few weeks. Can't wait.

Anonymous said...

My goats are getting HUGE. I expect at least one of them to have triplets. And I 'm really hoping for girls so I can keep them. One of them (Uhura) is getting a humongous udder. you can see a picture at:

http://intayetsshoes.blog
spot.com/2012/02/uhuras-udder.html

Tayet

freemotion said...

My two blondes are really showing. Ginger is already a wide load and has almost two months to go. I think she has a dozen in there.

Autumn said...

I wish I had goatie kids around... they are much more fun than the human kiddos (my siblings) that I'm around all day. ;)

Ann from KY said...

i think too short's cousin is at my house. His name is Dale the Intimidator, but I think the ladies intimidated him! I don't think any of my girls are bred. They look too thin to me. :(

Ohiofarmgirl said...

Thanks Carolyn! I'm hoping to just go out there and find happy babies on the ground.

Ha! Beth, sure that counts! Nibs should be due early next week, then a week then Dahlia. Who knows with Debbie but she will be last.

Yay Traci! Now thats a beautiful flower.... thanks!

The 8 Ball always knows, JJJ! You are gonna do great with birthin' them babies!

Tayet, now THATS an udder! Great work, Uhura!

Could be an dozen, Free, it just may be. ;-)

Goatie kids are easy, Autumn.. but just wait until you are all adults - you'll love your sibs and laugh about how things were when you were young. ;-)

Ann that is hilarious - do you have pix of Dale the Intimidator? I must see this!

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