April 4, 2018 at 5:30 p.m.
Fresh from the Farm: Kids keep coming on the farm
Last night at 11:30 p.m., Franklin gave us 2 bucks and 1 doe. Franklin is one of my very favorite does, and so I am excited that I have a doe kid from this breeding. I have yet to choose a name for her, but I think she needs something special!
Speaking of names, we here at Double Y Farms are kind of known for the naming our goats. While some I will not put in my stories as they stand the chance of offending others, we have come up with some interesting names so far. We have "Out of Necessity", "Dixie", "Linda Listen", "KizzmySass", "Rodney", Little Bit O' Hope" and "Sticky Monkey."
Each of our animals is given a name that fits! Each one has it's own story. (If you want to know some of the others you will have to contact me on Facebook).
Chores have become a science in timing: Up at 5 a.m., prepare bottles and lambbars, make coffee (nobody functions unless I have my coffee), start laundry, do dishes, and out the door by 6 a.m., feed lambbars and get the first does on the milk stands.
I give myself two hours to milk 16 goats, feed the other 17 individually, feed the bucks, cow, horses, chickens and cats, water and give any hay that needs fed. I am back in the house by 8:15 a.m. where I put the first batch of milk in to pasteurize, and while that is going I wash up bottles, lambbars and buckets.
While batch two pasteurizes, I take a 20-minute nap.
On batch three, I make up round two of lambbars and bottles and feed those. In the shower I go by 10 a.m. and off to work by 10:30 a.m.
Ok, so maybe it is insanity instead of science!
I think I found the only mud hole left on the farm on Monday. I went to retrieve the cow's feed pan and managed to step in said mud hole. My sock didn't fair too well.
When I was finished with chores, I got to the house and took my shoes off. For the life in me I could not figure out why I only had one sock on. Not sure if this memory gap was caused by old age or exhaustion. Then it hit me. It was hanging on the milk stand drying from having to be hosed off. Why was my sock muddy and not my shoe you may be wondering. Because I stepped in the 'pre mud hole" before the regular mud hole. The 1st pulled my shoe off but was not enough to get it wet. Not having the balance I once did, I was forced to put my now socked foot down, and of course it went into the wet mud hole.
It was Monday. I took it in stride and carried on.
So right now, life on the farm is revolving around feeding and milking goats. They are really incredible creatures. Had you told me that 30 years ago, I would have laughed.
Each one has it's own personality. Some are loving and so sweet. Little Bit loves to be held and cuddled. Some love to just be petted and talked to. Most come when you call their names. I can even tell some which milk stand to get on and they obey.
And then we have those "special" ones. Well at least they think they are special. I have a different opinion of them!
I wrote this article on a Friday. I am getting ready to submit it but I wanted to add a few things. This morning, at 10:30 a.m. Corona gave me a huge buck kid. I actually had to take my shoes off to pull this monster. Why take my shoes off? Well he wasn't coming out and so I had to put my feet on her and push with my feet and pull with my hands. I almost called a vet! Something I rarely need to do.
Corona handled it like a trooper and she is up, eating, drinking and gave me a half gallon of colostrum. She is a better woman than I am!
While I was waiting on Corona to kid, I fed bottles to the littles and stayed outside. I looked across my woods and saw how beautiful it is. I could hear the tractors in the fields and smell the fresh tilled soil. It is a perfect day and I realized just how blessed I am.
I hope you will all take time out this week and notice the beauty blooming all around. Life is a grand thing. Don't let it slip by without enjoying it.[[In-content Ad]]
