KIDDING AROUND

So fun to wake up this morning, look out Faegan's bedroom window into the backyard and see Scott still home and striding across the lawn.  Hooray!  he was so happy to announce that our sweet goat Cassie had given birth to two kids.  

What an exciting moment for our family, this being the first birth we've experienced as new farmers.  Not only are we blessed with two very cute little kids, we will soon be in the milk as well which is great because I miss having access to organic, raw milk.  Guess I better brush up on my milking skills, and my enthusiasm for this daily task.

   Before I keep gushing about his wonderful event, I must fill you in on the circumstances which led to this joyous occasion.

     So our little brood of goats arrived at Spruce Hill Farm way back last spring as a threesome, Cassie and her two kids whom we named Buck and Nola.  Now Buck was the male and he was still a youngster, but we knew we had to keep an eye on him as he matured so that he wouldn't try and mate with his mommy or sister.  Time passed and so eventually did Buck.  As late winter rolled around we made arrangements with a local farmer to have our Cassie date her buck for a little while in hopes of getting her pregnant.  Time passed there as well and no luck hooking those two goats up no matter how long we left her there!  So, we disappointedly brought Cassie home, only to discover that she was already pregnant, very pregnant too.  Looks like Buck left a little of himself behind...

     Apparently this is deemed a "terminal cross" which isn't a problem genetically unless it unexpectedly happens again within the family.  Which could very well happen because I think we have two new boys in the family.

MILKING IT

If you are anything like I was a few months ago, you probably have no idea how to milk a goat.  Well, if you happen to be interested in this sort of thing, this video is for you.......

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SETTLING IN

My neighbour Catherine took a couple of great photographs of the goats.

 The goats are settling in.  They are part of the family now, part of our rhythm, a part of our lives.  As I write this I am listening to their goat song, their tragic cry as they learn to be separate for a little while each night.  We are gently weaning the kids from momma each night for 4 hours to build up her milk.  Then Scott goes out and milks Cassie (the momma), and the family is then reunited for the night and all of the next day in the pasture.  It is an interesting journey into home dairying, especially being an actively lactating mammal myself right now.  I am face to face with the reality of animal husbandry.  To be in the front lines, in direct contact with the process of extracting milk from an animal and then consuming it is pretty intense.  I often wonder what it would be like if I was the mammal being kept by another animal for the same reasons.....As you can imagine, my mind then begins to wander in all kinds of interesting directions.  Suffice it to say, getting goats has been a very eye opening experience.

This first week was also a bit stressful.  We had to figure out how much to feed the goats, when to feed them, and when to milk Cassie.  Scott has also been busy building housing for the goats, as well as a goat stand. Then Cassie's pooh got all clumpy, which freaked me out because it is supposed to be like little beans or pellets.  To top it off, we then discovered she has an infestation of some sort of flea or bug.  So off I went into the city to purchase some bulk herbs to concoct a formula to rid her of those, along with some other herbs to keep her worms at bay.  I think everything is under control.....for now.  My current concern is whether she is too thin.  It's like having another child!  In a good way though.  I love having them here.  I know it was kind of crazy to get goats when I have a such a young baby to take care of too.  Our lives are definitely "full" right now....but it is also wonder"full", thought"full", and bounti"full".

Goat accommodations.

Super comfy goat accommodations.   The new wood and straw smells so good.  I could live here.

My husband Scott is hilarious.  He is definitely getting into this.  Maybe too much.  The other night he was milking Cassie in his "shop", which temporarily housed the goats.  He had the radio going, he had Cassie's udder all greased up, and he was milking her in time to the rock song on the radio.  He then proceeded to tell me about how when you stroke her in a certain way, her eyes kind of half close in ecstasy.  Oh my, what have we gotten ourselves into?

On a totally unrelated note, here is picture of our lovely turkeys.

NEW ADDITIONS

     We are so delighted to welcome the newest members of our family - a nanny goat and her two kids.  They have yet to be named.  The day was so full of activity; driving to Angelhoeve Organic Farm in the valley to pick them up, and of course trying to learn as much as we could about caring for goats in the short time we were there.  Once we've settled into a more familiar routine and get to know the goats better, I am sure the perfect names will naturally arise.  We aren't sure how our son will react to his little friends suddenly "disappearing" one day, so are debating whether or not it is a good idea to name the male kid.  Male goats are aggressive, and well, really only useful as sperm donors, soooooooo he probably won't be frolicking in our fields for too long.

     Needless to say, we are all very excited to have these lovely animals around.  I am a little overwhelmed and worry that we are too inexperienced.  I really want to make sure we take care of them properly so that they thrive and live happily.  I am sure they will, yet I can't help but wonder how it will all turn out.  There is also the whole experience of learning to milk her, while keeping the process sterile and clean so we don't consume tainted milk!  EEEEEK....it's one thing to romanticize keeping goats, and another to actually have the animals in your care.

     Once we master the milking thing, you know I am going to be all over the cheese making process.  I am very thrilled to have our own dairy goats to provide us with milk.  So long Superstore, you won't be seeing me much anymore.  Seriously, I pretty much only went there to buy dairy products.  Plastic wrapped, pasteurized, very non local organic dairy products.  I look forward to reducing our family's plastic pollution even more now that we have goats.  Tomorrow will be my first day home alone with the goats, and it is my job to let them out into the back yard and put out some hay and dairy ration - with two kids in tow (my two kids that is!).  Wish me luck!  I hope she doesn't jump the fence!

Our nanny goat in the milking stand at Angelhoeve getting her nails trimmed before she says goodbye.

The HUGE pig at the farm, getting a little scratch on the head.

Our little farmer boy, getting ready to load the goats into the trailer (which had no ventilation, so Scott had to drill holes into his poor trailer.  It has also been lovingly urinated in big time!)

Our sweet lovelies eating hay.  I just want to hug them.