Sunday Morning, Off to the pasture lot to let everyone out for the day. Hershey, one of the goats skin was tight, when I petted her I could feel how hard her body was. This is my first experience with a goat being sick, I knew it was bloat. I thought about what we have been feeding and I really did not feel there had been a change in the menu, there was a new shipment of hay but from the same supplier, I do know it came from a different cutting than what we had been feeding and maybe this bothered her. The rest of the crew appeared to be in usual form. I came to the house and fixed her a small bowl of baking soda, when I arrived at the pasture lot I felt Hershey's eyes lock in on me. She started coming to the fence, her momma stood back as to say to me it is your turn I can't do any more. My girl came to the fence and started eating from the bowl, with the first little bit she belched and this was followed with snort. I was hoping this would do some good. She ate a small amount of the soda and I did not push it. Momma came over to check the bowl, tasting she seemed to approve. After they moved away along came the curious ones to see if they wanted whatever was in the bowl. I did not see a lot of improvement on Sunday; however, by Monday afternoon there was a softness in her body and there was improvement. Hershey is expecting and I was really concerned for her. I will be feeding them all a little bit of baking soda on a regular basis. My thoughts through this was I would be loosing two goats if I did not find a cure for her. I learned baking soda will not hurt them, they seem to like a little bit. A new tool in the box will be baking soda in the barn for my ladies.
Monday morning, there it was, a bluebird, brilliant blue setting in a dogwood tree. Are the scouts here already? We have residents who return each summer to have their young, it is always exciting to see them return and spend the summer in our butterfly and bee garden.
Mr. Bootsie came in from the coop with 2 pullet eggs, this is the first laying of the welsummers. These chicks were born July 19th and 20th. From hatching to laying was 25 weeks and 4 days. I am so pleased I keep my journal!!!
I was out working in the garden as the ground had thawed, I dug 5 tomato holes and filled them with the manure from the goat barn and set the tomato cage on top. I mulched the area between the cages. By April 15th the manure will have broken down, being ready to feed to tomato plants. The mulch will keep out unwanted vegetation and it will be easy to add more mulch as needed in the spring. To my surprise the horseradish it showing new growth. With snow possible on Wednesday, I covered the horseradish plants with pine needles.
With the bluebirds and the horseradish I am wondering could there be an early Spring in my future?
Wednesday, Momma Duck has always laid her egg and we find it in the coop in the morning. This morning Mr. Bootsie told me there is no egg but there is a nest, Momma Duck had been working on the
Momma duck has not let us down by Saturday there were 4 eggs, 3 in the nest and 1 on the floor, I will be watching to see if she moves this egg to the nest.
Friday there was some sadness around the goats barn. The boys who have been over partying with our ladies were loaded up and taken home. I was missing those little guys as they were leaving our driveway. One of them had been here about 2 months and the other one 6 weeks. They had become my guys. I never went to the pasture that they did not come to see me. The youngest would always come to the barn at nighttime just to spend some time with me. This will be another adjustment for me getting used to them being back at their home. While the farmer was here she checked my goats and is sure 3 of the ladies are with babies. We shall be waiting and hoping all 4 have little ones. And the farmer came with fresh ricotta cheese which just makes me want to be able to milk my girls even more.
Now, I am thinking about fresh pasta made with the eggs from our girls, spinach from our garden and the farmer's ricotta!!!
A Bit of exciting News there are buds on the tomato plants in the greenhouse!!! Maybe, just maybe SPRING is on its way!!!
Thank you for reading our blog and following our Facebook page, may your week be great!!! Good Day Friends!!!
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