My week in review... or maybe just a few of the highlights...

It's been a week! Lets see, goats started kidding Wed. I noticed we had a set of twins as I went to get grand son. The day was beautiful! I think we ended up with 8 kids on the ground. We only had one mess up. We had a set of nannies that decided to kid way to close so we had 4 kids in a pile. We sorted them out best we could and moved them apart. (We being MN and I.) Then went back later to check and they had moved their business back together and added another kid to the mix. This one neither loved. So we caught one and made the nanny let it nurse. We squirted it with milk and mama was happy licking it when we left. Some times this will be enough to remind them that this baby is theirs. Sometimes not. Not in this case. We nicknamed this kid, "problem child".

Oh back up to Monday night. The bull again decided to visit a cow 2 fences over. I got up about 12:30 to see what the dogs were barking at. It was the bull. I went back to bed telling dh he had outstayed his welcome and was leaving Thursday. Thursday is cow sale day. DS was nice enough to drop what he was doing on Wed. afternoon and come with his goose neck trailer and help me load him. That was not as easy as I would have liked, but could have been harder.

Thursday morning I hit the floor running at daylight. I checked goats, can't even remember how many more new babies, one set of triplets at least. Problem child seemed sorta full. We headed to town. MN had went in with dad early to help her brother. After therapy we came home and MN and I grabbed flashlights and off we went to check babies. Other kids were in charge of unloading the excursion. We again fed problem child by catching a nanny.

Friday I had invited friends out. Only on made it. Boy did she and her kids get educated. They got to see a goat give birth. MN and her DD gathered Problem Child and two others up and took them to the barn. The other two were born Friday morning. Mama sorta loved one. I saw her toss the other one higher than her head two or three times. MN and I tried to catch her and couldn't before friends got here. She at that point didn't want anything to do with either. So I had the girls take her babies to the barn and thaw some cow col strum for them. They had a blast feeding them. Then after friends left MN and I got serious about catching her. I finally grabbed her way up by the far feeders. Did I mention the ranger was out of commission? So with a lead rope and collar I led, (drug) while MN and the dog nipped at her tail and twisted it back to the house. These are not small goats! They are nice boer and probably weigh 150+. It was a LONG drag home. We then fed her babies last night on her, and Problem Child.

She was so sweet she bit MN as we were making her let the babies nurse. She got coat, but the try was there.

Last walk through of the evening, night really as it was about 8 pm we knew one nanny was going to kid that night. We also knew she was going to be a problem. To say her udder is large is an understatement. The kids can nurse but they have to learn where to nurse. Sure enough we had hungry triplets on the ground this morning. MN helped me feed them a bit up there. Even a few drops of colostrum the first few hours will give them the ability to live. So we settled on a few drops and the hope that DH would get the ranger running again.

Did I mention MJ has been trapping? His first attempt caught him a HUGE albino raccoon.... think great pyr puppy! He bought more cat food and set it yesterday. He had better/worse luck this time. He caught a skunk. (Now is the time for anyone drinking to swallow before reading more.) The girls all had to go see. So my er bright er smart er what ever children BROUGHT THE LIVE TRAP SKUNK AND ALL TO THE HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! While they didn't get coated in yellow spray, they all smelled. It would have been funny except I was battling a killer headache and trying alone to get chores done while this took place. I did go a bit ballistic. Once I calmed down on the fact I was doing chores and dealing with goats without help on a day I really wanted it I saw the humor. I went in the house found a bar of ivory, tossed it to them and pointed to the pond. It wasn't COLD, but it wasn't hot either, maybe 65 degrees. I'm sure the water was much MUCH cooler. Life went on. DH and I went and caught our big uddered nanny and her kids brought her to the house, fed her kids. Went back got another one that had foundered and wasn't walking well and her two kids. Fixed breakfast. Oh some where in there kids tried to convince us that they didn't smell any longer. They had gotten wet oh maybe to the waist. Er, no head to foot,with soap. They finally came in showered in warm water and had breakfast.

Today we have had a set of triplets and two sets of twins born. MN did have to assist on one of the twins. She loves doing that. She might swoop in before help is really needed. I don't know where she gets that. :) This afternoon I took my camera and shared how it is to walk through the pen. What we do several times a day.

Any kids that isn't with the bunch we check on to see if they are full and OK. This one is being checked by an expert.

We check for new babies. This one is still drippy wet.

We have to check under feeders for babies.

Pull them out if they are under there.

Check to see if those babies are full.

Probably my favorite picture of my short legged helper helping.

Just a few random goats to be caught if he can catch them.

Education! They are quietly watching as the mama above works to have baby number 2. MN ended up assisting her while her helper stood by a tree out of the way and watched.

DIL was nice enough to make another feed run for me today. This still has to be unloaded. This is cow feed so it has to be taken out of sacks and put into barrels. A big job.

Tue, DIL made a goat feed run for me. It helps she likes going and I can stay home and supervise kids school. MJ was ask to unload it. I backed it up to the barn. When I unload it it is tossed in the barn. As long as it is on the pallets and out of the weather I am totally happy. MJ has different ideas.

Each sack is about 50lbs. He not only unloaded it but STACKED it! I was pleased and amazed! Such a transformed young man from the child we were dealing with a few months ago. Here is another example of the young man he is becoming. He started the fire for BBQ ribs all by himself! A few months ago I wouldn't have let him near the lighter, much less ask him if he wanted to do it.

When you wonder why I haven't blogged just remember this post. Remember I also kept grand son 2 days this week. Grandson who is teething and wants to be held even. Made cheese once or twice, and dealt with the day to day school/child issues. Life is never dull!