One, Two, Three, Four

The goats started kidding on the twelfth. 

We have had several singles, 

A couple of sets of twins, 

And today our first set of triplets. 

Sadie’s pet goat Glitter had a nice set of twins this evening.  Eight down, 30 something to go. 

And yesterday we had to pull our fourth calf. Joe was checking the cows and this one was laying down with the feet out. Only the feet were pointing up which meant it was coming backwards. She might have had it on her own but there is always a good chance a backwards calf will be born dead.  If the umbilical cord breaks and the cow doesn’t get the calf out fast enough it will drown.  Joe got her up and came and got me.  Fortunately, we were able to pull it by hand and didn’t have to deal with the calf jack on this one. 

Kid count -12

 

Sometimes It Just Doesn't Pay To Put On Clean Clothes.

Since we had pulled a calf Sunday, I had done the barn laundry and put on clean clothes. Then yesterday I was cleaning the poop that Draper keeps generating, out of the barn when Joe came up and said we needed to get a calf with scours to the barn and a heifer that was having trouble calving to the barn.  We picked up the calf first and tubed it with some electrolytes then went get the heifer up.  

It was a little bit of a hike but she came on with no trouble.  The problem came with pulling the calf.  It was coming with just the head and the front legs folded under.  I got the legs up and out with the chains on and everything was lined up to come out, but things were tight.  Joe worked the jack and we almost didn't get it out.  But leverage prevailed.  Unfortunately, it was dead.  It was dead before we started working on her.  

It was also big, maybe close to 100 pounds.  We had a month old calf on a cow Joe is going to sell.  So he skinned the dead calf and put the hide on the month old calf.  

One trip to the chute to get the calf to nurse and by morning she was taking the calf.  

Meanwhile, the scouring calf wasn't getting any better.  I started an IV and gave her two liters of fluids before she got up and pulled out the catheter.     

We tubed her with some milk last night and this morning Joe carried her out to take her back to the cow.  

She was bawling for her. 

She is not out of the woods yet, but she was back to nursing anyway.  Now I have more laundry to do. 

 

Second Jacking

Joe already had this heifer in the lot because she had been trying to steal another calf.  When Joe checked her Sunday morning the water bag was out. A couple of hours later the feet were out but she wasn’t trying to do anything.  It was time to get her up and check things out. 

Everything was there where it was supposed to be but bigger than the other calves we had been having.   I got the chains on and Joe worked the jack. 

It was pretty quick but I don’t think we could have pulled it by hand. 

And it was alive. 

I am not liking this bigger size. 

The Hunt

Our family Easter celebration was postponed until yesterday.  We had a good turnout with everyone but Matt. (missed you Matt)  After lunch it was time for the main event, the Easter Egg Hunt.  Sadie had said the one she had at church was not the real one.  The one at Mimi's house was going to be the real one.  

There was a good herd of Easter bunnies to hide all the eggs.  Then it was Sadie and Allie's turn...

And, they'er off!

I'm not sure how many eggs where hidden but it was probably well over a hundred.  

There was lots of running.  

And there were some special surprises.  Emily and Keiran had given them musical instruments from their trip to Peru.  

Then it was time to find out what else they got.  

Lots of candy, money, stickers, toys and nail polish.  

But then there was this special egg.  Mike told them Mimi needed to help with it.  I could not believe what was inside, an ultrasound of our next precious granddaughter!  It was a special egg indeed.  

 

More Restrictions

This time it is for the goats not the horses. 

The due date for kidding to start is April 14.  But Joe has carried enough early kids from the far corners of the farm that he wanted to get them up a little earlier.  They were split into two groups  One group was near the barn. 

The other group, not so much. But they were not difficult to deal with. 

 Now we just have to wait. 

He Is Risen

Happy Easter. 

The weather has been warmer than usual and I have a bad case of Spring Fever.  The tulips that I planted in my large pots are blooming.  Sadie hasn't been here yet to try to pick them.  I have bought some broccoli and cauliflower plants put haven't had a chance to work up the garden yet.  There are lots of chores to be getting on with.  
 

Buying More Work

I missed a year mulching so I have plenty of work to do to catch up. 

Today, I bought that work.  I had a dump trailer of mulch delivered.  Now I have until Joe buys hay sometime early summer to get it spread and out of his way.  

You can see there is a need for lots of mulch.  

I am trying the trench edging method.  Cutting straight down on the grass side, then at a 45 degree angle on the inside and removing the cut out part.  

Then I have a shallow trench to fill and can spread the mulch back from there.  I am hoping that by doing it this way I won't have to spray the edges with Round-up.  It is more work but I think it will be worth it in the long run.  I only got two buggy loads spread before it started to rain.  I will have plenty to do for awhile.