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.  

 

Restricted

Draper has started her restricted diet.  In an effort to keep her off of fescue I am keeping her up and feeding what is supposed to be fescue free hay.  My plan is to switch her to alfalfa for the last 30 days. 

I have reconfigured the new barn to where she can just be loose in the whole thing. I have a stall area I can move her to if I want to ride a different horse. Right now Clyde is being restricted too.  I have started limiting his access to spring grass. I think he has foundered some in the past. 

At least he can keep Draper company through the fence. Hugo is on the other end of the barn for the time being. And at some point Otoelene will need to start her restricted diet.  Maybe I should have just built stalls for everyone.  But I just hate stalls. 
 

Guest Trainer

I got to keep Sadie and Allie again yesterday. 

We started out playing outside. We were trying to do some shadow tracing but had to keep waiting for the sun to pop out. 

After we did the tracing, the girls added some details like hair and faces. 

After lunch our guest trainer arrived and we headed out to catch Clyde. 

Linda taught me how to ride, now she is working on a third generation. 

I think Sadie and Allie enjoyed the change up 

And I know Linda was in heaven. 

After letting Clyde go we went to check out the new calf. 

Allie actually wanted to pet her. 

Sadie opted for picking flowers. 

No flower is safe from Sadie. 
 

Jacked

Not jacked up, jacked out. 

It is usually not a good sign when this comes out.  

When Joe was checking the cows yesterday evening, a second calf heifer didn't look right to him.  He got her up to the barn lot and she started eating, yet she had some discharge.  She didn't act like she was in labor.  He waited an hour and checked again, nothing.  So it was my turn.  We got her in the chute and I said that looked like trouble.   It ended up being a backwards calf with only the butt coming.  

Thankfully, my epidural worked and I was able to get the chains on and the feet pulled out.   This is where the jack came in handy.  Joe and I can't pull as hard as we use to.  And amazingly,  

The calf was alive. It was less than 30 minutes from the time we got her in the chute until we got the calf out.  And she was standing in another 30 minutes.  The cow took a little longer.  She went down in the chute.  We had to open the side and she rolled out and got stuck.  We had to put a halter on and ropes on her rear legs to drag her around until she could get in a position to stand.  She just didn't try.  Joe said it was one of the problems of having cows that were too tame.  When we turned her out this morning she went right to eating again.  

 

Crafts And Clyde

Friday for the first day of Spring Break and I got to keep Sadie and Allie. 

They wanted to do a craft. So I pulled out a couple of coaster kits I had gotten on clearance at DG. 

It was a hit. 

But after crafting it was time for Clyde. 

It is amazing how confident they have become working with Clyde. 

Allie is even wanting to ride by herself without us leading her.  But she still doesn’t want to trot. 

Sadie on the other hand only wants to trot. 

And I get a good workout chasing a lazy pony around so Sadie can trot.