Update

Well folks, it's been a LONG time since I did a post. Teaching a grades two through five class and rushing home to do chores, cook from scratch as much as possible, and stay up on things like making soap leaves little time for the blog. I could keep up better if we had Internet access at home, but we don't. I only have it on my cell phone, which doesn't work as well as I'd hoped for blogging. Anyhow, I wanted to let you know what's been going on.

The biggest news on the homestead is about the goats. I currently have a herd of eight. There are four boys and four girls. :-) My boys are all wethers, and three of them need new homes desperately. Perle is due to kid in March, Sassy, her daughter is due in April, and then we have a long wait. Twilight and Miracle have had a hard time "settling" this time. I took them both to be bred only to have them come into heat again after we were back home. It doesn't take long for this routine to get old. Now they are at the home of their chosen bucks to stay for a month. Fingers are crossed that they will come home thoroughly impregnated with multiple kids! :-) I don't think it's a problem with the girls fertility, but with their owner's observation skills. When I do chores in the dark both morning and night, it's really hard to discern when they are in heat, even when I'm trying my best to pay attention to such things. If everything works out Miracle and Twilight will both kid in June. I am not thrilled about them kidding so late in the year, but it sure beats a year with no kids. :-)

Like all homesteaders, my thoughts have turned toward the garden. I am so anxious to get started with it! I have learned that having the garden in the location of last year's chicken pen is the BEST way to do it! The things I planted at that location grew wonderfully, had virtually no pests, and the location was almost weed free. The few weeds that did appear were very easy to pull from the loose, rich soil. With that in mind, my garden spot is going to be about one third the size I've had in years past. I am going for excellence over quantity. I think if I have a smaller plot that mostly consists of the area the chickens have occupied I will have an excellent garden spot that will produce more per square foot than the huge garden that is an all out war with Bermuda grass and other weeds. My thoughts are about what I really want to grow, because with the smaller plot comes cuts in the availability of space to grow veggies. I will definitely not have as many of any one variety of plant, but I will also have to limit the number of varieties of plants I grow.

My chickens are doing better than ever. Dare I say I've got this chicken thing down? My flock size has held steady for several months, despite the hawks I frequently see and the owl who roosts in our barn. They are healthy and attractive. Laying is almost at a standstill. The only eggs I've gotten have been from the banties for the past six weeks or so. I am not unhappy with that, though, because I want my chickens to lay according to their biological signals as much as possible, and our winter has been mild enough that I haven't needed to use a heat lamp on them, so their bodies are getting a much needed break from production. I hope to see them start laying in a month or so. I also want to add more birds to the flock this spring. I really want Golden Laced Wyandottes, but I don't know if that will be an option. I love the consistency of the banties for laying, but I would like to have eggs to sell, and for that I think most people are going to want eggs from standard sized chickens. I also want to increase my flock size so that they can prepare more ground for planting next year. :-P

Spring is just around the corner, and I'm ready for it!!!

My Wrecking Crew

The goats have proven to be a wonderful addition to our homestead. I'm afraid Wayne may not agree, though! He has "help" any time he tries to work outside. Most of the time it's just a challenge, but sometimes it can be a little too much. Like this day when he was working on a riding mower, and Miracle decided to have a taste.

You last heard that I was buying Perle and "Jasper." A lot has changed since then. The breeder had named "Jasper" Bill after Buffalo Bill because he looked like a baby bison when he was born. I'd known him for almost two months before he came home, and I never could remember Jasper quickly enough and called him Bill at least half the time. I gave in and he is Bill. Getting a good picture of him is like trying to capture a wild animal in the jungle!
Perle is the original dairy goat I selected to bring home. She has proven to be a real sweetheart, and a joy to milk twice a day. (She does have ornery moments from time to time, but who doesn't?!) I am very pleased with her. So much so that I may not branch out into the Nubians like I originally planned.

Pete (as in, Peter Pan) was a sweet surprise. I was there while Pete's mother was in labor, and also next day, but not at his actual birth. Michele (my breeder) gave him to me, which was such a blessing because I didn't really get to enjoy Bill's "bottle baby" phase. Pete is truly my baby!

Miracle is our most recent addition to our herd. She's quite a mess! She is very sweet, loving, and attached to people. I'm not sure she even thinks she's a goat.
She's also into EVERYTHING!!! -including my flower pot. LOL!
Miracle has a precocious udder. She is only six months old, and her udder is nearly as big as Perle's.

Perle's Coming!

I was planning to wait until I actually had her home so I could post pictures that I'd taken myself, but I just can't stand in any longer! I have to share. She had not had any kids yet when this picture was taken. She's had two sets now. She has twin doelings on her at the moment. I am also getting a wether named Jasper for her companion. Jasper is about two months old, so he will be a bottle baby. How fun is that?!