Checking in

 

I'm still upset over goat and kids deaths,

The ewes and other nannies are due Jan 1 until ???

I put buck and ram in on August 1st.

I know 1 nanny that looks ready to explode. I'm betting on triplets from her.

She isn't a "friendly" nanny, more like "leave me alone I'll get the job done".

Sounds like her primary caretaker to be honest :^}

She is a seasoned vet so I'm not worried just anticipating.

Another nanny is Wendy our 1st nanny , she is 10 yr old.

The best Mom ever but this will be her last kids.

Mary is the last  nanny but has never kidded, she's 2 so I'll watch her pretty close .

I did make decisions about the older 3 nannies but S decided he would breed 3 young ones against my wishes. I do better than 90% of the work with animals but that didn't matter.

Can you tell I'm a little bitter?  Senseless deaths piss me off.

Anyhow the ewes are all due but I don't have much individual bits on them.

Sheep are more independent and although I walk through them and feed and care for them

they could care less about me. I still like sheep best though. Again like their owner!

Thankfully all lambing and kidding will be over before cattle deliver in March and June.

I have some prep work to do to get ready but I started with LN putting the sides on ewes inside pen.

I lock them in at night if I suspect someone is close although they prefer to stay out.

It makes night time checking easier and I have caught a few in time to jug them before delivery.

I have a few jugs in a stall that I put if-y looking ewes in at night just to separate a bit

and give  community pen more room for remaining ones to spread out.

If noone delivers I turn them all out each day.

S cut a hole in the barn to the goat area we use at kidding time.

Before we had to lock up steer/heifers to move nannies and kids outside during days and reverse process at night. I ask him to cut a hole and create an alleyway so there is a more direct route the goats can come and go. He started it and cut hole but stalled after that.

Hopefully this weekend he'll finish up before kidding starts.

For now goats have 2 calf hutches in the front lot where I can see them during the day.

I don't like those finicky creatures there at night if they kid.

They don't seem smart enough to bring kids in and I don't want frozen kids.

I'll lock them in pen at night starting Sunday or Monday I think.

Getting up during night stinks but necessary. I can't afford cameras but am considering a baby monitor if they are powerful enough. I wonder if they come with 2 sets besides base?

I could put one in goats and other in sheep.

Hmmmm I wonder???