Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Crossed fingers, empty stalls, gifts.

Crossing my fingers that my two little eggs in my cheap little incubator make it. The chicks inside were moving as recently as 4 days ago, but I haven't handled them since aside from turning them until two days ago when my instructions said to back off and leave them alone. I have been leaning over them every couple of hours to see if they are cheeping in there or not. Tomorrow (the 25th) is supposed to be their big day, if they made it.

They are arriving by spaceship.... lol...

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It's almost impossible to regulate the temp and humidity right. I KNOW it is too humid in there but everything I read says too humid is better than not humid enough.

On the bright side, if this fails... it looks like I have a broody hen finally. This is day 4 of her sitting here, and she has a bare patch on her tummy and only gets up to eat and drink and heads back.

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This is Fluffy Butt, the Buff Orpington. When she is out eating I am taking out the brown eggs and leaving the white and green under her. I get a lot more brown eggs than the other colours and at least one of the people I am supplying eggs to won't eat the brown ones, so I need more white and green. These chicks won't be the best mix for egg laying since daddy is a Phoenix and they are an ornamental not a production breed... but they should be quite pretty.

So, on the goat front.... I'm not sure it seems "right" only having two does. Two does does not a herd make, lol. I moved them into the Ladies Stall once Rosie and Thyme headed to their new home and the stall seems so.... empty... with just the two of them in there. I think they need a Nubian to keep them company. Someday. I may be going to look at a few Nubian doelings next week but unless I sell my cart and/or saddle that won't happen. Anyone looking for a wide Aussie saddle or a Shetland sized pony cart? I have names in mind for a Nubian should I ever get one. Artemisia or Belladonna, depending on colour. I like to plan ahead.

Thegirls are settled in to the big stall nicely.

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Ivy is sure if she keeps checking something yummy will appear in her bucket.

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Sage is looking a tad narrower in the belly today, at least from the front, but no smaller from the side.

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I'm crossing fingers for the chickies and for Sage to have girls. If I can't get a Nubian this year then her girls will be my primary "sweet milk" does. So yeah, I need them to be girls. NEEEED. Plus I need new a "Rosemary" and "Thyme" to keep my herd's Scarborough Fair core in tact, lol. Yes, I fully intend to name two more of my goats by the same names as two previous goats. They will just be Rosemary II and Thyme II.

A friend of mine, Erin from Cadence Rhythm Beads (eBay seller: ExtraHannah) sent me the loveliest string of rhythm beads for Brego. He isn't quite sure what to think of them, he kept twitching his skin like he had a fly on his side and it kept making them jingle.

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They are just gorgeous, I'm tempted to wear them myself when he isn't using them to look handsome and sound beautiful.

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I told him he sounded like a bellydancer.

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Just lovely.



Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Bye bye, ladies!

Well, Rosemary and Thyme got their test results back and as expected they tested negative for CL so they get to go to their new home. I will miss them but gosh were they ever good goats for me. They did just exactly what I needed them to do when I needed them to do it, they put up with me when I was weird and a bumbling newbie, and they gave me a chance to see where I wanted to head with this whole "goat" thing.

It's hard to see them go, Rosemary has always been my favorite. But I know she will be happy where she is going, and I have Sage and Ivy to comfort me, lol. In no time at all Sage will be ready to give me those kids and hopefully a month or so later Ivy will be up to weight to breed the first time. She only needs about 10 pounds so I don't think that will be a problem.

So Bye Bye, Rosemary and Thyme. Good luck, have fun, and be good girls!

Their first day home:

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Rosemary and Chickory, her first kid and mine!

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The girls, showing me some love:

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