Westfarm Goats

Spring is just around the corner

2012-02-13T05:22:00.000-08:00

Even though we still have a foot of snow on the ground and it is much colder this month than last, it is time to daydream about spring. Browsing through seed catalogs, I've already ordered the asparagus roots, seeds need to be ordered soon. April and Laura are excited about gardening, so I'll go for a bigger one this year, since there will be help!

It's also time to think about baby chicks. Think we'll just go for laying hens this year. I will buy a few extra day old chicks, so if anyone is thinking about urban backyard chickens, let me know. I'll raise them for a few weeks, to give them a good start for you. I'd like more Welsummers, but they don't seem to be available this year. So the other breeds I'm considering are: Americanas (they lay the blue/green eggs), Columbian Wyandotts and Rhode Island Reds. All are heavier breeds that lay brown or colored eggs. The heavier breeds do better in our cold climate.

Molly the ultra spoiled goat

2012-02-13T05:19:00.000-08:00

Molly is still demanding her bottle twice a day at 9 months old.

Patches' Ghost

2012-02-05T04:49:00.000-08:00

Here is a photo of Patches a few weeks ago. She is the one on the right with the black nose and brown ear. She is in the same stall as the one with her ghost in the photo below.

Could this be the ghost of Patches checking on Milky Way?

Patches

2012-02-04T05:25:00.000-08:00

So I sit writing, exhausted from a different worry. Patches suddenly became ill a few days ago. I noticed she seemed lethargic one evening, but no apparent reason. The next evening it looked like she was about to miscarry her two-month old fetus(es) – goat gestation is 5 months. She was obviously feeling badly. I gave her some meds hoping all would be well. But a couple hours after evening chores, I decided all was not well. Of course it was now after hours, but the veterinarian hospital has 24 hour emergency service.
I hefted all 86 pounds of Patches into the back of the Subaru. She didn’t help, but she didn’t fight me either. None of my farm helpers were available to assist me, so you do what you have to do. This also meant driving up the mountain, in the dark and cold, it was already only18 degrees, to a place I’d never been. I had a vague idea of the location. Usually the vet makes farm visits, but since it was cold and dark (no electricity in the barn), it was best to transport the goat to the vet. After various treatments the vet sent us home with an armload of shots and a book length list of instructions. Patches was somewhat better yesterday morning. Eating and drinking, ears more perky, but then she crashed again. Oh, forgot to say she wasn’t actually pregnant, just a horrible uterus infection and anemia. This morning was another emergency trip to the vet. After many more shots, fluids and other miscellaneous treatments the prognosis is wait and see. She may pull through and she may not. I tuck her into the barn with a goat coat and cozy straw to keep her warm. Her sister lies down next to her. “Sleep well Sweet Pea, hope you are better in the morning.” She gives me a sad, tired, look and puts her head down to rest.
I go to the barn just as it is light, there is a terrible moaning coming from the stall. I know that sound, there is nothing more to do, just sit with her and hope it is over soon. I let the others out to eat and sit down with Patches’ head in my lap, she quiets some. She was waiting for me to be with her. Milky Way, her sister, stands nearby, eyes sad, watching. She is calmer now, although pain still racks her body every couple minutes, no more moaning just heavy, long, labored, breaths that come slower and slower. Finally nothing, you can feel the life leave her. Her sister comes in and sniffs her head and nose, then slowly walks away to go eat with the others. I sit there a few more minutes….. Better get up, the others need to be let out and fed. Life goes on, the yearlings come bouncing out of their stalls, the chickens are loudly squawking to be let out into the sunlight, and the cats need their treats. As I feed everyone, a few goats walk in to sniff Patches and then go back to eating. Animals accept the death of their own much easier than humans do. As long as they have a chance to see/smell the one that has passed on, they can move on. I finish the chores, filter the milk and put it away. Now it is time to deal with the remains. Milky Way is lying in front of the stall guarding her sister’s body, but moves aside when we enter. Patches will go to the forest to return to nature. Her remains will nourish the woodland creatures and the cycle will go on.
So why have I had a goat farm for the last 22 years? What is it about these inquisitive creatures that has me hooked, line and sinker in to this life? Could it be their silly smiles or the way they lean against you as they causally chew on your zipper, shoelace or shirttail? Could it be the amazing acrobatics of the kids bouncing and dashing around the corral, leaping onto anything that is somewhat horizontal: the overturned water bucket, the back of an adult goat or a human bent over to pick up a piece of string?
The cycle of life continues, the countdown to a new kidding season is on. First ones are due April 17th. Some does are beginning to look slightly more round, I’ll know in a couple weeks who is actually going to have kids. I know which ones were bred, but the question is, did it take? We’ll know soon and the excitement of having the tiny kids creeping, then leaping around is what makes it all worthwhile. So why goats? I had no choice, the goats chose me.

Valentine Soaps

2012-01-14T06:04:00.001-08:00

Valentine heart soaps are now ready for sale! Visit my website to purchase them. www.westfarmgoats.com

Thoughts for the New Year

2012-01-03T05:26:00.000-08:00

From the book "Voluntary Simplicity" a discussion course by the NorthWest Earth Institute, this quote is in the article "Living Deeply" by Janet Luhrs.

"Simple living is about living deliberately. You choose your existence rather than sailing through life on automatic pilot. Simple living is about making deliberate choices, you are fully aware of why you are living your particular life.
Living deeply means living consciously... being fully present, fully aware.
Simplicity and living deeply means shedding all of those outward layers of image and busyness that keep us from being close to ourselves and other people. It is a more authentic life."

2012-01-01T04:59:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM ALL OF US AT WESTFARM GOATS!

After many tragic losses we are glad to see this year over with.

We hope for a safe, peaceful and productive new year.

May your year hold less busyness. Allow yourself time to reflect and live consciously. That is our goal!

Bears in hibernation, tortoises in their shells and winter

2011-12-25T19:25:00.000-08:00

Bears hibernate in the short cold days of winter. Skunks only poke their heads out every few days to eat the cat food. Tortoises hide in their shells. There is only 6 hours between the end of morning goat chores and the beginning of evening chores. So I feel like a tortoise only poking my head out every few days to see the world. It is winter break between semesters and I can hardly bear to even look at a computer screen. Online teaching zaps all the high tech energies from this Luddite. So until Jan 9th, when we start to gear up for the spring semester, I will have little contact with the computer. I'm making soap - stocking up for the spring, cuddling in my warm reading chair (actually getting some books read - currently it is Hamlet's Blackberry by Wm Powers) and of course hauling gallons of water from the house to the goat pen throughn the icy and snow......

So MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR - I'll see you in 2012. The year of the end of the Mayan 5th great cycle, but more on that later.....

"Bucolic"

2011-12-17T05:42:00.001-08:00

I've been wondering about the term "bucolic". I first became aware of it when I read the book "The Bucolic Plague" - great book by the way.
So here is the definition:
bucolic [bjuːˈkɒlɪk]
adj also bucolical
1. of or characteristic of the countryside or country life; rustic
2. of or relating to shepherds; pastoral
n
1. (Literary & Literary Critical Terms) (sometimes plural) a pastoral poem, often in the form of a dialogue
2. a rustic; farmer or shepherd
[from Latin būcolicus, from Greek boukolikos, from boukolos cowherd, from bous ox]
bucolically adv

Now that I've actually looked up the word, I will now need to start using it on a regular basis.
So have a bucolic day!

Soap gift certificates

2011-12-12T05:53:00.000-08:00

You can now purchase gift certificates for my soap. Go to my Etsy site and look for this photo. www.etsy.com/shop/westfarmgoats

There are a variety of prices to choose from for the gift certificates.

SOAPS ARE READY!

2011-11-25T06:00:00.001-08:00

Orange cinnamon and spicy gingerbread

Peppermint snowflakes and candy canes or anise bells

All soaps are available for purchase on my website http://www.westfarmgoats.com/

Order early for best select :)

Spicy Gingerbread Soaps

2011-11-19T15:23:00.001-08:00

Available next will be the spicy gingerbread men and houses, orange cinnamon poinsettas and swirls.

Buying Westfarm's Soap

2011-11-19T15:21:00.000-08:00

To see the list of currently available soaps and knitted items you can go directly to my sale site on Etsy.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/westfarmgoats?page=1

Chanukah/Hanukkah soaps!

2011-11-19T15:06:00.001-08:00

New this year are soaps for Hanukkah. There is the Star of David and a dreidel. These are packaged in blue, white or silver gift bags. www.westfarmgoats.com

Holiday Peppermint Soaps are ready!

2011-11-19T05:47:00.001-08:00

My winter holiday soaps are ready for sale. Pictures here are the peppermint holly bars and snowflakes, eucalyptus pinecones and pine trees. Visit my website www.westfarmgoats.com OR go directly to the sale site.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/westfarmgoats?ref=seller_info

More soaps will be added to the list this weekend.

When I'm old....

2011-10-27T05:28:00.001-07:00

When I'm old I want to be like this sweet lady we met at the Taos Farmer's Market. She was telling us about this New Mexico squash. It is a native wild squash that has been domesticated. People like her have been saving the seeds and planting this squash for decades. You could tell from the way she talked, that she loved her squash - that sounds strange, but she radiated a wonderful feeling when talking about them. The price was based on the size of your dinner plate at home. If it was larger or smaller than your plate, the squash was a particular price. Nancy and I of course had to each buy one :)

So no, I don't plan on selling squash at a farmer's market when I'm old, but there was something magical in the way she talked about her squash. Guess I feel the same about my goats.

Molly the Milk Monster

2011-10-27T05:10:00.001-07:00

Yes, Molly is almost 6 months old and yes, she still gets a bottle twice a day, but then the other kids her age are still nursing from their goat moms.

Yesterday Molly came out first thing, had her bottle and stayed in the barn to eat her hay breakfast (it was snowing and goat's hate snow). The cats hang out until I give them fresh milk. Well, I poured milk in the cat bowl and went back to milking then heard a funny noisy. Turned around and there was Molly standing on the hay bale drinking the cat milk out of the bowl! The cats were standing a little way off glaring fireworks at her. Wished I'd had my camera....

Wilma the Welsummer hen

2011-10-16T05:34:00.000-07:00

I think Wilma was one of my barn cats in a former life. I don't usually make pets out of chickens, but Wilma made herself a pet....

Knitted items

2011-10-09T13:54:00.000-07:00

I've started listing my knitted items for sale. You can go directly to this Etsy website to purchase them (my westfarmgoats website is not caught up yet). http://www.etsy.com/shop/westfarmgoats

More available soon!

Live Abundantly

2011-10-05T05:35:00.000-07:00

I read this in Cappers magazine. It really reflects my philosophy of investing in humans.

"Live Abundantly" by Colleen Newquist

My son came out of a sandwich shop to where I waited in the car and handed me a few dollars in change from his purchase. He put the coins he said, in a box for the needy. I had to smile. He's been doing this-giving money to anyone who needs it - for as long as I can remember.

The first time he came home from school and said he'd given his money to a classmate for lunch, I was upset. But I quickly stopped myself. Wasn't that how I'd been brought up? If I needed money, as a child or as an adult, my dad would have his wallet out, no questions asked, regardless of his own financial situation. I'm so glad the apple didn't fall far from the tree.

As I've gotten older, I've come to realize that holding on to money only makes me feel poor, mean and scared. Sharing what I've got-whether it's money, food or time- is freeing. Sharing is a show of confidence in the powers that be, a belief that we will alsways have what we need.

I'm lucky that I've never not had enough. And even luckier that I have a generous son to remind me.

(Colleen Newquist lives abundantly in Park Forest, IL. Find more of her writing and illustrations at colleennewquist.com)

Wonderful yarns!

2011-10-04T05:17:00.000-07:00

As always there are gorgeous yarns at the Taos Wool Festival, but in my new mode of simplicity I don't find myself wanting to buy ALL of them. I made very deliberate choices and only bought 4 skeins. These will be knitted into socks and sold through my website.

Taos Wool Festival

2011-10-03T05:26:00.000-07:00

Went to the Taos Wool Festival with friend Nancy this weekend. It was a wonderful restful and restorative time for us, as well as being lots of fun.
We admired the Navajo Churro sheep. These are some of my favorite sheep. They have a double fleece - a course outer part and a softer inner coat, although the resulting yarn is usually more on the course side, better for outer garments and rugs. They come in all colors and some even have four horns.
The churro sheep are a well adpated to the SW. They originated from the sheep brought by the early Spanish explorers. They were almost wiped out in the mid 20th century when the government decided that the Navajo should be raising Merino sheep. Only problem with merinos is their soft wool tangles easily in the vegetation of the southwest and then don't do so well eating it either.
Luckily the churro didn't become totally extinct and has had a comeback in the last 30 years.

Knitted items

2011-09-27T05:33:00.001-07:00

Handknit scarves and fingerless mitts will soon be available for purchase on my website. www.westfarmgoats.com

My birthday party

2011-09-22T05:27:00.000-07:00

Yes, I turned 50 a few weeks ago. Here are some pictures.

The early setup crew

The beer guys

The party

Soaps for Autumn now available

2011-09-15T12:58:00.000-07:00

Go to my website to order soap www.westfarmgoats.com

Oatmeal & Honey

Vanilla Maple

Oatmeal & Honey

Raw milk

2011-09-01T05:12:00.000-07:00

It's about time they figured this out. We in the goat world have known this all along :)
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/08/31/us-government-data-proves-that-raw-milk-is-safe.aspx?e_cid=20110831_DNL_art_1

U.S. government data says raw milk is safe and may be better than pasteurized milk from cows raised in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs).

Reroofing the chicken house

2011-08-30T05:11:00.000-07:00

The old brown rolled roofing that we used to roof the new chicken coop two years ago ripped this summer. So had to go buy some shingles and reroof.

The job went quickly, even with a short rainstorm in the middle of the process, we finished in 4 hours. Couldn't have done it without help, thanks Nancy and Trish!!

I don't mind being up on the roof - in fact it is fun, but won't do it without others around.

DONE! Now the roof matches the rest of the barns!

We're having a barn painting party in September.

A visit with Sandra Dallas

2011-08-21T13:46:00.000-07:00

The author of some wonderful historical fiction books, Sandra Dallas, visited the farm a couple weeks ago. The goats and I are featured in her blog. http://65.160.172.253/wordpress/
I loved a couple of her books in particular - "The Diary of Mattie Spencer" and "Prayers for Sale"

A quote

2011-08-04T05:32:00.000-07:00

This quote was on the front page of the Mountain Connection newspaper.
"If you look deeply into the palm of your hand, you will see your parents and all generations of your ancestors. All of them are alive in this moment. Each is present in your body. You are the continuation of each of these people." Thich Nhat Hanh

Love this!

The kids

2011-08-04T05:08:00.001-07:00

Meet Yentl (brown) and her brother Peter

Lilac is as a very attentive mother, except she doesn't know what to do with Peter. She has always had single births in the past.

So guess who needs a bottle....

Of course you can always sneak in and grab some food while Mom Lori is milking Lilac's other side. Lilac has a ton of milk.

Yup, pretty much a helicopter mom....

Lilac and her new kids

2011-08-03T05:48:00.001-07:00

Results of the name vote

2011-08-02T05:12:00.000-07:00

After the voting here and on FB - the number one name is "Stella".

Twins

2011-07-28T19:49:00.001-07:00

Lilac successfully delivered twins while I was doing chores this evening. That's the last of the kids this year - WHEW! It's been a tough season. Pictures as soon as possible.
One male, one female - both have wattles like their dad, Hans.

Vote for a name

2011-07-28T09:46:00.000-07:00

Here is the list of names to vote on for this little doeling. Please vote by Saturday at midnight.

List: Karen, Stella, Kira, Jasmine, Rosemary, Paisley, Canella, My Little GTO, Andromeda, Constellation, Star, Starburst, Baby Ruth, Snickers, Almond Joy, Nougat .

Lilac

2011-07-27T19:44:00.001-07:00

Lilac is due to kid tomorrow. No sign of labor yet, but will be checking on her throughout the night. She is HUGE - last two times she has had only one kid - I expect triplets this time. These are Hans' last kids ( he died of bloat in late June).

Better photos of Helen

2011-07-26T04:40:00.001-07:00

Naming contest

2011-07-24T05:18:00.000-07:00

This little girl needs a name. Her mother, Milky Way just came here to live (I have her mother, Victoria). I'm running a naming contest. You have until Wed July 27th at midnight to make a suggestion, then we will vote.

Baby pictures

2011-07-20T05:01:00.001-07:00

Here is Maggie's doeling. Her name is Helen. As Claire said "she's a little miracle", which made me think about "The Miracle Worker" (the story of Helen Keller). So the name Helen just seems to fit. She started doing little goat bounces last evening.
Sorry the quality is poor - some setting on the camera has changed and its not focusing correctly.

New kid!

2011-07-18T04:52:00.000-07:00

Maggie had a little doeling born yesterday. She was due on Thursday, but I wasn't even exactly sure she was pregnant.
Maggie was doing lots of talking and hanging out in the barn when I was doing chores yesterday morning, so I figured she was in early stages of labor. I spent the morning working in the barn so I could check on her frequently. By 1:30 she was getting very insistant that I stay in the barn with her, so I decided to hang out there as she was beginning to have a discharge.
Arlo and Rosie thought it was great that I was sitting in the barn petting them. Arlo is Maggie's first son so he was slightly concerned about her as well.
Around 2:30 Maggie finally starting having laying-down contractions. Usually once this happens there are babies born within an hour. By 3:30 still nothing. I'm starting to get slightly concerned although she hasn't been working too hard at it. I call Claire, as she is the closest most available person, just in case I should need some help.
In the next 1/2 hour Maggie has 6 hard contractions, still not any feet or nose visible. I call Claire and she heads over.
By 5:00 I decide I better check what's going on inside. I reach in to find a couple little hooves and a nose - WHEW - the baby's in the correct position! But it is very tight inside so the kid is stuck. I grab the feet and start pulling as Maggie pushes. The feet and legs appear and then the nose, but it is so tight! I have to really work and pull - Poor Maggie - it hurts so much. But Claire is holding her head to help with calming and give resistance. I keep praying to get the kid out alive. There is a nose and a little moving tongue - finally the head pops out and there she is a LIVE kid!!! She is a cute little brown thing that is hungry immediately.

This is the second time Maggie has had a difficult birth (the first was Arlo and two siblings). She is hard to get bred - she was 4 years old when Arlo was born, but she is an excellent milker. She milked for three years. Therefore I've decided to milk her as long as possible this time and then retire her from breeding. At that point she will be 10 years old, will have given me Arlo and a nice daughter - that is enough. Maggie by the way was also a bottle baby. Isabelle, her mother, decided she could only handle one and gave Maggie to me.

I'll get pictures today.

Baby chicks

2011-06-29T05:10:00.000-07:00

The third batch of baby chicks arrived on Monday morning. Now that Denver is allowing people to own some backyard chicks, I've been selling month old pullets like crazy. Could probably sell all I have except then that would defeat my purpose of keeping more laying hens for more eggs to sell.
However, I'm considering ordering one more batch of chicks for August. So if you live in the area and have been considering backyard chickens and would be interested in 4 or 5 let me know ASAP so I can order them. This late in the season the variety of breeds is not as large, however I should be able to get 2 or 3 different heavy heritage breed, brown egg layers.

Solar and Lunar eclipses

2011-06-29T04:55:00.000-07:00

In ancient times solar or lunar eclipses and full moons were thought to be times of great power. Now days most of us don't even think twice about them except emergency rooms often prepare for extra people and veternarians prepare for more animal emergencies.
We've been hit with a triple dose this month. If you weren't keeping track there was a partial solar eclipse on June 1, a full lunar eclipse AND full moon on June 15 and this week another solar eclipse on July 1st. Have things been a bit off for you lately? It's been bazaar around here particularly with the goats.

Kid goats, green pastures....ahhhhh

2011-06-18T05:01:00.000-07:00

Kids and kittens

2011-06-09T04:56:00.000-07:00

Their names are Sapphire, Galena, Topaz and Ruby. They were born on April 24 and the mom, Midnight, brought them out from their nest under the tool box on Memorial Day weekend. There are two gray ones and two black ones, and I think a maleand a female of each color.

Kittens!

2011-06-08T05:31:00.000-07:00

More baby pictures

2011-06-03T05:10:00.001-07:00

It's fun to eat hay of the sheep.

Flower in a bucket

Rosie in a bucket - can you tell the kids like buckets :)

Baby Belle with the newborn Flower. She's a wonderful mother.

Molly and Mattie

2011-05-26T05:19:00.001-07:00

Molly likes to cuddle next to Mattie when she gets tired during chores.

Avalon's kid

2011-05-26T05:17:00.001-07:00

Here's a picture of Avalon's one kid.

A kid

2011-05-19T08:43:00.000-07:00

Avalon had one buck born about 3am. Was hoping for at least one female - darn. Everyone is fine, sooooo now I can sleep all night without having to make a trip to the barn - YEAH!

Avalon

2011-05-18T19:44:00.001-07:00

Avalon is due to kid today, but so far nothing is happening. Her milk has not dropped either so maybe tomorrow? I'll be checking on her about 2am to make sure all is well. She is the last doe to kid in May - whew almost made it!

There are 4 (hopefully) due in July - Robin, Maggie, Shannon, and Lilac

Glad I bought the Maya Baby sling

2011-05-12T10:47:00.000-07:00

"Grandma Judy" and her "grand kids"

Molly and Mattie

2011-05-12T10:45:00.000-07:00

Mattie really likes to have someone to play with that is her size. Molly doesn't mind too much, except when Mattie licks her face.

Molly

2011-05-12T10:36:00.000-07:00

So Molly is a "house goat" at least for now. I had trouble thinking of a name, until it hit me, the perfect name....my first bottle baby 20 years ago was a black Pygmy named Molly.

And Brigitt

2011-05-12T10:27:00.000-07:00

Brigitt with Molly, shortly after her birth.

Brigitt and Brenda

Brigitt had two doelings born Sunday evening (Mother's Day). No problems with the birthing. However after one night with the twins, Brigitt decided she only wanted one (her name is Brenda), so she gave the other one to me to raise (Molly).

Josephine

2011-05-12T10:17:00.000-07:00

Introducing "Rosie"

Introducing "Chaco". The original Chaco belonged to my friend Claire although she had been born here several years ago. The adult Chaco was killed last summer by a bear.

Josephine had a terribly hard birthing. Thank goodness Anne and Maryanne were here to help me with the midwifing.

We lost the first little doeling in the birthing process - her name was "Maria". However two more healthy doelings followed. They were born about 2:00pm on Friday May 6.

Baby Belle's and Hans' girls

2011-05-12T10:07:00.000-07:00

Introducing "Marika" - she is named after Hans' mother who was killed by a mountain lion this year.

This Marika's sister "Flower". The original Flower was also part of Hans' original family killed in the same mountain lion attack.

Next kids

2011-05-12T09:47:00.000-07:00

Baby Belle had her triplets about 12:30 AM on Wed May 11. I went to check on her and there were all three wet babies. They must have come very quickly after each other. She was trying to clean all three and gave me this look as if to say "It's about time you got here, I need some help!"

These are Hans' first kids and they look like him. The buck has almost identical markings to Hans.

Annie's kids

2011-05-12T09:40:00.000-07:00

Annie's kids were born Tues May 10 about 12:30pm. The sun was warm and there were no birthing problems.

The little doeling told me her name is Strawberry. We won't be naming her brother, as he won't stay here.

Kids everywhere!

2011-05-09T04:36:00.000-07:00

Here is the kid count.
Annie- twins one male, one female on Tuesday
Baby Belle- triplets, 2 females, one male Early Wednesday morning
Josephine - triplets, one female died at birth, 2 females alive and well, born Friday afternoon
Brigitt - 2 females born Sunday evening at chore time

Avalon is due on May 18th, so a bit of a break!

Whew what a week (I'm also trying to get final papers and stuff done to turn grades in this week).

I'll get pictures and more details up soon.

Triplets

2011-05-05T05:58:00.000-07:00

Baby Belle had triplets - they look just like Hans.

More details later.

Finally good news!

2011-05-03T19:50:00.000-07:00

Annie had twins born today - she was five days early.
Baby Belle is kind of in labor now. Will be checking on her throughout the night.
Pictures in a day or two.

More bad news

2011-05-01T15:26:00.000-07:00

Daisy was due to have kids today. She wasn't in labor last night when I put them to bed, but my mistake was not checking on her in the middle of the night. When I went out at 6 am, she was gone along with her kids. She died in labor. Maybe there was nothing I could have done, but I so wish I had been there with her to try.

I'm putting up the baby monitor in the barn and will be checking everyone nightly until we are finished kidding.

Baby Belle is due next - Wednesday.

On a happy note however, Doug (my neighbor up the hill) just called and his doe Patches just delivered healthy twins a week early. Patches was born here, she is Iona's oldest daughter.

Easter

2011-04-28T05:43:00.000-07:00

Typical Easter weather! Glad to have it though, it keeps the wildfires at bay.

Is that a basketball?

2011-04-28T05:38:00.000-07:00

It appears that Josephine is carrying a basketball between her back legs. I can't believe the size of her udder for a first time mom. AND she isn't due to kid until May 9th! I'm watching very closely to hopefully prevent mastitis.

Chicks are growing!

2011-04-28T05:27:00.001-07:00

At 15 days old the chicks are trying to fly around the brooder. I Have to be careful when I take the top off that no one escapes. They would be cat snacks immediately!

Hoping to get the outside coop ready for them on Friday. Hoping this broody hen will adopt them.

Sad news

2011-04-24T05:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning I opened the barn door to find Rosie dead. She probably died of bloat in the night. The worst part is that she was due to kid in 10 days :(
I considered opening her up to try and save the kids, but it had been too long and there was no movement of any kind.
Rosie narrowly escaped a bear attack at Claire's house last September, she then came back here to live. Lilac is her twin sister. Rosie's daughter Lucy, still lives at Claire's house about 10 miles from here, and has been very freaked out the last couple evenings. Do you suppose she knows?
We will miss you Rose, you were a sweet non assuming goat.

Chicks

2011-04-21T16:24:00.000-07:00

These pictures were take on April 9 - so the chicks are twice this size and getting feathers now.

And yes, the brooder is in the sunroom.

Cilantro

2011-04-21T06:29:00.000-07:00

You won't believe the level of excitement that a handful of cilantro stems can cause with the chicks in the brooder :) It was fun to watch.

Full moons and goats

2011-04-20T04:45:00.001-07:00

There is crazy goat behavior during a full moon. When I go to do chores in the evenings of a full moon, even though it is still light and the moon isn't up yet, there is still an influence.

So last night, two goats (Owen and Brigitt) forced their way out the gate under my feet as I went in with the hay. Then all seven (the fuzzy family) were out dashing around the pasture! They were eating some of the nice green grass, but mostly they were just running around. I let them play for a few minutes while feeding those in other pens. Finally corralled Melanie, Missy, Junebug and Firefly, putting them in their house. At that point Owen, Nelsen and Brigitt came in pretty easily and went to bed. :) It was a fun game......

Mattie learns to drive

2011-04-17T15:50:00.000-07:00

Course this was only between the barn and the driveway :) You should always teach the youngsters to drive on the farm roads or in the fields....

Goat kid predictions

2011-04-17T15:46:00.001-07:00

Here are my predicts for the number of kids to be born this May. Daisy - twins Baby Belle - triplets Rose - single Brigitt- single Annie - triplets Josephine -triplets Avalon - twins I may be totally wrong, but it is fun to see.

Chicks

2011-04-11T06:43:00.001-07:00

Baby chicks have arrived!

Farmers Markets

2011-04-10T05:39:00.000-07:00

I'll be selling soap, handspun yarn, knitted items and eggs at three farmer's markets this summer.

I have known for a while that I will be at the Aspen Grove Market in Littleton on Wednesdays and Wheatridge on Thursdays starting on June 15. But was just offered the Highlands Ranch market on Sundays last night. It starts Mays 1st so better get more soap made soon!

Arlo

2011-04-01T05:00:00.001-07:00

Arlo celebrated his third birthday on Wednesday March 30. He was very excited when I let him out that morning, as I reminded him it was his birthday. He went dashing around the pen several times - well at least dashing as much as a 180# goat can dash....

Easter egg soaps

2011-03-22T05:03:00.001-07:00

Lime or Tangerine Easter egg soaps are now available! They are packaged in bright spring colored organza gift bags. Visit my website to purchase them http://www.westfarmgoats.com/

Flower soaps for Mother's Day and Spring will be available April 1.

Who would have thought...

2011-03-22T04:53:00.000-07:00

Lilac was in heat, so I put her in with Stewart (the large white nubian buck) and she ran from him. So I think she needs a few more hours before being receptive. That evening I try again. Again she runs from him. This is weird, I know she's in heat. But then I notice she is making eyes at Hans (the young Alpine buck). So in she goes with Hans. This time she just stands there and lets him breed her. So a doe with discriminating tastes, never would have thought that would happen. Is it because Stewart is big, smelly and aggressive; whereas Hans is still small and doesn't stink as badly. Or is it that Lilac wants spotted kids instead of white?????

Be very, very quiet

2011-03-18T18:57:00.000-07:00

That is what Mattie said as she sat motionless by the barn door a bull elk standing about 25 feet away munching on some old hay. She was very relieved when I finished chores and picked her up to head back to the house. THAT WAS SCARY! ( I was only a few feet away keeping an eye on things, just in case....)

St Patty's Day lights

2011-03-18T04:58:00.000-07:00

The goats chewed up the green St. Patrick's Day lights I had strung along the chicken yard! I had opened the chicken gate slightly to let them into the corrals. But there are four mischievous kids who squeezed through into the chicken yard - Firefly, Junebug, and Brigitt's two boys. The pulled the cord through and chewed about 2 feet of the lights off. I think they chewed the green bulbs too! I checked to see if anyone was bleeding, hopefully there won't be any problems, but I'll keep a close eye on them. Well at least the lights weren't plugged in!!

Bernadette's Worldview

2011-03-09T12:17:00.000-08:00

I'm Bernadette- queen of the cats at Westfarm. Many of you have known my presence in the barn. WELL, now Lori has finally allowed me to move inside the house, since I'm getting older, my joints are stiff and I can't run from predators as well anymore. I thought she'd never get around to this - I'm so MUCH happier now. I even get canned k/d cat food (to help my kidneys)! So I tolerate hanging out with Horace and Sage without too much grumbling.

Hans and Lars

2011-03-08T06:11:00.000-08:00

When Hans came to live here last September, he was only 4 months old, so he moved in with Lars. Throughout the fall there was some basic goat wrestling between these two bucks. Lars was very tolerant of the new new guy. Then came breeding season.....
The wrestling became much more aggressive, although no one seemed to be getting hurt. I didn't want to separate them yet as it was really cold. However Hans keeps getting bigger, he probably weights the same as Lars, just not as tall. Hans is a swiss alpine, so he will eventually be more the size of Stewart. The weather became very nice around Valentine's Day, so I decided a move was in store. Lars moved to Kendal's old house and Hans stayed in their apartment. After a week of Hans making a big fuss every night after being closed up, they both have adjusted and seem happy to have their own quarters. I think Lars is particularly glad to be rid of the "kid".

Damn Skunk!

2011-03-01T05:32:00.000-08:00

A skunk has taken up residence under the goat barn. I smelled it the second I stepped into the hay barn yesterday morning. It kept sending out fragrance while I was milking. Almost made me sick. Hopefully the neighborhood is too noisy during the day for it to sleep and it will move on.

Skunks?!

2011-02-24T05:10:00.000-08:00

Oh No! The skunks are already coming out of hybernation! Vernon saw one down the hill from our house yesterday. So far haven't smelled any, but will need to keep a close eye out when we let the dogs out in the mornings. Hope we don't get baby skunks living under the barn.....

Goat kid due dates

2011-02-22T04:55:00.000-08:00

For those of you keeping track of when the "kids" are due. Here are the May dates if you want them on your calendar:

May 1 - Daisy

May 4 - Baby Belle and Rosie

May 7 - Brigitt

May 8 - Annie

May 9 - Josephine

May 18 - Avalon

And I'm going to predict that Baby Belle and Annie will have triplets (I'm going out on a limb here as I'm just as likely to be totally wrong).

Pregnant Goats

2011-02-19T05:26:00.000-08:00

I usually breed the does in Nov or Dec so the kids are born in April or May. Annie, Baby Belle, Rosie, Daisy, Brigette, Avalon and Josephine are all due in May. However I had a few that didn't take during the December breedings, so decided to have a second round; these girls are all due in July. Decided to skip June kids, as that is a busy month and don't want to worry about kids being born. So the July mothers are Isabelle, Maggie, Robin, Nutmeg. Sunflower and Lilac are on the list if they come into heat again in the next week).

The milk supply has been just barely enough lately, so wanted to make sure there are more milk producers lined up.

We're famous!

2011-02-15T18:57:00.000-08:00

Westfarm Goats has a feature article in a national magazine: Natural Home
Here is the link if you want to read the article.
http://www.naturalhomemagazine.com/green-professionals/westfarm-goats-raising-goats-self-reliant.aspx
This doesn't have all the pictures, but should have a PDF file available soon.

Facebook

2011-02-13T14:05:00.001-08:00

Well, Westfarm Goats is now on Facebook. This Facebook page is mostly going to be about the goats' milk soap and not so much for personal social interaction. I will keep this blog for farm/goat updates.

Don't forget to visit my website to view and order soap.

http://www.westfarmgoats.com/

A sad time

2011-02-07T05:07:00.000-08:00

My young alpine buck Hans, lost his family last week to a mountain lion. Marika, Flower and Oreo belonged to my friend Emily who lives higher up the mountain. Marika gave birth to Hans, Oreo and two other boys last April (her first birth experience). She had enough milk for all four kids but only wanted to nurse two of them. Oreo and Hans became bottle babies. Flower was Marika's "sister", actually she was a pretty black nubian. So very sad that they all perished to a young lion, who was probably just learning to hunt.

Hans came here in September, he is a handsome guy and should have several offspring born in May. At least the lineage will continue. I hope we can get a couple of daughters that have the huge milk production that Marika had. Avalon, my heaviest milk producer has been bred to Hans, so hope for a couple of females.

Hans has matured quite a bit from this picture taken a few months ago. He is now sporting a nice beard.

Piles of goats

2011-02-04T04:43:00.000-08:00

Usually by the time I get the barn door open in the morning all the goats are standing waiting to be let out, but since its been so cold they don't hop up as quickly. On Wednesday morning it was -17 (but the sun was out!) I opened one barn door and there was a goat pile in each of the three corners. The first thing I saw was Christopher's and Dash's heads peeking over the back of their mother. I didn't get much chance to observe as they did stand up pretty quickly. I did see that they were laying in family groups. You would think that they would all pile together to stay warm, but no it is strictly kinship groups. In one corner was Susie and her daughter Avalon. The next corner had Iceni and her kids, Nutmeg, Christopher and Dash. The third corner had Isabelle and her family: Maggie, Arlo and Josephine.

Another thing I learned this week - don't leave the black water buckets full of water overnight in minus degree weather and expect to pop the ice out in the morning. No jumping on the buckets would release the ice this time. Some of the ice is falling out now that the temp reached in the plus 20s yesterday.

Keeping everyone warm

2011-02-01T07:42:00.000-08:00

It is a challenge to keep everyone warm enough when the temperature is -12.
Took warm water, hot oatmeal and sausage(organic of course) out to the chickens this morning - all seem ok, but glad to have the hot food. And no, my chickens are not vegetarians, they also eat mice and bugs when possible.
Goats have extra alfalfa and grain in their barns. Will take warm water down in alittle while. I'll be milking with silk glove liners on - ohhhh I wish for a milking parlor heated to 35 degrees....

You know you have too many clothes on when it is this cold and you start to sweat. Silk long underwear top, turtleneck, hoodie and carhartt coat are too much. Think I'll ditch the hoodie.

Explorer verses the Farmer

2011-02-01T05:38:00.000-08:00

I found this interesting analogy. I fit the farmer type perfectly. My husband is the explorer. Not sure if that is a good or bad thing that we are so totally different..... maybe a little of both.
http://tylertervooren.com/advancedriskology/the-explorer-and-the-farmer/

Farewell to Herbie

2011-01-29T04:45:00.000-08:00

The smartest sheep I've ever known; Herbie was born in the spring of 1994. He passed away during the night of Jan 28, 2011. Herbie was a bottle baby, since his mother had twins she decided to give him to me to raise. So Herbie grew up with the goat kids that year, thus his superior intelligence. Who says environment doesn't make a difference.

As a lamb Herbie would follow the kids around, only problem was he wasn't as agile as the goats. One time I heard this pitiful "BAAAAAA" from the top of the haystack! The kids and Herbie had climbed to the top, only problem was the kids bounced down, leaving Herbie stuck at the top.

So guess who had to climb the haystack to rescue the lamb .......

As Herbie grew and grew and grew, he eventually became the largest animal in the herd (except the bucks). Uncle Herbie became the protector of all. He probably topped out around 250# in his prime. The wool that he produced was wonderful! The first few years, he gave a fleece weighing around 24#. Herbie was once even mistaken for a buffalo wandering our pasture, when a British visitor to the alpaca farm next door saw him.

Although very large Herbie was always very tame and easy to handle. He would stand patiently in the corner while I hand sheared him (this could take several hours).

Missy, the white angora/pygmy in the picture below, has been his companion since birth. Herbie survived Missy having several kids (he was fun to climb on). In their senior years the two could often be seen laying near each other warming in the sun, slowly chewing their cud.
I know she will miss Herbie, but she was there with him when he passed.

Herbie's spirit was strong, even though the last few weeks he had trouble standing and I often had to lift his back end to get him going. His body gave out on Wednesday, but his spirit hung in there. I convinced his spirit it was ok to leave this life. He did me a final favor in the end, I had planned to call the vet on Friday morning, I didn't have to.

His immediate family (Missy's kids and grandkids) had time with him to know that he was gone. Animals seem to adjust well to the passing of their companions if they know what has happened.

Goodbye my Rastafarian friend......

Check out my new Website

2011-01-23T05:52:00.001-08:00

I have totally revised my soap website - have a look!

http://www.westfarmgoats.com/

Valentine soaps are now available.

Free Range eggs

2011-01-19T04:56:00.000-08:00

The United States Department of Agriculture offers this definition:
FREE RANGE or FREE ROAMING: Producers must demonstrate to the Agency that the poultry has been allowed access to the outside.
But “allowing access” doesn’t mean much. A small door in a barn with thousands of chickens technically gives chickens an opportunity to go outside, but that doesn’t mean that they’ll have access to grass (it may only be a concrete slab). For chickens to produce the most healthful and flavorful eggs and meat, they need to be able to eat a variety of green plants, seeds and bugs. Unfortunately, you can’t tell how the chickens live by reading the package in a store. I’d encourage you to find a local farmer who raises poultry on pasture.
— Troy Griepentrog, associate editor
—
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Ask-Our-Experts/Sustainable-Farming/Free-Range-Chicken-Definition.aspx

Eggciting News!!!
10/15/2008 3:37:53 PM
By Tabitha Alterman
Tags: free-range eggs, egg tests, pastured poultry, grazing livestock, egg nutrition, vitamin D
The results from Mother Earth News’ latest round of pastured egg nutrient tests are beginning to come in. So far, pastured egg producers are kicking the commercial industry’s butt — woo hoo, go free range! We’ve invested a lot of time and energy over the last few years in researching the differences between the meat and eggs coming out of the commercial industry and those produced by conscientious farmers who let their animals graze on fresh pastures. In the past, we’ve found that eggs from hens raised on pasture, as compared to those commercially raised factory farm eggs, contain:

• 1⁄3 less cholesterol • 1⁄4 less saturated fat• 2⁄3 more vitamin A• 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids• 3 times more vitamin E• 7 times more beta carotene

Now we’re looking at vitamin D, which many of us do not get enough of because we don’t spend any time outdoors, and even when we do we use sunscreen that blocks vitamin D production. (More about that here.) Eggs are one of the few food sources of naturally occurring vitamin D, and we wondered if true free-range eggs might be higher in this important vitamin, too. Our latest tests show that pastured eggs have anywhere between 4 to 6 times as much vitamin D as typical supermarket eggs.So … (1) Get out there and eat some fresh farm eggs! and (2) Check out our ongoing pastured egg research here.

The Chicken Yard

2011-01-17T05:36:00.000-08:00

The chickens seem to think that they are being under represented in this blog, so I'm trying to remedy this issue.

Even though the temperature has been below zero several nights lately, the red heat lamp keeps the chicken coop above freezing.

The Frizz

2011-01-07T05:22:00.000-08:00

The Frizz didn't make it. I think he must have been sick, as he only slept and didn't crow even after he was warmed up.

Happy New Year from Westfarm!

2011-01-01T12:22:00.000-08:00

The Frizz

2011-01-01T12:17:00.001-08:00

Well, you won't believe this, but the Frizz is back in the house. (See posting of Jan 2010 for background on this). It turned fridged on Thursday and the Frizz had been losing feathers for the past month, so he was huddled under the heat lamp not doing well yesterday morning. Guess he figured the sunroom was a nice place to spend the winter.....

I do believe that the frizzle type feathers don't insulate as well as regular feathers.

Do animals talk on Christmas Eve?

2010-12-24T10:09:00.000-08:00

There has always been the question in our family if the farm animals talk at midnight on Christmas Eve. Maybe they do, but would it be in English? Arlo says they do - but of course Arlo speaks English all the time anyway.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from all of us at Westfarm to all of you.

Two of a kind

2010-12-17T05:26:00.000-08:00

I like Forrest's "ears" in this one.

Forrest

Arlo

Firefly

2010-12-08T05:25:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it, Firefly was in heat yesterday! Luckily I've plugged the holes in the fence that allowed her access to the bucks pens. This picture was only taken the first of July.

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T10:48:00.000-08:00

Did you save in pumpkin skins or apple cores for us??