Tag: hay

Hay Arrival

The new round hay bale has been delivered and the pygmy’s are in nibble heaven. This one bale should last until approximately February for the four of them. I did get an extra one though that they cannot get to.

It’s in place and they’ve started eating from it already but I still have to go up and put the border around it so they won’t be able to scatter it everywhere and waste it. Goats aren’t really grazers so once it hits the ground and/or they mess on it they won’t eat it. So in order to use it as feed and not bedding you have to place something around it.

It has to be placed on it’s end because if it’s laying on its side they’ll pull from the middle of the ends and it’ll collapse. I’ll be placing a fence around it with a gap in the front for them to eat from. Across the gap will be small logs that they can get their heads through to eat. There will also be a tin top over it to keep the weather off of it and to shelter them while eating.

The trees in the pictures below on each side of the bale will be used to help support the fencing. There’s just enough of a gap between them at the top to put the tin. They’re eating from the back in these which is where the fence will be. I may eventually block it all in except the front to protect it from the rain and snow.

Waiting anxiously for the bale to be placed
Checking out the new snack
Yummy
Posted on by Fakya 0

First Snow

We had the first snow of winter last week. It was beautiful. A whopping five inches to start the season off.

The goats didn’t leave the barn for two days. They’re not a big fan of snow. All of them were content inside munching on hay all day and taking naps between snacks. So far that’s the longest they’ve spent time inside not even poking their heads out.

The two elder dogs didn’t hardly want to go out the door. Once outside though they began to run and play even if only for a few minutes. You could see their inner pup trying to come out. On the other hand the three youngest ones couldn’t wait to get out the door and didn’t want to come back in.

As for me, I love snow. I find it absolutely beautiful. My getting old bones can’t take the cold as easy as they used to though. But on a farm there is still chores that need taken care of no matter the weather. There’s always something that you winterize that messes up or that you had just forgot to do while prepping for the upcoming weather.

On top of this mountain there is always a wind blowing of at least 10 to 15mph with gusts up to 50mph. It’s awesome in the summer but frigid in the winter. It might be 25° but with the wind chill it feels like the teens. You brave the outdoors dressed to the max, walking like a penguin. Bending over and not falling on your face is an achievement. You do what you have to do. The prize when you come back in is a hot cup of cocoa or coffee to warm yourself up.

Posted on by Fakya 0

Pygmy’s

The goat pen is setup and ready for winter. I’ll have to get another round bale of hay for them in about a month and that should take them through to spring. They love spring and all the green leaves that come with it.

They’re breeding right now so spring should also bring a couple of kids. I’m thinking about May or so. We have two females so we should get at least two but I’m hoping at least one of them has twins.

Spring will also bring some needed hoof maintenance as well. They circled their pen so much during summer that they kept them in pretty good shape themselves during that time.

In the pictures below the black and white one and the brown one are males. The two black ones are the females. Mooney, the black and white one, is the leader of the pack. Moe, the brown male, is the youngest of them all.

Breakfast time is when they get sweet pellets and whole kernel corn. The rest of the day they forage for greens, dried leaves, and also have hay to eat. They love to snack on and off all day. Once the snow starts they’ll eat their breakfast mix and hay.

Breakfast time
Hunting for greens
Posted on by Fakya 0