New Farm Babies

Well, the past month has brought us a lot of new life, here on the farm.  On January 31, Gretel had her babies between 10am & 1pm, she was 6 days overdue and I feel bad that I wasn't there when they were born.  She had quadruplets but sadly one little doe was born dead. We still got 2 little does and a buck! Doesn't get much better than that. The babies names are Jack Junior, Karie & Katie. The girls are Sable & White and Jr. is Black & White. 

Karie & Katie sporting their sweaters

Junior in his sweater

The weather turned very cold with temps getting into the negative digits, the day after the babies were born.  We had to fashion sweaters for the babies out of my old sweater sleeves.  They looked so cute and kept the babies warm.   

The 2nd week of February brought new chicks and ducklings to the farm.  We got 50 Jumbo Cornish Cross Meat Chickens, 25 mixed Plymouth Barred Rock and Buff Orpington pullets and 16 mixed breed ducklings.  For having arrived about 4 hours before a blizzard, the chicks and ducklings did pretty good.  The ducklings have proved to be the messy residents with all their wild pool parties in the waterer.  

Soon after the chicks and ducklings arrival we got a huge snowstorm that left us with 3-5 foot drifts in places.  It was very exhausting just feeding and watering the outside animals and trying to make sure they all stayed in the shelters and warm.  The babies all did fine, but were confined to the goat house for a total of 3 weeks!!!  Gretel was so happy to finally get out of her stall when the warmer temps came and lasted all of 2 days before dipping again into frigid temps.

At one month of age the goat babies are outside and learning their roles in the herd.  In three days, they will be 6 weeks old and tomorrow I will start weaning them from Momma.  I'm going to separate them for 6 hours tomorrow and see how that goes and milk her by hand at the 3 and 6 hour points.  Then, will add 3 hours more away from the babies every day till they are completely weaned.  




The chickens and ducklings have now been successfully moved to the garage into the bigger brooder, they are enjoying their roomier quarters and we are enjoying less smell in the basement.  I'm glad I can just open the garage doors and air the place out a couple of times a day and cleaning the pens is easier too.  

Well, that about covers the last 6 busy weeks here at Twin Haven.  I'll write more soon.  Teresa