Tuesday, February 23, 2010
FSF is on Facebook!
Hi all! We have taken the plunge and developed a Facebook page for our farm. This will be the quickest way to see updates and photos of new babies comming very soon. If you would like to become a fan of Four Seasons Farm on Facebook just search for Four Seasons Farm (FSF) Dairy Goats. You can also just click the title of this post, and it will take you right there. We'll see you there!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Enjoying the calm before the storm
Hi everyone! We are still here, things have been quiet the last 6 weeks or so, which is a nice change of pace. Chores are getting done and the does are getting bigger. It's nice to be able to do morning chores in less than 30 minutes before work. Then in the evening everything takes about an hour. During evening chores we make sure all the hay feeders are full, water buckets are freshly filled and everyone gets a grain treat. Of course, we also have to allow time for a scratch on the head, a neck rub, or whatever attention each one craves at the time.
The first doe is due on March 4th and we can already see that she is starting to change her routine due to her ever-growing belly. All the girls in the barn are getting a little anxious (and a little bit crabby) as they get bigger. We are really excited to see our new arrivals soon!
Before the babies start to arrive, we have a lot to do in the next few weeks. We have already started giving does their CDT and Bo-Se boosters. This will help give the new babies immunity for the first few weeks of life. We will be loading in hay to make sure we have plenty of nice grass hay and wonderful alfalfa to get the does started right when they freshen and start their lactation. We will get the barn cleaned out and everything freshly limed and bedded so that everyone has the best environment to live in and be born in. We will also have to change our groups of animals around in the barn, to make room for the new babies. This will lead to a little bit of friction for a day or so. But, in the end, we will try to group goats together that get along well.
As we anticipate the new arrivals, we are also thinking of name options. Each year we use a theme. We are thinking that themes this year will be around "magic" or "stars". Names that we have come up with so far include: Chant, Charm, Potion, Spellbound. We need names for gilrs and boys... so start thinking! If you have ideas for names please leave us a comment on the blog and we'll take them all under advisement!
The first doe is due on March 4th and we can already see that she is starting to change her routine due to her ever-growing belly. All the girls in the barn are getting a little anxious (and a little bit crabby) as they get bigger. We are really excited to see our new arrivals soon!
Before the babies start to arrive, we have a lot to do in the next few weeks. We have already started giving does their CDT and Bo-Se boosters. This will help give the new babies immunity for the first few weeks of life. We will be loading in hay to make sure we have plenty of nice grass hay and wonderful alfalfa to get the does started right when they freshen and start their lactation. We will get the barn cleaned out and everything freshly limed and bedded so that everyone has the best environment to live in and be born in. We will also have to change our groups of animals around in the barn, to make room for the new babies. This will lead to a little bit of friction for a day or so. But, in the end, we will try to group goats together that get along well.
As we anticipate the new arrivals, we are also thinking of name options. Each year we use a theme. We are thinking that themes this year will be around "magic" or "stars". Names that we have come up with so far include: Chant, Charm, Potion, Spellbound. We need names for gilrs and boys... so start thinking! If you have ideas for names please leave us a comment on the blog and we'll take them all under advisement!
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