Baby Goat Love

Kissy and Boots

And Sweet Baby...sort of...

Sometimes the babies get jealous,

and Kissy wishes she had more lap.

 She giggles when Curly eats her clothes.

 It's about the cutest sound you could ever hear.

I'm grateful today for babies and laughter.

All Soap is NOT Created Equal

First Batch of Goat's Milk Soap

Wow, have I learned a lot about soap!!!

I started looking for recipes and learning about soapmaking a few weeks ago. In that time I have read thousands of recipes, discovered the differences in oils, and uncovered the fact that I need to add soap to my list of things I question.

Actually, I've always questioned my soap. I've always looked for and bought handcrafted soaps. I used to make my own melt and pour glycerin until I gave up. 

Why did I give it up?

Because I hate glycerin soap. :o)

I figured that using a soap I hated just because I made it wasn't what I was going for.

I've been buying a soap from the health food store and I assumed it was a great handcrafted product.

And it might be.

But how do I know?

There is no ingredient list.

I didn't look up their philosophy until I sat down to write this post.

As I've looked at recipes on sites that I used to think had great soap I became disappointed.

A goat milk soap that is made with lard and two tablespoons of powdered goat's milk?!! 

Really?!

Not that I have anything against the lard on the one hand....it just wasn't what I was expecting.

But powdered goat's milk?

And just a couple of tablespoons?

 How can you call that goat's milk soap?

My soap making research has been very informative. I will never buy soap again without know exactly what's in it and why.

Not that I'll ever have to BUY soap again.

I am armed with the knowledge.

I am armed with the equipment.

I am armed with the Goats.

Heh, that's a statement you don't hear every day.

Armed with Goats.

Heh.

I am happy that the soap that my children will use from now on is made in our home...

with raw milk from our goats....

 the finest oils I can find....

And as much of their Mama's Love as I can fit into each bar.

Goat Tidbits

Random Kid Picture

I'm sick. :o(   

The last few weeks of crappy food and soda pop have completely taken their toll.

I can't believe that I ever used to feel like this!

Things are kinda slowing down here finally. Which is good, because it means I can take a couple of days off. 

Well, as "off" as anyone hand milking 5 goats can take off.

Well, I'm not really hand milking 5 goats.:o)

I'm hand milking one goat and teaching the other 6 what it feels like to jump up onto a milkstand and have someone mess with their udder. So I'm taking Sweet Baby out first and she hops right up and gets started eating her grain. Then I'm taking the other girls out by what seems to be their herd order.

Clarice comes first. She's such a darling that I don't quite understand how she's the herd queen. She's sweet, gentle, elegant, and refined. I just LOVE her!! She took to the stand with no real problems. She did kick a bit as I worked with her udder but settled down after a few moments. 

Rosemary is next, and SHE seems to have the personality of a herd queen...lol. She's bossy!! But I suppose that it comes from being an old hand at triplets. It's funny to watch her kids climb all over her and she doesn't even seem to notice. 

I've been there Rosemary.....boy have I been there.;o)

She did great. Hopped right up and didn't fuss at all with the handling. I think she's going to settle right in.

Then came Lillie. She was another old soul who didn't fuss at the handling. She had a hard time getting up on the stand though. Didn't seem to know how to jump up there. I can see how a ramp would be beneficial in some instances. But I think it won't take long until she's used to it. She's so smart and pretty.

Tink is the mother of our precious little "boots", I think. He's a teeny tiny little guy with sweet blue eyes and an inquisitive mind. She had no problems at all. Like she'd done it all her life.

I decided to start bringing the young ladies out to the stand so that they could get a feel for being handled and associate it with food. Our near constant presence in or around the pens have allowed them to get very used to us being within reach. This evening was the first time I tested it out though. 

They just let me catch them and then tripped up onto the stand like it was no big deal. The both spent the first few moments shaking while I petted them, but then I think they decided that it felt good because they looked pretty happy while they ate their grain.:o) 

I'm sure they'll be easy going when their time comes.

I love hanging out with the goats. Each mama and baby has their own personality. Each of my children has their favorite. We love watching them skip, jump, dance, fight, sleep, and nurse. They're just delightful.:o)

I've also been spending time hanging out with Diego. 

He's our "Daddy goat", as Kiska calls him. 

He's mellowed a lot. I sit near him when he eats and he walked over to me this evening. Almost within reach, but not quite. 

It's alright Old Man, all in good time.

We've had lots of fun with fiber over the last couple of days I just haven't gotten pictures. Hopefully tomorrow or the next day. 

 

Our Babies are Here!!!

Kissy in Goat Heaven

More this evening, we're running late this morning.:o)

Wonder why?

 

Rosemary's Triplets

Aren't they the most darling things EVER?!

I am in the process of purchasing 6 Nigerian Dwarf does and a buck from Cattail Farms for my dairy. I'm trying to get my fences up and my kidding shed built before I bring them home because 4 of the six ladies are VERY pregnant. Rosemary was the most pregnant of them and Madeleine thought she would probably kid this week. 

She was right.:o) At about 3am Wednesday Rosemary delivered these three darlings. The white one of the left is a little girl and the two on the right are little boys. Madeleine said they are perky, happy, and that Rosemary is taking great care of them.

I can't wait to bring them home!

Wait until the children meet them, how much fun is that going to be?!

Surprises

Our "Sweet Baby"

This is Sweet Baby. She's a tiny little thing. A pygmy goat, most likely, although she might have Nigerian Dwarf background. We got her for $20 off of craigslist last October. The goats I had been looking at buying were in the $400-$700 range....and since I'd never owned goats before....I thought we should "experiment" with something a little less expensive.

She's always been a total doll. The nicest, gentlest goat you could ever meet. It's adorable how she and Kiska get along. She's a goat that is JUST Kissy's size. Her back barely comes up to my knee.:o)

When we bought her we were told she was around 4 months pregnant and that she should have her kids sometime in December. She never did, and I figured I'd been "swindled" which wasn't that big a deal since she'd only cost $20. 

We all went our merry ways, playing and loving, and planning on the Nubians coming next month. Then, two days ago, the children walked out to pet the sheep and goat and found 3 dead baby goats on the ground. 

I was devastated. Not that I could show that I was to the 5 children who were looking to me for how to handle this tragedy.

I did my best to be matter of fact about it. Sometimes life is harsh. Sometimes it's 25 degrees when babies are born and they can't survive those temperatures. As we cleaned up the pen and took care of the sweet little babies I explained my theories on breeding times and kidding pen requirements. I don't think there is a better moment to learn such things than when the consequences of bad choices is so obvious.

They left the experience with knowledge and complete confidence that the next time would be better.

A good attitude for farm children to have. I was proud of them. 

Then we have to get back to me. I was so sick. I kept going over and over the things I should have noticed, the things that I should have done differently. I was also worried about Sweet Baby. I had no idea what to do. With all of the animals I've had and bred over the years....I've never had a goat, and I've never had a goat who lost her babies. Since I wasn't there I didn't know what exactly HAD happened and I was unsure of what....if anything....I needed to do for her.

So I called Paula, the nice lady who we are getting the nubians from, and asked her.

She said, "Have you milked her yet?"  

"Huh? Can I? Are you supposed to..."

"Yes, Wendi. I always remove the kids from my milkers and bottle feed them. The mama thinks that you are her kids and accepts you better."

Oh. I didn't think about that.

(I would like to point out here, that it doesn't seem to matter how much you read about a subject. Until you're in the thick of it, learning just doesn't occur. I must have read a zillion books and websites about goats and milking and breeding and on and on.....and I couldn't remember any of it. I don't know if that's just me, or if it's just me and my sorrow of the moment, or what. But I couldn't remember a thing I had read.)

So our Raw Milk from just outside our door journey has begun. A sad beginning, to be sure. But a beginning.

So far things are going good. 

We have a milking shed going up, and Scott is working on building us a milk stand. 

Right now it's kinda tricky. 

But possible.

A lot more possible than I had thought.

And that is something else that I'm happy to be teaching my children.

Goats and Kids

Kissy and Ronan meet some of our goats.

The dog has to get in on the action too.

Today Kiska and Ronan got to meet the goats who will be joining our Farm next month. They were very excited and had a great time petting the goats and watching the kids antics.

I jumped on the Raw Milk wagon a few years ago. When I did, I was delighted to find a source that was only a few miles away from my house. It was wonderful to know that I was providing the hooligans with such lovely food. 

Then we moved here to Wichita Falls. Because of all the laws that Texas has regulating the sale of Raw Milk the dairies are few and far between. If we want to drink Raw Milk here we have to drive 120 miles to pick it up. Then we have to pay 8 dollars a gallon.

I don't begrudge them the 8 dollars. It's just that the 5 gallons of milk my family can consume a week adds up pretty quick. Especially if you start factoring in gas money and my time. YIKES!

I didn't really worry for too long. It isn't in my nature. I found a solution within a couple of days. 

Dairy Goats.

I'd wanted to produce our own milk, butter, yogurt, and cheese for a long time but was waiting until we moved out to the Farm. Then a lady here was having to sell her goats and I started doing a lot of research.  After a few sample gallons that proved to my family that goat's milk tasted no different than cow's milk I was hooked.

While I was obtaining one of those sample gallons I met an awesome lady in the Wichita Mountains who has a lovely herd of Nubians. She was looking for some help around her place. We were looking for a way to afford goats. We could afford the goats, or we could afford the fencing and buildings. But not both, at least, not this year. 

This turned into a beneficial arrangement where we get to work and be paid in GOATS!

So once a week Tyler and I head to the mountains and clean goat pens, sheds, and yards. Auriana keeps the baby's entertained, and sometimes runs the wheelbarrow for us. It's a pretty sweet arrangement.  One that will pay off for years to come.:o)

Kid and kid.

A Happy Sight.