We welcomed 2022 with fresh flakes covering the entire farm.
Aaron and I have spent the last couple of days in 2021 getting various parts of the farm ready for the cold temperatures to move in. All of the animals needed fresh hay, water, shelter and heat – the standards during winter. The shed in the Goat Grove got a few repairs. We tossed a new bale into the field for Chuck. Checked all of the heat lamps in the buildings and made sure everyone had a fresh bucket or two of water ahead of the freeze.
As promised, we woke up to ice, sleet and snow. Aaron eagerly awaited its arrival all night. He actually woke up early with the baby – disappointed that we hadn’t gotten anything yet. However before the sun started to rise, we heard the patter of sleet against the windows.
Snowfall on the farm is genuinely beautiful. It makes me nostalgic for our very first months on the farm. We bought the place when snow had consumed the land for the season. We would make early evening drives out from the city in the pitch black darkness just to see our headlights sparkling on the snow as we drove around the property.
Seeing the animals enjoy it is always fun. The dogs play – hard. Their thick coats don’t give the chilly breeze a fighting chance. The goats are chipper too. They spend the nights and evenings in their goat house – but by morning, they’re back to roaming the Goat Grove and jumping on the trailer full of fencing supplies.
The chickens have been hiding out in the pole barn. We’ve been letting them free-range most days and nights, but as it gets colder, we’ll have to start watching for signs of frost bite. There’s a good chance they’ll have to be locked in the coop again at night for a while.
Chuck is a bit lonely in the pasture with the goats quarantined to the Goat Grove. We noticed many of the ladies looking rather plump. Within a couple of dates it became very obvious that we have goat babies on the way! The entire herd was restricted to the grove to keep them warm in the shed and contained where we can easily check on them.
Four of the mamas were moved to the pen in the pole barn to be watched more closely. They look a little over-ripe and we’re expecting babies any time now. It’s critical that if the babies are born while the temps are freezing, that we are able to assist in keeping them warm. They have to be dried off and put under a heater immediately to ensure survival.
With a typical goat birth around here including 1-3 babies – it could be a very, very busy new year!