Chicama Run Family Farm

Well it's been a tiring and busy month. I'm ready to take February off from the farmers market just for a breather. We've had 21 baby lambs born so far - 12 are still alive - 9 have died. A couple were still-born and some died from the cold. Honestly, we are happy that we are above last season where over 50% of our lambs died from the cold and problems we didn't know how to fix.

This season - though tired and honestly I'm worn-out from lambing with problems - we couldn't fix them all. Some deaths were just odd.... fine in the morning - afternoon rounds dead or near-dead. We had heat lamps going and all sorts of things - heck even had a bunch in the house trying to get them warm and some still died. It takes a serious toll on you when a helpless animal dies in your care even though you've been up all night.

But then you go see your success-cases that have returned to the barn even though you still have to bottle feed them - but they are happy to see you and they are doing so well. Other ones you know were unsteady are bouncing and jumping and it's hard not to laugh.

We still have 2 ewes due now - so hopefully with the 50 degree weather they will decide it's a good day to give birth.

Then we move into March for the next "season" where only about 4 are due. 2 goats are due to kid soon - maybe in February - but that's ok. I can deal with 2. Oh and our great pyr girl (Corona) is due in February - so that's exciting.

So - my revelation of the day....... you know you are a country girl when you are gathering eggs and a little field mouse peeks his head out right next to your hand and you don't even jump you just look at the chicken standing next to it and tell it to eat the dang mouse as if it will understand you!

Yes - I know..... but it's funny how it never occurs to us how it affects the stuff we eat.

Example - Joe dispensed water yesterday every couple of hours to the chickens because the pumps were frozen therefore no automatic waters out there. If the chickens don't drink they don't eat... if they don't eat..... they don't lay eggs.

Same thing with the ducks - who by the way are all trying to "swim" in the 1/4" of snow we got the other day - they need a TON of water per day to lay eggs. So even if the Indian Runner ducks CAN lay 365 eggs per year - they usually won't because of other issues when they are on my farm.

Today - I dispensed the water and my hands hurt for it. They are dry and cracked from just getting wet and then being outside. Joe had the colder of the 2 days but still - I can whine a little about it.

So far so good though - no sheeyp have given birth during these couple of days which I was really scared about. We have heat lamps in the barn and the entire thing open for them to come inside. Granted they don't seem to feel the cold like we do but still - at least it gets them inside and out of the cold wind.

Can't wait for tomorrow - it's a heat wave of 41 degrees!!

I was just outside looking at all the ewes to see who is ready to give birth..... about 10 should within the next 2 weeks - and at least 5 this week by the looks of it.

Came into the barn - and 2 new baby goats (both girls)..... born this afternoon - making the total 7 baby goats so far - with 1 still in the house :) Still 2 girls to give birth but I expect them to be a little later - but by the end of Febraury

Yes - he's living in the house - diaper clad and all so he would stop peeing on my floor! Man a goat pee's a lot!! So this is our new bottle baby of a goat who at this exact moment in time is asleep under the couch (don't ask me why - I don't know). We have 4 more babies out in the barn with their moms. One more might be brought in because a bottle baby will make an excellent show goat as they are easier to work with. Pug will be Alexis's..... and I have to figure out if we'll bring in another for Jacob.

I do have about 10 sheep about to give birth and have to watch for bottle babies there as well. WILD KINGDOM MOVES INTO MY HOUSE!

Boy is it a pain. I love looking at the trees covered in the ice - it is a real pretty site... until you turn around and see 5+ branches have broken off because of the weight of the ice and you don't EVEN want to go and look out at the fences to see if any of these heavy branches fell onto those cause that just means you have to tell your husband that fences are broken once again and need to be fixed.... and it's cold.

Just another day :)

I can't believe it - New Years Eve - I'm on my way out of the house to go to our neighbors house to sit back, relax, and say Happy New Year...... and a high pitched WAIL comes from the barn area. The wild wind shut a door and the goats were locked in where the hay is but couldn't get to the barn so OF COURSE someone decides to give birth.....

Shelly gave birth to triplet boys in the freezing windy weather. I get her and two of the kids in the barn. I didn't know/see the third one until it was almost dead. Got it brought it into my bathroom to warm up. An hour later, Joe brings in one of the other ones as it was frozen.

We lost the first boy I brought in. But the one Joe brought in is still in my house and doing well as a bottle baby. I never thought I would have a goat running around my house!

The third boy stayed with Shelly, his mom, the next day his back legs had frozen straight out over night - even being under a heat lamp. We thawed his legs out and now Sunday, 3 days later, he seems to be doing well just weak legs - but he's learning to use them just fine.

Today we also had another goat give birth. After church there was 1 out there and I will check again in the afternoon to see how many more she had (I think she will have 1 more).

Personally I feel like a new mom with the baby goat in the house! Last night I was up every couple of hours and he was driving me NUTS. It's time for my nap and to feed the baby.