Snow!

Well, it's been snowing since last night, and on and off today. We have probably about an inch of snow...

The little cria is doing great. He is so sweet and friendly! He nibbles and licks my face and really likes to be petted, just too cute! And he is definitely making his momma be a lot more comfortable around humans. I've been keeping them in the back stall because it is just too cold out there for him. Saturday it was sunny tho so we let him run around in the front yard for a few hours.

Today I put him out in the snow for a little bit, but after bucking and kicking for a little while he got a bit chilled so. . .

. . . back in the stall they went! Oh, and he needs a name! The only name that someone came up with that I like so far is "Saltine". His mom is "Salty" and his dad was "Bill."

Yesterday they (2 of my brothers and my cousin, the ones who break horses) thought they might have a horse that'd buck, so mom went down there with the camera to hopefully get some "action" shots. But, no bucking. Just a lot of running. Still cool ;).

No more baby animals of any kind yet. . . but there are a few does and ewes lookin' like they just might pop soon!

Have a good day and stay warm!

Suriyah

Llama Baby!!!

This morning I was loading hay and went to let the girls (does, ewes, llama...) out to pasture and saw a foot sticking out of the llama!! Yikes! Our male llama left about 11 months ago, so he must've bred her right before he left!

This was our first llama birth, but thankfully I've read a fair amount online about llama births (and I've attended a TON of other animal births). She pushed his head and front feet out, and she let me come over and clean his nose off so he could breath. A few minutes later, she pushed the rest of him out. Normally she doesn't like me near her very much at all (unless I'm feeding her grain!), but she let me clean him off and make him a bed of hay, because he was flopping *everywhere* and getting covered in dirt, which was kind of freaking me out a little!! I stayed calm tho (thankfully), because word had spread and several neighbors had come over to watch :)! And llamas don't lick their babies (crias), so it was good that she let me help. So when I was done cleaning him off and she wanted me to back off, she let me know ;).

he's so skinny!

and yup, it's a boy...

So, that was really exciting! We've seen him nurse several times now and Mama Llama is being very watchful and protective of him! I've gotta get off of here and do a few things, have a busy night, and I gotta make the cria a coat!

Have a great day!

Suriyah

Kidding Season has started!

above is Rosie yesterday afternoon

Last night around 2am we got up and checked on Rosie, and sure enough, she was pushing! After a little while, she plopped out a huge buckling... haven't weighed him, but I'm guess he's a good 10 lbs. Their sire is our Boer buck, Ace. A little while later, she pushed out another *buckling* who came out back-feet first, which I think was easier since their heads and shoulders are so big! Here's a few photos!

this is a bad picture... I know... but I was really tired and hoping she'd get done quick!!

pushing! two feet!

the first buckling,

the second buckling, wrapped in pink...

The night before last, around 1am something, we were awoken to a screaming goat - again. The goat that was the first to knock off one of her horns, knocked her second one off - so now she is completely hornless! Woohoo!! She just has 2 scabs on top of her head, not bad at all! Then 2 of the others just have one horn left, and the last goat still has both. She is the biggest out of them all so I'd expect hers to take the longest.

And no babies yet from Miss Rhia. She's looking like she'll go soon though. . . hopefully soon enough so they can be on the same bottle schedule as these other kids are, but that's probably too much to hope for ;)!

Have a great day!

Suriyah

Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year to everyone!! We had a big ole party last night, as usual on new years eve.

The past few days I've been kept busy making food and things for the party last night. We went to bed at 1am something, got up at 5am something and went to a local monthly auction. It was freezing cold out there and prices were a bit too high for us "cheap folks", so we went home early. We did take a pig with us and met someone there for it, and we also sold some chickens at the auction. So, not bad...

there was lots and lots of yummy food!

Rosie and Rhia are due any day. . . day 150 is tomorrow for Rosie. They are both looking bigger and more uncomfortable every day but no babies yet.

For an update on the 4 goats we are dehorning - we now have 3 "unicorns", woohoo!! The last 2 that fell off weren't as traumatic as the first ;). 3 horns off, 5 to go.

So for the rest of the day today, we just kind of relaxed. My brother had a bunch of wood to burn outside, so I took Roxie out to run around and the goats were out there too. "Grandma", the goat, really liked the fire and was just standing next to it warming up... she's such a cute old goat!

A few of the dogs playing...

Well, have a great night and a happy new year!

Suriyah

Horn photos & preggo bellies

the horn (gross... I know),

the unicorn,

Rosie with a very pregnant belly,

And a sheep... Ewe-Neek I believe, with a very pregnant belly also,

Take care and goodnight!

Suriyah

Horn banding update...

About 2 something in the morning today, I was awoken to a goat screaming below in the stalls like something was seriously wrong. Me and Mom ran down here, plugged the light in, and one of the goats that had banded horns was standing there yelling. We soon realized that she had knocked her horn completely off. The horn was on the ground with a little blood, but she was barely bleeding. There was a little blood on her head so we put some blood stop powder on it and went back to bed. She also went back to sleep, thankfully! Today she seems just fine, just she's now a unicorn!

It's only been 17 days since we banded them - that is very fast for one to fall off already! The soonest I read that they would fall off would be 21 days, but hey, sooner is fine with me!

It was very cold this morning... 16 degrees or something like that, and all the water buckets were solid frozen.

Rosie, our first doe due, is on day 144 today - babies soon to come, Lord willing!

Well, some of my family will be leaving in a few days and gone till next year - wait, that's only a few days away :). I've gotta cook and plan a few things during the next few days for our New Year's Eve party on Friday night!

Have a great day!

Suriyah

Kind of OT: Parental Rights Amendment

Hello everyone,

There is a treaty put out by the UN called the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The US is the only UN country that has not ratified the treaty, which is a very good thing. This treaty would strip parents of their rights to their child’s education, health care and general raising of their child. It would give the rights that parents have now and should have to the child and the government. But, ultimately, if the child doesn’t agree with what the government thinks is best, the government will decide what is best for the child. This is horrible for our nation and will turn our country towards socialism.

We don’t hear about this on the regular news stations much, because most of the people pushing the ratifying of this treaty know that the average American does not want this perverted child’s rights.

But, there is a way to stop this, if everyone takes a stand against it. And that is in the form of a Parental Rights Amendment to the US Constitution. 7 Senators and 142 Congressmen are co-sponsors of this amendment already. But, the word needs to be spread more. This amendment would make sure that parental rights are not striped, even if the CRC were to be ratified.

You can sign an online petition at www.parentalrights.org. You can also see which of your senators and congressmen are co-sponsors of the bill. You can read the CRC and the Parental Rights Amendment at the above site too.

Parentalrights.org also has a video put together called “The Child” that goes into all the details, implications and problems the CRC would cause, as well as how the amendment would help. You can get the video for free or for a donation.  I’d suggest you watch the video and also get copies to pass out to anyone you know who could make a difference. The direct link for that is http://www.parentalrights.org/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={58D0E1F1-4EA2-45BA-9B40-941D71ED987F}.

The fact that some want the CRC to be ratified needs to be known and it needs to be stopped. If American’s do nothing, then our country will become like Germany in Hitler’s days – socialist and communist – and Americans will lose their freedom even more. The parental rights amendment is extremely important!

Please pass on to everyone you can.

Thank you,

Suriyah

Hello

Hello everyone,

Yesterday we (well, most of us) had a long day in the truck buying some rams, transporting them to another farm and then selling them. I had a great time rounding up animals and watching the guys chase sheep up and down the hill, LOL. We got everyone loaded in about 3 hours - not bad ;).

So, here are a few pictures from the day.

a couple deer fighting over bread that we were feeding them... ouch!

Have a great day!

Suriyah

Oh and by the way, her name is now 'Roxie",

New Dog

Last night we rescued a little dog. She's been at the soccer fields for a few weeks that my family plays on a few times a week, and I finally convinced them to bring her home. She is pretty thin, but super sweet and I think she'll fit in just fine here. I think she is already crate potty trained too. . .

But now she needs a name. . . suggestions??

Suriyah

photo update

Well, the week was going pretty smooth and normal until Tuesday. . . we had a crazy, busy, amazing, stressful day - all I have to say on here is, praise the Lord for His kindness!

With all the animals and the farm, life has been going pretty normal. We had another load of hay delivered this week - anyone want any??

My mom got her camera back yesterday - it takes great pictures, much better than the other camera. SO, here's some photos ;).

Buttercup. . . one of the does with banded horns,

Cadbury - buck kid from this year with bad scurs ;),

The does (on the left) and ewes (on the right) going out to pasture,

lil' Berry standing in the buck feeder,

some of my brother's piglets,

and Mr. Wyatt. . . he thinks he's the top buck right now!

Well, the weekend is coming and Saturdays are always a busy day for us! Hope you have a great weekend!

Wait, can you believe it - 2011 is about 2 weeks away?!? Yikes, this year has flown by fast!!

Suriyah