Teeny Tiny Chicks

The big news of the week around our house is the addition of day old baby chicks to the homestead. 100 (yes, 100) Cornish Cross chickens (meat birds) were delivered to the Black Mountain post office and then to our brand new chicken brooder that we made the day before the chicks got here (nothing like waiting till the last minute). None of us really has any idea what we are doing when it comes to brooding chicks. We have all done some reading and some of us have attended a class or two. But in spite of our chick ignorance, they all seem to be doing quite well, and except for that one poor baby who died the first night, we have a flock of healthy, alive, chicks. And hopefully they will stay that way and continue to grow until the fateful day that the little cuddly-bugs become food for our families.

And the kids are so excited!
Here is a note I found on the brooder door when I went to feed the chicks this morning:

if you are having a hard time reading this, it says:
"we love this so much
from Nim and River"
on a bright blue post it note
stuck to the brooder
now which is cuter? the chicks or this?

Sparrows weekend for babies!

Ever since Sparrow, the blue ribbon winner, came to live on our farm, we have thought she was a little strange. So sweet, a super milker, but prone to interesting behavior such as incredibly loud snoring. Sparrow had us very confused last year when we thought she was pregnant but was really just putting on some spring time pounds. This year we felt more confident she actually was pregnant, and became 100% sure when her udders filled, and I mean filled, with milk a few weeks ago. On Friday she went into early labor. She was panting, making a nest by pawing at the straw with her hooves, and had some juiciness going on. But after checking on her every hour for close to 20 hours, I began wondering if she tricked us again and was really just suffering some intense indigestion. But lo and behold, on one such check Saturday evening, she has some noticeable contractions and some juiciness that told me things were moving along. And within an hour, our herd increased by 2: one boy and one girl! The kids (ours, not the other goats) were there to watch and lend a hand ~ Nim especially has become quite the"midwives" assistant. And I think all three of them are about ready to move up to the barn so they can be with these sweetie-pies 24/7~

baby boy

Gita with baby girl

nothing like some new babies to make the older babies look huge!

These little piggies

These little piggies came home!

Our farm animal count increased by 2 yesterday with the addition of these little oinkers (their brother will be joining us on Sunday). Their little noises are so cute! I could just sit and watch them for hours. David promised that when the piggies got here, the kids could get a kitten/kittens. The girls are saddened by the idea that some of the animals we raise will one day be killed for meat. So we decided that we should have some animals (a little more small and cuddly than Atticus) that the girls know are being raised as pets and are safe. So I suppose that means we will be getting kitties soon too!

a

Welcome, Bubbles and Camina!

The waiting is finally over! Windy's babies were born this afternoon. The day was warm and sunny with just a bit of wind, the moon was full....conditions were perfect! David noticed Windy was showing some signs of labor when he was up at the barn milking this morning. Nimmy decided to stay home from class, the possibility of goat babies was more exciting than "school". So we spend the morning checking in on Windy and her progress. When she seemed close, we gathered the troops (Michelle, David, and myself, along with Nim, Gita, and Kestrel) and the supplies and set up camp in the kidding stall of the barn. After some nasty messes and some re-positioning of baby goat hooves (the first baby wanted to come out one leg at a time...not ideal for mama or us), our herd gained 2 adorable, healthy baby girls! Babies Camina and Bubbles are doing very well, although mama Windy is refusing to nurse her babies (which we were warned by her previous owners might happen) so we are bottle-feeding. David and I are about to head up for the 10:00pm session...here are some photos. Enjoy!

Mama Windy is in the zone
(I love the look that Michelle is giving Windy's back end)

The girls huddle together to watch the birth. Thoughts? "Amazing and kind of gross."

Beautiful and healthy baby girls! Could we have been more lucky?

Mama giving the babies a slober bath

Nim with the kids. She intends to train Bubbles to be a show goat!