Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Until next time Maddie...
Today Blue Goose Farms mourns the loss of one of our Babydoll Sheep named Maddie. She went down fast and the Vet was called. Maddie had a Pregnancy Disease, we did not see any of the signs of this until she was in the late stages of it. Maddie was a rescue from a place in the County above us. They have an Exotic Animal License which means that Fish & Wildlife or the County can not do anything about it because of the laws in Mississippi. We took four of the Babydolls late last year to get them out of there. I wish I knew more, I wish I could have done more... which I know would be the wish of any person out there. She will be greatly missed even though her stay with us was much too short.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Who's Driving??
We have been all over the Map around here just trying to not get pulled in all directions it seems. Vance has been building and fixing some things around here, We even had Inspector#5 come out and give her poop of approval! The sides are wired closed now and we keep their Hay in there.
Also we have had a HUGE expansion on our Fowl population. We received an order of Baby Chicks from Cackle Hatchery a few weeks back. About 13 (out of 100) didn't make it, but Cackle credited us the amount. We also received a dozen Ducks as well. Anyone need eggs?
Ideally we would love to have all been sheared around here by now but the Weather did not give us a break until recently. We tried first with Baby Ruth but it did not go as well as we had hoped. There were not enough blades and we had to get the hand shears out. What we thought would take us an hour for our First ever Shearing took three!! I felt very bad for my Husband and Baby Ruth that the next day I started calling around to see if we could find a Shearer. I knew they would be hard to find but I eventually lucked out and a wonderful Woman from the Spinning Guild I am a member of gave us a contact name. I am waiting to here from her if the Man can do it...here's hoping! Ya'll keep your fingers crossed for us.
These are the Electric Shears...
These are the Hand Shears...
And this was our Victim...She is the furthest one away (for her protection).
Next month is the First Coldwater Alpaca Ranch Fiber Festival so I have been Spinning up a storm. I am not 100% sure if I will have anything for the Festival but I was told that I better have something...no pressure eh? I think I will be more prepared for next year than right now. This will be our first real Fiber Yield from our Animals since we started here. My major Goal is to have Fiber ready for a Festival in Murfreesboro, TN this October. That should start the ball Rolling into 2010 to Baton Rouge, LA and then back to where we are this time of the year...all in time.
Also we have had a HUGE expansion on our Fowl population. We received an order of Baby Chicks from Cackle Hatchery a few weeks back. About 13 (out of 100) didn't make it, but Cackle credited us the amount. We also received a dozen Ducks as well. Anyone need eggs?
Ideally we would love to have all been sheared around here by now but the Weather did not give us a break until recently. We tried first with Baby Ruth but it did not go as well as we had hoped. There were not enough blades and we had to get the hand shears out. What we thought would take us an hour for our First ever Shearing took three!! I felt very bad for my Husband and Baby Ruth that the next day I started calling around to see if we could find a Shearer. I knew they would be hard to find but I eventually lucked out and a wonderful Woman from the Spinning Guild I am a member of gave us a contact name. I am waiting to here from her if the Man can do it...here's hoping! Ya'll keep your fingers crossed for us.
These are the Electric Shears...
These are the Hand Shears...
And this was our Victim...She is the furthest one away (for her protection).
Next month is the First Coldwater Alpaca Ranch Fiber Festival so I have been Spinning up a storm. I am not 100% sure if I will have anything for the Festival but I was told that I better have something...no pressure eh? I think I will be more prepared for next year than right now. This will be our first real Fiber Yield from our Animals since we started here. My major Goal is to have Fiber ready for a Festival in Murfreesboro, TN this October. That should start the ball Rolling into 2010 to Baton Rouge, LA and then back to where we are this time of the year...all in time.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Baby, It's Snowy Outside!
Well, Boy did it snow the last few days! We received about 5-6 inches. Being Canadian the Snow does not bother me at all but it is a rare occasion when it does snow down here. People get giddy and have to be out there seeing what it is like to drive in, and of course there is no Bread or Water to be found in any of the Grocery Stores. I did manage to get a few "action shots"...
These are when it was just getting started.
Here is Miles and Meriallen, can you see the Goat? As much as she wanted out there, the Dogs would not let her. In fact Patience, Cocoa & Meriallen sleep with the Dogs and everyone else gets chased out of there.
I went back out later to get some pictures of Marta and I took some extra of the Snow we had.
And of course here is Marta! She is super friendly and if you do not pay enough attention to her...She has ways to MAKE you! Marta is the Twin to Gretl and Lamb of Edelweiss. We will keep naming Edelweiss' off-spring from Characters of the Sound of Music.
Of course the Snow is almost gone and there is a lot of Mud left behind. I am really hoping to get to work on the Sheep and Goats. They need their Hoofs trimmed and I want to treat the Goats for lice. So much to do and no cooperation from the Weather.
These are when it was just getting started.
Here is Miles and Meriallen, can you see the Goat? As much as she wanted out there, the Dogs would not let her. In fact Patience, Cocoa & Meriallen sleep with the Dogs and everyone else gets chased out of there.
I went back out later to get some pictures of Marta and I took some extra of the Snow we had.
And of course here is Marta! She is super friendly and if you do not pay enough attention to her...She has ways to MAKE you! Marta is the Twin to Gretl and Lamb of Edelweiss. We will keep naming Edelweiss' off-spring from Characters of the Sound of Music.
Of course the Snow is almost gone and there is a lot of Mud left behind. I am really hoping to get to work on the Sheep and Goats. They need their Hoofs trimmed and I want to treat the Goats for lice. So much to do and no cooperation from the Weather.
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