Wordless Wednesday: Mommy & Me

Just Goats

Tuesday it snowed...all day. Surprisingly most of it did not stick until later afternoon when the temperature dropped. It was actually quite nice doing barn chores watching big white puffy flakes fall. It was even nicer to see they were melting as they hit the ground. As I am sure you know, I HATE snow. Snow that doesn't stick is my favorite, minus the muddy aftermath but honestly, I prefer dealing with that (as we don't have much because our soil drains well).

The girls, as you can see, do not like snow either and much prefer to be inside their barn cozy and warm and dry while eating their breakfast and dinner. They are looking quite well, if I don't say so myself.











This is Ann, one of the new gals we brought back from Ca. this past summer. Obviously it is not snowing, this was taken before Tuesday when the temps were in the 50's and 60's and just glorious!

I let the boys out into the west pasture on Sunday afternoon. There isn't much to eat out there yet but they were so happy to get out and run around and jump and nibble on the cedar trees.

I took the girls way out to the back property line. There isn't much to eat these days but it was still so nice to feel the warm sunshine and think about all the cottonwood leaves and green grass softy blowing in the breeze. We really have a gorgeous place. I literally could spend every day out there morning to night, providing the temperature doesn't cook me.

Wordless Wednesday: A Little Snow

The "What" of Chilly Mornings

What I've been pouring off the buck's water buckets

What the temp is INSIDE the milk room!

What awaits me.

What's on the gate

What I see as I return to the warm house

Another Fabulous Weekend

Jo, Frank and the kids came up for the weekend. Course, I decided that it was a good time to get sick so pretty much all of Saturday I spent lying on the couch contemplating puking. Drew was sick the week prior. No, we don't get the flu shot. I'd rather have the flu, even in the thick of this sickness, whatever it is. .

I did manage to haul my butt off the couch so we could make soap- (1st batch) blueberry pomegranate & (2nd batch) brown sugar & cinnamon but after thinking about it some...I have to wonder if the brown sugar will leave one more sticky than clean...hrmph. Oh well, time will tell once it cures. It's super pretty though!

Sunday we made a boat load of cookies and the whole time the guys were in the shop welding  a platform for an auxiliary fuel tank for the Abair's truck so 2x4's or plywood can be slid underneath- nothin' worse than a full size (pickup) bed you can't fully utilize! We don't have such an animal, though I suppose we could but with the camper shell, I don't think we'd really use it. More times than not we end up hooking up the flat bed. Anyway, that's totally uninteresting I suppose. I should have taken a photo of their handiwork but I don't know that I took a single photo the entire weekend. Maybe the next time their down. The guys also installed a pump (or sorts) so that the auxiliary tank pumps right into the on-board tanks. Jeremiah talked about doing this on ours but I almost kinda like having the real gas pump on the actual tank...the pain is getting into the bed to hand the pump through the window but I must say that fueling up at a Nevada hotel from our own vehicle is pretty impressive to some people.

Today and tomorrow we expect rain.  I know we've gotten a lot of it...making up for the lack of it this summer perhaps? So far, I'd say this Fall was nicer than last fall. But then, last Fall I thought was winter and when winter really kicked in (January 1 it seemed), I was ready to kill Mother Nature.This year I wasn't so disillusioned to think that once the calendar actually says winter, it's not going to be green grass and singing daffodils right around the corner.  No ma'am. It has been pretty mild though, I think...or maybe I am am getting used to 40 degrees faster than last year?   

Most of the goat's have settled (their pregnancy). We start kidding mid-March and go into May. We're looking forward to baby goats again and I am looking forward to the higher possibility of not being out in the barn all night in negative four degrees and snow on the ground.

In other news, Rachel has met her 50 point AR reading goal...and BEFORE Christmas. That's awesome. She gets to go to the Imax theater at the Cosmosphere next week as a reward.  Drew brought home several books last night and December's homework is to read them over and over. It's amazing to me...this sounding out and  reading!  Drew excels in Math and isn't doing bad in reading at all but I really think his lack needing glasses but not having them set him back a little last year. Fortunately, I don't think he's at all behind the class though Drew  is Drew and what Drew doesn't want to do (i.e. reading or school work of almost any kind), he puts off. It's a struggle to motivate him. He's smart, he's just...well, lazy. It's the youngest child mentality that someone else will do it for him if he whines enough. Granted, getting a stern scolding for whining isn't fun, but he's still just sweet & smooth talkin' Drew.

Jeremiah is done traveling for a little while. This time last year he was in Vegas. For whatever reason the convention was early this year so they knocked out St. Louis and I didn't have to worry about him missing  school or church Christmas festivities. He goes to Mo. again in January for a welding competition and Tulsa in Feb. I think? If the Mo. trip wasn't such a po'dunk town, I might consider going but there wouldn't be anything for the kids and I to do other than relax and really, relaxing isn't all that relaxing for me.

Oh anyway, about that time for me to get out and feed the herd but not before I find a vice big enough for my head to relieve this head ache!

I'm relishing the little bit of ice I've had to break in the mornings. This time last year I was hauling off inches of ice and bucketing hot water! We have had some nights and mornings in the teens and only just a few days where it stayed below freezing all day but so far, I've not had much to complain about weather-wise. It's a miracle right? Well,  you just wait until next month. You'll get your comeuppance!

Morning thoughts: Ode to goats

Don't jump on me! I hope you did not just get crap on my pants! Dangit, you did get crap on my pants!!! Oh well, a little crap on the pants never hurt anyone.

Fleeting

Enjoying the last few fleeting days of warmth before closing up and calling it a day winter.

Ding Dong Dawn

I try to take the girls out to 'the woods' daily. They don't seem to want to go on their own this time of year. 'The woods' are in the NE corner of the property and pretty far out so I can't say I blame them. This time of year looks a little spooky in there. They will go out to the closer mulberry and cottonwood trees to see if any new leaves have fallen. As for grass, there isn't much in the way of that except this cool weather green stuff that's popped up in the last couple weeks. They also like to eat the ceder tree needles this time of year.



Winter's a comin' that's for sure but we have had quite a few very nice 'above average' (temperature wise) days recently. I remember last year, it seemed like Halloween day was the first real cool day and after that, it was all down hill. Two days ago we had a pretty good storm roll through that dropped quite a bit of rain. There wasn't much snow to speak of but it was there. I'd be happier with freezing rain as oppose to snow.

We're better prepared this year, live and learn right? The tarps we put up on the barn (See: 'Winterizing'e a few posts below), I think, are going to work out great! We've yet to get them up on each of the boy's buildings but that'll either be this weekend or next.



Jeremiah is off to St Louis Nov. 16th for a conference. Today he has the college instructor over to certify (in welding) some kids.

The living room is, for the most part complete except for a new front door that will come a bit later...you know, once we buy it and have time to install it =). I'd like to get the hallway walls, ceiling and trim painted before Thanksgiving, but I won't hope for too much. I do need to purchase those thermal curtains though for much of the house. I am even considering putting up a curtain rod over the back door (inside) and installing those thermal curtains for the winter. Man, when that cold wind blows, it just makes no difference if the door is shut tight or not. A curtain over the door may look a bit strange but hey, if it works I don't care!

So, I guess that's about all that's happening in our little world. About half of the does are bred. Kidding starts mid-March and I have every hope it will be decent weather next year! Everyone is looking fit and fine and I recently trimmed and wormed all 3 bucks all by myself. I'm quite proud of that fact. Jeremiah, I am sure, is quite happy as it's really not the most pleasant of jobs. Out of rut isn't such and issue, in rut you're 100% likely to smell vile and have things on your clothing you'd rather not think about.

 I don't know if I mentioned it or not but the 3 boys had all been in a pen together and that just wasn't working. A few of the does were all cycling together and that was just sending the boys into an absolute spastic state. Jeremiah and I rehabbed one of the north pens for them and things have calmed down considerably. The back fence of the north shelter was still that old field fencing. We took that down and installed cattle panels and a walk through gate for access to the new buck pasture that we sectioned off with high tensile electric last spring. The shelter itself also needed a little help that required a few boards to be installed but other than that, it's good to go and secure now.

Poor Storm is by himself but believe me, he's better off. Much of the time he can see the girls but he does get upset when the leave out to the pasture. Once I am sure all the girls are settled (bred), I may move all the boys back into the same pen and see how things go.

Storm

Storm is our new 'junior' herdsire that came back from Ca. with us.

Winterizing

 
Jeremiah and I installed the new tarps on the front of the barn this weekend. They are re-purposed used billboard tarps that we cut, installed grommets on and hung up.

I don't mind the open front barn much at all. I love it 3 seasons out of the year. I don't love it in the winter! However, the winter clothes we put on the barn should solve a lot of the issues I was having last winter. One of them was the wind. Cold is one thing. Wind with a side order of cold is quite another. Secondly, rain and snow during the worst of storms can blow half way into this 40' deep barn! That's somewhat of an issue when the goats only get the front 20', know what I mean?

We reconfigured the barn out of necessity for hay storage. If you'll remember, last year we removed all the old wood that had been used to keep horses stalled in the front half and hay was stored in the back 1/4 and the tack room in the other 1/4. I didn't like that the goats could (and did) congregate in the back 1/4 of the barn once we changed it, it was really hard to clean out and so we've changed it yet again they're delegated back to the front portion but they get both sides. I'll also get 2 kidding stalls instead of just the one now. Plus too, with all that hay in the back of the barn (which is the north side) it's built in insulation so it should be that much warmer in there come winter! We're so smart right?

Anyway, we have some tarps to install on the 2 lean to structures that house the bucks but we ran out of grommets and I'll have to order more. Lowes carries them but you have to buy the whole kit. We have two now. I don't need any of the tools to install the grommets. I need JUST the grommets!

We got one last load of hay in this morning (Monday). It was delivered this time! We have enough for sure but in my ongoing quest to find the least inexpensive way to keep the animals fed in the most optimal way, I wanted to try some prairie hay instead of the brome and alfalfa I have been feeding for the past year. Prairie is usually a bit cheaper especially in the round bales like we bought. I have over 100 square bales of brome in the barn that I'll probably sell when the first snow hits as I won't need all of it. We still have 100 bales of alfalfa in the shop sitting on the trailer that we need to unload!

It's a good feeling though, especially with the lack of hay everywhere, that we're overstocked for winter. It's such a huge loads off of our minds, I tell ya. It's taken a year to find good suppliers for hay and has been one of the major hurdles for us but we can finally let out a sigh of relief.

Death By Dairy Goat

That's going to be the header of the Hutchinson News after the state fair. The main title reads: "Judge Mauled to Death by Dairy Goat While Handler (Amanda Harmon), Fair Patrons, and Exhibitors Stare in Disbelief"

Think about it. Dairy goats have no upper teeth. They are herbivores and, for the most part, are very sweet natured. -Except for 'Hephzibah', that is, but that's altogether different.- So, it would come across as unbelievable-flat out impossible one would think- to die at the hands hooves lower incisors, of a dairy goat. But, I think I have something on my hands that nears the unthinkable.

Let me back up for a bit. This past year -I keep thinking about the past year- has been one class after another at the school of hard knocks. Just when we think we have it down, Professor You'vegotta'notherthingcoming insists otherwise. Little by -one step forward two falls on the ice later- little, we're making it and piecing it together and figuring it all out. Alone, mind you. I used to think I was a fairly intelligent person. However, Kansas -of all places- has proven me otherwise. Thank you Kansas for putting me in my proverbial- you are really an idiot after all- place.

I can't say I'm grateful, so let's just say I'm devouring my humble pie at a rate any humble pie eater could be proud of. I can't imagine though you want to hear me get up on my soap box about how hard life is here in Kansas. I am pretty sure I made fun of those who couldn't hack the Mid-West and moved their convertible driving <insert profane word substituted for the padded part of ones back side> back to California. Not us, no. We're "true grit", as they would say. Either that or too stupid to tuck tail and run. Regardless, we're still here. It would not be surprising, however, if the straw that broke the camel's goat's back was something like a judge being mauled by our -otherwise- sweet natured girl(s).

Anyway, back to the headlines of the local paper. Rachel and I have been working with the goats getting them ready for the fair. The goat kids never want to lead nicely and so it takes some work dragging them while they choke and scream and convulse teaching them how to act like the good little show goats they are and not some rampaging blood thirsty rabid beasts of burden obnoxious heathens.

The older does lead just fine. They'd prefer to be off doing other things of course but, for the most part, put up with our "horse and pony show" routine. I figure, you know, they lead a pretty good life; the least they can do is behave on the milk stand and stand in a god awful show pose every once in a while to appease me. I truly don't ask for much! Apparently though, FD, has other plans. I do believe she is plotting an attack of epic proportion, kind of like Rambo meets Animal Farm.

I have practiced with her twice now and twice she has tried to maul me while I try to set up her legs. Okay, maybe maul isn't the right word, but she sure is trying to take a hunk outta whatever part of me she can reach. She is so sweet natured -otherwise-. I think it's a cover though. For all these years she has been waiting for her moment to seek revenge for all the terrible things that have gone wrong in her life. I don't know exactly what those things are, but I'm guessing she thinks her life has just been awful for her to behave this way!

I told her yesterday (in a very sing songy irritated voice), despite liking her very much -otherwise-, I was not above selling her, that she is a show goat whether she likes it or not and if she cannot fill that slot like a good little goat, she could be permanently relocated to the goat sausage stuffing plant just as easily as the extra buck kids!

To be honest, I don't think she understood me. I will give her the benefit of the doubt, chock it up to a bad day, and drive on but I will be darned if my name is on the front page of the newspaper the day after the fair for something of that magnitude. Having the only goat in history to maul someone is not something I'd really like to be known for. I am sure you can understand.

2011 Reno County 4H Fair

I feel somewhat like a failure in regard to this whole 4H thing. I vow that things will run smoother for next year!

Rachel had signed up for 3 different categories to show, one of them being a sewn item (which we did not get done in time), the other two were her goats that she raised (Dawn and Cheedoe. Although she ended up showing Apricot because the two little punks didn't want to lead) and a baked item. If I had a better understanding of how thing whole thing worked ahead of time it probably wouldn't have felt like such a disaster but live and learn.

That said, I missed the deadline for the 4H state fair show in Sept. She can still participate in the open show with the "big leagues" along with me I believe but as for the junior competition, she cannot. My fault somewhat although I really had no idea what in God's name all the shows are/were!



The county fair was a joke as far as the dairy goats were concerned. I don't know how many different 4H groups are in Reno County but there were a total of 6 dairy goats shown at the fair by 2 different groups (Ours (Buhler) and the Royal Clovers). One single class-meaning all 6 regardless of age which is not normally how showmanship is done because dairy goats NEVER go up against meat goats in the 'real world'. I was such a shambles not knowing what was going on that I'm sure my anxiety was passed on to Rachel and she was extremely nervous going into the showmanship class (which is based on the show-er and not the actual goat. Although, having a goat who cooperates is certainly a benefit!!!).

She was up against 7 and 8 year old's for her showmanship class, first place being taken by an 8 year old girl whose goat was docile and didn't care one way or other other where she was (show, home or otherwise). Second place was taken by a girl and her goat whom she had to drag around the ring (the goat, that is). Had I known they were passing out awards for the biggest pain in the ass [goat], I would have sent Rachel out with Dawn to begin with!  As it was, we made a change and sent her with Apricot instead of Cheedoe just so I was sure the goat wasn't adding to her stress!

Showmanship class

The goats were due at the fairgrounds on Friday morning. They didn't show until Saturday starting at noon. Much of what was in the barn was meat goats, they're real popular. We were back and forth between the house and fairgrounds probably 4 times on Friday. The heat has been unbearable and while the barn did have port-a-coolers (think huge portable swamp coolers), after a while, they really did do more harm than good as the air by afternoon was heavily laden with moisture AND it was over 100 degrees. All one could do was sit in front of a portable fan strapped to each pen (that showe-rs provided) to just live!

Talking to the judge in the showmanship class

All in all it was a good experience. Rachel won a blue ribbon for her baked good (Chocolate Chunk Cookies). Best I can tell is that each exhibitor is scored against themselves and not another exhibitor. Basically it means everyone ribbons. I didn't tell Rachel that as she doesn't understand placing right now anyway. She's not got that competitive streak about her (yet). Perhaps she never will, she's a lot like Jeremiah in that aspect and I want to encourage that if that's who she is. She was happy to blue ribbon in both of her goat classes too (showmanship and grand/reserve grand) and pretty much said something to the affect she was glad she didn't get 1st place because those ribbons were purple and she preferred blue anyway. Simple pleasures of a 7 year old, ahhhh.

This is Rachel's fake "I'm nervous as heck & I wish this was over" smile. Apricot, not as nicely set up as she should be, stood like a champ anyway and I was relieved for the effort!

July Hollow Update

We've hit the ground running since returning from vacation. Yes, the dog was happy to see us. The goats we hauled back with us from Ca. made it fine and are settling in. Ann took no time at all to establish herself as herd queen and is quite happy to eat anything green, herbaceous and delicious. Iris, on the other hand, is more picky but sweet just the same.

We're in a major drought this year. Hay prices have gone sky high and we're hauling in hay from 100 miles away, 2 1/2 ton at a time. We'll need to make a few more trips north to bring enough down for the next year. It's not just that prices are sky high within the few surrounding counties, there won't be enough to go around either. Most hay fields aren't artificially irrigated, in case you were wondering, so whatever grows off of what falls from the sky is it. Fortunately for us, it's cheaper up north AND more abundant, so providing we've got the time to go up, we should be just fine.

We've got visiting friends with us. Because we've pulled all the posts and fence line from the west side of the property we've got the neighbor's two paint horses here. We could easily have the lines back up in a day but ran out of time Wednesday evening to get the lines up. We weren't around Friday and so today may be the day. It's either all or nothing as I would hate to get one or two up to have the horses get caught in them. To be perfectly honest, putting up the fence line is the quick and easy part! Taking it all down and cleaning the fence line beforehand is what takes the time! The goats haven't minded the horses and visa versa but I did lock the goats in the "main pen" so I could be sure they weren't visiting the neighbor's. I don't mind if the horses are over here but I don't need the goats getting into mischief over there.

It's been so hot which only adds to the misery of having no rain too. I try to get out as soon as the sun's up but getting back on Central time has been difficult. It also stays light out here until nearly 10 o'clock and working in the evenings is nice and cool. Jeremiah's a night owl anyway. I am not, but have been working well into the dark to maximize the time we can work.

Other than that, the kids are fine. We're preparing for the county fair in which Rachel has a few entries. I suppose I also need to think about getting the paperwork in for the state fair as well.  Jeremiah goes back to work in a few weeks. His classroom and shop are being painted right now so he's back to square one (as in, the same place he was last year with his shop in total disarray). The summer sure is flying by!

Leaving Full

What a weekend! What a week leading up to this weekend. We are all exhausted, sun burned but exhilarated and proud. Friday night was the youth only show that started strictly with showmanship, which is the judge judging you and not your goat, although you do take a goat into the ring. We left at 1 to get to the fair ground early by 2 to get our pens and get them set up. We only took the truck that night with Cheedoe and Dawn. Saturday was the "open" show where any age can show so the mix of ages was nice.

I started clipping on Wednesday! The temps have been something awful here and I've been show clipping in the early mornings and late evenings partly because of the heat, partly because I have some darker goats and wanted to give them a few days for their hair to grow in just a tiny bit so they didn't look patchy and partly because the clippers get hot and I need the break. Everyone was cranky so short stints made them easier to work with. I was still clipping Saturday morning at 6 AM!

Our first show out as a family and we had quite an assortment of placings. Cheedoe, who is quite a nice junior doe, looked horrible once clipped and I don't mean in confirmation. She has lovely Nubian attributes but her coloring underneath, in my opinion, just made her show awfully. That's it, it's as simple as coloring making her look not as nice as the others, or at least that's my opinion.. It could have been my clip job for sure but she's so many different colors in all the "wrong" spots and had I known, I would have left her un-clipped or left her really long anyway! I almost hated to take her and she showed at the back of her class each time. It's just not her fault.



Rachel made our hearts burst with pride. Jeremiah and I were at opposite sides of the ring and both of us were nearly moved to tears watching her in that show ring like she'd done it a million times before. Every thing we'd worked on she followed to a "t" from the way she payed attention to the judge and moved when the judge moved, walked with confidence and set the goat up. She was just awesome.


Friday night the judge made a mistake in thinking Rachel had gone the wrong way in a showmanship class when she hadn't. She was at the top of her game that night! I cannot tell you the utter disappointment to be called out like that by the judge and I had half a mind to say something, as in interrupting the judge right then and there. While the lesson from the judge to be learned was that you always go in a clockwise rotation around the judge the real lesson that we reminded her of was that people make mistakes and as long as Rachel knew the truth it was okay and she did. It was still a hard pride pill to swallow though for a while when it hadn't been her at all!

I was not showing my best being totally exhausted and a nervous wreck about a late start on Saturday morning, helping the kids get ready and making sure everyone knew which goats we up next. I don't do well in the heat, couple that with a soda I shouldn't have had, not enough sleep, dirt and it makes for a participant who should have handed it over and under the right circumstances, would have gladly.



Saturday brought hot temps, cranky goats and exhausted participants and show goers alike. Rachel showed Dawn for her junior class. Dawn didn't want to walk, wanted to lay down and just quit and did. Rachel, being a bit nervous to begin with and is somewhat of a child who wants to blend in, became overwhelmed when the crowd began laughing (not at her, at the fact that animals are animals and in the middle of the show decided enough was enough, she just wanted to be a goat, lay down and chew her cud). Rachel, partly thinking they were laughing at her and partly just plain frustrated, broke down and began to cry. Daddy and mommy to the rescue with a few encouraging words from us and the judge and she pulled herself up by her boot straps and drove on to come in 2nd in a class of over 20 (where Jeremiah and my juniors placed 5&6th I believe) and went on to show Dawn yet again just a short while later with Apricot (dry (not in milk and not bred) yearling) and I in the class for Grand and Reserve Grand (which we didn't win but still we made it).


Her perseverance was testament to the whole weekend, truly. Saturday morning after such a long week for me with the kids home full time from school, trying to get goats clipped along with all the usual chores and regular work and all the work Rachel, Drew and I had done with the goats, I really just wanted to fall back to sleep at 5 AM when the alarm went off. I wanted to call it quits at 6 AM while shaving udders and knowing I'd run out of time before I could get it done. But in my heart, as a mother and teacher and leader, I knew despite my desire to want to give in and give up, it wouldn't be fair to the children nor would it show them what we try to instill in them. And with a grateful heart, it brings me to tears to think of her strength and will in  mirroring us as a family all weekend.


After a disappointing morning with our yearling milkers placing at the end of their class, we went out on a high with our juniors doing very well and Moon (our yearling buck we brought from Ca.) taking Reserve Grand Champion behind an 8 year old La Mancha. There was lots of gushing over him by quite a few folks including the judge. I don't take the credit, I give that all to his breeder and Jeremiah did a better job of showing him than I would have. Moon seems to like him better anyway- must be a guy thing- and I was just a wreck at that point anyway- completely overheated and spent. Jeremiah-being the ever patient man he is and probably wondering why on earth he was showing dairy goats of all things instead of 4 wheeling or something more manly- admonished that while they may be dairy goats, it was an event the whole family could participate in and if we weren't at a goat show, we'd be at home working on something around the farm for the goats. So, you see, one may as well have fun with it.


Our yearling milkers had nowhere near the (udder) capacity as every one else. I couldn't believe the size of these yearlings for one and for two the size of their udders. Mine were not full by any stretch. We did not get home until nearly 11 PM and because my kids are dam raised, they had been drinking up until 11 PM Friday night when we got home from the youth show. I don't like to "over udder" anyway but they weren't as full as they should have been and I know that. There's a lot to take into consideration on the milkers for sure and circumstances are circumstances.



We were happy to be home Saturday evening. I was happy to get the goats back home. King, our LGD, was overjoyed to have his goats back home and we were glad to take a shower! I didn't mention yet that King was so upset about us leaving with half the herd he jumped over the back fence and chased us half way down 4th street! I had to run him all the way back home-just another thing that made me want to call it quits.

But anyway, a very good time was had by all despite. Not wanting to forget Drew who, by his own admonition, wasn't ready for showing yet, was as good as gold all weekend. I was expecting him to be bored and cranky and let that be known by acting out but he was just as involved as everyone else minus being in the show ring. The toys and coloring books didn't even make it out of the truck and his "shell" of shyness an unsure-ness has either broken or was temporarily put to the side because he sat and talked with folks he didn't know and chatted and stepped up to the plate and did what was asked of him happily. This goat showing thing, while it may not be Jeremiah's cup of tea, sure did bring a lot of positives to our already close family this weekend.


 Sunday will be spent relaxing! We're tired. I'll try to get some photos up.

Goats being goats

Pj doing what goats love!

Girls in the East Pasture (neighbor's windmill in the background)

The three grown bucks in what will eventually be the orchard helping clean up a willow that fell down. (The girls east pasture is on the other side of the fence line on the left and the pond is out of the photo to the right. This photo is taken facing east.)

CBB's & P.E.T.A

I've decided, CBB's (Crappy Bottle Babies) aren't that bad. It was never the babies themselves, as I said, it was the act of bottle feeding. I brought it upon myself, I KNOW!

I think I've got 2 of them sold though and the other two will stay here but rest assured, I will not be taking any other CBB's on on purpose!

They've come to not be so bad though. Now that they are eating hay well enough, I think they are finally keeping their bellies just full enough not to mob me every time I come out whether or not they just had a full bottle 5 minutes before.

The urge to always jump though is still there and pinching noses seems to have curbed that. They still do it but I learned trying to teach them not to jump and nip while I have a bottle in my hand while they are (apparently) starving (because I starve them you know!) is not the best time so I wait until they are full and then pinch them if they try to nip and jump. They finally get the picture...for the most part. PETA would be all over that I'm sure! I wonder how PETA supporters raise their own kids? They probably all have bratty heathens running around because God forbid they discipline with a firm hand...or maybe human kids don't matter and they beat the hell out of them! That's neither here nor there though.

Speaking of PETA and disciplining though...as I said in my last post, Saturday we had electric fence on the brain. To date we still had not let the goats into the pasture. I trust them about as far as I could throw them (some farther than others ::grin::) not to get out of the fence without the zapper on so we waited.

We turned it on Saturday and the dang thing was arcing off into the air! We thought the tube/sleeve insulators were bad and I may have gone off a bit on the guy at the farm store. Sorry about that! The only thing he could recommend/advise was that the tubing may be bad and to bring it back in. Apparently he didn't know A. what it was exactly (50' of tubing (like a hose) that you cut to length so little did he know if we would have done that, it would have been in about 200 pieces!) and B. that would mean taking down our whole fence...the one we just put up...over spring break. NOT GONNA HAPPEN DUDE!

In the end the fencer is just too much for the length of wire we have for right now but I am not about to go out and buy a smaller fencer to hold us over until the rest of the wire goes up so Jeremiah fixed it temporarily (A.K.A. Jerry Rig, Honky Hook-up, etc.). That brings us to Sunday afternoon when we FINALLY could let the goats out. You're going to love this (or not, depending on who you are). In order to teach the goats to stay the hell away from the wire -as it's more of a psychological barrier than psychical one- we had to let 'em learn the hard way. How did we do that? Leading them to it with grain, pouring it on the other side and letting them find out themselves they don't want anything to do with the fence...pasture=good...fence=baaaad. So, one by one each of them got a nice zap and that was the end of that. They decided it wasn't worth it and happily went to eating on the right side. Goooood goaties!

The CBB's aren't as smart though, B5 especially. I was out there yesterday and that dummy must have hit the fence at least 3 times. Every time they do, you hear a yelp (in baby goat language), watch them run away, turn around and look dazed and confused like, what he heck just happened?

P.S. PETA would be happy to know we spend our weekends and evenings burning baby goat heads...on purpose...just in case you've been reading and wondering why there are hairless brown rings on the tops of some of the kid's heads. We burn them with an iron to prevent horns from growing. We're mean like that.

Confetti and Kazoos

Dear, where to begin??? What did I post about last, fencing? I've got a good story about that but first, the past 1, 2, 3, 4, 5??? I don't even know how many days, has been a whirlwind! 5 DOES KIDDED!!!! Do you want to know how many bucks I got from those 5 does??? I can't count that high. Kidding, we'll let's see...

Granite's 2 spotty bucks (no does!) And I spent the night in the barn! ALL night. In the barn. It was cold! In the barn. Ug, then she didn't even kid until 7:20. In the morning! After I spent all night. In the barn. Sleeping on the hay.


Ariel kidded on Thursday night. I was there. Sort of. Her udder filled tight Thursday (usually a pretty good indication kidding will happen that day). She wasn't due 'til Saturday. With these bottle kids I am out at the barn 50 times a day feeding it seems so I was keeping an eye on Ariel. I fed all the adults their hay around 4 PM- usual time. I checked on her at milking time and bottle time around 8 and figured it would be that night. Jeremiah and I watched CSI. Round about 9:30 something told me to go check on her but I flicked that demon (or angel, however you want to look at it) off my shoulder and finished CSI. 10 o'clock rolled around and we drug ourselves out in the cold and sure enough, she had had her bubble, as Rachel would say, and out flew a tiny tiny little doe kid. Hizah! A doe, finally! Then out popped a buck...no confetti and kazoos for that one. They're both cute though...and small.

We moved Ariel to the back of the barn with the heat lamp and there she stayed with Granite and her 2 huge spotty bucks for the night...not happily either. Granite was in a bad mood with the new room mate and her "two brats".

Then, let's see...chore time Friday morning and Loli wasn't lookin' too hot. I got Drew on the bus in time to run back out and catch a kid...er, pull a kid. Those first fresheners don't always have an easy time...2 buck kids. DEFINITELY no confetti or kazoos. So, at that point, the last 4 does had had just 2 doe kids and 7 buck kids! Good grief.

Saturday we had electric fence on the brain and imagine this...we had to go to town...again! I checked Toddy (who was due 2 days earlier) and she had looked like she would kid for 3 days so I wasn't about to sit home and watch paint peel waiting for her. By the time we can back the poor dear was under the feeder with 2 hooves sticking out. I had to practically drag her to the back of the barn and then those CBB's (Crappy Bottle Babies) are always getting in the way so I had Rachel and Drew put them in the dungeon (A.K.A. the separation/safe pen) so I could work.

I had to pull Toddy's kid too, er help, however you want to look at it. What do you think? Break out the confetti and kazoos? Nope! DAMMIT! ANOTHER BOY. I think I cried. Maybe it was sweat, I can't remember. Fortunately for him he's so cute! After Granite's 2 buck kids and it going pretty much down hill from there Jeremiah said, "drown them"...he was kidding...I think.

Anyway, the highly anticipated (by me) yearling, Mea, was taking her sweet time. She was due Saturday. She kidded LAST night (Monday). It's not unusual for them to go over, especially if only carrying singles but any longer than 5 days and you do want to take action. We went to Wichita last night. I debated whether or not to go but hoped for the best. We didn't get home until almost 9 and I hadn't milked yet or fed the last big bottle to the CBB's (more on them later). I had locked Mea up in the back of the barn (A.K.A. the maternity ward) before we left and she was nice enough to let me finish up feeding the last CBB before she started pushing and guess what???? DOUBLE KAZOOS AND DOUBLE CONFETTI, maybe even balloons too and perhaps even a visit from Ed McMahon himself! TWO DOE KIDS! WOO HOO and I think it's even worth a YEE HAW!

::SIGH:: So, I'm reeling at the fact that the buck gods were too kind to me this year (though I wish they wouldn't have been!). I do have 2 of them sold (one spotty buck kid of Granite's is going to a breeding home and Fleur's boy (Johnny B 5 as we lovingly call him) is going to be a pet whether). As for everyone else, well, I'll do my best. "Agouti", Toddy's little single buck kid, well, I just don't know...he's too cute and quite honestly, he may be registered. I seriously doubt Jeremiah will be duped into thinking he's our new LGDG (Livestock Guardian Dog Goat). He really is a nice looking fellow, but anyway...such is life.

As for the doe kids, well, I feel like being selfish because I got so few! I do have one doe left to kid but she's not due for another 6 weeks or so so it feels like kidding season is over, just like that.

What's the final count you ask? Well, let's see...Bonnie's 2 boys ("Piddle" and "Puddle"), Fleur's one boy ("Johnny B 5") and 2 doe kids, ("Dawn" and "Willow"), Freedoe's 2 buck kids ("Birdy" and "Birdy's Brother") and one doe kid ("Chee Doe"), Granite's 2 buck kids ("Spud" and "Spot"), Ariel's buck kid (B I lost track of whatever #) and doe kid ("Scarlet Tide"), Loli's 2 buck kids (B? and B?+1), Toddy's buck kid ("Agouti") and last but not least Mea's 2 doe kids ("Ada Monroe" and "Ruby Thewes" and if you recognize those names from Cold Mountain, you'd be right. We love the movie! But you have to do the Southern accent when you say them otherwise it's just not the same.) So, yes they almost all have names, freezer boys too. Don't ask Jeremiah who's who, he couldn't tell you.We have to name them we decided. The kids can't tell who's who otherwise and sorting them becomes an issue when you say, "the brown one" and nearly all of them have SOME brown!

Bucks: 11 (!)
Does: 6

What an upset. Oh well, better luck next year.

And I'll leave you with some photos...

Gunpowder and Lead Continued...

I have just a second to jot down why King wasn't at the fence when the coyote episode lead to Jeremiah being outside in his underwear holding a loaded shotgun in freezing temps the other morning.

The day before when Jeremiah was leaving for work we saw King up near the road. This time of year without leaves on the trees, we can see much of the road. Jeremiah said the dog was up near the road and of course I freaked out and sternly told him to come to which he obliged but somewhat unhappily.

I've come to learn that LGD's have a mind of their own, or at least this one does. Not that most animals don't but I've been told LGD's can be somewhat stubborn and take a firmer hand but that's part of why they are so smart, at least with King. He's obedient, though somewhat unhappily at times. Butters was just an idiot. Not that we didn't love him and not that he wasn't a kind idiot, we tried and tried to get him to stop running, in the end, that was just Butters. But aside from that and back to my story, I called King back and Jeremiah said he had a bloody paw. By the looks of things, I figured he was eating on something.

Sure enough, no sooner than I put him in the garage to deal with the morning, Jeremiah called from the road in the car to say a deer had been hit and was laying in the ditch. That's not uncommon at all. Uncommon thus far to have one hit in the front yard, but dead animals are a pretty common site along the road.

At any rate, I knew if I put him back in the goat pen he'd just get back out so what's a girl to do but drag the dead deer carcass to him? So, that's what I did and he was happy. If you'll remember right, King needed a new home, which is how he came to us, because at his last owners he was visiting the meat locker in town. I had gotten him a bone a couple of days before but why would a bone be good enough when he had a whole damn deer at his disposal?

That was the night of the "Gunpowder and Lead" episode. I drug the deer into an "open" pen so that he could chew on it without the goats getting to it. It wasn't that I thought they'd gnaw on it, I just didn't want them to see their fellow kind lying dead and disemboweled. Sorry, maybe that's too much information.

I know what some of you are thinking, you're letting the same dog who is eating on a deer live amongst your goats??? Well, yes, yes I am. What can I say? Obviously he knows the difference and it's not like he went out and killed the deer. He was just getting some good eats.

And some of you may also be thinking, "OH LORD, SHE DRUG A DEAD DEER TO THE BACK FOR HER DOG TO CHEW ON??" Yes, I did that too. What else was I supposed to do? I wasn't about to bury it. It's good meat, our dog wanted it, and it's not like I killed it! So, why be wasteful!? Perhaps I'll need to flip the "Trashy People Live Here" sign back because we were doing so good for so long. What, with me hanging laundry to dry on an actual clothes line instead of our cattle panel back yard fence-never mind that it's sunk into the loamy soil so far that the jeans drag on the ground and the fact my boys still pee in the yard and now we had a whole dead deer I pilfered off the road and drug into the back yard for dog food!

Now that that's out of the way- I had shut the gate partially enough to the (renamed "dead deer")  pen so the goats probably wouldn't spend the time trying to squeeze though but the dog could. It ended up that he got locked into that pen and so the morning of the coyote sighting the poor guy was locked up and best I can figure he knew where his carcass was, he couldn't get out so why bother barking? I don't know if that's true. I do know he coudn't get out. I know I didn't hear him and I know that's why he didn't come when I called. Maybe he thought he was in trouble and should mind his P's and Q's. I can't say for sure. Hell, maybe he was way out back, I don't know. What I do know is he was locked in that pen when Jeremiah and I went out once we were dressed.

What I can say is that yes, he's naughty for getting out to get the deer, but we can't stop that. Seriously, we really can't. Even if we put up a block wall around the whole entire property, he'd get out. It scares me that he goes up to the road but I can only hope that he has enough good sense, and he seems to, to stay the hell off of it. If not, what else can we do? Chain him? What good is he then and what kind of life is that? So, in the end King will do what he wants. He knows where he lives, he's not a jumpety dog who runs everywhere he goes and so we hope for the best. It's not as if he spends every night out...he's just curious and while he has gotten out of the pen, it's normally because we're on the other side and he just wants to be with someone other than goats who have disdain for him and babies that like to jump on him. Do you blame him?

Anyway, I can say without a shadow of a doubt he's a good protector. We've had coyotes here every night/morning and he's sent them on their way. Jeremiah has gone out a number of mornings to do some population control only for them to be gone by the time he was dressed and ready to go because of King. A couple days ago the dang deer smelled so bad Jeremiah and I drug it out of the pen to the back 40, hauled the trailer out there and have plans to do a steak out. I think the trailer has kind of thwarted our efforts because I haven't heard coyotes in a  few mornings until this morning when I got Jeremiah up again at about 4:30 AM to go out with the gun but King had chased them off, literally. He got out of the pen and chased them somewhere out back. They were close this morning again too. By the sound of it, probably out back by the deer carcass so not as near as the back yard like the other day but still, they don't need to be here. They can go eat someone elses cats...or goats.

All of this sounds like we're on high alert with these darn coyotes. To be honest, since getting King I haven't felt at all afraid for the goats...well, except the one morning when I was woken from a sound sleep and can't hear my dog! He's there and he does his job well..except when he's not and he isn't...you know? I know I can count on King...except when I can't :o)...unlike all the other stupid dogs in the neighborhood, to alert me when something's there because he only barks when something is. Or at least I assume. While the other dogs are yapping away, he's gone quiet. He knows. And while I don't have a problem initiating some population control on the coyote population, I also don't feel we have to either because the goats are safe. So, at least for today, the coyotes will live another day.

Yesterday morning around about 7:45 while I was in the milk room he started in barking and running to the east fence, I looked out and saw 4 deer jumping across the pasture to the north. So pretty much, he hates coyotes and deer. He knows the difference too between domestic dog and coyote...it's uncanny.

So, that's that. We're back to being trashy, our dog does well when he's not locked up with a carcass and being outside in your underwear before it's light out and freezing makes for a good story.

The end.

 

Gunpowder and Lead

Here's some humor for you. Imagine this if you will -or you may not actually want to-. I was coming out of REM sleep around 5 AM this morning dreaming about something, though I couldn't tell you what. I hear dogs barking -which isn't at all unusual- and the distinct yip yip yip howl from a coyote, and it is CLOSE!

Thoughts about why I can't hear King barking along with saving the babies and everything else run through my head as I fumble down the hallway, and into the garage to put my barn shoes on. I nearly fall off the landing of the stairs, but managed to get down those somehow without killing myself to turn on the back yard flood light and I saw coyote(s) eyes at the goat yard fence. Where King is I don't know. I call for him, he doesn't answer, doesn't come. It's not like him at all. "Did he run after some?" What's going on?" I think. I run back inside, still partly asleep mind you, disoriented, adrenaline pumping and I scream for Jeremiah to, "Get the gun. Coyotes are in the back yard."

Poor man, I don't think I was done with my sentence before he was up, shot gun shells laying on the bed, throwing them one by one into the gun...good soldier! Here he comes down the hall and hangs a right to the living room instead of b-lining it to the garage door and I'm thinking, "go out the back!". He grabs his can of tobacco and says, "If I am going to kill me some coyotes, I need tobacco". "Really? Seriously?", I think and roll my eyes and shake my head.

The rest of the story isn't important. It ends up that all the goats and babies are safe, King the dog is still there and the coyote(s) run off. The hysterical part in all of this is, it's in the low 30's! There my husband is, at 5 AM, loaded shotgun in hand, standing on the back patio squinting through the darkness, startled awake by his wife's screaming, tobacco in his mouth, in the dark, IN NOTHING BUT HIS UNDERWEAR! Yes my friends, if this scenario fits you, YOU might be a redneck!

Dear sweet man, who couldn't love someone who does that fer ya??? To top it all off, he was ready to walk out to the barn like that before I told him to hold on while I got him some clothes.

Meet King

King is the newest member of the herd. Sunday morning he was eager to get out of the garage and head out to see his new family of the 4 legged variety.

Jeremiah and I have both commented on how smart he is. Much more so than a regular family pet dog in my personal opinion. I would imagine that most "working" dogs have their special instinct(s) about them that makes them smarter in some ways and I am not bias at all, just to watch him makes you realize he's always thinking.

The goats were not thrilled to have him but over the course of 4 days they've calmed down a lot and don't mind him in the barn much, they're just wary. They crowd towards the back soe but you don't need to watch them to know how they feel. Watch the dog, HE knows and will immediately back off and give them their space if he feels they feel at all uneasy. It's really quite amazing.

Tuesday he managed to get on the other side of the pen fence. I went out around noon and he was none to thrilled to not be able to get back over. I don't know how he got on the other side but it wasn't a behavior I praised him for. He's not tried it since and matter of fact, yesterday we walked the property line checking on the condition of fence posts and he came along with but was a bit reluctant to go through the gate. He knew unless I invited him it was not okay.He stayed with me every step of the way around the whole property. The neighbors dogs were having a conniption fit but King didn't say a word.

All in all, we couldn't have asked for a better dog! I don't think he completely enjoys being with the goats full time, I think he'd like more family time but that is not his job. We all go out often even if just to say hello.

He's a big dog. And his bark, well, let's just say it's intimidating. He didn't take too kindly to the horse charging down the hill one day when she heard I was feeding. Maybe it's coincidence but we've also not heard the coyotes since we got him. I'm sure that's more coincidence but King sure was making  ruckus last night and it was music to my ears because it means my baby goats are safe.

Weekly recap

We've been busy here! Week before last the temps were so nice reaching the 70's and even setting a record one or two days. We spent all last weekend in the yard. Had two of Jeremiah's students over to help us chop wood and clear brush. There is so much and it's all a bit overwhelming when you look at it all. For so many years, as the trees broke and/or died, they were either left in the woods or if on the main paths/areas, pushed into piles in the woods to decompose. It's real hard to see the piles in the woods when it's spring, summer and part of fall because of the grass and the briers and bushes but come late fall and winter, it just looks, well, wild. Natural, but wild.

There's a lot of good wood in there to burn it just needs to be hauled out, cut and split. Things are different, as I am sure you know, when you work full time. Or, when Jeremiah works full time anyway. Weekends are super busy and it's still not really light enough yet to do anythings in the evenings and most of the time it's too cold anyway, so there ya go.

This morning was chilly and we had a lot of moisture last night so the trees are coated in a layer of ice which is actually really pretty to look at...from afar that is, as in, inside where it's warm. Photos wouldn't show the ice though so no point in taking one. Yesterday was frigid.

The children and I went, for the first time, to the Hutch. Library and wow, what a great place! I wish I had taken them sooner. Rachel got a library card. Unfortunately it's on the west side of town (we live on the east side) so going over there would mean a special trip unless I need to go to the Hutch. Post Office (which is also over there) but I think we'll be making another trip this week. It's just something we'll have to make a point to do, perhaps pick them up from school instead of them taking the bus and go.

Jeremiah's truck's registration in Ca. (no we haven't gotten the plates changed over yet!) is due this month and so I'll need to run over to the court house to pay the $12 to get plates and tags. I'm not totally sure how they figure out registration, but it has something to do with your property taxes. Go figure! But actually the truck will be considered "antique" so we get off paying a heck of a lot less. My car was substantially more but still less than Ca. so I can life with it. Our car insurance, by the way, is half here than what it was in Ca. There's no surprise.

The baby goats are doing just fine. They jump and play and sleep and eat. What else is there? One of them is quite friendly, he's the larger of the two (the darker one with brown spots). He's also got the most potential (as far as I'm concerned) as breeding quality. The whole, "I worked so hard to save them and they won't go on my dinner plate" thing has blown over. The fact the smaller one won't play pet goat would make it easier for me to send him to the auction but nothing will be decided until mid-summer. They were disbudded over a week ago, that's always a fun chore but they were back to jumping around shortly after everything was said and done.

We've got lots of plans in the works. I've put off the notion of putting up a panel green house this Spring. While it wouldn't take very long to do, I think putting together some cold frame boxes with either old windows or corrigated clear plastic for lids would be faster and I don't need a whole lot of room to start seedlings in for us.

Our biggest chore is coming at the end of March when we start putting in our new property fencing. Jeremiah is not looking forward to it but I really am. The task seems daunting to him I'm sure, but everything I've read tells me it's a pretty quick job, in comparison that is. If I haven't mentioned before what we're putting in, I'll explain now. We're installing High Tensile Wire. It's 12.5 gauge wire, which when pulled taught, is VERY springy. It will be 5-6 wires tall (approx. 48" tall) and "hot" (electrified). I've done months and months of research on this stuff. It's cheap, lasts longer than any other fencing and has the lowest maintenance and is the easiest to put up. What more could we ask for?

Why is it cheap to put up? Not only is it inexpensive to purchase (as low as .02 a foot for the wire), but it requires a lot less posts than traditional fencing- wire, wood, woven or welded wire. On flat terrain you can get away with posts spaced as far as 100'. It is recommended that "battens" be installed, which is nothing more than a plastic/pvc pipe with groves in it to accept the wires to keep them spaced apart between the posts driven into the ground. These pipes (battens) are not driven into the ground, the are usually only as long as the measurement from top to bottom wire. While most of our terrain is not flat- there are rolling hills-I am hoping we can get away with using wooden posts only on the most substantial hills and t posts for the rest. We will need "insulators" which are pieces that fit onto the post that hold the wires in place- though some people use large staples.

Unlike woven or welded wire, high tensile is not tightly secured directly to the posts (although I have heard that some do say not to tightly secure this type either so that the fence gives, but there isn't nearly as much give in these types of fencing as high tensile). The high tensile can be stapled but the staples are not to be driven tightly to the wire because the wires are supposed to "float". If stapled, the staples do nothing more than acting like the "batten" keeping the wires where you want them vertically, if that makes sense.

The beautiful thing about this fencing is that it is so springy. The fence line intersects a lot of trees. We get severe ice storms and if the piles of wood and broken limbs in the woods are any indication of how much actually brakes and falls, we'd be forever repairing any other type of fencing. As I've stated, high tensile is super springy with as little as 1300 lbs. of holding power for every wire! Meaning, if a limb (or tree) were to fall on the wire, once it's removed, the wire will spring back into place and not be damaged a bit. Posts may need to be replaced but where there are long stretches of flat land, providing the post is somewhat away from the fallen limb, it will have no ill affects which is the reason they recommend not putting in more posts than you need and why the wire "floats" within the staples or insulators- less is more in this type of fencing under most circumstances.

As far as fixing the fence in the event a post is broken or bent, the wires just need to be removed from the post (which is where insulators would come in handier than staples). Unlike, say, woven or welded wire, high tensile wires can be spliced (using a crimper). Well, no,  take that bac. Woven and welded wire can be spliced but it's quite a bit more effort to do so and re-stretching the fence is more labor intensive. If the high tensile wires are not damaged, you just hook them back up to the post(s) and re tighten via the inline strainer.

The inline strainer is connected to two ends of the high tensile wire, tightened to a certain PSI and holds it, maybe you've seen them on barbed wire. Until I started researching high tensile I never knew what the round thing with teeth connected to the wire actually was. It does the same thing that the ratchet strap strainer does- tightens up the fence/strap ! So, you loosen the wire by the strainer, make your fix and re-tighten. In barbed wire applications, over time the wire will start to sag so you take your handy dandy strainer tool. give it a couple clicks and you fence is tight again. Woven or welded wire is a whole lotta hooplah more than that to fix.

Should I be a spokeswoman for high tensile? We'll see. As far as predator control, that's a big one for us! I've seen coyotes jump a 5 foot fence from a stand still. I know we have them, I know they are many. I know an adult goat is probably not on the menu of a coyote unless they are seriously hungry, even when hunting as a pack, which could happen, but baby goats are a fairly easy catch. We do plan to get an LGD (livestock guardian dog) but until then, and in addition to, an electrified fence is also going to be a huge deterrent. I still haven't made a final decision on wire spacing but it's going to be something like 6" off the ground, 8" from that, 10" from that and then 12" and 12" making a total of 48". As far as deer deterrent, that's not a huge concern for me. It is some as deer can carry parasites that will harm goats. I'd just assume keep them off the property and I know they have one major "highway" through the east portion of our property that they could just as easily walk along the fence line on the outside of the property line (and they do on some occasions). Believe me, we wouldn't be affecting a major portion of their grazing grounds by making ours off limits.  I have read that a 48" high fence, normally, wouldn't deter deer at all, but a 48" electrified fence may be another story. However, that does bring up the garden issue, more on that later though in another post. 

So, we're both sold on the high tensile. Our main pen that we can see from the house will all be re-fenced with cattle panels. Jeremiah calls it the viewing area :o). It will not be electrified and my plan is to have the goats come up to the main pan at night.

I've done a lot of reading up on electric fencing too and while high tensile and electric, to me, goes hand in hand, no everyone electrifies their high tensile. On a side note, some cattle around here are kept in with a single strand of electric wire! Can you believe that? You'll be driving along and see a herd of cattle out on an old corn field and you'd swear there isn't a thing in the world keeping them in. Upon further inspection you'll see 2 foot high rebar sticking up out of the ground every 50' to 100' and a nearly invisible wire connecting them. I almost cannot believe it. That won't work with goats and even high tensile wire fence, unless it's electrified (and I am certain of this from previous experience with un-electrified gates and fences, a goat can shimmy under),  they won't stay in. So, we'll alternate hot and ground wires, have substantial -minimum 8' foot long- galvanized rods pounded deep into the ground along the fence line. The herd goat(s) will need to be trained to the fence and Jeremiah said that me being the one to throw them into it may break that trust relationship we have between each other, so I told him he could do it instead, ha ha ha ha ha! But in all seriousness, the fence is probably more of a psychological barrier than a psychical one.

All in all, while fencing approx. 11 acres seems like a large task, the hardest part will be deciding where to place posts and then setting them. I am hoping t posts can be used for much of it so we don't have to dig holes by hand (as I am not going out to buy a $500+ engine powered auger or the rental fee on a post pounder) to set as few as 10 posts when I know darn well, after fencing the majority of the property will probably the last fencing we do on much of it. As I said, the posts, unless in a hilly area, should be few and far between And, to a certain extent, pounding t posts is a pretty easy chore. After the posts are set, it's nothing more than rolling* out some wire, attaching it around the corners and poles and tightening it with the strainers.

While it's not a day job, the amount of work required will be nowhere near as labor intensive as other types and I expect to have the job done in just 2 days or so (not including any posts we may have to set in concrete). I have to call the supplier companies and see if t posts are recommended for slightly hilly terrain. If they'll be okay, we'll save a ton on those as there are already so many holding up the deteriorating twisted wire fence now. Our corner posts are still in great shape and that is the heart of any good fence. Once the wire is strung between the two posts, it's tightened a bit, line posts are then installed, the wires are attached by either insulators or staples (on wooden posts) and then the wires are tightened to about 200-250 lbs. of pressure.

*High tensile is rolled tightly on a a reel, and from what I understand, needs to be unrolled in a spinning jenny which Jeremiah can make at the shop.

At any rate, I'll continue this conversation at a later time. As for the high tensile, I believe I've talked about that enough to explain what we're doing for anyone who's interested. We'll take pictures as we go as I now there are some folks who could benefits from a real world how to. I know I'd be happy to see some blog posts of "real" people installing the stuff and not just hearing about how their uncle installed 15 miles of it in a day by himself.

Later I'll share later my research on good deer/rodent deterrent fencing that I plan to do in the garden and orchard.