Sunday, March 21, 2010

Spring Has Definitely Sprung

On Friday, the daffodils were in full bloom on the farm and in the town.  Forsythia is blooming and there are small pools of crocus in color.  A small variety of magnolia tree is in flower.  I see narcissus buds ready to burst open.

The goat herd now goes to the pastures in full force.  I took some video to post when I get a chance.  I think they are most impressive.  There are three little black calves racing around joyously celebrating Spring.

On Friday morning, I looked out the barn window to see a white creature up on the hilltop.  It wasn't moving and I anticipated a dead goat.  I hiked up, my contingent of bottle baby goats in tow, nipping at my heels.  It turned out that one of the adult does had been climbing cedar trees to get some of the green growth.  Her foot, to the first joint, was firmly clamped in the cleft of the tree.  She was laying on the ground with her foot up in the tree, evidently expecting to die.  I lifted her up enough to get her hoof out and massaged the leg.  Goats need to rest with their legs folded underneath in order for their rumens to work.  They don't last long if lying on one side.  When she seemed recovered enough from the trauma, I managed to pull her up onto her feet, where she stayed for a long time, waitng for the blood circulation to come back.

The leg wasn't broken, just swollen, and she eventually was able to move down the hill to the barn.  In the video, you'll see her at the end of the group limping back up that same hill with the rest of the herd.  She had probably spend the night in her predicament and it was good to have been able to intervene in time to save her.  Goats are always doing goofy things like that.  My back still hurts from lifting her, though.

My seed order arrived yesterday while I was out yesterday.  Today, I'll try to beat the coming rain and get some more in the ground.

Large piles of brush are building up around the yard.  I'm pruning and gathering up old vines and sticks as the clean-up continues.  Life chugs along.

1 comment:

Leslie Shelor said...

Glad you were able to rescue the goat! And really glad that spring is arriving!