Category: agrarianism (Page 8 of 19)

After putting our does with our bucks for 2018 goat breeding time, the Lord graciously granted 2019’s kid crop!

It was a bit of a rough year this time. Lucy delivered very premature kids that didn’t make it, and then Marie’s triplets got stuck, and by the time we got her to the vet and the vet pulled out the dead kids, they had already filled her with bacteria, and she died later that night. Marie was our last full Nubian female. We are grateful to God for the time He granted Marie to be with us, and for the many kids He granted from her:

But, again God was gracious in granting kids from the rest of the group, and all of them were healthy and made it to new-owner day.

Here are the daddies — Shakespeare first, and then Elvis. After the difficulties with Elvis from breeding time and him using his horns as a weapon, we have since had them removed, which appears to have helped his aggressiveness:

And here are some sights of the kids:

Interestingly, Lucy here who lost her kids ended up being something of an aunt to some of the kids, with them often following her around as they browsed the field:

This is new home day!

And this is the kids video, including bottle feeding one kid who had trouble getting on her mother’s teat, and sending them on to their new owner:

However, there was one little exception to all the above: Hannah didn’t get pregnant for several months into breeding season, and so she just recently gave birth to this little buckling. He has probably the sweetest disposition of any goat we’ve had, and will follow us around like a little puppy-dog. Anyway, we have to wait a bit now before he can go to his next home:

And so, we are always thankful to the Lord for His provisions, and we pray the kids bless someone, and we thank God for bringing the buyer, and the health and safety He granted for the ones to which He decided to give life!

— David

Back in November last year, we put bucks and nannies together for 2017 goat breeding time.

Sadly, our multi-colored buck Rocky was too injured to do the job, and so eventually we had to put Shakespeare with the younger nannies as well, which ended up spreading out the birthing over a couple of months.

But Shakespeare did the job, and here are some of the results! Interestingly, it was 3 to 1 bucklings to doelings:

Earlier:

(What a great picture, IMO: 😀 ):

And then on the day they went to their new home:

Sadly at the end of one day, one of the little bucklings was stammering around, and couldn’t keep his balance. With the extreme heat, we thought maybe he had a sun stroke. We got him into the barn to try to help, but over a few days, he got worse and worse, and eventually, when it sounded like fluid was building up in his lungs and I didn’t want him to drown, I gave him the coup de gras. Sigh…that’s always hard to do, especially when all your efforts are to try to keep the animal alive. But, death is a reminder of sin, and something I believe should help us understand a little as to how much God hates it.

But, we are thankful also that there were no other issues with mama’s giving birth or kids dying…thanks to God!

But, sadly also, over the winter we lost Gracie, and then Winnie. We’re not sure what the reasons were, but we are thankful to the Lord for all of the provisions He granted from them.

Winnie started it all way back when. She was always the queen goat…I called her “your highness”. 🙂 Goodbye Winnie…

And here is Gracie. Goodbye Gracie…

And sadly as well, Rocky ended up maybe too injured to do much, and after moving him into the barn to take care of him, he eventually succumbed to something, and we lost him too. We thank the Lord for all of the kids He granted from him as well. Goodbye Rock…

However, another buck that had been used by others in the fellowship became more available for us to take over care for, and so he and Shakespeare have been pals ever since, and we look forward to him going to work with our younger does this November, Lord willing:

Finally, here’s this year’s 2018 kid provisions video:

We are always grateful to God for His provisions, and try to never take them for granted. We deserve none of them, and so every one is a gracious blessing! And we now thank Him for the milk He is supplying from them!

— David