Itty Bitty Hooves

Caution–Kids At Play

It was such a beautiful day, and I had a little time between projects so I went outside and let the ‘kids’ play in the back yard. What a blast to watch! Here are a few pictures. Unfortunately most of them are ’still’ shots since the moment they started bouncing around I’d end up with blank frames because they’d bounded out of the shot before I clicked. I did manage to get one good running one.

The kid that started it all. She has grown so big in the one month since we got her as a weak two day old.

This is Amber, our second trouble child. She’s a big bruiser of a three-week old now.

This is Amelia striking a pose

Here’s Angel. I caught her just getting ready to take off, and then in full-flight.

Last, but not least. We may not have a Livestock Guardian Dog, but we have Guard Geese.

Have a great day! I’m going back outside to enjoy the sun.

Sympathy Pains

I feel for my friend, Kay. I really do. She has yet another maiden mare that’s being a ‘drama queen’ and acting for all the world like she’s going to foal any minute keeping Kay and her entire family on ‘full alert’–for WEEKS now.

I’m feeling sympathy pains for Kay. I’ve been there, done that for several years in a row.

Immy is my usual drama queen. One of the reasons I’m pretty sure she’s not bred this year. She’s not acting like she’s going to foal out ‘any minute’ yet and this is right about the time she would have started doing that. Sometimes ‘bad’ things (no pregnant mares) are really ‘blessings in disguise’. I have so much going on this spring that a bunch of drama queens would only drive me totally insane.

Kind of a Downer Day

Well today was kind of a downer. First off last week I got an email from a lady interested in the 2-yr-old colts I have for sale. I sent recent pictures and she was all excited. I even offered a discount for her because it was for her 4-h kids. She was going to come out this weekend. Now we’re talking about 20 emails over the course of a couple of days.

No word from her before the actual weekend so I dropped her a note that I wouldn’t be home until after noon on Saturday and she emailed me back that oops, she forgot to write me that she couldn’t make it this weekend, it would be next weekend.

No problem, I wrote that it was probably for the best. Then today she writes she bought a different horse.

Now this is par for the course with horse sales and it didn’t really bother me all that much this time. Even up until the email I was like ‘I’ll believe it when I see it’. But it really drove a point home I’d been discussing with a few others on a forum board on the aspect of ‘no deposit/no sale’. Another words, if someone else shows up in the meantime before you get there, if you haven’t put a deposit down, the animal will be sold to the first person who ponies up cash. It seems heartless until you realize that so many folks say, oh yeah, I’ll be there, and never show up. Often times they don’t even let you know they’re not coming.

A couple years ago I had someone I’d spoke to on the phone, and via email wanting to meet me at a certain place to pick up an animal. I took the horse there because I was going anyway so it wasn’t a huge deal, but the person never showed up.

Why are people so inconsiderate? I don’t know. At least this lady this weekend let me know and didn’t leave me hanging.

Then I was thinking today that none of the mares are bred for this year. They could be but they’re sure hiding it well. That’s probably for the best too, but it makes me wonder what my stallion was doing all summer. LOL Maybe he decided he needed a break too.

At least the weather is beautiful today. Had a gate to be repaired today but didn’t get around to it. Probably Tuesday if it’s not raining.

Up and Running

I officially have my ‘Boer’ page up on my website now. I’ve decided to stand Mickey to a select number of does for the 2007 season since I won’t have any open adults ready to put to him until round about August. I already have three people interested but haven’t agreed to their does yet. They will have to agree to meet with my health requirements for the incoming does. One of the three I know will and she has three does she wishes to breed to Mickey in the Spring/Summer. I’d like to get him two or three more. That would be plenty as I don’t want to overpower the market with his kids until I have a chance to have some of my own to sell. I have four of his daughters coming here but they’re for my own herd, not for sale.

Whomever we get to bring in their does is going to have a fantastic imput on their program with Mickey’s offspring.

The new page is at http://www.countryhavenranch.com/boer.html

I am very excited to have this awesome buck coming here and his daughters too. I couldn’t ask for a better start, or better people to have come in contact with to work with than the Anderson’s–Sherry and Brent. Thanks to them, I believe we have an awesome begining for our meat goat operation that will last for years to come.

The Big Bad Bug

A few days ago, one of my blogger friends–Brad (Mr. Fabulous) had a cute little blog about the incredible Praying Mantis. I mentioned in his comments that I had a cool pic of this interesting bug on my website and thought this would be a good time to post it here on my blog.

While the Mantis has kind of an evil rep (at least the female of the species) for devouring the head of it’s mate during the sex act, they’re really very non-aggressive bugs toward people and other animals. We’ve often had a couple in the barn in the fall. I think they’re about the coolest looking bugs too–and I really don’t care much for insects or bugs as a rule.

It’s kind of hard to tell in that pic if she’s just turning to smile for the camera, or if she’s trying to decide if my head is small enough to fit in her mouth!

Really though, what better incentive for the male of the species to be ‘good’ in the sack. I mean, you’d never hear a woman complain about a lack of orgasm if the guy knew he’d get his head chomped off if she wasn’t happy. Maybe this is a tactic human women should begin to consider–guys, it’s up to you which head.

It’s Spring!

It’s officially the first day of spring. What a first day it has been so far too. Drizzly rain this morning, but warm enough, then a beautiful sunny warm afternoon. It’s been quite windy, but that’s fine with me so long as it’s warm air it’s blowing in, not cold.

Along with all the other stuff, I spent my first spring day mending fences. Goats and horses are the consumate fence tester. Want to know if your fence is secure? Get a horse, or a goat–if it’s not they’ll find out where.

Like I Promised

I just got in from taking the pics of my new girl ‘Polly’. So like I promised yesterday, here she is in all her Alpine splendor.

I think Miss Polly gives me just the right finish to my new goat herd. Her, my two 50% boer/nubian kids, my 2 PB Nubian kids, and the 4 three-quarter boer/Nubian kids I’m getting from Sherry, plus the powerhouse Mickey will give me a fantastic kid crop come next spring.

I can’t wait. Now just to make it until May when Polly here is due to kid from her breeding to a pretty carmel colored Alpine buck. Kids of my very own this year already! How cool.

Whoops, I did it again

LOL, well I just couldn’t resist. I have a new addition again. A beautiful registered Alpine doe that my friend Ellen helped out in buying. I mentioned to her when I was picking up milk for the kids this morning that there was a bred Alpine doe for sale in Indiana, but I wasn’t sure because she was said to be ’small’ and also, I really didn’t have the money at the moment.

Ellen said “I do” let’s go see her. So after running errands she came by with her trailer and we were off to Indiana. Polly was destined to come home with us. What a personality this doe has, and she’s BLACK and WHITE which is something I really wanted. I’d told Ellen that on the way there… I sure hope she’s either black, or black and white. Well she was. But it was her personality that won the day. What a lover. She’s really not all that small either. Maybe not as large as some Alpines, but not particularly teeny either. She’s bred to a purebred Alpine buck (also quite the lover) and due to kid in May. She’s pretty large already though, and we even felt the kids kicking in there. What a neat feeling.

So, Mickey has a new lady friend waiting for him, and Ellen has a partnership in the kid sales… and I have a new friend. LOL

Pictures tomorrow when the sun comes back up.

They Got Here!

Finally, the pictures arrived today! I’m so excited to present our newest addition (will actually be arriving here in Illinois in April) - Mickey–

And three of his daughters will be coming along for the ride–

The kid in the front

And these two:

thanks so much Sherry and Brent for letting us add these magnificient animals to our herd.

Cool!

I just found the coolest site! You can get an arial view of right where you live. The ‘map’ is old though. I’m not sure when the arial shots were taken but it looks like right about when we moved here 13 years ago. You can barely see the fence line from the house going west toward the neighbor’s house, but the sheds aren’t up, and the barn isn’t up in this pic. Still you can see where we live.

We’re the house on the Northwest corner of the intersection with the big ‘v’ driveway.