Bench Players

I went to a "Chicken Swap" this weekend and picked up this bench for $10.00, heck, I couldn't make one for that price. When I saw it I immediatly thought that it would make a great goat bench.


Addison totally agreed and was the first to jump up and try it.


Becca Boo was next and she enjoyed it too.


"I can see out into our pasture from here. Hey,who is that eating our grass!"


"It's one of them danged sheep, the one they call Kia. Scat, scram, get out of here, that grass is for goats!"


"Some day soon I am going to be big enough to jump up on the bench."

Small Potato's

There is nothing like a big bushel basket of potato's grown in your own garden. We planted two full rows this year since last years harvest turned out so well.


Hmm, the potato's don't seem to be as big as they were last year.


In fact they are ridiculously small. I think we planted a larger volume of seed potato's than we got in return. We must have the worst soil.

Kids are so Cute

Aren't kids cute?

From Desert to Dessert

What do you do when your animals try to eat you out of house and home? You get Premier's Electric Netting. The netting is easy to set up, comes in either 82' of 164' lengths, and has variable power sources.


Here is a picture of the 9 volt dry cell battery that powers our fence. The battery is inexpensive and long lasting. A 12v rechargeable battery is also available as well as a solar panel.


Once the fence is set up (less than 10 minutes) the girls are now free to explore lush new grazing areas out away from their current over worked pasture.


The boys are happy to have an expanded front area that includes new areas of clover.


Killarney enjoys the grass in the open air, away from the overhanging trees. Sara (the border collie), two of the goats, and several of the sheep have been poked by the fence, and they have all gotten used to avoiding it. In time we may be able to not even power the fence as they will all have a healthy avoidance instinct built up.


Killarney is really dark and quite handsome. All three of our rams are unique, we really have to thank Ronda at Greener Pastures for providing us with such quality stock.


The grass is great, but the boys sometimes like "chewing down the forest".

More Before and After

This is the goat pasture 10 days before we let the sheep in to have at it.


The area was overgrown to the point where the goats would not even browse, they couldn't get to the plants that they liked.


The whole place was lush, ripe, and ready for the sheep.


The sheep ate the pasture down to nothing.


The goats don't have anything left to eat, so we now let them out to browse in the yard.


"They made a desert and called it peace." This quote was made famous by Tactius, a Roman author, describing a defeated leaders feeling towards how his people were treated by their Roman conquerors. I wonder if the Romans had sheep in their armies?

Too Much Rain

We have been getting too much rain this year. This low area is normally only wet in the spring when the snow melts and the ground is still frozen. It has been underwater for most of this month.


The landscapers have not been able to come back an place the topsoil over the sand because of the constant rain. They will try tomorrow afternoon, hopefully they won't bury the bobcat in the mud or destroy what is left of the back yard.


To prevent any further erosion around the sheep barn we have spread straw mesh that we picked up at the local farm store. We just have to plant some type of sand friendly grass and hope it takes root.


We need straw, paint, and sand, doesn't sound like a group that goes together very well.

Happy Campers

The boys are finally using their tent for protection from the weather. We have had so much rain lately, and on their first night in their new area I wasn't sure if they used the tent, so I put some hay inside to draw them in. They like the tent just fine now.


This is Alder. He seems to be the healthiest and largest of the three rams. One of his horns is either broken or deformed but they seem to be growing nicely now.


Ironwood has the best horns of the group, but he is the smallest.


Kilarney is the middle ram. Ronda, if you see this please comment on what you think of Kilarney's horns. Do they look like they will give a wide clearance?


They are wary of me, but they also associate me as the bringer of the hay.

Goats are Silly

Goats can be so silly. What do you say when presented with little Gidget with her tongue sticking out?


Or Addison stretched out on a hot day?


Of course everyone loves Chip.


Becka-Boo peaking over the dutch door.


Here is Chip screaming at the top of his lungs, trying to tell me that the sheep are trying to get into the goat pasture, and he won't stand for it!


Of course the goats aren't the only silly ones around here....someone painted this heart shape rock annotating their love for the Commander......

Before and After.......

Our primary cleared area that we wanted to clear to make a pasture days before the sheep arrived.....


That same area three weeks later.


The day the sheep arrived....


Three weeks after. Notice the stripped saplings that look like twigs.


Before. (This is how the front area where the rams now live looks like, I wonder how long till it is eaten away?)


After. We have opened up the goat area for the sheep to graze in since the goats don't seem to eat for nourishment, only pleasure. The goats browse on what they like and leave the rest - the sheep seem to eat everything.

We are hooking up the electric netting next week once we get the batteries, hope the sheep don't mind hay in the meantime. We have done a lot of clearing and put up a lot of fence, but we definitely need more for next year. Too bad fencing isn't free,,,,

Ramming Speed

Fall is in the air here and the little boys are starting to turn into Rams. I gauged that it was time to move the boys away from the girls before any unauthorized breeding occurred. So we trapped everyone in the barn, gave them their shots and oral wormer, and then we carried the boys to their new (temporary) lodging.


If you think it looks like a hunting tent then you are indeed correct. The boys will shelter in here until we can put up a more permanent shelter or make them a straw bale fortress.


Alder (in white) is really strong and healthy and I was sure he was going to be the dominant ram, that was until I saw Kilarney butt him back and take charge. Kilarney has been struggling with soft poo, so when he got his shot he also had the wool around his behind trimmed.



Ironwood has the most beautiful horns for a little youngling.


The sheep have eaten the other areas down to nothing, I wonder how long it will take them to clear this area.

Fowl Treats

What do you do with old yogurt and stale bread? Make yummy treats for the chickens and guineas!


They love it! This is immediately after I set the bowl down.


Look how big they are all getting. I checked for eggs this morning, I think we will get some in the next few weeks.