Thursday, February 21, 2013

New Arrival....

...No not another "kid".

We are still waiting for our last pregnant doe to kid.  I did not get her breeding date wrote down,  just her month.  She is due sometimes in February.  She's gotten rather large but still doesn't look bagged up as much as she has in the past.  We are expecting severe thunderstorms and flash flood warnings for the next several days so I am just about 99% sure it will be during one of these days!

We have wanted another Nubian buck and I had just about given up finding one in our area and had not even checked Craig's list in months.  This past weekend I decided to look again and lo and behold there was a young buck listed.  With crossed fingers and toes I emailed to inquire if the young buck was available.  I received a very nice email back from Lynette, the Nubians owner, telling me all about him and best of all he is still available!

After exchanging several emails we decided Tuesday would be a good day for Papa Bear and I to go and fetch our new boy.  I still did not have a transporter for small livestock.  I've been searching for one of those too.  I had just about decided to take the Marines van and secure him in the back behind the bench seat but Lynette warned me he had been in rut and was very fragrant.  I was not sure if Freebreeze would get the scent out of the van.   I had a dental appointment Monday so I checked several places on my way back home to see if I could find a transported but with no luck.

When I got back home Monday afternoon Papa Bear said let's build one and we did.  Here it is after it's use.  Papa Bear set it up on a pallet for now until we can fit it in the pole barn as it is not pressure treated wood.  I guess I could paint it.  We loaded it into the back of the truck early Tuesday morning to go fetch our new boy.  It was almost a two hour drive.  We met Lynette and all of her other critters.  She has two new kids, chickens, turkeys and bees!  Lynette is a wonderful lady, I wished we lived closer.  I would be harassing her everyday to teach me to quilt.  Lynette also writes a blog Invited to the Kings table .  Check it out when you get the chance.

Meet Rudy...He is hamming it up for the girls who are out browsing today.  We take turns letting the boys and girls out to browse the woods.  The girls have gotten two days in a row out until Rudy gets used to everyone.





One of the little Boer/Nubian does was teasing the bucks unmercifully.  I told her "not yet" she should be a good breeding weight this fall.






Rudy has fit in with the rest of the gang just fine.  That's Max and Freckles with him.  I think they are about 6 months old.

We had a really good laugh bringing Rudy home.  We stopped at a convenience store for coffee and while we were inside I could here Rudy voicing his opinion for being left alone in the back of the truck.  Everyone who was inside the store was running out of the store and then I heard someone say...It's just a goat.  Seems like everyone thought someone was out in the parking lot yelling "help".  One lady said she didn't know if she should go outside to "help" or stay inside where it was safe!  Too funny!

Other happenings this week on the homestead is our first attempt at making our own bee hives.  With the price of wood going up and the cost to ship such heavy items, Papa Bear and I decided to try it.   I will continue to order the frames and foundation for now.  Here is a telescoping top all put together and ready for the tin top.

I got three of them completed except for painting.  Papa Bear cut them out and I put them together.  I think they look as good if not better than some I have ordered.











Papa Bear has a stack of the telescoping tops and the inner boards ready for me to put together.  We will work on the bottom boards next and then the brood boxes and honey supers.






I got two more swarm traps hung on each end of the pond.  That makes a total of six.  I don't think I should hang anymore until I get more hives built...just in case I get lucky.






 Papa Bear just brought in the mail...Look what I won from Jacked Up Glock Mom's blog Tales from the Clothesline

They are too pretty to write in...I may frame them or you are going to have to  be very special to get one of these cards.  They are beautiful.  Thanks so much Glock Mom!


13 comments:

  1. You and Papa Bear make a good construction team. Good luck on the kidding, hope she doesn't do it at night in the middle of a storm, I think I remember you already having one sleepless night recently, goat realated. Take care and hoping the storm is just a mild inconvience.

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    1. Thanks TL, I really enjoy building things. I just wish OI could do more on my own.....The rain is really coming down...it has rained non-stop since 7AM..I am hearing thunder now. It should be soon....LOL

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  2. Mama Bear,

    Congrats on your new Nubian buck! Your husband did a fabulous job on the transport container for your critters, I much rather have something homemade than store bought. Beautiful cards, I would want to put them in frames or under glass for on top of my coffee table instead of using them.

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    1. Thanks Sandy....I think I will paint the critter carrier some funky color...Everyone will want one!

      The cards are beautiful and the picture I posted do not do them justice. The flowers are silk and there are ribbons. The butterflies are dimensional. I know there is a word for them...Just can't think of it...LOL

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  3. Congratulations on you new boy! I have a video of my neighbors doe that wandered into our yard and tormented my buck for two days. I felt so sorry for him. The noises he made woke me up in the middle of the night. I thought they were being attacked by a coyote! We finally let her sleep over and after one night she had her fill of Bub LOL! She is 15yr. old, if she did get pregnant her baby will be here the end of next month. I can't wait to see if it happens.
    When I get into bees I'm going to look through your whole blog for information. You guys have it down pat!
    Congrats on winning the cards, they are really pretty!

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    1. Thanks Kelly...Too funny about the visiting doe. Don't be surprised if there is a new kid on the block...LOL I have heard of older does giving birth. Hope the neighbor doesn't hit you up for "kid support"...bahahaha

      I am really enjoying the bees. I am a novice and learning as I go. There is good info on the net for bees but like someone told me. Ask 10 beekeepers a question and you'll get 11 different answers. Pioneer Preppie has great info on his blog on bee keeping. Look in my side bar for Small Holding and have fun reading about his girls.

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  4. Congratulations on your new baby boy. And you are very welcome for the cards. I am thrilled you love them. I make them all the time, and other projects as well. but only give to people who appreciate the hard work and design of paper crafts.

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  5. thanks Glock Mom...and congrats on your new girl! I do love the cards and I can tell a lot of time and love goes into them.

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  6. Awe! He looks so happy!!! I am so thrilled. I spoke to my dad today and he asked me if Rudy went to a good home, I assured him that he did! I love that picture of him with his lip curled up! I appreciate all your kind words! I will be transferring all of our farming post to www.erilynfarm.com if you want to check it out over there. I am still going to post my quilting, cooking, etc on my blogger account! This was a delightful read! Give him a pat for me.

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    1. Lynnie...He has fit right in like he's been here forever. He greets us at the fence just like all of the others. I pulled up a few turnips yesterday in between the rain and cut them up for a treat. Rudy would not open his mouth for one. The rest of the boys would run you over for them. He just looked as if to say...is that all you got?

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    2. yeh, he wouldn't eat turnip roots here either! HAHA. Silly boy!

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  7. Wondering if your doe freshened yet! We have had a ton of rain since you left here! Crazy amounts! I did drive over to Atlanta area a few days after you and Papa Bear left here. We have our new addition with kids in tow, she is due to freshen as a first timer in a month or so. I am looking forward to blogging about that soon, maybe even tonight. Again, I am writing all that at my new domain, www.erilynfarm.com

    We built all of our hives after buying our first one, yours looks great! I am anxiously awaiting any updates on the swarm captures!

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    1. Oh yeah...I just wrote todays blog about it. We will be doing the back stroke in and out of here soon! I can't wait to see pictures of your new crew.

      I like your new web site...I'll add it to my blog list so others can keep up.

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