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Oh, January how fickle you are! Tease us with some beautiful weather just a few short days ago only to turn to snow today. How very cruel. Come on spring!
Winter still has many weeks left, while we dream of warmer days there is still plenty of work to be done to keep the animals and ourselves warm. Today I unloaded a load of firewood, added more straw to the pig shelters, and got another large bale of hay to the goats. If my math holds true, I will have just enough hay to get me through. Let us hope winter does not decide to tarry long into April.
Speaking of piglets, they are doing amazing! Their little fat wrinkles are showing, and they have easily doubled if not tripled in size in just two weeks. While they have not yet ventured outside of their shelter, I imagine that will soon be coming. I’m starting to advertise them hoping they’ll have new barns to call home by spring.
I mounted the replacement solar panel on the automatic chicken door today too. The goats had decided the original needed its cord chewed in two. Ugh. I bought the replacement panel off Amazon. What I really like about these is they can be utilized for multiple items needing a solar panel. I can also use the same panel to charge up one of my cameras. You can find it if you follow the link here: https://a.co/d/44urJdq
I absolutely love these automatic doors I have on both coops. They are programmable opening and shutting based on time of daylight percentage (you choose!) and run completely off solar. No batteries need to be replaced, which is a welcome change from the ones I previously were using. One less thing to worry over and don't we all need less? You can find them at this link: https://a.co/d/7Vbro1P if you’re interested.
Tonight, I have a big bucket of alfalfa cubes soaking for tomorrow’s morning feed. I’ll mix it with corn for the pigs and add extra alfalfa in with the goats feed ration as well. Goat babies will soon be coming and the does need extra nutrition to start producing milk. The chickens will get some mixed in also since free ranging is offering next to nothing in this weather. So, alfalfa for everyone!
Goat babies. 7 does due in the coming weeks. I have just 7 stalls in the barn. That means the 5 goats that typically stay in the barn must be evicted and the horses will have to be outside too. I have plenty of shelters in the pasture of course but Esther, Dixie and Hania have always been “barn goats”. Time to grow up and spread those wings my loves! Sansa and Mocha with their issues (Sansa with her leg and Mocha with her dwarf size) will get moved into temporary quarters I’m setting up in the tractor shed as I don’t think they’ll fare well with the 3 retired does that are in the pasture. I do not need a barn extension, I do not need a barn extension, I do not!…..
The list of work and projects grow longer each week but that’s all part of this wonderful life. So, until next time, Stay Warm, Stay Healthy, Stay Content.