Houdini Goats

Yesterday was a marathon work day.

I went to the barn at 6:30 AM and, except for breakfast and lunch,

spent the entire day outside....9 hours!

Our weather is still chilly...45 degrees,

but compared to what it has been for so long, it feels balmy.

The scattered showers that had been predicted missed the farm,

so I had the perfect opportunity to catch up on outside work.

When I was done with the routine AM chores, I raked the Nigerian dwarf goat pen.

We try to keep the excess hay cleaned up from the ground beneath the hay feeder.

Doing so helps to keep the ground dry... helping to prevent hoof problems caused by too much 

moisture.

We recycle everything here on the farm,

and so this uneaten hay will be put in the chicken yard.

The chickens love to dig through piles of hay, scattering it around as bedding in their pen.

While I was raking, I moved the Nigerians into the pasture across the road from their pen.

This became quite the adventure, as they first made a perimeter check.

A patch of weeds provided a little morning snack.

Finished with the raking, I headed to the barn to finish the last of the hoof trimming.

With the Littles and Donnie Brasco finished, Scarlet...

And Moonbeam...

were all that remained.

Hoof trimming is physically hard work that requires a strong back and knees.

I have learned that it helps to do just two horses at a time.

I keep a natural hoof on all of my equines.

And so, rasping the bottom of the hoof with a file (to remove excess growth)

and smoothing out the edges every few weeks keeps their hooves in great shape.

Plenty of treats for "holding still" help to make the procedure trouble-free.

Trouble free, that is, after I placed a barricade at the entrance to the barn,

to keep the crazy turkeys (who are once again friends) outside.

Back in the dry lot, Moonbeam and Donnie engaged in a little mutual grooming.

It seems that Moonbeam just cannot get enough grooming.

"I'll scratch yours if you scratch mine!"

As I finished sweeping the hoof trimmings out of the barn,

I heard Maddie barking as if she were troubled.

(Yes, Maddie always brings half of the barnyard home on her coat!)

She had earlier found a safe spot (away from the scary turkeys) out by the garden,

but I could tell by her bark that something was amiss.

Looking up towards the pasture where I left the goats,

I realized that there was only 1 goat there.

Poor Stella was bleating her heart out...calling for her long lost friends.

Apparently the other 4 had made a break for it.

They didn't go far....just back to their own pen.

And I have no idea how these four-legged Houdinis escaped...

apparently neither did Stella!

I have to tell you...

the thing that made me happiest yesterday was spreading composted manure.

After months of bad weather, it was finally dry enough to get this job done.

Spring rains will help to drive this rich dark compost into the soil of our hayfields...

fresh organic fertilizer...and another way that we recycle.

With any luck, the weather will continue to warm
so that I can get Spring vegetables planted in the garden...
maybe this weekend will give me the opportunity.

Happy Easter to you and yours from all of us at Bee Haven Acres!
Easter is a "double" holiday this year for me...
as it is also my birthday!