After owning wagsranch.com for almost a year, I finally took the plunge and set up a website at that url today.  And since it has a blog feature I will be doing my blogging at that site.  Hope to see you there!

Day two of milking the first timers dawned bright and sunny.  I decided after the fiasco of chasing Mame’ around yesterday that I would start with her.  She did much better today, and I got about a cup before I stopped and turned her back out to the paddock.    I could have taken more, but at this point it is more about getting her used to it, than anything else.

Molly was less cooperative today than yesterday, but since she has nice big orifices milking her when she does stand still is pretty quick.    Unlike cows, goats do not normally poop or pee while on the milk stand.  Today was the exception to that rule.    Poor Molly apparently was not feeling well and she let loose with a blast that covered me, the milk stand and quite a bit of the surrounding area as well.    Needless to say the milk from her was dumped, all my clothes went into the wash and I hopped into the shower as soon as I had cleaned everything up outside.

We had a bit more snow yesterday, but it didn’t last long. I did manage to get out and take a few pictures during chore time.

Mattilda - the one that hopefully is due in July

Hawthorne Berries

Farm across the road

The boys having a little extra breakfast

This evening we had another small addition to the “ranch”.  Koozy is a friendly 12-15 year old miniature donkey who is used to children and doesn’t mind giving them rides.   Ari & Bekah are thrilled with him, but the cows aren’t quite sure what to think of him, especially after he chased them around the pasture when they dared to wander off from his location.

Right now they are out on the newly fenced pasture (yes it is all finally done!!!!) and he is in the corral.  We will try the introductions again in the morning when the cows can more easily see the fence line.   Hopefully they will all adjust to sharing the same three acres, and we won’t have to fence in a separate paddock for him.

Ok, so maybe the word “Ranch” is a little ambitious for our just less than 5 acres.  But we all have to start somewhere right?

Our “ranch” currently consists of a eight chickens,  six Nigerian Dwarf goats and two yearling Dexter heifers that just arrived a few days ago.   If our four year old daughter had any say in the matter we would also have horses and ponies, but those can wait until she is old enough to help with their care.

My goal for this blog is to track the going’s on at our little slice of heaven on earth, and to present links and articles of interest related to Nigerian Dwarf goats and Dexter cattle.