Spring = new life

It is definitely spring on our little mini-farm. The sheep welcomed the first day of March by having twin ram lambs. My thought as I left for work that morning "Hmm. March 1. The start of lambing season!" I got home and the ewe had done just that.

We have been busy cleaning up the yard, mowing, weeding, tilling the garden, etc. This year we are rather late on the garden since my parents have both been ill and I haven't had time to devote to it. It's been plowed a couple times and probably needs one more pass before it's really ready for planting. I might just have to buy seedlings this year - family comes before garden.

Right now I am waiting for kids. Goat kids. Poor Daisy looks like she might burst:

She was due yesterday. I've been checking her ligaments daily (not a gross job - just feel next to the tailbone to see if there are ligaments there or not - if not it means she will kid soon, in theory) and they definitely loosened yesterday but nothing new to report today. I swear I felt kids moving in her belly the other day. Or she just has a very energetic digestive system. But she does have an udder that has developed so she MUST be pregnant, right? Though does have been known to develop what is known as a precocious udder (an udder for no good reason).

Rosie looks ginormous. Even what is called (in the goat world) her hoo-ha looks like she is preggo. But she fooled me last year so I just don't know.
This year:

Last year:

See how her belly is a different shape this year than last? I'm hoping that's because she has kids growing in there. I really think I felt kids moving around. The only thing I have to compare it to though is what it felt like when I was pregnant and could feel movement. But goats have a totally different digestive system than humans so maybe I'm just feeling digestion? My instinct tells me I'm feeling kids but I don't want to be disappointed so my head is trying to talk me out of it. She isn't due until the end of May so I have quite a while to wait.

I HATE WAITING!

Goats usually kid around the time they are fed. My does get free range pasture all day but around dusk I give them some hay, alfalfa pellets and sunflower seeds. So I am hoping they kid around then. I would love it if they would not interfere with the very rare date night that Paul and I get tonight, so I'm hoping Daisy waits until tomorrow. Though on the down side, that means she could kid tomorrow while Paul is at work I am home alone with all 3 human kids. But a date on a Friday night is so rare that I am willing to make that sacrifice.

~T