finally the goats come out!!!

Today, finally, the goats come out !!! ( Part 1 ) Also my husband’s birthday; Happy Birthday Leif!!!!

We have had such a cold, windy, wet Winter and beginning of Spring. The goats at Gullringstorp, do not like wind, or rain. They don’t even mind the snow on a calm day. But this has not been a Winter for them to come out and our Spring has been touchy so far, to say the least. Today is a sunny day with minimal wind. This is our window of opportunity because tomorrow calls for rain and snow!

Once we decided that today the goats could finally come out, there was much to do in preparation. I fed my mother’s to-be as usual on the Milk Stand and they are such good ladies now, they hop right up and poke their heads right in. While I fed them and kept close to them, my husband began bringing water out to the enclosure. We have a water supply there already, but we have had such cold nights that there is ice in the lines so we have to tote buckets of water out , for now. Then we brought out and placed bundles of straw in both enclosures. The ladies need their straw bales for rubbing tummies on and later eating, and the boys rub their horns on them and then eat them. Then came the bales of hay to be placed for all in each enclosure. They had to be placed where they are accustomed to having the bales. They are placed so that each little group can have their own hay and that cuts down on fighting over the hay supply. Once all of this has been done, we decide who gets a leash and it was decided the boys will go first with Emil and Balder on leashes. We hoped the other boys would follow as I brought up the rear. It worked just fine with the boys. Even Little Man who was entering the boy’s enclosure for the first time, followed and stayed with the group.

The boys were the first to come out; they did really well!

The boys have the longest walk to the enclosure; out the rear stable door, down the driveway, through the girl's enclosure then they are fine.

Once in the boy's enclosure, off comes Balder's leash but not Emil's, not yet anyway

Emil has to be tied to a post temporarily. He needs to be secured while the power to the fence is still off.

Emil our Rent-A-Buck gets secured to the post. He doesn't mind, he is so calm!

It may appear that my husband was doing everything; not so. I was bringing up the rear and keeping the boys moving forward and not off to the side or the wrong direction, while taking photos. I was also on gate patrol.

There, the boys are done... next...

The boys, like the girls, always dive into the hay buckets like they didn’t have hay, on demand 24 hrs! I guess it taste different outside!

See what I mean, 4 little heads in the hay bucket right away. Don't worry Emil gets to have hay also!

Emil looks happy to be out. We are happy he is able to go out but we have to be careful wit him. He is not our goat so he can't get out of the enclosure.

Emil looks happy to be out. We are happy he is able to go out but we have to be careful with him. He is not our goat so he can't get out of the enclosure. Emil has a history of escaping his enclosure where he loves and getting in with the ladies. We hope that won't happen here

We can really see the majesty of Emil when he is outside. He is a proud buck

Balder & Little Man enjoying being out

Ok the girls… now that was not really as easy as the boys. We had 3 little ones who have only been in the “baby yard” so they were not so cooperative . They just didn’t know the routine. They were everywhere but where they should be. Eventually, I got Iris on a leash and her other Musketeers followed her into the enclosure. So now we know. See, I thought that they could fall into the bunch and hopefully be swept into the enclosure, kind of without even realizing it. Well that didn’t work. They got to the gate and oops, turned around and went this way and that way! All ended well, with all the girls and ladies inside the enclosure. We learn something every Spring. Now we know. So as you can imagine, all hands were need on deck so the camera was put down until all goats were where they belonged! So sorry all that fun chasing down the 3 little ones was not caught on camera, but be assured it was not really all fun!

Alika, one of our expectant mothers is happy to be out

Petunia, Hilda in the back and Ivy to the right

Here are my naughty 3 who gave a run for our money before going into the enclosure!

Here are my naughty 3 who gave us a run for our money before going into the enclosure! Iris, Ivy and Petunia

The girls are happy to be out !

Once ALL the girls were in the enclosure, the power was put on for the electric fence and Emil could be released from his hitching post

This is Little Man's first time in the boy's enclosure. Last time he was out, he was still a baby and with mommy Hilda and sister Peanut

This is Little Man's first time in the boy's enclosure. Last time he was out, he was still a baby and in the girl's enclosure with mommy Hilda and sister Peanut