A Sad Day On The Farm

Pip and Rock Candy

Cherry Blossom, the baby I kept

Today was a sad day on the farm.  Farms are full of change, new life, death, excitement, and a healthy dose of reality.  This weekend I realized our squash plants completely shriveled up and died while our jalapeño plants were bursting with crop.  There always seems to be something happening on the farm and today was no different.


After many months of contemplating and watching and stressing and worrying, we made the decision to sell two of our goats.  One is a male and must be sold or castrated.  We chose to sell.  The second is his mother, Pip.  Her horns have been a nuisance lately with her head stuck in the fence and their knife like quality in barnyard brawls.  She has been wearing her beautiful and fashionable tennis ball horn covers and still manages to repeatedly strike Augusta Belle in the throat leaving her without a Maaaaaa.

Chloe, walking them to the neighbor's house

This morning I hooked her on a leash and made the trek, with her son in tow, to the neighbor's house.  Charles, the pony, was very worried where I might be going and followed us all the way to the fence line through thick brush and fallen trees in the thicket.  He did not know where we were taking his goats.  Once we crossed over he did some wild kicking and whinnying before he ran back to the paddock to check on the rest of his herd.  The rest of the day when I stepped outside I heard the cries of Pip and Rock Candy at my neighbor's house and little Cherry Blossom down at the barn.

Charles, very upset to be separated from his goats

fresh, goat's milk butter 

I tried to spend the day doing busy work.  I cleaned the house, did laundry, made bread, made butter, and even had a friend over for a visit.  I was able to remove the sound of their cries from my head for short spurts at a time especially while my friend and I took turns shaking the butter jar.  I know it can be done in a processor, but it takes the fun out of the process.  Oddly, I've been waiting for some milk I set aside to separate well enough to have more than just a tiny speck of butter.  I put the milk aside for three weeks and today when I skimmed the cream off the top and shook the jar, I placed the butter in a bowl and salted it.  It was incredibly delicious!!  Pure, white creamy butter!  The freshly baked warm bread was the icing on the cake, but I could've eaten the butter with a spoon.

In the evening I went over to deliver bread and butter to my neighbor as a thank you for taking my goats to the auction house.  There really is not a way to thank them since she had to see all of her goats and mine being herded away.  As we talked about the scene I began to cry.  What had I done?  How could I be so insensitive to my poor goat?  Her horns were dangerous, but there had to be a way to live with the problem, right?  I contemplated driving to the auction in the morning and buying her back.  The reality of the farm is she wasn't good for the farm.  When I returned home to milk my girls I realized how easy it was to do without Pip's horns.  Harmony on the farm comes at a price.  Sometimes it means roosters get shot and other times it means goats get sold.  I will likely cry a little more tonight as I think about her and her some being separated.  I will cry when I think of his fate of being food and pray her fate will be as a breeder and milker since she still has milk.

Fresh baked bread with fresh butter melting down the sides!

Today was full of goodbyes, but soon we will be welcoming a new addition.  The Golden Goose is expected to debut within the week.  Thank God there is constant change with hellos and goodbyes to keep life fresh and exciting.  I am thankful for the year I had with Pip and hope a her new family will love her as much as we do.(Day 181).  Unfortunately, I couldn't write the last sentence without starting a flood of tears.  I bid thee farewell until tomorrow.  Goodnight Friends!

As I started to sign off and post this blog, Thadd informed me of a raccoon in the pony/goat/kitten barn.  Another life ended too soon when the life of a raccoon collided with that of my tiny kittens.  I can't take the chance of them hurting one of my mousers in order to get food or risk disease by sharing food with my cats.  Today was a hard day.  Tomorrow will be better as I think my children get shots at their well visit.  Shots are so much fun!  I promised Chloe that I will record her next encounter with a shot to play at her wedding for my entertainment.  Ahhh, how I love parenthood!