This and that on the homestead

The goats are doing great! The kids are growing quick and so much fun to watch( great stress reliever). We made a pen from corral panels so they can graze out in the pasture, starting them off slow and building them up.  When Angel's twins will be weaned when they are 50+ lbs and will leave for their new home. Angel is already beginning to wean the buckling off( he's such a pig), he's now eating more hay and grass than he's nursing.  I'll get pictures of them, right now we're working on brushing them, the "girls" are shedding out their winter coat.  Angel must have some angora in her, maybe pygora, the under coat is so soft.

Cinnamon( now renamed, Ginger, it just seems to fit her better*wink*) is now being milk in the evenings, after her wether has been on her all day. We started off slowly, only taking part of what she had, to ensure her kid would have plenty.  We had to redesign the stanchion so that she is hooked on two sides( head/ neck lock didn't work, she fought it) so, we improvised and now hook her with clips on each side to her collar and she's happy with this. One thing we've been working on is the fact that she eats so fast I can't get her milked out and she thinks she's done and begins stomping her hind legs and acting up. It's a learning process for us all and Ginger is coming along nicely. Tonight she stood for several minutes after she'd finished her feed before stomping. I was able to get her all wash and dipped before she got to worked up.*wink*  Tonight she gave the most milk at 1 and 3/4 qt. This works well for us, especially since we've been milk free for over two years, it takes some practice getting back into dealing with it all.

              Tonight's milk cooling in the freezer( I'm milking over a Ziploc bag of ice, for a quick cool)

                          This is designated for yogurt, as it's coming on two days old.

                         Yogurt in the process

                          The yogurt all wrapped and ready to set up. I can't wait for our first fruit smoothie!

                   Tomato seedlings, in need of transplanting. I did manage to get half transplanted a couple days ago and hope to get the rest transplanted tomorrow.

            Sweet peppers

 Cabbage, herbs and eggplant

         Some of the recently transplanted tomato plants, looking good and ready for more growth before hardening off and transplanting in the greenhouse, hopefully in early May. 
         
          We've been busy with yard and garden cleanup, manure spreading, cleaning coops, building and re- roofing. We have the usual list that is a mile long and we're having fun on our weekends crossing off completed projects. 
           If our weather holds long enough we may be able to till our garden plots. It seems we have had far, far, more gray days than days with sunshine and EVERYONE is grumbling and unhappy without the sunshine. If it was raining or snowing I could understand the gray, but........ just to be gray and windy is becoming OLD!!!!!   I am a sunshine lover, I NEED sunshine, LOL!!!!!!
           We're feeling blessed to have our goats, they are truly a stress reliever and in the times of stress( Spring) it's welcomed :o)