Newbies in the Hood
This urban farming thing is BITING MY BUTT! Woo hoo! Nothing like spreading a fresh bale of straw out in the chicken run and talking to the girls while I work; of course, they are holed up in the coop, poking their scared little heads out because they are terrified of the big bad bale I just hauled into their yard. That’s precisely when I tease them and call them a bunch of chickens. Just when I get it spread in an orderly fashion all around the chicken run, the hens come charging back out to investigate, busily hunker down to scratch it out of the way and mess it all up. Stinkers, every last one of them. Their agenda is different than mine 
. But the golden straw in the sun is a brilliant backdrop for the colors of their feathers and I pause to take in the scene, very glad to have these little stinker chickens in our lives.
Our brood in the barn is about to get bigger! Two baby Nigerian Dwarf goats have lain claim to my little heart, and they will be joining us in the near future. It’s my pleasure to introduce Chewie here on the blog:
We have not met the other little guy yet, but will this week. Both babies are bottle feeding, so we’re going to help out with their care until they can come home. In the meantime we have a pen to build and some reading up to do about goat care! These guys will be neutered males, so in goat terminology, they are called ‘wethers‘.
My hubby is interested in bringing home a milking doe so we can learn to make cheese, soaps and lotion. Whoa there, Cowboy – I’m still adjusting to bringing home two new babies! I actually tasted goat cheese today at an art fair for the very first time, so maybe this is some sort of goat-cheese-karma-fate thing. That seems to be how my life ticks – like my eyes become open to something I never saw before and it is the coolest thing. So many adventures to embark upon!
Now we’re tossing around names and planning for their arrival. Little Nigie number two needs a name, but we’ll meet him first. It’s best to have two goats so that they keep each other company; a lone goat is just that – lonely. My grandpa was a farmer in Minnesota. So many vivid memories of the animals he cared for, guess it won’t let go. I am happy to share time and space with all sorts of animals, goats being the newest addition. Who knows where stuff like this leads, but for now we’re enjoying the scenic view!
