Milk!

Since Arthur left, I have been milking Helen twice daily. Apparently milking twelve hours apart helps to maximise production, which means 6.20 am starts. On Sunday evening, production was poor. I didn't bother measuring it, but Mr Farmer saw it and muttered "she's not a real milking goat" (much to Helen's embarrassment). On Monday, production was still low. I've started feeding Helen molasses and more grain at milking time, adjusted my milking technique (the last little bits of milk can be accessed by stripping down from the top, rather than milking from the bottom) and (now that Helen is over Mr Farmer's comments, and is slowly coming to terms with being a milking goat rather than a mum) production is slowly increasing. It is unlikely that she'll ever out-do Katie, but we might make a small batch of feta cheese tomorrow night.

The pigs have still not given birth - however, it is pouring with rain, which usually seems to spur them on.

Still waiting...

Heavily pregnant Bic and Nancy (pictured - picture taken yesterday) spent the day basking in the almost-Spring sun, making the most of their freedom before the piglets arrive.

Helen spend the day crying loudly, to see if Arthur would answer, and to make me feel horribly guilty about letting him leave. To ease the burden, I made a goat milk white sauce for tonight's pork, pumpkin, mushroom and spinach lasagna.

Goodbye Arthur

Arthur moved out this morning. Mum Helen is still a bit upset - she can't understand why he'd choose AnLamb over her home cooking. Arthur has gone to live about half an hour North of the farm, with a large family (four small children, a Nubian goat and a horse to keep him company). He will have his very own wendy house to live in, and hopes to win lots of ribbons in the local school's calf club competition. As a parting gift, Arthur left us $80 for the East Friesian Ewe Fund, which means we now have enough for just under half an East Friesian Ewe.

PHOTO: Arthur, modeling the latest trend in bread-bag raincoats, in the good old days before he left home.

Spring!

Two new additions to the farm arrived today - Rodney and Heather. In typical lamb fashion, they arrived at the beginning of a patch of wet, windy weather. Proud mum is a Suffolk, proud Dad is Roger the Arapawa. This is the first set of twin lambs to arrive since I have been on the farm. In an effort to keep them warm and dry, we made bread-bag raincoats for them. The bread bags are a bit loose, which just shows how tiny the wee lambs really are. I offered to take them in and raise them as my own (in our warm, dry house), but Mr Farmer and their mum objected. Roger wasn't bothered - he just wanted to know if we were going to feed him.

Cliff, Nancy and Kim are out of the bush, thanks to some enticing promises of food from Mr Farmer this afternoon. So far, no piglets...

PHOTOS: The twins and their mum (and, in photo number three, one of the remaining Three Little Pigs) in the miserable almost-Spring weather.

Ouch!

In preparation for his move to a new home (with four children, another goat and a horse), Arthur was rubber-ringed on Sunday. This will mean he will grow into a sweet-smelling, hygiene-conscious wether, not an odorous buck like his father. Although he was initially a little sore, he has since been spotted gamboling around the back garden, so can't be feeling the effects too badly.

In other news, Nancy and Kim are looking rather pregnant, and Cliff is looking decidedly pleased with himself. On Sunday we started feeding them on the house-side of the bush, to make it easier to move them into the paddocks for farrowing. Kim and Nancy are always somewhat reluctant to approach the electric fence line, but Cliff is never bothered (even when the fence is up and on)...

PHOTOS: Arthur keeping out of storm, and a very large-looking Nancy (it's the nipples that give her pregnancy away).

Arthur

At 1.30pm yesterday, Helen gave birth to Arthur, with some assistance from midwife Mrs Farmer. Arthur has his dad's ears, but the unusual colouring comes mostly from his mum (the lighter patches are Trevor's influence, we suspect). Arthur is thinking of becoming a calf club pet, so that his Mum can start using her milk for cheese as soon as possible.