All four of the Canada geese living in the Back Forty were flying by, but I could only get two of them in the shot.

Then last night, we had some major events begin that I really wanted to share today, so you get a tale of two births.  After chores I did a few things, and then I went back out to check my three goats due to give birth on May 12th.

Bonnie

I saw Bonnie get chased by Pam, and when she stopped, her tail was straight up at attention.  That tail going up is a sign of labor.  I told my mom it was time to lock her in.  I already had the pen fixed, so I led her in.  I could just walk up to her, but she was nervous.  It wasn’t hard to catch her though.  I tell you, she planted her feet and we have a couple of furrows that I could plant more corn in.  She wasn’t happy, so I got her some hay and her twin sister, Blaze, and figured I’d see if that helped.

Both girls immediately began eating.  They aren’t very high up in the food chain, and they were very happy to have all that hay to themselves.  Bonnie was happily munching away when she just let out a yell.  It hurt, but it didn’t stop her trying to eat.  By now, the kid was showing feet.

I saw a foot and a nose, so I put the camera down and helped get both feet out.  Well, within minutes of being shut in the kid arrived.  Don’t think poorly of Bonnie, but she really was clueless that she had given birth.  She’s a first time mom.  Once I got her to quit eating hay long enough to look, she immediately started cleaning up her kid.

I must say, this kid has a very big mouth!

It took some explaining for Bonnie to understand the whole nursing thing.  New moms tend to get freaked out when those kids try to nurse, so it’s a good thing those kids seem to know what they are doing.

She’s got the hang of it, and Bonnie is a great mom!  This little beauty seems to have inherited her maa’s moon spots.

After these two got settled in, we went back out to the barnyard.  Helen was standing and her tail was up.  I knew I had to work in the morning, and my mom had just told me she had to work also.  I decided to try and lock her in.  I say try because Helen is a brat.  I bribed her with corn.  No deal.  I bribed her mom to come into the building and almost got Helen, but she just wouldn’t do it.

Helen and Minnie

Finally, I gave up.  By this time I was ready to give Bonnie a bit of grain after all of her hard work.  When I got my pitcher of corn to carry across the barnyard, I was immediately attacked by about thirty goats in the barnyard.  That means I could get close and grab Helen’s horn.  I had Helen in one hand and a pitcher of corn in the other. Unfortunately, my arm had gotten hooked under Minnie’s horns.  I hollered at my mom and she took the corn, so I could free myself drag Helen into the same building as Bonnie (but a different pen).

By this time it was getting late, so I checked her at 10 and then 11.  I went to bed but set my alarm to get up, and I checked her at 12 and 2 and 3 and 5 and 6 and 6:15.  Then I had to leave for work.  Frantically, I got in touch with my son, so he came out and checked her.  By that time, she had some fluids showing, and it wasn’t long before she had her babies. It was about twelve hours after she first started showing contractions.

She has a beautiful little girl.

There is also a handsome little guy.

Unfortunately, Helen is not really an experienced mom, and her little girl was not very assertive.  My son left after the babies arrived, and my mom came out on her lunch to make sure they had nursed.  Only the boy had nursed, and Miss Bratty Helen wouldn’t let my mom help her girl to nurse.

The poor little girl had nothing to eat for 6 1/2 hours after birth when I got home.  I immediately warmed up some colostrum from the freezer, and her skinny little body filled out a bit.  I had to tie Helen to help the girl nurse.

After all those hours of only taking care of the boy, Helen is really confused now.  I’m sure I’ll have to keep tying her and helping her little girl.  Hopefully, she’ll accept her and the baby will get on to nursing now that she’s got some in her.

Her boy is one round little guy!  He’s got the nursing down.

Two births~two totally different stories.

Linking to Camera Critters.

Norma Jean and MJ

Mom wasn’t too far away, but you can see that the little girl is comfortable with both of the big ones, not just her mom.

Maxine, Norma Jean and MJ

Of course, Maxine is an amazing mom.

Maxine and Norma Jean

She’s getting to be a big strong girl.

Norma Jean

My peacock is still dancing and showing off for the girls, but I’ve actually found one or two eggs from the hens now.

The Canada geese have continued exploring.  They’ve actually come up close to the barnyard.

They still have a fence between them and all the domestic critters, but hopefully they are getting more comfortable with me being around.

Finally, my next round of goats are due to have kids on May 12th.  Muffin looks ready to give birth today.

Muffin

Helen is getting big.

Helen

Then there are the two young ladies that I’m not sure if they are due the 12th or in June.  I’m getting pretty sure that Bonnie is due.  You can’t see in this picture, but she is making quite an udder.

Bonnie

Clover I’m just not sure.  She’s my young one that I’m concerned about.  I’ve already seen goo on her, but I really don’t know.  My gut instinct is that she will also have her kid in this round.

Coral

I hope everyone has their kids without problems.

Linking to Thankful Thursday, Farmgirl Friday, Forever Farmgirl Friday, and Friday’s Fences.

Linking to Leap Into Spring Photography Challenge where this week’s theme is green/grass.

They really do enjoy the pools of water that I give them.

As soon as one gets out,

there’s another waiting to get in.

I personally think they are beautiful birds sitting so serenly in their wading pool.

Of course, some geese get a bit more carried away.

click on picture to enlarge

You’ll get wet if you stand too close.  When I see them flailing around in that tiny pool, it really makes me wish I had something better for them to swim and play in.

In the back forty, there is a tiny little drainage ditch that carries water onto my property.

After a short distance, it widens out into a fairly deep channel.

It makes a small pool before it goes underground into the tile.

I can only imagine how much they would like to play here, especially if we made that little pool into a little pond.  Maybe someday.

Linking to Farm Photo Friday, Camera Critters, Weekend Reflections, and Leap Into Spring Photo Challenge where this weeks theme is water/rain.

My strawberry plants are covered in blooms.  They’re supposed to give me fruit in June.  I’m barley getting them uncovered by this time.

After the freezes we had earlier, I wasn’t sure if I’d have any fruit from my fruit trees.  Well, the cherry tree is covered in tiny fruit.

There are little peaches.

My plum has fruit, but I don’t think there’s as many as there would have been without the freeze.

I’m still waiting to see if the apples will get fruit.

Finally, my big oak trees are getting their leaves.

They are so big and old, and I’m afraid that many of the ones in the pasture are in bad shape from years of animals rubbing against them.

This one right by my house was heavily damaged in storms last summer.

These trees are also by my house.  I love the shade they provide, but you can see that one was also hit by lightening many years ago.  I had the entire side of the tree removed to prevent it from splitting further.

It seems to have been a successful way to save it.  I really think I need to start some new big shade trees.

Linking to Leap Into Spring Photo Challenge where the theme for the week is blossoms/trees.

Linking to Farm Photo Friday.

Linking to Skywatch Friday.

Naughty Rooster Boy

Naughty Rooster Boys!  I don’t want any more Naughty Rooster Boys.

The ones that are not quite as easy to find are the goose eggs.  I have to hunt for those nests.  They change where they put their nests.  After I was sick and hadn’t gathered the goose eggs for a while, I went hunting and found seventy eggs.  Yep, that’s not a typo~there were seventy eggs in six nests.

today's eggs

I’ve been getting about five or six eggs per day from those nests, but some have moved their nests on me.

I opened the door to the barn today and was greeted with a very upset Lucy warning me to get away.  I found her nest right in the doorway and took ten eggs out of it.

Lucy

Trust me, Lucy would have not problems with biting me to protect those eggs.

This poor girl wants to sit, but every day I make her leave her nest and take the egg under her.

As much as I love them, I really don’t need anymore geese.

Linking to Leap Into Spring Photo Challenge.

Linking to Farm Photo Friday.

Linking to Camera Critters.