Out to Pasture: The Pitter-Patter of Poopy Little Hooves

The lakes near MeadowWild Farm,

still icy at the start of April,

have finally thawed.

Geese visit the front pond

and blackbirds are trilling away.

The last of the babies have arrived safely

concluding a blessedly successful kidding season.

Fifteen minutes before her due day, Channa gave birth to Garam Masala (a Cou blanc buckling) and Bhindi Masala (a two-tone Chamoisee doeling).

The first-timer jumped right into her maternal maintenance duties

and the kids commenced to being adorably cute from the start.

Kuiper was due at the same time, but four days later she still had not delivered.

Barb made an appointment for an ultra-sound to see if Kuiper was actually pregnant

but then on April 4 a large buckling began to emerge. For an excruciatingly long time, Kuiper pushed and Barb pulled mightily

until KBO (Kuiper Belt Object) finally popped out. For the next five minutes Kuiper could only lie there totally exhausted

but then she was up and taking care of her big boy.

Paternity is a bit uncertain for the three youngest babies. Their moms went on speed dates with Chili, but then Mojo broke into the ladies dorm on successive evenings, so there is some uncertainty.

DNA tests are in the offing; the results will be announced on a special edition of The Maury Show.

With good nutrition

fresh air and exercise

the kids are growing into healthy little horses.

They love to hang out in their back yard

running and jumping

and playing on the sky-walk

and the giant spools.

It wasn't long before they could all jump on top,

the perfect vantage point for bashing their cousins

and even challenging the older goats.

Chili and Mojo check out the youngsters

and eagerly await the DNA results.

The kids are at the stage when they jump and climb on everything

especially their long-suffering moms.

It's impossible to enter the barn without getting pummeled by poopy little hooves.

They are hanging out in (and occasionally getting tangled up in) the hay feeders

competing to see who can break a leg first.

Everyone enjoys trips to the front yard for some serious tree-trimming

and noshing on dry stalks.

A thick bedding of waste hay kept the ladies warm all winter

but was getting a bit fragrant in the warmer weather

so the Farmers dis-assembled the pens

and the skidsteer artists from Laveau Excavating

soon had the barn spring cleaned.

Fencing went up again

and the goats streamed back in to enjoy their fresh lodgings.

Across the pond demolition of the neighbors' barn continues.

Deer boldly approach the house at all hours of the day. Pretty soon we should start seeing fawns.

One morning a big trail of blood led from the barn door around back of the hay bales that shelter feral Momma Kitty during the winter.

At first we feared she might have tangled with a coyote or some other predator and was bleeding to death in back of the barn

but she waltzed out later that morning as usual, enjoyed her fresh goats' milk, and proceeded along on her daily patrol.

The blood apparently was left by a midnight snack that she had dragged along to enjoy in bed.

Unferal Dustin has taken up Hot Yoga in an effort to get into shape for bikini season. In a sunny window he practices his challenging Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog) pose.