Calves -Week 10, 11 & 12

Chuck & TBone

The boys are doing excellent!!!  For the last 3 weeks we have been finishing up weaning the boys from their bottles.  They are now completely off the bottle and eating grain, hay and pasture.

The boys are both eating about 4lbs of grain each day. 2lbs in the morning and then 2lbs again in the evening.  They love it and eat it all gone.

We also had a friend of ours over and banded the boys.  This means that they will never be able to have babies.  Banding is when you take a really small tight rubber band and it is put onto a banding plier.  The pliers open up the small rubber band and then you put the scrotum through the band.  Once you are sure that both testicles are through the rubber band you release the banding pliers.

As the band is tight it slowly cuts of the blood circulation to that area.  Once circulation is completely cut off, usually within 2 weeks or so.  The scrotum along with the testicles will fall of making the bull now a steer.  Bull can produce babies.  A steer can not produce babies.

This will also help with the testosterone level and they will not become aggressive like a bull can.

Chuck

Chuck is still bigger than Tbone.  He eats really well and if he finishes his grain first he likes to go over to Tbone's bucket and try to push him around to steal his food.  We let Tbone push back but if Chuck gets his head in the grain bucket we intervene and hold the bucket so he can't get it.  Besides being a piggy he really is a great boy.  He likes to have pets and will say hello to you in the morning.  Other than that he hangs in the pasture and eats and relaxes.

Tbone a little bit wet from being out in the rain

Tbone is still littler than Chuck but is getting bigger every day.  He has finally gotten a taste for the grain we feed and loves it.  He loves to have pets and always try's to stand close to you when we are in the pasture.  He loves to be out in the rain and in the pasture eating and relaxing.

Chuck saying hello first thing in the morning

I can't get the video to turn for some reason but you can still hear him.

The boys have been here on our farm now for 3 months. Chuck weighs in at 205lbs and Tbone weighs in at 176lbs.

I will be doing monthly updates on them now.

Vacation with the Royalty's

Drew, Trent, Paige & Hailey

Once again the Royalties came for vacation!!! We were so excited to see them. It had been 6 months since our last visit together when we made our surprise trip to them back in January.

We had been planning and making plans on what we were going to do for the time they were here.

They got in on Friday afternoon and we all had some lunch.  Then Jackie & I with Paige & Hailey ran out to a couple of stores to get some things for the week.  Friday early evening Brian went with Jamie to get a load of hay and during chore time everyone helped out then we just hung around and relaxed since Jackie and Brian were up most of the night before traveling.

Saturday Jackie & I took the girls food shopping and the boys went with Jamie & Brian. They went to help out with a fundraiser for Drew's football.  They helped wrapped up smoked BBQ ribs, Boston Butts and Drunken Chickens that were preordered and were being picked up that day.  Later in the afternoon we went over to the lake for a little swimming.  It was REALLY hot here this week of vacation, hitting the 100's easy every day.

Lots of time was taken up with cooking, eating and then picking up from cooking and eating.  We had some really delicious meals.

Sunday was a day of rest mostly.  I believe it was 106 degrees on Sunday so we stayed inside most of the day, except for getting the morning and evening chores done.  We also decided to go to dinner Sunday night and have a break from cooking.

Monday was our first full day.  This is the day we rented the boat on Dale Hollow Lake.  This year we got a Pontoon boat but it had a big enough engine to pull a tube so we could also go tubing.  We packed a cooler of some sandwiches and snacks we made and another cooler full of water and Gatorade's, as it was suppose to be in the 100's again for the day.

We tubed a bunch of times and beached the boat so we could swim and skip rocks and look for shells.

It was a wonderful, relaxing day.  Thankfully this was the one day Jackie & I got pictures.  The rest of the week we were just too busy to remember to take pictures while we were doing things.

Hailey & Paige ready for tubing

Drew, Trent, Hailey & Paige skipping rocks

All four kids tubing

Brian taking a turn driving the boat

Jackie & I tubing

Our boat this year

Drew, Trent & Hailey swimming

Our tube

Paige & Hailey, so cute!!

Drew & Trent ready for tubing

Me & Hailey, I love this picture Jackie took of us :)

Paige & Jackie

Drew, Me & Trent

Trent & Jackie 

Jamie & me

Jamie & Silly Drew

Hailey, Jackie & Paige

Paige, me & Hailey

Trent & Drew skipping rocks

Paige & Hailey looking for shells

All the kids having a breathing contest

Drew & Trent doing tricks while tubing

Beautiful Hailey, Jackie took this picture

Brian

Jamie tubing, it wasn't fast enough for him LOL

Paige & Brian tubing and having fun!!

We had a great time on the lake and since it was such a long day we decided to stop and have dinner out.  I'm sure we will get a boat again next year.  We have done it every year now and haven't been disappointed yet.

Tuesday was a recoup day. Some of us got a little sunburned and the kids were really tired.  So we just hung around for the day.  Caught up on some cleaning and some laundry.  The boys played xbox and the girls did crafts and us adults chatted, played some cards and just relaxed.

Wednesday, 4th of July was a nice day too.  We had been invited to our friend's house for a 4th of July party.  Most of the morning was spent making up some food and getting some coolers and bags of goodies ready for the party.  We got to the party around 3pm and ending up staying till about 10pm.  Jackie was a love and came with me around 7pm to do the chores while the kids and Jamie & Brian stayed at the party.  The kids had a great time having a squirt gun fight and also doing old fashioned games, like sack races and the three legged race.  There was LOTS of kids there to play with so we basically didn't see them the whole time unless we went looking for them to check on them.  We all had a great time.

Thursday was another big day for us.  We had reservations to go White Water rafting on Pigeon River.  Jamie & I had to get up at 5am to get the chores done while Jackie and Brian got all the kids up and got them breakfast so we could leave at 6:15am to be there on time.  It was a little bit difficult because the rafting place was in Eastern time while we are in Central time so we lost an hour once we crossed the timeline.  We had to best time though.  We ended up having to go into two separate boats.  Jackie, Brian & Trent were the first ones to fall out, thankfully nobody got hurt.  Jamie was next to fall out of our boat and then Drew fell out.  Victory goes to Paige, Hailey & I, we stayed in our boats the whole time!!!  It was lots of fun, I just wish we all could have been in the same boat together.  It may be something we will try again next year. Hopefully we can find somewhere closer and somewhere that has a boat for all of us together.

Once we were finished rafting we headed over to the Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg tourist area.  We took a drive on the strip with all the stores and museums which took us forever since there is so much traffic there.  We were able to stop at one of the stores and Jackie and Brian got some t-shirts.  We then went to get some lunch at a terrific place called KT's Bar & Grill. Everyone was able to get something they liked and it tasted great!!

We were then going to bring the kids go-carting but a storm blew in out of no where and it was a severe storm.  Raining, high winds and all of the electricity was knocked out. So we decided to head on home and finally got home around 7:30pm. We got the chores done and just had a few snacks in the evening whenever anyone was hungry.

Friday was an off day again for us.  We got everything all caught up again and just hung around the house.

Saturday was a down day too.  We just enjoyed spending our last day together.

The Royalty's heading home to MA early Sunday morning at 2am.  We were so sad to see them go.  We all really enjoyed our time together for vacation.  I can say enough how much we appreciate them taking the time and LLLOONNNGGG drive here to us in TN. 

It's now our turn to go to MA.  We hopefully will be going sometime in December or January.  We are in the process of figuring out the breeding schedule for the goats so we can plan for the trip without the issues of births and milking.

All The Babies Are Gone

It's been a crazy here since my last postings and I have a bunch to post to catch back up.

First is that ALL of the baby goats have gone to their new homes.  The last of them left at the end of June.

  

Our friends had just arrived from out of state for a week long vacation and with all of the excitement of them arriving I wasn't able to get pictures of the babies before they left.

 So here is two old ones.

Priscilla laying with her babies Carter, Chloe & Cole

Windy and her baby, Claire

Chloe was the first to go.

Sweet Chloe

Chloe went to a wonderful family who was looking to start their own herd.  They were interested in Nubian's because they would like to milk them and make cheese, ice cream and such from the goat's milk like we do.

I've talked to the owner's daughter and Chloe is doing really well at her new home. 

 Chloe's new registered name is Russell's Ridge Lady.

Cole was the next to leave.

Gorgeous Cole

Cole got to stay a little longer than normal because his new owner had a trip planned and she wanted him to stay here while she was away.

Cole will just love his new home.  His new owners are wonderful people and really love goats.  She already has an established herd and was looking for a new buck for her girls.  She is also partial to spots like me and just thought Cole was a handsome boy.

Cole with have a herd of 8 girls all to himself.  I can't wait to see the babies he will produce.

Cole's new registered name is Russell's Ridge Brad Paisley.

Carter was the next to leave.

Sweet Carter

We were so lucky to find a home for Carter.  I was getting worried that we would not find him a new home.  Carter's new home also has an established herd.  They have 1 buck and 3 does. 

The reason why they decided on Carter is because they loved his red color but mostly because he is registered.  Their current buck is not and his current does are.  This way he will be able to register any future kids he has with Carter as the buck.  I look forward to seeing was Carter produces for kids and will be staying in touch with his new owners. 

Carter's new registered name is Russell's Ridge Dakota.

Claire also got to go to her new home WITH Carter!!

Baby Claire

The family that got Carter was also the family that wanted Claire.

They really fell in love with her and sent along a deposit before she was even 4 weeks old.

She will join Carter, another buck and the other 3 girls he already has at his home.

He loved her name so it will stay the same.

Claire's registered name is Russell's Ridge Claire.

I just want to say that this has been an unforgettable first experience.  I have fallen in love with all of my goat's but I never thought I could fall so deeply in love with the baby goats.  Being present while the mama's grew heavy with their babies and being able to feel them move before they were even born was unbelievable.

Being able to watch these babies be born and help both the mama's and the babies with entering into this world was amazing and I am so glad we didn't miss it.

Watching them stand and nurse for the first time. Go outside into the fresh grass and run was a sight to see.  I was in awe how much these little babies trusted and loved us from the beginning.  I am very sad to see them go and I wish I could keep them all.  Knowing I can't, I hope that I have made the best decisions for all of the babies with their new homes.

I will never forget these first 4 little babies that stole my heart. I'm sure I will think of them often and hope they are doing well.