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Author Topic: Farm INcrease 2 or Billy Goat Gruff  (Read 5533 times)

Offline Brian D. Bray

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Farm INcrease 2 or Billy Goat Gruff
« on: March 16, 2008, 02:45:40 am »
One of my granddaughters brought home an old story from school:  Billy Goat Gruff.  I have my own.  The Nanny kindled a doeling the other day and the OLD MAN now thinks its his duty to go for another one, meanwhile the doeling is getting trampled by the Billy.  I had given my pheasants to my youngest brother cause my wife didn't like the.  That freed up the pigeon fly pen, so I made a leanto in the pen, laid down a layer of old hay with the intent of installing mommy and baby therein.  I went to look for the doeling (My second granddaughter decided to call it Flower cause it's black and white like the Flower in Bambi) and finally found it outside of the pen hiding under the boat.  The Billy had chased it so bad that it had squeezed through a 4 inch hole to get away from him. 
I pick up baby and start for the fly pen, knowing that momma will follow the bleat of her baby.  But the Billy gets in the way and forces her away from me and the baby.  I go to catch the Billy and he gets between my and the nanny.  I finally had to club him a few times with my cane in order to catch the nanny and put with the doeling.  Even then he's trying to force her away from me and trys to keep me from putting her in the pen with the baby.

Momma was at least 5 years old when I got her 2 years ago and too old to train for milking so my hope is to train the new addition.  I will be getting rid of the Old Buck and his son both and getting another unrelated billy for breeding next year.  I may let the Old Man do his business one more time and keep the Nanny until next spring to see if I get another doeling (that would be nice) or another buckling.  If a buckling, I'll fix him, and put him in the freezer later.

I'm thinking of getting some Soay Sheep as they don't need shearing--you comb the wool out.  They are small 80-90 pounds for a mature ram and the does run 65-70.  I figure I should be able to run 3-4 Soay Sheep and a couple of milking Nannies on my homestead and make it even more selfsufficient than it is. 

I have added 3 trukey pults, 2 rabbits, 3 throneless blackberries, Everbearing Raspberries, and 2 Hoosier Bananas (aka Paw Paws) to my farm.  Unforunately the eggs I got from Angi_H didn't hatch--found out the heating element went haywire so need a replacement before I do any more hatching.  Meanwhile the Light Brahmas and Black Astrolops I bought at the Grange Supply are doing great.

I've got 20 medium boxes put together and all 4 hives survived the winter.  My new style stands are in place and SBB have been replaced by SSR.  When I get some good weather again I'll go back in and feed them a little more and set up my queen holding/booster nucs and await the delivery of my daughters package of OWC to make hive #6. 
Life is a school.  What have you learned?   :brian:      The greatest danger to our society is apathy, vote in every election!

Offline Cindi

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Re: Farm INcrease 2 or Billy Goat Gruff
« Reply #1 on: March 16, 2008, 10:56:21 am »
Brian, you got some great stuff going on down at your place.  In all honesty, I get so excited when I hear what you are doing there.  I CAN'T wait until your barbeque in September and I get to EVERYTHING that you are up to.  How exciting and how so cool.

Doeling and buckling....I am so intrigued by all the names for so many species of animals names.  That is cool.

You must elaborate a little more on what is going on there, I find it fascinating.  Why did the nanny kill her doeling?  Was it accidental, or what she just on a death wish.....they are usually twins or triplets, as with sheep eh?  Poor Flower (I think your Granddaughter chose a beautiful name, by the way), she must have been so terrified, I bet she can run much faster than the old man though eh, and thank goodness?

The Hoosier bananas (paw paws), sound interesting, I know I had read some stuff about them and thought I might try to grow some too, but not sure if the climate here would support them or not.

Are you getting the Soay sheep for wool?  I love sheep. I love to look at my neighbours that runs adjacent to the back three acres of my property, she has about 6 of them and they are lambing right now I think because I can hear young sheep bleeting frequently.  So neat.  I love her Llama that loves me too (hee, hee), so many of my critters love me, (hee, hee, I know they don't really, they are just users for food).  That llama always watches me over the fence and I go and give it blackberry leaves, she loves those, prickly as they are, she munches them down.  There is no green stuff left on my side of the fence that she can reach, she made sure that she ate it all up.  The fence top wires (livestock fencing) has been very warped from her pushing over and eating the green stuff as far as her neck will stretch.

Life is so interesting on the farm.  You have that farm there and the episodes that you speak of are wonderful to my ears, keep on keepin' on, and have a wonderful and beautiful day, Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline Cindi

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Re: Farm INcrease 2 or Billy Goat Gruff
« Reply #2 on: March 17, 2008, 10:23:00 am »
Brian, you are not going to believe what happened here.  I am thunderstruck myself.  I marked your post as unread because I wanted to read your story again. 

When I re-read your story, the line that I thought said "the Nanny killed a doeling" actually read that the "Nanny kindled a doeling".

Holy smokers, what one or two little letters in a word can change the entire connotation of something.  YOu went on to say that the Billy  thought it was his duty to go for another one.  Now with the thought in my mind that the Nanny had killed her doeling, and the Billy wanted to go for another one, I thought that she had had twins and the Billy was going for the other doeling.

Unbelievable.  I guess I just was not paying enough attention to what you were typing and I read something entire different from what you had said, which lead me to assume that the Billy wanted to kill another one.  His intention was not to kill another one (because there was no other one), but go for another mate to increase the numbers.

Eeks!!!!  I am thunderstruck, like I said, that misinterpretation of a single world made everything regarding the Nanny and Billy story different.

Lessons learned, I need to pay more attention to things when I read them, me bad, hee, hee.

Anyways, just a little diddy I had to say.  Have a wonderful and beautiful day, enjoying this life we're all groovin' on.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: Farm INcrease 2 or Billy Goat Gruff
« Reply #3 on: March 17, 2008, 10:43:16 pm »
That's okay, my wife misunderstands me too.   I just made a phone call about an add for a free white female bunny.  The lady said she still had the doe, infact the doe had just kindled a litter (she hust found out after she placed the add) so now I'm getting 4 for the price of one.  That's 4 free bunnys.  My grandkids will be estatic, they can each have one to nume and cuddle. 

When it comes to Farm Increase rabbits can sure multiply.   Like Elmer Fudd used to say, "If at 1st you don't fricase, fry, fry again."
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Offline Cindi

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Re: Farm INcrease 2 or Billy Goat Gruff
« Reply #4 on: March 18, 2008, 12:39:13 am »
Brian, now isn't that just darnably nice.  Your Grandchildren will be thrilled, children love rabbits, plain and simple.  And boy did you get the deal of the lifetime, hee, hee, have a great and wonderful day, Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline poka-bee

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Re: Farm INcrease 2 or Billy Goat Gruff
« Reply #5 on: March 18, 2008, 01:18:19 am »
What a nice grandpa!  Bunnies are so cuddly!  I have feral rabbits.  A
white bunny showed up here about 4 years ago..amazingly it is still here..then a black & white small one showed up last winter, followed me into the barn &let me pet it.  Now she follows me around the yard. This fall a larger black one with brown hilights..spring a chox rex..don't know where they come from.  I see them in other yards too but always come here to sleep under the barn. An Angus was wandering down the street & I opened the gate so it wouldn't get hit by a car & he walked right in..called him Stewart.  He loved the goat & horse, they wouldn't have anything to do with him, would run snorting across the pasture with him following. Ducks, Mr. Stinky (my goats dad)showed up one day..That's another story. Last summer a strange cat came in the house.  Was black & white like mine, boy, was that fun trying to herd a freaking out cat! They can run 1/2 way up the walls!! Each day is a new adventure around here!! I would like some bees or alpaca....?? :? ;)
Enjoy your bunnies!! Jody
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Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: Farm INcrease 2 or Billy Goat Gruff
« Reply #6 on: April 24, 2008, 02:16:53 am »
Update:

I have come to understand why pictures of the Devil have goat horns on them.  Goats, Billys especially, have a perverse sense of humor.  My Billy goat is always looking for ways to aggrivate me and is highly successful too.  He likes to bite the back of my vest when ever I close enough.  He also like to get in my way and tear down anything I might be building in or near his pasture.  I recently build some rabbit hutches and had to chain him up for a week so he wouldn't tear them down before they were built and I then had to fence them off from the pasture.  This week, while putting on the roofing, he decided to eat the tarpaper, and delighted in tearing into small strips.  I was using my pnuematic stapler to fasten the hardware cloth to the frame of the cages and he sneeks up and butts my hand just as I'm pulling the trigger--result is a staple in the middle of his forehead.

He left of a few minutes but snuck back.  Next thing I hear is a loud hiss of air and turn around to find that he had bitten my air hose in half.  I must say, though, that the face full of air surprized him a bit but not enough to keep him from pestering further. 

There are times I am tempted to shoot him on the spot.  The only thing holding my hand is that I'm not up to butchering a 125-150 lb billy goat by myself.
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Offline JP

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Re: Farm INcrease 2 or Billy Goat Gruff
« Reply #7 on: April 24, 2008, 06:21:20 am »
Update:

I have come to understand why pictures of the Devil have goat horns on them.  Goats, Billys especially, have a perverse sense of humor.  My Billy goat is always looking for ways to aggrivate me and is highly successful too.  He likes to bite the back of my vest when ever I close enough.  He also like to get in my way and tear down anything I might be building in or near his pasture.  I recently build some rabbit hutches and had to chain him up for a week so he wouldn't tear them down before they were built and I then had to fence them off from the pasture.  This week, while putting on the roofing, he decided to eat the tarpaper, and delighted in tearing into small strips.  I was using my pnuematic stapler to fasten the hardware cloth to the frame of the cages and he sneeks up and butts my hand just as I'm pulling the trigger--result is a staple in the middle of his forehead.

He left of a few minutes but snuck back.  Next thing I hear is a loud hiss of air and turn around to find that he had bitten my air hose in half.  I must say, though, that the face full of air surprized him a bit but not enough to keep him from pestering further. 

There are times I am tempted to shoot him on the spot.  The only thing holding my hand is that I'm not up to butchering a 125-150 lb billy goat by myself.

Hey Brian, if I were coming by on the big get together and man would I love to, I would wrestle that Billy to the ground for you, of course, one of us for sure would get a lesson. Who do you think that would be? :-D

Perhaps Brendhan can give it a try, it sounds like he would be up for that challenge. Man, that goat sounds like he needs a lesson in manners!!!

Boy, does he sound like a smart one, smart a$$ right? :-D


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Offline Cindi

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Re: Farm INcrease 2 or Billy Goat Gruff
« Reply #8 on: April 24, 2008, 09:04:31 am »
Brian, oh the stuff that goes around your place makes me laugh, it is so funnnnneeee.  You have painted a really interesting picture of your Billy Goat Gruff.  Yep, I see why the devil has pictures of goat horns, hee, hee.  What a persnicketty dude he is eh?  You have more patience than I, he wouldn't last two minutes around my place, hee, hee. 

I would love to see JP or Brendhan try and wrestle down this dude, that would be the funniest thing on earth, go for it JP, just try it!!!  Beautiful and wonderful day, lovin' this life we live.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline poka-bee

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Re: Farm INcrease 2 or Billy Goat Gruff
« Reply #9 on: April 24, 2008, 11:36:42 am »
Go for it JP! I know who would win & no one would want to be near you from the smell!! You would be eating BBQ by yourself! :evil: Goats as all animals are amazingly strong for their size.  Brian, goats are a handful, I have a toggenburg wether (sp?)  When my mare was alive you should have seen him w/the farrier..poor guy the goat would get into his toolbox, jump on top of his truck..he would smack Chevy with his bar.  I finally had to tie him up when Don was here.  Chevy can jump from an old truck we have to the TOP of a motorhome whilst doing the "I'm UUPPPP dance" When he is really riled up he runs flat out & bounces off the side of the barn bout 6 ft up...He can also climb up the hayrack & through the little feeding window in the barn..Brian, are all your goats Pygmy?  On another sub. I lost my hen pigeon. She was lying in the aviary, I think she flew into the wall or something cause her neck was broken.  Earl still has the baby to keep him busy, it is a squeeker now & hilarious watching it follow dad around begging! She was so beautiful, I'll have to find another to keep him company..although the "perv" is still hanging around outside the loft. Jody
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Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: Farm INcrease 2 or Billy Goat Gruff
« Reply #10 on: April 26, 2008, 12:44:57 am »
The Billy is big--1/2 Boar, 1/2 Nubian.  The doe is Toggenberg.  The 2 youngsters are, of course crosses.  I have seen the little doe, born March 5, jump so high from standing on all 4 that she would have jumped out of the pen if I wasn't keeping her and Mama in the fly pen of my pigeon loft.

J.P. you're welcome to come wrestle Patches, He's about 4 feet at the shoulder and needs his hoofs trimmed but I'm not up to the task.
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Offline JP

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Re: Farm INcrease 2 or Billy Goat Gruff
« Reply #11 on: April 26, 2008, 01:05:30 am »
The Billy is big--1/2 Boar, 1/2 Nubian.  The doe is Toggenberg.  The 2 youngsters are, of course crosses.  I have seen the little doe, born March 5, jump so high from standing on all 4 that she would have jumped out of the pen if I wasn't keeping her and Mama in the fly pen of my pigeon loft.

J.P. you're welcome to come wrestle Patches, He's about 4 feet at the shoulder and needs his hoofs trimmed but I'm not up to the task.

 :-D :-D :-D


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Offline HAB

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Re: Farm INcrease 2 or Billy Goat Gruff
« Reply #12 on: April 26, 2008, 02:13:30 pm »
The post about feral rabbits caught my eye.  Long, long, long ago in time now almost forgotten (my childhood) the family had a large rabbit  hutch.  Sometimes as many as fifty grown rabbits.  In variably one would get loose now and then.  The hutches were kept beside the barn to provide some shelter from the storms and hot deep-southern sun.  Once loose the rabbits seldom left and could usually be caught.  But once in a while they would learn how to get under the floor of the crib.  Once that happened they were in heaven.  Catching them by hand then would be next to impossible, don't know why we never used a trap we had plenty.  They managed to multiply (who would've thought) and soon we had a good little bunch of feral rabbits.  Eventually a predator found them and thinned them down.  But for years after we quit raising rabbits several managed to survive.  Now that we have rabbits again I wonder if that will happen once more.

Offline poka-bee

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Re: Farm INcrease 2 or Billy Goat Gruff
« Reply #13 on: April 26, 2008, 03:34:29 pm »
We have an assortment of feral rabbits.  They do just fine that way except for the predators.  There is one pink eyed white that has been here for 4 years.  Amazing considering it stands out cause it's white!  Now there is a little chox. rex, he isn't too friendly.  There was a small white/blk doe here for 2 years.  She would follow me all over & I could pet her & hold her.  I put rabbit food in the barn for them so they wouldn't eat my plants, it worked.  They dug little tunnels under the barn to get away from predators, I'm thinking coons as the stock fence would keep out the coyotes.  It's fun to see the cats think they are gonna catch a wabbit....Gus was stalking the white one once, the rabbit got fed up, turned & chased Gus all over the yard, Gus's eyes were all buggy, scared him good!  I love watching the interactions of all the animals here on my play farm!  Jody 
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Re: Farm INcrease 2 or Billy Goat Gruff
« Reply #14 on: April 26, 2008, 04:27:19 pm »
Yeah the pets are fun to watch when there interacting with one another.  Here the cats would tote them off pretty fast.  Especially the Bobcats, had one to come and sit on the decorative timbers around the flowerbed in front of the family room and watch me trough the window for about five minutes several years ago.  And another would bring her kittens out to sun on a sand bar across the beaver pond in the back yard.  Have to keep all the small critters in covered pens.  Even the spayed and neutered house cats we have get into it with the Bobcats.

Friend has Pierrines (don't think thats spelled correctly) dogs.  They are able to just let out all there small animals.  Thought about trying that but I would miss seeing all the wildlife that pass through the yard.  We live at the junction of three creeks its a natural funnel for moving wildlife.  Nearly everyday we see see something new. :)

 

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