Who says babies only come in the springtime? Hi, I’m Alphonse, if you don’t already know that. This weekend was a busy one for the barn. Saturday evening,
Tulip delivered triplets, two boys and a girl. Pat named them Potter, Weasley and Sniglet. Does anyone know what a Sniglet is? Then, the next day Ocelot delivered
another set of triplets, two girls and a boy this time. Panda, Orca and Badger.
Our goat names are part of the fun around here. Sometimes the goats tell Pat their names before she knows it. Like Sniglet. She was so tiny and her brothers so big
that she literally slid out nearly up Pat’s pant leg. When she picked her up to give to Tulip, she said “Here’s your little Sniglet,” and the name stuck. Potter has a
lightning bolt on his forehead, white in a pool of dark brown. Weasley is the fanciest of them all, the largest, and because he came with Potter, the name just seemed
to stick.
With Ocelot the kid’s name follow the path of animal names. Ocelot was named because she was born spotted, and got more colorful over time. That meant all of her
kids have cat names, Lynx and Margay, until now. Now, since all the kids are some form of black and white, the whole group is named after black and white animals. Orca was going
to be the biggest kid’s name, the buckling. But when Badger came to mind, that seemed more appropriate for him. Orca is a good deal larger than Panda, though both
are beautiful and strong in their own ways. You can see the older goats at the farm website, www.hamesaxle.com. The babies aren’t there yet, but they will be soon.
Most farms are not kidding right now. Things are winding down getting ready for winter. Not here, winter means Soap Season, which means “Milk season,” which means
Babies! We have more does to kid between now and snowfly, and plans are already in place for kids all winter long. Now, the problem is just finding places to put everyone.
When the farm started, no one knew about Nigerian dwarf goats. Now, they have taken the world by storm. Problem is, most people get tired after a year or two and then
sell the goats so they can have more free time to travel. Pat tries really hard to place my herd family into homes where they will spend their lives. She knows that trust is
something earned, and not easily rebuilt, and every time a goat moves to a new home, their “trust reservoir” dwindles a little more.
I’m very lucky to live on a farm where we are more than just livestock. Don’t get me wrong. We’re not pets either. We are workmates, with our own jobs to do, and thankfully
that doesn’t mean wearing clothes, or carrying fairy wands. That’s okay for other farms, but here at Hames & Axle Farm, the magic of nature steals the show every day.
For instance, there is a wild deer that has staked the farm out as her home. We know that she has a fawn hiding around here somewhere, but she hasn’t let the people see
it yet. We goats have seen it, and our horse, Magi, has been blessed with its visits, but the doe knows that it’s best to keep her baby hidden until it can take care of itself.
In this time when so many people are afraid and scared, I hope they can find a farm, or at least a goat, to hang out with. Let us share your worries for awhile, so you can get
stronger. Take care, all right? Talk to you soon. By
e
