Hidden Haven Homestead

Thank goodness this weekend is over! It has been a very stressful one. William arrived home Friday morning about 6:30am after driving all night so he was very very tired. He had brought a lady with him after talking with me over the phone. Her car broke down and is taking a week to fix the engine so she was at a truckstop just sitting in the tv room because her money was low. She is staying here with me till her car is ready. William and I both let our tempers flare a few times. The heat and humidity was terrible. We grilled out as Williams daughter and her husband were coming down to borrow our pickup. We ate inside because of the heat.
Mrs. Mighty Chicken died. She was the one I had doctored back after Mr. Mighty Chicken cut deep gashes in both her sides. I had let her back in the chicken lot but John Henry and Elvis started doing the same thing when they mated with her. I took her back out but with the heat and her wounds she didn't make it this time. Went out to feed this morning and found Donna (one of the white ducks) dead. We think it was a combo of the heat and Donald and Daffy chasing and mounting her all day the day before. Daisy will bite them and not run when they go after her.
Williams daughter and family brought the truck back this morning in time for breakfast. She had requested blueberry pancakes. Her husband wanted sausage and William wanted eggs and gravy so I got busy in the kitchen. After breakfast it was the most terrible part of the weekend. Time to disbud the boys. Ken (Williams son in law) said he would help but I still had to help too. I held the kid and Ken held the head and William burnt their nubs (what would have been horns). We had read and read how to do this and looked at the step by step photos but still were stressed to have to do it. I gave them owie ease, a herbal pain relief. Whoever says disbudding doesn't hurt is CRAZY! We did Brown Robyn first and he cried and cried and cried! William did two rounds on each nub but it wasn't enough. I couldn't stand it anymore and we let him go back with his mom for a rest and we heated the disbudder up for Frosty Dan. He cried a little but did fairly well. He got 2 rounds but wasn't enough either. We let them rest and nurse Diva. Diva and Sammi were determined I wasn't getting near the boys again. I kept trying to get one and they would corral them. Since Frosty Dan did so well the first time he went first the second time. This time he screamed and cried. Diva was crying, Sammi was crying, the chickens, geese and turkey were screaming and I was freaking out. Got Dan done and I had to go get Brown Robyn. I really really didn't want him to go through it again as he had such a hard time the first round. He had a even harder time the second time. He cried so loud and all the animals were crying just as loud. I finally said enough. If they aren't burnt enough too bad! We have the copper looking rings around the nubs and they already knocked the caps of the nubs off which we read would happen. I think its good enough. They get their ear tattoos next but that won't be bad. I have went out and checked on them alot and they slept for a while then was running around eating and are now fast asleep next to mom, dad and Auntie Sammi. None of the grown goats trust us so they are all sleeping in the same stall surrounding the boys to protect them. I never want to do this again but know I will have to. At least I could close my eyes while holding them and not have to watch. The good thing is the boys seem to have forgiven me. Brown Robyn loves for me to scratch his head and will almost fall asleep while I do this. He let me scratch his head tonight when I went out to check on them. Frosty Dan came to me but wouldn't let me rub him yet. I don't blame them. Tomorrow I have salve to put on their heads and pain relief if needed. Tomorrow starts a new week. I sure hope it brings lots of good things with it. We sure could use good happy things around here! I am still going to count my blessing tonight. One big blessing is the boys made it through the disbudding and so did I! I will post photos tomorrow.