We’re starting to get the hang of things…and the callouses to prove it. We sprayed the barn for flies on Thursday (a ‘green’ solution of herbs and plants done by our exterminator) so we had to move all the goats out into the side pens. Which meant we had to build fenced in areas by age (babies, one months, two months, three months and boys). It was the first day we literally shoveled shit. Certainly not our last.

We ran into town during the spray down, and were back in time for C to do evening chores (I had done morning). He did the ‘milk house transfer’ by himself!

I made pasta and a salad for dinner, and we lugged everything to the table in the front of the barn for a sunset dinner. It was delicious and beautiful. If the weather clears up today, we’ll do the same tonight.

C did morning chores Friday, so I got to sleep in. I spent a little time this afternoon helping Sherwin and Nancy tattoo a couple three month olds. The farm name goes on the right ear and the goat’s birth order for the year goes on their left ear. This is a ‘D’ year, so we tattooed D3 on the third purebred goat of the year. (Side note: some farms name their whole herd based on the year. We bought a goat named Yarina from a farm that does that – she’s 5). You make the pin prick form of the letters/numbers, then rub in tattoo dye cream. They didn’t like it very much, understandably. Then Nancy and I gave our first immunizations to a couple goats. You take a pinch of skin and fat, push the needle in the little mound, and inject. Sherwin was a nurse practitioner for years and years – so was a great and confident teacher. The goats didn’t squirm too much, thankfully.

Right before chores, Shawn asked me if I could help with disbudding. The goats all grow horns, but the females, and some males, I think, need to have the growth stunted so they don’t hurt each other in such close quarters. It’s not a fun prospect, for goat or owner, but it’s part of things… A hot iron is held over the beginning of the budding horn to cauterize it. Then an ‘x’ is made over the top. The goat is only a few weeks old, and you have to hold their head super still in a box that holds their body tight. It’s intense. I didn’t learn until later that we actually burned one little guy’s ear. I give him a little pet and apologize everyday, poor thing. The disbudding goes quickly, though, and they get a bottle immediately afterwards. I hope they all forgot quickly.

Shawn then coached me through the milk transfer process. It’s a lot of steps, but I’m getting the hang of it.

Saturday was my day at the farmers market in the U District of Seattle with Shawn. It was a bit overcast all day, but we had a great turnout. C stayed at the farm to help with the monthly Farm Day – an open house for the public to come see the farm, and taste and buy cheese. Everyone said it went really well.

Saturday night was our first ‘family dinner’ at Shawn and Meghan’s. We had brats and German potato salad and a kale salad and it was all delicious. Sherwin made us ‘White Nigerians’ – White Russians made with Nigerian Dwarf goats milk. It was super great. It was my first experience with raw goats milk. It tastes a little richer than cows milk, and didn’t have much ‘goaty’ flavor. We took some back to the apartment, and had the rest in our coffee.

Sunday was C’s day at the farmers market, so I stayed back and helped with odds and ends. We moved the dairy sheep up the hill to another pasture. Much easier than herding the meat sheep!