A Day In the Life of...

Two baby goats spent the night with us last night - Lil Bit (of course!), and a baby billy that I have dubbed "Toby".  (I can't help myself; everybody gets a name around here... Gosh, even my Jeep has a name - Elvis!)

Lil Bit on the linoleum... and, Oh my gosh, where is her diaper?

So, Lil Bit and Toby were pretty good house guests.  Toby was overwhelmed at first, and just stood like a statue.  Poor thing.  He became much more relaxed after a long session wrapped in a big towel, and sitting on my lap.  Lil Bit recognized "home" immediately, and she ran up and down the hall, jumped around, did every cute goat trick imaginable.  She LOVES to click her little hoofs on the linoleum in the kitchen.  I told Moshe she is practicing the River Dance.  I wish I knew how to take a video of her with my phone - it is hilarious to watch!



 Both  babies (almost incredibly!) settled down in the designated goat area of the bed.  And, except for one brief and unsuccessful attempt by Lil Bit to get the bottle,  they slept all night.  Alas, CassPurr  got on the bed at 4AM,  wanting his kibble. When I spoke to CassPurr, Moxie came around to my side of the bed, whining to go out.  Then, the goats were up,  "Ma-a-a- ing" like an operatic duet. Such powerful voices these little creatures have!  So, we were all up.  Changing goat diapers. Warming goat bottles.  Cuddling and talking to the precious babies... Fed cat. Fed dog. Fed people.  Fed chickens.

CassPurr - the most patient kitty, ever!

Toby went back to the farm, but Lil Bit is staying with me today.  Lil Bit is snuggled at my feet under my desk, happy to lay on the edge of the heating pad, amidst the tangle of computer cords, extension cords, etc.  Meanwhile, CassPurr is ensconced on "his" sofa.  He came into the office, inspected Lil Bit, ate some kibble, and went back to the couch. He is - without a doubt - the most patient kitty ever.  He has tolerated, even welcomes, dogs, cats, chickens, and now goats!  What a nice boy!



One of Lil Bit's sisters will come and spend the night tonight.  The owner of the farm where the baby goats were born wants to start a petting zoo, so the more socialized the goats are, the better. So, the babies are being rotated... all spending the night here to get human contact. It's okay with me as long as the diapers work and the babies don't start chewing up sundry items such as clothing, furniture, important documents... minor detail...you get the picture.






It's overcast and cool today.  I'm going to make barbecue sauce; going to make some BBQ chicken with some of it; can or freeze the rest.  I already baked dog biscuits for Moxie and Beau, as well as cornbread for us people this morning. Since I have a bunch of cooked chicken on hand, I will probably also make chicken salad and/or chicken pot pie. Some days are just designed for lots of cooking.



It would be a nice gesture on my part to sweep, mop, and vacuum as well. Then, if there is any energy left, I'd like to paint.  I have two or three ideas floating around in my head... would like to get them on paper before they dissolve.  We'll see...

Shalom  Y'all - Twyla

Lil Bit

me, in bed, feeding Lil Bit

My hubby wrote about this very same topic last night on his blog, TheCompostFiles. But, I couldn't help myself; she's just so darn cute!  "Lil Bit" was born last week, was very tiny (still is), at less than half the size of the other baby goats.  She is bright-eyed, affectionate, and as cute as pie. Because her mother rejected her, Lil Bit depends on us people to feed her, keep her warm, etc.  Out at the farm (where she was born; and, where Moshe works), she gets bottle-fed a couple times a day, but that's really about it.  Here, she gets her bottle every couple hours; and, she also gets catered to, hugged, talked to, kissed. Loved.  Ahhh... it's a goat's life!


The only problem was...well...she's a goat...  and, even more to the point, she's a baby. This created the challenge of what-to-do-about-the-pee-pee...  Lil Bit has been coming home with Moshe after work, spending the night here, going back to work again with Moshe in the mornings.  All along, my biggest concern has been preventing her from peeing on everything - and, particularly, the bed!  I put a giant trash bag down in the center of the bed, covered with layers of towels, and topped with a soft blanket that Lil Bit seems to appreciate. (Maybe it feels likes another animal?  I don't know.) So far, this had worked well - no bed-wetting - praise God!  Bless her little heart, she stays right there in the center of the bed, warm and secure with "Mommy and Daddy" petting her, and talking to her, and hugging her.  Although she is friends with Moxie and CassPurr,  I think Lil Bit believes she is a "person", belonging with us.

the first attempt at a diaper... a bit too loose around the legs

But, I know that as she gets older and bolder, she is more likely to move to other parts of the bed - and other parts of the house!  So, I kept looking for a solution... Yesterday I found just the right thing.- adult incontinence products - the pads that hook onto a belt.. Moshe and I experimented on poor Lil Bit.  The first try worked okay, but it was really too big; it was loose enough around her legs that if she lay down, the wet would come out the sides.   The second try worked great; by cutting the incontinence pad in half, it folded "just right" on Lil Bit's tiny body to make a perfect diaper.  We secured it with - what else - good ol' duct tape!  So, the baby goat is now in a diaper!  It's so nice to hold her in my lap without having to change clothes afterwards!

a grown Nubian goat

Lil Bit is a Nubian goat. Some say that the Nubian goat is the best to purchase for milking purposes... their milk is abundant, creamy, and smooth.  A Nubian goat will produce between 2 quarts and a gallon of milk per day!  Nubian milk contains more butter fat than other goat mil - you can make butter and cottage cheese with Nubian goat milk. Internet sites also state that Nubian goats make good pets... but, then, WE already knew that, didn't we?

Shalom  Y'all - Twyla