More New Additions……..!!!
Why oh why did I agree to more work? People, namely Husband & daughter who added dog on every single list, whether for a food shop or any N.B note I’d made, say oh get another dog, two is no more work than one ( don’t believe them, they are lying) So why oh why have I agreed to two more goats? Answer, I have no flippin’ idea. The only thing I can come up with is the fact that my husband never gets birthday presents because he always works away, and that’s what he asked for, two Boer Goats. So could the answer be guilt on my part? I think YES. Oh and it was his money that was getting spent. Animal count now stands at 12, doesn’t sound much but believe me it’s a lot of mouths to feed.
Consequently, following two round trips, 900 miles driven ( I actually got out of Cornwall and they let me back in) we now have Athena, the Goddess of Heroic Endeavour and Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, etc, named by my Husband and Daughter. So feeding the not so small, smallholding takes about 2 hours a day. Where does the time go? Well, mine goes on walking dogs, feeding sheep, goats and horses, oh yes and clearing up after them all and lugging hay and bags of feed, then there are the Cottages and the taxi service for my daughter etc etc, I’ll stop there, I’m boring you and it could be far worse. I’m not whinging, honest.
I’m very fortunate, they are all lovely but they are the biggest time wasters ever invented ( the animals, not our daughter, although……) with that in mind, my next challenge is to make money out of these goats. I’m feeding pound notes ( if they still existed) by the dozen into their tummies every day, feeding time is hectic to say the least, there is a pecking order, biggest 1st, smallest last. It doesn’t stay like that of course, if they can swap, they will, but the horses can’t eat the goats food nor can the sheep eat the goats. Goats of course can eat everything, and do, even if they have to jump a hurdle to get to it. I should sell tickets really, it’s a madhouse, very well organised of course. It just doesn’t feel like it at the time. It will get easier. You see these Boer goats from South Africa ( now Wiltshire!) will grow to 90 kg each, that’s my two dogs put together so I think Granny Weatherwax ( our 2nd goat to arrive) will regret having taken a chunk out of Aphrodite’s bum at some point in the future.
Basically,I think what I’m saying is, I can’t wait until the other half gets home, with this weather we will still be feeding the masses and he can get to know his birthday pressies very well. Lie in’s here I come!
Of course we’ve been lucky in Cornwall with the weather, yes it’s blummin’ cold but we’ve missed the worse, sadly, still nothing is growing to feed our animals, hay is at least a month behind at the moment, so next winter could be a struggle. I really feel for farmers, trying to make a living out of the land is hard enough as it is. I like to think of the fact that many believe nature gives us only what we need, maybe this then, is our wake up call to waste not, want not.
If you’d like to meet any of our animals then please take a look at Ruby Farmhouse Holiday Cottages.