I have to say that this week was busy beyond belief and I have been meeting myself coming back again since Wednesday. Just so much going on!!
More little chaps to the butcher on Wednesday morning followed by a scheduled trip to the vet for Valerie goatling. I noticed that she had started limping on one of her front legs and Peter came to check her out a few days ago. He wondered if she had dislocated her shoulder but couldn't tell without further investigation.
So, off we went to the vet for an x-ray. Not something usually done on commercial goats because of the cost involved but we needed to know if Valerie had done some serious damage. She was exceptionally well behaved and stood very quietly for both her x-rays. But no dislocation showed (which was good) so just some kind of other trauma. Not much we can do except keep an eye on her. She does not seem to be in any pain, which is the main thing, and is still happy to shove and push with the others for food and hay.
Valerie is the darker brown one nearest the camera:
I was home alone milking and feeding on Wednesday night as David went off to a Goat Health and Welfare evening hosted by one of the Ashford vet practices. The main speaker was an excellent Ministry vet called David Harwood who has a lot of experience and knowledge of goats. David found the talks very useful and was pleased to meet up with a couple of colleagues that we haven't seen for a while.
And then it was Thursday. And the EHO inspector came to call. Oh joy. He did warn us of his impending visit though so it wasn't too much of a shock. He was a very pleasant and helpful man and he seemed quite happy with everything in our little goatie world. Phew!
As soon as he left, I loaded up the van with boxes and sped off to our wholesaler in Sussex. Fortunately, the traffic was light and I managed to make good time. Which was just as well, as I had a date with one of the local W.I. groups at 7pm.
I left David wrestling with naughty goats, had a quick wash (essential at this 'smelly male' time of year!) and ventured off into the dark countryside towards Sittingbourne. The ladies of Rodmersham Green WI were very welcoming and seemed to enjoy my goatie pictures and waffle. I do enjoy the WI visits and you are always guaranteed an excellent cup of tea!
Finished there just after 9pm, sped home, bottled a load of milk and then off to Jane the Cheese to drop deliveries and pick up the milk tanker which David has left there in the morning.
So, there I was ... almost midnight, driving back through Faversham with the milk tanker when suddenly a lot of blue flashing lights appeared in my mirrors. Thinking that they wanted to get past, I slowed down ... Still the lights stayed behind. So, I pulled over and stopped. Still the lights stayed behind. And they have an awful lot of lights on a police car at night!!! Unusually for me, I had been observing the 30mph speed limit (as there are often late night speed traps on that particular stretch of road) so I assumed that they were pulling me over for dodgy trailer lights.
Apparently it is somewhat unusual to see a pickup truck towing an expensive stainless steel tanker at midnight in Faversham .... and so the police had pulled me over to check that I hadn't nicked it. I did offer to give them Jane's phone number so that they could check on me, but they just laughed and said that it was fine. And, by the way, did I know that one of the trailer lights wasn't working properly. Don't policemen look young these days? .....
And what of the new girlies? Well, it would seem that Shares was not impressed with her new accomodation in the hay barn and on her second day, she was out and about in the barn, fighting with Ginger. She was put back in her house, only to reappear. We have not actually seen how she gets out yet but assume that she is climbing out over the top, rather than squeezing through like Ginger.
Anyhow, as she was determined not to stay put, I moved her and her daughter Silver out into the main herd. Fortunately, they are both typical stroppy British Toggennburgs and so they are not bullied by the rest of the girls and seem to have settled in there pretty quickly. They are certainly happy to push in for food with the rest of them - they are the two to the left side of the trough.
The weather has been glorious this week but I think it's about to change ... David and I watched hundreds of swallows gathering in the field yesterday afternoon. Looks like they are getting ready to migrate south for the winter.
I just hope that the weather holds out for tomorrow as Julie and I are going camel racing!! And we may just manage to sell a bit of cheese as well ...
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