Kids Love Kids
Yesterday was a wonderful day on the Kitchens Garden Farm blog. We all stepped over the divide from the written word to Barn Yard Sound Bites! . That is actually a big step you know. Ground breaking. We cannot go back. You have HEARD the farm now. And we loved it. People were playing the barn animals screeching and cackling and grunting at each other all over the place, all over the world and in some interesting locations as well. (Hope you remembered to flush darling – after scaring the other guests in the restaurant bathroom with those piggie grunts and chook screeches!).
The goats attracted a feast of children yesterday. I had no idea they would be so delightful and so popular. And the wee things just kept coming out to play every single time a visitor came to poke her head around the barn door for a look. You were right. The Kids are delightful. 
And at Prairie Orchard and Creamery where we bought the La Mancha goats, the adult girls were all coming over for a scratch and a pat too. Long scratches and pats. So this sweetness will last. These goats really are tactile. I love that.
The Cadet RAN through her work yesterday so she could spend more time with The Kids. 
Boo gets a wee bit frantic when visitors play with his babies, so he is trained to wait quietly on the chain at times like these, otherwise things get a bit confused. He likes his chain because he always gets extra attention when being clipped on and when released. The chains are placed right where the action is so he is not out of sight. The chain is treated as a reward. (Though if I give him a treat when I put him ON the chain he will ignore it until he is let off again – this is his little protest). But I maintain that it is the Owners responsibility to protect the dog from DOING harm. And Boo always reacts overtly to the little yelps, trills and skips of delighted children (who he does not know) by trying to protect the most vulnerable ones in his care. So Boo waits quietly where he is safe. 
Lady Astor has presented with an ulcer in her left eye. The Lady Vet prescribed the necessary eye drops and so far if I hold a piece of apple stretched out to my left – in my left hand, holding the eye drops at the ready in my right hand, she turns to her right (Stage Right) and while extricating the apple from my hand with her tongue I can put the drops in her left eye.
She does not even flinch. And her appetite is still hearty.
Godot in full swoop. One day I will get this shot. One thing I do not do – is give up easily.
We are back in the routine of turning the incubating eggs. (They are in a safe space now).
And the first batch of Accident Chicks are just waiting for the weather to warm up again so they can go out to Kim’s Half Way house by the barn. By then they will have some fine feathers. But the nights have turned below freezing again. Yes, Yes, I know. It is still only March! So the Goat Kids have a light and the Chicks are still inside. And I am Moaning my sorry arse off about it going cold again.. AND it is not even cold!
I hope you have a lovely day.
Your friend on the farm
celi
58 Comments on “Kids Love Kids”
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I visit the Farmy with my morning coffee in bed. Yesterday I played the Sound of Farmy to the Husband, who lay there with his eyes closed and tried to identify the Cast of Characters – with some success, I might say! It made me miss the sound of proud chooks announcing they’d done their day’s work and now how about some scraps, please? Net result: firm plans to construct Chookonia as soon as the temperature goes below 28C.
How wonderful Kate what fantastic news. I would say: My chooks have accomplished their mission . I am thrilled to bits.. c
That is exciting news Kate!!! Good for you guys!!! xo
Why do goats have to eat everything? Including the visitors!
Christine
I know. And hair, they are winding little dreads into my hair with their chewing as i work! eeoo.. c
Celi I was most distressed last night while watching the weatherfools guessing session to see Chicago had dropped from 22C to 6C! I was hoping that ‘they’ had got it wrong, sorry it wasn’t 😦 Love the pictures of the Kids and Lick sure has grown. Hoping Lady A makes a quick recovery. Laura
yes we are cold again – sigh – for a week i suppose, but the days are still warm so that is a good thing.. c
Loved the sounds!! I too, love the sounds that the hens make when they want to announce their latest production. I also love their soft little chattering and cooing sounds as they settle down at night. I have two Auracanas and one Silver Laced Wyandotte. Since the time changed, I’m back to two green eggs and one lovely brown egg every day. Also, I have made sure that my Mom, (also a farmer) is now reading you daily. She’s loving it! Thanks for all that you do Miss. C. Have a beautiful day.
And thanks to you and your Mum for reading.. you all make it worth it!.. c
You are such a good mum to all the animals – don’t let them send out postcards or all their friends will be lining up to join your farm 😉
Now THAT would be a sight.. i can’t help but animate that image! Morning Mad.. c
I can imagine a very long queue 🙂
all holding their postcards of invitation!
ROFL – yes!
“Please let us in!”
We all loved the sound bite yesterday. I passed it along to a number of friends who were absolutely bowled over by it and my hubby thought it was also pretty amazing to listen to it. You must do it again. The goats are simply adorable and I have a great fascination with goats so these are pulling my heart strings. Some day when I am traveling I will stop by the farmy to see you all. 🙂
You would be most welcome Beth Ann, it is just over an hour from chicago.. c
I totally need to do this before I move to Alabama…..bucket list.
I can’t wait to see your visit, Beth Ann!
You most assuredly want to meet Beth Ann. She is everything you read here and more. The BEST! (The exclamation mark is for Beth Ann, who likes to use this punctuation a lot and knows I don’t.)
I do too!! c
Any prose I write I have to go through weeding out the excess !!!s. They even creep into my poems sometimes.
Those baby goats are adorable, as are your visitors. And a special pat on the back for wise Boo – he shows gentlemanly characteristics. Sorry you’re cold again.
love,
ViV
aw, such sweetness in the blog today.
And you are correct – it is our responsibility to keep our animals from harm and from creating harm. So many animal owners do not understand that. We had a neighbor that let his mean pit bull (and she was mean because he made her that way by beating her!) run free in the neighborhood, and when she attached someone he accused them of egging her on. The woman she attacked was in her 70’s and working in her backyard planting flowers. She was attacked from behind. Sadly, the woman’s husband shot the dog a few weeks later when she charged at him when he was picking up his paper. Ridiculous that you start carrying a loaded weapon to just go fetch your morning paper!!!
How is Ton reacting to the new Kids?
Ton adores them. He sits in there when I am in the barn, just watching them. They nibble on him and he just sits. It is when visitors come that he gets excited, happy excited not mean but he is too boisterous in the small area then. By himself he is such a quiet fella, very buys at feeding time as you can imagine.. c
I love the goat in your header picture with the little ears! (I can’t remember her name just now.) Our goats are like your other babies, with ears super close to their heads. Yep, you are right! Goats and their kids are about the most precious animals ever! 🙂
Hazel.. she is quite the character.. c
The Accident Chicks look to be doing well, and I’m sure will welcome the new batch once they hatch, all well and good and accident free. I second the sentiment by Beth Ann, and have a strong desire to just take it upon myself to pop into the farmy one day, as if I simply stumble into the family…then figure a way never to leave
Those sounds were like siren calls!!
Plenty of cuteness for us today. I love the inquisitive exploring by the young goats. I wonder if my plumbers got over the sound of a Farmy Chorus coming from my livingroom?
Love these pictures of the Cadet and the Kids, along with the ever vigilant Boo Nanny. I take it that Ton doesn’t have to be chained and will calm down on command? I had to go and listen to the farm sounds again from yesterday to go with today’s pictures. You know that now you’ve spoiled us and we’re going to want video and audio so that we can be THERE! 😉
I had thought about somehow writing the sounds around me when I write a blog post. I thought it would explain why sometimes the things I write are weird, random or grammatically crazy. Recording had never crossed my mind! But who would want to listen to four kids asking me to drop everything and unblock them from play and husband tweeting on the walkie-talkie. Your phone record farm experiment was amazing, chaotic and tranquil. K. Barbie needs her hair did.
Cute kids!
I know exactly what kind of noise you are swirling through, though mine were all boys ‘cept for the poor baby. And the noise! God help me. That barn is gentle compared to a full family at full throttle!.. c
Every time I see a photo of the lovely Cadet, my heart melts. So happy you’ve embracing her as an on-site Farm Team member.
She is one hell of a worker too, that wee girl is strong, and yesterday she fell in love with goats! c
The Cadet looks so happy. That is wonderful. The goats look pretty happy too!
When our children were growing up (and even when our grandchildren lived here) there were goats on the farm. Goats are much like children and dogs and pigs, don’t you think. They all love to play and be involved with each other. Our oldest daughter would still have goats if her life let her. Goats and children a wonderful mix I think.
Linda ★★
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
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My kids certainly love kids!!!! And your kids are adorable!!!!!!
I played yesterday twice on the iPad then for maximum thrill on the desktop. As everyone has said we hope you’ll do it soon again. Especially can’t wait to hear Sheila.
I listened to the barn noises before I went to bed last night. So soothing. That is one noisy chicken though! x
yes – she had something to say! c
I kept thinking that she must be advertising a double-yolker (or whatever it’s called correctly)…
P.S. Boo and his Safe Chain and your thoughts/explanation = you do speak and understand the language-beyond-words that I call Animal Soul! You are fluent in this language. No doubt in my mind that, despite BooNanny’s obligatory token protest, Boo himself feels better this way. Knowing “the ropes”, and knowing where his responsibility rests while you are in charge. Everyone benefits. More power to you!
He gets anxious when strangers play with his babies.. And yes he settles on the chain, (as long as no-one starts playing fetch with Ton! ).. c
We used to have pay feeders in the contact yard at the zoo. People could pay a quarter to dispense a small amount of food. This practice was discontinued because the silly goats kept jumping up on visitors like dogs looking for a biscuit. With no actual food in sight, they tend to keep all four on the floor, though they do have a taste for paper name tags. Goats are so sociable!
that is a terrible and funny story.. I can just imagine it.. adult goats too I bet! c
Always the adults. If we’re lucky, we’ll have some baby goats this year. A buck has been brought in to do the job. We haven’t had babies born in about 8 years.
I hope you do get some babies.. I am sure all the babies are a great hit at the zoo.. c
Fabulous post Celi! I played the audio in the office yesterday! So good! Those kids are delightful .. They sounded so very cute too. I think that is such a good idea to tie Boo up .. Not worth the stress is it! 🙂
When there are visitors he does not know who to play with first, and gets all in a dither.. you are right – less stressful for everyone.
The tiny-eared goats could be pixie-face aliens from the planet Cute! But Hazel is like a fashion model, glossy and posing just so! And handsome Boo, minding the kids & kids proceedings so seriously, in thought if not actual body.
They certainly have a mischievous alien-ness don’t they! c
Love the photo of The Cadet with goat nibbling at her neck. Couldn’t agree more that you must be the one to know what is best for Boo and everyone else and keep control.
Well, besides being hardworking the Cadet surely is a very pretty girl: all of half-face there is on view 🙂 ! When you make the next sound clip perhaps she can tell us a little about the goats so we can hear her voice . . . . remember English is spoken by us in so many different ways . . . .!!
I am dying to get these goats out into the field.. not long now and they will be hooning about! The Cadet will build them a playground! c
Love begets love! Both will so enjoy!! Wonderful that the Cadet has so quickly become such an integral part of the farmy setup!!
I surely join you in whining ‘my sorry arse’ off! Sat. & Sun. should only hit the upper 30’s, bah. When I got the first two goats two of my grandsons were 12 or 13 and they would go out there and sit on the stump by the goats for the longest time. They thought the goats were so ‘cool’. They’re both 18 now and still like visiting the goats! We, too, keep the dogs away, at least at the beginning. Eli doesn’t realize his size and Mac gets a bit too exuberent, there wouldn’t be a dirty face within reach of his tongue!
As I am so behind in both my reading and writing due to incredibly stressful work hours, I listened to yesterday’s audio while reading today’s post. And now I am happy and content as I head off to bed. There are crocuses blooming and jonquils, and tulips greening and my strange stubby tree has it’s red cones on, so I am confident in the promise of spring. Though I’m sure we’ll send you off one or two more cold snaps. Thank you, miss c, for your dedication to the farmy and to the Fellowship. You always make me smile.
It has been bright and sunny here but this morning it is bitterly cold outside..brrr. Boo is such a good dog and I fully understand and support your reason for the chain and restriction..dogs can get very protective to people and animals and it would be terrible if there was an ‘accident’…..Eggs on the way again..let us hope that all goes well this time.
The wee goats are fantastic, and Godot is looking fine in his white plumage….. and all is right with the world..
You are absolutely brilliant at what you do and whatever you do…I am sure like us you do make mistakes but somehow you learn to rise above and get things sorted.
The Cadet is doing a great job, she certainly loves and understands animals just as you do….Sort of Like Dr Doolittle’s farm..Have a great day and stay warm
Love those little goat kids and the sounds they make!
~Lee
Once we’ve had a taste of spring, it’s so hard to go back to cooler temps.