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
The Kitchen's Garden 
58 responses to “Kids Love Kids”
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 ★★
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