What we're up to!

From this photo, you can see the new half wall (sort of) and gate in our buck barn. The bucks no longer have a northern exposure, and they're very happy to give up 32 square feet for that trade off! You can also see the beginning of the new chicken coop--it's that board bolted to the north side of the barn. :) The coop will be attached starting from there. Much to be done, but not yet.

My photos don't get loaded in order, so this might be tougher to follow... but you see those posts along the driveway at the bottom of this hill? From there, the posts will continue along the driveway going up the hill (notice the hole in the foreground?). We'll be fencing a section of our woods for the does, and perhaps section a bit more of it off later for the bucks.

This is shows a few posts dropped in holes (but not yet leveled or concreted in) over to where I was standing to take the previous photo.

Further on, looking back to where I stood for the previous photo...

From where I stood to take the previous photo, I turned around to show where the fence will head off into the woods. We'll be avoiding a little watering hole used by the deer so as to help prevent the spread of meningeal worm (which doesn't affect deer, but can take a goat down in short order.)

Backing up for another photo of the posts along that stretch. These posts will have 2 metal t- posts between them. We'll be using 5 foot horse fencing along here.

You can see the rolls of horse fencing that will be used for the back side of the pen and through the woods in the background over by the barn. This section of fence has already been leveled and the holes filled with concrete. No metal t posts will be used here. This is what we look at out our back door, and we want it to be pretty as well as functional. We are using 4 foot goat panels behind the posts for this section of fence, and will eventually add a 3 boards to the front.

We've yet to put fence posts in all the way to the edge of the property, because our neighbor intends to clear the property line of old fencing and brush, leave only large trees, and put up a new fence. We are leaving room for him to maneuver his bulldozer right now. The rocks and woods in this photo are a glimpse of what the doe pen will be like.

We love that they will have plenty of rocks for wearing their hooves down and plenty of leaves to eat. Goats love leaves! There will not be much grass at all, which is also good. If given the choice, goats eat trees rather than grass. Grass is also a great place for intestinal parasites to hide out and continue their life cycle after being swallowed by the unsuspecting goat. That is why rotational grazing is such a help to the organic meat farmer. However, rotational grazing either requires full time work moving fences or a huge capital outset to fence out a bunch of separate pastures. We have neither the time or money for that right now, which is yet another reason goats are a good fit for us. Cows and sheep "eat down" (grass) and goats will "eat up" (leaves).

It is the perfect time of year to be building fences--not a lot of vegetation growth to contend with, but the ground is no longer frozen and the temperature makes working outside rather fun! David took the van to work today so he can pick up more 4x4 post for that stretch along the driveway, and bags of concrete mix at Lowe's before coming home. Tonight, we hope to brace and concrete all the posts. Perhaps after tomorrow's rain, we'll pound in the t-posts while the ground is yet soft. We'll use trees as much as possible through the woods, with a few T posts interspersed as needed. I not only look forward to the bigger pen, but also getting rid of the pile of materials! After fencing (or maybe in conjunction with fencing) and before the chicken coop, we'll be building Samuel a loft bed for his birthday. Solomon will get one for his birthday, too. we're all very excited! :)