I’d always called a group of goats a herd. But I’ve learned that it can also be called a trip or a tribe.

Having a tribe of goats makes my heart happy.

Our little girl & her woodworking project!

My son really REALLY loves birds so this year he took on a rather ambitious project.  After one false start (thanks to me forgetting to return the bones on their drying trays to the oven after cooking supper – the cats ate the first try) he was very pleased with the final result and his project was selected to go on the the Illinois State Fair!

Our son with his Chicken Skeleton for the 4-H Poultry project.

Then the last week of July we attended the County Fair. Before bringing animals to show they have to be nice and clean, ready to put their best foot forward!

The children working together to bathe the Silkies before the Fair.

Our son showed 2 of his Splash Silkies, a pullet and a cockerel.  The cockerel took home the Fancy & Bantam Class Champion ribbon!  We are all very proud of the kids for doing such a great job caring for their birds…

Our Son & his Champion splash Silkie cockerel

Sadly, this week has brought an uninvited guest.  A weasel killed 4 pullets, two of our youngest farm yard crosses, one sweet buff silkie, and to our great disappointment, the pretty splash pullet who showed so well for our son at the fair.  So for the past 2 nights I’ve been up checking every hour or so with the dogs helping to patrol.  We are hoping to permanently rehome the offender.  Behind the Pearly Gates.

I hope everyone is taking a moment to enjoy the waning days of summer.  They simply slip by too quick.

Early this morning (day 20) I went down to check the incubator before going out to milk the goats & sure enough we have one starting to pip!  I am very excited to see how we do over the next couple of days.  I’ll be sure to post more pictures as we go.

Cochin or Brahma cross egg pipping on day 20 in the incubator.

In other news, we sent the two Mini Nubian doelings off to their new home this morning.  I hope they have long, happy & productive lives with their new family.  We also have 3 broody hens setting on another couple dozen eggs out in the shed (one Phoenix hen and 2 black Silkie hens).  AND, we are getting over a gallon of goat milk daily.  I’m planning to make a rhubarb custard pie today with our fresh milk & fresh eggs & rhubarb from the garden.  I’ll let you know how that turns out!

So we only ended up with four.  Two geese & two ganders.  One of the geese was in bad shape all yesterday.  They were in transit for three days and I sped to the Post Office just after six yesterday morning when they called to let me know they’d arrived.  But three days is a very long time & it seems she was very dehydrated.  I spent the day and into the night making sure she took little drinks of warm molasses water.  She seems much improved this morning and is moving around with the other goslings & her eyes are less sunken & squinty.

Here is a photo of the babies taken shortly after their arrival…

The first goslings at Brown Fox Farm - Pilgrim geese are listed as a critically endangered American breed by the ALBC.

You can see the difference in the face of the dehydrated gosling standing behind the others.  After this photo she spent most of the rest of the day laying down.  I really hope we can pull her through.  Wish us luck!

I am looking for two people who are SERIOUS about helping to keep an old open pollinated flint corn variety called Longfellow Flint alive.  This is corn grown for cornmeal.  It was historically grown in the New England states and I have not been able to find any seed this year besides what I had left over from last year.

I did a germination test and only had a 60% success rate. SO I packaged the remaining seed into 2 packets of 50 seeds each.  If there is someone out there who loves growing heritage varieties and preventing their extinction, then you’re the person I’m looking for.  If you live in the U.S. and are interested Contact me

I will select 2 names on Friday & send off the Longfellow Flint corn seed free of charge.

Thank you.

Today the high will be about 45 degrees. It’s overcast and the wind is high. Guess we’ll be focused on indoor activities in our garden preparations. I think we’ll be transplanting tomatoes and peppers then starting more seeds.

Meanwhile the garden waits, patient as ever, for the warm promises of green summer days.

Corn growing in raised gardens on the first day of summer, 2010

So.  I’m thinking about the beautiful days past.  My children were very excited on Saturday & Sunday because the toads were out calling and breeding in the giant, permanent puddle across the road.  By Monday the puddle was filled with strands of eggs, waiting to hatch into little tadpoles.  What a happy, sunny scene to focus on during such a dreary day.

One of the toads looking for love in the giant puddle across the road.

In goat related news, I received a call from a woman who had brought home a 4 day old goat kid who’d been abandoned by her momma (the owner was going to put down if no one took her).  She’d developed scours on the milk replacer & she wanted to know if I could sell her some milk from my girls to feed the kid.

I was happy to help. It’ll get Pepper accustomed to milking and I hope & pray it will help the little boer kid improve.  I sent her home with the milk, our vet’s number & some advice.  I’ll be seeing her again soon & hopefully the news on their bottle kid will be better with each passing day!

So stop by our Goat Page and see what’s growing at Brown Fox Farm!

"O'Seamus" letting the world know what he thinks of holding still for pictures! (You'll notice his sisters, Sara & Little Em, are paying no attention whatsoever)