Goats Hilton.

Yesterday I wrote that we had been working on some outside jobs, and the same applied today, more of that to come tomorrow. Today I just wanted to show you where I usually over winter the goats...

Once upon a time there was a big red shed, not just any old shed no sirree. Wondrous things have happened in that shed, a Tropicana beach party, a 21st drinking spree and whole weekends of creativeness. Who know what more there is to come? In it's not too distant past it was an actual barn! I know, how silly to fill it with farming stuff like hay and daft things like that! I mean why would you? Not only was it a barn it also grew bays on the back and a previous owner housed piggies in there all snug as bugs in a rug and quite possibly happy as pigs in the proverbial.

 Come with me behind the shed (I remember some boy saying something similar years ago but it involved bike sheds, we won't go there) and past the water tank.......

 ........this is a door, (not a wardrobe door, we are not going to Narnia! We're just going behind the barn...jeeze you can get so carried away can't ya!) it leads to the sleeping quarters..

There are four bays, we used the breed the goats back in the day when we showed them at the agricultural and pastoral shows, with some success too I might add. The bays were great when we had little babies. These days sadly there are no babies.

The first three bays are being used by the goats, the far end bay is filled with hay.

It's all warm and cosy for them on cold and wet days. It didn't take them long to poop on all those nice clean wood shavings, it's the first thing they do, crouch...pause...engage...pee!

A few years back we, with the help of friends, built post and rail enclosures on the back. Ideal for keeping mums and babies out of the elements whilst still allowing them access to grass.

The end bay full of hay.....and funnily enough dogs! There be rats in them thar bales!

Coming back outside, taking a walk behind the water tank is the gate to the paddock....

..here we are looking at the enclosures and bays, which are really just lean-to's on the back of the barn

Pretty cool aren't they? We used to breed Kune Kune pigs, these were great for rearing piglets in.

And now I expect you would like to see the goats? Well you can!

Behold...a goat fest!

L-R Evie, Echo, Ella, Ember
(all born in an 'E' year)

Echo

Emily, Echo, Brea & Ella

Echo, Brea, Ella, Ember (alien goat at rear!)

Evie

 Oops! Somebody leapt the fence in a single bound!

Another wee dog didn't fare quite so well and went off howling after getting zapped by the electric fence. That's the third time this week, you'd think he'd have learned by now eh!

Ember, Ella, Emily, Brea, Echo, Evie

Jack!

'You're a funny looking dog!'

 'aim not a dog! aim a human bean!'

Jack and Amber

Ella, Brea, Evie & Echo

Jack

Brea, Echo & Ella

Amber, Emily, Echo, Evie, Brea, Ella

Safety in numbers! I only have seven goats these days. They will live their days out here, I won't be breeding them again and it's highly unlikely we'll ever get anymore as much as I've  loved having them here. The long term aim is to run a few beefies, enough to fill our freezer, enough to sell on to cover the rates. Plans change over the years, we have the trip to the UK coming up next month and after the that the world is our oyster. We wish to travel and see some of the world.

In the meantime, we enjoy what we have for now

Tomorrow I'll show you what we've been up to today

See you then

That's it for now ♥♥♥

PS, Thank you to those that left comments to let me know the blog is loading much faster. 

I did something so clever and technical obviously!