It’s that time of year again on the Hawley Farm! Babies, babies, and more babies. Each year we end up with new baby goats (kids), baby chicks, piglets, kittens, and bottle calves.
The mama goats are usually due in April and May. We bred five does this winter, and they usually will have twins or even triplets. That means we could potentially end up with 10 kids. Unfortunately, a first-time mama doe that had triplets didn’t seem to know what to do and lost all her babies overnight before we could really do anything to help. Two other does have had their babies which means we’ve got 4 kids so far. We are waiting on the last two does to have their babies any day now.
Mike likes to have a couple of bottle calves each year, and it just so happens that two of his siblings would like to also have some meat next year. These two bubbas are both Jersey steer. They get used to taking a bottle really quickly and are eager to drink them at each feeding.
Of course, the barn cats can be expected to have litter upon litter each year. We’ve already found three litters of kittens. It’s tough outliving the South Dakota springs that can bring unexpected snow and winds, so many of these kittens won’t survive. And living on a busy road doesn’t help with survival either.
In a few weeks Mike will show up with some spring piglets. We usually raise them all summer and have them butchered in the fall. Each pig is usually spoken for by friends and family, so no pork goes to waste.
