Hoofin' It North Happenings

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A new year, a fresh start

Wow, we can hardly believe it but this is the start of our TENTH year here at Hoofin' It North! And what an exciting year this will be for us! We have so many plans and we are trying to quell our enthusiasm so as not to let it turn to impatience. This year we are concentrating our efforts on the dairy goats. We have several junior does that we will be freshening out and we are interested to see how our senior does produce with different bucks. We also have a number of wee ones that will be coming of age and we will have to determine when they are mature enough to breed. For the time being, though, we are all trying to stay warm! Today it was -29F at the farm but all are faring well.

We are still delivering eggs from our chickens and we even have a turkey that is still laying (what a treat!). We're having trouble keeping our ducks comfortable in these temperatures, even with supplemental heat and an insulated coop for shelter. We're doing some more research and drawing up plans for a different habitat for them this year.

Of course we always enjoy spending time with the horses. We still aren't back to riding as we had hoped, but the horses don't seem to mind the break. Although I think the would all enjoy a warmer climate! The boys aren't too thrilled about wearing blankets and really Cer doesn't need one, but it does make us feel better. Old man, Rev, though, needs to stay warm and hydrated and a blanket helps keep him bright-eyed and healthy this time of year. Due to poor dentition, which is common for a horse of his age, Rev receives multiple warm mashes daily and this is a tremendous help, but we still struggle to keep his weight up these days. He likes to sneak a bit of hay to mouth and quid now and then but we worry about choke so we limit his access to hay. When spring is here, he'll be grazing again and keeping the grass so short we won't have to worry at all.

So here it is the new year and we have our hands full with projects and many new aspirations. The next stop for us is the Alaska Mini Goat Cache meeting (open to the public) at King's Oriental Buffet in Wasilla. The meeting begins at noon on 19 January 2009. Please join us if you are available (state and federal government offices are closed that day in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day).