I reckon I'd better start with the baby goats. :)
Of my two pregnant does, Saluda was first. Last Wednesday she wasn't behaving like herself, so I penned her up before lunch. It was a good thing because right after lunch Dan went out while I did the dishes. He was back in a couple of minutes to tell me the first one was already on the ground. The second (the little doe) was out about 15 minutes after I got there.
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| About an hour old. The gray is a little buck, the brown is a little girl. |
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| One day old |
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| Buckling |
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| Doeling |
These are Saluda's first and she took right to mothering.
Garden Notes: March 2025
Rainfall
- 5th: 0.55"
- 10th: 0.77"
- 16th: 0.7"
- 20th: sprinkle
- 24th: 0.03"
- 30th: 0.55"
- 31st: 0.63"
- Total: 3.23 inches
Temperature
- range of nighttime lows: 28 to 63°F (-2 to 17°C)
- range of daytime highs: 51 to 79°F (11 to 26°C)
Planted
- daikons
- turnips
- lettuce
- parsnips
- carrots
- beets
- sweet pepper starts
- cucumber starts
- fig trees
- herb starter tray
- parsley
- dill
- comfrey
- gravel root
- red poppy
- sweet basil
Harvested
- lettuce
- chickweed
- wild lettuce
- chicory greens
- kale
- collards
- broccoli
- dandelion greens
- asparagus
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| The greenhouse gets quite warm on mild days, so the only things I've got in it now are tomato seedlings & bolting lettuce. |
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| My potted kale, collards, and new lettuce have been moved outside where they don't mind light frost but don't like how warm the greenhouse gets. |
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| My fall lettuce is bolting, but I planted new containers of mixed lettuces which are thriving. |
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| Also left in the greenhouse is my 2-year-old broccoli plant. It still produces enough broccoli bites for salads, plus I'll save some seed. |
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| In the garden, the mustard in the kale & collards bed is flowering. |
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| Snow peas and garlic. |
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| In the foreground is our hugelkultur mound. It's loaded with clover, daffodils, chicory, and Egyptian walking onions. Behind to the right is our wheat patch. |
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| Pear blossoms |
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| Apple blossoms |
That's it for me. Anything going on in your garden?
© March 2025 by Leigh at https://www.5acresandadream.com
25 comments:
I love the baby goat pictures. I always marvel at how they're born ready for action. And at how some new mothers seem to have a great caregiving instinct. Thanks for the video.
Such cute goat babies! Glad everything went well with their birth. Two year old broccoli! Wow, that's something.
You have so much growing, no need for the produce department, I guess.
We are growing greens and a few other things in our winter sowing containers. Our garlic is doing so well, and it looks like we will have plenty to share. Spring has sprung here in NC, and the range of colors is wonderful. Blessings...
Liz, it's amazing, isn't it? I'm always so happy when a new mom (especially) has a stong mothering instinct. Some are so incredulous that these tiny little goats have appeared that they don't know what to make of them. :)
Daisy, thanks! This year was still mostly experimental with the greenhouse, so I didn't plant a lot (that plus Dan was still finishing the inside). So we've gotten a small but steady stream of salads. Next year I plan to expand!
It's always a relief when the first time animal mom turns out to be a good mother.
We have two thirds of our garden in now but with the cool nights we have been getting and are forecasted to get this week, it has been pretty slow growing. But then a sunny warming day comes along and everything tends to double in size in one day before it gets cold again. Slowly but surely spring is arriving.
I do miss having kids. Well done, Saluda!
Ed, it is a relief. I've never had a mom completely reject her babies, but I did have one Nigerial Dwarf years ago who refused to feed the runt. She would keep an eye out for him but he ended up being one of my few bottle babies.
That's amazing that you have so much of your garden in! I'm guessing the remaining third is frost sensitive plants. I'm waiting to plant those too.
Quinn, it would be sad to not have spring kids, and especially sad to not have the milk! I only bred two does last fall, though, so our kid population will be much smaller than previous years.
Baby goats on a Monday! What a splendid picture start to my week!
From my local garden friends, we are still far away from anything other than starting seeds and seedlings indoors.
TB, I'm glad you think so! It's certainly a happy time of year. :)
Garden and weather. It's hard not to get seduced into early planting. I read your blog about your "false spring." Nice that you have experienced folk around you to ask.
Congrats on a successful first lambing of the year!
Oops – KIDDING, not lambing! 😁
Michelle, lol. I knew what you meant. :)
There is something exceedingly adorable about baby goats. They always add brightness to a day. Today is another grey, wet day here so kid pictures were very welcome!
I'd forgotten how precious baby goats are! I'd be snatching those babies up for cuddles!
Nina, these two seem to be especially photogenic. A bright spot for sure!
Kelly, I do give them little hugs but they mostly squawk about it. :)
First, congrats on the baby goats. It is one thing I miss about not raising dairy goats anymore. I'm so jealous that you can actually plant where you are. We are dealing with cold weather, and a lot of rain. So much rain, the ground in the gardens are way too wet to even get into yet. I would love to get our pea fence back in and peas planted, as well as beets, carrots etc.
Kristina, I would miss those baby goats too. :)
Our weather bounces around a lot this time of year, so I think I'm safe planting cool weather stuff. We'll see!
Congratulations on the kids! They are so precious! My last doe kidded twins 3/28. They are doing well. Im trying leeks this year. First time and I probably planted out late, (Feb) but they look good despite the meager .35" rain in March with supplemental watering. I started them from seed in early nov. I've also gotten a couple handfuls of mulberry's so far... Some sizable tomatoes coming along... Zucchini, 2 plants... Not much else but tending all the edible landscaping...
Annie, wow, that's impressive!
Congratulations on the babies! The first of the year are always exciting and a relief to get them on the ground.
I think my mind works differently from most people , but when I read the title to this post "Garden Notes and Baby Goats" I continued singing " and Little Lambs Eat Ivy" !!!
Jim and Barb, thanks! It's always a huge relief when everything goes well.
Charlotte, LOL! That's great. Good to hear from you :)
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