Chicory Ranch

Farm Friday! Everything is growing and imma just trying to keep it all alive. The end. 😂. Next week more updates… lotsa work in between. Brutal summer this year but luckily the plants I got going are…. GROWING!

Haircut day! Since it’s pushing triple digits this weekend, the longer coat goats get clipped. They feel better and will look much cuter … in a week … 😂. Also, June is busting out all over. Flowers, garlic, chicory, lemon balm, rosemary, mint, oregano all harvested. This year I planted super late so still waiting on anything not a perennial! But the garden is coming along, and I’m using the greenhouse fully, even though there’s a lot to complete. Thank you for the last dump of gorgeous weather and late spring storms to help me catch up. And those incredible skies for the past 2 weeks!!

Farm Weekend. 5 more goats gone this am. But these were different . One was our herd queen that is basically our foundation OG. The rest were goats I have been at and assisted births and raised and loved. I’m cutting the herd by 75% because it’s been too much. So while it’s practical, and it’s time and I’m relieved, I still had to pull over to a Maverick on the way home and just cry like a baby to mourn this change. Another thing people don’t mention about farming much. Even the smart cuts can be super emotionally raw. And I held out on a few more because I’m just not ready. Still: farm life is the best life. And their daughters and granddaughter will be raised here at Chicory Ranch. Goodbye to Willow, Dahlia, Virginia, Sorrel and Jack. You’ll be missed.

Farm weekend recap… This time of year it’s all about the growouts and the garden! Loving all the new doelings and the gawky teen silkies, it’s just a fun time. Garden getting planted and so happy with the perennials that just do their thing like the thyme and oregano in the herb garden. You know where to find me for the next 2weeks alllll day long. Summer here we come! 👩🏼‍🌾😊

This has been a FANTASTIC baby goat season. Such a great bunch of babies and families they have gone to! Most are sold but I’m hanging on to a few until mid May so my farm sitter doesn’t have to milk everyone while we pop over to a family event. But…fairly big changes coming here… I have decided to do an almost entire herd reset. So I’ll be keeping 4 doelings, 2 does and 1buck with everyone else heading out to new adventures. This batch of doelings is the perfect year for the reset. They are calm & friendly and the milking genetics should be fabulous from all the work I’ve put in the past 6 years breeding. So the reset is a downsize & reward at the same time. I’ll post soon on my keepers and a little about them. They are quite an amazing bunch. 😊

What a great weekend! Got to visit baby pigs and do goat stuff in Marsing, love that drive and the peeps there. My last larger hatch went really well and I even hatched some dark Maran eggs from a local breeder to keep. Baby goats are growing up and munching hay, almost weaned… time is flying.

Lineup for Mondays Meridian Feed Mill 9:30 am drop. 🌷 Silkies, Satins 🌸 Swedish Flower ( limited) 🍀 Lavender Ameracauna 🌺 Ayam Cemani Frizzles never made it this year, I ended up with one keeper that I will use next year. 🤷‍♀️ If you want the breed listed above in your flock…Only 2more Mondays of drop off. My oldest is getting married and we will be focusing on family until later this summer or fall when I may hatch a few more. 😊 And for fun…I’m thinking about putting a bird or two in at the fair since one of my silkies took grand champion in feather leg category for a customer last year! Edited: Birds in pictures NFS. They are happy examples of my projects and grow outs!

Public announcement for those that bought Fibro layers last month at Meridian Feed Mill. You will NOT be disappointed! Look at the pullet eggs I’m getting and one has a super bloom that creates the pewter color eggs!!! Love these birds! Silkies & Satins headed out in the morning to Meridian Feed Mill. I have over 20, lots of colors. Also 4 Lavender Ameracauna 4 Ayam Cemani 30 week old Swedish Flower No ice eggers this week, I’m hoarding this batch , see pics, they are adorable! 😂 I’ll be there at 9:30 am.

Farm Friday… well it’s snowing outside and my chores are tripled in the am so I got pretty wet! Here’s the rundown: Gather milking supplies, feed cats, milk goats, feed rest of goats, bottle feed a couple babies, release babies to be with moms for the day, strain, bottle milk, feed & water chickens (8 pens in the mud😑), feed and water chicks in 3 brooders) and my REWARD is pulling this hatch. Love seeing the new chicks and all the sweetness. This batch is Silkies/Satins, Swedish Flower, Lavender Ameracauna, Ayam Cemani and Ice Eggers. 🥰#farmlife#spring#floofseverywhere#chickseason#

Kidding season at Chicory Ranch ended last week with our herd queen Willow having twins, doeling and buckling. They are beautiful and she is now retired after 5 seasons. Lots of babies getting ready for new homes, first 2 left yesterday, 2 more tmrw. 17 kids this year, 9 bucklings, 8 doelings. Round of applause for our new bucks. Last year we had 21 bucklings 3 doelings. 😳😬

Farm Friday! It was first milking day and the girls did pretty darn good for a test run. 1/2 gallon not even trying (4 moms) . Tmrw gets real… last night the babies each took a bottle, this has been the easiest group ever to transition. All 15 thriving. Here is what will be available soon. MSG for info & pics. 6 wethers, 6 doelings all disbudded and boys banded, one month old. Still bottle babies for another month. 2 does, 2yrs old, in your lap, pet quality goats. Both registered, one has kidded. Two yearlings, quality milk lines, ready to breed. Possibly does in milk in a couple weeks. All goats from excellent bloodlines, I’m cutting my herd by half so my husband lets me buy fiber sheep! 🥰. Msg and let me know what you are looking for.

Farm weekend…. Friday I was hustling to beat the storm and Tetris all the goats and chickens and IYKYK. Spring has sprung and it’s lovely but busy. Lots of these pics are my small wins this month. Which I needed to remember after some hard losses. Farming is always the best therapy for loss and heck of a good physical and mental workout too! Happy spring, when outside all day is the new norm!!! 😊

When you let your family choose the theme for this years baby goats and they choose STAR WARS. 😂😂😂. All available soon, msg for info.

Spring clean up!! Got soooo much done today it was wonderful.

Barn tour, 2024. It’s a little sketch, but the weather was crazy this year so we enclosed it which helped a TON. And yes everyone gets field trips, and we’re about to Tetris everyone to start milking. Just need a tractor cleaning in the main barn spot. 😊

Farm Friday! Gotta go do chores, but look…the hatch is complete❤️❤️❤️

One week old and all the visitors are coming since the weather is breaking! Nothing better than baby goat therapy…

First venture out for the tiny jumpers! And btw the goat yelling in the back ground had her babies… 2 more doelings. So we are at 7 girls, 8 boys. Not bad! Our last momma is due in 3weeks. Hope to post pics of individuals soon! They are a super cute flashy bunch. 🥰. #babygoatseason #nevergetsold

Farm Friday. BABIES. are. everywhere! 13 goats born, too cold to get decent pics, but soon…. chicks hatching downstairs… I think I’ve doubled our animals in the last week. 😆 Luckily the chicks go to the feed mill Monday… The snow melt has the farm feeling like a bog while collecting eggs, can’t wait til it gets dried out. 😳. Have a fabulous weekend out there farm peeps!