Cate in NZ Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Just before Christmas we moved into our new home and it's acre of land, and we've been keeping ourselves busy since we moved, trying to get established and sorted. Inevitably we've ended up with a few new additions to the family . First up is Colby: He's a black lab cross, crossed with what we don't know but we got him from the SPCA. He's 5 months old, with huge feet and a tiny brain, but he's got a brilliant nature, really friendly, rarely barks, very lazy. Sadly he is proving to have a kleptomaniac streak, at first it was just shoes that went missing, but the other day he brought me a paint roller. I couldn't quite work out where it had suddenly appeared from......until I saw the painters at work at our neighbours house . When I returned it with apologies the poor guy was greatly relieved, he'd only put it down for a minute, and thought he was going mad when it disappeared Next up Milo: He was a bit of an odd buy a lawn mower get a goat free deal, which we simply couldn't refuse . Hubby, MIL & Immy went to buy a lawnmower and were discussing the characteristics of the lawn mower that we needed, bearing in mind that a lot of our land is on a fairly steep slope. Immy chattering away said, as a joke, "my Mum says we should have a goat on there to eat the grass and save on lawn mowing", and by complete coincidence the woman in the shop had a goat that she wanted to rehome......so we ended up with Milo . He's gorgeous, probably around 8 weeks old but was the runt of the litter and his Mum kicked him out, so he's been hand reared. He's still on 2 bottle feeds a day, but he's gradually eating more and more grass (as well as a few other things that he shouldn't ). He's very, very tame, will follow us anywhere, and hasn't quite realised that he's not actually human. Last (for now) is Minty: Sorry, not such a great photo, she's a bit skittish and I've had problems getting close to her to take a pic, but she's here with her friend Rosemary (Rosie) who is our neighbours ewe. Minty is the one slightly to the back on the photo. She's a self-shearing ( ) ewe, 3 years old, and she's already had a lamb last season. Hopefully we're going to hire a ram to visit both girls in April/ May so that we can have lambs in the spring. If we have a female lamb we'll start a flock.....if we have a boy we'll have Christmas dinner . Both ewes look a bit messy in the photo....that's the self shearing thing, because in fact this particular breed moults and they're both in mid-moult, hence the straggly appearance. I'm quite relieved that I don't have to do ant sheep shearing . No chickens yet, but I've found a local supplier of light sussex, so hopefully we'll be sorting that out next, just as soon as we've fenced off some more land for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Awwww, Cate!! Milo is such a cutie pie and we've been laughing at Colby's kleptomania . It's lovely to hear how you're getting settled into your new home. I hope chickens are next on the agenda now you've got Minty . Smashing photos!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen & co. Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 What lovely photos Reading about the different animals antics made me laugh Karen x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola H Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Thanks for the update Cate, your new pets are lovely and hopefully it won't be long before you get chickens again........... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 They look lovely, Milo is very sweet and how great that you have a dog already! I've never heard of self shearing sheep - how cool is that?! I see the Tubtrug phenomonen has hit NZ too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooks Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 I LOVE your new additions to your family, especially Milo's ears they are gorgeous and I agree it's wonderfull that there will be chickens soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SAB Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 They are all gorgeous and I am deeply jealous of your acre of land! I must comment on Colby - he is so like Tyson, the "black lab crossed with what we don't know" that we got from the SSPCA a number of years ago. He was 5 or 6 when we got him, and is now nearing his end but has been the most fantastic dog anyone could wish for. Has almost never barked in all the time we have had him and loves all our other animals, especially "his cat" Dennis. I hope you have such a great time with Colby as we have had with Tyson over the years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 I love the lawn mover!! Just out of interest, what is he drinking? Is it goats milk or a powdered substitute? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 What lovely additions to your family. Great photos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhapsody Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 LOVE the goat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 wonderful new arrivals. You seem to have settled in really well & how fantastic to have all these animals. Love the goat too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gamebird Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 I wish our lawnmower looked like yours. Much more fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickvic Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 What fantastic pics Love Milo, Minty and Colby is gorgeous. The one photo of his face makes him look like a Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 How fantastic, a BOGOG offer (buy one, get one goat ) Lovely new pets and useful too . Can you train Milo to actually use the paint roller?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susanbb Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Milo is just so and a "natural" lawnmower. Thanks for sharing Cate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cate in NZ Posted February 6, 2009 Author Share Posted February 6, 2009 The one photo of his face makes him look like a Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Someone else said they thought he had a bit of Staff in him . I'm not really very good on dog breeds, & tbh I think that Colby's family tree is likely to be a bit chaotic, but he is a gorgeous dog, so lovely natured. Thank you. I love the idea of training Milo with the paint roller, his little stumpy tail wags nineteen to the dozen....so I could try fastening the roller to that and then back him up against the wall . I think he might take a fair bit of training though.....but anything's possible. Talk about versatile thouh, lawnmower by day, painter by night, I could make a fortune hiring him out Milo is fed on a goat milk substitute, I make it up much like a baby's formula milk feed and he drinks it from any old drinks bottle with a special teat attatched. He loves it, little greedy guts that he is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 Milo is fed on a goat milk substitute, I make it up much like a baby's formula milk feed and he drinks it from any old drinks bottle with a special teat attatched. He loves it, little greedy guts that he is That's what we did when I went lambing and had the cade lambs to bottle feed, we used wine bottles with special teats which was quite funny. Heres Me + Greg late at night: Sorry to hijack the thread - I couldn't help it ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cate in NZ Posted February 7, 2009 Author Share Posted February 7, 2009 Hey, what a great photo No worries about hi-jacking threads, that's a lovely pic . There's something so satisfying about feeding a baby animal isn't there....I just love feeding Milo even though he's such a greedy guts it only takes a few minutes. I swear that he doesn't let the milk touch the sides in his rush to get it down But tell me....are you actually feeding him from a wine bottle , Milo's milk is served up in an old 2L Coke bottle......but as anyone who knows me will agree a wine bottle would be so much more my style . I don't even like Coke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhapsody Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 I erm just noticed something in this thread I hope I'm not raining on your parade when I tell you goats are browsers not grazers so Milo will always choose your shrubs over your lawn. *slinks away* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 Ooops! - well, I suppose it saves having to garden We're not laughing about Colby's kleptomania Cate......... He looks so like Jazz in that first photo! Our Shetlands will self shear as well if we left them - we have them shorn because we want the fleece. Minty will look lovely as soon as she's finished moulting. Hens next........... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cate in NZ Posted February 8, 2009 Author Share Posted February 8, 2009 I erm just noticed something in this thread I hope I'm not raining on your parade when I tell you goats are browsers not grazers so Milo will always choose your shrubs over your lawn.*slinks away* Hey, no worries, no parade to rain on . We have an acre of land on a steeply sloping hill, and it's going to wild with long grass, gorse & brambles. Hence the goat they will eat anything & apparently there's something in a goat's saliva that kills off brambles. Once the goats have cleared the land the sheep will move in and graze on the grass, but sheep are a little more particular about what they eat. We're rotating the livestock around with our neighbours. So far it's working well, and this weekend Milo went to join the bigger goats in their paddock next door. We do have a few flatter areas as well, which will become veggie gardens later, and a small lawned area which was fenced off for Colby. Unfortunately I was a little enthusiastic in planting out a couple of grape vines & a redcurrant bush that I was given, fairly confident that Colby wouldn't be interested in them. Of course Colby wasn't, but then we acquired a goat earlier than planned and hadn't fenced off the paddocks yet, so Milo ended up in Colby's garden. I thought I'd netted off the grapes & redcurrants well enough, but he's wily and seems to be able to get in pretty much anywhere. He also managed to have a chew at some of the trouser hems hanging off the washing line during his brief sojourn in Colby's garden Anyway, we have the fencers in next week, so our wild areas can be fenced off & Milo and his new found friends can all move over to our land and tidy it up a bit for us Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 But tell me....are you actually feeding him from a wine bottle , Milo's milk is served up in an old 2L Coke bottle......but as anyone who knows me will agree a wine bottle would be so much more my style . I don't even like Coke Yes it is a wine bottle you can buy the teats a bit like this and you just pop it on top of the wine bottle. It looks quite funny if you walk into the barn at the farm, there's a huge table with syringes, medications + creme, catheters and about 10 wine bottles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillfamily Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Lovely photos Cate :D Your new additions look absolutely gorgeous :D ......i'm not at all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
