Our first animals

While my husband looked for a job I looked for a dairy goat. I searched craigslist and found Abby. A mini lamancha . She was our first of many. Of coarse I had no pen for her. We found some wooden pallets bought some tie wire and built her a little pen while she was leashed on a dog lead to a pole. Silly me I never thought that goats were so clever. She was able to wiggle the pole loose at night. I cried when we couldn’t find her. My worst fears, a coyote got her. But no there she was miles away on the edge of the canal. So we finish the pen and put her in. She was able to jump/ climb out of there too. I cried some more. Nothing was working out. Enter clever husband. Lets use chain link. She has yet to escape this pen.

Then while going to the feed store I bought 8-day-old Rhode Island Red chicks. These were the first of many animals who started in our bathtub. You see I personally have never stepped foot in the beautiful garden tub. Which was a top selling point in our manufactured home. We haul water; this would be such a waste of resources if I filled a whole tub to take a relaxing bubble bath. We all take quick showers to conserve water. Of coarse we had no coop built. The desert is a wonderful place at times. People dump all kinds of things. We found billboard signs and old fencing and built a coop. The chickens needed to feather out anyway. Now we need nest boxes. The gas station in town was throwing away crates. My sister was throwing away an old shelving unit. Thanks to my husband’s previous employer we had pallets of block. Walla, red neck nesting boxes. After thought. The chickens now lay all their eggs under the shelving unit.

We were also gifted ten white leghorns from a friend at my work. She no longer wanted them as her children grew up and moved out. To many eggs. I think you can never have to many eggs. These hens came at just the right time. Chickens do not lay until they are about five months old. We drove over forty-five minutes to get them. I took my oldest with me that day. He was so brave. My friend’s husband grabbed the chickens and handed them to him three for each hand. He put them in our trusty dog kennel. They started laying within that week.

So now we have a goat for milk and cheese and we have chickens for meat and eggs. Abby the goat only gives one cup per milking. So I continue to look for dairy goats. We find Heidi on craigslist. She is a Niegerian Dwarf.  She is with her daughter on a farm. They are both for sale. I only plan on purchasing Heidi. My husband says we can’t separate them. So we load up both does. When we moved Abby we were not prepared. She rode in the back of the cab of the truck on towels. This time my husband was clever and took the bladder of our IBC water tank out and flipped it over. Instant goat cage. We drove for over an hour and thirty minutes to get them.

My husband has looked and looked for a job.  He has submitted applications to every masonry company in four states.  The only response he gets is "We are trying to keep our own guys working, there's just no jobs available".  So one day I am looking in the local newspaper and come across a carpet technician job.  He cleaned carpets for two years when we were first married.  So he responds and they take a chance on a man who has been out of the field for more than sixteen years. He starts working again in May of 2010.

We are so grateful.  Unfortunately we are very behind on all our bills.  Isn't it ironic that most companies will not assist in any way until you are over three months behind on payment.  Then thats when the want to foreclose, or shut off services.  We pull through by the skin of our teeth. 

At this point I have decided I will never be without again.