Yes.
Windranch has taken on a new direction. After not much consideration and lots of impulsive behavior, Jinx did not fight the impulse to buy a pair of Llamas from someone on Craigslist.com. ( Croy just read the start of this blog and said, “That just about narrows it down, doesn’t it?”. )
On Thursday I responded to an ad on Craigslist.com that offered up a single registered llama for $150. I inquired and the folks were honest enough to say you can not get a single herd animal and offered a 2nd llama for really cheap to pair up. I understood this, because when we bought our first goat, the people did not tell us about the herd instinct and the poor baby goat cried and cried for a companion. These llama folks were honest. I planned on mulling it over more.. But these people were really pressing to see if we were ready to buy. After some emailing, they admitted that they needed money for a bill and really would like to sell by the weekend. They lowered the price and offered to deliver. I bit. On Friday, I left work early and prepared for the new arrivals. Around 2 PM a pickup truck with 2 llamas rolled up the driveway and 2 nice guys took the llamas out of the back of their truck and helped me lead the llamas to the front pasture.
Did the fact that they had llamas in the back of a pick up give you a visual? It was amazing to see. And here is the real kicker… They drove up from Missouri with these guys in the pick up. Imagine the looks they got with the 2 funny looking animals laying down in their truck on the interstate!

The 2 are now out there, with the horses (who are keeping their distance). I think we will call the Male Cheese and the female Madonna. Still not in love with Madonna yet.. I do like Cheese, however.

We have gotten several inches of rain over the last 24 hours. We officially have a few big run offs going through our property.. There is actually a loud current of water going through the goat field. I hope the kids do not try out swimming! The horse coral is knee deep in mud and muck. I closed the front pasture to save the ground from getting muddied from horses treading through the over saturated ground.

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It has been a real cold December at wind ranch. Literally no riding and as much time bundled up or indoors as possible. The horses and goats have thick fur now and the dogs have spent more time inside.

We realize Jami Lynn either puts on a lot of weight in the winter or she has a bun or 2 in the oven. We are researching and asking for as much advice as we can to learn how we are to care for baby goats in the cold months. Jan and Feb tend to be the coldest in Iowa. I guess our buckling has some live ones already.. Good note- boy goats do not stink as much in the winter. Yay!

We now officially have a herd of bays outside.

About a month or so ago, I had it in my head that we would buy Sage a pony for her birthday. I actually hauled Xoe with me out to see several ponies and wound up not getting one. Xoe has the knack (or sense), like her father, to pick a good animal. There was one pony we made an offer on but they sold it quickly and we missed out. This was an awesome paint miniature horse, actually.. She was well behaved and she looked perfect. Part of the reason I wanted that mare is because these people who had a bunch of ponies did not pasture them, they tethered them to rocks or posts in their little 1 acre yard. I felt bad for these ponies and perhaps we could rescue one from that life of being tethered.

Last week I found out they had another for sale. I called them and told them I would be out on Saturday to check out this 4 yr old gelding named Tass. He is a welsh bay gelding. I went out there and had the little girl there, saddle him up and ride him around. He was calm as they get. These girls at this house own their ponies and ride all day long. I think they are home schooled and maybe the ponies are a project? The little girl was delighted with the little wad of cash and they delivered him to us by noon.

I took Sage and Xoe with me to run errands while the pony was getting delivered. Croy was home to receive the pony and he immediately feel in love with the little guy. He took him for a walk with a lead rope around his neck before we got home. We let the horses nose each other through the fence before we let all 3 together. Normally, I put new horses in contamination (a round pen or different pasture) but this guy appeared harmless, I know Con and Sunny are and he looked very healthy. We put him out there and they all played and ate together.

We now have a herd, more than 2,bays

out there.. Meet (the Sage named) “Rover”.

Here are some photos of what I am doing with Con’s hoof in effort to get him to heal..

Step 1-soak his foot in Epsom salt and water mixture for as long as he can stand it. Today he stood in it for nearly an hour as I groomed him and played with him..

Step 2- dry the foot really well and then pack the hole, that the vet dug to pop his abscess, with a sugar betadine  mixture.

Step 3- use vet wrap and wrap a baby diaper (size 1) on his foot.

Step 4- duct tape that diaper on there

Oh, and a Q fior the goat friends… Is Jamie Lynn really due this month?? http://www.flickr.com/photos/jetling/sets/72157607348058906/ See that link..

Yesterday, when calling the horses in for grain, I saw that Con was not coming very fast. He was limping (more like hopping) and had stopped. I walked down to him in the field and determined that he was really lame. I fed him right there, in the field and called the vet. She thought abscess and we decided to have her come out as soon as she could. This morning she came and with her big hoof pinchers, she diagnosed an abscess and knew where it was.. Within 10 minutes she had dug a hole in his hoof and the blood and puss was bubbling out. She must be old school or something.. I like it, for she gets out the duct tape and a diaper and proceeds to get his foot soaked in Epsom salt water and then patch the hole with baetidine and sugar.. She wrapped the foot in a baby diaper, vet wrap and duct tape. I get to soak his hoof and rewrap in the same manner over and over again for the next week and a half.
It has been 10 hours since she was here and boy you can see a difference in Conquistador. Poor guy.
This was our first injury with him and he was a trooper.