Some re-arranging on teh Ranch this weekend. Shortened up the circumference of Maternity Pen to exclude two oak trees which were otherwise being beaten up by the goats while we had goats in there. We've again now got goats in there, but it isn't maternity pen at this point, it's Anti-Maternity Pen.

Oh, yes, heavens it's true. Birth control! In this case, abstinence really is the best method, but to enforce abstinence (which, on reflection, would probably be true for humans as well as goats) requires a totally secluded and secure area where the bucks can not get at them. You see, it is essentially a problem of adolescent pregnancy. Regular readers may recall this entry, which concerned an adverse outcome of an adolescent pregnancy.

Don't want a repeat of that.

So now there are two adolescent doelings in the Mother Mary Pen for Wayward Adolescent Doelings, with a couple more to be added, because those doelings are coming into enough maturity to be hitting their first estrus. Which, of course, the bucks don't care, they are driven by those pheromones. So to keep the two groups apart, the Mother Mary Pen for Wayward Adolescent Doelings.

Since the grass has been allowed to grow around the pen, I also discovered quite a few ant hills. No fire ants, but the ones I did find expressed sufficient objection to their local environment being disrupted, thank you very much. Now I've a number of ant bites on my ankles and calves, as well as fingers and hands. Annoying. Not devastating.

In other news, it proved otherwise a nice quiet weekend. Some good news for one friend, some not so good news for another new acquaintance. Life is like that.