Well we are up to four eggs a day, but this morning one was broken so the dogs got it. Also the chickens I had in the freezer are gone. Rob has been selling them at work and I need to order some more so we can grow them out and have them ready. Maybe I should ask if any of them want turkeys. I was planning on raising three anyways.
The farm is looking good, but the St. Louis house is having issues. Mostly grounds for electric. But that can be fixed with enough help from fatherly people. So hopefully that will all turn around soon.
Friday, March 28, 2014
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Thursday, March 20, 2014
vernal equinox
I planted some of my garden today. I kept to the cold hardy plants like lettuce and peas. In mid-April I will be putting in the warmer weather plants like tomatoes and peppers. The weather is great for the garden today, a nice mid-60s with a slight breeze.
I have two more roosters ready to cull. I think I have a naked neck chicken that is also a rooster though, so need to get rid of him. That will leave the only rooster a barred rock (although I think this picture is of a hen).
There was another egg today but the shell wasn't formed so the chickens ate it. I am going to be adding oyster shell to their diet so that hopefully won't happen again.
In April I hope to get another female rabbit and see if my rabbit production will happen. Also in breeding news I will try and help Camo get up on the back stairs so he has a chance of breeding Miss. Once I know she is bred he will be leaving ... one way or another.
I have two more roosters ready to cull. I think I have a naked neck chicken that is also a rooster though, so need to get rid of him. That will leave the only rooster a barred rock (although I think this picture is of a hen).
There was another egg today but the shell wasn't formed so the chickens ate it. I am going to be adding oyster shell to their diet so that hopefully won't happen again.
In April I hope to get another female rabbit and see if my rabbit production will happen. Also in breeding news I will try and help Camo get up on the back stairs so he has a chance of breeding Miss. Once I know she is bred he will be leaving ... one way or another.
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Goat news
Well yesterday morning I went to feed the goats and Miss was down. Now usually they are both laying together but are upright with their legs tucked under them. But Miss was flat on her side and the hay was kicked all around her like she had been trying to get up. There was no reason she shouldn't have been able to roll to her stomach and get up. I pulled her up and she was very weak in the back end and she wobbled and leaned on me a lot, but she did her elimination business. Then she went back down.
Not good.
I pulled her back up and put down some grain and they both went for it so I was encouraged a little bit but new I would need to do some research on what had fouled my goat. But I also had a doctor apt in St. Louis and was leaving with Rob to go to that after dropping him off at work. I finally did some research at a friend's house and from the symptoms it seemed like she had meningeal worm which can eat the spinal column and cause paralysis. It is usually passed from deer.
Deer in the area? check.
Goats been on grass? check
Ohh ratspit.
A quick call to a local large animal vet and they say they can get her in at 10, but I am in St. Louis and it is 8:30, and I have a doctor apt at 11. Time to skip the doctor.
Rush home, get Miss back on her feet and haul her but into the back of the truck (took Camo too just so he wouldn't go buggo without her) and went to the vet.
Good news - likely not the worm. She stayed up the whole ride to the vet (and from) and passed the nerve test. This is when you try to let them stand on their ankle and not their hoof (seen it done with horses). According to the vet Camo has probably done so major bruising while trying to breed her. But they were both wormed just in case and Miss has a few days of anti-inflammatory shots.
So today they are separated and Miss is staying on her feet some more (was down again this morning). She is grazing and seems content in the sunshine.
Not good.
I pulled her back up and put down some grain and they both went for it so I was encouraged a little bit but new I would need to do some research on what had fouled my goat. But I also had a doctor apt in St. Louis and was leaving with Rob to go to that after dropping him off at work. I finally did some research at a friend's house and from the symptoms it seemed like she had meningeal worm which can eat the spinal column and cause paralysis. It is usually passed from deer.
Deer in the area? check.
Goats been on grass? check
Ohh ratspit.
A quick call to a local large animal vet and they say they can get her in at 10, but I am in St. Louis and it is 8:30, and I have a doctor apt at 11. Time to skip the doctor.
Rush home, get Miss back on her feet and haul her but into the back of the truck (took Camo too just so he wouldn't go buggo without her) and went to the vet.
Good news - likely not the worm. She stayed up the whole ride to the vet (and from) and passed the nerve test. This is when you try to let them stand on their ankle and not their hoof (seen it done with horses). According to the vet Camo has probably done so major bruising while trying to breed her. But they were both wormed just in case and Miss has a few days of anti-inflammatory shots.
So today they are separated and Miss is staying on her feet some more (was down again this morning). She is grazing and seems content in the sunshine.
Monday, March 10, 2014
Warmer Days
A lot of things done around here are based on the weather.
Will the goats get to go outside today? Is it raining, snowing or to cold for them? Today is going to be a glorious 70 degrees and they are on fresh grass for the day.
No more need to bust ice from buckets or defrost rabbit water. No more sliding on snow and ice. No more getting snow in my shoes.
Yesterday I finished putting the nest boxes in the chicken tractor.
(yes this tractor was expertly painted by M and D)
Soon I will take the cardboard off that kept the wind from the chickens all winter. I am proud of my scrappy chickens for surviving the whole miserable winter without a heat lamp.
I am still culling some roosters. I have a red ready to go today. I have two barred rocks that I need to cull and then I will be down to the two I am deciding between. A big barred rock and a white with silver lace that I am unsure of the breed. They are two of the bigger birds and it comes down to who is the quietest. Wish I could explain that to them.
I also wanted to share the first signs of spring: The daffodils are sprouting.
Will the goats get to go outside today? Is it raining, snowing or to cold for them? Today is going to be a glorious 70 degrees and they are on fresh grass for the day.
No more need to bust ice from buckets or defrost rabbit water. No more sliding on snow and ice. No more getting snow in my shoes.
Yesterday I finished putting the nest boxes in the chicken tractor.
Soon I will take the cardboard off that kept the wind from the chickens all winter. I am proud of my scrappy chickens for surviving the whole miserable winter without a heat lamp.
I am still culling some roosters. I have a red ready to go today. I have two barred rocks that I need to cull and then I will be down to the two I am deciding between. A big barred rock and a white with silver lace that I am unsure of the breed. They are two of the bigger birds and it comes down to who is the quietest. Wish I could explain that to them.
I also wanted to share the first signs of spring: The daffodils are sprouting.
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Calling Spring
I have spring fever. I want to start my garden, have eggs fresh from my chickens' butts and have Miss finally let Camo breed her.
Camo is little but he is trying like a champ. If Miss would hold still he might get the job done and we would have some baby goats and milk. His papers finally got worked out so the babies would officially by purebred Nubians.
This is Miss during late summer/fall. Nubians have the pendulous ears.
The first shoots of green will be welcome. Hell, bugs would be welcome at this point so the chickens could have something different to eat.
For now I sit at the computer pounding away at the keys, hoping that the story I am putting so much work into will eventually be printed and people will actually want to read it. But now that the snow is thawing again I will need to stop my typing and get outside and put the nest boxes in the chicken tractor for my eggs.
Camo is little but he is trying like a champ. If Miss would hold still he might get the job done and we would have some baby goats and milk. His papers finally got worked out so the babies would officially by purebred Nubians.
This is Miss during late summer/fall. Nubians have the pendulous ears.
The first shoots of green will be welcome. Hell, bugs would be welcome at this point so the chickens could have something different to eat.
For now I sit at the computer pounding away at the keys, hoping that the story I am putting so much work into will eventually be printed and people will actually want to read it. But now that the snow is thawing again I will need to stop my typing and get outside and put the nest boxes in the chicken tractor for my eggs.
Sunday, March 2, 2014
News from the snow globe
It seems like winter is never going to end. And that isn't just me saying that. I would hate to think what it must have been like for those people who had to suffer through the ice age, much less a mini ice age.
Dispatched two more roosters, including my favorite colored one. He was the noisiest and the smallest so I didn't want him making babies. I am trying to pick which of the remaining roosters I want to keep. There are two that look like they grew quickly and are a good size.
So for my birthday I got a snowstorm from mother nature ..... So Rob is spending the night with some friends in St. Louis so he has an easier time making it into work (or rather can make it into work). Good thing bull riding was on today or it would have been a total loss. That and Jr. came in second in the nascar race, which I only caught the last half of.
I noticed when I was moving the chicken tractor that our new (well less than a year old) metal roof was having an issue. On the side of the house there is some flashing that comes down to keep the wind from getting under the roof and ripping it off. Except that flashing is now popped up - from the wind. So will need to clamber up there when the weather gets better and pop it back down. Oh goody.
I had hoped to get more trees cut down this winter but the weather has just been so bitter I can't bring myself to go outside and get it done. Hopefully the world will trend toward a warmer trend soon and I can knock down a bunch before they start drawing up too much sap. I need me a pasture for more critters.
Dispatched two more roosters, including my favorite colored one. He was the noisiest and the smallest so I didn't want him making babies. I am trying to pick which of the remaining roosters I want to keep. There are two that look like they grew quickly and are a good size.
So for my birthday I got a snowstorm from mother nature ..... So Rob is spending the night with some friends in St. Louis so he has an easier time making it into work (or rather can make it into work). Good thing bull riding was on today or it would have been a total loss. That and Jr. came in second in the nascar race, which I only caught the last half of.
I noticed when I was moving the chicken tractor that our new (well less than a year old) metal roof was having an issue. On the side of the house there is some flashing that comes down to keep the wind from getting under the roof and ripping it off. Except that flashing is now popped up - from the wind. So will need to clamber up there when the weather gets better and pop it back down. Oh goody.
I had hoped to get more trees cut down this winter but the weather has just been so bitter I can't bring myself to go outside and get it done. Hopefully the world will trend toward a warmer trend soon and I can knock down a bunch before they start drawing up too much sap. I need me a pasture for more critters.
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