Remade the garage

The garage had been a bit of a barn for the past several months.  In fact I had termed it the "barage".  But today I made room for Rob's car again (only 3 months after I kicked his car out so I could get to the lawn tractor).  I cleaned out most of what had been the goats' winter quarters and moved several large items into that area and gave back Rob's parking space.

We think the predator is gone, for now at least.  Not sure if our tricks to get rid of it worked or not, but there haven't been any disturbances lately.

Getting close to butcher time, for the three remaining rabbits and the meat birds.  I am trying to decide home much longer I want to let them go.  I may slaughter one of each, weigh what I get and decide from there.  I am thinking of keeping one of the female bunnies and line breeding.  I am hoping to get a little market of people wanting meat rabbits.  I will have to advertise the next batch though as no one at Rob's work wants to eat rabbit.  Or rather the two men that are willing to cook it aren't allowed to bring rabbit home because their wives don't want it.

I may seem strange to some, but when did we become so distanced from our food that we can't accept that killing an animal is where our meat comes from?

I understand domestic dogs, cats, and horses aren't something many Americans will eat (or myself unless the apocalypse happens) but even chickens are things that people can't accept having to kill.  So long as it is wrapped in plastic and doesn't have eyes people are ok with cooking it.  But where do they think it came from?

Off Days

Sometimes I still have "off days", even with my happy medicine.  Usually it has to do with hormones and that time of the month.  I hadn't known a good way to describe the emotions that shut me down.  I just knew I was sad and kind of lonely.  I knew I kept repeating that I wanted to go home, in my head, even though I was home.  It finally dawned on me that it is like extreme homesickness.

I don't know why that particular sadness is triggered this time of the month (and some months are worse than others).  It used to be far worse, and nearly everyday before I finally found the right doctor and medicine (and a trip to the hospital but that is a story for another day).  I used to be suicidal, but not anymore.  At least not to the point where I don't know that the emotions overwhelming me will pass.

Before I had this, I used to think people with depression and other mental illnesses like it just needed to buck up and get over it.  We all feel a little down from time to time.  Even grieving for loved ones is a natural emotion that needs to be experienced and lived through.

But this is different.  There is no reasonable explanation for this terrible homesick feeling.  I have my wonderful house with five acres, and my critters.  Life is pretty good.  But the brain occasionally hiccups and I have my off days.  And those days I don't want to do much of anything.  I will care for my critters, but going to the grocery store is not a good option for me.

I brought myself to putting this on the blog because I thought maybe this will help explain myself to some people, and maybe, if I am lucky, reach someone who needs to hear that off days happen, and that they too will pass.

still in the egg buisiness

The black hen has started laying again.  The barred rock that had her back ripped open hasn't, but I don't think she ever did lay eggs.  I just could never figure out who wasn't laying in the group.  But it figures that the fox left the black hen that occasionally breaks her egg because she doesn't lay it in the nest boxes but drops it from the roost in front of them.  I will take what I can get though.  I eventually might cull the barred rock but I will let her out Sunday and see if she decides to lay.

The turkeys and the black hen are checking out the new laying chicks.  I hope the once this fox is taken care of and a few weeks in the wagon to let them range a little, but probably behind a portable fence to begin.

Dad came up with a huge load of wood on the trailer.  So we have even more supplies to build new shelters.  A lot of it is straight twelve foot long boards from a deck that was taken down.  I see a horse shelter in my future!

Buying eggs

I accomplished a lot today.  Finished the egg wagon, put a new door on the meat bird tractor, and made sure everyone was fed, watered and safe.  But there was one thing I had hoped never to do again, that I had to do.

I asked Rob to pick up some eggs from the store on his way home today.

I only have two laying hens left and neither one seems to be in the mood to lay eggs.  I can't really blame them after the rest of their flock was decimated last week, but I had hoped after a couple of days they would be back in the laying routine.

No such luck.

I had gotten spoiled on free range eggs.  I was recently taken out to breakfast by some friends and it was very good.  But the over-easy egg I ordered looked limp, runny, and pale.  I was shocked.  I hadn't thought I had seen or tasted much of a difference when I had started eating the home raised eggs, but seeing that sad egg on the plate made me appreciate the darker and creamier yolks from my eggs.

It almost think I need to charge more for my eggs!  (once I start getting enough eggs to sell again.)

In that thought:  Still no sighting of the fox.  Which I am thankful for and wary of, no more chickens killed, but the anxiety waiting for the next attack wears on the nerves.  I hope when I move the new hens out to the egg wagon the fox doesn't reappear.

I was going to put the young hens out today, but in a freak weather of low 50s at night, I think I will wait one more day.

The hen that had some skin removed from her back is antsy to get out with her last flock-mate.  I want to make sure she is strong enough to make a run for it if the fox comes again.  But the black hen visits her consistently during the day.  It is kind of cute.

and then there were three ... again

Sold two rabbits to very good friends yesterday (two for the price of one).  We had always planned on selling the runt to them since it would do better as a pet than a meat rabbit, but then it was decided that two would be better.  So I am down to three rabbits and it is great.  These will be enough for me to grow out and try some different recipes, and try and get Rob hooked on rabbit.  So far he doesn't like it.

Ready to go to their new home (the solid colored one is the runt).

The bad new is we are down to two laying hens.  The fox came again last night and took a barred rock.

We found the carcass on the other side of the big tractor with the head missing and only the breast meat eaten.  So either he was interrupted (I had let the dogs out at 10:30 but didn't hear anything) or it is just being wasteful now that it is well fed.

I fed the dogs the rest of the carcass so it wouldn't be a total waste.  Rigor mortis had passed and the flys had already laid eggs so I am thinking it happened early last night.  Rob found the evidence this morning at 7:30.

The last barred rock hen had been attacked as well but had gotten away.  But she has a broken toe and some skin off her backside.  I am hoping I can nurse her back to health and have made a make shift hospital house for her from the old dog house and a crate on the outside.

I can't help feeling that I have failed my hens.  They depended on me for food, shelter, and safety.  I failed at safety in trying to let them free range more.  They were just walking over the plastic fencing for their outside run of their tractor though.  I will need to do better.

The last black hen has decided to stick with the turkeys.  Wise choice as I think the turkeys are too big for the fox to take.

Of course this makes the young laying hens all the more important.  I am keeping them in garage for now, but I need to get them outside soon.  I hope to have the predator situation resolved by then.

The goats could care less about what is happening to the chickens.

And then there were three

Lost another hen to the predator today (going to call it a fox for now).  The black hen's feathers were next to the propane tank and there was a small trail into the woods.  But like before, the trail ended and I was left with nothing.

I have gone from 6 hens and a rooster to 3 hens.

I moved the chicken tractor up and put up the plastic fence again but those hens won't stay in it, and there is no way that will stop a fox.  I don't know what I can do for the turkeys.  So far they haven't been targeted.  I hope they are just too big for the fox.

I will have to move the three hens into the chicken wagon until I can resolve this issue.

My laying chicks are becoming more and more important with the loss of these hens.  They are growing well, but I had wanted to get them into the wagon next week.  But if I have the older birds in there that won't work.  The older birds would tear those chicks up.

Losing the white hen was bad, but at least it had gotten quite since then, but now, losing 3 birds this close together is becoming a crisis.  These birds were a source of income and paying for the feed that had fed them the four months they needed to grow into laying hens.

I will leave my big dog out most of the weekend and hope for the best.  He doesn't know it yet, but he is going to lose the air conditioning and become a working dog.

Rooster down

The rooster did his job today and defended his hens.  Unfortunately he lost the fight with whatever it was that dragged him into the woods.  Me and Rob tried to track him but eventually there were no more feathers to follow or easy tracks in the leaves.  We aren't experienced at tracking.  I was counting on feathers or blood to follow and only had feathers until those ran out.  The naked neck hen is missing too.  I didn't see any feathers from her, so I am hoping she is just hiding.

The attack happened while it was still light out, around 7:30 pm.  I was on the computer and heard a big commotion from the turkeys and saw them running up to the deck, looking rather frantic.  I went out and saw the barred rock feathers, and wasn't sure if it was from a hen or the rooster (later found both barred rock hens).  I followed it for a short time into the woods, but I was in shorts with my ratty yard shoes on and no weapon.

I went back to the house and told Rob about the attack and changed into jeans, better shoes and loaded the gun.  He grabbed the hoe and we trekked into the woods.  After a half hour of searching we couldn't find a trail to follow.  Our best guess is a fox.

I had thought the birds would be safe in the backyard with so much dog scent around, but obviously that isn't the case.  I will have to find more ways of keeping the birds safe, especially with this second attack and moving out the chicks tomorrow.  My best idea for the immediate future is to leave the dogs outside more.

Independence Day

Weeded the garden today to prepare for putting in the next batch of vegetables for the late season.  Hoping to see some fireworks tonight from the deck, but I am willing to wait until my cousin's party tomorrow.

The weather has been fantastic this week.  Most of the week was in the 70s, with the low 80s being the high.  Of course that means I get sick and sleep away one of those perfect days.  Color me upset.
I am almost done with the chicken wagon, just trying to figure out the best way to put on a door without buying hinges and attaching the old cat litter boxes for nest boxes.

The turkeys inspected the egg wagon and gave it their approval.

This is with the cover on, I cinched down the back but I will need to put something sturdier back there to keep the chicks in and predators out.

I have been reading a book about the constitution the past few days.  Not really conscious of the time of year I was doing it.  Mom had given it to me, she had gotten it from a constitution class she had taken.  I really enjoyed the first few chapters that detailed some of the revolutionary war.  I never realized that the war had been so poorly funded because the states had simply decided not to pay for the army.  I thought the constitution had been drawn up the same time as the Declaration of Independence.
Reading through the language the founders used is difficult at times, but it is interesting to see what exactly they said.  I hope it doesn't become too boring and I finish it.  It being the size of a text book makes it tough to snuggle onto the couch and read though.  I suppose there are worse problems in life.

guard dogs

I wish my dogs were better at keeping the turkeys off the deck.  But they just don't care.

Getting closer to the time to put the chickens out in their tractors.  The bunnies are weaned, and two are going to leave to be pets.  The runt is going to friends.  I think he will be a better pet than a meal.

I ran the rain barrel out of water today (at least to the point where the spigot is), even though the weatherman kept promising rain.  There hasn't been hardly any here.  Five miles away ... sure, but not here.