AL - Recording baby steps: Newest Addition

[Farmfresh]

That is an OLD ox!

My friends have a team of oxen and they travel with them doing demonstrations and living history events. They are BIG. They are Devons. My friend Rick is about 6'3" so you can see how tiny the oxen are on their site! Grassy Ridge Oxen (Click on the photo tab for more pics)

Congrats on your beautiful winning photos!!!

 

[AL]

I guess "tiny" works as a description comparing them to the old ox... but they are pretty huge otherwise!

It is raining here! I don't know whether to dance or pull out my hair. My squash sure need the rain - the blossoms are just starting to change to squash. And we have been in drought conditions.
BUT! I was out at midnight-thirty last night putting an extra piece of tin on the meatie shelter because the other "might" leak. I probably traumatized them banging tin around all over the place. We are supposed to get some really gusty winds as the day goes on, so I will have to keep an eye on the tarp 'walls'

Also, I am off work today and hoped to get a couple of things accomplished (like cleaning the chicken house and turning the compost pile). This afternoon I am supposed to take my nephews to the Fair. It is supposed to clear up by then, but I don't know if the winds will cause trouble.

My vet called me this morning asking me for a photo for their Halloween contest (you know the vet way too well when they call you for something like this!). So I improvised a "costume" for Rio.
He's a blackeyed pea. lol

 

[Farmfresh]

What a GREAT costume idea! I hope you all win.

I am off work today as well. We have had out electric lines buried underground, hubby has had a haircut and we went out for breakfast so far today and it is just now noon!

Lots more to do today as well. Starting to get rather cool around here only 43 and windy, but the sun is still shining. Should be close to freezing by morning tomorrow. I have pots to get in the house and lots of other work to get accomplished as well.

 

[AL]

thanks, FF! I love tormenting my dog lol

Meatie question as I run out the door - when do you usually start them on the feed 12hrs / no feed 12hrs?


It is cold here (46 with big winds) so I had them under 2 lights and a piece of tin over the pool as kind of a windbreak. They are eating, drinking, pooing and sleeping, so I guess they are handling it ok.
Now I have taken one light off and opened the tarp so they can get some sunshine - they were all stretched out in the sun under the red light soaking up rays lol

 

[Farmfresh]

Basically when I no longer have a heat lamp on them. If it is dark they usually sleep (lazy things). The time sleeping they are not eating. If I don't think normal night time is long enough for food with drawl I just wait till later in the day to fill the feeders. Usually though I just keep feeder full, depend on the night to stop them eating and reduce the protein content of the feed to slow them down.

With this last batch I would let them eat though a feeder full (25 pounds) then just scattered scratch grains or whole oats out in their field for the next day (or two) to encourage them to hunt for their dinner, then back to the feeder again. Seemed to work well. They grew plenty fast and got pretty darned good at scratching and foraging ... at least for meaties.

I also encouraged them to spend "time a field" by keeping a waterer out in their run area and putting a shade house (made by stretching a small tarp between electric fence posts) out away from the coop. They are so lazy once they left the coop they needed a place to rest in the shade and a drink close at hand - then they would stay out and work longer for a living.

 

[TanksHill]

Your meaties sound like they are doing well. Was that little nugget stuck in the food dish still alive??

And how in the world did you get your poor dog to sit and hold that P?

Congrats on the awards!!!

gina

 

[AL]

FF- with it cooling off and needing the lights for warmth, should I maybe feed a lower protein (20% chick feed mixed with 24% game bird conditioner now). They have gotten the hang of eating the grass that I pinch into tiny bits, but they are still in the pool because I don't think I could catch them in the evenings. Once they feather out more I will let them out and just put deep litter and the lights in the shelter so they can come and go.

Gina - yeah, the little idget was fine. I have lost 3 - drowning, suffocation, and ???? . The leftovers run and scratch like regular chicks . I have been concerned a time or two though, seeing them all stretched out in the sunlight or under the heat lights LOL.

Rio is a champ about trying to do whatever I ask of him. Holding stuff like that is his least favorite, but he will do it. I can give him a whole hotdog to hold and he just sits there and drools until I say ok.


Thank you! Very exciting!


ETA - I am headed out now to get with my friend who went in on the meaties with me. I don't think she is as OCD as I am about planning, but she is nice enough to humor me

 

[Farmfresh]

I usually also keep mine on the higher 24 percent until they are feathered out mostly. I think growing feathers requires a bit of protein and that will also help them to not need the light as long.

After they are at least 3/4 feathered I will start lowering to 20 percent.

 

[AL]

I had a good time at my friend's house. We sat out on her deck around a fire pit and chatted while watching her 2 hens scratch around before settling in for the night. We had fresh milk... not raw, but still had globs of heavy cream and her homemade pumpkin bread with butter made from the fresh milk! That was an insanely delicious snack!
Her BF has processed chickens, pheasants, turkeys etc, so he isn't real concerned about planning and processing , which freaks out my OCD lol. We did sort out that I have the cookstove to heat up water, she has the pot and a vacuum sealer. We'll use 2 big ice chests for any chilling to be done prior to the fridge for rest. I think the big shears I have will work for cutting through joints etc.
And then we got distracted by the fire and didn't talk about it anymore.

It is supposed to get down around 43* tonight. I lowered the red light and turned the white light back on, as well as freshening the litter and stirring the old so it is good and fluffed up. They seemed pretty content on the other side of the pool eating and drinking. Half the pool is covered with a sheet of tin.

My old mare doesn't drink enough in cold weather, so I haul warm water to her (I know, I know.... but I've had her 22yrs!). Right now I just get her a 2gal bucket before bed, but cooler weather I sometimes haul 8gal.

 

[TanksHill]

You know the only thing I am uncertain of for processing is the knife. I have a few in the kitchen but none are that great. I was going to pick up a new sharp one for the processing. Not sure if I need something like a "Paring knife" or a "fillet knife". Do you have any ideas? I should ask Farm Fresh what she uses.

g