Denim Deb
More Precious than Rubies
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I'm only getting at the most 6 eggs right now. But, I think that's partly the weather, and partly I'm not letting them free range for now.
Are we living our dreams?
- Thread starter rhoda_bruce
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #642
rhoda_bruce
Almost Self-Reliant
We had an accidental free range session yesterday. Either I or one of the girls must have left the gate unlocked and by the time we realized it, the yard was full of birds. DS caught a lot of them, but I don't care for his method. It involves chasing and nets. Mine involves feed and outsmarting.
Mini Horses
Sustainability Master
it's still too cold here in VA to garden. I could start some cabbage, broccoli, etc. for early use & peas can go out next month, late. But, won't start tomato, peppers, etc. until late Feb, to out in Mar. Even then, have to be prepared with cover for the young plants that want more heat.
This year we've have real extremes from week to week in weather, like so many areas. Farmers are in for a tough road this Spring. But, I can hardly wait to get something going!!
Ahhh...chicken plowing. I have AGH pigs doing that and it was really GREAT until the real cold hit. Then, they decided to burrow out larger & deeper pits to lay in during the day.
Seems they felt this was warmer & below the winds. Oh, they lined them with some straw & built a little pile on the windward side. Smart animals! The went back into their huts when the rain & snow came. The holes are now full of water & I'm not impressed! They were rooting shallow. More tilling to level out than I had hoped. Goofy pigs! March -- one boy goes with girls and one to butcher. Will co-ordinate with my moving them to another field & re-tilling their current ones. My goaties have given me LOTS of straw bedding for the garden. Kidding soon, sooo hope it warms to allow me to clean it all, rebed for those events. Then milking starts.
I love farming, I love farming, I
This year we've have real extremes from week to week in weather, like so many areas. Farmers are in for a tough road this Spring. But, I can hardly wait to get something going!!
Ahhh...chicken plowing. I have AGH pigs doing that and it was really GREAT until the real cold hit. Then, they decided to burrow out larger & deeper pits to lay in during the day.
Seems they felt this was warmer & below the winds. Oh, they lined them with some straw & built a little pile on the windward side. Smart animals! The went back into their huts when the rain & snow came. The holes are now full of water & I'm not impressed! They were rooting shallow. More tilling to level out than I had hoped. Goofy pigs! March -- one boy goes with girls and one to butcher. Will co-ordinate with my moving them to another field & re-tilling their current ones. My goaties have given me LOTS of straw bedding for the garden. Kidding soon, sooo hope it warms to allow me to clean it all, rebed for those events. Then milking starts.I love farming, I love farming, I
- Thread starter
- #644
rhoda_bruce
Almost Self-Reliant
I'm not sure what I did to myself this morning while doing my chores, but it was bad. I know I had to fight with the goat about 4 times because I didn't noticed I had tied her up too close to things she could tangle herself up with, but I didn't think I was that soft.
I'm hurting something terrible. Arms, legs, feet and hands. Apparently I'm out of muscle rub, so I got DD12 to fetch me the essential oils and I used the cheat sheet to come up with a home made muscle rub, but I was missing 2 of the oils it called for, but had the other 4, so mostly it should be good. Seems like its a little better, but a massage therapist would be awesome.
It could be that I drug the water tank to the barn, about 30 feet, but I was more blaming it on the goat.
I was so upset that I texted a goat friend to find her a new owner. She is only a lawnmower. She never managed to catch a single baby, let alone give me a glass of milk. I like her, but I can't contain her and I hate having fights with goats that want to charge.
Seriously.......I think a flexeril is in order about now.
I'm hurting something terrible. Arms, legs, feet and hands. Apparently I'm out of muscle rub, so I got DD12 to fetch me the essential oils and I used the cheat sheet to come up with a home made muscle rub, but I was missing 2 of the oils it called for, but had the other 4, so mostly it should be good. Seems like its a little better, but a massage therapist would be awesome.
It could be that I drug the water tank to the barn, about 30 feet, but I was more blaming it on the goat.
I was so upset that I texted a goat friend to find her a new owner. She is only a lawnmower. She never managed to catch a single baby, let alone give me a glass of milk. I like her, but I can't contain her and I hate having fights with goats that want to charge.
Seriously.......I think a flexeril is in order about now.
Denim Deb
More Precious than Rubies
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Sometimes you have to make those hard decisions.
hqueen13
<Insert Snazzy Title Here
Aww, sorry you're hurting! I hope you're feeling better by now! It is frustrating to fight with animals. Not the fun part of the job.
- Thread starter
- #647
rhoda_bruce
Almost Self-Reliant
I figured out that it was more likely a close call in a car accident I missed, by slamming my breaks. Funny how that can hurt you so much. But I just needed rest. I'm fine now.
Well, I had a lady wanting to come over for my goat and a man who wanted to trade me a gander for some rabbit cages, so I put on my boots and caught the goat and tied her up to a post and then I grabbed the net and went into the water fowl pen and tripped on a cypress knee and fell flat into a belly bust, but discovered I bounce. It was funny once it happened, but not so much hours later, when, again I am medicating and herbing myself to sleep. Then after the couple left with Penny, I brought the gander to my friend's house and he insisted on showing all his projects and set up. He floods worse than me, I think, but he has some neat ideas. He has a really thick layer of straw in pathways everywhere he needs to walk and its actually pretty springy to step on it. Glad I went in boots. He buys kiddy wading pools when they on sale and puts them under the rabbits, so he can do what he wants with the droppings, as needed. Smelly, but ingenious. But he insisted on giving me 2 peking ducks, so I gained as many animals as I lost, but still lost much more weight. I do have to double back and replace some wire, where I pulled it away because all my ducks are lose and I don't need the neighbors calling the police.
But now with the goat gone and the possibility of having all my animals managed, I think I can try to set up some more tractor tire beds to grow something in. Maybe put some shade loving stuff under the cypress trees. God knows the sun will be cooking everything come July and August.
Yesterday was 3 years Momma died and I called Daddy and he wasn't sure about the date, so I told him it was the day and he needed a few things at the store, so got them and was heading back home, when I saw the UPS truck in the next street, so went home instead and picked up the eggs while waiting and my log splitter came in. DS and I pulled it out the box and I used it a bit. How nice.......I will be able to clean my front yard today or tomorrow.
Also hung those 2 cages from the rafters in the coop. Loved it. I think I should probably get a little more hay for the rabbits though. I bet they would like to stand on it and use it for cover. They must feel naked. But I need to talk to Daddy and forgot. I really think he and Momma used to make their own cages and I need more, if I want to set myself up good. It is hard to believe all I need is a trio to provide my family with 400 Lbs of meat. That I have to see. Plus, I got scratched up when I transferred the rabbits. I don't really know how to handle them. And I think I need to come up with a good way to slaughter......with all the killing I have done, never that. But I've cleaned quite a few.....all wild ones, when DH used to hunt with his father and brothers.
Well, I had a lady wanting to come over for my goat and a man who wanted to trade me a gander for some rabbit cages, so I put on my boots and caught the goat and tied her up to a post and then I grabbed the net and went into the water fowl pen and tripped on a cypress knee and fell flat into a belly bust, but discovered I bounce. It was funny once it happened, but not so much hours later, when, again I am medicating and herbing myself to sleep. Then after the couple left with Penny, I brought the gander to my friend's house and he insisted on showing all his projects and set up. He floods worse than me, I think, but he has some neat ideas. He has a really thick layer of straw in pathways everywhere he needs to walk and its actually pretty springy to step on it. Glad I went in boots. He buys kiddy wading pools when they on sale and puts them under the rabbits, so he can do what he wants with the droppings, as needed. Smelly, but ingenious. But he insisted on giving me 2 peking ducks, so I gained as many animals as I lost, but still lost much more weight. I do have to double back and replace some wire, where I pulled it away because all my ducks are lose and I don't need the neighbors calling the police.
But now with the goat gone and the possibility of having all my animals managed, I think I can try to set up some more tractor tire beds to grow something in. Maybe put some shade loving stuff under the cypress trees. God knows the sun will be cooking everything come July and August.
Yesterday was 3 years Momma died and I called Daddy and he wasn't sure about the date, so I told him it was the day and he needed a few things at the store, so got them and was heading back home, when I saw the UPS truck in the next street, so went home instead and picked up the eggs while waiting and my log splitter came in. DS and I pulled it out the box and I used it a bit. How nice.......I will be able to clean my front yard today or tomorrow.
Also hung those 2 cages from the rafters in the coop. Loved it. I think I should probably get a little more hay for the rabbits though. I bet they would like to stand on it and use it for cover. They must feel naked. But I need to talk to Daddy and forgot. I really think he and Momma used to make their own cages and I need more, if I want to set myself up good. It is hard to believe all I need is a trio to provide my family with 400 Lbs of meat. That I have to see. Plus, I got scratched up when I transferred the rabbits. I don't really know how to handle them. And I think I need to come up with a good way to slaughter......with all the killing I have done, never that. But I've cleaned quite a few.....all wild ones, when DH used to hunt with his father and brothers.
Britesea
Sustainability Master
I don't know the technique they used, but I've been told DH and his brothers got so good at butchering rabbits they could kill, skin, and clean one in less than a minute. Practice makes perfect.
- Thread starter
- #649
rhoda_bruce
Almost Self-Reliant
My dad would make a hole and insert a hose pipe and inflate the skin and then pull it off. He never saved the skins, but I think that is a waste. I would at least like to try to preserve the skins. My understanding is I can sell a coon skin when the Indians come for their Pow wows, for $8/each, but that might not be accurate. Not sure where I can sell rabbit skins, but I can give it a try and find out later. Or I can just sew it myself into some cute little jackets. The guy that traded the gander for 2 cages and 2 ducks, told me he saves his skins in a freezer until summer because he can tan and dry faster in the heat. Then he showed me a freezer jammed pack with skins. Does he ever have his work cut out for him.
I'm not saying it will be something regular that I do, but I hate to see anything wasted. If I just have to feed them and the skins can pay me back for some of the food, then I can almost have free meat, except for my work.
I'm not saying it will be something regular that I do, but I hate to see anything wasted. If I just have to feed them and the skins can pay me back for some of the food, then I can almost have free meat, except for my work.
hqueen13
<Insert Snazzy Title Here
You're on a roll!
