Denim Deb Hay, hay, hay. Thank the Lord!

[savingdogs]

I'm ready for winter to end, too!

We have a thumbs up sign, why not a thumbs down?

Winter is by far my least favorite season. I think for those of us who enjoy being outdoors, it just isn't any fun at all.

 

[MsPony]

Winter...? I'm planting seeds in 80* weather

But seriously, my poor horse. The gate area to his pasture is sunk, which makes a huge mud pit, and one I don't want to go in. Should prob go see him today

 

[Denim Deb]

Today, I got to the farm and went to feed my chickens. As soon as I opened the door to the pen, I knew something was wrong. Wanda didn't come running (or flying) to greet me. Penny started towards me, then stopped. I asked her where Wanda was, but she didn't reply. Then Ralph and Angel showed up, but there was no sign of Wanda. I checked their water, it was fine. Then I filled up the food dish and started to look for Wanda. I almost missed her. Half buried in the straw was Wanda-or what was left of her. Something got her. Her head was gone. Because of how she was, I'm wondering if a rat got her. (Remember, for now my birds are in an old calf house. I know the rats have tunneled into there.)

And as much as I'm going to miss her, in a way, I'm relieved. Wanda had a cross beak. Because of that, it was hard to feed her. I had to have the food in a deep dish so she could eat it. (Penny also has a cross beak, but not as bad as Wanda's. I'm hoping if I learn how to trim it that it will help her eat some of the stuff I put in there that she can't handle. Crumbles, she handles fine. She's my heaviest bird.) So, I went thru more feed than I should have because it would get wasted. Plus, she was lighter than all my other birds. I honestly don't know if she had enough to her to lay eggs. And, since from what I understand the beak is genetic, even though it's recessive, if Ralph also carries the gene, then I'd have to worry about passing it on to any chicks.

I thought about getting some more chicks and raising them. But, 1st off, I don't want to risk getting more cross beaks. Wanda came that way, but Penny was older when she developed her's. Plus, after reading about all the problems lwheelr had w/her chicks, I don't want to risk it. So, I'm hoping I'll have at least one hen that gets broody. Then I can raise my own.

 

[i_am2bz]

I'm sorry about Wanda, DD.

 

[savingdogs]

Aw, no....I'm sorry about your hen. She was lucky to have a nice life with you, some people would have culled her instead of being carefully loved. She was lucky.

Your story reminds me however of when we lost my elderly cat after we moved here. We had just found out she needed to be on expensive, life-long medication for a new chronic condition, in addition to having needed special expenive urinary tract food for her entire life. She was becoming very expensive for me. She disliked the medicine intensely and "escaped" the house at night in a huff. I never saw her again.

While I was really really upset about losing her after ramming a pill down her throat for awhile, with time I have come to realize at least if the Lord needed to take one of my kitties, at least He took the right one off my plate. My other cats are young, healthy mousers and Daffodil had already lived a long happy life.

 

[FarmerJamie]

Deb!!! You're here tonight!!! Come join us on Wannabee's thread!

 

[Denim Deb]

Yeah, I'm here. OK, I'll head on over. Thanks.

 

[Denim Deb]

Yesterday, I went out to feed Stormy his 2nd feeding and check everyone's water. If she wants out, I'll let Cindy out of the tack shed. Yesterday she wanted out, so I let her out while I was checking waters. She's walking across the field, close to the fence when I noticed Licorice put her head down, ears back, and she started RUNNING towards Cindy w/a wide opened mouth! I yelled at her, and Cindy started running. She got out of the field real quick. When I got to her, she had pony spit all over her back. So, I'm wondering if Licky would have grabbed her if I hadn't been there.

RU is happy. She has 1 pullet, and it's just started to lay eggs. My rooster is the father so her pullet is laying green eggs! And, she's the only one laying right now. I need to have a talk w/my girls. They had just started to lay again, then stopped. Hopefully, they'll start laying soon. I had to buy eggs on Saturday.

After I lost Wanda, I decided to see if I could move the house the chickens are in. I had tried b4, but w/no luck. But, after working at it for several minutes, I was finally able to get it up. I put a heavy metal mesh panel down under it. It's not quite as wide as the house, but it is longer. So, unless the rats come in thru the door, they won't get in for now. The ground is just too frozen for them to dig. I miss Wanda. It feels so strange to feed the chickens w/out having to remove her from the can. She always jumped in as soon as I opened it.

I'm glad my DH never got my chicken house made. Someone gave RU a stray emu. Right now, it's in her horse trailer. We're trying to figure out where I can put my chickens instead of where they are since that used to be a emu pen. Then that way, she can put the emu in there. I'm glad I knew she had it though. Otherwise, I think it might have given me a heart attack when it stuck it's head out of the trailer!

Like the rest of you, I'm waiting for spring. I'm tired of all the cold.

 

[rebecca100]

Dh's horse was stinkin' mean the other day. She has had an attitude since we got her, but she had started to calm down, I thought. I went to check her hay before I got her grain and I petted and talked to her for a second. As I ran my hand down her neck she shot her ears back and I saw her teeth flash as I threw up my arm and she bit me on it. I couldn't get back because I was beside the wall. Fortunately she mostly got my jacket so I wasn't hurt bad. My arm was bruised and sore the next day, but that was it. Mean heifer. Or rather mean, really big horse.

 

[Denim Deb]

Did you smack her for it? If not, she'll do it again. Sounds like she needs an attitude adjustment. Sounds like a basic lack of respect. Have you done any work w/her on that? If not, unless it's too frozen where you live, the RP can by your friend.