Frustratedearthmother's Journaling Journey

[frustratedearthmother]

Wish I had something exciting to report - but I just don't.

We need rain! I've been watering continuously for several days now. I set the hose on trickle and lay it around the trees. My lemon tree is looking horrible and of course, it's covered with lemons. It's dropped a few already...sigh. I'm trying to keep the fig trees alive - no longer worried about the crappy crop. I'm hoping the tomatoes will pull through and bear in the fall so I'm baby-ing them too. I did plant a new bed of green beans and they're popping up. High hopes for a crop.

Bucks are starting rut - ugh. Dusty, the Nubian buck, has lost so much weight that he looks skeleton-ish. He's healthy, eye membranes bright pink, he's just too interested in girls to bother eating. Stoopid boy.

Still need to sell some goats. I'm down to 32, but it's getting harder and harder to decide who stays and who goes. I think I'm going to go ahead and wether some of the bucklings and plan on harvesting them for the freezer. It's always hard, because I love my little bucks, but I love 'em in the crock pot just as much as I love 'em in the pasture, lol!

Happy Sunday, ya'll!

 

[Denim Deb]

I have the same problem, only w/chickens!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Slow week on the farm and I'm not complaining! My broody silkie hatched two chicks and was still on 6 eggs as of last night. But - when I went out this morning the nest had been destroyed and the remaining eggs gone - GRRRRRR! Thankfully, both babies were still alive and well. One of 'em was under the broody and the other had buried itself in some hay and came running out when mama clucked. Good survival instincts on that one! I've seen a possum a couple of times when I go out early in the mornings so I'm guessing that's the culprit. Guess it's time to put out the live trap again.

Bucks are in full-on rut. They've already slowed way down on eating and tend to stay on the fence lines as much as possible. Stoopid goats. I need to close one of the gates to a pen they have access to and that'll confine them to an area that won't share a fenceline with the does.

I haven't even thought about breeding anybody yet. I've got three does in milk so I don't really neeeeeed to breed anybody. But, that's not what it's about, lol. It's about the need to see what I can get from the crosses of a particular doe with a particular buck! It's like a puzzle that I can't wait to get finished so I can see the whole picture, lol.

I'm going to make getting some hay a priority this weekend. Just what I want to do in the 100+ temps we've got forecast. Oh well...

Happy Thursday ya'll!

 

[Denim Deb]

Glad the chicks were OK. I killed a possum earlier in the year.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Well, didn't get any hay, didn't get any little bucks wethered, didn't do any mowing, didn't do much of anything!

DH and I were supposed to go take my dad out for his b'day lunch - but seems there's some family drama going on between my brother and my mother that I didn't know about and she was just too upset to go out. Now - just because she was upset didn't mean I didn't want to still take my dad out, but mom just 'couldn't handle' having anyone over to the house....meaning me and DH. Geeze.....

 

[goatgurl]

sorry your weekend visit with your dad was a bust. i know to much about family drama. it gets so old doesn't it . hope your chicks are doing well. i hate opossums. i had 4 silverlaced wyandotte pullets in a grow out pen in the back yard within 50 ft of my back door and a darn coon came in and killed them all in one night. he won't do that again...

 

[frustratedearthmother]

It really does, GG.... it really does....

Farm news: I banded the three little bucks last night....finally. Hope it's not too late - geeze they grow fast! This way I can leave them with their mama out in the pasture without worrying that they'll breed every girl on the place. Really, really, really hope they haven't yet. Time will tell - but I think I caught 'em before that happened.

I need to get busy this weekend and worm a few goats that I'm seeing pale eyelids on. I don't think I've ever wormed goats like I've wormed goats this year. I had hoped since we've really dried out that it would get better - and while it has at least marginally - I'm still finding the occasional goat that needs to be re-dosed.

We're going for record-breaking heat today. Predicted high is 104. Only thing that might save us is a tiny little chance for a shower. Praying hard for that!

Better get to work.... Happy Tuesday ya'll!

 

[goatgurl]

ditto is the worming for this year. i lost a 2 year old doe to barber pole worms last month and am still fighting worms. every one is doing better. it has really let me know who is more parasite resistant in my herd.
day before yesterday it was 105 with a 115 heat index. everything stayed in the shade and panted, yesterday was 101 and today we are having a cool down, only 96 do far at 1:30. i swore this spring when it was wet and cold that i wouldn't complain about the heat but I'm about to renege on that promise.

 

[Denim Deb]

Glad it hasn't been that hot here! We've had some days in the 90s but I don't think we've had an official temp of over 100.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

We broke that record - high on Tuesday was 106... AND, just for added fun - our county is officially in a severe drought... We are back to having cracks in the ground big enough for the horses to break a leg in. Hoping relief is in sight though because they're putting a chance of rain back in the forecast starting next week.

Almost forgot - caught a possum Tuesday night and dispatched him. Still lost another quail the next night! ARGH! These quail are in a cage with 1 inch wire openings and 1/4 inch hardware cloth on the bottom and something is still getting them! I have 4 quail left. I moved them from being suspended to sitting on a table in hopes that nothing could get up under them - but whatever it is got another one anyway. I hate varmints!