Frustratedearthmother's Journaling Journey

[frustratedearthmother]

Been a busy day so far. I picked up two round bales and got one of 'em right where I want it. The other one is still on the tractor until I decide exactly where I want that one. Got the front and side yards mowed - still need to get to the back. Did a load of laundry and needa get another one going.

Fixed dad banana pancakes this morning and have extras to freeze for the rest of the week. And since we've been having chicken a lot around here lately we're gonna change gears tonight and tomorrow. Smoked sausage links tonight and pork roast tomorrow.

I do have a couple (or three) apples ...might have to make something dessert-ish out of 'em. Thanks @NH Homesteader for the idea.

Pigs are doing a decent job on the garden area, but, they've been picky about where they're rooting. I tossed some corn out into another area this morning and they decided that was a good place to root too.

Gracie has been hard on the chickens lately...she jut can't stop herself! If/when a chicken gets in "her" yard she considers 'em fair game. Most of the chickens know better than to test her territory - but the Ameraucana that were just let out of a pen a few days ago haven't learned her rules. Stoopid chickens.

Lots of stuff left to do so I better get busy.

Happy Saturday ya'll!

 

[NH Homesteader]

Well chickens aren't the brightest ones on the farm! Hope they figure it out though!

Good idea on the corn. My pig has one section left to till where she is now and she just isn't getting in there. Maybe I'll have DH put some corn in there. I don't get in there very often these days. Climbing over the panels is a bit... Awkward lately!

Smoked sausage sounds delicious!!

 

[Mini Horses]

Yes, sausage sounds good and would blend with the vino I am currently enjoying!! AND I deserve it!!!

Worked until 3: home to unload feed, give it out, fill water tubs and relaxing until chickens go to bed so I can close up. Work tomorrow but don't start until noon -- Will be day 10 in a row to work. May (?) be off Monday, then work again. Just gotta do it when it's there...pay for hay...will have time off in the next few months.

Loved the cute "after dinner" time with mom & dad.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Sausage was pretty tasty! Might fry some up tomorrow morning to go with pancakes. Dad will love that
These folks have been existing on peanut butter sandwiches and Ensure for long enough!

I did a lot of the outside work today...mowing...moving hay, etc. Tomorrow I need to worm a few goats and give the dogs some Ivomec for heartworm prevention. The rut is in full swing around here. Literally watched a buck try like crazy to breed a doe through the fence....crazy goats!

Chester, the tiny pygmy, is still ruling the roost as the "herd sire" these days. I just don't have the time to patch up the fence so he can't walk through the stock panels. Don't even care, lol.

Got the oldsters bathed and freshened up. Stripped their bed and washed their sheets. Told 'em they gotta have clean sheets to go with their clean bodies, lol! I've always been a clean sheet person...learned from my mama. But, the first week they were here when I washed their sheets on the weekend she seemed surprised.

I had a talk with her today about their hygiene. Explained that keeping up with the "activities of daily living" was a criteria used to determine if older folks could remain on their own. It's funny that she can't remember for 5 seconds if she's eaten breakfast - but when we talk about the 'important' stuff she retains it. However, when I mentioned getting them a doc appointment - she did NOT like that idea. Oh well, gonna happen whether she likes the idea or not.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Go Chester! Lol he's got to be loving that he's the one who can sneak in there!!

Your parents are kinda feisty, lol! Hope they get in with a doc soon and get meds, etc straightened out.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Yes, sausage sounds good and would blend with the vino I am currently enjoying!! AND I deserve it!!!

I like the way you think!

Your parents are kinda feisty, lol!

Oh yea they are!

Some days I think they've settled right in and other days they're still asking me where the bathroom is....geeze!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Yesterday was BUSY! Got two more round bales moved from the pasture up the road to my pasture. I was in a hurry to get inside and watch the Texans game so I just plopped them down in a handy place. I will need to move them again to their winter resting place and get them covered. That'll come...probably about the time the weatherman says its going to rain. Nothing like putting it off until the last minute.

I've been saying for weeks that I needed to get out and worm some goats. Finally yesterday I brought them all in and checked eyelids. It was a bit surprising that most of them looked ok! Only six of the does were extremely pale including the doeling that had bottle jaw last week I had given her an Ivomec injection but I followed up and wormed her again yesterday. The other ones were pygmies that hadn't been wormed in at least a year....so I wasn't surprised about that.

I've been using a new feed with a very high copper content. I'm thinking that's the reason that most of the gals actually look pretty good. The goat feed I use is actually a sheep/goat pellet and is very low in copper. I found a mare/foal feed that has 50ppm copper so I've been mixing that in with my goat pellets. It seems to be helping a number of the gals!

I'm also using a new (old) wormer that I've never used on my place and am hoping that it makes a difference. It's Levamisole and it was popular a few decades ago. (Most people stopped using it when the Ivomec products and similar drugs came on the market.) The good thing about that is there should be little to no parasite resistance with it.

I'm having to face a hard reality with some of my goats. Most of the ones that needed worming are all descendants of Red. Red has always been my hands down favorite Nubian. But... what's that old saying? Eighty% of parasite problems are in 20% of your goats. I hate that! Might have to consider needing to move 'em on down the road. They would likely do great in another setting - perhaps a dry lot or a place that doesn't stay as wet/damp as my place does. They are beautiful moon-spotted does that are total eye candy. Gonna see how they do with this new wormer.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Eye candy sells well though! I've had a hard time finding a goat feed I'm happy with also. I like Blue Seal but their dairy pellets are 20% and the only other non-medicated feed is sweet feed. So maybe I'll check out horse feeds, that's a good idea.

The Texans game was the Patriots game for us New Englanders, lol. Of course I will leave the politics at a minimum but I'm not currently feeling like being an NFL supporter.

Let us know how the wormer works. I'm curious.

 

[Mini Horses]

You've had a productive day. Reward yourself!

I've used Blue Seal for over 30 yrs. My goats regularly get horse feed. I found years ago they did great on it. I'm sure the higher copper was ONE of the reasons. And Blue Seal has excellent feeds! Used to get top of the line for $8.00 a 50# bag....that shows it's been a long, long, long time

I use the 16% protein & add the 30% sunshine top dressed a couple times a week. Their Sr feeds are amazing.

I'm shopping a 75% Boer 25% Nub that is a beautifully spotted, buck. I haven't bitten the bullet but it's tempting. Need new blood in buck line due to retaining daughters, etc. Since most of the kids have been going as meat, Boer is an option. I have mostly full sized does. I'd like to just rent him!! Plan to call her tomorrow, today I was home doing farm stuff.

 

[NH Homesteader]

I'm going to check that out- do you know the name of the feed? Blue Seal has like a million horse feeds if I recall correctly... I love Blue Seal. My husband used it growing up for his horses too, great feed. Do you feed it to your buck as well? Love boers, you must share pictures if you get him!