Frustratedearthmother's Journaling Journey
- Thread starter frustratedearthmother
- Start date
The curling tail feather means it's a drake yes. If you can get some more pics of them we can check. Hope you're letting them stay!Mini Horses
Sustainability Master
Cute. Warning: they will swim in every water trough you have. Looks cool while happening, then you find they leave presents in there. 
Maybe a neighbor has lost them???
Maybe a neighbor has lost them???
- Thread starter
- #9,553
frustratedearthmother
Sustainability Master
I haven't been out yet - but did see from the upstairs window that they are now IN the pasture. I know for certain that they didn't come from neighbors on either side of me - unless they just brought them home yesterday. Can't believe that knowing both neighbors...
Yes - they are all drakes. All have the curled tail feathers.
I really don't want them in the water troughs - but if they stay - they will be guided to the pond. They can deposit their gifts there, lol. I guess duck tastes pretty good, huh?
Yes - they are all drakes. All have the curled tail feathers.
I really don't want them in the water troughs - but if they stay - they will be guided to the pond. They can deposit their gifts there, lol. I guess duck tastes pretty good, huh?
baymule
Sustainability Master
I bet somebody dropped them off at "that lady with all the animals" so they would have a good home. And they will! Freezer camp?
Mini Horses
Sustainability Master
Duck is good. Free duck is better. Plucking is a PITA. Then, you have a machine so may not be too bad. 
Let us know.
Let us know.- Thread starter
- #9,556
frustratedearthmother
Sustainability Master
I've called some of the neighbors. Neither they, or any one they know has lost any ducks. My son is a duck lover. He might take them he said. I think I'll clip their wings and dump 'em over his fence, lol. He wants ducklings - but he might learn to love these too.
My sweet Luna is turning into quite a little milker. She's learned a lot in a week or so. I've gone from milking into a small container with one hand so she couldn't kick a bucket - to putting the bucket under her and commencing milking like she was an old pro. She's quiet and steady and her output has increased almost double. The first day I milked her I got a pint. Yesterday she was just a bit shy of a quart. Love this little gal.
Six straight days of triple digit temps. And we're dry! Crazy times for us, lol. We have a possibility of wet stuff in a couple days and I'd welcome it for sure. Hoping we get some rain and coolish weather by at least late September or early October so I can put out some rye seeds and maybe some other cool weather grasses. I think I've got enough hay - but I'd like it to be back-up and some greenery to be foremost.
My sweet Luna is turning into quite a little milker. She's learned a lot in a week or so. I've gone from milking into a small container with one hand so she couldn't kick a bucket - to putting the bucket under her and commencing milking like she was an old pro. She's quiet and steady and her output has increased almost double. The first day I milked her I got a pint. Yesterday she was just a bit shy of a quart. Love this little gal.
Six straight days of triple digit temps. And we're dry! Crazy times for us, lol. We have a possibility of wet stuff in a couple days and I'd welcome it for sure. Hoping we get some rain and coolish weather by at least late September or early October so I can put out some rye seeds and maybe some other cool weather grasses. I think I've got enough hay - but I'd like it to be back-up and some greenery to be foremost.
baymule
Sustainability Master
We are a dust bowl, 101 degrees today. Sheep want to eat hay and lay up in their barn. Of course, I keep the round bale conveniently in their barn. LOL
Mini Horses
Sustainability Master
Yah, Luna!! So, a qt a day may be "enough" for you two, for daily use anyway. Nice. She loves you!!
I'm drying one of the two I'm milking. Only 1X day and they give just over 1 gal. I've got 8 qts ricotta in freezer, gave a friend another 2.5 qts today, and still have 3 gal milk in frig
You know the drill. But I do want to milk one a few more months.Our heat is back to just above normal, so 90s, and we have a little rain going on for next 4-5 days. Off & on stuff, occasional T-storm.
We do need pastures to grow. It isn't a bad thing.- Thread starter
- #9,559
frustratedearthmother
Sustainability Master
Hoping that today is the end of our triple digits. When the actual air temp is 102 the heat index is off the chart - argh. I have turned into a total slug this past week. Animals are sick of it too. We're scheduled for rain maybe this evening and tomorrow. Hopewe have a little rain going on for next 4-5 days. Off & on stuff, occasional T-storm.
Today is the last day I work before surgery on Monday. Thank goodness that gives me a few days to get some last minute preps done. DH is really terrified that he thinks he's going to need to feed for weeks, lol. I figure a couple days maybe... But, I'm still going to go out and mix up a full can of feed for him to work out of for the goats. I use a mix of three different feeds and add minerals and kelp to 'em and he's afraid he won't get it right. So, I'll pre-mix some for him. I'll also pre-mix lay pellets and scratch - but I always do that anyway. Pig feed - it's just pellets and corn... a scoop of one..a scoop of the other until the bucket is full. Not all that difficult, lol.
Also been picking up some extras for food. As I read on a website the other day that right before and right after surgery is NOT THE TIME TO DIET. You need plenty of good nutrition to heal. So, I'm taking that to heart and bought some ice cream. Lots of protein, right? I'll make up some cook-ahead meals this weekend also. Rotisserie chicken was on sale yesterday so I bought two. I'll part one out for the freezer and we'll be eating on the other one for a day or so. I'll save the carcasses for broth. Maybe chicken soup will be on the menu one day - it's good for what ails ya!
Had to lock up one of the wethers with the boys last night. Never, never, never will I leave the horns on a goat again. He has gotten his head stuck every single day for a week - sometimes twice a day. ARGH! Guess I'll find a piece of PVC or a strong stick and tape 'em to his horns so he can't stick his stupid head through the fence....sigh. He WILL be the first one in the freezer!
- Thread starter
- #9,560
frustratedearthmother
Sustainability Master
Home today - yay! Took a vacation day in advance of my next few weeks of being off.
Working on getting some meals pre-planned and at least partially pre-cooked. I have two rotisserie chickens deboned and most of the meat in the freezer for quick meals. We had part of one chicken in our salad for a previous dinner and the other one will go in a quiche today. I've got stock from the two carcasses simmering on the stove.
Plan to make a meat loaf up and put in the freezer - might actually make two smaller ones. Probably pre-cook one and freeze the other one as 'ready to cook.'
Need to get out and do some animal 'stuff' this evening when it gets cooler. I have feed in my truck waiting to be unloaded. Hope I bought enough for a couple of weeks - not really wanting to unload feed for awhile.
I also need to work on the feeder situation. I have feeders that hang on the fence, but the gals always knock them down. I'm going to find some way to attach them permanently so DH doesn't have to deal with that issue when he's feeding.
One of my does had gotten really thin nursing two babies that were more total poundage than she is. Weight went way down so I moved her away from them. She stressed so much being away from her (8 month old) babies that she must have had a parasite bloom. While she was already thinner than I like to see - she became absolutely skeletal despite being wormed twice. I had also given her two separate iron injections and two B-complex injections. She hates me, lol. So, I bought another brand of wormer and wormed her a third time using both wormers together. Within a couple days of the last worming and last injections I can see her coming back. I swear she must be gaining several pounds a day. It's like watching a deflated balloon re-inflate! Yay Lucy! She's one of my most dependable does and an awesome milker so I'm glad she's on the mend.
I'll be using the combo worming on the next batch of does when I pull their babies. One of the wormers is not for use in pregnant does - so I need to get it done before breeding commences.
Working on getting some meals pre-planned and at least partially pre-cooked. I have two rotisserie chickens deboned and most of the meat in the freezer for quick meals. We had part of one chicken in our salad for a previous dinner and the other one will go in a quiche today. I've got stock from the two carcasses simmering on the stove.
Plan to make a meat loaf up and put in the freezer - might actually make two smaller ones. Probably pre-cook one and freeze the other one as 'ready to cook.'
Need to get out and do some animal 'stuff' this evening when it gets cooler. I have feed in my truck waiting to be unloaded. Hope I bought enough for a couple of weeks - not really wanting to unload feed for awhile.
I also need to work on the feeder situation. I have feeders that hang on the fence, but the gals always knock them down. I'm going to find some way to attach them permanently so DH doesn't have to deal with that issue when he's feeding.
One of my does had gotten really thin nursing two babies that were more total poundage than she is. Weight went way down so I moved her away from them. She stressed so much being away from her (8 month old) babies that she must have had a parasite bloom. While she was already thinner than I like to see - she became absolutely skeletal despite being wormed twice. I had also given her two separate iron injections and two B-complex injections. She hates me, lol. So, I bought another brand of wormer and wormed her a third time using both wormers together. Within a couple days of the last worming and last injections I can see her coming back. I swear she must be gaining several pounds a day. It's like watching a deflated balloon re-inflate! Yay Lucy! She's one of my most dependable does and an awesome milker so I'm glad she's on the mend.
I'll be using the combo worming on the next batch of does when I pull their babies. One of the wormers is not for use in pregnant does - so I need to get it done before breeding commences.
