Homesteading with animals...post a pic!

[RTRChick]

Growing up my parents owned like 75 black angus cows, my sister and i named all of them, it just a got a little hard to tell them apart.

And the ones we ate were Ribeye, T-bone, NY strip... and the like.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Well, my husband named his two silkie roosters Drumstick and Porkchop.

The two BBBTurkeys are Thanksgiving and Dinner (now he calls them Long Neck and Short Neck)

And he named his two new chickens Pepper and Butter LOLOL

 

[Homesteadmom]

Growing up my parents owned like 75 black angus cows, my sister and i named all of them, it just a got a little hard to tell them apart.

And the ones we ate were Ribeye, T-bone, NY strip... and the like.

We had 2 pigs when I was a little girl on our farm & my brother & I named them Pork chop & Bacon(I know not too original).

My hens are named, Gracie, Lucy, Ruth & Elizabeth. the roosters are Charlie, George & Fireball.
The cows are Daisy(momma) & Princess. Ds was into the Dukes of Hazards when we got Daisy & Star Wars when the baby was born.
The ram is Ramsey, he was already named when we got him at 5 mos old & ds wanted to leave it that.
The new duckling really does not have a name yet as we know not what it is!!! So we just call it Duck or Duckie. Anyone know how to tell male from female? It is almost 5 weeks old.

 

[Beekissed]

Moved this post:

I had to reinforce training on my young dog, Jake, this day. The other day I noticed him "sort of" loping after a chicken. I know what he was doing and it was entirely innocent, but I don't want to encourage this at all. An innocent moment can become carnage with dogs and chickens, I imagine.

He loves to sniff butts! This is his passion in life. Not people's butts but every dog, cat and chicken who has a butt is a potential magnet to our Jake. Disgusting, I know, but we all have our thing, don't we? What do you expect from a "mom" who loves the smell of skunk?

So, I had to get a chicken and dominate the dog...anyone looking on would have thought I had lost my mind, but it had to be done! This time, I held the chicken at his throat while he was "in submission".....both the chicken and the dog was stunned, I think!

Lucy never needs training...never did. Jake is all jacked up on apples~eats approximately a hundred a day~ and this is the first time he's needed reinforcement since the first day I got the new chickens in March. Not bad for a 2 yr. old Border Collie/Lab mix that can't sit still, jitters around like a cocaine junkie, and is a positively lethal hunter/killer!

I can just imagine what he's thinking: "All I wanted was to sniff it's butt and the old hag picks up a chicken and attacks me with it!"

 

[PotterWatch]

We did the same thing a couple nights ago with our american bulldog. She doesn't get to be outside with the chickens unless we are there, because she loves to chase them. She is chasing with the intent to play, but I know that could become something more sinister in an instant. I am worried about how she will act with the goats when they arrive. I have already had a talk with my kids that if she can't get along with the goats, that she will probably have to find a new home. I would rather her go to a home without prey animals for her to chase, than remain here locked up all the time. I hope it doesn't happen, but I'm prepared if it does come to that.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Just wanted to share pics of the four new chicks that hatched yesterday. We have more due to hatch out on Friday.

Two Frizzle Chicks

One Sizzle chick

And this little chick is my 7 year old son's science project chick. It's a little mutt chick and so cute with muff and beard! No clue what the parents are!

 

[Beekissed]

Awwwwwwwwww.....cuteness overload!!!!

 

[Beekissed]

I'm wondering how many of you folks are trying to create a food resource by keeping livestock on the hoof, handy and available for eating if need be. Are you doing this to create food independence, sell for profit or just for the sheer pleasure of it?

I am doing it for food independence, profit and because it is a challenge to me to see how many things I can do on this one acre that would sustain me through tough times.

So far I have:

A flock of dual purpose chickens, plus roo for replenishing the numbers.

Two ewe sheep, with hopes of getting a ram in the spring. I hope to eat some of the offspring, sell some and tan some hides for sale. They also keep the grass at a level that doesn't need mowing~which saves me money and time. With the rotational grazing, I hope to improve my existing grasses for my free ranging chickens.

I hope to add at least 4 top bar hives of honey bees this year, if I can.

I also hope to add a small pond for the bees, as a reservoir for livestock watering and for irrigation of the garden, and for a breeding pair of ducks for down and duckling production.

 

[freemotion]

Well, I was wrong, my dad says he will be happy to butcher my bucklings....and castrate them for me, too. So we are re-thinking that completely, and......dh is ok with it!!!! The man who refused, one year ago, to eat anything that he saw it's face first! Who grumpily ate our own turkey, then asked when was I getting pigs???

So 2010 will be the year of our own chickens, turkeys (if the pair performs this year!!!), pigs, and goats. Dad and I even started to discuss a bottle calf.....my phone cut out when I asked if he would butcher something that big. But either way, our freezer will be full, as well as all the quart canning jars!

 

[Beekissed]

So, free.....are you doing it for food independence, profit or pleasure? Or all three?