NoobieChickenLady's Journal - SS Score and Mah Kitteh is HOME!! Yay!

[Henrietta23]

Wouldn't that be great!!
I have a few blackberries in my front flower garden that just appeared. I hope to get a few before the birds do.
Our best find was on my parents street on an undeveloped corner. A storm took down a tree branch and the grape vine it was covered with. We got pounds and pounds of grapes and spent days making jelly with them!

 

[noobiechickenlady]

Ooooh grapes! And free ones at that, awesome!
There are grapes behind the house encircling this ancient oak tree, but they are so slow to put on and the grapes are very, very tart. If I could get to them before the deer, I'd try to make apple grape juice or jelly.

We put up a shade cloth yesterday! I know the rabbits will be happier, this 100+ weather has been he!! on them. Frozen water bottles & fans can only do so much.

So we have the rabbit hutches just a couple of feet from the back of the house. DH bought a 20x10 tarp, some hooks & got busy. He & a friend measured, drilled the holes into the outer wall, hung the hooks & caulked around them. While they were doing that, they plugged up the places that wasps were taking up residence under the siding. Then they pounded in 3 salvaged top rails as posts for the outer support. When I got home, we hung the tarp on the house, taped tennis balls onto the posts so the sharp edges wouldn't cut the tarp & tied the tarp down. I expect a dramatic difference in the temperature both around the rabbit hutches & inside the house. The hutches, tarp & our main windows all lined up so that we got most of the solar gain blocked. Woo hoo!

And we'll take it down in cooler months to allow that gain back inside. It really helps with heating, especially when you add insulated curtains & pull them shut just before the sun goes down.

This weekend, I tilled up a portion of the front yard that always seems to grow really deep green, thick grass that gets taller than anywhere else. Put up a section of fencing and planted rattlesnake beans. Burgandy okra and a ton of swiss chard went next to them. I seeded back over the okra with radishes. I have okra coming up and several of the beans are sprouting. Since the chickens got into my previous planting in the back yard, I'm hoping these do well and the deer continue to avoid my place.

Any other goat owners have fewer problems with deer?

 

[noobiechickenlady]

I got on the scale to weigh Umbra the other day (48 lbs, oof!) & for the first time since I first got preggers with DD, I weigh in under 140 lbs. 137 to be exact! WOO HOO!!

The shade cloth is indeed dropping the temp both inside the house & for the rabbits. DH is now insisting that we do the front.

We are planning a trip this weekend to my MIL's place. I love going there, but this time I am worried, anxious, whatever. I'm all aflutter! I didn't fret this much when I left my first born for the first time!

I've got the instructions all typed out, the girls have come over to practice several times. They seem to have caught on and the goats like them. My best friend will be staying at our house to housesit while we are gone, so there shouldn't be any problems but...

We got the lumber for the new goat shed, erected the corner posts & framed it in. All we have to do is slap the siding on & the roof and the goats will have a comfy place all of their own. They've been lounging under the rabbit tarp when we let them closer to the house to clean up the grasses, and we had a shelter of sorts hung up in the field to keep off the rain & sun, but it will be nice for sure to have their own place. We will finish it tonight & tomorrow and hopefully the goats will be somewhat used to it when we return. Once we get back, we'll move the hay feeder & water bucket in there & feed storage as well.

The runty baby rabbit has caught up with his/her siblings, so apparently no need to cull. I think it may have just missed a few feedings in the beginning, I did find it rather lost in the bedding a few times, away from the others. I just kept putting her back every time and now I can't even tell which one it was. We won't be breeding him/her anyways, I'm just glad its not sick. The little buggers are jumping in & out of the nesting box & are fully furred with open eyes. They are starting to mouth mama's feed & nose the waterer too.

The first litter is just about ready to pull from mama & begin putting them on pasture. I still need to do a few mods to the tractor before turning them out tho.

Dixie continues to give 3/4 of a gallon daily, with ocassional gallon days, which is now not enough to keep us in milk with any hope of a surplus. I'm glad I bought Umbra now and can't wait until this fall when I will hopefully breed her & Dixie. I hope to find a pygmy breeder with a good looking place. Failing that, I will get with their former owner to breed her there. She keeps two intact bucks of good milkers, just so she doesn't worry about inbreeding. They can both be bred to her newer buck, who is a completely separate line than either of them, but still comes from a good line.

Lucky still delights in stepping on my feet and his horn caught my arm the other day. I'm eyeing him more & more for the freezer... Seriously, I look at him and think "Mmmm, you'd make a mean curry."

The chickens are doing great, ranging all over the fenced in field with an ocassional escapee. No eggs yet, bah. Probably start laying while we are gone.

 

[Blackbird]

Congratulations!!

I think we need an updated picture of your goats, btw..

 

[noobiechickenlady]

Thank you!! You know what, I did catch a cute one the other day. Let me get it uploaded & I'll post it.

 

[noobiechickenlady]

"Can we come in?" *sorry about the glare

This was all three waiting patiently at the back door for me to bring their food & the milking gear out.

 

[freemotion]

Adorable! And I told you so! (***needing*** more goats ) And congrats on the svelte figure....need a pic of that, too. Imagine that....weight management on fatty whole dairy products....hmmph! <<<cheesy smile!

 

[noobiechickenlady]

Yes, you did and Yes, I need more! More more more!!! But DH says not until/unless we rehome/cull the wether... Sigh.

Mmmmm, yummy full fat milk. I cheat & don't stir the cream back into it when I get a drink. More fat for meeee!
I also lick it off the ladle when I get done dipping

Really! Imagine that, losing weight & feeling freaking awesome on fatty whole, raw "nasty" delicious sweet, fresh goat's milk. And real, honest to goodness butter (storebought, but still). And eggs when I can trade for them, straight out of a chicken's butt! Oh, and let's not forget the bacon grease! Mmmmm, okay, thanks, you got me thinking about fat, which got me thinking about food and now I'm hungry...

Ya'll be good! I'm out til Tuesday! Vacation, here I come!!

 

[framing fowl]

What a cute picture! Have a good time this weekend!

 

[Henrietta23]

Cute picture-full of personality!