Quail_Antwerp: Words from the Barnyard...

[Farmfresh]

As far as goose bite is concerned... my daughter had an African goose named Clark.

He developed a rather nasty little habit. When ever my daughter would call for pizza delivery Clark would hang around the yard being a great noble goose and no problem. Then when the pizza guy would go into the porch to change his pizza for payment - Clark would hurry to his "station" at the opening of the hand railed handicap ramp that leads up to the porch. When the pizza man was ready to leave Clark would spring into action - rising up to his full size, wings spread wide, yelling hissing and even biting any pizza man who dared try to LEAVE!

Word got around. My daughter had to walk the pizza people past the goose - except for one goose owning delivery guy who went by un-scathed everytime.

Finally Clark's pizza patrol was cut short by his playing with a big dog.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

That's funny about Clark!!

I've been meaning to tell ya'll about Chase, my calf. I know I posted about when we purchased the two calves, but I haven't really mentioned them since.

Well, when the weather broke and the grass was greening up, Elroy, Nan, and Boss were keeping up with the pasture field. Poor Chase was barely getting any of it. We would grain the goats and calves, and the goats would gobble theirs down faster than the calves would and then beat the calves off their grain.

One morning back in March we went out to the barn to find Chase laying down, and we thought he was dead. He didn't have the energy to get back up, and apparantly was slowly starving to death. We were upset that we hadn't noticed he wasn't getting enough. Immediately we put him back on milk replacer and once we had him standing, albeit wobbly, we walked him out of the pasture field through the pallet gate, and into the yard. He put his nose in the grass and ate for hours. We put a large pan of water out for him, and left him grazing alone all day.

This started a routine. Each morning we would grain the goats and DH's calf, Boss, and walk Chase out to the yard, give him milk replacer, followed by a bit of grain, and then he would graze all day.

Two months later, my calf is like a huge pet dog! He loves nothing more than to graze around the yard, be petted, comes to the gate in the evening once it is "bedtime" and has filled out and become quite a handsome fellow! He doesn't have a halter on him, and he comes by name when called. He's such a sweet boy! I just hate the thought of when he reaches 1200 pounds and I'll have to either sell him or butcher him....sigh....

Today when I went to get their evening grain, he came running and skipping to meet me at the mini barn where the grain is stored. I skipped to the pallet gate and he was running after me. It was fun. He hasn't butted me with his head in a long time, and he loves it when I scritch behind his ears. He's my big pet Calf. I just love him to bits!! And he's so pretty!!

Boss, DH's calf that almost got away first day home, has tamed down quite a bit, too. We can walk up and pet him as well, but we don't trust him out in the yard like we do Chase. Really, don't want to have to run after him again........

We have decided to get Chase a halter and lead and train him to it. We think with as friendly and tame as he is, he might make a great 4-H calf for DD. We'll see, though.

 

[Beekissed]

He sounds adorable! That's the hardest part of owning beef cattle....parting with the pets. I know this little one we are expecting will be spoiled rotten by the boys and I and it will be the hardest kill I've ever done to butcher him/her out myself this winter.

If you did the 4-H thingy you wouldn't have to actually send him to butcher yourself and she could make quite a bit of money off him at the 4-H auction. Good plan!

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Had a long day today...started out early...fed/watered all the critters...and then it was off to pick up my Aunt and take her into town with our truck. She was wanting materials to build a raised bed, so we made a trip count. She purchased all the lumber and supplies she needed to build the bed, and then she purchased all, and I do mean all, of the top soil and cow manure to fill the bed once it is assembled. DH and I loaded all of it ourselves...even though DH was NOT supposed to be doing any of it!!!!! I tried to do most of it and kept yelling at him to put stuff down...

We stopped at TSC and picked up a pretty blue tube gate for our pasture field. My Aunt bought the book, "The Backyard Homestead" and I nearly robbed her of it. (Not that I am a klepto, but if ya'll had seen that book, you'd be after it, too!)

DH found a cast iron skillet cookbook on clearance. He did buy that for me, and my chicken feed. I haven't looked at the skillet cookbook yet because I've been obsessed with the other book...one track mind and all....

Got home and sorted out things we don't want/need....having a huge yardsale tomorrow and Saturday.

Tomorrow evening DH and nephew plan to go fishing. I'm glad because DH deserves to go have some fun before his back surgery.

Plan to do some rearranging of the house. Moving some unnecessary furniture pieces out of the house tomorrow. Give us some more room to move around. The unnecessary pieces will go into the yardsale.

We planted 11 tomato and 5 pepper plants today. Have 6 more tomatoes to plant. Will probably do that tomorrow.

My friend down the road brought me 7 new chicks today. Three are Golden Lakenvelders straight run, 2 Black Jersey Giant Pullets, and two more yellow chicks that she was told were Golden Pheonix, and I hated to disappoint her, but Pheonix chicks have chipmunky striping to them, and are not yellow. Still, I appreciated that she picked up the chicks for me.

Another friend has acquired some free Pearl guineas, and she's sharing the find with us by giving us 2 of them. We're thrilled and aren't sure when we will be picking them up, but I'm hoping this weekend.

Broke my glasses today. Can't find my back up pair, so I'll be hunting up those for tomorrow!

Made arrangements to trade my egg turner for some Speckled Sussex and Welsummer eggs from another BYC'er....I'm pretty excited about it!

Long, exhuasting day, but it was fun, too.

 

[EweSheep]

What a day you had!!!

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Soo we are thinking about pigs....yes you read that right...Pigs...

Dh and I were discussing it last night...I told him I don't want to rush it, but I'm most interested in setting up a hog lot. Ideally, I would want at least 2, one sow that would be able to produce future litters for our butchering, and one to butcher the first year.

We've set a goal for next spring. That would give us this year to plan for the outbuilding and the fencing. Not sure how much hog panels go for, but I'll be pricing them and finding out.

So this morning talking on the phone with my mom, she informs me that her neighbor has piglets due in July!!!!!!!!!!

So I'm telling myself, will not jump the gun here, will not jump the gun here.....

How long do ya'll think I'll hold out before I have pigs?????

 

[lorihadams]

very cool, wish I knew someone with some guineas to give away, the ticks are killing me!

 

[Blackbird]

Yay! Pigs!

Some advice; instead of wiring the panels together buy some of those U bolts with the piece that goes on, stronger than wire and you won't have as many break outs.

Not sure how much hog panels are around here (we used spare cow panels) but often times we see some old ones at farm auctions that go really cheap.

 

[punkin]

Soo we are thinking about pigs....yes you read that right...Pigs...

Dh and I were discussing it last night...I told him I don't want to rush it, but I'm most interested in setting up a hog lot. Ideally, I would want at least 2, one sow that would be able to produce future litters for our butchering, and one to butcher the first year.

We've set a goal for next spring. That would give us this year to plan for the outbuilding and the fencing. Not sure how much hog panels go for, but I'll be pricing them and finding out.

So this morning talking on the phone with my mom, she informs me that her neighbor has piglets due in July!!!!!!!!!!

So I'm telling myself, will not jump the gun here, will not jump the gun here.....

How long do ya'll think I'll hold out before I have pigs?????

Hmmmmm . . . let's see. It's almost 2:00 pm here. I'll give you another 6 hours.

 

[Farmfresh]

I say late September ... early October.

The litter has to be weaned you know!