Quail_Antwerp: Words from the Barnyard...

[Quail_Antwerp]

Well I put 4 cups of feed out there for them. If they want anything else, they can go dig in the snow.

Still trying to find some hay locally. Mom said something about having Step Dad find some to buy and bring out. FIL gave us a hay ring to put hay in, but it is only half a hay ring. Guess it will do LOL.

Well, I just hope they eat the rosebushes down. Mostly that's what we wanted goats for, so hopefully, ya know?

Ok don't get Nan and Elroy fat then. They aren't fat, but I do feel Nan is on the thin side. Would like to see her gain a pound or two.

Nugget looks good! Stocky, that's what I like about her. She climbs on everything, jumping and leaping and being a kid LOL

Ok here's some pictures.

This is Sassy, she wanted to get up close and personal.

Sassy again, "And just what are you looking at?" (in the bottom right corner is my Quail Antwerp Rooster Robert....I didn't even notice he was in there! Lol)

Trying to get a picture of Snowball in this one, and Sassy moved in the way to continue giving me a withering glance (she's really saying where's my breakfast? that's your only purpose here, to bring feed...put the camera away!)

Then Elroys says, "Ok, I'll get all bossy here, whatcha got? Meh ladies seys deys hun'gy, git 'er fed!" (That's his horn that he put right in my view!)

So then Nugget says, "Haha I can help myself, no waiting on the two leggeds!" Notice how thin Nan looks there? I hope she is getting plenty to eat!

Then I finally get a good view to get a semi nice picture of Snowball....

and she even decides to come out to greet me, and just as I snap the picture.........


.........she moons me! talk about a poop shot! eew!!

I scolded her, so she turned around and gave me this look, "What?"

I do like that they both have their horns. I don't like when these goaties are debudded just because we have serious coyote issues here and I like the thought that they might have some means of defense against a predator.

 

[roosmom]

Very nice goats QA...Good narrating, lol.

 

[FarmerChick]

a pound or 2 on Nan would be fine, she looks just like my boer goats. they are "that way" and with a kid sucking...gaining weight usually won't happen.

those little suckers are cute. not "too" fat....they look like nice goats. they will eat up those rosebushes big time..LOL

you are becoming quite the farm QA!

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Thanks!

Um, quite the farm, yup, no exaggeration there....got a horse coming this weekend

Oh got two chickens coming maybe Sunday, if we can arrange the meeting!

 

[FarmerChick]

NOW you have a horse coming too. WHOA Nellie! HA HA HA

if it quacks, clucks, meows, whinneys, it is at Quails house..LOL-LOL

I am jealous. When I put Peepers down almost a year ago, I have been horseless. It is killing me big time. Always had one. Waiting a bit til Nicole older, then I am getting 2--mother and daughter horses..LOL

TELL ME ALL ABOUT IT!

what is coming....who is giving it to you, etc. etc. etc. I want to know all..LOL

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Well, a member on BYC had a rooster for me. Well the rooster thing didn't work out so well (needing a Lt Brahma roo for my girls). But we get to chatting back and forth, etc...well after a while during one of these pm's back and forth, she tells me that she has a friend who's looking for a good home for her horse.

Now here I am, always, and I do mean always from the time I first knew what a horse was, have wanted a horse. Never had one.

Ok my first GUT reaction was YES YES YES...and then that was followed with how much? and all the while thinking, how do I put this to DH, you know he's going to say no because he doesn't like horses, he thinks that you are crazy already with the chickens, etc...well you know how that is LOL

So I told her let me talk to DH, pray and think about it, and I'll get back to you. Ok, but in the meantime, we exchange phone numbers and the lady with the horse would be calling me in the next week or so.

So I asked DH and he said, "it's up to you." WHAT??? NO NO NO he can't do that to me! What if I say yes, but he really wanted me to say no? Then I have put another burden on us and he'll constantly let me know that, right? And at the time there was no job, etc, to buy feed/hay for a horse...and all the water I'd have to haul in..etc....Then DH says, "It's your horse if you get it, and I won't lift a finger for it. You know how I feel about horses." Ok so I take that as a good sign, nope, don't get him.

I never got around to sending a message to teh BYC member. Literally I think 4 weeks or more passed? Nothing more was said about the horse. Then one Saturday morning out of the blue a phone call comes in, it's the lady with the horse. We literally talked all morning and every excuse I gave her to NOT get him seemed sooo lame. I mean, I had NO GOOD reason as to WHY we couldn't. I said we don't have a big enough pasture, DH is right next to me and says, "We can make it bigger." Ok well we only have the goat barn, no big barn with stalls etc, "Well, that is fine for a temporary home," says she as long as the horse can fit through the door...OK so every excuse I gave to NOT get him, she and DH countered it with a solution. DH says, we can build him a better barn come spring. She says, if $ gets really tight and you need help getting feed/hay, call me, I'll call it in on a charge and you pick it up. OMG OMG HOW do you say no to that?

I then said, "I'll be doing everything by myself, DH already said he won't help me with a horse." DH hollers from the other room, "I'll help you with him, just don't expect me to RIDE him." (this is all while I'm on the phone with her!")

Ok so then I express concern over being able to get his hooves trimmed, wormings, etc. DH hears that, too, and says, "I know a guy right down the road who used to do the cows, I know he'll do horses, too." (again, still on the phone with her)

Ok well, then we agreed that if we just tried it, and it really got to be too much, she would take him back. OK? ok.

I turned to DH and said, are you going to say no? what do you really think? He says, "I'm not going to say no." And I am still on the phone with her....I think this must have went on for 2-3 hours. Me on the phone with her, them finding reasons for me NOT to say no.

Oh I was sooooo torn. Here's my childhood dream being handed to me, not just handed, but delivered with tack ALL FREE. I was just so scared to say yes, had doubts, you know, like what if it is a mistake? I told her let me think on it, will let you know for sure and will send a message through the BYC member. She says OK.

Dh and I talked about it that night and the next day. I pointedly ask, "Why are you not saying no to this horse? If it was a puppy, you'd have no problems telling me no, why not now?"

I kid you not, his reply made me bawl like a baby.

He says, "You have always wanted a horse, have dreamed of having one. This is your chance, no way am I going to be the one to say you can't have that chance."

Don't you just love my husband right now? Gosh I'm crying!

So, been waiting for nearly two months now, but that's just because they've been trying to work out the trailer to get him here.

Now about my horse.

His name is Shadow. He's a retired thoroughbred. He has a black mane and tail with black socks and he is a reddish brown color, if I am understanding what she told me. I haven't seen pictures yet.

He has been used the last few years as riding therapy for handicapped children. Well, not recently, but was. Now he's just in a pasture and not getting the time and attention. I think she said he is 14, but he's like a big dog she said. He just loves for someone to love on him, but he's lazy. We can ride him, but if we try to get him to do more than walk, he might bunny hop on us unless we show him who's boss.

I do don't care! I just want to spoil him!!!

He's a BIG horse. 16 hands to be exact. And she went ahead and had his hooves done and wormed him so I won't have to worry about that for awhile. I am just waiting on him to get here, that's it!

 

[Dace]

Quail you are crazy girl!

I love your new goats, Snowball is especially pretty. How do they get a long with the others? I would imagine Nan might be a little protective, but I know nothing about goat personalities.

I used to have a horse...miss it so much. Well not him, he was a nightmare, but I loved going on long rides with my family on warm sunny days, just a soft pad...no saddle. I loved grooming and the smell of hay and alfalfa Good times!

I hope we will get some pics of him when he arrives!

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Pictures??? are you kidding? Shadow gets here, I won't ever be in the HOUSE!

Just kidding! Of course I will post pictures. I will be the picture taking fool that I always am.

And if this is how a crazy person lives, surrounded by love, lots of nature and critters and domestic animals, then I am soooooooo glad to be crazy!

 

[keljonma]

How exciting about the horse! I'm not the horse person, dh is.

We were going to get a free horse last year - 15 hands, 13 year old mare. We had our vet check her out, and found out she was really lame. I don't remember all the details but the vet recommended to the owner that they put her down.

So it just wasn't meant to be for us; but it sure sounds like everything is working well for you! Congratulations!

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

keljonma, did you get my pm about Sunday?

Yes, I am sure hoping it works out. I did a lot of praying, asking God to tell me what to do about the horse, even after DH said it was up to me. I strongly felt like God was telling me to "not look a gift horse in the mouth."