Quail_Antwerp: Words from the Barnyard...

[Quail_Antwerp]

Sounds like you are getting settled into your new routine with added poultry and Emily/Emmy.

We were busy with other things today, and lots going on here. I'm exhausted.

OH OH.... Are things are okay? ... Last time you wrote something like this, life got a bit crazy!

I hope you have been able to enjoy some of this glorious Ohio weather we have been having lately!

Things are fine, just some possible changes coming that I'm not free to discuss on the open forums yet.

 

[keljonma]

I'm happy to hear things are fine.

Are you getting all this great sunshine and warmth we are getting?? The flock is totally out there like a bunch of teenagers sunbathing!

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Oh yes, we are nice and hot and sweaty here! all the animals are enjoying the sun, and the ducks are going through an insane amount of water!

Emily had her hooves trimmed today! She stood still, and allowed ALL 4 feet to be picked up...Ok she was good for the front two hooves, but she was a little jumpy with her back ones.

The people who are the former Stable Managers for a local horse farm came out to check her over. They cleaned and trimmed her hooves, and showed me what to do to clean them out for her. The lady told me that her front hooves are twisted, either from foundering? or from bad conformation. I asked if it would hinder us from being able to train her for a cart and she said it shouldn't, as she isn't limping or lame.

Then they were getting ready to leave so I asked how much they needed for the hoof cleaning and trim.......NOTHING! They charged us nothing!!!

So I told them if they ever need anything, and I can help, just to let us know.

After they left we went over and picked up the pair of Mandarin ducks from the guy we got Emmy from. He sent a Saxony Call drake home with us (looks like a mini mallard drake), too, because a coon tried to kill it 3 nights ago, and he was worried that he'd loose the Mandarins to coon if we didn't take them now.

So, was a good day.

 

[miss_thenorth]

Quail, I watched a documentary last night about people re-enacting farm life in the 1600's. The episode was bringing in the wheat. They grew a variety that grew to about 5 ft tall. To harvest it, they used a sickle, and cut the heads and part of the stock off. They tied these in buches and stood a bounch of bunches up to dry overnight. Then they gathered up the bunches and used a skiff pulled by a horse to bring it to the barn. The next day, they went out with scythes and cut all the straw, and raked it into rows to dry overnight. Unfortunaltely, their straw got rained on, so I never got to see how they stored that. They did say that they would have to spread it out to dry--they were going to try to save it.

After the wheat heads were gathered, they let the geese out into the field to eat what might have fallen to the ground-- for two reasons.1- so that it would not reseed itself, and 2- to fatten up the geese for "their" harvest.

Thought you might be interested. (I was, even if I am not going to be doing it myself.) I'm sure brining in the hay would be quite similar.

 

[lorihadams]

I would have loved to see that....I recently watched a special on moonshiners and rumrunners. I have a little family history with that one! It was really cool. I love to see all the demonstrations of the old farm equipment too....so interesting.

Quail, I'm glad to hear you got the ducks! I want to get some too but we want to get some housing and fencing put up first. We have to figure out where we want to put them too.....Oh, and we are getting some quail too! Hubby also wants meat rabbits.....looooove it!

That is really great about Emily's hooves, sounds like she is there for a reason! She sounds like she is shaping up to be a real sweetheart!

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Quail, I watched a documentary last night about people re-enacting farm life in the 1600's. The episode was bringing in the wheat. They grew a variety that grew to about 5 ft tall. To harvest it, they used a sickle, and cut the heads and part of the stock off. They tied these in buches and stood a bounch of bunches up to dry overnight. Then they gathered up the bunches and used a skiff pulled by a horse to bring it to the barn. The next day, they went out with scythes and cut all the straw, and raked it into rows to dry overnight. Unfortunaltely, their straw got rained on, so I never got to see how they stored that. They did say that they would have to spread it out to dry--they were going to try to save it.

After the wheat heads were gathered, they let the geese out into the field to eat what might have fallen to the ground-- for two reasons.1- so that it would not reseed itself, and 2- to fatten up the geese for "their" harvest.

Thought you might be interested. (I was, even if I am not going to be doing it myself.) I'm sure brining in the hay would be quite similar.

Thank you! I am very interested! That's awesome that you would see something like that, shortly after my talking about it Great timing!! Thank you for sharing it with me!

Hmm...my geese are getting on my nerves...maybe some fattening up for "their" harvest is in order.....

lorihadams, we actually had someone here again today that expressed interest in purchasing Emmy from us. We gave them a price, and they said they will let us know. It's really strange that the guy we got her from couldn't seem to get her sold, but I've people coming out of the woodwork either begging for her, or asking me to sell her unborn baby to them. I'm thinking I better do some serious praying about Emmy!

We're not set up for quail yet, but tomorrow we go get the 12x12 pen with posts, and it should be enough posts and wiring that I can re-work some of my existing coops and make some smaller pens and have most of my chickens separated out by breed!

New chickies arrived today. I have 4 Quail Antwerp d'Anvers, 5 Porcelain d'Uccles, 5 Gold Laced Cochin Bantams, and 2 LF Black Cochin pullets (for Polk).

 

[miss_thenorth]

Ok, so I finally backtracked on your journal and saw the pics of Emmy, and I need clarification. Is she a pony, or a miniature? If Ernie is ~ 6', she probably stands maybe 30" at the withers-yes? I know for horses the ratio of feed per horse is 2% of their body weight, so say she weighed 100 lbs, she should get 2 lbs of feed. And mostly hay. That's like 1/2 a flake of hay a day. Since she is a small breed, I would tend to stay away from the grain, unless you are working her and if she has foundered, stay away from green pasture.
I also wouldn't be too hasty about finding her a new home. You would probably waste more hay than she would eat, and she could definitely have a use on the farm.
I'm relatively new to keeping horses, so if my info is wrong--horse ppl correct me.

Personally, I think she is adorable. She could also be functional.

(this coming from someone sho has two hayburners here, who's sole purpose is hobby and pleasure, although I would like to put the draftX to work some day)

 

[keljonma]

New chickies arrived today. I have 4 Quail Antwerp d'Anvers, 5 Porcelain d'Uccles, 5 Gold Laced Cochin Bantams, and 2 LF Black Cochin pullets (for Polk).

I'm sure Polk will love his early birthday present (July 17)!

 

[keljonma]

That was really terrific that the farrier work was done for free!

I think you're going to have to post pictures of all your new animals.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

That was really terrific that the farrier work was done for free!

I think you're going to have to post pictures of all your new animals.

Sure thing! Soon as I find the time! Today was spent...well we were collecting some of the fencing and stuff from the guy we got Emmy from. He had told us he'd have 2 of the pens disassembled when we got there. Well, he didn't, so we had 3 pens to take down. Started at 9 am and didn't get home until 1 pm.

Have you ever tried to wrestle used chicken wire back into a roll?

Ernie and I managed to get the first pen down, and while I was rolling the chicken wire up, Ernie started the second pen. Which is all fine and all, except the guys ground is ALL hill....I mean, it's all sloped! So first, I tired to roll it up going down hill...fell flat on my butt so that didn't work. So I went to the other end, tried rolling it up the hill....which was working fine until the part at the top of the hill bounced up and "rolled itself" around my head!!!! Then part of the wire was still halfway around the post, so I had to unhook the wire, pull it out some, and roll some more.

Finally get the contrary wire to roll up, carry it to the gate and set it down to be loaded to the truck. Start on second piece of wire. So I figured I'd be smart, and start from the bottom hill side. I get it all rolled up with almost no problems. Carry it up the hill, set it next to the other roll. I'm hot, sweaty, and out of sorts when I join Ernie at the second pen.

No joke, I don't think this guy ever weedeated around ANY of his pens. EVER. Not only was the grass like 6 foot tall (ok a tad exaggerated) but there was crap...and I don't mean like actual dung, I mean JUNK....laying everywhere! Boards with nails sticking out, old windows (I want these!), old door that is no good, more wire that is rusty....that kind of stuff...and garden/yard tools strewn about everywhere. I tripped over the same stupid shovel TWICE even after I moved it!

We get the second pen taken down, roll up the wire, and Ernie looks at me (remember, I'm already cranky!) and says, "You're not even sweating half as much as me!"

Guys, that is NEVER something you say to a cranky, hot, sweaty female. EVER.

Honestly, I think he said it for shock value, because as soon as I started spitting and sputtering (it was all I could manage) he started laughing.

Then we went and started on the third pen. This one we were allowed everything, including the posts, where as with the first pens we were only getting the wire.

So we got it all loaded up, get it home, and we realize we forgot Ernie's wire cutters. We still need to unload the truck, which we are about to go do now, and then we are going back over to pick up the wire cutters we left, one more roll of wire, and the gas grill. Then I think we're done.


WHEW.