Quail_Antwerp: Words from the Barnyard...

[Quail_Antwerp]

Wow Quail, you are one busy girl! How you do it all AND with children underfoot I have no idea!

We have the kids helping!

 

[keljonma]

So today we went back over to mom's and managed to take apart all but one wall of the coop. We'll probably go back to mom's in a few days and take the last wall done.:

Meanwhile, we need 9-10 more fence posts to finish the pasture. I'll be pulling them up out of the woods probably tomorrow. Which should mean by the end of this next week, pasture should be done and opened up for Boss, Chase, and Emmy.

More materials are always nice. I'm sure this job has been a killer, though. I'm sure Pat, Mary and Betty will be thrilled to help with any new construction prep work.

We've managed to add a new project to our to-do list before winter as well. Ernie really wants Bourbon Red Turkeys. Becca has hatched several, and we're planning to get a young trio from her. So, since we'll want to keep the two turkey breeds separate, we'll be working on dividing the dog kennel pen in half. Bourbon Reds on one side, Royal Palms/Blue Slate on the other side.

Becca's Reds are beautiful birds! The pen will look beautiful with all that color in there.

I had three ducks here that belonged to my mom. She was waiting until they moved to take them home. She picked them up today. YAY! Monday I'm taking the 3 Embden geese and 3 Pekin ducks to the auction. Have 3 mixed breed bantam chicks, a Sumatra Mix chick, and one SpSussex chick all going to the auction as well. Labor Day auctions usually do very well! Tomorrow we're going to Becca's in the evening for a cookout. I'm hoping I'll get to bring home some BBS Orps from her house. And I'm hoping Ernie will get a gander at the Bourbon Red Turkey poults.

I know you have been trying to find new homes for the Embdens for a while. Good luck at the auction!

Have fun at Becca's! Take some time to rest.

We hit a couple end of the year yard sales today. I picked up a water bath canner for $1 and a large pot to match for $1. Ernie got 2 pairs of jeans that will fit him for $1 and I found some winter clothes for DD and oldest DS for 50cents. Oh and curtains for DD's room for $1.

Ernie also saw a nice deer stand at one yardsale for $70. I could tell he was seriously thinking of it. That is, until I said, "If you buy that, I'm placing a chick order with McMurray on Tuesday!" He walked away so fast!!!!!!!

Really, we didn't need it. He already has a tree stand, and he wouldn't have anywhere to put up a second one.

Sounds like you got some great deals! We passed a few yard sales yesterday. I was surprised how many had *expensive* furniture for sale.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Ok, so we've flipped 6 fence posts out of the woods. Took a small break, had a snack and something to drink.

Then we went to the back of the property, and planted 6 fence posts in the ground. Have about 4-5 more posts to do, and then it's attach the wire! I've been thinking we'd get the pasture done and the cows out in a week, now it's looking more like 2 days, if that!

Collected 5 eggs so far today! And 3 of them were standards, not bantam eggs! :bun I'm thinking everyone's finally coming out of molt, so egg production is picking up!

I had drove my Jeep over the hill to the back side of the property. On the way back to the house, one of the dogs got in my way....to avoid hitting my dog, I hit a tree with my mirror. Didn't break the mirror, but did knock it off the door. It was hanging on by the wire. Ernie was able to fix it.

I am ready for the auction tomorrow. This will be the last of the poultry I take to the auction until next year.

 

[lorihadams]

OOOOOO sorry about the jeep! Good thing Ernie could fix it. Chad hit a deer with his side mirror and it was toast.

Sounds like things are really moving along!!! I'm glad the "construction" is going well and ahead of schedule.

Don't you hate it when you can't find eggs! I had to lock all my birds up in the coop/run for 3 days until they finally got it that I was mad. Now everyone is laying in the nesting boxes again, but who knows what tomorrow will bring cause I just put the brahmas in with them.

Oh, and glad all the first ladies were well and accounted for!

 

[Henrietta23]

I hit a mail box with my mirror and DH couldn't fix. That was pricey! Glad Ernie could fix yours!

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Egg count for today is now up to 7 eggs!! AND Lady Bird and Mary BOTH returned to the coop to roost tonight! No more searching for them on the log in the pasture!

Earlier today Mary was in the run to the red coop, and I caught my Blue Laced Red Wyandotte, Diesel, showing her some roosterly lovings! She didn't seem to mind his attentions either! Looks like Sam has some competition!!

When keljonma was down last Saturday, I had talked to her about Sam's comb being quite purple and I was concerned about it. She said it could be a sign of dehydration (I was worried about liver issues!) and she tried to encourage him to drink while she was here. Today when I checked on Sam and The Ladies, I noticed there is NO PURPLE at all on his comb! It's a nice bright red once again, and he's acting more like a happy rooster. Except, he's become the total gentleman down here! We still have rooster sticks handy, but he's been totally behaving himself and much perkier the last few days. I'm very pleased.

We went to Becca's for a cookout. We had a wonderful time! Plus, I brought home 7 Blue/Black/Splash Orpingtons I think we counted 4 pullets and 3 cockerels, but they're only about 2 months old, so it's still a bit iffy. I'm pleased with them, though, and hope they lay me lots of eggs next year!

My little house brooder is over crowded. The chicks and poults aren't old enough yet to move outside, and I don't have a second brooder to set up. I talked with Becca about moving some of the bantam chicks to her house, but I feel bad about putting more on her as she's got a lot going on as well. I think I'll work on some kind of brooder set up outside tomorrow when we get home from the auction. Maybe I can build a tractor to house the older chicks that are already outside and move some of the chicks I've in the house now to the coop brooder with a couple heat lamps.

Course, if I do send chicks home to Becca's, then I'm not handling them and getting attached and wanting to keep them

 

[Farmfresh]

I was over on Bee's porch and read what you were saying about Earnhart.

My sister has a blue heeler that is very similar to your dog. His name is Huck. He is getting quite old now.

Huck has never actually bitten anyone, but that is by the grace of God. He is very nasty with strangers ESPECIALLY children. My sister usually just shuts him up in a room if they have company. Huck has even snapped at my sister and her SO a time or two which earned him a good whipping. She has never kept Huck chained, because he stays right around the house close. He is often found trotting directly behind my sister or at her feet guarding her. He is a pretty fair stock dog and is very smart.

I think Blue Heelers are more likely than other dogs to have this kind of disposition. They are, after all, a cross between an Australian Shepherd sheep dog and an Australian wild dingo!

I totally understand your Earnhart and his place in the world. I realize that a dog can be a guard dog like that and still be loved by his family.

 

[keljonma]

I've seen Earnhart alerting QA & E to someone in the drive. He does a great job!

I have also seen some of the chickens, including Pat Nixon, trying to eat kibble from his dish, and Earnhart didn't bother them.

That is what a guard dog should be.

eta: On second thought, maybe it was squash in Earnhart's bowl the chickens were after...

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Aw, thank you, FF, and kjm! I know it's hard for people who don't know Earnhardt to understand him, or understand our love for him.

FF, we never used to chain Earnhardt. We don't keep him chained if we aren't expecting company, either. He's never snapped at me, but once he snapped at Ernie when he was barking at someone else. His reaction was instant when he realized he snapped at Ernie. He cowered down and waited for the whipping he knew was coming. Never had a problem since.

When we take anyone towards the pasture to see the calves and Emmy, I step in his circle and hold onto him. I pet his head, tell him to calm down, and tell him it's Ok. He will listen.

He has never left our yard when loose, but we don't give him free run without us right there to find out if he would leave, either. He's deathly afraid of the house, too, and won't even come in the door. We tried to make him into a house dog, and he just wigged out.

Thanks to Earnhardt and Zoe, we've not had any predator issues this last winter or this year!

 

[keljonma]

Egg count for today is now up to 7 eggs!! AND Lady Bird and Mary BOTH returned to the coop to roost tonight! No more searching for them on the log in the pasture!

Earlier today Mary was in the run to the red coop, and I caught my Blue Laced Red Wyandotte, Diesel, showing her some roosterly lovings! She didn't seem to mind his attentions either! Looks like Sam has some competition!!

When keljonma was down last Saturday, I had talked to her about Sam's comb being quite purple and I was concerned about it. She said it could be a sign of dehydration (I was worried about liver issues!) and she tried to encourage him to drink while she was here. Today when I checked on Sam and The Ladies, I noticed there is NO PURPLE at all on his comb! It's a nice bright red once again, and he's acting more like a happy rooster. Except, he's become the total gentleman down here! We still have rooster sticks handy, but he's been totally behaving himself and much perkier the last few days. I'm very pleased.

Glad to hear The Ladies are settling down for you and that Sam Grant is looking better. The purple comb on Sam is usually an indicator that he isn't drinking enough water. Sometimes it is an indicator that he is stressed - an unusual amount of hawks in the area, a really hard winter, or he isn't feeling 100%. Since he was just recovering from his disagreement with Monroe, I wasn't surprised to see his comb purple. A shot of PoultryDrench in the water will usually help. Happy to hear that it appears the rooster sticks are being retired.