Quail_Antwerp: Words from the Barnyard...

[Quail_Antwerp]

I managed to score some really cute pics of the calves this morning after feeding Chase his bottle.

This is Chase. He's such a sweetie! He loves to be rubbed down his back and sides after I feed him. He head butts a little and plays with me after his bottle is done. hoping I won't be scared of him when he gets bigger. Have I told ya'll I'm deathly afraid of cows?????? grown ones, anyway.

This is DH's calf, he named him Boss...so now we have Chase 'N Boss HAHAHAHA I was leaving and DH likes to grain his calf, so I hadn't given him his grain and this look plainly said, "What about me?"

Course, it wouldn't be right not to put the goats in here....
Sasy

Elroy

Another pic of Elroy, but if you look in the top right corner, you can see Zoe, our awesome dog that came free with our Embden Geese!

Not sure what Zoe is mixed with, but she tracks, doesn't let anything come in the yard, and stays right with us while we're doing the chores! She hasn't tried yet to leave the yard! She's about 2 years old. She thinks she's a lap dog! You should see her trying to get on DH's lap!!

 

[punkin]

Awwww . . . such sweet faces

 

[Farmfresh]

A good farm dog is truly a blessing.

I miss my old Tramp. He was old when we got him and we had him at least 12 years! The vet aged him at "no older than 30!" He was the best! He worked off of your hand signs (he came to us trained like that - a stray) if you asked he would bring up the livestock and put them where ever you needed them or line them up in front of you. We never had any predators. I left the hens door open all summer long and never a problem. He was so good with my poultry they could even take food away from him. I was a kid with Tramp and he went everywhere I went (and I went lots of places I shouldn't) both on foot and by pony. I am certain he saved me on many occasions from being "picked up" by weirdos. He was half German Shepherd and half Siberian Husky, cinnamon with the white heart face and one slightly blue eye. It was hard to lose him.

About the calf - Always remember how big he will be soon and do not tolerate ANY behavior from him now that you will not welcome when he is an adult. NO butting - NO play. I know that seems harsh, but it is the only way. You have got to be his boss now, while you are biggest. This is a lesson learned from raising horses. A lesson learned the hard way. Insist on manners while they are little and they will grow to be a well behaved adult.

If it was me I would probably begin a little training - like they do for pulling oxen. This way you could channel some of their youthful energy and possibly end up with a large bovine that is easy to move where you want them, handle and load. My cousin used to do this with all of her beef steers. She trained them to walk, stop and turn like oxen. Sometimes she even went the extra step and trained them to drag things around. She even had a couple that she broke to ride and taught tricks. One in particular - Cary Grant (they always had movie star names) she showed at the American Royal and sold him after his beef class. I remember her actually riding him to the buyers truck and having him "take a bow" before being loaded up!

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Yes, I do want to start working with him. I told DH he needs a halter and lead.

Thank you for the tips on how to work with him. I am hoping he will be like my husband's cow Nosey was. She was a big pet!

 

[PamsPride]

Awesome pictures!

 

[Henrietta23]

Sweet! I love the first picture of the goat. You can still see the calf peeking over the rail!

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

I snapped a few shots of the chicks that hatched this weekend. The first six are the Welsummer mixes and the last two are the BBS/Barred Rocks.

Tomorrow the Rhode Island Red chicks and 100 assorted breeds should be at the post office. I can't wait!!

 

[Beekissed]

Aly, I can't get enough of your pics!!! They are all so adorable that I want to squeeze them! But of them all? Babies aside, because that is a given......I think I love Elroy the best! He is the best looking Boer I've ever seen! His horns are simply elegant and his coloring and conformation is topnotch!

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Well, thank you, Bee. At this moment Elroy is out there strutting his goatly stuff because he let all the praises you gave go straight to his goat head.

Nah, he's a sweetie, most of the time. He gets mad when we go in to feed the calves (jealous) and yesterday he put me against the wall and rammed his head into my knee. I grabbed those "elegant" horns and turned his head and told him to back off. DH came and pulled him off me, but FIL was closer of the two but he's absolutely scared of Elroy and refused to step in the gate to help me.

Elroy didn't hurt me, he was just trying to show his authority and he was kind of suprised when I refused to back down. This morning he was much better behaved.

 

[justusnak]

Great pics!! I especially love the " what about me" pic. That would be a great greeting card....something like... ( across the miles) Hey, remember me? I just wanted to say how I miss Moooo.

seriously tho....very sweet babies you have there. Elroy is beautifull...but I would never be able to go in the pen with him. Goats scare me!!