Quail_Antwerp: Words from the Barnyard...

[Quail_Antwerp]

.... I think I want to try again come spring. I know my mom really wants marans, so I am going to do my best to get her some. Wanted to give her some for Christmas, but that didn't work. ..... Hugs to ya'll!

QA - I have a pair of Cuckoo Marans that are just about 17 weeks old. They are looking for a new home. Let me know if you're interested.

Hey, check your pm's


Ok, I've a confession....I have developed a serious obsession to a toy I remember from my childhood that they have recently brought back onto the market......Calico Critters!

 

[keljonma]

QA - pm sent.....

I never heard of calico critters - I had to look them up....

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

QA - pm sent.....

I never heard of calico critters - I had to look them up....

Aren't they the cutest things?! I guess the original ones were called Maple Town. The new ones are called Calico Critters. Maple Town was originally a cartoon and the critters were the toys to go with the cartoon.

Yup, it's official...I'm a nut!

 

[MorelCabin]

This might work for the rat problem.
If you have any buckets, fill them with water, thread a wire over the water and put out PB on it or whatever you want to use as bait. The rat should reach for the food and fall into the water (not being able to get out) and drown.
You will need to cover it up during the day but at night when the chickies are locked in you can leave it primed to go. Hope it works for you.

I use something like this to catch mice...a bucket of water with a foam plate suspended on a shishkabob stick. PB on the top of one side of the plate and in the opposite bottom. The mice step on to the plate to get the PB and the plate flips them into the bucket. Works well...

Another trick that might work for the rats is simply to put water in a bucket and sprinkle a bunch of birdseed right over the water. The birdseed floats and looks like a half bucket full of seed...until they jump in to eat and drown.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Well, today is going to be a busy one, and I better get off my duff and get to it...but this site is soooooooooooooooo addicting.........lol

On the list of things to do today is wash up the dishes, get some new ferret bedding sewed up to list on eBay, get eBay listings done, cook meals for me and kiddos in there somewhere....make sure the darn goat stays IN her pen!

Yesterday the goat was out every hour! No joke! I was soooo mad by the time DH got home. I finally chased my chickens out of the coop and locked both Mama and baby in the coop. That was about an hour before DH got home. This goat climbs right over our fence!

We haven't had much of a rat problem outside anymore.......now they have moved into the house! This made me mad, so my outdoor female calico cat has now become an INDOOR cat. We just call her Mama. We think she is expecting her first litter of kittens and even tho I had thought we would spay her, now I am thinking...hmmm...raising up my own mousers! Marmalade still hangs out in the chicken coop, and so far no rat issues with him out there! Well, except this morning he came in for some kitty food and warm milk

Ok so now I am going to hop off here and try to get my day started. The faster I get my to do list done, the faster I can come back and chat with ya'll

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Well MY day didn't go ANYWHERE near as planned.

I did get dishes washed, and I managed to get dinner on in time.....but other than that.........

First the nanny goat got out. I managed to get her and Nugget back in without incident. Came in and washed my dishes, looked out, she was out again. Went out to put her BACK in and instead of going in the gate like she should, she turned away and here comes big ol' Elroy right out the gate! and he charged me! I was holding a scoop of feed and he knocked that outta my hand. So I thought he would eat the feed, nope...still coming at me...so I turned tail and ran when I realized I wasn't going to be able to get him in by myself.

I did what any grown woman with her wits about her would do................................................................................








I called my mommy........................







Mom comes out to help me get the goats in. Funny, Elroy TOTALLY listened to HER (of course, she wasn't having her monthly visitor either, and he thinks I am prime for mating right now!) So we got them back in, and since we both needed feed, we decided to go together in my van.

Have you ever tried to take FIVE kids to the feedstore?

This is a typical scenario...remember, rural small town here, no big stores, and we park RIGHT by the door.....just tell the guy what I want, he loads it up and adds it to my tab...right? Wrong.

I told the kids wait right here (mistake number one!) we will be right back. Mom and I both place our order, walk back out with the guy loading our feed...first bag is carried out and DD comes flying out of the van screaming...five year old comes flying out behind her BLEEDING! Here, he had taken his seat belt off, turned around in his seat, and then my 7 year old DS (you can easily substitute DEMON for Dear in this instance) PUSHED his younger brother right off the seat...he landed somehow, I can't figure out HOW, on the metal framing of the seat infront of him.

Thankfully it is just a surface wound, and it was easy to stop the bleeding.........but I was mortified.

So mom helps him finish loading the six bags of feed, and off we go. Mom asks to stop at the local gas station, I grouched yea make it quick (I was pretty upset) mom runs in and comes back out bringing two hot coffees...or so I thought...she had got me my favorite french vanilla cappachino to try to cheer me up.

So we get back to the house, I take the boys in the house to discipline them and to clean up 5 year old to make sure it doesn't need a trip to the ER...thankfully, not that bad, just a surface wound WHEW!

Ok so mom was unloading feed, putting hers in her car, etc. She comes in and says, "Well, I know you said you were having a bad day, but he shorted us on a bag of feed." ARGH! Ok no big deal, owner knows me, so I call him and explain it and he says OK and I said my mom is going to pick it up on her way home. Ok, no problem.

Mom leaves. Mom comes back.

Mom had accidentally run over my new kitten. The one that had slept in the chicken coop.

At this point, the best highlight of my day was I got 3 eggs from my girls, giving me my first full dozen of eggs from my own hens. I took a picture. Will post it later.

DH had a great second day. Said he gets to work 8 hours on Saturday instead of 4, so that will give him 32 hours on his first pay. Woot...ok that was a half hearted woot.

We are selling the goats. Except Nugget. Her I am keeping. Raise her up and tame her from babyhood so I don't have wild adults running me over.

That's it. I don't think I have anything else.

Oh and I did somehow, during all this, get 3 listings done on eBay.
Didn't get any sewing done.........

 

[roosmom]

ROTFL called your mommy......

Ya know I was quietly giggling thru the whole thing (reminds me of when my kids were small) til I got to the part about the kitten...aw poor kitty. I am sorry
Tomorrow will be better, LOL. Hey QA, welcome to mommyhood, lol. Hey I can say that, I didnt know you when you first had them. LOL.
It only gets better. Of course you should cherish these moments, even when you are upset with them cuz they didnt listen.
I once got a phone call from my neighbor (I was at work) telling me one of my kids was on the porch roof naked.

 

[Henrietta23]

Oh I'm so sorry!!! Especially about the kitten.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

What I failed to mention was that DS hit his head, so while the wound itself is only surface, I am worried about him. I have had some medical training, and I know if I take him in, since it wouldn't need stitches, they will tell me just to watch him. That's it. I don't need a hight ER bill to know to watch him. He's been acting fine, although it did bleed a little more. Not gushing blood, just a little pink blood. Like he bumped it again or something or rubbed it. I dunno.

Thanks roosmom. I had to laugh about your kid being on the roof naked. Kids do the darndest things...but that's why God made moms and dads!

 

[roosmom]

If the bump was bad, you know the drill, keep them awake and yes....watch them. Head wounds bleed, lots. You know that. Just a great ending to the day. DH was probably glad he wasnt here for it, LOL.
Oh, and my naked kid? He had just got out of the tub and they dared him to run around the porch roof naked......which he did. BUT they locked the windows so he couldnt get back in.