# Ponker - The Way It Is



## Ponker (Mar 8, 2016)

*How long ago did you start farming and what drove you to it?*
We started our adventure about six years ago. I had changed careers and moved back to the USA. (Spent 8 years working abroad.) Then I fell ill. I had blood clots in my lungs and my life changed in one single moment of time. My legs don't work right anymore and I forget a lot - A LOT! My hands go to sleep and I drop stuff... anyway my life changed. My spouse is older than me by 18 years. We had the house where we raised our son with about an acre and a half of land. We decided to start eating healthy (we already had a big garden every year) by raising dairy goats and making our own dairy foods. And of course chickens... 

Then, we found out that the county [THE COUNTY - not city] had zoned us out of our property rights. We purchased our property in the coutry so we could do as we pleased with it. Well, the joke was on us! It was forbidden to had orchards, paddocks, meadow, bees, livestock, corrals, chickens, ... and the list went on. it was a long list inclusive of every imaginable farming activity. The only thing allowed on our property was a pool, garage, and grass. I fought but was laughed out of the city council meetings. And then something happened... more people started showing up, and there was a lot less laughing. People were NOT buying property in the county due to their excessive restrictions. 

During the fight with the county, we purchased a piece of timber property in Southern Missouri and put a cabin there. We spent most of our time at the cabin. As the county started relaxing their restrictions, we started comparing... and then we decided that paying to ask for permission to use our property via the permitting process, didn't sit well since we purchased our property free from restrictions. In essence they decided to ban us from everything and then allow us to do some things if we ask and pay. - no thank you. We sold our business and our house and moved to Arkansas on July 15, 2015 with our two dogs.

*What state/province/country are you in and what is your climate like?*
North Central Arkansas - close enough to Missouri to throw a rock across the state line. Well, that's an exaggeration. State line is only 12 miles North of our little homestead. Its a transitional zone, we still experience 4 seasons although the winters are mild and the spring and autumn are pretty wet. The summers are hot. We have a lot of ticks and chiggers. 

*How would you define your farm?*
Our little farm is 16 acres. We have eight acres pasture and eight acres timber. We have a house, barn, chicken coop, shed, carport/duck house, and garage. There are two ponds on the property, one watershed on the pasture and one spring fed down in the woods. We sit on the top of an Ozark 'mountain'. We have just finished the front and sides fencing. We did 48" 4"x4" woven wire on the front with a strand of barbed wire along the top and bottom. Along the sides we did 'web wire' with 2 strands along the top and one strand of barbed wire along the bottom. The paddock next to the barn is now fenced with 48" 4"x4" woven wire with a strand of barbed wire along the top and bottom. I cannot WAIT until the rest of the permanent fencing is done but it is so incredibly expensive. In the meanwhile, we use electro netting temporary electric fencing and its great. Five 100' sections can make some pretty decent paddocks for grazing and I can move it around.

Ducks arrived first, ten Muscovies. As they grew, we realized we had six drakes and four ducks. Four drakes went to freezer camp. Got our first egg three days ago.

Rabbits were next. Four American Chinchilla registered rabbits made their way here from Southern Illinois! it was a heck of a ride. They were young and so we patiently waited for them to grow old enough to breed. As they matured, Gloria, a checkered giant, came to live here and soon her babies were born...

To qualify as a farm for the Natural Resources Conservation Service I had to have livestock, so two Katahdin ewes came home with me. My neighbor, a sheep man, has taken me under his wing and was helping me learn about raising sheep. He sold me my two Katahdin ewes. Later, I learned he bought them from the sale barn. I have started getting other advice and reading many many books. A lesson I learned very soon was that my neighbor, the sheep man, cut corners and generally didn't do things the way they should be done. I have since taken blood samples of my ewes and sent them off for testing for Johne's and OPP and since I has the blood, I did Scrapie geneotyping just for the heck of it. I now have 4 registered Finnsheep and Spotty, one of the Katahdin crosses just had two lambs. Eight sheep total counting the lambs.

Chickens came October 29th as day olds. Of course, they came in the house. It was far too cold outside for day olds. they stayed in the brooder, in the house for three week. A very long long three weeks. Then they went to the barn and finally to the coop. We have red and black dorkings, assorted favorelles, iowa blues, and guineas - lavender, pearl, chocolate, and one other kind I can't remember off hand. 25 total. Got our first egg three days ago. It was pretty cool to find our first chicken egg and first duck egg on the same day.

And now we have an Anatolian Shepherd, Prince. He is 17 weeks old. A handful. 

And last but certainly not least, we have Tinker and Pongo our two house dogs who we treat like children. Cane Corso.

*What would you do with your spare time if you had any resources you needed?*
Probably jack up the barn. I can tell its not as high as it used to be. I think that project is one that will never get done.

*Who or what inspired you to be a farmer/rancher, hobby farmer?*
The American food supply is incredibly poisonous. I want to supply wholesome food to my son's family and my grandchildren. I plan to make an occupation out of it and a direction for my grandchildren to get involved with showing animals. So I am going to start showing my Finnsheep. Then I can teach my grandchildren when they get old enough. 

My Finnsheep come from very good stock. I can market the wool, the breeding animals, and show stock. My Katahdins are for meat. At the very least, I'll get them to pay for themselves.

*In what areas are you knowledgeable and in what areas would you like to learn more?*
I've already been showed a path that could have ended in disaster. Thankfully, I have sought out more advice and educated myself through books and research. What I had thought was a wonderful mentor turned out to be someone who does things just enough, and hopes for the best. I will not take chances like that. Its hard to know when you're being led down the wrong path when first starting out and still learning. The hard part is knowing that I don't know enough and that there are so many opinions out there that conflict. What is the wrong way for one person is the right way for someone else. I need to learn more about everything!

*In what types of farming will you never choose to do?*
I'll never crowd. Never spread disease. Never sell dangerous animals. I'll never neglect or allow my animals to be sick or injured without care.
*
Where do you end up when you sink into yourself, away from the outside world?*
Sitting in the pasture with my sheep. Or at the keyboard writing. I have several books out there on Amazon. Its what I do now... besides being a farmer and loving it.

*Any random thoughts?*
One thing I have found is that my life has started to revolve around poop. _Is everyone pooping ok? Has everyone had a poop recently? That's not normal looking poop! _And then there is all the poop, all the time. A never ending supply of great fertilizer FREE! That rabbit pee is like liquid gold. 

I'm stressing a little over the flies this summer. I've ordered my fly predators and trying to keep the compost piles cooking but the outside of the pile is always fairly cool. Keeping the bedding picked up and clean. And using the odor spray which really works great to eat the ammonia with enzymes. 

Well, that's enough for now. I'll continue tomorrow. Its time to feed the Finn lambs (bottle babies). Then I'll fall into bed completely exhausted. It sure is nice to be sleeping all night again. I always get that Green Acres song in my head when I think about my career abroad and my farming life now. There is no contest, farming is by far and away, hands down better.


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## Gemmer (Mar 8, 2016)

hi again Ponk, Thats quite a story! I really applaud your perserverance!
My tale is kinda similar, suffice it to say, after a crappy 20 year marriage, a bad divorce, and 10 years of single parenthood (no regrets on the child!), disabling severe leg injury,  I am working  on relocating with all critters to some land I outright own in Utah from New England soon.
I did make sure of zoning and clear title. And I have a beloved cousin and son not too far away.
Life here is too harsh, I no longer have any family in the area.
Kudos to you! We last much better with a life we can consider rewarding, despite the hardships!
Best wishes, will give progress reports of x country move.
Gemm


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## Ponker (Mar 9, 2016)

@Gemmer Kudos to you on taking the plunge to move! It was the best thing I ever did. You're lucky to have a place to go. Many people are just stuck with property and their situation changes but they can't get out. The mortgage bubble trapped a lot of people in upsidedown mortgages. And many people feel paralyzed with indecision and fear. 

If they could change they won't because Americans have been conditioned to be afraid since 9/11/2001. I moved abroad for my career in late August that year and was actually on a plane to Heathrow after the attacks. It was one of the last to land in Heathrow before all the planes were grounded. I was stuck in London and remember the moment of silence vividly. Everything stopped and there was no noise. It went on for what seemed an eternity. A minute can stretch on and on. Every six months I traveled back to the states for a week or so. I watched the change at arm's length. 

Being ensconced in the atmosphere of regulation, I didn't notice how government had taken total control until I wanted the dairy goats. And I wouldn't have even known about the zoning change but I was following a checklist I found somewhere on the internet. I'm a lot OCD and if its on the list, it gets done. I was shocked to the core to find the thick book of 'zoning' regulations and a whole new department of local government personnel to be supported by all the new fees.  We were in the corn belt within a county that is agricultural based. HAH

My people are in Iowa, my son is in Kuwait (military), and my daughter-in-law in Oklahoma, and Mother-in-law is in Illinois. 

My advice is, just go. Of course, it is still winter in New England so you might want to wait for better weather. Go be close to your son.

If I could be with my son and his family every day, I would. I miss him with all my heart. His wife is expecting our second grandchild on April 7. I will be going to Oklahoma to stay with her soon.  

Take care


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## Pastor Dave (Mar 9, 2016)

I have a question for you @Ponker 
After talking of the free fertilizer (which I can't agree with more) you mention the rabbit pee being like liquid gold. I have never heard of anyone thinking this. I know a lot that screen for the berries and just let the urine go on down to a pan or tote to discard later. With all the ammonia, what good is the urine because I have plenty?
Thanks


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## Ponker (Mar 9, 2016)

The rabbit urine is great fertilizer. It is really good after you ferment it. The Kenyans reported on how to do this. 
https://profarmsmusic.wordpress.com...g-bio-fertiliser-from-rabbit-urine-powerpost/
I make homemade wine and the process is very similar except quite a bit faster for the rabbit urine. I haven't done that yet. I've just dumped the urine under my fruit tree drip lines and use it to keep the compost piles cooking nicely. I can't get enough of it!


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## Latestarter (Mar 9, 2016)

Kudos to you @Ponker for the stand you took and the move you made. Govt is NOT our friend, is way too powerful, and is well entrenched. Wishing you all the best on your new place. I'll be moving this summer to a bigger place for many of the same reasons you moved.


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## Gemmer (Mar 9, 2016)

Ponker said:


> @Gemmer Kudos to you on taking the plunge to move! It was the best thing I ever did. You're lucky to have a place to go. Many people are just stuck with property and their situation changes but they can't get out. The mortgage bubble trapped a lot of people in upsidedown mortgages. And many people feel paralyzed with indecision and fear.
> 
> If they could change they won't because Americans have been conditioned to be afraid since 9/11/2001. I moved abroad for my career in late August that year and was actually on a plane to Heathrow after the attacks. It was one of the last to land in Heathrow before all the planes were grounded. I was stuck in London and remember the moment of silence vividly. Everything stopped and there was no noise. It went on for what seemed an eternity. A minute can stretch on and on. Every six months I traveled back to the states for a week or so. I watched the change at arm's length.
> 
> ...


Thanks, good luck with grandbaby.
Its only a little piece of desert, and few embellishments, but a lot can be done with it and things out there are much more reasonable. People much nicer too. Im my sons POA and Health Care Proxy, he has issues, but the University Hosp in SLC is so much more pleasant to deal with.
I know what you mean about 9/11, I ve travelled too overseas. The weekend following 9/11, my yoingest brother got married in Boston on the waterfront. It was so quiet like a horror movie. The reception was right across from Logan airport, I do think they had ever closed it like that. Not a single sound in an area known for its air traffic, not even any boats or ships.
Sorry off topic a bit.
Gemm


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## Pastor Dave (Mar 9, 2016)

Ponker said:


> The rabbit urine is great fertilizer. It is really good after you ferment it. The Kenyans reported on how to do this.
> https://profarmsmusic.wordpress.com...g-bio-fertiliser-from-rabbit-urine-powerpost/
> I make homemade wine and the process is very similar except quite a bit faster for the rabbit urine. I haven't done that yet. I've just dumped the urine under my fruit tree drip lines and use it to keep the compost piles cooking nicely. I can't get enough of it!



I guess I did not realize with the acidic level and ammonia that it was good for something.
I use pine pellets that are used in horse stalls and expand with moisture. Along with crushed or pulverized limestone and the wood pellets, I line my catch pans. This along with whatever straw or hay falls through gets dumped in the field behind my house and shed. I knew the rabbit berries, lime, and wood pellets were all organic and good for the soil. I did not know the urine was.
Thank-you for sharing.


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## Ponker (Mar 12, 2016)

Pastor Dave said:


> I guess I did not realize with the acidic level and ammonia that it was good for something.



I don't have ammonia, or at least its not very noticeable. I feed 17% protein pellets and free choice hay along with BOSS for a treat every few days. I have read that ammonia in urine can be caused by too much protein in the feed. The urine I use has a rich earthy smell, not strong ammonia smell. I've used the urine diluted for soaking bare root starts like asparagus, strawberries and rhubarb, I poured the diluted urine right into the hole when I planted them. The strawberries are already leafing out. When I panted the two new peach trees, I used urine straight in the hole. They are budding. I poured it straight on my comfrey plants and they are thriving. They are planted under the drip line of my apple trees. I'll pour it on the soil under my grape vines today. Any leftover that I can't find a place for, goes onto my coolest compost pile.

I have a catch system under my rabbit cages. Simply tarps hung underneath at an angle to catch the berries and allow the urine to flow down into totes. Some of the hay also gets mixed with the urine but most of the dropped hay stays with the berries. I use seed starter trays to dry the berries in the greenhouse if I have any leftover from dressing my trees, plants, and soil.


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## Ponker (Mar 17, 2016)

On the 15th of March my little black Finnsheep ewe (who turned one this month also) gave birth to two little ewe lambs. They are the absolute cutest little lambs. I was so excited that the photos aren't the best. I was also in a hurry to get out the door. I was supposed to be on the road by 4am and didn't get started til after nine. I'm staying with my very pregnant daughter-in-law until my son can here from his deployment to Kuwait. She is due on the 7th of April but their first child came 4 weeks early. She is a high risk pregnancy and my son asked me to come - so here I am. (Oklahoma) Until sometime in mid April. I didn't have a chance to name the little ones yet. They were only a few hours old in these photos. 


 


They are simply gorgeous little Finnsheep ewes. I'll send off their registrations after ten days. 

New Momma Athena did everything right. The black and white lamb is bigger than the little brown one but the little brown one was already jumping around on her springy legs. Their wool is even different. it looks like the little black one got daddy's wool which is loose and lustrous and the little brown one got Momma's wool  which is tightly crimped. Both were nursing and Athena's teats were cleared of the 'plug'. 

I've made the hard decision to sell my Katahdins. They are shedding onto my wool sheep. BettyLou especially is loosing hair in huge clumps. I've seen it sticking in Athena's beautiful black wool and it ruins the wool having white hair in it. Ruins it for marketing a good product. So I'll sell all of the Katahdins. I had my two ewes tested for Johne's and OPP and scrapie codon 171. They tested negative for both diseases (relief) and RR! YAY. So I'll put that in the advert and hope a good farmer latches onto them.


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## Latestarter (Mar 17, 2016)

Congrats on many fronts, least of which are the lambs. 

All my best wishes for your D-IL on the upcoming birth of her next child! So good that you were able to be there and help/support her while your son serves his country! I did 24 years Navy and know what it's like to have dependable parents. You mam, are simply the best! 

Now, as for the sheep, sorry you have to let your Katahdins go. Have you considered possibly putting them to best/better use... in your freezer? I understand they are excellent fare. For that reason, I hope to (eventually after my move) get some, hopefully crossed with Dorper, another very tasty meat breed. Congrats on the new additions to your Finnsheep herd! They are pretty little things  Gotta love baby animals! Baby humans too, although you can't really leave them in the barn when they won't stop screaming...  And final congrats on your soon to be Nigie goat herd. They are sweet little characters as well.

You know, you sure have a LOT going on!


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## norseofcourse (Mar 17, 2016)

Congrats on the lambs!  I hope all goes well with your daughter, glad you are able to go be with her.


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## Ponker (Mar 18, 2016)

@Latestarter THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE! and thank you for the very nice compliments. I want to be here for my son and daughter. And for my (almost) four year old granddaughter! In my mind, any parent would find a way to help. It is simply the right thing to do and it makes me feel wonderful getting to come. 

My dear spouse, was just in Illinois dealing with a very sick 88 year old mother. I was supposed to come on the 7th of March but when the nursing home called ... one of us had to go. She ended up having surgery for a blocked small intestine. Super crazy, we were praying we didn't lose her. Its a hard thing to be the one at the hospital or the one at home who can't be there for support. I left for Oklahoma the day after my spouse returned from Illinois (12 days dealing with the hospital, nursing home, Momma Fredia, and praying every day all day long that the last remaining member of the family wouldn't leave us yet.) It was a very stressful and exhausting time... and then I leave. I had to go and we both understood that. it didn't make leaving any easier. I was very happy to be able to help with the lambs. 

Its the one thing we didn't fully realize when we began our farming life, _one of us would always have to stay behind_. Sure, we said it but brushed it off as an easy thing. Now, it is making us come face-to-face with the amount of work the farm is for one person. We are both on the OCD side and like everything in its place and clean. So we are working before the sun rises, picking up sticks from the trees in the pastures, cleaning feeders, trimming weeds, or disinfecting stalls... It is a neverending job with really crappy pay and no benefits but so incredibly rewarding. 

The funny thing is that my granddaughter wears me out! I thought I was in pretty good shape from tending the farm every day all day long, but oh no. Yesterday, we played at the park. I slid down the slide (and climbed the ladder) more times than I can count. We walked to the park and back home. Then she sat on my lap as I read a book and promptly fell fast asleep. BLISS pure bliss. She's growing up so fast and my legs ACHE like they are going to fall right off but no matter... today its going to rain so we'll make beaded necklaces and stuff.

As far as putting the Katahdins in the freezer... maybe the lambs. The thing is, I need them gone when I get the wool sheep sheared. At that point, I need all the chunks of hair cleaned up and no more shedding into the new wool as it grows out. 

She rubbs herself along the fence and has popped the tension stick off the cross beam so it lays against the fence (not good). it now has a very long lag screw holding it in place. The fence is new so there is clay-mud around the wooden posts. This fence is around the small paddock next to the barn stall where they go if it is rainy or windy. We used 4" woven wire with a strand of barbed along the top and along the bottom. 48" tall before the additional barbed wire along the top. The barbed wire along the bottom runs along the fence bottom and keeps things from digging under. Its a great peace of mind. They stay here - in this paddock at night. And soon the LGD will be mature enough to be with his sheep full time. 






 
I let too much VM (vegetative matter) get into Athena's fleece this year (bottom left). It was my first time with wool sheep and I made many mistakes with their feeding techniques. In the photo you can see BettyLou's neck and how much hair is literally falling off in chunks and handfuls every day. This hair is winding its way into the wool fleeces. Now, it really doesn't matter but after they're shorn, it will.

So maybe the lambs if they are big enough by shearing time otherwise, perhaps a trade with the new owners... BettyLou hasn't lambed yet and we're wondering if she ever will...


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## frustratedearthmother (Mar 18, 2016)

Ponker said:


> The funny thing is that my granddaughter wears me out! I thought I was in pretty good shape from tending the farm every day all day long, but oh no. Yesterday, we played at the park. I slid down the slide (and climbed the ladder) more times than I can count. We walked to the park and back home. Then she sat on my lap as I read a book and promptly fell fast asleep. BLISS pure bliss. She's growing up so fast and my legs ACHE like they are going to fall right off but no matter... today its going to rain so we'll make beaded necklaces and stuff.




I feel your pain - and your bliss!  Grandkids are the greatest thing in life!  I've got two of mine for spring break and they are so much fun!   They wake up full of energy and ambition and by the end of they day they are worn out!  (and so am I)

Enjoy your time with your granddaughter and best of wishes for the upcoming birth!


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## Latestarter (Mar 18, 2016)

My parents told me as a youth to slow down and enjoy being young. They advised to NOT be in such a hurry to "grow up". Well, while I still have a little "kid" in me, were they ever right! And I now fully understand being "tied to the land (farm)" as well. I'm by myself, so it makes it even more difficult to "get away". The travel in and of itself isn't that important as I've been pretty much around the world, but it hurts that I can't go visit my kids and grand kids, I have to wait for them to visit me. And of course they are at the busiest part of their lives so it's not easy for them either. I wish I had some of those little kids energy sometimes!

So glad Fredia made it through her ordeal. Hope she has a speedy recovery. As the last, it will be sad for all when she finally moves on.


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## Ponker (Apr 19, 2016)

My Daughter-in-law and I decided to eat Chinese. We had delivery and it was so tasty. That night, her water broke! We took my granddaughter to her friends' house, as planned and headed to the hospital. It was 12:30 when we arrived. The contractions were getting stronger fast. They settled her in upstairs in the maternity ward and things went incredibly fast. I was the coach!

The Chinese food hadn't really settled on my stomach very well but I soldiered through the nausea. My incredible daughter-in-law has some pretty powerful contractions where she cried out and gritted her teeth. The anesthesiologist didn't arrive until 3:30. I was to the point of shouting back at her to breathe, since that is the only thing I knew about being a coach during delivery. I think the anesthesiologist came from a party or something because he was awkward and gave her a lot of medicine. her heart rate started falling and her pumped her back up with epinephrine. Then the fun started...

The baby's heart rate started falling, and falling, and falling. The room was full of staff and I was shoved away as they prepared to take the baby by vacuum. My trooper of a daughter-in-law gave one last mighty push and out came little red faced Charlie. The worked on him as I held the phone so my son, an Officer stationed in Kuwait, could watch the process on Facetime. We were all in tears. They finally announced that Charlie was fine as frog fur and gave him to his Momma.

He was born at 5:06 and I left the hospital that morning with the plan to sleep a few hours and pick up my granddaughter and go back to the hospital. That didn't happen. I was so incredibly sick. My insides boiled and I vomited and slept all day. I was too sick to leave the house... to get out of bed...I had not been that sick since I was a small child. There was a few minutes when I considered calling an ambulance on myself, seriously considered it. Had the phone in my hand. But then I remembered what my daughter-in-law endured to have my sweet grandson and I put the phone down. By late evening, I was starting to feel normal. By morning, I was right as rain.

A couple of days ago, I drove home. Over all, I was away three whole weeks. Seemed like a long time because it WAS a long time! Its a gruelling eight hour drive but its ONLY a day away. 

My son flew home from Kuwait to meet his new son and spend time with his family. He's going back today. I hate it but couldn't be more proud of him. He's a genuine good man. 

So I get home and the next day our two colonies of bees arrived. GAH! I' not ready! 


 
The tray in front is apples. Although we have plenty of blooms, it has also been rainy.

I had to delay the acquisition of my goats. I did find a home for six of my roosters.


 
This is an Iowa Blue rooster. I rehomed one of these guys. He was aggressive and I didn't want him around. He never hurt anyone but scared people. He'd attack you from behind or your foot. I played with him with my foot and he never put enough behind it to even remotely do damage. I think he was just a fighter. I don't know and didn't understand why he was so aggressive and the other two are completely docile. Anyway, with full disclosure, he went to a new home and they love his dominant attitude. Different strokes, huh? The chickens free-range but hang out in the pen a lot. They have access to the coop also and a few prefer to stay in the coop most of the time. 


 
Taking photos of chickens is difficult at best and impossible at worst. I kept this Salmon Faverolle rooster and gave four away. I also gave away my Black Dorking Rooster that I don't have a photo of. 
I kept my Red Dorking roosters because I'm getting two started pullets from a breeder in New Hampshire in May. From Backyard Chickens!


 
This big guy was born October 29th 2015. So he's not mature yet. I didn't let my Red Dorkings go. I kept both of them. I'm getting ten (straight run) from Sand Hill in addition to the two hens from New Hampshire. My twenty five from Sand Hill last year yielded 75% roosters. I'm hoping for a little better odds this year. 

My big ewe, BettyLou is going to have babies. I finally understand what happened. Betty was supposedly bred when I got her but obviously not. The due date came and went, weeks past. So even if she were bred the very day I brought her home, she is long past the time when she could be carrying lambs from that beautiful ram. But she is finally showing signs of impending lambing. Her back end is getting very very soft and she's beginning to get a bag. I think my Finn ram, Holstein is the dad. They were together for a few weeks early on, before I separated him before lambing began in earnest. it makes sense and is the only acceptable scenario. Sperm didn't fly through the air and make her pregnant. There had to be a carrier.

BettyLou is a very big hair sheep and Holstein is a small Finn ram. I'm excited to see the babies, and if she'll have multiples. Finns are known for their prolificacy. 


 
Betty is shedding her dense winter coat.. all over the place. And VooDoo is looking at the camera. Voodoo, a purebred FBA Finnsheep, was born March 15th, 2016. All four hair sheep are going to live with my 'across the street' neighbor. Probably, next week. I want to have them settled in before the shearer comes and before I bring home my little Nigerian milk goats. Things are headed in the right direction.


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## Latestarter (Apr 19, 2016)

Welcome home! Sorry you got so sick, glad it wasn't worse. Congrats on the new grand son and his exceptional parents. Best of luck with your soon to be "mini" hair sheep  and Nigie milk goats. You have some very handsome roos. Best of luck for a better hen:roo average on those coming.


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## norseofcourse (Apr 20, 2016)

Wow, what an experience with your daughter in law and your new grandson - congrats and well done!

Hope all goes well with BettyLou's lamb(s).  Finns are known for their multiple births, but that won't influence how many BettyLou has - it's the mom who controls that, depending on how many eggs she drops.  BettyLou's ewe lambs are the ones who may inherit some of the Finn tendancy toward multiple lambs.  Gonna keep any?


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## Ponker (Apr 21, 2016)

@Latestarter and @norseofcourse thank you! My daughter-in-law is a real wonder! I'm so proud of her. 

Thanks for the reminder about the mom being the one to influence the birth numbers. I had completely forgotten. I'm not keeping any of Betty's lambs no matter how tempted I am. She sheds huge clumps of hair everywhere. I sent a deposit on 3 FBA Finn ewes from Stillmeadow Farm in upstate new York. And I'm getting two sisters (FBA Finn ewes) from a farm in Missouri, Shawn and Sheng. That will bring my ewes to number eight with them being all FBA Finns. I have two rams Georgie and Holstein already. My total flock is ten and that is my holding number for now although I am tempted to get a ram from Stillmeadow to improve the genetic pool in this area... since I'm paying transport and all... 

I want to wait for the big sheep to be gone before I get the lambs because the big girls are not very nice to the little lambs without Mommas.


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## Latestarter (Apr 21, 2016)

Sounds like a future breeder in the making!  Probably don't need to tell you this, but keep excellent records and take lots of pics (for your future website)!   Wishing you all the best of luck! It's a real difficult choice when you're paying huge shipping fees already... Should I add in just one more?    Hope you'll share some pics when you get them all home 

Sorry, was feeling in an imoji mood...


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## ldawntaylor (Apr 22, 2016)

Just out of curiosity Ponker which route did you take to get to Oklahoma?  A more northern one?  Or did you end up fairly close to Fort Smith, AR?  I know it all depends on what part of Oklahoma you were headed to.  I'm just curious because if you ended up travelling through Arkansas and by Fort Smith then you were about 50 miles from my home.


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## Ponker (May 10, 2016)

ldawntaylor said:


> Just out of curiosity Ponker which route did you take to get to Oklahoma? A more northern one? Or did you end up fairly close to Fort Smith, AR? I know it all depends on what part of Oklahoma you were headed to. I'm just curious because if you ended up travelling through Arkansas and by Fort Smith then you were about 50 miles from my home.


I'm so sorry I missed this! I took the southerly route for the ride along the civil war route. On my way home, I went right past Fort Smith. It was a great drive. Long, but great.


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## ldawntaylor (May 10, 2016)

Not a problem, I was just curious.  I wonder if Arkansas will ever finish that interstate that has been talked about, going through the Fort Smith area.  If so, the trip between Fort Smith and my place will be a lot faster.  But, day to day living will be a lot noisier around here.  More vehicles, traveling faster.  As well as more sirens I suspect.


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## Ponker (May 13, 2016)

So a lot has happened around here. Zsa Zsa and Nellie are Moms again each with eight little kits. They're doing fine, even Zsa Zsa who freaked at becoming a Mom the first time and let her babies die on the wire. I found the too late to save any. Nellie raised nine babies already. They;re American Chinchilla rabbits. 

One of my Muscovy ducks, Eleanor hatched a bunch of ducklings under the porch. Last night she high tailed them to the pond while I was busy milking the goat. I was watching for her to take them out and missed it. Try as I might, I couldn't coax them off the pond. She spent the night out there with six of them and I managed to catch eight before it got too dark to see. The eight are in a brooder crying for their Momma. Its heartbreaking but I have giant catfish in my pond and many many night predators that roam my neck of the woods. She's not safe out there let alone newborn ducklings. I'm working on getting them into the duck house today. One of my other Muscovy ducks is sitting 24 eggs in there! And last but not least, the one remaining Muscovy duck, Sally is a cannibal! She was caught stealing duck eggs and eating them. I've had to shoo her out of the chicken coop several times. She is banned from the coop and the run. I even caught her nosing around the porch where Eleanor was sitting her clutch! 

I sold my hair sheep, Big Bad BettyLou and Spotty with her two lambs. Now, we are left with just Athena, Panda, VooDoo, and Sissy, for the ewes and George and Holstein for the rams. Athena and Holstein met the shearer for the first time. They look marvelous but I was amazed at how skinny Athena looked without her wool. Holstein maintained his masculine countenance after losing his wool. I added some sunflower seeds and alfalfa pellets to Athena's grain ration.

We now have goats! Seven Nigerian Dwarf Milk Goats came from Festus, MO to our little farm in Arkansas. We opted to bring a buck, wether, and five does, of which one is in milk now. Daisy just went dry after raising her kids, Bella has a little doeling, Amelia nursing, Moon will be bred for the first time within the next year, and Delilah my special friend who is teaching me to milk. Since she's a first freshener, she's not honed her teaching abilities so we're having some ups and downs. We milk twice a day and so far so good. The little Buckling and wether are smaller than my rooster and cat. They're so precious. It's hard to believe they're going to grow up.

I have a broody hen sitting a clutch of Red Dorking/Iowa Blue eggs. Should be interesting.


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## Ponker (Jul 8, 2016)

Been awhile since I updated and things are getting more hectic as the summer kicks in full force. We have plans to extend our fencing A LOT! We're putting a cross fence and then several smaller sections... its part of the overall grand plan to have six pastures fenced with 4" woven wire 4' tall with a strand of barbed along the top and bottom. Instead of hiring this done, we are going after this job ourselves. It's a bit of a challenge but we already purchased enough material to do two sections. 

Our dear neighbor has been a jewel! He's helped us burn the piles of trees we took down to put the perimeter fence. What a load of work that was. The piles were pretty big. They're still glowing now. We gave away the wood but nobody came for it. It was a shame to watch all that good firewood go up in smoke.

Two darling little brown lambs came to live at our farm from Northern Missouri. They are sisters from a February quint birth, both lovely brown and friendly as all get out. They're soft and smaller than my triplet ewe lamb born in February. They might not get bred this autumn. We'll see. Unless they reach 60-75 lbs, I won't breed them. 


 
In the above photo you can see Sissy (white ewe second from the right ) eating flanked by the two newcomers, Shawn and Shang. I didn't name them but they already know their names so I'm not changing them. Standing with her butt toward the camera and wearing three white socks is Panda, she was born in March and is bigger than the twins. VooDoo a badger faced ewe lamb born in March facing us in the photo. She is also much bigger than the newcomers.


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## Ponker (Aug 15, 2016)

Tragedy struck. I lost Shawn and Shang on the same day, only hours apart. The vet told me that some animals that don't get a good start can have a 'failure to thrive'. My heart just broke into tiny pieces over losing these two little lambs.

When they arrived they were dropping worms in their stool, losing wool, very thin, and one had severe diarrhea. They were four months old and weighed only twelve pounds. Since I had arranged transport, they arrived at my farm in that condition. I doctored them and called the vet, who came out the following day. We wormed them, gave them probiotics, and started them on a nutritional regime. I had to continuously dose them with probiotics and called the vet out again two weeks later when they were not gaining any weight. Their eyes watered all the time and I worried continuously. At this point I emailed the breeder and told her what I thought. She conceded that she didn't have the time and didn't give them the attention they deserved.  We did a second worming due to the extremely hot humid weather. They seemed to take a turn toward the better but they weren't like my other ewes. My vet and I tried everything.

We buried them together near the lower pond on a hill. We covered the grave with large stones stacked one on top of the other. A lot of tears were shed that day. I was wrecked.

My deep sorrow fermented into anger. How could anyone raise these lambs with such disregard for their health? How could they sell them as premium ewe lambs? I emailed the breeder again. This time I was met with a stone wall. I accepted these two little ewe lambs and the breeder washed her hands of them and pocketed my $825. HA HA BUYER BEWARE! Made me sick.

What made it all the more difficult was that my four lambs from New York were arriving the very next day! It was so hard to be excited. Instead, I was filled with dread at the prospect of being taken advantage of again. Fortunately, these four lambs were EXCELLENT!

Large, full fleece, bright eyes, active, friendly, curious, and a picture of perfect health. These were true premium ewe (and one ram) lambs.

On the left is Rosa, Jane, Marilyn all newcomers next to VooDoo, Panda, Athena (large black ewe) and Sissy looking over her back. Rosa, Jane, and Marilyn were all born in April. Standing next to my March born lamb VooDoo, they are every bit size appropriate.



 

Shawn and Shang taught me a very important lesson. That even in small breed specific communities, there are people willing to take advantage of newcomers. I've decided that, in their memory, I will propose a voluntary code of ethics that will set apart good breeders from the type I had the unfortunate experience of dealing with. I'll never be one to neglect my animals because I bred too many trying to cash in. I'll also NEVER belong to the Buyer Beware crowd. I have more ethics and true love for this breed than to ever agree with a Buyer Beware mentality. We, as breeders, should vet our purchasers and sell to people who we are willing to help successfully raise the breed. I'm not advocating to allow buyers to be ignorant and/or uneducated about raising sheep correctly. In addition, I do not think accidents are the fault of the Breeder. Breeders should only sell healthy, good quality animals for the purpose intended.

I'm still smarting profoundly from my harsh experience but tempered by four outstanding lambs with incredible genetics. I've always said that things happen for a reason. I think this happened to me to teach me that in this animal breeder world, - ethics is in short supply.

Caveat Emptor my friends.


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## Latestarter (Aug 15, 2016)

Sorry you got taken advantage of... I can't open the attachment to view... says it doesn't exist...


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## Hens and Roos (Aug 15, 2016)

sorry to hear about your loss


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## Ponker (Aug 15, 2016)

Latestarter said:


> Sorry you got taken advantage of... I can't open the attachment to view... says it doesn't exist...


I had to edit because my first photo didn't work right. It was a link. So I deleted that link and uploaded it again. This time it worked fine. Maybe try refreshing. I can see it fine. Let me know if it still doesn't show up and I'll try editing again.


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## Ponker (Aug 15, 2016)

Hens and Roos said:


> sorry to hear about your loss


Thank you. I've lost dogs before and it was so hard. I'd had them for eight years or more and developed a significant relationship with my dogs. The lambs' death took me by complete surprise. Blindsided. 

Sure we were having a lot of problems with their health but we were on top of them. The vet and vet tech were both working with me on bringing them around. Their deaths hardened me... in a good way. For Shang and Shawn, I've already proposed an ethics statement to the Finnsheep Breeders Association President. Since the motivation is to ensure the breed is carried forward, we need breeders who care about the breed, not just money. Money needs to come from producing the best quality lambs and selling them for the best purpose, being wool, meat, or breeding. When a breeder unloads as many lambs as possible in whatever condition, it's not good for the community as a whole.

Thanks again for your condolences. I really appreciate it.


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## TAH (Aug 15, 2016)

Sorry about your losses .


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## Ponker (Aug 25, 2016)

TAH said:


> Sorry about your losses .



Thank you for the kind words. It was a day I'll never forget. So much sorrow for those two little lambs.


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