C&D Farming..oh what a life!

[Duckfarmerpa1]

Chris would shoot anyone who tried to buy outpr tiny piglets for their supper.! Those are HIS babies! Happy Mother’s Day!

oh, quick question,...Honey occasionly has some yellow/green eye gook discharge. It was never enough to give it a second thought. Now this week, Busty has it too. It is just the season? Allergies? Nobo has a temp. Everyone is crack due to weaning...and that just stinks!! How long doe I need to keep them separate?

oh, I’ve got 4 broody hens...out them in pens, in the air, in the coop. Been a week, only got about 4-5 eggs from all of them. When do I let them out?

 

[rachels.haven]

You know, I don't know about the eye discharge? Is it a lot? If it's just a little it could be their eyes flushing something or a minor infection. Can they see or do they have cloudy eyes? Usually if there's no fever, not wormy, they're eating, pooping, breathing, and drinking, and milking you don't have too much of a problem, but if there's a lot of discharge I'd be a little worried. That would be a vet question probably.

I'm not sure about the weaning either. Most sources say 2 weeks. I have one that decided to restart nursing after several months and she's going up for sale for it.

Probably when they're not broody anymore, but I've never busted my broodies. Broodies usually don't lay so it may be time. Maybe experiment and find out?

 

[Bruce]

oh, I’ve got 4 broody hens...out them in pens, in the air, in the coop. Been a week, only got about 4-5 eggs from all of them. When do I let them out?

This is one thing I DO know something about. Too many opportunities given I have no rooster and they are wasting their time and lives if they sit on shavings waiting for chicks to appear (though that has happened a few times at O'Dark thrity)
You let them out when they start talking to you like a regular hen. No broody clucking, no puffing up when you get close.

 

[Duckfarmerpa1]

This is one thing I DO know something about. Too many opportunities given I have no rooster and they are wasting their time and lives if they sit on shavings waiting for chicks to appear (though that has happened a few times at O'Dark thrity)
You let them out when they start talking to you like a regular hen. No broody clucking, no puffing up when you get close.

Ohhhh.great! No more chicken jail!! Yeah!!

 

[Duckfarmerpa1]

We have 4 people on the waiting list for mini pigs due in June! Eggs are flying off the shelf! We were/are thinking about making soap but it looks pretty complicated....and like we have to buy a lot of stuff to even put in it. Chris...for some reason...thought it only took milk and lye. We, at this point, don’t even want to sell it. He has. Exima? And we were literally going to make it for him and his family Who all have it too. So, we’ll see. Anyone got an easy recipe? Does everyone else have the meat shortage going on like othe4 parts o& the country? We had to run into Walmart yesterday. The had little meat. We don’t buy that stuff anyways. But we are thinking it’s because it comes from the city? Our town of 1,500... the meat shelves look pretty good, but they are buying, we think, from local farmers.i know everyone is in a panic. We are not. Got a freezer full of our pig...plus we are planning to go to an auction today if the roads clear up...and buy a lamp or sheep? It’s a miserable day, can get much work done outside...the trailers are here, so, yes, we COULD work inside them...but it’s darned cold! Ugh!! May 12?! What the heck! @Bruce ...your weather bad too?

 

[Bruce]

Bad? No. Cold? Yes. Keeps going below freezing overnight. On average it should not go that low in May at all. And we have been about 10°F colder for the highs as well.

We had rain yesterday, more than Mr. NOAA suggested but that is OK, we haven't had much rain yet this spring. The pond has gone down at least a foot and it must be evaporation since the area north of the pond is not wet, no "leakage".

Here in Vermont May shower bring June flowers so we need some rain

 

[Duckfarmerpa1]

It’s sooooo wet here from the rain and snow I can’t let the goats out, until after 2 ish, if at all because the6 got hoof rot. I wrap their hooves, but that’s no guarenter...vet said keep them in...we alllll hate it...got a ton of bunnies in th3 house so the kits don’t ge5 wet and die....ugh! This weather!

 

[Bruce]

Time to let the goats in the house with the bunnies!

 

[CntryBoy777]

You probably know way more than me about goats....and I'm not sure of your setup or number of goaties....but what I did to aid with hoof issues was to use 16"x16" concrete squares that ya can get at Lowes or WallyWorld and use them as paths and 6 together as a laying pad....if it is wet, they will opt to walk on the squares and the laying pads will collect warmth for cooler days to lay on.....mine were in a shaded area and I sowed rye grass in their pen for winter....they would walk the squares and eat the grass....this also helps to wear the hoof down, so less trimming.....we only had 3 goats, but with the 30+ squares we had it would've handled a few more....they also kept us out of the mud with good footing....course I do realize ya get way more snow and freezing temps than we did in Mississippi.....

 

[Duckfarmerpa1]

That’s a great idea! Right now we just have a bunch of pallets with plywood on top thrown around...ugh.. Chris wants to pour concrete for pigs...I said no..too hard on joints, he agreed...Do you rotate your pasture? We do all the time...due to the wet soil..and because I worry about hoof issues. They are really only fenced in when we aren’t home...which is...rare! Now, we are getting these 3 new trailers dropped back in where the fenced area was..I think? Not sure yet..but, I do know it changes everything..so it’s a good thing he didn’t put concrete anywhere!! I’ll talk to him about putting down some concrete squares...That’s a great idea! Thanks a ton!