C&D Farming..oh what a life!

[Duckfarmerpa1]

@chickens really ...YOU CAN NEVER OFFEND ME! You are my dear friend! I just literally haven’t had time to even sit down...lol. I know you have your heart in the right place..I know you might be right? But for now...we are lov8ng it allll...my Rabbitry..weird name, right? Anyways, it’s growing huge..and doing great!
but we did lose the one mini piglet, that was struggling...broke our hearts. We fed he4 every 2 hrs. This is all afte4 the one momma dried up, and the othe4 got mastitis, so we had to bring them allll inside..,ugh! What a mess...we put plastic on the floor, and then around the cages..because once they figured out the bowls..ugh..they would dive head first! And fight! Ugh! They are stink in’ cute, but, I kinda can’t wait for these...14,.to be gone?. Thank goodness we have a bunch of goats milk! So, Chris walks Charlie, the calf, on a leash every night..lol...they both love it! I don’t see this guy going anywhere anytime soon. We are terrible farmers..we get wayyyyy too attached.....oh welll...... Oh yeah, we have 2 ducks...but the6 just choose to go in the chicken coop? We try and tr6 to show them the pond...dumb th8ngs hate the water? Whatever? They go right in with the chickens...no fuss. Both hens..two eggs a day. They came with a new coop we bought..,ugh. Ok, back to work....oh, here are some pictures...and yes, Chris brought Charlie in the house for a photo “op”...lol....ugh..yet he says I can’t bring goat kids in when I need to bottle feed? Yeah right!

 

[Bruce]

Whatever? They go right in with the chickens

Not a bad plan, they are safer at night in the coop.

 

[chickens really]

I'm glad you understand me.
All you animal pictures are great. Please know I'm happy you are enjoying your life with all your animals Denise. As long as your still having fun it's worth every moment.

 

[chickens really]

Are you planning to get another bottle calf for Charlie to have a friend?

 

[Duckfarmerpa1]

@chickens really ..yes, we’ve been to auctions..going again today...even looking for big stronger ones...not willing to take risks...losing animals just breaks our hearts. We want pairs at least for every animal on the farm!

 

[chickens really]

@chickens really ..yes, we’ve been to auctions..going again today...even looking for big stronger ones...not willing to take risks...losing animals just breaks our hearts. We want pairs at least for every animal on the farm!

That's great. I hope you can get one today. Good Luck!

 

[purplequeenvt]

@chickens really ..yes, we’ve been to auctions..going again today...even looking for big stronger ones...not willing to take risks...losing animals just breaks our hearts. We want pairs at least for every animal on the farm!

Have you considered finding a dairy farm nearby and purchasing a calf directly from them?

 

[farmerjan]

There have been a few that disagree with me on calves, and I do post on several cattle forums.... the best place to buy a calf is directly from a farmer.... in fact it is the only place that I suggest to 99.99% of the people who want to raise a baby/bottle calf. If the farmer is even halfway decent, they will sell you a calf that has had colostrum , is drinking a bottle well, and has a very good chance of survivng and THRIVING.
A calf from a sale/stockyard/auction may be perfectly healthy when it is dropped off there. Had colostrum and all the right start. BUT ..... it gets exposed to every germ, bug, disease, everything that you can imagine there. They don't have the immune system to fight off all that. And a beginner with calves won't know what to look for, or see the signs quick enough, or know what to give, soon enough, to get the calf through. I have been doing this for over 40 years.... bottle calves, grafted on nurse calves to my nurse cows, bought calves for friends with a beef cow whose calf was born dead.... you name it.... I've been there, done that, paid the price, got the tee shirt....
I will only buy directly off a farm at this point in time. I want a calf that is going to jump up, go to eating, want the cow or the bottle, and not have to give a seconds thought to "what if".... Milk replacer costs too much, the calf costs too much, your time is worth too much, and the problem is the calf isn't worth enough when all is said and done.....
I have a soft spot for the "unfortunate"..... I have buried way too many that had too many strikes against them..... I don't care how much money you have, or how well off you are, or if you don't care that you are putting 10 x the money into that animal than it is worth..... the time and EMOTIONAL toll is not worth it either even if the financial cost is of no concern.
Add to that is that you are bringing home all the germs/bugs/diseases that the calf was exposed to ..... AND EXPOSING all the rest of your healthy animals to it. Understand that we do trade in cattle some, we do buy and sell..... so we do expose some of ours to outside germs/diseases/bugs..... but they don't get put right in with or near the most susceptible on the farm; meaning other babies.

Find a farmer that you are fairly close to and get one direct. Most will be glad to not have to pay the commision and take the time to take the calf to the sale and then take whatever they get.... You pay him a fair price, he will often be a good enough source if it should get sick, to give you advise or to help out or even to give you a shot to give it on occasion.

 

[Duckfarmerpa1]

Well we got three..and a giant hog! Geez what a ride! The one calf is so big he’s eating feed and hay. We gave them all la200 and the vet is coming out today to see all the animals. calves were whooped from their big day yesterday..but we got them tubed and today they bottle fed just fine! Yeah! I had a couple rabbits come up with enteritis..but I beat that darn crappy #$@..!! Yeah!! I had to keep them from going to their newhomes a bit longer. I’m keeping them over the weekend, to make full sure everything is safe!! But I worked my bumm off..and everyone is bright eyed! Phew!! Man, that feels so darned good. Ok, back to work..we bought stacking crate hutches..second hand..they need scrubbed a ton..and I have to scrub the hutches where the buns got sick....plus, Chris wants meatloaf..the only thing he says I can cook! Oh, we had more fluffy butts born two days ago!! More illegitimate chicks!. Ten BO! Hopefully we’ll get $20? But we’re keeping the feed. Oh, Chris named the pig, Marie..my middle name So romantic...

 

[chickens really]

Oh my lord Denise..
You and your Husband need therapy I'm thinking? Post pictures of the calves please..