ELeVan ~ Honaker Farm Journal

[redtailgal]

z

 

[elevan]

Yay for Lucky!

um, is she seriously headed for the pot? and you named her Lucky? Geesh, I would hate to be the UNlucky one......lol

No, no, no...Lucky is not headed for the pot!

I was generalizing that I LOVE and provide love to all of my critters no matter what their destination.

She didn't have a name until the fateful night that a mink attacked the coop and killed 10 of 11 chickens (my first flock) she managed to wedge herself into a corner, trapped by a water barrel...no way she could get out but no way anything could get to her either. At that time I had a coop with an enclosed run that I thought was secure and so I didn't close the coop. My fault and it ended badly. We thought that they were all dead...we couldn't find chicken #11 the rest were all piled up dead. The entire day went by without us knowing that she was there...then at almost dark one of the dogs caught sight of her and we rescued her from her position. She became known as Lucky from that point. She has a "you won't take me alive" attitude and is very hard to catch if you need to catch her during the day...even at night she's pretty alert to her surroundings. That mink was a menace last fall eliminating our flock and 3 of our neighbors...one neighbor lost 80 chickens, another 26, we lost 10 and still another neighbor lost 4. We all set traps and one neighbor managed to get the mink's foot in a snap trap but that was the best that we could do.

 

[elevan]

Thought I'd share some random pictures

This is Lucky - she's a silver lakenvelder (sorry it's a really crappy pic)

Miss Flufferbottom "Fluffy" - the soon to be chicken mama

My Basenji - Oingo "Boingo"

Jerry the llama and the chickens (getting scratch) the guineas and ducks are in there too - poor guy was afraid to move

Speedy

Snickers

Ranger

Turkeys (Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner)

 

[Roll farms]

That poor llama looks like he's wondering where all the midgets came from...Love the basenji, I've always wanted one.

 

[elevan]

That poor llama looks like he's wondering where all the midgets came from...Love the basenji, I've always wanted one.

Jerry came over and I gave him a handful of scratch then told him to be careful and not step on anyone...he stood there until they were all done He's such a good boy...loves and protects the chickens and the goats.

Boingo is the most loyal dog I have ever known. I love when he baroos...sounds just like he's saying I LOVE YOU...makes my heart melt. Baroos when he's happy, "yikes" when he's hurt...never barks (cause Basenjis can't) and is wonderful for those who have allergies. One down side...he's a hunter. One evening I let him out into the yard and within a minute he had sighted, caught and was ready to dismantle a wild rabbit. I've never heard such an awful sound as a rabbit screaming. So I can't let him around the farm critters or they'd be goners. But it's a fault I can overlook because he's wonderful in every other way. Well...except bathtime - he HATES water.

Basenjis are hard to train though...they are so intelligent and self opinionated. Boingo's downfall is pupcorn...he'd do anything for it

 

[that's*satyrical]

any dog that doesn't bark is cool in my book....mine's getting on my last nerve with his constant yapping.

 

[77Herford]

any dog that doesn't bark is cool in my book....mine's getting on my last nerve with his constant yapping.

Hee...heeee....

 

[redtailgal]

x

 

[elevan]

Jerry sounds cool! Do you have to shear him or anything? (I know NOTHING bout llamas)

I don't have shears that will work so with determination and a few blisters I barrel clipped him with scissors back in May...kind of why his mid section looks really rough. Next year I'll find someone to come in and fully shear him. I plan to alternate full shear and barrel clipping on alternate years.

lol, Ms Flufferbottom. gets me every time.

She is a lovely little lady!

DH calls her our chicken dog...she loves human attention.

 

[Roll farms]

I really gotta get my llama pics scanned and posted in my thread...we used to have 7 at one time, but that was before I got my 1st digital camera.

Try full body clipping all of those w/ a set of hand shears (the big red ones), if you wanna talk blisters. OUCH.

I watched an ABC Saturday special about Basenjis when I was a kid, and have never forgotten it...it told all about how they don't bark but do vocalize, and how loyal they are. Why is it I can retain stuff about animals that I learned 25 years ago, but can't remember to put shampoo on the grocery list now???