Four Winds Ranch: " Life on the Farm "

[Four Winds Ranch]

Lol!
Actually, I never did find out how my llama ended up pregnant! And ,no, the other has never had a baby. I have to say, they were in with my sheep all along and they never seemed to do a thing to stop the coyotes unfortunatly! :/
I also had 2 donkeys in with them and they still got eaten! Which reminds me, I should have a new baby donkey next spring! I don't remember ever seeing one before, but can imagine it will be a cutie!
Oh well! I hope my new dogs do the trick!
As for my Katahdin ram, Andy, he is still not eating as good as normal, and is still thin. Ya I dont know...... was thinking maybe whenever he is around the ewes he gets too excited and goes off his feed, and when he can see them for extended periods of time, he ends up getting himself quite sick and skinny???? MAYBE!!!
Well, my pigs, Johnny and Oprah did end up getting together! So I am expecting pot-belly piglets sometime around the end of October!!!!! I will be sure to post pictures! On another piggy note : About a month ago, I bought a nice built, 100lb gilt at the livestock auction. We are going to use her for our Annual Pig Roast! We put on a Pig Roast every year for family, friends, community, and who ever wants to come! We do the whole pig on the spit just like old times and it is very tasty!!! Usually a good time for everyone, and a good chance to meet new friends!
The next couple days I believe are worming days for the sheep! And training Jessie and Jake!

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[jodief100]

I hope you can get the critters under control. That is awful about the lambs.

I can't wait to see BABY DONKEY!!!!!!!1

 

[Four Winds Ranch]

In our area, there is a local event every yr., called the Barnyard Scramble! Farm animal donations of all kind are asked for!
They take an arena, get all the kids to line up in one end, line up all of the donated animals at the other end. They let all the animals loose, and yell go! All the kids run to catch an animal, and the BIG rule is " what ever you catch, you bring home"!
It is very crazy to watch! Every year it is a surprize as to what ones kid is going to expect you to take home! One doesn't dare leave home without the trailer! We have been attending these for the last 4 years, and have aquired a assortment of new animals. A couple kittens, a collie pup, a donkey, and just this last weekend, a pig! It is just a weiner pig, about 20lbs, but let me tell ya, my daughter was a pretty proud 10yr. old! The pig's name is now Miss Piggy, and god forbid my hubby mentions the word, bacon, or porkchop when my daughter is within hearing!! Lol!
The Barnyard Scramble is also a good way to clean up "the barnyard"! If ya got some 9 year old hens that won't lay, and would be toooo tough to even attempt to eat..... I am sure some little kid would love a pet chicken! For some unforseen reason the cats multiplied 20 times instead of the normal 10 times the amount that year...... all kids love kittens! If ya still have a few left that didn't sell out of the litter of puppies, and you don't want to have 15 dogs running around the farm......I am sure someone else would love to aquire them at the barnyard Scramble!!!
I am almost a little worried aboub next year though, as I will have 3 kids trying to run around and each aquire a new animal..............

 

[Bridgemoof]

Oh my gosh, that sounds CRAZY and FUN! That's really cute that your daughter caught the piggy. We want pics!

 

[BrownSheep]

Who ever started that wasa genius!...how in the world do you stop the adults from playing too?

 

[Four Winds Ranch]

Well, as some know, I have been having problems this year with my chickens going missing and what not! It is a problem I hope I now have under control( cross my fingers)!
Yesterday morning, I let the chickens out of their house. One of my normal events I do everyday around 6:30am. or so. I open the dooor to check them before they go running out into the yard. I step on something!!!! :/ I step back......quickly flick on my flashlight.....(it is dark out here till practicaly 7:00 every morning now).......eeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwww chicken parts and feathers everywhere!!!!!! I shine the light around and discover a hole in one corner of the chicken house! I realize the parts strewn around are all that is left of the remaining half grown chicks that I HAD from this summer! Thinking about all the work, time, feed, and my high hopes for them............ok, this meant WAR!!!!!!
I picked up every little piece, disgusting as that is, grabbed all my old eggs I had found in the hay stach a few days ago, and stuck them in a 3x2 wooden box. I cut a hole just big enough for a chicken to get in on one side. Then, I set a gopher trap just inside the little door and covered it with a bit of hay! I have to addmit, I was a little excited as I went to bed wondering what I was going to catch!
In the morning, before I did anything, I had to see if my trap worked! So, 6:00am, here I am with my milk bucket, and full lamb bottles, trying to quietly sneak around the corner of the chicken house with my little lambing flashlight! As I round the corner, I can't believe my eyes! My whole wooden box is torn/chewed apart! Yep, I cought the culpret alright! He was a big smelly, and did I mention smelly, SKUNK! Needless to say, I was quite proud of myself! After I was done milking and what not, while I was making school lunches, my loving hubby whent out and took care of the smelly fella for me! When my hubby came back in the door though..... that is another story! As you can well imagine, he works in the office, he had pretty much, the whole office to himself today!!!! Lol!
I have high hopes for the saftey of my chickens now!!!!!

 

[marlowmanor]

Glad you caught the culprit.

 

[Bridgemoof]

hahah! Yay!

 

[Four Winds Ranch]

I fear the end is near for my beloved Jersey milkcow "Silver"!!!!
One gets so close to one's milkcow! Ya have to pay them a visit at least twice a day, everyday, religiuosly. Anyone who has ever had one, knows they talk. Before you even see your cow, she hears you and starts telling you where she is, If she is in need of anything( or thinks she is) ,you will definatly hear about it! Or if she is upset with you, the mooing won't stop!!!
Silver is 13, which is old for an ex-dairy cow, she is the perfect milkcow! Even kids can milk her. She doesn't kick. Everday, morning and evening, I walk toward the barnyard, fill Silver's dish with grain, and listen for her mooo! I follow her mooos, give her her grain and I milk. No need for a rope, cause Silver never leaves while I am milking! She never has, it don't matter where we are, she always stands soooo nice! Who could ask for more, thats why I was saying she is the perfect cow, other than that she is a touch too picky when it comes to her hay!
This late summer, I noticed she seemed to have a little limp on one of her back legs. I checked her leg and hoof and even looked for cuts on the bottom(she stands and lets me lift her feet and trim her hooves), and I could find NOTHING!! Since then, her limp has gotten a lot worse, and now it is very obvious what the problem is! Her hips are stoving up on her!! Right now, she can still walk, slowly, but I know the end is almost here! Everyone tells me there is nothing anyone can do......
The lives we live on the farm!

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[Bridgemoof]

I am deeply sorry about Silver. She sounds like she has been a wonderful girl for you.