Imma Okie
Chillin' with the herd
We purchased our homestead just over a year ago. I am a proud wife of an Army vet. Collectively we have 8 children, 3 at home fulltime and 6 at home during the summer. I home school one child. I sometimes cuss, but usually only while driving. I always have poop on my shoes no matter how careful I think I am being. My children are perfect, at least while I am watching. They do chores that most kids couldnt imagine doing nowadays! What do you mean you have to clean the chicken coop? I threw out the video game system and we now play poker as a family around the dining room table. What? They dont like playing pitch!
We have 2 rescue dogs that we adore. Zeus was on his way to the pound 5 years ago when I snatched him up. We are his 3rd and final family. He is a 150 lb. dogue de Bordeaux and Fila. Yep, he is HUGE with a huge gas problem. Yankee candle owes the past 5 years of profit to my dog Zeus. Jip is a young dog that we adopted from a humane shelter as a pup this summer. Best guesses are he is an Aussie/Pyrenees mix. They both get along wonderfully with the other animals. They spend most of their time napping inside with sporadic bursts of energetic play.
We have an acreage with 2 LaMancha dairy goats, Benedict the buck and Bernice the doe. Benny is a turd but Bernie is a cuddle bunny. We are expecting a kid (or kids) April 4th. I am waiting to pick up a LaMancha wether and another doe. I cant wait. We have 12 free range guinea fowl, 4 of which are jumbos. I wanted chickens so after researching the best fit for our needs and personalities, I chose the Delaware breed for our small farm. I added 11 Delaware chickens to our motley crew in March. Now I have laying hens and a very spoiled rooster that my kids call Florence. I have tried my hand at gardening. I had the most glorious peppers this year due to chicken poop! That was the only thing I could grow because of the drought. The goats ate the eggplants and everything else withered and dried up.
Last month while shopping at our farm and ranch supply store my children and I were captivated by the needy chirps of the last chicks of the season. We purchased 6 chicks and 6 more guineas, which is completely out of character for me as I like to research and prepare before hand. Now we are in love with what appear to be 3 white crested black Polish, 1 black crested white Polish and 2 Ameraucana chicks. Who knew? I hope they lay! I am all about being practical. But if the Polish chicks grow up just to look pretty, they have already earned their keep. My home schooled aspie son LOVES them and they love him back.
We are planning on having a family dairy cow and a few beef cattle, preferably a smaller dual purpose breed such as Dexters or Devons. The jury is still out on a breed as my husband wants Scottish Highland cattle. I worry about the heat and all that hair!
I look forward to BYH user advice! Thanks so much.
We have 2 rescue dogs that we adore. Zeus was on his way to the pound 5 years ago when I snatched him up. We are his 3rd and final family. He is a 150 lb. dogue de Bordeaux and Fila. Yep, he is HUGE with a huge gas problem. Yankee candle owes the past 5 years of profit to my dog Zeus. Jip is a young dog that we adopted from a humane shelter as a pup this summer. Best guesses are he is an Aussie/Pyrenees mix. They both get along wonderfully with the other animals. They spend most of their time napping inside with sporadic bursts of energetic play.
We have an acreage with 2 LaMancha dairy goats, Benedict the buck and Bernice the doe. Benny is a turd but Bernie is a cuddle bunny. We are expecting a kid (or kids) April 4th. I am waiting to pick up a LaMancha wether and another doe. I cant wait. We have 12 free range guinea fowl, 4 of which are jumbos. I wanted chickens so after researching the best fit for our needs and personalities, I chose the Delaware breed for our small farm. I added 11 Delaware chickens to our motley crew in March. Now I have laying hens and a very spoiled rooster that my kids call Florence. I have tried my hand at gardening. I had the most glorious peppers this year due to chicken poop! That was the only thing I could grow because of the drought. The goats ate the eggplants and everything else withered and dried up.
Last month while shopping at our farm and ranch supply store my children and I were captivated by the needy chirps of the last chicks of the season. We purchased 6 chicks and 6 more guineas, which is completely out of character for me as I like to research and prepare before hand. Now we are in love with what appear to be 3 white crested black Polish, 1 black crested white Polish and 2 Ameraucana chicks. Who knew? I hope they lay! I am all about being practical. But if the Polish chicks grow up just to look pretty, they have already earned their keep. My home schooled aspie son LOVES them and they love him back.
We are planning on having a family dairy cow and a few beef cattle, preferably a smaller dual purpose breed such as Dexters or Devons. The jury is still out on a breed as my husband wants Scottish Highland cattle. I worry about the heat and all that hair!
I look forward to BYH user advice! Thanks so much.
They are having to do a 24 hour horseback patrol of the calving pasture right now.
from New Jersey
