It was an "I quit" day.

[Bruce]

One of these, make that two!

I have one of those, heavy but very versatile.
@Xerocles if you want to be a farmer and build pole barns you need a tractor ... with a post hole auger ... and pallet forks. Of course then you wouldn't have nearly as many interesting stories to tell us

 

[Xerocles]

I have one of those, heavy but very versatile.
@Xerocles if you want to be a farmer and build pole barns you need a tractor ... with a post hole auger ... and pallet forks. Of course then you wouldn't have nearly as many interesting stories to tell us

BUT PAW! I don't wanna be a farmer!
I've KNOWN farmers. Out in the July sun cutting hay all day, worried sick its gonna rain before they can get it raked and baled. When they're not out working on their tractor all day, they're out working ON their tractor all day. Got to build barns for the tractor, bigger barns for the livestock, build, build, build. Up all night for sick/birthing animals. CONSTANT worry. Too much rain. Not enough rain. Price of hay. Predators. Ad infinitum. Like the farmer who won a million dollar lottery, and when asked what he was going to do with all that money, replied "I guess I'll just keep farming until its all gone".
I just want to laugh at the silliness of my chickens and eat their eggs. Pet my rabbits and eat their kits. Let a couple goats help me with overgrown weeds and have a fresh glass of milk. Be able to have a FRESH tomato sandwich once in a while.
I've been successful. I'm through with "success". I'll leave that to the youngers with something to prove. I just want to sit back, enjoy LIFE without worrying myself sick. Thats why it took me two months to build a rabbitry. If I don't get it done today, I'll do it tomorrow. If this "farm" thing becomes "work" I'll quit and go fishing or get an RV and tour the country. Sure I screw up most things I try here on the place. But it doesn't matter. I'll figure it out eventually (with help from you wonderful people on BYH) or I'll decide I dont need that particular thing for my happiness anyway.
I've entered that selfish phase of my life. From here out its about ME, and being relaxed and happy.

 

[Baymule]

It’s supposed to be FUN! Maybe your idea of fun horrifies your family, as in, WHERE DID THAT COME FROM? That only makes it better. LOL My sister won’t eat anything at my house because I might feed her one of my animals. BWA-HA-HA-HA!!

I think digging for doo-doo in a sheep’s butt with a latex glove is a helluva great time! Squinching up one eyeball to hunt for worm eggs under the bright light of a microscope is exciting! I have even been known to invite friends and throw a Poop Party!! My family would faint.

 

[HomesteaderWife]

An approach I would say mainly inspired by my husband is this: life is full of failures, why not make an experience of it? And when you succeed, it's so much more rewarding.

Yea yea, pickles are cheap at the store and 1/8 of the trouble. But I'm telling you, after growing those cucumbers and pickling then opening the jar next year and making fried pickles..it's all in the mind but dang those were the best fried pickles. Sure you can go buy yourself a warm cap, but you've already needed to trap that pesky raccoon and why not make something with it? From personal experience, not saying this is anyone else's mindset, but no matter what has happened here I end up looking back and saying - it wasn't as bad as it felt then. It could've been worse. I learned from it.

 

[Xerocles]

I think digging for doo-doo in a sheep’s butt with a latex glove is a helluva great time!

Now Baymule.... I can get pretty kinky sometimes, but that one's got me arching my eyebrows just a bit!
Necessary, of course. Not overly disgusting I can buy. But if you think of that as "a helluva great time!" you might want to talk with someone professionally.

 

[Baymule]

Professionals want nothing to do with me! LOL

 

[Baymule]

Now Baymule.... I can get pretty kinky sometimes, but that one's got me arching my eyebrows just a bit!
Necessary, of course. Not overly disgusting I can buy. But if you think of that as "a helluva great time!" you might want to talk with someone professionally.

Since you want goats, you will want them to be healthy and parasite free. Worm load can overcome them and they can die before you know what happened. Learning how to run fecals and finding out which sheep needed worming, which ones didn't and which ones had such a high load that I was amazed that they weren't dead, has been a fantastic tool to use. Yeah, I get pretty excited about it, but it doesn't take much to amuse me.

 

[Xerocles]

Since you want goats, you will want them to be healthy and parasite free. Worm load can overcome them and they can die before you know what happened. Learning how to run fecals and finding out which sheep needed worming, which ones didn't and which ones had such a high load that I was amazed that they weren't dead, has been a fantastic tool to use. Yeah, I get pretty excited about it, but it doesn't take much to amuse me.

Brings up an interesting (but off topic) question. Couldn't you do the same test on fresh poop AFTER it exited the animal?

 

[Baymule]

Once it hits the ground, it is contaminated...….oh, that is funny. Contaminated poop! What's the flip side of that? Clean poop?

 

[Xerocles]

Once it hits the ground, it is contaminated...….oh, that is funny. Contaminated poop! What's the flip side of that? Clean poop?

Ok. Remember you're talking to someone who has just begun to climb out of the primordial ooze.
Poop hits the ground. Contaminated. Do you mean worms crawled INTO it from the ground or OUT of it into the ground? Isn't goat poop somewhat solid coming out, like rabbit poop? I am not talking last weeks poop. I mean I am standing there and watch her do her doo. And walk over and pick it up. Contaminated beyond reliable testing?
Don't get me wrong. I'm NOT trying to talk you out of spelunking into your goats nether regions if thats your thing. Just thinking for me, if there's a better way..................