Jumping the Moon Dairy - the next chapter

[babsbag]

My chicken coop is built on a pretty steep slope so it could have a basement on the high end but I closed it all in to keep chickens from laying and going broody under there and because of fire. Many structures burn when embers get blown under decks. It is about 5' off of the ground in the back and ground level at the front.

@Devonviolet, there are two sides open and one faces north, no wind or rain on that side. The other faces west, which is sometimes subject to wind and rain but I have one of the plastic "bamboo" shades hung on both openings and it keeps the rain out. I can raise the shade in the summer. The coop is under a few trees and really does stay cool considering out heat. The chickens have about 1/4 acre yard and a pond to play in so they are only in there at night. Since the sides that are wire are so far off of the ground I don't worry about predators. I still want to let my dogs in there at night, I need to figure out a way to do that but I have an auto door so the chickens go to bed after I am done with chores so I don't want to go back to open a gate for the dogs. I don't trust Mia and Alondra and the other two have never been around ducks.

 

[babsbag]

Mia was supposed to be in heat in May or June...never was...I was going to breed her. Alondra will one year old on 7/30. Guess who is having her first heat? UGH!!!! I am not planning on breeding her but we will see. She is a barker and a climber, keeping her confined might be a bit of a challenge and I would imagine that she could chew her way out of the kennel if she was so inclined. I am also not sure how she gets along with the house dogs and it is their kennel and their yard that she has to stay in.

Francis shows no interest in her at all right now so guessing that I have a few more safe days. She was getting snippity with Mia, that was my clue.

 

[CntryBoy777]

As if ya didn't have enough plates spinning already....I'm always amazed how ya maintain your sanity....but then again, we don't get to "Peek behind the Curtain".....but, I always imagine a few drops of sweat on your brow....

 

[babsbag]

I maintain my sanity by thinking to myself if I get one more thing done then I can relax...problem is this... I may get that thing done and then another project comes along...hope springs eternal.

I am definitely the product of my parents. As a child I think that the only time my dad didn't have a project he was working on was when he was in church. Even Sunday afternoons were work days but he always made time for Sunday morning and evening services...and Wed. night prayer meetings. My dad died when I was 14 and my mom gave me the lawn mower and the directions to the pool filter and I was on my own with learning how to do some of the things my dad used to do. I think it all started right there, I haven't relaxed since. It is just the way I am bent.

Not sure what to do with Alondra. Someone needs to make boarding kennels specifically for dogs in heat. No boys allowed.

 

[Bruce]

I think it all started right there, I haven't relaxed since. It is just the way I am bent.

Would you care to come bend my DD's??

 

[misfitmorgan]

Yep i could use the bend too please

 

[Baymule]

You might have to hot wire a yard for her. That's what we finally had to do with our GP.

 

[babsbag]

Alondra is in the house and the kennel and I am surprised how good she is in the house once I get her here. New things are not her forte and she evidently is terrified of stairs. Good grief. Once on the deck she is ok and in the house she lays around and enjoys the cool. She is good with the dogs and the cats, no problem at all. I should have done this a few days ago so hoping I'm not too late. Francis seemed pretty interested in her last night but she wasn't standing so hoping that that didn't change over night. So for the next 10 days I have a house guest. When I go to do chores she will go with me, just not into the goat field. We will see what tonight brings. She isn't housebroken so she may have to sleep in the kennel outside and hope that she is quiet. I don't sleep well with barking dogs.

On the goat front I have discovered that my minis are not tall enough to get their heads into the head gate and not tall enough to reach the grain in the buckets. I can make a false bottom for the buckets with a little work but not sure about the head gate issue. They need a step for their front feet but the question is will the inspector allow me to make one out of wood or do I have to make one out of steel? Or do I sell them? I have too many goats and looking to sell about 10, but which 10?

 

[CntryBoy777]

I saw one somewhere that used PVC pipe for a head gate, and ya could make a little platform for them to stand on to raise them to the proper height. I have to consider this with my 3 cause the Boys are much taller than Star, the 100% pygmy doe we have. Some cinder blocks or bricks with a piece of plywood or rugged plastic placed across the tops would work and be easily removed for the larger ones...

 

[babsbag]

I have these fancy cascading head gates (this picture is from their web site...the buckets are on the wrong side. )

When the first goat comes in and puts their head in the gate it opens the gate next in line but you can see how tall they are and how deep the buckets are. Even some of my big girls struggle with getting in and out. I think that the big goats would like a stand for their front feet too so I might have to have the person that made my stands make me one out of the expanded metal. The code requires that the stands be metal or concrete. My other option is take the head gates off and have them cut and welded back together. Maybe next winter...