rachels.haven's Journal

[rachels.haven]

Good point. I'm not sure what our stockyard/auction is like, but man, this lady gives off major "don't answer this one" vibes and she makes it tempting to at least maybe scope it out.

The frustrating thing is, the doelings are nice now. They grew substantially over the past few months, and I like what I'm seeing. I'm selling them because I picked my one with what I think is the best, mildest attitude, and I'd like to use these two to pay for our new arrivals. They're even a good size and ready to breed and freshen out. They're a good deal. But they're not going with her especially because I'd have to deal with her in the process. Grr.

 

[rachels.haven]

I left a present on the porch for the barn/porch kitties. They were not impressed and want to know why it's not a second can of fancy feast.

I'd get more pictures of interactions with the cats, as they are doing that now, but they're still on hair triggers and if I don't "speak cat" properly they get hissy and defensive and I don't want to get bit. DH does not speak cat at all and they kind of go after him...they don't appear to like men. I idly wonder if that's why we're getting more deliveries to the garage door and more kind of tossed onto the porch instead of up by the door, lol. Two little black five pound kitties going after delivery men in the name of fancy feast...

 

[rachels.haven]

Here's a pic of Buckeye I took for his ad. Yes, he is over weight, and the tip of his tail is white, rendering it in appearance a permanent fish tail.
I need to worm, copper, and selenium, and hoof trim all the bucks in preparation for breeding season and as maintenance. Apparently moving them stressed them into a worm outbreak and they've gone pale. I guess they liked laying around in their tiny, 1x3 cattle panel pen. That was too small! Honestly guys!

 

[rachels.haven]

Bucks done and ready for breeding season. Just in time for the grandma time zoom call.
Does next.

Edit: It just occurred to me that I bolused last 2.5 months ago, but Durango and Bugs are showing signs of being low again, so we're probably on a 3 month schedule. I could have stretched them a few more weeks, I guess. But yikes, there's nothing in the soil, I guess. And if the soil is that devoid of nutrients, (and most of their hay is very local, because cost) by that logic anyone or anything eating "local" or locally grown produce is probably getting less nutrition than someone getting produce from elsewhere, just like the goats..so I guess I won't try to eat too local.

 

[rachels.haven]

Durango is raising funds in the form of alfalfa pellets and the lushest second or third cutting hay, more alfalfa the better, for his buck pregnancy awareness fund. He'd like you to drop the bags and bales off in his food dish in the back buck pen asap. This is a serious issue. Buck pregnancy is a lifelong condition (if they have anything to say about it) and require increased nutrition for support.

...and all four bucks look like this, so I think we're putting the boys on first cutting. WHICH is good, because second cutting isn't looking good at this point according to my hay guy today.

Durango weights 55 pounds. That is too many pounds for his frame right now, IMO. The bucks all had rocking bellies as they "ran" to and from the barn today. Too much grass hay, I guess?

 

[farmerjan]

Now, when these pregnant bucks have their kids you can retire and live off the millions you will make from the Guinness book of world records, and the rounds of exhibitions around the country.....

 

[rachels.haven]

The white layers are here. 14 are doing well. One is not. The giant silkies were terrified, but are mixing well. Those polish just want to scratch and eat like crazy. Fiesty, tiny birds.

 

[farmerjan]

What are the chicks with the white heads? Giant Silkies? Polish? Interesting looking chicks.

 

[Bruce]

I went off and I told William that under no circumstances was he to shoot the barn swallows.... landlord be d#@%d.

Good for you. The landlord could probably afford a tarp to throw over his tractor.

There was only one in the nest.

Sad. We had 5 that fledged last week from an "I don't know where" nest. They or their parents chose a "plant hanger" behind the deck as the fly in restaurant.

It is fun to watch the parents fly in and feed on the wing. I'm surprised I managed to get a picture of the one not on the wing. There is a second set of 5 in a nest in the lower barn alley that are nearing fledge stage. Same area as every year we've been here (first set fledged July 4 2012 while I was finishing up the stall/coop conversion). I talk to them several times a day. There have been only 4 chicks in past years.

Fb hasn't even shown her I've seen her message and she's already taking on an accusatory tone as she screams into the void.

I would think FB would allow you to block a person. But then I don't do FB so I don't know.

I left a present on the porch for the barn/porch kitties. They were not impressed and want to know why it's not a second can of fancy feast.

Any time we find a mouse in the house it is a partial and barfed up.

 

[rachels.haven]

What are the chicks with the white heads? Giant Silkies? Polish? Interesting looking chicks.

I hatched silkies earlier from my birds, today I picked up polish from the post office. I'm hoping for a good attitude and they're supposed to lay through winter their first year. The polish chicks are tiny compared to the "bantam" silkie chicks.