rachels.haven's Journal

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

At least this incident is ... contained?

sorry couldn't help myself, lol.

I can't wait to see if my munchkin is as entertaining as yours. It might be awhile though, he still hasn't figured out he has hands.

 

[rachels.haven]

At least this incident is ... contained?

sorry couldn't help myself, lol.

I can't wait to see if my munchkin is as entertaining as yours. It might be awhile though, he still hasn't figured out he has hands.

No, unfortunately we couldn't put a lid on it.

Congrats on your little one. That's a sweet little stage too-short though.They're really fun and always willing to remind you not to take life too seriously.

 

[Bruce]

for the next installment of Danger Dan Complicates Rachel's Day!

 

[farmerjan]

Bless your heart..... I would probably been committed by now, with him..... my DS was enough of a trial.... but I was back to work when he was 6 when I got divorced.....and he was a trial to the teachers at the day care/nursery school and into kindergarten and then 1st grade.....

Nice shed/barn.... so glad you got the hay in and hope that you can figure out working around the grass/fescue. Realize that the toxicity is way lower after the frost too, it is much more palatable to them also once the starch changes to a sugar....

 

[rachels.haven]

A balmy 75 degrees outside of Nashville, TN and the hay is finally (*almost*) all the way in. Most of the teff came in last week, the alfalfa came in today, and the teff man down the road asked if I wanted his last 20 bales and I said yes so they are coming tomorrow.
I'm going to run a hay analysis, but I'm thinking I'm done buying alfalfa pellets and the hay will carry the brunt of the protein and calcium requirements.

DH suggested we make the pasture they way we want since we intend to be here a while, so I'm looking into red river crab grass, big red clover, and lespedza. My gut says adding a reliable grass like orchard into the mix might be a good idea too if our soil parameters support it. Right now it's mostly just ideas and research...

Hay put up our of the rain and wind.

 

[rachels.haven]

Oh. Wait, a few more things (tired from VERY early elementary school schedule)
I bought some quail eggs for hatching. They were out of jumbos, so I got some dual purpose breeds and next hatch will be jumbos. Eggs will go in tonight. I also got some new violets and sprung for plants this time. I had to throw most of my plants out and the violets weren't going to make it through the cold and how smashed we were in the car and I didn't have the heart to watch that happen to them (* plant coward*). The Christmas cactus and pothos that did come look horrid and there's still dirt in the car from the plants the kids snuck in (making me proud, boys).

The nitrogen tank got a fill and now I'm on the schedule and I sent off 4 straws from old, dead nubian bucks for g6s testing. I don't want to use carrier bucks here even if I have to get rid of them. Someone is selling me some straws from their nice buck and another that was tested that I can use for sure. The tank alone, however was worth the price I paid, and I also had the bonus of getting some lamancha and a dwarf buck in there.

My AI kit has come. Later I will order cidrs and pg600 and get ready to attempt to cover a doe or two in hopes of fall kids and staggered milk production.

 

[Baymule]

Congratulations on the hay. That is quite a stack.
I used to raise Violets. You are right, they wouldn’t have survived the trip. But at least they can be replaced now that you are home.

Hope the testing results on the straws are to your liking.

 

[farmerjan]

Nice stack of hay. Great feeling to have a good amount to depend on.
Orchard grass should do okay in your area, I don't know how far south it is viable in but adds a good bulk to pastures. Timothy won't work, likes the colder temps. Be careful of clovers for bloat... they make a good feed but you have to be a little more careful. We graze some alfalfa but make sure that it is dry in the afternoon when the animals get turned in, and that they are "full" with hay before hand so they don't overeat it right off the bat.
Check with your extension agent in your area to get a better idea of what grows good along with a soil sample so you know what you are working with.
I wanted to cry over the violets because I really like them too. I did treat myself to a couple that were discounted at Lowe's the other day... and 2 small pointsettas that were only $1.00 a pot. I have to read up on them as to whether I can keep keep them for the future. So many of these plants grown in "hot houses" don't do well after being subjected to real life. But I have had easter lily's do good after planting in the ground..... Had a christmas cactus that survived several years... I sometimes pick up some after the holiday on clearance sales and then see if I can get them to "make it" .
Which company is going to do your nitrogen tank? I use Select Sire Power up here, just got my nitrogen recharge the other day. Hope to be able to do a little AI breeding this year. I want to maybe bring home my milk cows as they go dry in the spring... a few of them should be calving now on the dairy, and will get to be milked for another year then hopefully come home as I get back to doing things again.

 

[rachels.haven]

Today I wormed the dogs and cats with OTC pyrantel pamoate. One of the cats started puking round worms earlier last week stemming from their high risk profession and one of the dogs seeks out and eats cat feces and cat kills and it's safe to assume if one's got it they all have had exposure so for house animals around the children I'm going to knock it all back at once. Very cheap, very well received, will repeat the doses in 2-3 weeks.

Speaking of dogs, Moses is putting in an application for a career change. The middle sister in my family has anxiety and depression. A few years ago her doctor told her to get a service dog. So she did. The puppy she wound up with was extremely sweet, but nervous by nature so she couldn't go out to school with my sister and stayed home with my mother, father and youngest sister, and whatever brothers hadn't left yet at the time. That dog became my mother and younger sister's support animal, who also have anxiety and depression (too many goats for serious anxiety here, and probably been extremely blessed to be more relaxed and happy go lucky than they are). Well, a little over a week ago after owning that dog for several years some of my mother's muscovys got out, the dog broke out of her fence and took off after them (she's a fairly big dog), and those evil birds, instead of going anywhere on the acreage my parents have went straight for the road, as far from their pen as they could taking the dog with them. And the dog got hit in traffic and died in my mother's arms on the way to the vet. So all the people struggling with mental health crashed dealing with this which would be traumatic for normal people, including my middle sister out west who was SUPPOSED to have this doctor prescribed dog in the first place. So my middle sister isn't quite up to raising a puppy, so I offered to let her and Moses give it a go under the pretext that she has to do all the training. Since he was bred by Barb, he has a much more stable, calmer, laid back personality than her poor sweet dog that was nervous but loving and he stands a chance at being certified and being able to go with her to the things she struggles with in life, maybe giving her a boost. He's also potty trained and has basic house manners and obedience. If they don't click, Oh darn, I get my Mo back. If they do, Mo gets altered and gets to go to work instead of being Pepper and Bailey's favorite dog to beat on. He also gets the pampering a single dog child of a childless person will get so I doubt he will complain.

My mother and youngest sister are currently looking into getting dogs from Barb because the late dog, Emmy (not my goat), really did help them out. Emmy did her best and it was beautiful. I'm looking forward to seeing them with one of Barb's sweet, stable dogs too and seeing if they can pull off certification or if they just get comfort dogs. They did a very good job with raising Emmy with all her nervousness, I think they'll do very, very well with a doodle or poodle from Barb. I'm not sure certification will matter much as we are all outdoorsy people and taking our dogs just about everywhere is very possible if you're mostly hitting up the hardware store, tsc, and the great outdoors (other than walmart). But regardless, they need their dog and it's wonderful to know a good breeder. (I think they could probably use a couple of dogs, but I haven't said as much, that's not my business.)

Oh, and while they were grieving and angry, ducks got shot, more fencing is being put up, and baggagey stuff is being worked through. Conveniently, puppies will not be coming for a little while (although adding to fencing is a brief affair and might have been already finished, I am behind). And their house is too dang quiet. Nobody barks to let us in anymore (and I can't deny that we over here cried about that a little too).

 

[rachels.haven]

And Oh my goodness, never try to sell a house in Mass.
Our house is still not sold and we've had so much drama with one person about it we're wondering if it's time to hire a lawyer to protect us. Uncivil, unkind, paranoid, spiteful, entitled, awful people going after us as we try to get the heck out of there. We never want to hurt or offend anyone, but apparently we did (didn't even talk to them while this was going on, this was all in their heads so we are terribly confused). Never talk to cash buyers from Harvard with no agent who love the property then turn a 180 and decide to withdraw the offer and go nuts on us. If they keep harassing us we're going to have to hire a lawyer to protect us legally in addition to the one that does our end of the sales contract in that state in order to sell a house. And we have done NOTHING to offend them. They're just rich and entitled and nuts and we look like good targets.

Regardless. Playground. With the little boy who wants to be big.

Moses getting his fluff beat.

And a couple of pretty little dwarfy goats in the sunrise after a storm.

I need more pretty goat pictures in here.