Ragdollcatlady's Just a Little Patch of Weeds Farm journal

[ragdollcatlady]

Hey coco,

Yeah you turn them a couple times a day like other eggs. The take longer to hatch and can take up to 3 days to just break out of the shell sometimes. They also seem to fare better with lower end temps and a misting and cooling down period every day (like what would happen if mom got off the nest for a few to take a dip and grab a bite to eat). They aren't that hard to incubate but I had a few issues this time....like the lid on the bator being open all night while I was at work and the temps doing a funky noncooperative adjustment thing for several days right in the middle. Normally adjustments are really easy and no too extreme, but we have been having below freezing nights and 2 days later 70 plus days then another few nights below zero.....They are in the kitchen, but I get extreme fluxs in temp even in the house because we don't run the heater all the time (like off at night and when we are gone...)

Sad news. Lucy, one of my rescue geese, seems like she can't walk. I saw her chilling by the chickens mailbox bed, but didn't think too much of it. Then later she was still in the same area..... later still the same general area....Crabby Abby was out and about in another area of the yard most the time but they are usually pretty close to each other. So I went over to see if Lucy was OK and she couldn't get up. Normally she would be afraid enough to get up and waddle away pretty quick.

She is the one that can't walk normally and can't raise one wing all the way anyways and she has a harder time with tripping hazards. She was originally a christmas dinner goose that had been spraddle legged as a baby and was never paid for in time for christmas so she escaped the knife. Then when our friends heard we had one rescue goose, they offered her to us to keep Crabby company.

Since it started to rain I put some waste hay in the bottom of DH little greenhouse for her and set her up with food and water within reach. I hope rest will let her get a little stronger. I really like her even if she is afraid of us.

 

[Pearce Pastures]

She is so pretty. Hope things turn around

 

[CocoNUT]

Do you have any poultry drench? She might need extra vitamins. I know when some of the water fowl have gone a little weak...that seems to help them out.
I'll have to try the goose eggs one of these days. I'll have to see how this batch of chicken eggs does. I'm kinda like a nervous hen...checking um out but NOT daring to open the incubator! And I DO have 2 female geese and one male. The male keeps trying to make with my pekin duck though...DUH!

 

[ragdollcatlady]

Today Lucy was scooting around just a bit, barely out of the greenhouse. I don't have any poultry drench, but I think it has more to do with her injuries she had as a baby. She had some issues last year around laying eggs too.... I think the "repairs" made to her legs made some muscles get stuck in really tight or something like that...poor girl!

I let Spell in the garage to see her kids when the big kids and their moms came in tonight. I just bring them in to get moms to feed them one more time. Since it has been dark for a few hours already, the light in the garage convinces everyone that they need to eat one more time, and I have to work a 10 hour shift. That way they are fed just before bed and are OK til I get home.

Spell was crazy happy to love on her babies! She was mumbling to them and kissing and cleaning them.....which made them hungry so they were trying to nurse on my face But it all worked out see....I am NOT willing to lick their bums, but Spelly is....so she licks...... they think they are hungry and chew on my face......I slip them the bottle on the sly....they get full...mom is happy to love on her babies....I am happy that they are fed, are still on track to being bottle babies and mom isn't so sad...and babies are just very confused but full and warm and OK.

Still haven't heard back about the job...

 

[ragdollcatlady]

Yesterday I worked on putting some redneck bars on my little trailer so I can take the goats to the fairgrounds easier. Last year I just used the flimsy horsewire and put zip ties on to hold everything together. It was way ugly but it worked. I wanted something easier. Hopefully I get it finished tomorrow.... Farm day is on Friday. I also rewired it but the tail/brake lights don't come on, only the blinkers work....sort of. They both flash when one blinker is on.... Not sure what to do about that since I bought the dummy versions of the wires and lights...Right light/left light and y style wires .....

Today after my work meeting, DH and I were witnesses for friends that were getting married. Had lunch with them after. Nice day. I got to play with the baby

Goats are doing good. Jane still misses her babies but she isn't as desperate in searching for them any more. She has given me a solid quart the last 2 days so I am impressed. Last year I got between 3 1/2 and 3 3/4 cups average a day with only an occasional 4.

Spell gave me a full 5 cups today and nursed her little girl all day too. Jr. (her little boy) doesn't seem to need mom too much. She still tries to love on him, but he doesn't respond to her much. I am kind of glad since I hope to sell him soon.

This evening, the neighbor and I were chatting over the fence and she was holding and feeding Jr. Reese came over and was very upset over the baby being on the other side of the fence. Mind you, this isn't her baby. In fact, she shoves and butts him away from her all the time. I guess it is just a herd thing. He is a part of her herd and shouldn't be over there. Actually his mom is my herd queen. Once Spell came over to see what was going on, she wanted him back too.

Lucy was standing and took a few steps today so that is good.

I sent some pics to walgreens so the kids and I can fix up a couple of their old 4H boards to use for their Farm day presentations. We have so many, that we just add to or revamp the old ones as they get older and learn more. The boards get so much clearer and better every time.

I think that's about it for now.....

 

[ragdollcatlady]

We went to Farm Day yesterday. It was really good. We took Georgia, Reese and Spell and the 4 goat kids. We took JJ, Stinkyweed and Mary Jane (Salmon Cochin mixes), Alexis (Ameraucana), Hannibal (showgirl), Waffles (D anver), Splash and babies (silkies), Elliot and Funkasaurus (sebastopols), Ferdie (muscovy). We brought a few dozen hard boiled eggs including some goose eggs and let all the kids hold them. The biggest goose egg was so big compared to the little kids hands!

All but one group of kids said "eeeewwww that's disgusting" when I milked Spell to show them where the milk came from! Then when I asked them if the milk looked like normal cows milk from the store, they all said "NO" I of course had to point out that yes it does look like milk from a container.......it is white.....it tastes the same to me.... One group thought it was cool. They all liked the baby goats and almost all the kids pet the poultry as the twins came around to share and point out details about the different birds.

Our volunteer that helps keep all the classes where they need to be and tracks time for us, said that our kids presentations were some of the best she has seen over the years. That was nice. We included a couple of groups that weren't on our schedule too. One of the escorts was nearly in tears. I guess her group was late to their assigned place and another group was in their spot. She told the volunteer that everything had gone wrong all day. (I heard later that we were the only group that was where we were supposed to be....) I said no problem...sit down, we can either do a short presentation or they can double up...no worries. This is a field trip for the kids, it is supposed to be fun. Worst case, we could always do duplicate presentations right behind us....I could do a goat presentation and one of the twins could do the poultry presentation if we need to. We are flexible and have more than enough stuff to share....

I had fun....the little kids had fun. By splitting the presentations, they didn't have time to get too bored before we were sharing something hands on or moving on to the next presentation.

One chicken and Ferdie the duck laid eggs while we were there in front of the kids......No privacy issues for them!

One bad thing...either Elliot or Funky laid a goose egg in the crate the night before and it broke!

I got 1 and 1/2 quarts from Spell the last few days....barely under 3 cups this morning! She still nurses her little girl all day too. And a solid quart from Jane and 1/2 quart from Reese, she is still nursing her twins all day on top of that...

 

[ragdollcatlady]

I met the coolest couple today! I sold them a couple of silkies and then we spent a couple hours just talking animals and outdoors....I had the best time! It is so fun to talk to someone that knows/understands what I am talking about, whether it is discussing chickens and their eggs or traits to breed for, or goats, the colors they come in. I rarely get the chance to talk to someone that doesn't think I am just crazy or over the top about my animals. I admit I get very excited about my animals! I fuss and fret over their food and condition and what they will need to stay healthy. I have to. My human kids are nearly grown and would absolutely suffocate if I obsessed over them the same way.....

Anyway, I had a lot of fun.

What I am doing with the birds: I am sorting out my silkie pens. I am waiting for my Faverolles to start laying. I am going to try and put my Ameraucana eggs under Shadow tonight since she is broody. I bred the son back to his mom to try and get the lavender colored feathers and still keep the dark turquoise color of the shell. I have never seen eggs this deeply colored for "blue" eggs. I would love to get a small flock to produce this color regularly.

My canadian kids haven't started laying yet, but I found Funkasaurus's secret nest with 4 eggs in it! She was laying in the muscovies nest! I had checked it last week, but decided that they could hatch more babies if they wanted to so I left them there. I don't know how Funky squished her fluffy butt in through the tiny little 6 inch? (i think) hole to get in to the house! I have been collecting eggs to sell so I needed eggs, but I have to wait for more so they will be fresh! Silly goose. Oh and my DD and I were talking about the color of her feathers. Willow is her mom and she is a lavender, but I didn't know if Not-So-Gandhi had lavender. I was so excited to get them that I forgot to ask the lady I bought them from. Funky's head and neck are white, but it looks like her longer feathers are lavender tinted. There is a lot of dirt around here so it is a little hard to tell if it is dirt or color, but on close inspection, we were both under the impression that it is lavender showing through.

 

[ragdollcatlady]

No too much going on here today...worked all night, came home, milked all my girls....Shipped off some sebbie eggs.....

Oh I did get to visit with my BFF. Yeah! I don't get to see her often. I get too busy with work and animals, then she gets busy with her DH or other friends.

I did vax on all goats and kids and ivermectin injections for mites/lice on all the adult goats.....A few didn't look too bad, but most of them have some rough patches on their heads and a couple have dandruff pretty bad so I know they have them still. This is a second treatment we have needed so I figured I need to get control of these buggers quick... I love how Junior (Spells little buck) is such a puppy! Totally on our heels better than our queenslands! I have Truffles, Buck Naked and the 2 little boy goats for sale. I am really starting to like the looks of Reeses boy! Man! I love his muzzle! His nose is wide, but his face is very dairy. He has a very deer type of look to his head/face. I just don't really need him. Bummer. I really want to keep Canterbury Belle aka Stinker Belle( Reeses little girl) and Spellbounds little moonspotted girl too....

Spelly has blown me away with her milk the last several days. She is giving me 5 cups of milk on top of feeding her little girl all day. And her udder is still nice and soft. I don't think she is at capacity yet!

Reeses udder gets super tight and all when she is full so I am pretty sure she is at capacity. She is giving me 2 cups in the morning and then feeding her two all day long after that.

I would like to keep milking Jane who is also giving me a full 4 cups every day, but I am already taking her back to once a day because she has taken to running away like a crazy goat and I don't feel up to a wild goat chase every morning. But at night....I have the whole gang of teens here..... and it is on like donkey kong!

Andy is standing around, looking dashing, working on developing his ever so deep voice. I think he is working on some love songs for all the pretty girls he has been dreaming about..... He will know just what to say when he finally gets to meet the girls of his dreams.... And we'll all be deaf by then from his vocal volume!!! It is a good thing I love him!

Anyone have any advice on how to get rid of crows? One was trying to attack my little female call duck today. The boys were defending her and the canadians were trying to help too but they were on the other side of the fence. I would love any input. This is a first for me.

I think that is it for now.....

 

[ragdollcatlady]

Cute baby goat story.....

Tonight DH took me out to eat and to catch a movie. We had to go late since kids had a 4h meeting til 7. So I fed my little bottle baby Junior just before we left and decided I would just have to milk a little late. Normally around 8 we round up the baby goats and tuck them into the garage to sleep. Then around 10 or so I milk whichever mamas are being milked at night and feed the babies once more. It was about midnight when we got home and I got the bottle ready and my milking stuff and went out to the garage. The goat pen is shut to keep messy geese and ducks from pooping all over the babies beds, but I look behind it and Junior had brought his little sister up and tucked her in to sleep on the floor of the riding lawnmower!

 

[ragdollcatlady]

Yesterday started way too early....My kid came running in at around 6 am to say that the siamese had his head stuck in the fence!

This is not our cat. Someone dumped him out here a few weeks ago. He has been hanging around our yard, on the outside looking in. He just sits or lays in the exterior part of the yard and watches. I found some cans of food in the laundry room and found out that my DH had tried to feed him. I guess he startled him in the laundry room, where we feed our outdoor cats and felt sorry for him.

OK so the DD had put the dogs in the front yard to take care of business before she went to school and the cat was inside the fence. He didn't
know to go over the fence and literally crammed his head in the fence. DD got Whiskey in the house and got the cat unstuck and then Beaux scared him and he got stuck again. I came outside about this time and DD took the dog in the house. I went to the cat and talked to him so he would know that I wasn't the dog grabbing him. I still expected him to try like the devil to tear me to bits, but he didn't. I scruffed him hard, for his safety as well as mine and pulled his head loose. Unfortunately, chain link doesn't give and I wasn't about to get bit, so I couldn't do alot of manipulating and had to just pull him out as well as I could. I kept him scruffed and steered clear of his claws. I carried him that way up to the porch to try and check him out. I kept him scruffed, but set his feet on the ground and kept talking to him. He let me pet him with my free hand. He was clearly used to being handled and petted.

That made me even angrier about his owner dumping him! This is a house cat that doesn't know about fences and maybe not much about dogs....Our dogs chase our outdoor cats. The cats usually run, but if they can't get over a fence they will jump up on something...like the wagon, or a chair, they don't actually have to get out of reach because the dogs know to leave them, but they chase them. If the cats can't get away, they hunker down. Whiskey will poke them and make noise trying to get them to run. Beaux just waits for them to run.

I only saw blood on his face from his mouth/jaw. The rest of him looked fine. So I carried him outside the fence and put a can of food in front of him. He bit the can before I let go. I aimed him away from me and turned him loose. The poor thing ran like the wind. I left the food for him and later it was clear that someone had eaten it. I hope it was him. I haven't seen him since. He picked the right fence to come in though. The 2 closest neighbors like cats as much as I do, but they both have dogs that won't hesitate to kill cats that get in their yards.

I haven't seen the poor guy since, but i will update here if I do.