Wehner Homestead

[mystang89]

I hibernate in the winter lol. Nothing to update on my end other than teaching children school. I'll be more active during the spring when I actually go outside. Other than bringing wood in I haven't gone outside in a few days.

That puppy if you're had gotten big and it's still So adorable!

 

[Wehner Homestead]

@mystang89 @Pastor Dave any interest in five free hens? They are all laying and just started laying in Nov. Eggs are no longer pullet eggs. BO and CM. We just don’t have the set-up yet and their living conditions are less than desirable for my standards with this weather.

 

[Wehner Homestead]

Day has been spent prepping for the weather. DH and I started out by doing basic morning chores. I started bedding down the two buck areas while he started cleaning out one of the stalls we were moving steers to. Snapped a pic of the waterfall from one of the buck pens.

I then forked out the back of the barn while he wired up gates for the Steer stalls and hung up a hay feeder that we had for one of them. He had to come help me get the barn door shut and wired but we could check that off. I should’ve done a before and after pick to show you how offset the door was but it’s done now.

I then bedded down the two pens behind the chute to get some of the straw bales out of the way. I also bedded down Pork Chop. He loved playing in his new straw.

Placed water troughs and filled them half full and put hay in the pens while DH cleared the walkway in front of the chute so the steers could be led in from the lean-to. We then brought them up and shut their pens. Pic from during and then two at chores tonight while they are eating. Mickey is black and one we raised here. The kids called him Rockstar before. The tan/white is Hank and he’s the one I castrated for a 4-Her and is still here.

 

[Wehner Homestead]

Next task was moving gates from the lean-to so that we could let two sets of cattle in the back of the barn through a single door. Got the gates in position and let out Mallory and Lolli where DH had them in to work with them. They are back with Indy and Emma for ease of care during this cold spell. Moxie was put in the chute stall and given a rubber pan waterer. Filled her hay feeder. I also forked out the front of the small pen that’s been empty since Sparkle and CeCe moved to their bigger area. DH took out the divider while I was doing that so that the main doe group has more room and the milkers could be gotten out of the pen since we blocked their actual gate with an area for the heifers to come in. Pics are from when we went out to do chores tonigh. Group of four heifers in biggest area in aisle. Two steers for freezer and Mack (the bull) in the back corner. Moxie has her own pen.

Cowboy laying in what I pulled out of the goat pen so that I could get that gate open. He and Jewel didn’t appreciate losing their stall and spent quite a bit of the day nervous.

Next we opened up the lean-to for the main cow herd and called them up. DH fed them just a little. Helps to keep them coming when you call. Also discovered that Melody was in standing heat. Ugh! She had a vaginal prolapse this year and has never bred AI. She will be getting shipped as soon as we can safely get her there on a Monday evening. We were iffy on her anyway since she won’t breed AI but she was Calving every year. Just can’t keep taking so many financial hits. Cows are crazy expensive pets!

We then made our way in with a small crate to check on DD1 that hadn’t been feeling the best and find some lunch and dry clothes. During that time, Halo laid in one of my landscaping bushes.

Made a quick trip to DH’s brother’s to see the calf that was born to his neice’s heifer early this morning. He was cute, fuzzy, and doing well. His mama was too. Makes me ready for babies here too! (Sorry. No pics. He’s from show stock and not mine to share.)

Came home and DD2 was fussy so that’s how I ended up with an accidental nap. Older two kids watched tv while DH worked on the farm more. He put out haylage bales and moved the bale feeders closer to the barn since the cows could come in for a weather break. He then plugged in the tractor, put his truck in the shop, and installed four heated waterers so that all the goats have them. He also installed heated waterers in 2 out of the three chicken coops. He came in for a short break when I got up. We decided to get done! DS just wanted a glass of milk for supper and DD2 ate some leftover macaroni and cheese. I wasn’t complaining! DD1 was asleep.

Back out at the barn, we did the normal chores and put down four bales of straw in the lean-to before we shut that door. The wind through the barn really diminishes if we shut that side door. Here’s some of the girls before we shut it.

 

[Wehner Homestead]

Made sure everyone in the barn had fresh water, full hay feeders, and a little extra feed before heading to the house with the other large dog crate and Cowboy and Jewel’s bag of food. Cleaned out room in the garage for two dog crates, found old blankets to put in them. Think the dogs will do better without the freezing cold and their water won’t freeze. They are already getting more House time with this set-up. Jewel was worried and watching us from the house until I let her out in the garage with us while we worked.

Dogs ended up crashing out! Kept looking up when I tried to get their pics so some are blurry.

I finally got to see the new kitten for the first time this morning. Just a few months old. Dilute tortoiseshell so most likely female. Extremely terrified and hissed when I dumped the food. I’ll work with her. She will at least have to get sprayed. Best pic I could get considering.

Came in to DD1 awake and not looking too good. Temp check of 101.6 with ibuprofen still in her system from a headache complaint prior. Started checking how much ibuprofen we had and decided to go to the Dollar General about five minutes away before the weather got worse. Just during evening chores it changed from rain to sleet to snow and back to sleet but accumulating.

This was my tracks from coming home. It hadn’t been snowing/sleeting but maybe 45 minutes.

Cookies DH picked up at the bakery when he got the kids doughnuts this morning.

 

[Wehner Homestead]

DH ended up eating some breakfast casserole that I made the other day. I had a baked potato. DS ate some leftover macaroni and cheese. DD1 ate a few crackers, then had another round of ibuprofen when it was time.

My parents ventured to my cousin’s wedding more than an hour north of us and are staying up there for the night. Roads are declared for emergency vehicles only.

I let the dogs out, back in, fed them and back out in less than 20 minutes. So windy that their tracks were gone!

Supposed to get 4-7 inches of snow. Only two days above freezing through 2/2 (furthest out that they are predicting at the moment) is Tues and Wed and we are only looking at the low 40s.

Hope it kills the influenza! DD1’s school was closed yesterday due to high absences for cleaning and to try to break the sharing of germs. My niece is in the same class and had a 103.6 fever this morning so I assume that they both have the same thing. Lysol and bleach like crazy!

 

[Latestarter]

Gosh... tht's a LOT of work you put in to get everyone ready for the big winter storm. Sorry you've got another sick youngun'... After reading everything you did, I'm beat... Think I'll go take a nap! Thanks for sharing all the pics. Those animals look overly well cared for.

 

[Bruce]

@Wehner Homestead, what do you do in your spare time??? A farmer's work is never done!

 

[mystang89]

I won't lie. We lost some chickens this year due to holes in our fence, which have since been fixed so we could definitely us them, but I wouldn't want them for free.

@mystang89 @Pastor Dave any interest in five free hens? They are all laying and just started laying in Nov. Eggs are no longer pullet eggs. BO and CM. We just don’t have the set-up yet and their living conditions are less than desirable for my standards with this weather.

That dog of yours is "too stinkin cute" according to my daughter. I have to agree with her. Same with the pig. Though I never want another one again.

Lots of work done. Stay warm! We're next to the fireplace right now

 

[Bruce]

Though I never want another one again.

Or perhaps more correctly not at your house, pictures of cute piggies are OK, right?