Jest Another Day in Pear-A-Dice - Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm in Alberta

Enjoying winter again, the seasons sweep in.

Got our -37C or there abouts. Feb 24th

Feb 24 2023 IMGP9720.jpg


May be cold but the sun makes it cheery.

Feb 24 2023 IMGP9676.jpg


Put up the brass sconces...put an oak plaque behind the two. Looks nice.

Feb 24 2023 IMGP9685.jpg


Took time out to add more crystals to the chandelier...still got a few more to add, but the smoke bell is on as is the prism leveller ring.

Feb 24 2023 IMGP9695.jpg


Light in the hall has smoke bell and prism ring now too.

1 Jan 31 2023 IMGP8756.jpg


Jan 31, tried out some paper white bulbs and an amaryllis. Not done this before.

Feb 22 2023 IMGP9646.jpg


Paper whites started blooming Feb 22...the amaryllis is about to bust out next.

Got frames of wood, painted white put round two of my stain glass pieces...made them 30 years ago. Running horse is my 1st piece.

Feb 5 2023 IMGP8914.jpg


Screaming "chicken" I did to use up some scrap glass.

Feb 8 2023 stainglass Tara IMGP9097.jpg



They look good.

Feb 16 2023 IMGP9426.jpg


Feb 14 2023 IMGP9353.jpg


Done a bit of knitting too. CSM a pair of socks on Feb 13.

Feb 13 2023 IMGP9261.jpg


And had the toe grafted so my spouse could wear them for Valentines.

Feb 16 2023 IMGP9438.jpg


Now I am doing a pair of socks with thrums on the circular sock machine...see how that goes.

Feb 25 2023 IMGP9796.jpg


Using an unwashed fleece from Jacob Lego from 2005 that I sheared.

Feb 25 2023 IMGP9778.jpg


I have the hem and heel not thrumed and will not thrum the toe either...do the leg and foot.

Feb 25 2023 IMGP9809.jpg


Got a bunch of new floppies (air brake pods) for the Girls...

Feb 27 2023 IMGP0009.jpg


Not so easy to lose something like the flop in the white snow.

Feb 27 2023 IMGP0018.jpg


That be that for now.
 

Attachments

  • Feb 8 2023 stainglass Tara IMGP9097.jpg
    Feb 8 2023 stainglass Tara IMGP9097.jpg
    197.2 KB · Views: 1
Heel Low:

Gone to BC and brought back four ewe lambs and one ram lamb from the O'Keefe Historic Ranch in Vernon; end of September.

sep 28 2023 IMGP8709.jpg



It was our practise run to the States...gone under twenty four hours, so still just a day trip away but what a day, eh! The handforged horseshoe in the bottom of the photo below, was from the ranch. I used it for a sign for the ram's quarters.

Sep 28 2023 IMGP8454.jpg


Gone to Washington (Dec 3/4; up at 3 a.m. Sunday, back home at 8 p.m. Monday) and brought back three rams (2 lambs, 1 yearling) from Hall Creek Jacobs...mega (MEGA!!) paperwork started in the spring of 2023 and musta done it all quite well as we got the sheep up here; over the border and home.

Dec 05 2023 IMGP3826.jpg


Here's the signs made.

Dec 24 2023 IMGP5688.jpg


Shamrock green too. LOL

Dec 24 2023 IMGP5836.jpg


Likely paint the barn the usual colour scheme here, Navajo red with white trim, has the green metal roof.

Higgins RAT Boo Dec 31 2023 IMGP7708.jpg


Asked Rick this spring...so we have all these buildings, the facilities and know how on how to keep birds (have hens 9 years old that are producing younguns) so with all the empty buildings, told Rick, "Yer turn to choose...what kinda poultry you want?"

Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm Nov 7 2023 IMGP2760.jpg


Rick wanted the BIG BIRDS...the standard large fowl Brahmas. So I got on that and we now have forty standard Brahmas on the grow....so much promise in them. It takes about three years for a Brahma to be full sized.

Dec 31 2023 IMGP7833.jpg


The hip roof barn contains the Blue Partridge Brahmas and the one end pen the red Chantecler Bantams (for now, likely put either the Lemons or the Buff Brahmas in there in the spring for breeding).

Dec 31 2023 IMGP7854.jpg


Lemon, Splash, Blue Partridge, Partridge, Buff and Buff Blue Columbian.

43 Dec 29 2023 IMGP6116.jpg


Above is a Murray Mitchell's line of Buff standard. A cockerel we call "43" and below are him and two Blue Buff Columbian pullets; they'll make a great trio for breeding in 2025.

Dec 29 2023 IMGP6167.jpg


Lemon Brahma pullets...

Dec 31 2023 IMGP7354.jpg


Interesting recipe for them.

Dec 31 2023 IMGP7399.jpg


Splash standard Brahmas.

Brahma Dec 31 2023 IMGP7189.jpg


I wanted Sweetgrass turkeys again, so I picked up eight hatching eggs and because our granddaughter was coming to visit for the 1st time, made another trip to get four poults as the eggs would not hatch in time for her to see turkey poults.

Aug 01 2023 IMGP8276.jpg


So for the very 1st time...this is the year we will have hatching eggs for sale. We will be offering Sweetgrass turkeys & every Muscovy colour pattern here in Canada.

Jul 19 2023 IMGP6419.jpg


Should be fun. Next year, the Brahmas will be of the right ages and we can then offer eggs & chicks from them.

Granddaughter training Brahmas to "jump for a straw!"

Jul 09 2023 IMGP4437.jpg


Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada
--
____(\ Tara Lee Higgins /)____
(_____~> Rat Ranch - An ACD is for LIFE <~_____)
( `` `` ranchrat at telusplanet.net `` `` )
\ Alberta Canada /
) http://www.telusplanet.net/public/ranchrat/index.html (
 
Good to see you around, Tara. There aren't many chantecler folk on BYC and even fewer with your knowledge. :)

Ah thanks...happy to see you as well. Not alot of the original gang still on here & changes are expected.

There never has been alot of the Chant persons...enough I suppose to keep the breed going which in itself is good. Never been much about what was popular & more about what makes me happy.

I am pretty excited (like always) to see what the Chanteclers produce this year.

Dec 31 2023 IMGP7568.jpg


Got some nice whites,

Dec 31 2023 IMGP7609.jpg


Some funky ones (basically working towards a Blue Laced Red simply because I can) as I am playing with blue dilution...

Jan 04 2024 IMGP8650.jpg


and some mahogany reds which are heading towards the partridge pattern. eb Brown based, you can see the slate grey down peaking out.

Dec 31 2023 IMGP7663.jpg


Since the Chant is a composite breed, I enjoy seeing the various breeds being expressed...seeing the Cornish, seeing the Leghorn--both extremes in form.

xDec 31 2023 IMGP7608.jpg


It is the expression inbetween all the breeds that I prefer. What makes a Chantecler what it is.

Dec 31 2023 IMGP7774.jpg


The standard Brahmas are sharing time with my attentions, never mind the Sweetgrass, Muscovies, and the baaaad Jacobs.

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada
--
____(\ Tara Lee Higgins /)____
(_____~> Rat Ranch - An ACD is for LIFE <~_____)
( `` `` ranchrat at telusplanet.net `` `` )
\ Alberta Canada /
) http://www.telusplanet.net/public/ranchrat/index.html (
 
Heel low:

About now one gets the urge to garden...a ridiculous thought because it is down right WHITE season...but none the less...

mar 2023 Higgins RAT IMGP0571.jpg


If I started seeds now, be too far along to plant for beginning of June so taken to starting bulbs.

Mar 2 2023 IMGP0172.jpg


These are from last year, March 2nd.

Jan 15 2024 IMGP9837.jpg


This year, grabbed a few different coloured hyacinth bulbs.

Sep 28 2023 IMGP9828.jpg


Began setting them out with a few weeks between so we can expect a nice lengthy flowering period. See how that works out.

Mar 3 2023 IMGP0319.jpg


Last year was pretty kewl...doesn't even look real.

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada
--
____(\ Tara Lee Higgins /)____
(_____~> Rat Ranch - An ACD is for LIFE <~_____)
( `` `` ranchrat at telusplanet.net `` `` )
\ Alberta Canada /
) http://www.telusplanet.net/public/ranchrat/index.html (
 
Heel low:

Entered the 2024 Valentine's photo contest with four entries. :-D


Higgins Rat Ranch Standard Partridge Chantecler.

love.jpg



Higgins Rat Ranch Standard Blue Lace Red Wyandottes.

Higgins RAT Boo Dec 31 2023 IMGP7708.jpg



Higgins Rat Ranch Standard Partridge Brahma pair; eating apple slices in the Great White North.

Higgins RAT Ranch Feb 17 2024 IMGP5548.jpg



Higgins Rat Ranch Standard Brahmas; Left is Partridge & Right is Blue Partridge.

Feb 17 2024 IMGP5451.jpg


Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada
--
____(\ Tara Lee Higgins /)____
(_____~> Rat Ranch - An ACD is for LIFE <~_____)
( `` `` ranchrat at telusplanet.net `` `` )
\ Alberta Canada /
) http://www.telusplanet.net/public/ranchrat/index.html (
 
Heel low:

Entered the Winter Contest Series—Winter on the Farm Photo Contest. :-D

Higgins Rat Ranch Standard Splash Brahmas.

Higgins RAT Ranch Splash Standard Brahmas Feb 08 2024 IMGP2964.jpg


Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada
--
____(\ Tara Lee Higgins /)____
(_____~> Rat Ranch - An ACD is for LIFE <~_____)
( `` `` ranchrat at telusplanet.net `` `` )
\ Alberta Canada /
) http://www.telusplanet.net/public/ranchrat/index.html (
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom