Michigan

[Opa]

It has reached 91 degrees here but standing in front of the smoker taking the ribs and pork loins out you really feel the heat. The chickens probably need a couple of more hours but they are content with hanging where they are and don't require supervision. So I've taken my old body back into the air conditioned house.

The six slabs ribs came out about as close to perfect as imaginable. Smoke flavor pungent without being overpowering and the meat is juicy and tender. I've cut them all into 2 rib portions and wrapped them in foil til Hope's family arrives later. I had a had time convincing Hope to not slop barbecue sauce all over them. That can be added as a sopping sauce for those who prefer it.

The pork loin I'll slice and vacuum seal for use at a future date and well as any chicken that isn't eaten. Never hurts to have smoked chicken in reserve for special occasions................like me being hungry.

 

[RIRJen]

((pant pant pant)) boy is it HOT! I have the sprinkler going on the barn and coops so they stay cool. I also moved all the chicks outside...I figured it's warm enough! LOL My dad came over a couple days ago and I took him into the new coop and was showing him the chicks and it was getting dark so they were all in a corner. One of them is 3 months old and the rest are quite a bit younger and he's like "there's 16 in this pen? I don't see them" and then all of them came popping out from under the bigger one...who has decided she is thier momma. It was really cute and he couldn't stop laughing!

 

[Mom 2em All]

SAM! You are making me starved! Or rather, I am starved and you are making me drool!

Jen!
I have the hose on mist and hooked to the fence. My two Notmeaties are sitting in the mist like ducks. Panting. I told my husband, and he said, "Dont let them two die in this heat- take them in the house!" UHHHHH..no.
ANd also, I was outside in the mist because it is COOLER out there than it is in here.

 

[fuzzybutt love]

OK, whew. glad that wasn't meant for me, got me all self conscious, lol.

I envy that little cabin coop, it reminds me of the little cabins we used to stay in up north when we went camping.

Grandma, thanks for the tip. I wondered if i could do it that way.

 

[RaZ]

I though I would put the sprinkler on for the birds to cool off. The chickens don't seem all that keen on the idea but the ducks are liking it. They turn their faces up and catch drops like catching snowflakes on your tongue.



Look how green the one on the right is getting.



PS Almost have this little guy tamed. I think in a few more days he will eat from my hand.

 

[Mom 2em All]

Randy,

How did you get another male out of that bunch>?

 

[Stacykins]

Today has been a most awful day. One of my two bottle baby goats died. I have been pretty unglued for most of the day because of it.

Yesterday evening she was acting punky and was a bit bloated, so I treated her for it (walked her, gave her some baking soda, massaged her tummy to help break up the gas) and she responded well. She did a lot of burping up the trapped gas, perked up, acted normal. When I checked on her last night, she seemed fine, wasn't bloated. But when I brought their morning bottles, she was dead.

Her sister, oh my gosh, I've never heard an animal make such sad noises. I have her with another adult goat now (one who is gentle with the kids) and even with the adult's companionship, she's been frantically crying and searching for her friend. She is standing on a big wooden spool as I type just yelling. She'll calm down a little when I sit with her. But it makes it all the worse, how Dulce is taking it.

Honeysuckle was two and a half months old. I had her since she was nine days old. I still don't know how I am going to tell the breeder. I've given her regular updates and pictures of the babies, now I have to tell her about Honeysuckle's death. I feel like the worst goat Mom ever.

 

[RaZ]

Randy,

How did you get another male out of that bunch>?

I think there are 2 males and 1 female from the oldest 3.

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

Stacy, I am so sorry about your baby goat

I am sure you did what you could for her.

RaZ, fox squirrels are my favorites. I never saw any in GA. The other day my FIL saw a little red squirrel kill a bird.

 

[NovaAman]

Aw, that so sucks Stacy...

Ok... so if I run a cold sprinkler over the roofs of the coops, they will cool off? My poor meaties are panting like crazy. I am moving their coop later tonight into a very very SHADY part of the yard.

I got the majority of my plants finished today. In a few days I will have to stake the majority of those too so I can start training them to climb. Limited growing space, but plenty of well water. SO, Up up up we go.

The temp here is currently 91.

My face is RED!