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

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Exciting to start lambing. Our one of three US imported rams, Laxus, is officially a Daddy!

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Please welcome; RatRanch Nebula 6N who is a 7.5# four horn ram lamb by Hall Creek Laxus (JSBA E082-23) & OKeefe Ranch Lucija.

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Born yesterday (June 25, 2025) without complications...Mom & son are doing well. Nebula is a magnificent addition to the Canadian Jacob Sheep gene pool.

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As of today, not a single Jacob sheep has been registered by the Canadian Livestock Records Corporation for 2025!!

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Course the Girls got to greet him and welcome him to Pear-A-Dice.

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada
 
Heel low:

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Born today at noon without complications, RatRanch NOStradamus. Four horn 6.5# ram lamb to Layla and Laxus.

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Mom and son are doing fabulous.

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada
 
Heel low:

So finally had summer show up...some +30C weather without rain every day.

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July 23, 2025

The two ram lambs are growing up on good solid green harvested themselves forage.

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Aug 3, 2025

Both boys have marble blue eyes...Laxus the sire's mother had vivid blue eyes and the sire to the dam's is throwing blue eyes as well.

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Grandsire of the two ram lambs; six horn lilac.

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Natural hatched some standard Brahmas, Darks, Partridge & Black.

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Now to wait on harvesting the potatoes and processing all the fruit we've had this year.

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Even the herbs have been exceptional.

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Made some herb butter stuffed chicken on the BBQ (too hot to cook inside!!).

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Our choice in flowers this year for the containers are doing quite well.

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Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada
 
Heel low:

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Truly living in Pear-A-Dice; what a view from 7K hill where our grader works. Brought it home to put the snow wing on and do a bit of regular maintenance...very much the busiest time of year for us.

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Little boys are not so little...this is them Sept 1st.

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Fifteen days later. Got their house all set up, just put water in there and bring a square of feed. Be next door to the big rams, so they will learn quick what is expected outta boy sheeps. LOL

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Been interesting to note the chickens swarms are still in full swing. :-D

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Been a great September for out and about on the grassy lawns.

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Only nat hatched this year. First were the Splash Brahmas.

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And have a lovely cockerel on the grow out now.

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Standard Wy's; SL over BLR's.

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Standard Brahmas - Black, Dark, & Partridge parents.

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Three separate hatchings of Brahma chicks.

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1st group out and about on the grass. Can already see a Dark & a Partridge pullet.

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Sire swung by to inspect his progeny. Love how they all look up at him! Hard to fathom these wee male ones end up being 12 pounders!!

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Keep thinking I should do a bantam MdF Brahma project, with self-whites as sports.

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See if I do this spring...can be a long drawn out process; like a dozen years before they are predictable.

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Yard fish pond ...

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And second fish pond in orchard ...

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Flowers and ...

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Sebs; mobile lawn ornanments; seem to be framed up by the garden gate, eh?

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Sunflowers from seeds planted; did a great display this year.

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New this year, herb container. Lots of tasty meals garnished with more flavourings!

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Yellow raspberries...this is October 1st!!

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Enjoyed quite a few show & shines...this year, we each took a truck to a few events.

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And of course, I brought fibre crafts along as expected.

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Got the fall season in full swing, expecting leaf drop over the next two weeks. Suppose to be around -7C in the evenings, so that'll make the trees bare up.

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada
 
Heel low:

Well sure enough, coupla weeks ahead of usual (halloween is more norm), we have switched modes for a time...green becomes white season. Christmas card purdy, eh!

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And the Snow Geese are migrating. They do not live in our area, merely passing thru.


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I look forward to seeing if I can catch a few images of the Trumpeters migrating as well.

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The 1st nat hatch Brahmas are integrated completely into the Splash pen. Four girls and a male.

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I need a back up for Kermit so hope he keeps his Splash feathering intact...no rust please!

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And this, the 2nd nat hatch of Brahmas is four girls and one boy. Strange indeed. I have a "pair" of Light Brahmas in the makings...times two as the 3rd batch has another girl/boy pair.
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Lacy and her Splash chooks--that dog sure loves her chicken herding.

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Days like Oct 7th are done now...the geese/swan/ruddy ponds have been emptied and put away for the year.

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Veg patch is tilled (never took an after photo--plenty of time for that) and will furrow it when the snow subsides and melts off. Bury the more tender plants in there.

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Pleased to have applied a coat of blue paint over the grey paint in the hatching house.

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Moved in three of the four cabinets so spring hatching will be a very simple endeavour. One more to move after I clean it up...best enter the Hatching House in ready to go condition.

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The Hatching House has a replacement cost now of around $50,000. I suppose it is time in itself to take that investment and put it to use. Not sure how those starting out will be able to take on what we've managed to achieve in the 27 years we've been here in Pear-A-Dice but that's not really our concern.

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Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow. This year, we both decided to postphone the turkey din for some takeaway Chinese from our fav restaurant. The transition from green to white takes up some time.

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I'll miss the flowering pops of colour but there will be more next year. For now, time to dump the watering cans and collect them up or they will split and be useless. LOL

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada
 

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