I actually get it at Atwoods about half the time but I am getting the Nutrena rather than that Atwoods brand. Since it is in 50lb bags, that is what makes some of the difference in price, I think (i.e. 20% more grain). You're right that my horse is an easy keeper - I switch between several brands of grain because Nutrena sends me coupons by email from time to time and they're usually decent - $5 off per bag. So although the price might start at $13, by the time I check out, I've only paid $8 for a 50lb bag. Same with Purina. They send me coupons (sometimes up to $10 off!!!) so when I have one of their coupons, I swing by TSC or our local Ace which is a Purina dealer, and get their 50lb bag. They have a deal too, where after you've bought 12 bags, you get a bag free. So all in all, I'm probably not paying more than you. But that only works because I really only need a bag a month. If I were buying a bag a day, I probably couldn't shop around so much and use the coupons and still be worthwhile.
Your horses look good so I wouldn't change a thing!
On the water dish, it sounds like the one you described - the dentist sink. Our barn manager set it up so I don't know where he got it or exactly how he did it but it has worked flawlessly since I've been out there.
In my month's experience (hee hee) of owning a LGD, I would have to say they don't tolerate confinement well. For example, if I leave the gate of the lagoon open, she loves to go in there and nose around and check it out. So I had this great idea that when I am going out for a few hours, I can put her in there to ensure she doesn't go up and bother the neighbors while we're gone. So I tried that and she greeted me in the driveway when I got home. Tried again, and she was out in no time. I couldn't figure out where she was getting out. Turns out she dug a VERY shallow depression under the gate and was squeezing her huge bulk out through that. My 37lb super skinny dog said there was no way she could fit under that so she just stayed in the lagoon fence but the 100lb LGD was able to get out through that tiny opening. Honestly, if you'd asked me, I would have said there was no way her head would have fit, let alone the rest of her body, so they really are escape artists. The only way we've been able to confine ours is on a tether, which I hate using. But, the battery for the invisible fence collar arrived today so we can start training her on it. Yeah!!!Little Miss Fern keeps squeezing under the chicken wire fence
So sorry about Lucky. It is always hard to have to say goodbye to one of our friends.
Thanks for this set of pictures! I wondered about using peroxide. I had a bottle the other day and thought about using it but none of the treatment examples I had heard of had mentioned it so I didn't want to risk it not being good for this purpose. I think I will try that next time though.
I did surgery on my hen with the worst case on Saturday, and it didn't go as well as I would have liked. I was able to get out a few small pieces of bumble but never found a big stalactite like I had thought I would see. I dug around for quite awhile longer than the hen was happy about but finally just squirted in some Neosporin and bandaged her up. She kept the vet wrap on for two days but got it off yesterday, right before I planned to do it myself anyway. Her foot doesn't seem as swollen now as it was before the surgery so I'm hopeful I got it.
I think I'm going to have to say "yes"HEchicken-Do you still want silchin broody fool chicks? I have a bunch sitting on the counter that I can stick in the bator if you want them, otherwise they will get scrambled.
At this time of year the grasses have very little left in them in the way of nutrition. My sister and I actually just had this discussion a few days ago because we noticed that our horses when turned out, instead of going and grazing, are staying up near the pens and eating hay instead. The uncut grasses "look" just like hay still growing in the field but if they are not cut, they lose nutrition so eating it is even worse than eating hay. You will notice that hay growers are very particular about when they cut the hay. They need to wait for it to be long enough to get a decent yield, but can't leave it too long or it loses nutrition standing there in the field, and then their quality won't be good. So they have a somewhat narrow window in which to cut and end up with hay that people want to feed their animals.
So having free access to pasture this time of year isn't enough. In the spring, yes, I would agree that she might not need much supplement, but I wouldn't risk it this time of year, and especially not in the winter.
