Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[rural mouse]

No chicken pictures, it was a Rough day today… nipping Jimmy’s an-and didn’t go well. His stuff wouldn’t fit through the elastic bander. We Had to use burdizzos and DH missed, so he just got a really bad pinch. It turns out holding a 80lb goat down while his boy bits are rendered inoperable isn’t easy. Cows twice his size are easier. We have lost a lot of trust and will need to rebuild this with lots of treats and snuggles. I have ordered the California style bander, hopefully by the time it arrives we will be able to get near that area again.

Speaking of cows, we have our first calves and BIL “missed” finding one. The bigger or the two twins, (yeah such an awful bull… he was siring twin calves pretty unusual for cattle) was trapped in the wrong side of a fence so I had to pick her up and carry her to mom. The female will be barren as her twin was male, making her a “free Martin”. Good job Rowena! I’m a little worried the smaller boy calf might not make it, because BIL really, really sucks at caring for cattle, and mamas will often pick the stronger twin and just let the other die in the wild. I saw Rowena shoving the boy away while the girl was nursing, and he’s trying to bum off of other cows. I did voice my concerns to him. Fingers crossed he doesn’t do as well as last year in providing extra care and attention to special calves.View attachment 3021011View attachment 3021032

Why was I down there? because last night our truck was loaded with giant alfalfa bales at the barn on the other side of the island at midnight… because getting hay here is fun. So I finally get back to the trailer with skittish goats in the Jeep, and the chickens are acting a little odd, and I’m trying to unload the goats when all of a sudden the alarm goes up and a mink runs out from the chicken trailer (same furry little bugger as last time) I’m chasing it with a shovel and it takes probably about the same route as last time. I didn’t get it. I took the goats for their walk DH got home, everything seemed settled as best as could be, we were getting ready to put the chickens up, putting on boots, when there came another alarm. I rush out but was too late, one of my nicer young cockerels was lying in the middle of the entryway with his neck snapped. I’ve checked them twice since and believe the trailer is secure and it got in the open door. I have put the fresh kill in the trap. I pray I can catch this little monster and end it. I will make several more checks throughout the night and early morning. I literally can’t deal with another massacre. I am very worried about running meat birds with this new mustelid problem

Bottle feeding an abandoned calf is a whole lot bigger issue than an orphaned goat kid. Get it in writing that the baby is yours if you do go that route (time/stress/work constraints not withstanding). That mink is definitely a problem, and too small and quick to make shooting it feasible. Adding my prayers to yours on the trap. Little menace is too bright to not figure it out PDQ if you move the coop too, unless it got moved far enough to be outside its general range (totally impractical ) .

 

[rural mouse]

Just that cows usually only have one calf, twins are fairly uncommon. Naturally mama cows are really only able to really care for and protect one baby, so will often pick the strongest and just leave the other to die. The farm recently got rid of their bull (who sired these calves) because they “didn’t like him, he was bad”. Black and scary, he would just look at you (usually for treats or scritches) and they thought it was “unnerving”. From 2017-2019 I primarily cared for the cattle. Family drama BS ensued and the “farm manager” aunt took over. Which is why I said we probably wouldn’t be seeing any “giant land chicken” pictures.

Now they have given care of the cattle over to my brother in law, a useless waste of skin/air. Last year there was a calf he was supposed to be caring for… making sure it got fed (it was blind and had no tail) and that didn’t really happen, though he sure talked a good game about how great and important he was. One Friday in fall, I spotted it down in the field with mama trying to protect it from ravens that were attempting to eat it alive because it was too weak to stand. Spent over an hour holding it up, getting it to drink from mom (Ruby and I were good friends…) while she licked its backend to stimulate elimination. I was crying, covered in manure, blood, and pus, and barely able to support this (still quite big) calf in the middle of a field in the rain. It had clearly been down for over a day. I broke down and called the “farm manager” (who doesn’t speak with me) and strongly implied that if she didn’t euthanize the poor thing the SPCA “might” be informed, and reminded her of the recent seizure of several hundred beef cattle nearby for far, far less.

TLDR:
So, twin cattle are generally rare, sometimes the mama will pick one and reject the other. Also if the twins are male and female, the female will always be infertile and is referred to as a free Martin. I don’t think my BIL, who didn’t even notice the stronger and larger twin is capable of monitoring them, and the smaller boy might not survive as I saw some indications of rejection. Hopefully he listened to what I said and isn’t going to just dissmiss my stupid Citiot observations and information. I might not have been raised on a farm (neither was he) but I at least have been reading up and informing myself on the animals I care or cared for.

Raised on a farm doesn't make someone any better at managing it. I grew up in farming communities: town kid, helping out occassionally . The good ones have much compassion for the animals under their care. The bad don't usually last long, but can cause SIGNIFICANT damage (physical and neighborly anger/resentment) before they're through. Getting them legally BANNED from working with animals takes quite a while, lots of reports, and leaves the poor animals in terrible shape until that end is finally achieved. Sadly, the terrible ones frequently skate by changing animals (banned from 1 type: e.g. horses but not cows) or moving and doing it all again.

 

[rural mouse]

Raised on a farm doesn't make someone any better at managing it. I grew up in farming communities: town kid, helping out occassionally . The good ones have much compassion for the animals under their care. The bad don't usually last long, but can cause SIGNIFICANT damage (physical and neighborly anger/resentment) before they're through. Getting them legally BANNED from working with animals takes quite a while, lots of reports, and leaves the poor animals in terrible shape until that end is finally achieved. Sadly, the terrible ones frequently skate by changing animals (banned from 1 type: e.g. horses but not cows) or moving and doing it all again.

Tax

 

[rural mouse]

Apparently we now have ponySundays to go with Caturday, FBF, twofer Tuesdays, and mugshot Mondays… did I miss anything? Do we have a Wednesday and Thursday theme in mind?

Nailed it

 

[Ponypoor]

Spoiler alert: I’ve got pics for Sunday!!! Saving them. Stay tuned

I am waiting with baited breath! Come on Sunday!

 

[Ponypoor]

Nailed it

I think we need a Wild Wednesday, for those wild pics!

 

[Ponypoor]

Is there something special I’m forgetting about Sundays?

@micstrachan
Yep Sundays are now Pony Sunday so get those horse pics going!

Re calves: cows can twin calves but if one is small and weak and can't keep up unless humans step in it will die.

Also if one twin is a boy and one a girl the girl will be sterile, they call them Free Martins, if you get both boys or bothering girls they will be fine.

 

[rural mouse]

I am waiting with baited breath! Come on Sunday!

Sounds like you're at the races with abbot and Costello

 

[BY Bob]

Here is e fluffy butt for you @BY Bob hard to get Chickie to stand still long enough haha!

View attachment 3021093

That's a big one!

 

[BY Bob]

Spoiler alert: I’ve got pics for Sunday!!! Saving them. Stay tuned

Hooray!!!