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

[CanuckBock]

Heel low:

Tis time to get seedy on the brains...so here is a wonderful link (nfi)

http://www.seeds.ca/


So during the holidays, I made a vested effort to contact non-hybrid "diversity type" seed sellers here in Canada...I am considering shopping here at home exclusively since the Canadian buck sucks compared to the US green back (oh and BTW, you Americans have really silly looking money...hee hee...why the heck is it all GREEN any hoo?? We have coloured money here...sure it looks strange now that it is all plasticy but at least you can see different denominations of worth by COLOUR!). I was all geared up to order seeds from Sand Hill Preservation (nfi) this year but with me having a forty cent dif on the dollar (US buck $1 = $1.40 Canuck bucks!)...well I guess I may shop locally in Canada and try to go to Glenn another time. sigh...

http://www.sandhillpreservation.com/pages/seed_catalog.html


In my e-mail inbox awaited an e-mail...the first of what I hope to be many seed growing the veg garden contacts has begun. Hope Seeds (nfi) outta Nova Scotia will mail me a paper catalogue in February.

http://www.hopeseed.com/home

Some very kewl plants here but not sure yet if they will grow here as Nova Scotia is on the other side of Canada...the East side and Pear-A-Dice is on the West side, one province over the Rocky Mountains. Yee haw!



For those not in the know...here is a quick lookit at Seedy Saturdays...

http://www.seeds.ca/d/?n=web/ebulletin/other/organizing-a-seedy-saturday

I have never saved much in regards to seeds from the veg...but think I shall invest in myself and learn.

https://www.seeds.ca/publications

Two books here might lead me into a whole new adventure...see if I get my crap together and order probably the first one.

How to Save Your Own Seeds - A handbook for Small Scale Seed Production

I mean I know how to save up the idiot ready seeds (keep in mind, self labelled myself the "village idiot gardener," eh) but not so much tomats and other ones. I guess you CAN teach and old female dog new tricks, eh!

Doggone & Chicken UP!

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

 

[CanuckBock]

Heel low:

Being the new year and all...I guess my turn to go on a rant of sorts. Soapbox er what...


Some of my take on the hard and fast rules to enjoying the hobby of animal husbandry:

PREDATION - Strive for ZERO predation as your top goal. Until you can achieve keeping livestock adequately and happily contained & alive into geriatric ages...you cannot consider yourself a good keeper of life. My opinion of course.

Far, far too many persons keep animals only to feed the coyotes, neighbour's marauding dogs, winged scavengers, etc. I get that we eat birds...but to have them savagely meet their demise alone and scared senseless at the whims of predators...that is just having Wild Kingdom play out on your patch of dirt. Blah! Not my concept of the poultry hobby one bit. I don't consider any person that still struggles with predation (given a weasel that goes rouge can be an issue along with grizzlies...things DO still go bad too & we have to keep ramping up to the threats) issues to be up and up on animal husbandry if marauding dogs have taken lives for the third time...get cracking at arsenals of protection you can ensure keep the carnage out...whatever the reasons. Protect what needs protecting or stop serving chicken on the menu I suppose...we do not get to blame the neighbours or the wilds for us not adequately protecting our own personal stocks from carnage.

BIOSECURITY & NATURAL RESISTANCE - Practise some biosecurity...I am not talking about living in a bubble, in fact some pressure on your immune systems is GOOD because you can breed in natural immunity and disease resistance because nobody can keep everything at bay.

It is the idea that hatching eggs are some sorta glorified way to beat out diseases and when things like chronic respiratory disease (CRD) is harboured INSIDE those hatching eggs...it is completely delusional to think that hatching eggs are one iota healthier than a year old production proven chicken in the hand since by actually LIVING to a year of age already proves the birds has some health on the go and produces product you can enjoy as benefits to this poultry hobby.

I have far too often heard people say well that hatching eggs don't bring parasites to their flocks...WTHeck? If you are getting live birds that have parasites crawling all over them...go some place else already.

We do expect some internal parasites tho...the life cycle of internals is something that cannot be completely stopped as these things are hard to eradicate and in some schools of thought, internals in small amounts are considered good because sooner or later, exposure will occur and having resistance to what is gonna potentially sneak in, that is GREAT!


http://eap.mcgill.ca/agrobio/ab370-04e.htm:
I am NOT an advocate for non medical dewormers BUT I also appreciate many are. When I deworm a beast er bird...give me GOOD DRUGS so I can expect to force down the parasitic load...big guns to blast them & blast them good...

Start out with healthy birds...and keep it that way at all costs. Consider each and every new addition from outside your flocks as a potential threat to your current state of happiness. Every new bird coming in may harbour that last straw that breaks the camel's back and has your happy world come crashing to an end. You owe a duty of care to the current ones you keep. If you choose to take the risk, suck it up Buttercup if you do bring in the have to have bird and death and destruction come along for the ride. Nobody to blame but yourself because you chose to do this. Easy to keep acquiring birds...keeping in mind, the easiest part to this hobby is the acquisition of stocks. The buildings, the facilities, the chores, the expenses of feed, water, bedding, heat, the ongoing care are things that are draining...but getting a new bird...what's hard about that part? Depends on your level of expectations in new birds.


BEGIN WITH GOOD - Auctions sell rejects...why else would a perfectly good bird be up on the block (past someone died or is completely getting outta the hobby but how good is a bird exposed to an auction then?) so please get over the concept that this is some place to pick up the deal of a century. I shudder when I read about persons buying "auction eggs" and birds...yikes! I have friends that refuse all animals that have ever touched sale place soil...and for good reasons. There are some nasty things out there that once you bring them to your place, are there forever. If it does not wipe you out, I guess what don't kill you outright makes you strong but often with say CRD, the chronic part means slow long term unhealthiness and the ugly one of WAY lower production! Truly, many of us that have birds want eggs and meat...as a bonus for keeping them...not so much pets but like PETS WITH BENEFITS!

CRD should not be treated with medications...there is no cure for it so quit with the meds, eh! AND if you treat your birds with antibiotics...I would make a personal vow not to eat the flesh of that bird, its eggs EVER and if you do hatch from those lines (considering that to be the reason why you medicated...to make more so you can go back to a clean start?), I would highly consider not eating the SECOND generation's flesh or eggs either...CLEAN beginnings in the third generation if you really truly think you have to SAVE CRD infected lines with antibiotics...drastic measures, you betcha. And in my opinion, so is the treatment of poultry for illness with ANTI BIOTICS...yeh yeh...I get that culling a sick bird is not fun so keep them healthy by being cautious! Protect them for being exposed because you just had to go visit and were too lazy to change and clean up before doing chores again.

You only get to start out once and you should start with clean birds and build on that and keep them safe from harm. As a poultry virgin...you have the very best beginnings...no prior infections, diseases, parasites, disorders...so choose your beginnings wisely and build on a solid foundation. Having to wait for birds from reputable places is an earnest way to earn GOOD things...keep in mind, good things take effort so step up already! Stay the course, protect what is worth protecting and enjoy the hobby like it was meant to be enjoyed. Earn the good times and stay diligent and enjoy.

Go out to visit someone with birds...don't come back in a rush without completely changing and wash your hair. Not saying you will never get something but small precautionary things like not wearing the same shoes, cloths and cleaning yer self up...are good. Did you know that ILT can be carried in your human nostrils for 24 hours? Go to a gathering of birds...shall we gargle with bleach and zit ourselves with Lysol? Hee hee.


SPACE - Consider a small number of birds to start with lots of space for expansion. Keep at minimum, one empty EXTRA pen at all times...for unexpected injuries, for when pecking orders turn nasty on a stick, for quarantine purposes, or even for brooding up a Mama & her babes. So long as you always have one extra place empty...you know you have adequate facilities on hand should something go terribly badly on Sunday evening before a long work week and get working at adding more space if you figure the one pen is now filled for any length of time.


FACILITIES - If you feel comfy in the area you house your critters, so too should your dependents. Roofing runs has been a fantastic strategy of ours...having a roof that protects the outdoor areas means we have way better control over the conditions the birds reside in. NO things harassing them, no horrid drafts, filthy sopping wet conditions, dusty air, etc. I always consider that it is MY challenge should I choose to own living beings to ensure those beings are having a great quality of life...even if I walk into their pen, remove and process them for our dinner plates. My food and any of my living things should know happiness to the very end of their days. Nothing short of what I hope to expect in my own life. We here adore old stuff...that means we have successfully kept things alive way past the normal lifespan that many beings get to have. Old stuff rocks and deserves to live until they pass away...hopefully in the shade of a warm summer's day. The concept of many a person that has livestock has been to see the old milk cows that gave it their all, put out to pasture and enjoying a well deserved retirement. WE don't always live in REALITY of what many endure...but I just counter...so why bother when keeping of livestock COSTS way more financially and work wise than you supposedly get as a return if you were say, kidding yourself it was some sort of profitable business.



Which leads to my last final comment (oh I have way too many, eh)...

LOSING PROPOSTIONS - For Petesake's...please QUIT thinking of raising animals (or even growing a veg garden) like you are going to SAVE MONEY or worse,,,MAKE MONEY! No expectations of profit...that is how Rev Canada defines an endeavour that is a HOBBY & raising birds is a TOTAL hobby if you plan on doing it well. If you wanted to be competitive and make $ growing your own food...you would have to take the examples set by factory farms and we all know the poor sick quality that results in. Lose your sense of caring, treat your "product" like an output (go cheap cheep cheep on the quality of food, housing, oh ever so many happy/happy, joy/joy things--breed for quick production ignoring the cost of poor development, sad existences and dulled but manageable intelligences), and go absolutely anal on the expense you invest on producing the end result...the PROFIT!

HELLO!!!!!!!! There is NO profitable monies in animals raised up right. There is no PROFIT in growing a backyard garden...so what do we do this for?

The added quality we reap from the health & happiness of doing this. Because each and every one of us that raises a chook that squishes mud between its toes, chases bugs and nips grass in the fresh air and sunshine...everyone that grows a garden to put good foods on our plates...they ADD to the overall quality of living beings enjoying life here on EARTH!

The happy birds, the good food (tender lettuce, oh how we yearn for garden grown Romaine here in January!) is not a monetary measurement. I so tire of people selling hatching eggs because they figure the hobby is suppose to pay for itself. Yeh, it pays but not in money...because if you manage to make money, be it in breeding dogs, growing a veg garden, or poultry...you are missing important costly ($$) steps in the process to make the $$. Since when were birds and veggies a commodity to people like me? Never EVER!

What you reap is what you sow. If you feed only enough calcium to get the egg shell thick enough to deliver the egg to the consumer...is that necessarily enough shell to hatch out a decent baby bird? That BTW is how industry views the inputs to make profitable outputs. Does keeping birds like our very first heritage turkeys and our first Chanteclers make sense when they are living to be eight and nine years old? Course not...the females quit laying eggs, the males are infertile so we keep them because we are human and prone to things like falling head over heels in love with our breeding stocks and thinking they deserve to be living, unproductive happy lives into old age. Heaven forbid the day we too become unproductive and have to tone things back and accept less production from ourselves.

Good GACK...off with me head...I can't hand balm four pallets of feed in one day no mores!

So that be me rant for the beginnings of the new year of 2016... back to lurk mode in regards to lipping off I guess--fur a widdle while at least.

Doggone & Chicken UP!

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

 

[CanuckBock]

Heel low:

A much lighter post...so y'all don't think I started my morn with some over the past due expiry date of some egg noggins'...

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Dog play...

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Lacy NO likey to SHARE!

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Team SNOW CONE!
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Deeper snows



Seriously - Ready to pounce!​

One of Lacy's Fav...the bigger than life tenni​

Two days in and the White Sub was ready to come home.

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As stated, we decided on a more subtle white coloured rock guard band...

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Don't look much different but now it is all primed up for resisting rust along the sides.

Body shop persons freaked and commented that the underside of this 28 year old truck looks cleaner than the underside of new factory trucks do. One of the reasons Rick will undercoat it. Course one of the "boys" asked Rick if he'd sell it to him...Rick mumbled something about "watch the obits."

Spent TWO days junking...Dec 31 and yesterday (Jan 2). Oh my, what fun.

Where old Subs go to rest...line up of four.​

There are 1,000 vehicles here and we had lots of fun tromping thru the snow kicking tires.

Brought home complete second seat in the same blue as both our Subs have in awesome condition...two heater motors, door lock pulls, two hood ornaments (Chev and a GM), two dome lights, 2 sets of wipers, wind deflector, ashtray and lighter, set of barn door straps and pins, jack, tire iron, spare tire hardware and blue tire cover, ...etc. and the piece de resistance...back bumper.

Awesome!!!!

Doggone & Chicken UP!

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

 

[CanuckBock]

Heel low:

RatRanch Fixins R Higgins - July 14, 2001 - April 21, 2015​

Bless that brave heart and soul of our Princess Warrior dog, Fixins. We miss her ever so much and even just posting some photos of her near brings me to

but I understand, you cannot love that much and not have to continue to endure that strong of an emotion as to think she will ever be forgotten.

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Our Red ACD Beast...she would approve indeed of us always, always Carp Diem...seizing the day...or in her take on the world, BITING!!

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We now know for certain why the Fruitcup chose to go when she did. If she had not gone when she did, I would not have contacted the former Secretary of the Australian Cattle Dog Club (we were both secretary's at the same time for each of our country's, me for Canada, her for Oz) and started to ready ourselves for the two girl dogs, Emmy and Lacy.

Thank you dearest Fixins...you knew better than Rick and I did, why you decided it was your time to go and how impeccable the timing was.

Miss you EVER so much...fur EVER & EVER until we meet again at that Rainbow Bridge...to romp and frolic for an eternity.

Robert Brault:

WATERFALL, POND, WIND SOCKS & POND PLANTATIONS
So the pond and waterfall, the pump in the pond quit which gave Rick and I the opportunity to decide...replace the water feature with a spray pump like we had or do something dif. We chose to do something different...

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We upgraded the water feature in the center of the pond to a tiered "bird bath." Never pondered this aspect and decided to "go for it" since the cost was roughly the same as replacing the water feature that we had had before.

The birds LOVE getting fresh flowing water drinks that spill from the EGG shaped top.

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Now come on...what could be more perfect for a place like Pear-A-Dic than to have an EGG shaped top?

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We also made a pilgrimage to a solely focussed seller of wind socks--something we had wanting to be doing but never set aside the time...all the windsocks previously had been dollar store finds and finding them lasting one season at best, made running out of windsocks a realty. We purchased some more sturdy wind sock fishies from a huge assortment of choices...marvelous! Rick also chose some tall fiberglass poles (which barely lasted the summer, so that will need addressing this year when pond season returns)...we adore the flapping flags, especially coming home to see them acting like fish in a fast flowing stream, dancing all about to welcome us HOME SWEET HOMELY!

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The plants Rick chose have turned out AWESOME.

Let's see if I can remember ALL of them.

July 2015​

Iris, forget-me-nots, cattails, two hardy waterlilies, arrow grass, duck weed, water hyacinth, and and...I think that's them all!

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The Koi figure the pond is even MORE perfect...enjoying the more natural feature the real plants provide and we love watching how the growing plants change the dynamics in the pond. Never a dull moment of same old, same old with live plants flourishing in the pond.

How successful were the plants?

Water Lily


Iris
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And the most delightful part...some of the old stand by items Rick has in this water feature...well those were continued to be highly enjoyed too.

Emmy using 1 of 2 of the pond side goldfish water spitters - Puppy approved!! ​

SUBURBANS
So it was indeed the year of the Suburban...TWO of them...

Zachary Scott:

As you grow older, you'll find the only things you regret are the things you didn't do.​

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While we were pretty shaken up after losing Fixins...we decide that on May 1st, it would do us good to quit moping around and bursting into tears and to go out and do what we normally do. Vintage Vehicle Swamp Meet is an annual trip we do to get winter off our backs and start thinking about SPRINGING forth and getting to do more activities OUTSIDE!

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All are 4 wheel drives, extremely low mileage...both have air...the 1980 blue and white one is WAY more loaded and is the SUMMER Sub and she is the first what we can quip as a true honest BARN FIND we have managed to acquire.


Author Unknown:

AWESOME doesn't even come close to how happy these Subs have made us...

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And the 1988 white one is the WINTER SUB


TALK about DOG BUSSES eh!

I have now begun referring to Rick as Mr. Sub...bloomin' well deserves the title...keeper of the '80's subs!

August 5, 2015​

Now of course, we spent alot of our time pre-puppies getting ready. I hauled out my 14 year old puppy playground items, inspect what was worthy of refitting and using and when the girls arrived, they just sorta slid into the routine of having a grand old time.

Aug 5, It was like they were BORN to TUG off the Tuggy Timber equip...



Sep 6, 2015 - Puppy girls in Puppy Playground​

From the water splish water tub, to the sand pit, tire toy, teeter totter, balance beam, raised up wooden crate (with area to dive under it and then ATTACK yer fellow pupper!), huge double towered boxes of dog toys--yeh...indeed indeedy...it was and still IS a fab place to play!

"Help...HELP! I have fallen and I cannot get up!"

August 6, 2015
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William James:

To change one's life: Start immediately. Do it flamboyantly. No exceptions.​

Right from the first full day of arrival...


Pinch me perfect...what a view!​

All the work we did in preparation for puppy arrival...D-Day (DOG DAY!), was ever so well received...

August 8, 2015 - Pups sharing biscuits and quiet play time ​

The fond happy memories were all there beginning to happen, from the first few days of their arrivals.

August 6, 2015 - What angelic dreamers, dreaming of all the fun to be continued to be had!​

August 28, 2015 - Pretty puppies awaiting me handing them over the fresh garden PEAS I have for them​

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The dogs slid right in like it was meant to be.

Sep 19, 2015 - hanging about with the sheeps​

Sep 22, 2015 - Pasture pals...grazing together??
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The two girls loved hanging about with each other and it was wonderful to see them just being a pair of pups!

Oct 9, 2015 - Pair of book ends??​

But one must never forget...each dog has their own set of personalities...

Oct 1, 2015 - Lacy the Love Bug, loves to toss toys and bat at them​

Hard not to smile (bust out laughing even) at the girl's antics...

Oct 1, 2015 - Emmy the Thinker...contemplating her next action or inaction



Oct 1, 2015 - Lacy enjoying crabapples...​

Stephen Vincent Benét:

A dusting of snow, put a whole new set of dynamics in the Puppy Playground.

Oct 3, 2015​

When the winter whites of the Great White North finally settled in for more good...the girls could not wait to go a romping and enjoying how easy it is to rehydrate, any time you wanna. Fans of the SNOW CONES!

Nov 18, 2015​

Oct 15, 2015 - Helping me with chores - gently and patiently herding up the yard chooks
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John Burroughs:

I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, ​

all the walks I want to take,
all the books I want to read and all the friends I want to see. ​

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Sometimes the gals look puppish...

Nov 11, 2015 - looking like pups!​

Sometimes older than their years...

Dec 27, 2015 - Emmy​

December 25, 2015 - Snow nosed Lacy​

But ever all and all, no matter if dog or pup looking...the two are indeedy the best of budsters!

November 24, 2015 - up to no good playing in the snows​

Christmas Day - with glitter snows in the background...how perfect is this?

BIRDS
Ah yes, lest we forget them birdles...

July 4, 2015 - View past the wild roses & into the bird yard! ​

Charles Baudelaire, "Enivrez-vous," Paris Spleen, 1869:

on wine, poetry, or on virtue, as you please. ​

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Lots of lovely weather to be enjoyed by the critters, out and about in the GREEN season.

August 28, 2015 - Ozzies, meet the Ozzies!




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More Australian Black Swanny eggs were produced.

July 24, 2015​

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Pearl & Piper got more serious about making more of themselves...but Piper has to learn about his contribution to the eggs besides incubating them. Good thing Blacks may live to be 40 years old in captivity...LOTSA time to figure it all out.

July 30, 2015
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This photo of an F2 Golden Laced Wy went on to make it to the top 30 for the 2016 BYC Calendar

Dogs and Ducks - 2015​

My fav...ducks and dogs... What fine girls for being ever so good around all them quackers!

VEGETABLE GARDEN
Ah my, sun, summer and the growing of one's garden! What is more timeless, predictably going to be fun...than vegetable gardening!

May 11, 2015

With Rick's help and encouragement, in went a new tater and corn patch...

July 6, 2015​

It was such a rip ROARing success...we shall do this all over again in 2016 but with TWICE the width on the 50 foot rows. Yee haw!


George M. Adams:

Sep 4, 2015 - Who be that peaking into the veg garden??​

Yeh, dat be me holding up the coveted SUGAR PEA for them puppers!​

Benjamin Franklin:

You may delay, but time will not.​

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Garden a beginning...

June 12, 2015 - tilled, raised beds made, seeds planted...​

Sun shall shine, rain shall fall and before you know it...

July 13, 2015

L00kit yer garden GROW!​

Sep 19, 2015 - Some of the bounty harvested​

Sep 21 2015 - Want an apple Lacy...well do you Sweetness?

And not jest veg or fruit...eye candy too grows...

Hazel Lee:

I dripped it carelessly, Ah! I didn't know, I held opportunity. ​

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Mother Bluebird...looking a tad ragged from hatching the brood she is not feeding.

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Father Bluebird...Looking a tad more dapper than his female counter part

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Evening Grosbeaks

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Swallow

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Rose Breasted Grosbeak

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Common House Wren singing his lungs out - pair nested in house on Man Porch and successfully raised a fine brood

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Pine Grosbeak

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Grouse



BUILDS for 2015
And last but never least...three builds for 2015...


Robert Braultg:

Parking Building

Sep 18 2015 - lift first half of roof​

Sep 20, 2015 - Metal siding on building​

Sep 21, 2015 - Metal on roof​

Sep 30, 2015 - Working on last half of roof​

Oct 16, 2015 - Lifting last half of roof​

Oct 16, 2015 - full roof on​

Oct 24, 2015 - Starting to park vehicles in building​

Nov 3, 2015 - Tarps up for weather protection​

Nov 24, 2015 - Tucked in for Winter time
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Larry McMurtry, Some Can Whistle:

If you wait, all that happens is that you get older. ​

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Elec power for the house is upgraded and the new gen set all wired in and done.

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Summer

Coop fur Sure with tenplast roof

Winter​

Edmund Wilson:

where one might dwell in safety and peace, but only food for the fires of the heart. ​

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Sep 19, 2015​

four pairs of Mandarin Ducks reside in the Taj

Here is a post on BYC on the making of the Taj Mahal

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...r-aix-galericulata-mandarin-ducks-mega-photos

Perimeter completed

July 22, 2015​

Author Unknown:

Jul 12, 2015​

Ruth E. Renkl:

You live longer once you realize that any time spent being unhappy is wasted. ​

And so it has gone fur every day...jest another day in Pear-A-Dice!!!

Terri Guillemets:

Happy New year of 2016​

Ralph Waldo Emerson:

No man has learned anything rightly, until he knows that every day is Doomsday. ​

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Doggone & Chicken UP!

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

Edited repeatedly because the power popped when I began this post a few days back...saving as I load up each set of photos and info & now moi DONE!

 

[drumstick diva]

Love, that first photo of the puppers with their innocent little faces, I can't believe how sweet & small they looked. You knew what to expect but, we didn't. Clashing teeth and hulking predator hunters of each other with no end in sight. If you had just one pup, would it have used it's teeth on you, or just dismantled your home?

 

[chickisoup]

Hi Tara!!!
No, I did not fall of the edge of the earth (or worse), just been very busy as the leg has finally healed as well as it's going to and had tons of things to get caught up on. The most of a year being slowed down, with a few months just stopped completely, sure put a crimp in the projects to do list but the last couple months has allowed me to get a lot caught up and even moved ahead on some things just a squeak. Now winter has FINALLY arrived here in my part of the northwoods and given me a chance to slow down and do some catching up here as I sit with my puppers warming my lap and my cup of peppermint mocha waiting for the ice storm to begin, sigh.

I just had to pop in and tell you how your "New Year's rant" put words to my heart. My critters, my gardens, my woods, my home are not my profession but my passion. Nothing lives here whether human or other two-legged or four-legged creature that doesn't get the same respect and best quality of life within my power to give.

Happy New Year to you and all of yours!!!

 

[CanuckBock]

Love, that first photo of the puppers with their innocent little faces, I can't believe how sweet & small they looked. You knew what to expect but, we didn't. Clashing teeth and hulking predator hunters of each other with no end in sight. If you had just one pup, would it have used it's teeth on you, or just dismantled your home?

Yeh, allowed to fly here at twelve weeks/three months of age. It is fun to look back at the progression, but still have moments where they look INNOCENT or puppyish...but I have always know that those angelic ACDs can have their halos fall instantly and begin to choke the evil insides outside!

No foolin moi. The Optional Brain Module (OBM) arrives two or so years LATER than when the pups appear...yeh.


With our first ACD Makins...she was sent here at six weeks of age (my opinion, two weeks too soon) as the Herding judge that whelped her had broken her arm (got run over by her flock of sheep standing too close to a gate!). The pups need those two more weeks with mom and the pups to learn better DOG MANNERs. Lots of breeders only have the Mom in with the pups at the end of their time there for feeding but the Mom still disciplines as only a Mama dog can do. Dogs are social creatures, that reside in PACKS and yer pack can consist of the humans too...as well as the dogs and anything the dogs when stock dogs consider their property or wards to be cared for.

Makins had our human family but I knew she needed a dog pal. Dogs play with dogs in ways us humans would not allow...yeh, go figure. So to answer yer question, if we had one pup, the pup would become a dog and play with us humans as their pack members. One hopes there is a pack leader that is HUMAN, but any dog will step up if the humans are all weaklings and be boss leader but one finds a dog much happier if the humans take the leader role, then the dog can relax and work on being just a good pack member dog.

Recall we have the containment pens with crate in them. There will be NO dismantling of the home, eh.

When Makins was a young dog, she had free reign of the house but the moment you ADD another dog, two dogs roming the home alone is not a good idea. Kinda like two ten year old human kids finding matches and burning the house down when NOT supervised. One young'un, the percentage of the one behaving (not being lead astray or being able to blame the bad on the other one, "Not me, they did it!") by themselves is WAY WAY higher than two kids egging each other one...same for dogs.

I had breeders telling me that I need to remember that "two pups raised together will bond with each other" and Rick and I laughed at that. Sure the pups will bond and will play wonderfully as only dogs play with dogs. Good thing we figure to have pup to pup playing, but recall, I also take the girls out one on one with me to practise conformation handling and just be with me alone, special time. I don't do that so much right now with winter upon us fully, less daylight and it is cold, so I don't get to be outside as much...

You do have to know that herding breeds like ACDs will do things like place noses on you which in dog speak really IS them herding you...might not grip you but indeed, that face placement is herding...whether they bite, break skin with teeth or softly place nose to direct you. We teach bite inhibition remember...not going to complete buck the herding dog's need to bite, but how soft and reserved the bite (nosing) will be is what we work on.

One pup, I would never put up with being bitten. I would be flapping hands, making negative noises and ensuring the one pup realizes it is never OK to chomp me.

When Lacy comes for hugs and pets, she already knows, she better be calm, behaved if I am going to reward her with what she wants in regards to snuggies. Emmy is more reserved but is now warming up to huggies...I have to grab her and hug her and I note, she now leans into the huggies and actually will pause when I let her out..."Yeh, yeh, get this hug over with already!" I am quite sure if raised in another human family, she would be the dog that would hang back and would have never requested or needed hugs like Luv bug does (Lace-a-lot)...just being around you seems to be a reward to Emmest...but too bad-so sad, we have ruined yet another more typical standoffish ACD...sucky dog, luvy mutt, soppy dog...oh well, what we want and expect & I know I do it because "I" need it, not necessarily the dog requesting it.

Hi Tara!!!
No, I did not fall of the edge of the earth (or worse), just been very busy as the leg has finally healed as well as it's going to and had tons of things to get caught up on. The most of a year being slowed down, with a few months just stopped completely, sure put a crimp in the projects to do list but the last couple months has allowed me to get a lot caught up and even moved ahead on some things just a squeak. Now winter has FINALLY arrived here in my part of the northwoods and given me a chance to slow down and do some catching up here as I sit with my puppers warming my lap and my cup of peppermint mocha waiting for the ice storm to begin, sigh.

I just had to pop in and tell you how your "New Year's rant" put words to my heart. My critters, my gardens, my woods, my home are not my profession but my passion. Nothing lives here whether human or other two-legged or four-legged creature that doesn't get the same respect and best quality of life within my power to give.

Happy New Year to you and all of yours!!!

Nice to hear from you once again. Yeh, I get the leg would have been holding you back. I shudder as I too wonder, what would I do if I had to have surgery and a long recovery time to get thru. Sure would not be able to post much on BYC if that happened...sigh! Happy to keep things plus ourselves alive and going forward.

The peppermint mocha sounds delish!

Thanks for popping it...thankfully for the regular fans that EGG me on to post...there is some stuff still getting posted to this thread because without the encouragement, I am sure this thread would have died a non-existence since I figure like "Who cares waz doing down at Pear-A-Dice, eh!"

Yeh, my new year's rant is that...some things bother me because I could not raise creatures without making a vested effort to keep them alive (not feed them to the plentiful numbers of predators we have circling us all the time--what a horrid way to die!) and healthy which means I DO need a valid reason to justify why I change clothes SEVEN or more times a day; chores, then change to bus clothes, chores again, bus clothes, maybe go to town clothes, chores for the third time, then FINALLY night wear...me fall down really tired by then!

We choose to have long lived exceptional type dependents (why bother to keep crap going onwards...every generation should be an improvement on the last one, we can hope and waiting for a good start of decent beginnings only means you don't hafta re-invent the wheel and waste years getting to where someone else already is) and having to make some sort of $ profit would kill my hobby before I even got going...there is NO way I can complete on a financial level with factory farms and not that I would...happiness to us means loads of value. Our creatures are the black hole we pour money, emotions, labours of love, and resources into. I do know I get lots of exercise ALL year round with the farm critters--I expect to live longer myself because I HAVE to go out in all sorts of weather really regular or I'd have an assortment of bodies to clean up once the spring thaw came...UGH!

There is something to be said when the critters you keep have better lives than you do--otherwise, why bother eh...if there is reincarnations, please bring me back here as something other than the humans...LMBO

Yes, as with all new years, lots of promise in 2016.

Even more so as I go thru the seed catalogues that are flooding the mailbox here...purple asparagus, motely beans, short seasoned corn...oh my...YES to the plans of mice and men. All looks good on the list (until I tally the money parts all up! EEK...$$$), and those are major issues plus how much seed/plants will I have time for in the upcoming season...eep! It is fun playing garden in the dead of snowy winter's day, eh!

Doggone & Chicken UP!

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

 

[CanuckBock]

Heel low:

So now that 2015 has clicked over to 2016...where to next?

Most exciting is when I was at the November Red Deer Dog show...I got a contact number for people that do drop in conformation classes! Yee haw!

Talked to her on the phone and two classes a week, Wednesday (not good, Rick and I work that day) or Sunday. Sunday is brilliant and what a way to be spending the weekends but looking forward to goofing off with the girl pups.

Plans are to be ready for the April show in Red Deer. I am SO excited...round about 15 years ago when I was showing dogs...one had to go to Red Deer to some pet stores that held conformation classes in the evenings. I was way younger then, whilst I worked full time and ran the Conservation Farm...I was alot more resilient to be able to schedule an early day off work, go home to pack up dogs and get to the classes...then drive back home, unload and prepare for the next day of work. Sundays it shall be...but first I would like to make a few trial runs about the same distance as the conformation classes to ensure that the girl pups do not get ill with motion sickness or too cranky for having to travel to the event.

I noted that Lacy does not like the "bathroom" so suspect she will need to be work on...because she WILL be getting dog baths...to make her look "spit and polished" for show dazes...poor pup. Oh well, I have yet to meet an ACD that adores a bath (had Labs and Retrievers, they loved water but not necessarily BATHS!) but never met a dog that did not get all goofus AFTER the bath. Feel EVER so good, maybe not happy to smell like a pretty flower (watch them try to find a pile to roll in to fix THAT!) but happy about the ordeal being over and done and CLEAN!

If snow (and the road salting that follows) had not loused up Ricks plans, would have seen him undercoating, shampooing the interior and putting on some of the glam and glitter he has in for the Sub Truck...oh well, that be what winter does...weather holds up progress but that's why we all yearn for summer time...out and about doing all what we do. Luv winter but we do find we get chomping at the bit to get on with it already. Patience is a virtue.

Off to play dogs and click pics...

Doggone & Chicken UP!

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

 

[drumstick diva]

Tara, will love to see pics of the expressions on puppers faces, when they get their baths. Maybe Rick can take them while you're hands are busy.

 

[CanuckBock]

Tara, will love to see pics of the expressions on puppers faces, when they get their baths. Maybe Rick can take them while you're hands are busy.

No promises...not sure I will be able to do this request for you DD. Dog bathing is not gonna be the nicest environ on cameras...bathrooms are steamy affairs at the best of times plus I usually do the bathing of dogs sans when Rick is home. The girls adore him and he would be tackled up by soggy doggies the moment I was done with one in the bathroom...if Rick is not home when I dunk dogs...no reason for the girls to romp and roar thru the house spread wet doggy blessings l00kin to share themselves with him! Shall see tho, might be able to pull a miracle off perhaps.

So like ever wonder what makes CROP CIRCLES?

​

Well I can at least solve the mystery of the Great White Northern CIRCLE...

Girl pups racing to the puppy playground before I can get there...those two are never patient and standing but circling them wagons, eh!!!

Hurry up already...the fun has just begun!

​

Yesterday the girls got to play in the crystally sparkly snows that were falling...

The now famous spine bite...​

Lotsa shenanigans...

Bookends joined at the jaws!!​

NO matter how I tell them girl pups to behave and settle down some...

​

One jest cannot settle them down until they RUN absolutely WILD...wildest of things they could be in!!

​

My fears, my reprimands of BEHAVE fall on deaf ears...plus I get this look from both...

​

Ignored or stared at blankly!

​

All is jest fine and dandy...until...until...

BOTH their HEADS fall off​

Now you two have plumb dun it!

Never gonna find both yer heads in the snow AND which head goes on which body...AGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Them girl puppers, eh!

Doggone & Chicken UP!

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