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

[CanuckBock]

Enjoying winter again, the seasons sweep in.

Got our -37C or there abouts. Feb 24th

May be cold but the sun makes it cheery.

Put up the brass sconces...put an oak plaque behind the two. Looks nice.

Took time out to add more crystals to the chandelier...still got a few more to add, but the smoke bell is on as is the prism leveller ring.

Light in the hall has smoke bell and prism ring now too.

Jan 31, tried out some paper white bulbs and an amaryllis. Not done this before.

Paper whites started blooming Feb 22...the amaryllis is about to bust out next.

Got frames of wood, painted white put round two of my stain glass pieces...made them 30 years ago. Running horse is my 1st piece.

Screaming "chicken" I did to use up some scrap glass.

They look good.

Done a bit of knitting too. CSM a pair of socks on Feb 13.

And had the toe grafted so my spouse could wear them for Valentines.

Now I am doing a pair of socks with thrums on the circular sock machine...see how that goes.

Using an unwashed fleece from Jacob Lego from 2005 that I sheared.

I have the hem and heel not thrumed and will not thrum the toe either...do the leg and foot.

Got a bunch of new floppies (air brake pods) for the Girls...

Not so easy to lose something like the flop in the white snow.

That be that for now.

 

[CanuckBock]

Heel Low:

Gone to BC and brought back four ewe lambs and one ram lamb from the O'Keefe Historic Ranch in Vernon; end of September.

It was our practise run to the States...gone under twenty four hours, so still just a day trip away but what a day, eh! The handforged horseshoe in the bottom of the photo below, was from the ranch. I used it for a sign for the ram's quarters.

Gone to Washington (Dec 3/4; up at 3 a.m. Sunday, back home at 8 p.m. Monday) and brought back three rams (2 lambs, 1 yearling) from Hall Creek Jacobs...mega (MEGA!!) paperwork started in the spring of 2023 and musta done it all quite well as we got the sheep up here; over the border and home.

Here's the signs made.

Shamrock green too. LOL

Likely paint the barn the usual colour scheme here, Navajo red with white trim, has the green metal roof.

Asked Rick this spring...so we have all these buildings, the facilities and know how on how to keep birds (have hens 9 years old that are producing younguns) so with all the empty buildings, told Rick, "Yer turn to choose...what kinda poultry you want?"

Rick wanted the BIG BIRDS...the standard large fowl Brahmas. So I got on that and we now have forty standard Brahmas on the grow....so much promise in them. It takes about three years for a Brahma to be full sized.

The hip roof barn contains the Blue Partridge Brahmas and the one end pen the red Chantecler Bantams (for now, likely put either the Lemons or the Buff Brahmas in there in the spring for breeding).

Lemon, Splash, Blue Partridge, Partridge, Buff and Buff Blue Columbian.

Above is a Murray Mitchell's line of Buff standard. A cockerel we call "43" and below are him and two Blue Buff Columbian pullets; they'll make a great trio for breeding in 2025.

Lemon Brahma pullets...

Interesting recipe for them.

Splash standard Brahmas.

I wanted Sweetgrass turkeys again, so I picked up eight hatching eggs and because our granddaughter was coming to visit for the 1st time, made another trip to get four poults as the eggs would not hatch in time for her to see turkey poults.

So for the very 1st time...this is the year we will have hatching eggs for sale. We will be offering Sweetgrass turkeys & every Muscovy colour pattern here in Canada.

Should be fun. Next year, the Brahmas will be of the right ages and we can then offer eggs & chicks from them.

Granddaughter training Brahmas to "jump for a straw!"

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada
--
____(\ Tara Lee Higgins /)____
(_____~> Rat Ranch - An ACD is for LIFE <~_____)
( `` `` ranchrat at telusplanet.net `` `` )
\ Alberta Canada /
) http://www.telusplanet.net/public/ranchrat/index.html (

 

[BantyChooks]

Good to see you around, Tara. There aren't many chantecler folk on BYC and even fewer with your knowledge.

 

[CanuckBock]

Good to see you around, Tara. There aren't many chantecler folk on BYC and even fewer with your knowledge.

Ah thanks...happy to see you as well. Not alot of the original gang still on here & changes are expected.

There never has been alot of the Chant persons...enough I suppose to keep the breed going which in itself is good. Never been much about what was popular & more about what makes me happy.

I am pretty excited (like always) to see what the Chanteclers produce this year.

Got some nice whites,

Some funky ones (basically working towards a Blue Laced Red simply because I can) as I am playing with blue dilution...

and some mahogany reds which are heading towards the partridge pattern. eb Brown based, you can see the slate grey down peaking out.

Since the Chant is a composite breed, I enjoy seeing the various breeds being expressed...seeing the Cornish, seeing the Leghorn--both extremes in form.

It is the expression inbetween all the breeds that I prefer. What makes a Chantecler what it is.

The standard Brahmas are sharing time with my attentions, never mind the Sweetgrass, Muscovies, and the baaaad Jacobs.

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada
--
____(\ Tara Lee Higgins /)____
(_____~> Rat Ranch - An ACD is for LIFE <~_____)
( `` `` ranchrat at telusplanet.net `` `` )
\ Alberta Canada /
) http://www.telusplanet.net/public/ranchrat/index.html (

 

[CanuckBock]

Heel low:

About now one gets the urge to garden...a ridiculous thought because it is down right WHITE season...but none the less...

If I started seeds now, be too far along to plant for beginning of June so taken to starting bulbs.

These are from last year, March 2nd.

This year, grabbed a few different coloured hyacinth bulbs.

Began setting them out with a few weeks between so we can expect a nice lengthy flowering period. See how that works out.

Last year was pretty kewl...doesn't even look real.

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada
--
____(\ Tara Lee Higgins /)____
(_____~> Rat Ranch - An ACD is for LIFE <~_____)
( `` `` ranchrat at telusplanet.net `` `` )
\ Alberta Canada /
) http://www.telusplanet.net/public/ranchrat/index.html (

 

[CanuckBock]

Heel low:

Entered the 2024 Valentine's photo contest with four entries. :-D


Higgins Rat Ranch Standard Partridge Chantecler.

Higgins Rat Ranch Standard Blue Lace Red Wyandottes.

Higgins Rat Ranch Standard Partridge Brahma pair; eating apple slices in the Great White North.

Higgins Rat Ranch Standard Brahmas; Left is Partridge & Right is Blue Partridge.

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada
--
____(\ Tara Lee Higgins /)____
(_____~> Rat Ranch - An ACD is for LIFE <~_____)
( `` `` ranchrat at telusplanet.net `` `` )
\ Alberta Canada /
) http://www.telusplanet.net/public/ranchrat/index.html (

 

[CanuckBock]

Heel low:

Entered the Winter Contest Series—Winter on the Farm Photo Contest. :-D

Higgins Rat Ranch Standard Splash Brahmas.

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada
--
____(\ Tara Lee Higgins /)____
(_____~> Rat Ranch - An ACD is for LIFE <~_____)
( `` `` ranchrat at telusplanet.net `` `` )
\ Alberta Canada /
) http://www.telusplanet.net/public/ranchrat/index.html (

 

[CanuckBock]

Heel low:

Set one batch of homegrowns in Buster the bator...now he's off and we are enjoying the babies.

Brahma standards in Buff and Blue Buff (sired by Murray Mitchell's "43") and Chanteclers in white, blue dilution, partridge and red.

Brahma standards in splash and Booted Bantams in MdF and White and d'Uccles in MdF.

Hired a livestock hauler to bring hatching eggs to Alberta from Ontario. Parents of the Dark Brahma female that took Best in Asiatic in Ontario beginning of June produced these three.

And have 26 standard Brahma Lights and four Blacks (for the Splash Brahmas) hatched out from Northern Alberta.

So now we have Buff, Blue Buff, Splash Buff (Lemon), Black, Splash, Light, Dark, Partridge and Blue Partridge in standard Brahmas.

Was rainy for a while so cranked out a few pairs of socks.

Pairs for Rick...

And got 1/2 a pair for me (one sock!)...

Might crank the mate to it if I get time...suppose to be hotter on Wednesday (32C).

Enjoying the summer...vehicle swap yesterday and found a nice set of wire headlight covers for the '80 Sub.

Planting flowers and getting to put them outside...finally.

Egg sales are doing well...did up two signs so we can change them to say SOLD OUT when we run out. Girls have been giving us large eggs since Feb 1st and should be time soon for them to quit and moult.

Lots of belly baths for the next week or so...Girls too are shedding but not quick enough!

Strawberries finally for Emmy and Lacy...next is the Saskatoons which are loaded.

Been having alot of fun in the shop with projects...

Even doing up some bowling ball and bowling pin chooks.

Look good...next Rick will weld them up some chicken feets!!

Got the four post lift out and getting it ready for use.

Be nice to have two of these and two of the '28's on the road...race to town for ice creams!

Taters are in and expect to get a nice crop with the heat showing up.

Doggone & Chicken UP!

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

 

[CanuckBock]

Heel low:

Brought five totes of poultry rations home (heavy ton a piece) and got them put by today in the ten bins.

Mill uses my recipe and now calls it #10 ration. Works out to 17% protein and I am very pleased with how all the birds do on it.

Hot dry day so good time to be doing this.

Each of the bins holds 1,100 pounds.

Rodent proof and weather resistant.

Satisfying to be all topped up again.

Makes doing chores alot simpler.

Doggone & Chicken UP!

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

 

[CanuckBock]

Heel low:

Twice a year now, we go for feed. Healthy Herds has stolen my recipe I submitted and called it "poultry ration #10." So good enough, at least I know they won't lose it! Time again to top up the fud.

The BIG Brahmas, had 100 grow outs last year...certainly know how to chow down the rations.

This lovely boy we call "Gentle John" weighs 12 pounds and will likely grow a bit more coming up his third year.

May 29, 2025 - Girls under the flowering Dolgo. Been a great year for flowers.

Cleared out the inside of the Hip Roof barn...got the Partridge and Blue Partridge standard Brahmas on the one side, trio of Dark Brahmas and two half Dark/half Black females on the other.

Haven't fired up the incubators yet...purchased three cabinets (two incubators; one like Buster but lacks the high velocity fan and one full on designated hatcher). So with Buster, I guessed it was time to upgrade my Hatching House and do a rewire since I have four units.

Since I was hauling things out for the setup up of the four cabinets, may as well put a nice coat of blue paint on the inside.

Not even sure why I need to fire up a bator, the birds themselves seem to have it covered.

Nat hatch of Sebastopol goslings.

Splash Brahma setty hen has six.

And seven Sweetgrass Turkey poults.

Got an old candler with the three cabinets, so one to add to my orange one. LOL

Got way better hand held LED lighter ones, but fun to have examples from the past I guess.

Lots of nice green growth for the birds to be out and about snacking on. '43' and his Buff and Blue Buff gals are enjoying life. '43' is the lone hatcher from Murray Mitchell's standard line of BIG Buff Brahmas. So fortunate to have him. Looking forward to hatching the F2 generation this year.

Jacob ewes were bred in January...expecting lambo's for June.

Lule does not look very preggers, so she has until August 20 before I say, she never took. LOL

Wild park sheep breed that they be, they have all been out and about on the pastures slurping up the delicious growth.

Still a bit spoilt and expect a snack to be in the feeder when they return to their barns. LOL

Nice view from the shoe.

Wild clemantis has taken right off...nice we fenced half the place off so that native plants can propser.

Next clear out will be the Duece Coop runs. Put the used bedding in for composting...be even more greens for the creatures to snack upon.

Girls figured I need inspections of the items that seem to accumulate always in a building when not being used for hatching...but as with all things, these need to go to the next storage building...get far FAR to dandery if left in the Hatching House.

Second fish & plant pond up and running yesterday. Be soon time to add the pond fish and plants. Not overly hot yet, but not -1C like some years this time of the season.

More fencing panels. Never ending, this thing they call fencing.

The Boys are finding lots of places to relax in the shade. About seven months old now, Ginger & Baker have slid right in to propery ownership. For white Pyrenes, they can stay clean pretty much...a coat type were dirt and mud slides right off.

Playing floppy with the Girls.

We enjoy them immensely but they are certainly different than Emily & Lacy...not stock dog mentality, livestock guardians are so different.

Too many flowering trees to have the Girls clicked pics by.

All these trees and shrubs I planted are putting on a great colourful display.

White, pink, yeller...

Purple and the white lilac hedge rowas are next!

Poplar tree fluff reminds me of snow on the grass...

Took one of the three suburbans out and about to an S&S...the jacked '88 has nicely tinted windows for the Girls and us.

Done up four critter scarves on the circular sock machine...

Spun Jacob in the grease and plyed it.

Put it on a skein winder and then hand washed the yarn in Dawn (nfi).

Now gonna change my cylinder on the CSM to a 54 slot and combine the Jacob yarn with some lovley green Alpaca I bought from a friend's store front.

Thinking a nice scarf but one never knows what it may be when you sit down at the CSM.

Happy to add this sign below to the one above to summarize the golden years we have here, here in Pear-A-Dice!!

Ever grateful.

Doggone & Chicken UP!

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