Kristen’s Chickens and Farming Ventures

[Kris5902]

It was a rough night, I was up until 2 am listening for any signs of problems, and Mr Eyebrows kept making that Squeak noise. He made it through the night and is doing fine this morning, Crowing as usual. I took the offending Barnvelder out of the barn, he is crated in the cockerel pen in the “bad rooster box” I might try to put him back in to roost after dark tonight... I’ll talk it over with Andrew when he gets back tonight.

I had my mother up for breakfast, unusual, but last night I heard some mooing and wanted to check the cows early in the morning. Good thing, because we have two new calves. I needed to lead one and it’s mama Rowena into the same section as the other one. It was still two hours of walking, looking for cows even with the ride out to the end of the property.

I then “repaired” a fence in that area with some sticks and rocks... I basically picked it up, cursed whoever didn’t bother to actually sink the post more than 4” into the sandy ground, and propped it up with some sticks... it works, the cows don’t actually pressure the fences, but will happily step over them if they are down.

Much of the fencing here is mostly a suggestion in some places. Yes, a 4 year old could topple the fence line between my trailer and the area most of the cows are in now... but it will stop a couple thousand pounds of bull, as long as no one is in heat on the other side, and then he’s more likely to try to jump it or climb it than go through it.

So it’s on to afternoon chicken chores, dishes, and maybe making a nest box or four... today was a better day.

 

[Ribh]

It was a rough night, I was up until 2 am listening for any signs of problems, and Mr Eyebrows kept making that Squeak noise. He made it through the night and is doing fine this morning, Crowing as usual. I took the offending Barnvelder out of the barn, he is crated in the cockerel pen in the “bad rooster box” I might try to put him back in to roost after dark tonight... I’ll talk it over with Andrew when he gets back tonight.

I had my mother up for breakfast, unusual, but last night I heard some mooing and wanted to check the cows early in the morning. Good thing, because we have two new calves. I needed to lead one and it’s mama Rowena into the same section as the other one. It was still two hours of walking, looking for cows even with the ride out to the end of the property.

View attachment 1764434

I then “repaired” a fence in that area with some sticks and rocks... I basically picked it up, cursed whoever didn’t bother to actually sink the post more than 4” into the sandy ground, and propped it up with some sticks... it works, the cows don’t actually pressure the fences, but will happily step over them if they are down.

Much of the fencing here is mostly a suggestion in some places. Yes, a 4 year old could topple the fence line between my trailer and the area most of the cows are in now... but it will stop a couple thousand pounds of bull, as long as no one is in heat on the other side, and then he’s more likely to try to jump it or climb it than go through it.

So it’s on to afternoon chicken chores, dishes, and maybe making a nest box or four... today was a better day.

That is a gorgeous calf! And so it goes.It's a good thing. Helps counter~balance the bad. Hope the rooster roosting goes well.

 

[Kris5902]

That is a gorgeous calf! And so it goes.It's a good thing. Helps counter~balance the bad. Hope the rooster roosting goes well.

Thanks! The black one is even cuter, with very heavy red undertones. I think Gus might be his Daddy after all, they were already bred when they came here last year, so it’s hard to know... just waiting on one or two more then they will all be done. I’m not sure Brownie is Bred, but we are hoping for just one fall calf this year. See the fence comment about a cow in heat? No way am I trying to stop a bull who is barely separated by some thin rusty paigewire from his lady friend! I have some sense of self preservation

 

[WhoDatChick]

Oh my!! Baby cows are the sweetest and cutest things !!!!
The people that live behind us always have calves.. her in laws have beef cattle and for whatever reason they bring babies home to nurse and raise.. they have three right now.. we always go back there and let them suck our fingers .. they are so cute but not as cute as yours ...
They had one that they had for a couple of years back there alone .. well my middle son would go back there and sit in the pen with it and play his guitar and the cow would come up and press her nose to my sons forehead and just listen to him play... isn’t that amazing!? We should have filmed that!!

 

[Kris5902]

Oh my!! Baby cows are the sweetest and cutest things !!!!
The people that live behind us always have calves.. her in laws have beef cattle and for whatever reason they bring babies home to nurse and raise.. they have three right now.. we always go back there and let them suck our fingers .. they are so cute but not as cute as yours ...
They had one that they had for a couple of years back there alone .. well my middle son would go back there and sit in the pen with it and play his guitar and the cow would come up and press her nose to my sons forehead and just listen to him play... isn’t that amazing!? We should have filmed that!!

That is so sweet! Cow hugs and kisses are the best. I’m sure she really appreciated both the company and music, they are very social animals with quite complex relationship abilities. Mine will occasionally lick people they like, and have a distinctive “I don’t like you” pose for some people and most dogs... I’m positive both your son and the cow benefited from the experience.

 

[WhoDatChick]

That is so sweet! Cow hugs and kisses are the best. I’m sure she really appreciated both the company and music, they are very social animals with quite complex relationship abilities. Mine will occasionally lick people they like, and have a distinctive “I don’t like you” pose for some people and most dogs... I’m positive both your son and the cow benefited from the experience.

I know.. I was always so sad she was alone

 

[BY Bob]

It’s a sad night, I’m hoping I only lose the one boy, but of all 4 cockerels I have left in the cockerel pen it had to be ‘Lil Peeps. He was the Top Rooster in the cockerel pen, and no one ever picked fights with him, so what happened tonight was completely unexpected.

There was a big scuffle as I went out to put them up tonight and one of the younger smaller Barnvelder boys, the slate blue ones, was harassing Mr Eyebrows, and then when I picked him up he went straight after ‘Lil Peeps. I crated the jerk and checked out Mr Eyebrows thoroughly, he was gasping and making a “squeak” squawk. I got him in to roost. He was ok when I last checked 1/2hr ago.

‘Lil Peeps was hiding in the corner, and by now it’s starting to get full dark, I gently took him out and put him in the roosting box, he seemed fine, just a little quiet, but it was fairly dark. He didn’t get up on the bar right away but I figured I’d give him a little time. My mother was helping me with a flashlight now, as the scuffle was enough to draw her over from her cigarette, and I was muttering about needing extra hands and maybe a drill (I thought I might need to open a side panel to check on Mr Eyebrows.

I moved on to my meat chicks and was just replacing the water when she frantically called me over “OMG, he’s in the corner and I think he’s not breathing” I rushed over and picked him up. His neck seemed broken, he died in my arms on the way to the cone, I think it was better that way, as I’m sure culling him would have been very hard for me.

He was my First egg to hatch... 3 days early. He was my very first chicken, he was sociable and Respectful of me and others. He was the Top Rooster in the pen, without being a bully. He was big, beautiful, well mannered, and I had planned to breed him to my Barnvelder girls and my Red Ranger hens. Here is a video of him being cool, at pen moving time, “not falling off” the weight buckets. And some pictures of him. I’m going to miss him.

View attachment 1763987 View attachment 1763988 View attachment 1763989 View attachment 1763990 View attachment 1763991

He was a beautiful boy. I'm so sorry this happened. I wish I could say something smarter to make it better. Sending hugs.

 

[BY Bob]

Oh my!! Baby cows are the sweetest and cutest things !!!!
The people that live behind us always have calves.. her in laws have beef cattle and for whatever reason they bring babies home to nurse and raise.. they have three right now.. we always go back there and let them suck our fingers .. they are so cute but not as cute as yours ...
They had one that they had for a couple of years back there alone .. well my middle son would go back there and sit in the pen with it and play his guitar and the cow would come up and press her nose to my sons forehead and just listen to him play... isn’t that amazing!? We should have filmed that!!

Definately should have filmed that. It would have been cool to see.

 

[BY Bob]

It was a rough night, I was up until 2 am listening for any signs of problems, and Mr Eyebrows kept making that Squeak noise. He made it through the night and is doing fine this morning, Crowing as usual. I took the offending Barnvelder out of the barn, he is crated in the cockerel pen in the “bad rooster box” I might try to put him back in to roost after dark tonight... I’ll talk it over with Andrew when he gets back tonight.

I had my mother up for breakfast, unusual, but last night I heard some mooing and wanted to check the cows early in the morning. Good thing, because we have two new calves. I needed to lead one and it’s mama Rowena into the same section as the other one. It was still two hours of walking, looking for cows even with the ride out to the end of the property.

View attachment 1764434

I then “repaired” a fence in that area with some sticks and rocks... I basically picked it up, cursed whoever didn’t bother to actually sink the post more than 4” into the sandy ground, and propped it up with some sticks... it works, the cows don’t actually pressure the fences, but will happily step over them if they are down.

Much of the fencing here is mostly a suggestion in some places. Yes, a 4 year old could topple the fence line between my trailer and the area most of the cows are in now... but it will stop a couple thousand pounds of bull, as long as no one is in heat on the other side, and then he’s more likely to try to jump it or climb it than go through it.

So it’s on to afternoon chicken chores, dishes, and maybe making a nest box or four... today was a better day.

I'm glad today was better. Life has a way of continuing on.

 

[drumstick diva]

Hope Mr.Eyebrows continues to do well.