Well Sunday I started on my new coop for my 6 new babies that I picked up at TSC. Next weekend I should have all the walls up and painted, the next weekend it should have the siding on. The chicks will be 6 weeks old and ready to go outside in 3 more weeks!
Look what I found this morning around 5am while I was feeding everyone....
He is a little colt and was born 17 days early. Other than being a little small, he looks to be doing great. He was feeding had pooped and laid down to rest all before I left for work this morning. Mom is also doing great. We were hoping for another paint but healthy is good to!!!
Chris
Needless to say, I wasted 18 eggs but still was able to fill the 32 dozen egg order. I could have slapped myself. 
I was sooooooooooooo mad. But I gathered my thoughts and came up with another plan.
With a high and loud voice, I rejoice in the chicken yard in my PJs and Steal Toe Rubber Boots. I do a victory dance to the tune of Rocky. I GOT HIM - I GOT HIM !!!!!!!!!! 
e I quickly run inside to get my gloves, a trash bag, the high powered pellet gun (because I wanted him to feel what I had been feeling for a week) and the most important thing (the camera). I have to document this so that I can tell the world of my catch. Because of the way the glue trap was nailed, the rat was stuck face down. He was trying to pull himself off of it and he was doing a good job. Gravity was working on his behalf because his weight was helping him come off of the glue board. I knew that I had to move fast. So, I run back from the house with my survival kit and he is still hanging on. I quickly take some pics to record my "Catch Of The Day". As I'm taking pics, I notice that he is (believe it or not) becoming UNGLUED from the glue trap. So I quickly think of my weapon's instructor (LA Mike) and reach for the high powered pellet gun, aim and shoot. I took him out in 1 shot to the left side of his back area. He made his one last move, took his last breath and went to meet his Maker. I was sad that the little guy was gone but at the same time, was happy that I finally caught him. As I was preparing to remove the body, he fell from the glue trap. I guess that the weight of his body was so heavy, the glue couldn't hold him anymore. So, I collected the body put it in the burn bin and cremated him. It's always sad to see a dead varmint but it was either him or my animals and we all know that dog don't hunt when it comes to my animals. 
The things I do for my animals. :/
Good morning everyone. A lot of chatter going on since I logged on last. I'm a slacker. I better keep up before you all leave me far behind.
Sounds like everyone is rocking and rolling with building and hatching and enjoying all of the new babies. Isn't it so exciting. Keep it up ya'll!
Not too much going on with me but I will share a few stories with everyone.
After getting in from doing all of the chicken yard chores on last night, I start packing eggs for this local organization that ordered 32 dozen eggs for an upcoming event they are having. Well as I am getting down to the last 3 dozen eggs, I turn to put the eggs on the counter and this happens....................Needless to say, I wasted 18 eggs but still was able to fill the 32 dozen egg order. I could have slapped myself.
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Now on to the next story........for those of you who have a weak stomach and have a soft heart for varmints (mice and rats), you may want to skip this part. This IS GRAPHIC.
My story is that I have been bullied, tormented and teased to no end from this little pesky rat. He comes to visit one of my breeding pens every evening about 7:00 PM. He leaves me harassing messages (rat droppings) every night. I am always there waiting for him to see what his next move is. When I see him and he sees me, he gives me a look that says, "You'll NEVER catch me, you LOSER" and I give him a look back and I tell him, "Yes, I will. You just wait and see you DOUBLE LOSER". So we go back and forth and back and forth. When I get closer to him he runs. He travels the same route every evening and I memorized his route. So, the determination in me, thinks and devises a plan. I go to the local Dollar Store and purchase a couple mouse traps and a "mouse" hotel. I strategically place these traps exactly where he has his GPS route saved in his head. Every night I check the traps but the only thing I'm catching is insects and bugs. So one night, I walk out to close the chicken coops and one of my feral Calico cats is by the enclosed pen just sitting there, which is NOT normal for her. I look at her and ask her what's wrong. She is trying to tell me something so I approach the pen and open the door. Well, lo and behold, "something" has gotten caught on the glue trap. I hear it making squealing noises. Well, I jump for joy and excitement because I have finally trapped the varmint. Well, as I get closer, I notice that the pesky varmint (not the BIG BULLY that usually torments me but it's baby cousin) had wedged itself in a tiny hole that leads outside and is trying to wiggle it's way from the glue trap. Well FORTUNATELY for the mouse, it's body placement in the opening was working in it's defense. I run inside to get some gloves to catch the thing. Well, when I return, the cat looks at me to give me a look that says, "You're too late. It's gone." I rush in the pen and just like that IT'S GONE !!!!!!!!!!!!!I was sooooooooooooo mad. But I gathered my thoughts and came up with another plan.
So now, I know that I have to nail the glue traps down. So, I purchase LARGER glue traps and I nail these suckers down (looks like a jigsaw puzzle on the walls) and I follow this varmints route. Well for days, I check the traps and nothing. Nothing but more harassing messages (rat droppings) letting me know he was there. Well, last night about 10:30 PM, I went out to the chicken yard because I had to fill the sheep water buckets up with water and the same feral Calico cat was in her same spot, telling me that something was going on. Well, I look into one of the stalls and I see the Bully walking. He sees me and he stops dead in his tracks. I run to the other stall to see if he is trying to escape. He is as stiff as a board - no movement. I open the stall and motion to him so that he will run towards his route and fall for the trap. Well, as I run to the next stall, I hear a LOUD squeal. I open the door and BAM !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HE IS STUCK ON THE GLUE TRAP !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!With a high and loud voice, I rejoice in the chicken yard in my PJs and Steal Toe Rubber Boots. I do a victory dance to the tune of Rocky. I GOT HIM - I GOT HIM !!!!!!!!!!
I quickly run inside to get my gloves, a trash bag, the high powered pellet gun (because I wanted him to feel what I had been feeling for a week) and the most important thing (the camera). I have to document this so that I can tell the world of my catch. Because of the way the glue trap was nailed, the rat was stuck face down. He was trying to pull himself off of it and he was doing a good job. Gravity was working on his behalf because his weight was helping him come off of the glue board. I knew that I had to move fast. So, I run back from the house with my survival kit and he is still hanging on. I quickly take some pics to record my "Catch Of The Day". As I'm taking pics, I notice that he is (believe it or not) becoming UNGLUED from the glue trap. So I quickly think of my weapon's instructor (LA Mike) and reach for the high powered pellet gun, aim and shoot. I took him out in 1 shot to the left side of his back area. He made his one last move, took his last breath and went to meet his Maker. I was sad that the little guy was gone but at the same time, was happy that I finally caught him. As I was preparing to remove the body, he fell from the glue trap. I guess that the weight of his body was so heavy, the glue couldn't hold him anymore. So, I collected the body put it in the burn bin and cremated him. It's always sad to see a dead varmint but it was either him or my animals and we all know that dog don't hunt when it comes to my animals.
So without further a due, here are some pics of my wild hunt night last night. VERY GRAPHIC. Sorry for the poor quality but I was using a flashlight to see.
R.I.P Mr. Rat
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On a lighter note......Well, I mentioned to everyone on last week about one of my turkey hens laying eggs in the neighbor's yard, well this is what happened and what is happening. After moving the eggs along with her and putting her in the feed storage building, she was ready to leave the area that we prepared for her and go back across the street to my neighbor's house and set in the spot that SHE wanted to set in. So, I gave her her way and let her do what she wanted to do. So before we let her out, we grabbed the eggs and put them back over at the neighbor's house. We let her out of the feed storage building and she runs back over to the neighbor's yard. She looks at her eggs and settles in. So now, It's time to come up with SOMETHING that will work in that she will be safe in the area that she is in (day and night), predators won't find her and kill her and she can have a successful hatch. This is pretty much the last resort because she has stood her ground and made it clear that is what she wanted to do. So in order for me to give her a chance to hatch her own eggs (because I am a LOSER when it comes to hatching eggs), I have to "BUILD" something for her. Well, this is where the tricky part comes in. What can we build within 1 hour that will be safe for her and still keep her out of the rain, keep her cool and allow me to place food and water inside and allow her access as far as leaving out to stretch her legs or whatever. So, I call my neighbor (family friend for about 40 years and also an animal lover) and I tell her the story. All she could do is laugh. So, now it's building time. So my neighbor (who is a former "hoarder") has lots of things that can be used for this project. Soooooooooo, my neighbor had an old dryer that she gutted and had the empty shell laying around. So the back was taken off and shelves from a refrigerator were put on the back area for the vent. The door was removed for fear that it would close and she would not be able to get out. This empty dryer shell was placed directly over her. So, now we have to tie it down and brace it. 2 stakes were placed on each side and wire placed around it. The last thing that I needed to do was to camouflage it so that no one would notice that big ole' white dryer and think it was trash and remove it from my neighbor's property or even better notice a turkey setting on eggs and still my turkey AND her eggs. So, I went into the wooded area of my property and got branches and limbs and placed it over the area that she was in. She didn't move an inch while all of this was going on. So, found water and feed containers and filled them up and put them inside with her. So, the next thing was to find something to cover the door area at night so that varmints or dogs would not go in and kill her. So, I put a small flat shipping crate over the door area and placed a cement pillar in front so that nothing could move the crate. So, needless to say, I'm leasing (her usual weekly free eggs) a 3x5 area on my neighbor's property for 21 more days. I'm on pins and needles that everything will be ok. I walk over to her area every morning and remove the make-shift door and make sure her food and water is ok. After work, I visit her again and right before bed, I go over and close her up. I have been doing this every day and will continue to do this until she hatches her clutch.The things I do for my animals.
Below are pics of my girl in her new home. BEWARE: It ain't pretty but it has been working since last week. It is now fully covered with branches, sticks, leaves, etc. You can't even tell anything is there.
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And my last story and I had to take pics of this. I have 3 broody turkeys and 1 broody duck setting on turkey and goose eggs. I let them work out their shifts.
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And on a sad note, I will be taking one of my rams to the slaughter house in the next week or so. This is my handsome ram and I hate to bring him to be processed but at the same time, I cannot sell him or give him to anyone. He is becoming aggressive, in that he his charging and head butting me from behind. His father and grandfather did the same thing, so it's in his blood to be this way. The other baby ram will be the same way because the baby is his son. So as soon as he his old enough, I will have to process him too. After that, I will be bringing in a new ram with a different bloodline and hope that the temperament is not the same as these 2 fellas. That day will be a sad day.
Here is a pic of my 2 boys that will be processed.
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That's all for me folks.
Have a great day !!!!!!!
