North Carolina

[Matt A NC]

I was outside today gathering eggs when I noticed one of Daisy's chicks under the brooder. The box is 6 inches off the ground on legs. The first 2 weeks chicks have a problem figuring out the ramp if they can get under the box, so I have hardware cloth around the bottom to keep the babies out. Not sure how, but every now and then one will get under there. Normally I can just release the front piece and run the baby out. This time however there was an "issue". The "issue" was a buff orpington mother that was ******. I took the front piece off and was bent over reaching under the back of the box. I almost had the little one out when I looked up to see a ball of yellow RAGE heading for my FACE. I jerked back just in time to escape the flogging, but now I was not able to rescue the baby. Daisy was at the back clucking and pitching a fit. That had the baby at the back too, but under the broody box. There is no way out on that side. I had to slowly negotiate Daisy around to the front, so that she could get the little one out herself. Finally she retreated into the box to find the rest of the family which were standing at the wire side enjoying the show. I could imagine what they were saying, "Look, mama is going to tear the fat guy's face off. Just wait you'll see."

As a result of dodging Daisy my lower back and hip on fire again. I felt it go. I can feel the pressure in the lower back/hip and my right leg is wonky. The pain is not something I can push through easily. I hate when this happens. Normally takes 20 minutes to open the houses and feed everyone in the mornings, but tomorrow it is going to take a good hour. Everything just takes so much time when in pain. One of these days I may actually need to go to a doctor.

Matt

 

[MaryRuthLangdon]

I was outside today gathering eggs when I noticed one of Daisy's chicks under the brooder. The box is 6 inches off the ground on legs. The first 2 weeks chicks have a problem figuring out the ramp if they can get under the box, so I have hardware cloth around the bottom to keep the babies out. Not sure how, but every now and then one will get under there. Normally I can just release the front piece and run the baby out. This time however there was an "issue". The "issue" was a buff orpington mother that was ******. I took the front piece off and was bent over reaching under the back of the box. I almost had the little one out when I looked up to see a ball of yellow RAGE heading for my FACE. I jerked back just in time to escape the flogging, but now I was not able to rescue the baby. Daisy was at the back clucking and pitching a fit. That had the baby at the back too, but under the broody box. There is no way out on that side. I had to slowly negotiate Daisy around to the front, so that she could get the little one out herself. Finally she retreated into the box to find the rest of the family which were standing at the wire side enjoying the show. I could imagine what they were saying, "Look, mama is going to tear the fat guy's face off. Just wait you'll see."

As a result of dodging Daisy my lower back and hip on fire again. I felt it go. I can feel the pressure in the lower back/hip and my right leg is wonky. The pain is not something I can push through easily. I hate when this happens. Normally takes 20 minutes to open the houses and feed everyone in the mornings, but tomorrow it is going to take a good hour. Everything just takes so much time when in pain. One of these days I may actually need to go to a doctor.

Matt

Well your evening sounds pretty eventful....

sorry about your hip/back...

I can sure relate to your back pain. But, you know.. it might be in your best interest to go see that doctor.

 

[Coop Scoop Boogie]

Good morning folks

looks like it might be just a wee bit wet today
hope everyone has a dry spot in their day

hope you get better soon Matt

Hollow.........loved the visit and next time let us help
out some......we would have enjoyed it.....hope
the fox goes hungry

nice garden vfem !!!!!

 

[Hollowoakfarm]

Good morning folks

looks like it might be just a wee bit wet today
hope everyone has a dry spot in their day

hope you get better soon Matt

Hollow.........loved the visit and next time let us help
out some......we would have enjoyed it.....hope
the fox goes hungry

nice garden vfem !!!!!

Good morning everyone! Chores are done, and all is well!

Help out? I appreciate the offer, but hubby gets irritated when I help out, much less anyone else! He thinks nothing is done right unless he does it himself! Silly man.

But, after 30 years of being married to him, I learned that I can just hand over the jobs I don't want to do, so he can do them "right", and we're both happy.

No foxes were fed here last night.

No signs of attempted entry at all. Hubby had told me that putting the birds in the cages was not necessary, but I figured it wasn't going to hurt! I don't think they minded that much, either!

I'm loving the rain, as messy as it makes everything. Hopefully we won't have a drought summer. Good, steady, straight down rain, instead of blowy storms is exactly what we need. But I need to go get a couple more ponchos!

 

[Hollowoakfarm]

I need to cut down on the number of 55 gal drums I have. I'd like to swap one out for a 33 gal galvinized trash can with lid. If anyone is interested in swapping, the drum is lined, and was originally used to ship diced tomatoes. Has a lid with ring-lock. Outsides are somewhat beat up, but insides/liner are sound. I've used them to store feed for years, keeping the mice and bugs out. I put it up on the swap forum too, but figured I'd mention it here. I can take pictures when it quits raining, if anyone wants.

 

[NewHomesteader2010]

Well, I quit running a breeding flock two winters ago, due to my health issues, winter chores, and hubby traveling on business frequently not working well together. Now I just get weanlings in the spring, raise them up, shear the lambswool and send them off to Freezer Camp somewhere or other. One for me, a few colleagues want them, my vet wants one this year, and any extras to the livestock sale. I've only milked them for colostrum, or to tube feed a weak lamb. You're welcome to come watch shearing, or I have friends who run a bigger flock up in Four Oaks who usually have a Farm Day during shearing, if you'd like me to get you info on that.

I did try sheep and goats together, but it was problematic. The amount of copper a goat needs will kill a sheep. The fighting techniques of ram and buck put the buck at risk of broken legs, 'cause as he's rearing up doing his threat-before-hit thing, the ram has already plowed him down. We've only got five acres, so it wasn't feasible for us to keep them seperate and still be able to rotate our small pastures to keep parasites down. I could run all the girls together and give the goats supplements when they were on the milking stand, but I couldn't keep the boys together, nor keep the minerals right. We would have had to feedlot them, and that defeats our purpose of having better food. If I wanted the meat/milk/eggs from penned animals fed commercial feeds, I'd just go buy it!

Some of the older breeds of sheep will do some browsing as well as grazing, but for the most part, goats prefer browsing and sheep prefer grazing. Mine will certainly do some nibbling, especially on the maple trees(!), but they won't clear the fences!

Wow!! That would be great!! We don't have enough land for much livestock, but we're in the process of bidding on the land next to us which would give us a great 10 acre pasture that we could divide up and rotate...but like I said, we're still in the process of bidding on it. The guy who owns it doesn't want it, but his brother uses the land for farming and doesn't want to lose it, but also doesn't want to "purchase" it. Our 4 acres right now just isn't enough for sheep - as half of it is wood.

We are trying to figure out if we could do two one acre lots and rotate them out that way, but I'm not so sure. We'd use the sheep for milk for DD#1 and DH would NOT complain if we processed the lambs/extras as he enjoys lamb. My MIL cards/spins her own wool, so she's anxious to see if she could have the wool from the sheep. I love how everyone has plans for them and we don't even have things set up yet!!

Good wet morning everyone!! You know it's going to be one of THOSE days when you are accosted with two blowouts before 7am!!

Figures it happens when DH is already gone for work...I couldn't even guilt him into cleaning one up!! LOL
I am anxiously waiting the arrival of our chicks to see who will hatch and who will not. I know that we are down to 16 eggs, as our broody cochin has taken 2 eggs and pushed them out of her nest daily for the past 4 days - we thought they slid out from her when she got up to relieve herself...but sadly, I think these are just 2 "bad" eggs. I have NO desire to find out if it's a good or bad egg....LOL Anyone want to come over and use THEIR sniffer?? LOL.
Try to stay dry out there everyone. Don't forget the canoe as it's suppose to be wet all day!! I hear some of you might actually NEED it. LOL. I'm just glad it's raining as it refills our well and waters our garden.

 

[lavmom]

For those of you who have used the fly predators....I just got my package yesterday and released them around the coop. My concern is that we got all the rain yesterday, will it kill/drown them?

 

[jdeoliveira74]

what is everyone using to control the black flies this year... The flys are always bad here but this year it is unbearable..
thanks
Jon

 

[Hollowoakfarm]

For those of you who have used the fly predators....I just got my package yesterday and released them around the coop. My concern is that we got all the rain yesterday, will it kill/drown them?

I've not had to deal with putting them out in wet weather. If I did, I'd likely limit to putting them under the barn, as I'd be wondering about that, too. I hated having to release the baby mantises yesterday in all the rain.

 

[ramirezframing]

Beth the smallest of Toms babies as tall as mama but not as heavy yet.