She's IS home!!! new pics added!!

[Chelly]

I'm so tired today - and I didnt' sleep well which doesn't help!

Thanks for all your sweet replies!

Jean, I dont' think Rosie has ever met with an electric fence, and I'm a little wary of them myself not knowing anything about them. my husband was talking a while ago about putting electric fencing around the perimeter of the property - not sure if he's still thinking about that (probably not)

Rosie is very nervous this morning, I took her out for a while, gave her some senior feed - which she loves! she hasn't had much water - I'm keeping an eye on all that, her little butt seems a bit skinny! She ate her food, about 20 feet from the chickens and didn't seem to be bothered by them at all. The chickens on the other hand were all about 4 inches taller than normal - necks sticking straight up BIG EYES.... thankfully they were very quiet, which is probably why Rosie didn't care less.....
(now if they caught a grasshopper - all hell would have broken lose!)

 

[bantymum]

I would probably try to erect a fence, however if she gets startled she would go through anything?
What about hobbles? i have seen them used here for fence free feeding!

 

[Chelly]

She's not a BIG girl - but strong, I dont' think hobbles would work she might freak out about that.

I'm SO disapointed, my computer has stopped reading my card from my camera, I got some really nice pics today - Rosie grazing RIGHT next to the chickens in their tractor. It was so sweet, she wasn't bothered AT ALL - she surprised me!

I also took some group pic's with the kids and my husband and rosie, and then I switches spots with my husband - and Rosie was practically GRINNING from ear to ear!
She was so dang happy and relaxed posing for pics with her family - it was so perfect!

 

[Rafter 7 Paint Horses]

I have another suggestion that might work for you to let her graze without being on a rope, but you would have to be outside where you could watch her.

Drive T-posts and wire PVC pipe to them. Do this as a 2 rail fence. This will also be portable (with a little work), and not too expensive. I wouldn't leave her without being close enough to watch her.

I have a friend who did this for a round pen to work his horse. Worked great.

She will settle down when she gets a place where she can run off all that extra energy.

Does she have a salt block or a trace mineral block? You might have to give her some electrolytes if she does go back to her normal amount of water soon.

Jean

 

[Standard Hen]

Whenever they do a long haul like that they always lose some weight. Nice rig and I am sure she was more than comfortable with the air ride. You have a beautiful piece of property there and you will need to set up some fencing. In the meantime do not shy away from electric just to get her out. They adapt to it very quickly and it sure will be alot cheaper until you get your regular fencing up which is whatever you are going to choose which I assume post and board? I have that plus an electric wire behind it for when a new horse comes in the know their boundaries. Believe me they adapt to it just fine. I would not do hobbles for the simple fact that is a horse has never had them you are asking for trouble seeing as she is a little upset at the new move to begin with.
I agree with jean too that I would throw some electrolytes in her water for the time being and get a salt block. I see horses get off of trucks that have com back and forth across the country and sometimes they can lose up to 200 lbs real quick. It happens and is actual almost normal!
Just remember she WILL adjust!!!
And I also wish you got luck with your currne thealth issue.

 

[Chelly]

Thank you guys - she drank almost a full 5 gallons yesterday - I had a full bucket and she drank it down to about 2 inches when I changed it.

I have electolite paste in a tube - I've not given her any yet, but she did have one tube before the trip.

My camera is working!! well the card and computer are finally talking to each other!
Look at my hubby with Rosie's second intro to the chickens!

Peeping through the dinning room window - my daughter was inside calling Rosie

Getting cuddled

Family pic

 

[Standard Hen]

Ohhhhhhhh, really cute!!!! I have a question,,,what is that big tower in the background of the pictures??? Is is electric power lines or cell phone tower?
Rosie will settle in in short order. Don't worry.

 

[Chelly]

Its a nasty cell phone tower. Went up in July - right before we moved here - its just off our property.

Rosie is doing very well - My hubby and I managed to put up some fencing, a bit "home made" looking - but it works and she is mowing the lawn outside as we speak!

We also put the chicks in their coop - we're all done with them on the patio - we have to figure out a run for them, but as a temporary measure, we're going to hook up the little tractor we built - to their little door so they have at least that much space.

We're EXHAUSTED!

 

[Standard Hen]

Yup,,,tireing hard work it is. But now Rosie can see the sky and smell the wind and get a real feel of her new home. And it certainly is not Southern California!
How about your kids, are they settling in their new school ok? That is a big one too! Big move and lots of work in more ways than one. And just when you are getting settled in it is time to get ready for winter! I think Nebraska can be pretty nasty if I remember correctly or maybe just some parts of the state?

 

[thndrdancr]

Nope, all parts of the state, but Chelly is out west so may really get it.
Chelly, u were lucky you werent here last year, not sure you heard bout it, but we got a horrid storm that knocked out electricity out west for WEEKS! Ask the locals and find out how long they were out. Western Kansas, Nebraska, the foothills of Colorado, all had tremendous probs becuz of it, and it even knocked down and snapped many of the power POLES!

The problem was not the amount of snowfall, it was the wind. Drifts were over 19 ft in the country in some places, so try to be prepared. That doesnt happen very often, but once in a while. The families were ok, but they were really having to juggle and struggle with their livestock, without the power. So try to have a generator or backup plan in case of somethin like that, since you ARE in the boonies there.
Like Justusnak said, she has a rope between her house, coop, shed, etc. I think thats a good idea, even if never needed. I know they did it in the old days.

Jill