The Front Porch Swing

[heartsizedfarm]

Woot, what a day! I finally put the EE and Wyandotte pullets, ducklings and guineas into the bigger coop. I had to chase some of them down (those guineas sure do hate me) and clip a couple wings, but once that was done, they were pretty happy to explore the new space they had.

It even looks like I have a couple broody hens! I'm trying to find someone in San Antonio or locally who has Muscovy hatching eggs, but I haven't got a response from the man I originally bought my Muscovy from. Anyone have any leads for me?

All the roosters seem huge whenever I come back from a trip. They gain a little confidence when they aren't constantly reminded that I'm the boss. That was squashed out as soon as I came home and grabbed up a couple roos to pet and coddle. They were so embarrassed, hehe!

What about checking in on the Muscovy duck thread? They might know breeders in your area?

 

[Beekissed]

Quick note - got here safely. Spent most of night at hospital, staying at Linda and Russ's house so came back for shower. Heading back up to hospital after a bite to eat. Those of you in stormy areas, keep ducking! Prayers and smiles -

Give Linda a hug for us and tell her we are praying for her and you all!

Bee and anyone here since we are on the porch, when growing up my mom used to make us save the bean broth after boiling all types of beans for our meals to feed the goats with, we would add it to their water and they would gobble it up like a treat, mom said it was very nutritive to them. Apart from the richness in protein what else would be it's benefit? Anyone raising goats ever done this?

Never heard of this but I bet they love it! Maybe it's for the low fat, high protein...says beans are 17% protein?

Aside from being a great source of protein, beans area delicious source of fiber, B vitamins, iron, folate, potassium, magnesium, and many phytonutrients, and should be consumed on a regular basis to promote optimal health.

Here is a video of the first successful clutch of chicks from the Delaware breed restoration project I've been participating in. This is not a great video, but it is the first.

LJ, those are some fatsy chicks! Look very healthy and I love your broody nest. Looks like you have a good broody there...like fine gold they are. Keep us posted on their development and if you find any in that bunch that will give you a good start on your project.

Do any of you know where I can order some poultry nipples and not have to do it over the internet?

TSC finally started selling them...bout time.

We're seriously looking into getting a shelter put in

We talked and decided a loan is a small price for peace of mind.. I hate paying the interest, but I would feel terrible if something happened while waiting to save. We can afford it, we just have to make it a priority. We haven't had any really nasty weather since I had my son, so we never had to consider going to a shelter.. last night, staying awake, watching the weather, waiting to make the call to drag three little kids to a community shelter, we realized how bad a situation it is.

With a shelter we can SLEEP in there, during a bad night. They wont have to sleep with their shoes next to their bed, ready to go on a moments notice.

Could you have it double as a cellar so you can store food? That way you can make it do double duty.

Well, she is outside the fence looking in and staying close to her buddy. Game plan is over the next few days is to lure Dawn into the run-in and lock her down if we can. Then we can open the gate and hope Clare is hungry enough to come in to the main pasture. After that I think we will be able to get both of them in the paddock where I can work with them. If not, I am inviting all of you on the porch to an old fashioned round-up. Deb do you think Perchie could pose as a quarter horse?

You need a good cattle dog!

TWs idea of feeding the captive cow next to the fence line and gate is a good one...sweet feed is a real draw and they can smell that molasses a mile away. It's darn near like cow crack, it's that addictive to them.

So far so good but they're saying more tonight.

Already fed all the chickens and stuck them in their pen so I wouldn't get sopping wet. Even came on the patio and made a ff feeder.







I'll hang it up when I get some chain. I make the bottom board thing to sit the vinyl gutter on and then put 2 hooks on each end to hang it with. As the chicks grow I can move the chain up some. I had this short piece left over from making the others one last year. I just bought some ends for it so I would have them on hand.

Love these nice feeders, Rosemarie! Look so neat and utilitarian.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:

And that curvaceous tail. I guess Cher regularly calls on you for her hair extension needs in the Vegas show right?

When I set out to look for a horse after my son was about ten, I went through a check list. I have had horses 47 years now. My last horse was an Arab/Standardbred cross that I did everything on from Showing to Driving a vehicle to Popping brush through the Chaparral.

I wanted
1. Draft or Draft cross
2. A horse that was mature yet still green
3. Non docked tail
4. Jet Black.

I started out looking for draft crosses but they were suddenly too popular and expensive. Because I wanted to do driven Dresssage I wanted a Warmblood sized built horse. The problem is Warmbloods were very very expensive at the time. Warmbloods are The carriage horses of choice for pulling Royal carriages, Which are very very heavy and elegant. But during my research I found that Percherons especially modern bred hitch style were more like Warmbloods in many ways.

Draft horses often times have their tails docked.... Just like with dogs. They leave just enough bone to cover their private parts.... Katee has her full tail bone.... Percherons either come in Black or Grey, or at least that is the breeders preferences. Other colors pop up now and then but those foals dont get registered or on some big farms get culled. (culling means removing an animal from the blood line and can be done in many ways which does not include killing)

I found Rocking Jolly Kateen on an internet add in 2000. I had just come into some stocks and decided to splurge. She was six years old Green broke and from the owners description very sweet. You see I bought her sight unseen off the internet... With a few discussions on the phone and internet with the owner. And ONe video.

Katee is a small one only about 17.1 hands and when fit about 1600-1800 lbs..... Right now shes 2000 pounds. I say she is the size of a budweiser Clydesdale but thats just for people who cant visualize her size. Budweiser uses Wheelers (the two horses next to the wagon) Who are between 18-19 hands and 2500 FIT pounds each. for non horse people 1 hand = 4 inches When I say 17.1 hands I am really meaning 17 hands 1 inch. Which places Katee at 69 inches tall at the top of the withers.... OR 5'9 inches...

She had her 20th birthday on the 14th of April.

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

Ok I was saying.... Hot Windy Low Humidity.... We got a fire burning down the San Diego River bed.... its a greenzone through the middle of town. I have seen it twelve feet deep in water about forty years ago. Now Houses are built right up to it...

Its burning. From the news reports most of a park set in there has burnd. They are doing Water drops with big tankers and Heliocpters. Where I am right now is at the end of the Santee lakes... The last two that arent used for recreaion.... The Heloicpoters come in here to snag water for drops.

That whole area is kind of a camp zone for homeless people ..... I hope no one has gotten hurt.


deb

 

[LindaB220]

OK Ladies and Gents, I'm not Blooie but I do have a story. It's a ghost story or maybe a horror story. But absolutely true. After my Mama died 3 1/2 yrs ago I decided to sell up the property (keeping only a bit for later) and move to an Apt complex. It was for oldies that were not bedridden but not a nursing home either. I lived there happily for about 6-7 mo and I started seeing things. Things, not scary, moving around and on the ceiling. I remembered when Brandi my youngest got on Ambien and started seeing things. So I didn't worry because obviously I was taking something new.
This continued for another few months of me seeing monkeys swinging on the door etc and then I started seeing the people. Standing still, silent always at the door or beside my bed. This was always right before I went to sleep So close that sometimes I could almost touch them. Strangers.
I was never afraid, only puzzled why they never talked. I could see the smoke billowing when one of them puffed on a cig. Soooo, finally I mentioned it to my daughter. Totally freaked out. Personally took me to the Dr that day. That's Aimee I live with. Brandi said it was that old apt. A lot of deaths so it must be ghosts. I laughed. The Dr listened and said "Let's don't assume" So we checked out my heart to see if my brain was getting enough oxygen. I'm happy to mention that my hearts great. Blood pressure 120/79 (this morning).
So what we're looking at was the beginning of dementia. I started Arricept and for 2 yrs I've been doing great. No new sightings, nothing. And 2 wks ago I started regressing a tad on memory and spelling. Forgetting things. I threw an absolute fit with Aimee for leaving me in the house alone with no word where she was going. But she had and I forgot.
So today I went to the DR to see what's up with this new stuff. Dr Regina gave me a memory test (which I aced) and told me not to be concerned. She upped the Arricept from 5 to 10 mg. and said come back in three months. If need be she can up it again before starting me on a different drug. Aimee's hubby Clint decided to come with me (in case I forgot everything. Grumble) His grandmother had Alzheimers 10 years or so ago and went downhill in less than 3 mo and died in 5. Gotta tell ya that scared me.
I feel so much better now that sanity has set in, not fear. Praying about it of course. I feel that the hours each day that I spend researching and learning on this forum has kept me going. This afternoon I don't feel inadequate, just raring to go. I put off my other chickens from Sandhill because I didn't know what I was looking at healthwise, but now I think I'll continue with my plans. I'm getting my babies outside Thursday so I can relax. See if was a ghost story and it really was a horror for me so I feel it does have a happy ending. To be continued............

 

[Beekissed]

OK Ladies and Gents, I'm not Blooie but I do have a story. It's a ghost story or maybe a horror story. But absolutely true. After my Mama died 3 1/2 yrs ago I decided to sell up the property (keeping only a bit for later) and move to an Apt complex. It was for oldies that were not bedridden but not a nursing home either. I lived there happily for about 6-7 mo and I started seeing things. Things, not scary, moving around and on the ceiling. I remembered when Brandi my youngest got on Ambien and started seeing things. So I didn't worry because obviously I was taking something new.
This continued for another few months of me seeing monkeys swinging on the door etc and then I started seeing the people. Standing still, silent always at the door or beside my bed. This was always right before I went to sleep So close that sometimes I could almost touch them. Strangers.
I was never afraid, only puzzled why they never talked. I could see the smoke billowing when one of them puffed on a cig. Soooo, finally I mentioned it to my daughter. Totally freaked out. Personally took me to the Dr that day. That's Aimee I live with. Brandi said it was that old apt. A lot of deaths so it must be ghosts. I laughed. The Dr listened and said "Let's don't assume" So we checked out my heart to see if my brain was getting enough oxygen. I'm happy to mention that my hearts great. Blood pressure 120/79 (this morning).
So what we're looking at was the beginning of dementia. I started Arricept and for 2 yrs I've been doing great. No new sightings, nothing. And 2 wks ago I started regressing a tad on memory and spelling. Forgetting things. I threw an absolute fit with Aimee for leaving me in the house alone with no word where she was going. But she had and I forgot.
So today I went to the DR to see what's up with this new stuff. Dr Regina gave me a memory test (which I aced) and told me not to be concerned. She upped the Arricept from 5 to 10 mg. and said come back in three months. If need be she can up it again before starting me on a different drug. Aimee's hubby Clint decided to come with me (in case I forgot everything. Grumble) His grandmother had Alzheimers 10 years or so ago and went downhill in less than 3 mo and died in 5. Gotta tell ya that scared me.
I feel so much better now that sanity has set in, not fear. Praying about it of course. I feel that the hours each day that I spend researching and learning on this forum has kept me going. This afternoon I don't feel inadequate, just raring to go. I put off my other chickens from Sandhill because I didn't know what I was looking at healthwise, but now I think I'll continue with my plans. I'm getting my babies outside Thursday so I can relax. See if was a ghost story and it really was a horror for me so I feel it does have a happy ending. To be continued............

That was a GREAT story! Very interesting! That could explain a lot about the behaviors of those with dementia in nursing facilities and when they talk to folks who are "not there" but quite obviously they are there to them, even though we couldn't see them.

I also think it's amazing that you can talk about it...most folks presented with the loss of their memory get pretty defensive and angry when they are made aware of it. They are scared to admit that it's happening, so they want no mention made of it...they will just say they are a little forgetful and it's nothing to worry about. Quite often they will point out that other people forget stuff all the time and no one is saying they have dementia.

For some reason people seem to equate dementia with stupidity and think folks are saying they are not smart, which makes them angry and defensive. I think admitting there is a problem is the first step to getting help~as always~but it's so hard for so many people to admit they have a problem...sometimes that could be because the part of the brain that deals with self-analysis could be on the blink a little due to loss in that area.

ETA: Bless you for sharing! I too have been experiencing some difficulty with spelling and such in the past several years and also with my memory, though I'm only 48. It's getting notably worse and I'm aware of it, so it doesn't worry me much but it is inconvenient....I used to be the go to person for spelling and grammar and now I see myself making very simple errors when I type that I've never made in my life.

Dementia is happening to younger and younger people now, so when folks tell me I'm too young to be having this kind of memory loss it just shows they are not aware of the current stats on dementia and ALZ in America today.

 

[LindaB220]

That was a GREAT story! Very interesting! That could explain a lot about the behaviors of those with dementia in nursing facilities and when they talk to folks who are "not there" but quite obviously they are there to them, even though we couldn't see them.

I also think it's amazing that you can talk about it...most folks presented with the loss of their memory get pretty defensive and angry when they are made aware of it. They are scared to admit that it's happening, so they want no mention made of it...they will just say they are a little forgetful and it's nothing to worry about. Quite often they will point out that other people forget stuff all the time and no one is saying they have dementia.

For some reason people seem to equate dementia with stupidity and think folks are saying they are not smart, which makes them angry and defensive. I think admitting there is a problem is the first step to getting help~as always~but it's so hard for so many people to admit they have a problem...sometimes that could be because the part of the brain that deals with self-analysis could be on the blink a little due to loss in that area.

ETA: Bless you for sharing! I too have been experiencing some difficulty with spelling and such in the past several years and also with my memory, though I'm only 48. It's getting notably worse and I'm aware of it, so it doesn't worry me much but it is inconvenient....I used to be the go to person for spelling and grammar and now I see myself making very simple errors when I type that I've never made in my life.

Dementia is happening to younger and younger people now, so when folks tell me I'm too young to be having this kind of memory loss it just shows they are not aware of the current stats on dementia and ALZ in America today.

Thanks Sweetie, I've never had a problem with talking about my weight (over 200) or my age (67) or the fact that I take my teeth out to brush them.

I've talked about this before to people and it sometimes bothers them. But not me. I know I'm intelligent. I accept that. I also accept that one day I won't be. But by the Grace of God, it won't be anytime soon.

 

[Beekissed]

Thanks Sweetie, I've never had a problem with talking about my weight (over 200) or my age (67) or the fact that I take my teeth out to brush them.

I've talked about this before to people and it sometimes bothers them. But not me. I know I'm intelligent. I accept that. I also accept that one day I won't be. But by the Grace of God, it won't be anytime soon.

Me too! When I tell folks I'm fat it seems to embarrass them...very weird. Fat is fat and that I am. I don't see it as the big negative that everyone else does, it's just my current size...not good, not bad, it just IS. No need to avoid that fact. Folks are just strange about it is all.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

I invaded sacred broody space because I had to see the chicks. I think there are 10, and one looks weaker. But all the others have good color and big booties and are looking like they want to go explore soon!

 

[LindaB220]

I invaded sacred broody space because I had to see the chicks. I think there are 10, and one looks weaker. But all the others have good color and big booties and are looking like they want to go explore soon!

Leslie, is that a Delaware? I'm still learning so forgive my questions.