Thistlewick Smallholding - Chickens & Sheep (for now)

[thistlewick]

Oh she passed it! The quiet and cool and dark must have helped <3

 

[Skyeknight]

Heard something about sheeps, lovely to see a fellow sheep keeper on here! I grew up with sheep so I do know quite a bit of about keeping them.

Beards/Muffs must be dominant,

It should be co-dominant. If they have only 1 gene for a beard it will be smaller than 2 genes for beard.

Our sheep, since I never show them

Is that other plant all dogfennel? Do they eat it?

We have a third pasture 2.6 acres that is empty with a barn sitting there and I have NO money but I'd like to get a rescue horse on it, I think 1 rescue horse could keep that pasture nibbled down.

Nice idea! Since horses are social animals 2 might be better for quality of life.

I have a sheep photo today. They are the worst lawnmowers I need about 12 more sheep to affect any change on that pasture LOL NO. 4 is fine.

What are your plans with the sheep? Are they all ewes? Will you lamb? And do make sure to change pasture every 3 weeks, that way you will break the lifecycles of worms.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Nice idea! Since horses are social animals 2 might be better for quality of life.

Horse math now??

 

[thistlewick]

Heard something about sheeps, lovely to see a fellow sheep keeper on here! I grew up with sheep so I do know quite a bit of about keeping them.

It should be co-dominant. If they have only 1 gene for a beard it will be smaller than 2 genes for beard.

Is that other plant all dogfennel? Do they eat it?

Nice idea! Since horses are social animals 2 might be better for quality of life.

What are your plans with the sheep? Are they all ewes? Will you lamb? And do make sure to change pasture every 3 weeks, that way you will break the lifecycles of worms.

They don't eat the dogfennel, no, they ignore it. Only 4 sheep on the 2.7 acres of pasture, they have plenty. They don't even get close to even looking like they are eating anything down at all. That pasture could have a lot more sheep on it lol

The pasture was pristine, uninhabited pasture with no livestock on it, ever. No need for 3 week anything. They were de-wormed when I bought them, put on a separate pasture for a week while they pooped all that out, then put on this pasture. We've had them out there for months, no worms. We check them often for signs. Also fwiw, these sheep are a strain out of Univ of Mississippi for resistance to worms and heat, specifically.

The lady I bought them from was *over the moon* about my pastures for them lol she told me everything I needed to know and I have her on speed dial. She raises border collies and these sheep are dog broke - we bought our BC from her as well, but our BC isn't... she's a mess lol we do not train her on the sheep. The sheep get calm lives haha

The horse is a MAYBE idea, just a pondering - I just want reliable lawn mowers because I'm tired of taking the bushhog out during the summer every 2-3 weeks. It's hot. I'm old.

I might just get 2 or 3 heifers as well, anything that can mow 2.6 acres all summer long lol

 

[Skyeknight]

The pasture was pristine, uninhabited pasture with no livestock on it, ever. No need for 3 week anything. They were de-wormed when I bought them, put on a separate pasture for a week while they pooped all that out, then put on this pasture. We've had them out there for months, no worms. We check them often for signs. Also fwiw, these sheep are a strain out of Univ of Mississippi for resistance to worms and heat, specifically.

Amazing biosecurity practices! Good that you keep checking for signs, cause stuff like Haemonchus contortus are silent killers. Does this heat resistance also include more resistance to flystrike? Cause that would improve quality of life so much.

The lady I bought them from was *over the moon* about my pastures for them lol she told me everything I needed to know and I have her on speed dial.

This is very important, especially if you ever choose to lamb and vets are also getting pretty expensive.

The horse is a MAYBE idea, just a pondering - I just want reliable lawn mowers because I'm tired of taking the bushhog out during the summer every 2-3 weeks. It's hot. I'm old.

I might just get 2 or 3 heifers as well, anything that can mow 2.6 acres all summer long lol

A reliable lawn mower that is also actually pretty to look at. Heifers would be fun. You could also maybe let a neighbour or farmer pasture a few of their animals on your land, that way you don't have to deal with them yourself. Heifers can be difficult to handle if you don't have proper catching fences.

My apologies, since I feel like I come off as judging and mansplaining. Too often I see people get animals and not do their proper research. But you clearly have so that's good!

 

[Mother of Chaos]

A reliable lawn mower that is also actually pretty to look at…

I’ve seen this referred to as a “pasture ornament.”

 

[thistlewick]

Amazing biosecurity practices! Good that you keep checking for signs, cause stuff like Haemonchus contortus are silent killers. Does this heat resistance also include more resistance to flystrike? Cause that would improve quality of life so much.

This is very important, especially if you ever choose to lamb and vets are also getting pretty expensive.

A reliable lawn mower that is also actually pretty to look at. Heifers would be fun. You could also maybe let a neighbour or farmer pasture a few of their animals on your land, that way you don't have to deal with them yourself. Heifers can be difficult to handle if you don't have proper catching fences.

My apologies, since I feel like I come off as judging and mansplaining. Too often I see people get animals and not do their proper research. But you clearly have so that's good!

I'm not a homesteader LOL

The 3 week practice is for overstocked pasture. It's a legit practice, but I don't need it, as my stocking density is almost nil in comparison. I could use rotational grazing on that 2.7 acres with 16-17 sheep but, that's too much work lol MUCH easier this way.


I have 10 cultivated acres, 24 total. Of the 10 cultivated acres I fenced off into 3 pastures. Chickens on one 2 acre pasture, but they ignore the fence and use more, they use about a 6 acre area in total. They do not go outside their own boundaries -- there is plenty MORE space for them, but even though there is loads of cover farther out, they don't use it. They use the hedges and thickets as cover during the high sun parts of the day and spread out and far and wide over the pastures and lawns during the evening.

Sheep are in our largest pasture, 2.7 acres, the 2.6 acre pasture is currently empty but has a barn waiting for something, anything! lol and we have 3 acres of 'hay' but it's NOT great hay lolol We are still collecting the implements to even make hay, it's freakin expensive as heck. Slowly but surely.

 

[thistlewick]

Lmaoooo I freaking love these kinds of posts

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8hq7hcN/

 

[thistlewick]

I think Chuck is feeling very insecure as the younger Cockerels are aging up into sexual maturity. We have about 46 hens/pullets and about 12-15 Cockerels/Rooster

So def too many boys but MANY of them are babies and we don't really have intentions to keep them.

Oscar, our Maran, absolutely HARRIES poor Spitfire (our duck) to death. We might have to get rid of her. I really don't want to get rid of him, he's a good boy otherwise, plus I had the idea to breed Marans

Anyway they were just all getting on my nerves last night - Chuck fronted my husband when my husband walked by him. I don't know what is going on with Chuck! I really do feel like he's getting possessive of his hens.

But then I was sitting down, absolutely eye level with everyone and he didn't bother me one tiny bit.

My husband had just chased off Oscar off the duck -- maybe that pissed off Chuck. I dunno! lol

Anyway we will have a grand total of 50-55 layers

So we need 4-5 Roosters

Right now I have at LEAST 12

Most of them are >14 weeks old

Sorry all of this was for me to organize my thinking and a record

here is my own tax:

Harriet visited me yesterday, the first time an adult hen has ever jumped up to visit <3

And this fine mama was in front of my house, passing from thicket to thicket -- she has 3 babies but you cannot really see in this photo.

 

[thistlewick]

Very very very relaxed and chill evening last night - even though there were some 'face offs' which always crack me up.

The chicken stare™ is hilarious

^^This is Custard and Souffle, my DIL names all my EEs Souffle is only 15 weeks old but apparently they had some w o r d s.

^^ Chuck tidbitting and a little Welsummer chick getting in on the action. No one minded her being there.

slowly getting names for my baby chicks (who are now all 4 weeks old)

decided to name Tilly's brood with an Arthurian theme; so far have Lancelot, Galahad, Arthur for the 3 boys, Guinevere, Isolde, Morgana, Igraine and Nimue (pronounced NIM-way), for the 5 girls. Chuck throws mostly girls, I've been stupid lucky with his offspring. Also because he is Splash, his children are stunning.

https://imgur.com/a/98IQXkQ

Just some chick cuteness -- I really hope that is a Welsummer Cockerel and not one of the errant EEs that came out of the "Ameraucana" (L O L) Hatching Eggs I bought and hatched. Lord, that was a disaster. lol There were 3 brown chipmunks out of those eggs, even if I did get one chick that actually looks like an Ameraucana, the 6 others are absolutely NOT.

They were not expensive eggs, I've learned my lesson and so did the lady selling them to me that her hen ain't what SHE received, either.