What did you do with your flock today?

[pennyJo1960]

Possibly she lost it long time ago long before you got her.
On the phone with our internet provider .. Think their inernet is slower than ours

 

[Bonkerelli]

Possibly she lost it long time ago long before you got her.
On the phone with our internet provider .. Think their inernet is slower than ours

Most likely. Least she has the rest of her nails and toes.

I have satellite internet.. the only internet we can get out here in the sticks... it is really, really, really slow.

 

[629864]

Man that sucks!

Yep that is the goal! I also want sheep.

Also, I love your retirement plan!! I have similar goals, they just also include goats and mini cows

Words of wisdom learned by someone who always wanted goats and sheep and that quaint idyllic pastoral farm:

Goats never stop peeing.

Sheep make enormous poops.

Goats eat and poop at the same time.

Goats are jerks.

Cute. And adorable. And irresistible.

But jerks.

Neither sheep nor goats go "somewhere else" to pee or poop. They do both where they stand. Kinda like chickens.

You change all of the bedding to clean dry wonderful fluffy straw ... and 2 seconds later a goat is in there peeing all over everything.

If you live where you have to supplement with dry hay, make hanging hay feeders. Trust me on this. Otherwise, you'll lose 95% of the hay to goats and sheep standing on it....and yes....peeing and pooping on it. There are lots of how-to videos out there. I'll post photos later of the ones made. It made life sooooooooo much less frustrating!

And if you plan on eating them, get some that all look the same ... and for your own sake, dont name them. The sheep and goats we currently have will be pets forever because we named them. The next goats will be indistinguishable one from the other. And they will be food.

 

[Bonkerelli]

Words of wisdom learned by someone who always wanted goats and sheep and that quaint idyllic pastoral farm:

Goats never stop peeing.

Sheep make enormous poops.

Goats eat and poop at the same time.

Goats are jerks.

Cute. And adorable. And irresistible.

But jerks.

Neither sheep nor goats go "somewhere else" to pee or poop. They do both where they stand. Kinda like chickens.

You change all of the bedding to clean dry wonderful fluffy straw ... and 2 seconds later a goat is in there peeing all over everything.

If you live where you have to supplement with dry hay, make hanging hay feeders. Trust me on this. Otherwise, you'll lose 95% of the straw to goats and sheep standing on it....and yes....peeing and pooping on it. There are lots of how-to videos out there. I'll post photos later of the ones made. It made life sooooooooo much less frustrating!

And if you plan on eating them, get some that all look the same ... and for your own sake, dont name them. The sheep and goats we currently have will be pets forever because we named them. The next goats will be indistinguishable one from the other. And they will be food.

Thanks for your input. I am familiar with both those animals. I helped out on a few farms and learned and experienced all about them. (No goats for me!). One day I would want them myself but currently not able to.

 

[629864]

@GoatsandGuineas terrific new layers! Most exciting getting those colors. I am shoked at your Temps... just shocked.

Me too LOL

I've got at least 3 new layers the last week plus. The latest-latest is a little buff girl so her sister will be next. I have gone from 2-3 eggs to 10 a day almost over night lol. My 3.5yo Ameraucana has been laying 4 eggs a week for well over a month now and I even caught my 4 yo in the nest box 2x's this week. Just madness.View attachment 2986332View attachment 2986334View attachment 2986336
So, fired up the ol bator. I put it in my closet because I have to work on the back deck the next few weeks- long put off chore. Hope I don't regret it, it is not a big closet lol. I am sure I smell like chicken no mater what anyways.

I have been pondering getting a second incubator (360) for sometime now but my friend is selling his awesome 6 tray (x48) cabinet incubator. DH is definitely frowning upon it but I may go against his wishes and just pick it up. I think I need it and it will be worth the Hu Hu we will have over it.
K. Better get after my day. Happy Aloha Monday all!!

I waffle back and forth between wanting to go fully "natural" by having only broody hens hatching chicks for us and wanting an incubator. For the sake of your marriage, I will not make a suggestion either way, but my personal choice would be to get the big giant incubator and then hatch a crap ton of chickens...either selling them or processing them for delicious food so I could then say honestly "see Honey, the incubator paid for itself in no time!"

 

[pennyJo1960]

Nope I will have a more chickens not many but I am already 62.. Do not want the work.
Our property is 3/4 an acre half is chicken coops.

 

[629864]

Yes!! They have some AMAZING coops! Choosing the best one will be so hard! I also like the idea of using part of a barn as a coop...which could be super handy, especially if they shared a pasture! But I also really want one of those awesome coops that look pretty Such is my life...the practical clashes often with the completely impractical!

If your LGDs dont mess with (e.g. EAT) your chickens, having your sheep/goats together with your chickens is beneficial to all. The chickens rid the land of the poop from the livestock much faster than would otherwise happen....and this helps to prevent worms in the livestock...and the chickens get to free range and get protection from the LGDs.

 

[TropicalBabies]

Me too LOL

I waffle back and forth between wanting to go fully "natural" by having only broody hens hatching chicks for us and wanting an incubator. For the sake of your marriage, I will not make a suggestion either way, but my personal choice would be to get the big giant incubator and then hatch a crap ton of chickens...either selling them or processing them for delicious food so I could then say honestly "see Honey, the incubator paid for itself in no time!"

Yep honestly. It boils down to his control issues and I think that is the part I want to buck. The man who just took my chain saw as a back up to his up Koke'e , same logic right? I'm moving forward. He can handle it. I'll make him a nice veggie Loco moco.

 

[629864]

4 eggs hatched last year.. I only got 1 hen. So, kept one rooster and the other 2 became dinner.

Do you have a defeathering machine? If so, do you like/recommend the one you have?

 

[kurby22]

Words of wisdom learned by someone who always wanted goats and sheep and that quaint idyllic pastoral farm:

Goats never stop peeing.

Sheep make enormous poops.

Goats eat and poop at the same time.

Goats are jerks.

Cute. And adorable. And irresistible.

But jerks.

Neither sheep nor goats go "somewhere else" to pee or poop. They do both where they stand. Kinda like chickens.

You change all of the bedding to clean dry wonderful fluffy straw ... and 2 seconds later a goat is in there peeing all over everything.

If you live where you have to supplement with dry hay, make hanging hay feeders. Trust me on this. Otherwise, you'll lose 95% of the straw to goats and sheep standing on it....and yes....peeing and pooping on it. There are lots of how-to videos out there. I'll post photos later of the ones made. It made life sooooooooo much less frustrating!

And if you plan on eating them, get some that all look the same ... and for your own sake, dont name them. The sheep and goats we currently have will be pets forever because we named them. The next goats will be indistinguishable one from the other. And they will be food.

Allll of this is good advice!! And also made me giggle I will need to mentally prepare for the work to keep things clean!! I worked in a zoo for a couple years while in high school, so I sort of know the work load involved but it will definitely be something I do very very slowly at the beginning to see how much I really love goats haha. I also currently have two old lady dogs that are doing this in the house!! SO, I am getting a good feel for it already haha. Chloe the Frenchie is losing feeling in her back end and has lost full control over things...and just yesterday my husband picked her up to take her outside and she pooped the whole way to the door I figure they're just helping me get used to the idea of poop and pee everywhere and constant cleaning haha. But yeah, goats will be on a whole nother level!