Signs of spring

During the morning feed time, I stumbled upon these:
This week will be staying over 60 for the most part. YIPPEE! Goat cabin needs painted in the most desperate way. So that gets checked off the list this week.

24 pictures later and I still could not get these to come out very clear. Thats it! I strongly dislike this camera and highly recommend you DO NOT purchase one! Olympus FE-170 is just crap. I had $60 digitals give me better pictures. I really liked the one we had before but it could only take so much abuse from sneaky children before it is no longer working great. At the end, it gave grey cloudy & grainy pictures. This one has lots of features, but you have to take alot at different angles before you can even get a clear shot in the center. This one was a winter holiday gift but looking it up online this would go for over $100 at minimum. I wish they would have just given us the store gift card to choose what we would have liked. They usually give gift cards for stuff like this for The Captain & I so surprised was I when we received the gift. I have to suffer through it's use untill next year when I can purchase another digital. ARGHH! Too bad we could not take it back. But being a gift, that would just be rude. I mean, how can you tell someone the camera they bought is junk? You just cant do that. So I smile graciously and keep wasting battery power to get just one good shot. O.k- rant over.

Read More

Dreaming...

I have had a hawk show up in my dreams, 2 nights in a row. I felt it was there for a reason but I can not seem to figure it out. This last one had the hawk (or a falcon-not sure) sitting close by on the ground, looking at me. There was a bushy wall behind & it seemed we were in woods or a yard on the edge of woods. I cant help but feel this has meaning since 2 nights in a row this bird has paid me a visit & today it has stayed on mind. online interpretations are not very helpful since there seems to be a few different meanings.
The Captain laughs at my dream retelling since they are rather crazy & usually make no sense. He calls them my "flashbacks" due to their oddness. I believe the unconscious is trying to either work something out/tell me something or my mind is just a big mess of the days thoughts crushed together.
Anyone have suggestions? I have been asking for more guidance lately and for insight. Too bad I cant make it out....
Sweet dreams,
Tammie
P.S nothing from Chi. Maybe she does not cycle regularly and has a heat just a few times over the season instead? just a thought...

Read More

Day 154- Chia

If Chia has successfully been bred, then today would be the 154th day of gestation. (Gestation can range from 149 days to as late as 159 days according to numerous site checks). Yesterday I found clear stringy mucous on her back end which puzzled me. I thought- it is either a heat sign- which I have not noticed one since coming back from the breeder- or- this is from the mucous plug. The mucous plug can be lost as early as 3-4 weeks before birth or as late as labor. There is no noticeable change in her udder and feeling for "pin bones" loosening has not been successful. I have read that does can fill up their udder as late as 6 hours before giving birth and in some occasions not until just after. Another sign being her stomach. The left side is their rumen and the right side is where the kids would be. She sticks out more on the right but it is not a big noticeable change. Maybe its just her winter weight gain?! So are you confused yet? I sure am.
I have no idea what to make of it. Now another bit of information i have read is that they go "in season" between late summer/early Fall until early winter. Is this wrong? Spring is a few days away, so why is this happening? I will most definitely feel silly if I am getting all this hyped over a heat cycle. Silly human....
Lucky dreams,
Tammie

Read More

Barnyard problem solved...

I had an ongoing problem with keeping piggy Clyde from eating Chia's food before she can finish it. The chickens are not innocent. They would help themselves to it right along side him. Clyde scoops with his bill where the chickens are peckers. So hence "piggy" for his scooping larger amounts. I stumbled upon a solution one day when I forgot to grab her normal "rubber" black bowl one night. I usually wash her feed bowl every other day and would sit with her to guard off the begger's before taking it in. The next morning I realized I had left it out there so I grabbed the freshly emptied Plastic coffee can to pour her food for transporting. Once outside I saw crud in her black bowl (which happens if I do not grab it after each feeding) and let her eat from the coffee can instead. Clyde came running over to help himself but soon realized there was only room for one head with this container. VOILA! Problem solved. Chia now knows this is her bowl and will wait nicely while I throw down chicken food. She keeps her eyes on that coffee can. As soon as I move towards the other side of the pen, she walks calmly past the frenzy of feathers knowing whats inside will be all for her. I love it when problems are solved so simply. I have had the bucket feeders but the chickens just fly up and roost on the side while helping themselves. So this was a great solution plus I go through one a week so the supply is unlimited. We hop back and forth between brands- I'm a tightwad (proud of it!) and go for what costs less each week. Fortunately, this brand usually costs the least at the store I frequent.
That is not the only use for coffee cans in my house. I use the metal ones for animal cracker (hiders) holders. Chia loves them and Frog is a big fan too. I use them to store bags of flour, cornmeal, etc that I have poured into ziploc bags. We have ladybugs galore in this house especially in the Spring. So coffee cans are a big help to keep the kitchen items untouchable. Nothing like scooping out a cup of flour to discover a red circle in it...
Sunny dreams,
Tammie

Read More

What is the definition of farm?

There seems to be stereotype what a farm is. So in a conversation with a long time (farmer) family friend I asked his opinion on how he would define a farm as. His response was "land that is used to raise livestock and / or food. I asked did it matter how large the land is to make it a farm and his response was if if you (do the above) its a farm.
So I checked for online definitions and this is what I found ***farm
A tract of land cultivated for the purpose of agricultural production. A tract of land devoted to the raising and breeding of domestic animals.***
Now I call our place a hobby farm since it is not a full time devoted homestead. It is used as a generic term. I raised meat chickens last year to provide meat for the freezer. I "cultivated" our land for vegetable/fruit production during the season that is either canned or frozen for my family's consumption. I raise chickens (down to 5 for the winter) for their eggs, meat and for the sheer pleasure of it. I have raised multiple dairy goats for the purpose of milk production ( but it seems there will be no milk this year since the girls did not take to being bred in the fall). Now from what I see & have been told by big parcel holding farmers, it does not matter that I have just over an acre. I was able to produce for my family healthy organic foods and animals on my land. How does that not define my land as not being used as a farm? If I say homestead most people do not understand what that term is, so I say I "play farmer".
The size of your land does not make you a farmer. Its what you do with it. Anyone can have 10 acres of land but that does not make them a farmer. Its only what they do with that land that will give them the title of Farmer.
Now to define why I call this suburban- Western Europe the word "suburb" usually refers to a separate municipality, borough or unincorporated area outside a central town or city.
I live 4 miles from the "big city" limits. I live in Ohio. There are cow pastures & corn fields next to mcmansion neighborhoods and sometimes right in the middle. Does that make it not a farm? I think not. The lesson here is do not assume what you know nothing about. Arm yourself with knowledge before you start throwing dirt. And of course the big one- Ask sincere questions before you assume something is not what you think it is.
Sweet dreams,
Tammie

Read More

Sunshine on my shoulders...

All of the barnyard was let to roam at will today.
Look very closely at the turken to your left. Do you see that pale feathered thing underneath him? That would be Mrs. Turken. Apparently they never forgot where the best dustbath spot was and apparently Mr.Turken, in his excitment, forgot it is not polite to roll over on your wife. The grey Chicken is Captain Feathersword (a silkie rooster) and then Dr. Seuss (an americauna hen) next to him. They all seemed so pleased to wonder as freely as they once did back in the day.
But the dust bath seemed to be the big highlight of this one. The sun was so warm and it felt as though Spring was here. But of course its not to be.
Despite the soon change in weather, we took advantage of the sunshine and cleaned out the well room, storage space, and garage. Loaded the truck full of items heading to the goodwill and cleaned up all the rocks and sticks that have accumalated over this winter in the yard. Of course Lady Chia was not to be left behind. We brought her out and let her roam by us on a 50 foot long rope lead where ever we went. It seems she really likes Frog! She would come running up to Chia and poke at her eyes and ears- not bothering Chia a bit. Chia let Frog pet on her and squeek near her ears without so much as a flinch. It seems She has a buddy now.

Just as an FYI*Frog can now say "Chia". She has been so vocal on saying names like (letters in parenthesis are silent to her)- "DA(d)", "dog", "Pa(n)da", "May" is what she calls lil'man, and maybe once a week she graces me with "mama". *
Clyde was happy to have the pen to himself along with a big tub of water to splash in. He stayed playing in the water and only an hour later did he emerge to wonder with the masses. Oh I almost forgot! We had a bonfire going today too! Lots of sticks and the old coop on the hilltop made for a great burn!
Sunny Dreams,
Tammie

Read More

Bathroom Bunny

I seem to not be able to find a post introducing our lovable Jersey wooly rabbit "Casperilla".
I purchased her the same day I bought the muscovy ducklings and had taken Buddy to auction.
She is the one Lil man let out- if you click the link above and read that post it should refresh your memory. She came hopping back not long after that and has remained inside ever since. She is now our "Bathroom Bunny".Hey, remember we have had kid and adult goats in the basement and in the mud room, along with baby chicks in the kitchen. This is not at all unusual for our home... She is not always in there but that is where she "resides". Since she has litter trained herself, she is welcome to roam the bathroom as she desires. Especially now that I have finished laying the ceramic tile in there. Any messes (how messy can bunny pellets be though?) are easily cleaned up quickly. The Captain has put a firm request that she be moved or at least secured away from the ummm... throne. She has taken a real shine to him and frankly it freaks him out. He claims to be scarred from her attention and if he knew I was sharing this with you he would not be very happy... I think its hilarious myself. But for the mental health of my husband I will indulge his request and find more accommodating quarters for our Bathroom Bunny. I'll do my best honey.... Pictured here she is closer to the ummm... throne, then normal. The placement was for sake of the photo. Do not worry. She will be placed in another room when I get to the painting and other renovations planned for the space.
Now you may also notice I have not posted about Jacks placement. That would be because I was having a more "der de der" day and seemed to have left the camera at home. I assure you they were great people and had a wonderful setup on the Dairy farm. I have not heard anything from them so I hope that just means they are all happy. I'm off to finish replacing the kitchen cabinet doors. They should be dry by now...
Sweetest dreams,
Tammie

Read More