Security Improvements

Just as I was starting chores this morning I hear a goat kid hollaring in distress. And find Midnight and Chocolate have hopped the fence again. One of Midnight’s boys was hollaring because he couldn’t find mom. 

Got them back in and worked on changing out the pintles for the gate so it won’t fall off every time I open it. 

Then things began to get complicated. It looked like Chocolate was coming into heat. She was even trying to ride the little bucklings.  So I slipped her into Bashful’s pen and yep she’s in heat. So likely December babies to come. But in this pic you can see what happened later. Gazelle and Chocolate began fighting through the fence. They bent up a brand new cattle panel. Mostly dented from Gazelle’s side. 

So I found a metal beam from an old shed we tore down and wired it right across where they were butting heads. That seemed to put a stop to it. 

Stopped to unload the car and clean up the driveway to get ready for hay delivery. I scored this cool packing crate yesterday. With some legs and some beefing up will make a great hay feeder It’s about 6.5’ long and about 2’ wide. 

But it’s longer than this little roof so started to add on. I got the T post set and another pallet put in place and was scrounging around for some long enough 2x4s to make the roof wider when Gazelle started pounding the fence so had to stop and fix that like I explained before. 

Puppies are like toddlers. When it gets too quiet you better go check. In this case Digger was just napping in his mud hole. 

I did work over here where they are hopping the fence. 

I found a long board to add in. I meant to cut some weed trees to put in the gaps but by then it was getting really hot.  It was 81°F at 5:00 am and by 10 it was miserable. 

I did manage to change out the biggest pad on my cooler. That by the way is a blue pad.  It was so clogged up with lime no air was getting through. Hopefully I’ll get the other 2 sides done tomorrow. But changing out just one side made a big difference in air flow in the house. 

Went to feed the bottle baby at noon and Digger decided he needed to cool off in the goats water. Of course I had to clean and refill buckets after that. 

And at milking time the storm rolled in. I got Posie milked ok and then Mocha and I got soaked   I didn’t even strip her out like I usually do. But that’s ok since she’s still nursing Latte. 

Then I put stuff in the shed and ran to the house sopping wet. Dried off and changed my shirt. Waited for the storm to pass and finished up milking. Fed Digger and the bottle baby. Trying to decide what to have for dinner. Something simple.  I’m too tired to think. Good night. 

More Heat and Humidity

Got outside before daylight to move some more chickens around. 

Worked in a garden spot pulling out Bermuda grass and some weeds. Planted a fig tree from my friends. Forgot to take a picture but also planted out a row of chives. This area is fruit trees, flowers and herbs. It’s been a bit neglected and areas that didn’t have permanent plantings were super dry. So I made some furrows and watered heavily. Have some more plants and seeds to put in once the ground is actually wet. 

I have NO idea how the tarantula got in the bathtub. Caught it in a jar and put it back outside. 

Digger is growing!  

Ever feel like you’re being watched 

Did all the usual chores and ran some errands. Found a new pair of pants in my size (30x30s are really hard to come by) and scored a cool packing crate that will make a nice hay feeder. 

And in other news Chocolate *may* not be pregnant after all. Because today it looked like maybe she was coming into heat. Bashful certainly thought so!  He was talking to her all afternoon. 

While not quite as hot as a few days ago it was just as humid and miserable and still no rain. 

And good night 

Hot and Humid

The weather has been miserable this week, 105°+ and very humid with almost no rain. The heat has been giving me a headache in the afternoon. Today I even took a nap with an ice pack on my neck. However that has not stopped the goats. This morning when I moved Posie and Mocha to the hill pen I heard a noise as I was latching the gate and turned around to see Midnight hop the fence at that short spot. And Chocolate had followed her by the time I got down the steps. Put Chocolate back in just to have her do it again before I could get to Midnight. So quick I grabbed my loppers and cut some burro brush and stuffed it in the fence. Got the girls put back and was about on time for work.  

How I left them. 

They were still in when I got home. When I got up from my nap I cut and stuffed in some weed trees. Hopefully that will help. 

Got everyone fed, watered, milked. And that’s about all for today. 

Damage Control and more

First up feed little goat 

And admire his brother and give all the goats some hay.  Now time to get busy taking care of things torn up by the storm last night. 

Oops tarp came loose and mineral feeder is full of water

Put a sliver of wood in the hole for the gate hinge. Hopefully it will quit twisting around and letting the gate fall. 

Digger was on a roll this morning, went deliberately over to the roll of irrigation hoses to chew on them 3 times so he’s on a short leash for chore time. 

Had a chopper flying crazy low zigzagging back and forth. Then they started following the power line on the ridge. Not sure what they were doing. 

Baled water off Posie’s pen. 

This area was the first to get perimeter fence and is where Giotto grew up. I was 4’ short of fence so used the pallet. It has stood there almost 9 years. I was very fortunate that Giotto was never a fence climber. 

Fixing tarps over chickens 

Mmmm. Itty Bitty Baby Greenhouse has some issues from yesterday’s wind. 

Fixed up as good as I could get it. I noticed later in the day some other areas that need attention. Will try and get to those tomorrow. 

Little chickens seem ok after being soaked last night when their tin blew off. 

Digger is still on a short leash. Trying to chase chickens. 

Poor little birds back door blew open in the storm Apparently this coop is beginning to come apart.  I couldn’t get the door all the way back like it belongs. Will have to try and figure out what’s going on. 

Working in the old chicken pens in the front yard. I watered this some yesterday plus I got .2” of rain. And look how only the top 1 1/2 - 2” is actually wet. Duh it up and watered some more. 

Continuing to put Midnight’s twins in with Bashful for a couple hours before milking and she has gone from 1/4 cup to 1 1/2. Separating does not take milk from the babies. Milk is supply and demand. The more demand the more the doe’s body will increase supply up to the limits of her genetics, diet and environment.  I will gradually increase separation time until we are at 8-10 hours a day. This will not hurt the kids growth, they are eating plenty of hay now and they will still be able to nurse the rest of the time. 

Did all the usual things like laundry and dishes. Still need to take out some trash. Watered plants.  Thinking about what I’m going to plant in the new spaces out front. Probably greens as it’s partly shaded- kale, collards, mustard, Swiss chard. Chinese greens like pak choy will have to wait for cooler weather. 

#appreciation

Today I appreciate the rain I got and that the wind damage was limited here. 

To Market

I spent the morning at our Globe-Miami Farmers Market. Came home, unloaded, ate lunch, fed the bottle baby. Then I went and got feed and went to get a couple things at the grocery store. Got back and started chores. I haven’t had a chance to fix the gate issue on Midnight’s pen and it came down again. Midnight and her twins got out. I got the gate back up and Midnight was easy to catch and put back. Instead of putting the twins back in I put them in with Bashful.  They are old enough to begin separating from mom. And since the pens are together Midnight didn’t get too freaked out her boys weren’t in with her. Bashful is a pretty gentle guy and doesn’t seem to mind babies. 

Shortly after that we got a heck of a storm. My battery was about to die so no pics of the creek running. A lot of high winds made a mess of tarps and shade cloth. The wind also blew the tin off the chicken tractors and those birds were quite soggy.   Silly Digger looked like he was out playing in it the whole time. 

Mocha and Posie were up on the hill when it hit and got pretty wet. But mostly they care about eating. 

With this rain the flies will be terrible so tomorrow I’ll have to try and work on fly control among other things. And now good night. 

Farmer Friday

Been super hot and humid this week. I have gotten a couple little rain storms, maybe .2” altogether. The cattle panel arch over Posie’s pen collapsed. 

And came down so far I couldn’t stand up in there. I had to bale the water off and get the tarp fastened back where it belonged. 

Stuck some more sticks in the pallets but not enough to keep Chocolate from hopping over again. 

Moved the last 3 old olive eggers from the front yard to the big chicken house. 

Then moved the ducks into the pen Midnight’s gang was in. I’ll be moving the compost chickens into there too so they can scratch up and break down the deep bedding in there. 

That left the front yard kennels empty so I took down the shade cloth and tarps and started loosening up the ground. Most of it was hard and dry so watered it some. This area is shaded part of the day but I think I can grow some nice greens in here and the kennel will keep Digger out of them. 

Because he likes to play with plants. That was some nice Swiss chard. Good thing it grows fast this time of year. 

And this morning Posie got out and into the hill pen. She is strong and outweighs me so there’s no stopping her when she takes a notion. So I just shut the gate. Of course that set everybody off. And then Mocha got out. She was mostly looking for snacks on the milk stand but I got the bright idea to put her up on the hill too. Latte, her kid, is old enough to start weaning so I can get more milk. So everyone yelled all day, including Midnight, Gazelle, Chocolate and even Midnight’s kids. And of course Mocha and Latte were the loudest. 

And Mocha gave me half a gallon tonight instead of 2 1/2 pints. Milk is supply and demand so this will help increase the supply. 

And then Digger saw himself in the shiny BBQ. Made me laugh. 

Sunday July 10, 2022

Mmmm. I’m not sure that’s a smile of happiness more like grinding our teeth. Poor Bambi. 

Bambi did get up to eat some rose priming’s with the other girls. 

Most of today’s agenda is dishes, laundry, trash. Mmmm. The silverware drawer is empty so I guess I better wash people dishes 

Found this Nankin on the ground unable to walk this morning. Put her in a box in the house, gave her some water. Late afternoon she was perching on the side of the box so I put her back out in her coop. She was a bit unsteady on her feet but looked like she’d be ok. Don’t know what happened. Might have gotten a scorpion. 

It was way too hot and humid to work outside after morning chores so I did dishes, laundry and trash. I packaged up soap that was ready. Currently I have lavender, rose, unscented and unscented with colloidal oatmeal. 

And I managed 2 batches of soap. One of oatmeal (it’s selling better than I thought it would) and one of lilac. This soap takes about 8 weeks to cure and harden up so trying to get stocked up for the holidays!

I was out after dark watering. 

#appreciation

Today I appreciate that the girls had bucklings so I’m not tempted to keep any kids. 😁