Wednesday, March 30, 2011

hot = flies

No matter how clean you keep your stables, barns, or paddocks, whether your screen your compost bins or not, one thing that's guaranteed to make an appearance on any sort of farming/ ranching operation is flies.

The heat picked up This week, and so did these annoying little creatures. What was once a three times a week chore, cleaning rabbit cages, has now become a daily chore. The monthly chore of raking the goat pens has now become a weekly chore. I know this was bound to happen flies or no flies with the rapidly approaching kidding season when my small herd of six may double.

All I can say is thank goodness the horses are Lovers responsibility! The ducks and chickens are pretty easy. I just set the spray nozzle This high and powerwash the poo into a ditch that drains into a garden. I get my cleaning/ watering/ fertilizing done in one clean swoop!

On my agenda for this weekend is to build a couple large fly traps like the one I found online pictured above. I need at least three. The ducks and chickens don't need one, I'd be robbing them of their protien enriched snack.
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Monday, March 28, 2011

adding to my self sufficient ways

I've learned since I started knitting, that it could be an expensive hobby. Sure it ain't sailing or some other extravagant hobby, but when ones skill level increases so does the quality of yarn used. That $15 project of acrylic is no longer satisfying. Soon, one discovers merino, cashmere, mohair and angora. Now we're paying $15 per skein instead of per project.

And for One of use who takes things just a little bit further..... fiber animals and a spinning wheel.

Yesterday I scored an amazing deal. There in the corner of an antique shop perched on top of an aged tallboy dresser, sat a spinning wheel in all in glory. Its unlabeled so I'm not sure if its actually antique, vintage, or a reporoduction. But frankly, at $98 with all its parts and in working condition, I couldn't care less.

I am now the proud owner of a Saxony style spinning wheel. It even has a bobbin in it( which is great because its hard finding replacements for older wheels).

The boys have been warned that they risk life and limb should they go withing 10 feet of it and the dogs have been threatened with the removal of their teeth should they even take a sniff of all the antique-y shop scents. My fingers And toes are crossed as I pray to the yarn gods that this wheel will survive my household.
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Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Woman who Stares At Goat Butts

Never in my life have I spent so much time staring at the rear end of a goat...or anything g for that matter. Today I noticed my Little Lu has begun to bag up! Translation: her udder is starting to fill out. Generally this happened 30-45 days prior to kidding.

After I noticed her little udder, I spent a great deal of time.following behind my more modest nigerian, Ethel. She was hesitant to let me get behind her ( a window into my milking future I suppose). After following her for some time I finally.got an okay look she's much more hairy than Lucy so all I could make out were the tips of tiny teats ( try saying that one 5 times fast!). I tried to reach down and feel. If she had hands she would have slapped me for sure. She DOES have horns but decided against using them on me.

Zooey the pygora isn't bagging up yet either but with all her fleece there's no way to see first sure. The first weekend of April is shearing weekend. Perhaps I will actually be able to see something then.

In non goat related news, I finally got all my seedlings transplanted today.
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Lilys new home

No, I didn't get rid of my Angora ( heavens no!). She just finally got out of her quarentine And is now with the other goats.

She seems so much happier over there!! It took me about 5 weeks to get her to come over to me and eat from my hand. I destroyed that trust in 2 minutes flat by grabbing her horns and wrangling her over to the pen. Guess I'll have to start over.

She most certainly is the most bazaar goat. They aren't supposed to like rain. At all. While I don't believe she particularly enjoys it, She makes no attempt to shelter herself from it. She just lays in the rain Getting soaked.

The ranch I purchased her from had all their animals out on open pastures, except for kidding season. Maybe she's just used to sleeping under trees and bushes? She's now had three different shelters and I ain't making her a new one. Rainy season should be about over soon anyway.

Lucy is due to kid in May. Followed by Zooey and Ethel in June and July. Lily was sold 'exposed to Buck's but I don't think she's ' with child'.

Anyhoo- there's your goat update!
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Monday, March 21, 2011

Lilys new home

No, I didn't get rid of my Angora ( heavens no!). She just finally got out of her quarentine And is now with the other goats.

She seems so Mich happier over there!! It took me about 5 weeks to get her to come over to me and eat from my hand. I destroyed that trust in 2 minutes flat by grabbing her horns and wrangling her over to the pen. Guess I'll have to start over.

She most certainly is the most bazaar goat. They aren't supposed to like rain. At all. While I don't believe she particularly enjoys it, She makes no attempt to shelter herself from it. She just lays in the rain Getting soaked.

The ranch I purchased her from had all their animals out on open pastures, except for kidding season. Maybe she's just used to sleeping under trees and bushes? She's now had three different shelters and I ain't making her a new one. Rainy season should be about over soon anyway.

Lucy is due to kid in May. Followed by Zooey and Ethel in June and July. Lily was sold 'exposed to Buck's but I don't think she's ' with child'.

Anyhoo- there's your goat update!
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Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Todays chore list

Clean the rabbit hutches.
Catch and move Angora out of quarentine to new pen.
Weed the garden patch and fertilize.
Plant seedlings gs that were started in doors.
Resize Maces 'new' shirts
Take kitchen scrap pail to vermicompost bin.
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Sunday, March 13, 2011

woman powered

This morning I hacked off about 5 three inch thick branches of the tamarisk that were hanging too low. Then I hacked off all limbs three inches and under off of a medium sized dead eucalyptus. Followed by digging it out of the ground and transporting it about 20 yards with help from my kids Fisher price wagon. I had to put the heavy rooted end in the wagon and I actually steered with the top of the tree.

I used a hacksaw to cut it up. Not a chainsaw ( While we own one, it intimidates me). Mornings like this make me feel very capable and proud to be a strong woman. I know to some it doesn't seem like much, but to me it is!

Remember Renee Zellwegers character n Cold Mountain? I feel like a channeled that gal juuuuuust a little bit..
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Thursday, March 10, 2011

chasing geese....eggs

Lover brought home 5 goose eggs, from a nest on a hotel balcony, That had to be removed. I have no idea if They're fertilized but I do get the pleasure of caring for them over then next 30 days. At preasent I Have no incubator so in trying it the reptile way until tomorrow. That means the eggs are in damp sand in a plastic shoe box marked with an X on the top for easy turning identification. They're in my bathroom a.k.a hot room bird nursury. Wish Me Luck Y'all! !
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SCORE!!! Potatoes!!

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Monday, March 7, 2011

its like christmas! again!

Today was a very good mail day. No bills today for me!! However I did get the new gurneys seed catalog, the next Torchwood disk from Netflix AND a new book from paperbackswap.com!! I'm very happy
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Wednesday, March 2, 2011

goats v. kids

I love my goats more than my kids. They're cuter, listen better And they don't smell as bad.
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Tuesday, March 1, 2011