Thursday, November 20, 2008
Here Piggy Piggy!!
It is Simply life....... So here they are as of Yesterday morning!!! They thought it was time to eat.. That's the only time I come to see them right?!! lol Not true I do go visit just to watch them. They are very entertaining!!  These 3 little strands of hot wire keep them in well!! It don't keep the other animals out. So far the goats tore it down and the calves jumped.. All got shocked and haven't been As curious!!
 There is a boss and her name is Ms. Bossy! She is the second one in the pic.
 This is Redneck Hillbilly! Billy for short. He is soooo cute!! He is also the Registered Red Wattle boar. He is future sire to future piglets! The others are Red Wattle/Tamworth crosses.
 Here is Ms.Bossy Isn't she a beauty?LOL
 Here they are all lined up watching every move I make!!
 Little pile of Piggies!! The little guy waits till they lay down and then piles in the middle to make himself at home!! I hope he doesn't keep up that habit because when he gets to be a big boy he will crush them!lol
 Here they are going back to rooting and ignoring me since I didn't bring any treats!! They have more hair then most people realize and they don't have much problem staying warm as long as they have shelter and good food!
And this is what we do for them... They get a little feed everyday that is a mix of Chopped corn, crimped oats and crimped barley with a little trace salt for minerals. They are moved to a fresh pasture when they have ate it down. They have fresh water most of the time!! They like to put their front feet in it while drinking and then of course their noses are all dirty from rooting and it gets in the water! What they do to the pasture is good as long as its not over done!!! It helps loosen the soil and breaks it up to turn it like a natural tiller. I am going to put them in spots were we will have a garden next year to turn the soil.
Of course their main purpose here is to supply yet another variety to the supply of naturally grown meat from here on the farm. Currently we have 2 gilts, 1 boar and 1 barrow. A gilt is a female who has never had piglets. Boar is a intact male and barrow is a castrated male.
They have turned rather friendly even though I had my doubts to begin with. But as long as they are well fed they will be fairly docile. Till they see a bucket!! lol Then they can get pretty loud!!
I am impressed with the Red Wattles ability so far to be growing so well on pasture and a small amount of grains. I know its not just the Red Wattle that will do that but just my experience so far.
When I was a kid we would raise pigs occasionally in a smaller lot with a pelleted complete feed. They live out 9 months or so in the lot and then was processed. We didn't have near as small pens as some people because my dad always liked to have space for animals. But it wasn't pastured either. It cost alot to feed them the pelleted feed and last spring the feed was so high that we took them a few months early to the processors to balance the cost.
Pastured is so much easier on the pocket book!! It was costing around $45 a week for 4 pigs last spring a month that was $180. The way we are doing it now the feed is less then $70 a month. Just a little less then half. This amount will only vary a little with pasture availability. Basically their extra grain is to keep them friendly and adds extra to their pasture diet.
So there are our pigs!! Have a good night all!!
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Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Its All About Chickens!!
It is Simply life.......
 Its been a busy couple of days once again.. We got the rabbits moved to the big barn and all set up. Its made to were the goats and sheep cant get to them! They would probably destroy the cages trying to get to the rabbit food! My oldest DD is putting hay in the nest boxes and we have hung the nest box and the feeders. So we should have no more smashed hens.....
So I thought I would take pictures of the different chickens we have...
 This is one of my Ameruacanas. They lay the different colored eggs. I have gotten pink, green and some blue but mostly green and brown... The chickens themselves come in a wide variety of colors! The middle chicken in the next pic is also a Ameruacana hen. I think I have 12 Ameruacana hens.
  Here is one of my light Brahma hens. These are real gentle and tame.. They are so pretty to me anyway. They are almost 2 yrs old now. Light Brahmas are suppose to be good winter layers too. They haven't done bad at all with all the moving and stuff we have done....
 There is my light Brahma rooster. He has never once even fluffed his neck feathers at me.. You do have to corner him to catch him but once you do he just sits in your arms. He was also in our church Easter drama. The kids loved him!!
 This was a breed my youngest DD got this last spring the girls saved their money and each picked a breed. She ended up with No hens... SO here is Comanche he is a Mottled Houdan. He is real wild and thinks he is hot stuff.. But when you call his bluff he runs!! She wants to show him next year at the fair...
 This rooster is my other DD's. He is a little wild man too. He is a Silver Spangled Hamburg. She has a hen and rooster. So she at least got one hen. He also thinks he is hot stuff!! lol But he usually just chases the hens not us... The hen behind him is in one of the dust baths I have provided since they are in the barn. I put D.E and wood ashes in them. It helps keep lice and mites away.
 He is fluffing his neck feathers out here.. He can make them stand straight out from his neck!! They look so funny when they do that. The Mottled Houdan was coming up behind him flapping his wings.. (pitch fork in the background is not left there for those of you concerned for our safety! it was being used to spread out hay and layed down to take pics!lol)
 This is a Barred Rock rooster I am saving to put with the hens to get little Barred Rock Crosses for laying. He is a big guy but not to crazy! I think he is just beautiful!! I don't normally like the barred rock...
Here is our little Henny!!  She is a banty, one of the 2 that were left after the neighbor's dog made few visits!! She is very friendly and will sit on our arms or shoulder where ever we put her.. And she talks back to us!! lol She looks a little bald thanks to the roosters but its growing back!
 Here is one of my silkie hens up next to my big rooster. She is little Not as little as some of the silkies but still small compared to other hens.
 Here is a black silkie rooster and hen. The poor little hen you cant even see her eyes!!! Needless to say she isn't hard to catch! this was what my oldest DD picked for her chickens.. I want some more colors eventually....
 The black hens in this pic are the Black Australorps. They are suppose to be good winter layers too. The eggs I have gotten so far are freckled!!! They are brown with darker brown spots.
This is what I do for my chickens...
They have fresh water with ACV available all the time! I also feed them Game Bird starter crumble mixed with poultry grains and D.E. It has no medication what so ever. They are eating less then 100 pounds a week its about every 10 days that I get feed for them.. I have right at 50 chickens. The amount depends on what they have access. With the cold that has moved in they don't venture as far so they are eating more closer. .I was going through more till I figured out that the ducks where helping themselves too!! Which the ducks get some too just not that much!!
My chickens also have free access to outside.They get to scratch through everything in the barn. Any little tasty bug or sprout goes to the chickens. They also have to share kitchen scraps with the pigs and cats.. We recently made applesauce and canned some and all the left over cores and peeling went to the pigs and chickens, they Loved Them!!! One things to remember about chickens is they are Omnivores Not Vegetarians!! They do need some form of protein bugs generally provide that in the wild.. Along with the plants and whatever else they may find. Sometimes you just have to not look at what they eat!!! lol
They are not locked up but do come back to the barn to roost right now. They use the gates to roost on and the front of the nest boxes. We do have a 2X4 wire around the bottom to keep the silkies in and the goats out!! We don't have to worry about predators because we have Livestock Guardian dogs that keep watch and we haven't lost any chickens since. They are not technically pastured as of yet... We are planning an that for next year. But they do free range alot..
I think the best animal to start with if you have never had any type of farm animals is the chicken. They aren't to hard to keep. We have always had some kind of chickens every since I was a kid. My mom and dad would take us to the local hatchery and get babies. Its one of those many childhood memories that I have passed down to my kids..
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Saturday, November 15, 2008
Cold Weather Is Here For sure!!!
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It is Simply life....... Today was the first day of deer season. We all wenbt out and 1 by 1 headed back to Nana's house to warm homemade cinnamon rolls and hot coffee!! LOL its was just to much temptation with the weather. It rained alittle and snowed/sleeted too. The wind was blowing hard and cold.. All the deer were in hiding and out of sight due to the wind. So no luck today. Hubby will go back out tomorrow and he has Monday off too. The hazy look to the pic is the snowy sleet that came down.  We lost 2 silkie hens last night. I had moved the chickens down to the barn and I didnt secure the nesting box enough and the only thing I can figure out is that they all tried to roost on the fron tand it got top heavy. It smashed them and of course it would be 2 of the hens!! A white one and a black one. Poor little darlins!! SInce I have moved them I am getting 15-18 eggs a day. A few cant get it into their little brains that the food and shelter is now in the barn... lol They keep heading back up and roosting on the corral fence. I hope they are at least laying their eggs in the barn!! 
I have a goat getting close to baby time. She has an udder and has mucous on her back end. The big thing is her ligaments are loosening and getting squishy. Her name is Ethel and she gave me twins on her first kidding. A beautiful little girl we named Splashy and I wish we had kept and she had a twin brother named Shrimp. She was a little young when she had her first babies but she was an excellent momma and recovered very well. She is a Boer/Nubian cross and I just love her spots. Her momma is Dottie in my photos. She is Black with white spots. Ethel has been bred to a Kiko buck and I cant wait to see what her babies look like. 
Have a good night all!
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Friday, November 14, 2008
Do I Ever Get A Pajama Day??
It is Simply life....... This is in response to a comment I had on my farm blog.... Yes i do occasionally.. After everyone is taken care of outside. Or if I go outside in my pajamas!! LOL
But no seriously one of the things with farming is there is rarely a break from the everyday. Animals depend on us for everything. If we are keeping them in pens and they arent wild we have to make sure all needs are met. One of the reasons its been so busy right now is we are heading into winter months and everyone needs to be situated before the cold so they have most protection from the elements but still able to get out.
Since things are really just getting started here they need a little(maybe alot) of tweaking. Another thing is at first we had no way to separate intact males from the females so we have no real due dates so its basically hey she looks pregnant.! But we are now set up to keep them separate so we can get on a schedule and get things under control here.
The thing with farming is there are times of little activity and then times of crunched for time,SLEEP, or just time... lol I really think if you are going to be successful at farming you have to have a love for it and be willing to try some new stuff but also look to some of the way things were done 60+ years ago..
Some people think it may be easy money because you buy a few animals and raise them and sell babies for profit..As soon as they hit a roof spot they are out! But true farming to me covers everything.. Animals, gardens,God, pasture, education, work ethic, and family life.
I have been around some type of farming all my life and seen the good and bad of it. The ones in it for the $$ and the ones who truly love it.. The ones that usually make it love it and the ones that don't well obviously didn't love it.... There is a lot of variables of in between those.
Farms can be big and little! Land is expensive and so if you have 5-20 acres you can still have some kind of farm and make a little and be self sustaining on that much land. Some do it on even less then 5 acres. All you have to do is google the different types of farming and find all kinds of stories!! Yep I got all that from "Do I ever get a Pajama day??" lol
 Now on to my eventful day yesterday!!! The pigs decided to take a day trip.... To the neighbors house!!! They had crossed a fairly busy road and went up the hill to see what they could see!!! So we got over there with a bucket and they followed us back and by the time we got them up to the house they were walking very slow. lol Their trip wore them out! So now they are in their very own customized pen of electric fencing!! lol They didn't find out it shocks till this morning. And they are staying well away from it!! Its even keeping the little squirt in!! He usually squeezes right through those bars..  They had pushed under a fence and wondered around the yard some and then took their little trip!! How can you not love that little face looking so innocent!!! They had found mud some where between here and there too!! Just had them a hay day!! lol They are being good kind of like kids after mom and dad have laid down the law they are good for a few days till they figure out a new way to go around the rules!! It was one heck of a day yestersday!! I was glad to get to bed last night! I will have to get a pic of the pigs in their new pen. They have been happily rooting around all morning! They are Great tillers.
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Tuesday, November 11, 2008
New Baby #3
It is Simply life.......
Its a little heifer!! From Daisy the one we want to milk. I really need to start listening to my little voice because I looked at her the day before and thought Hmmmm I think she looks like she had dropped but I was like nooo I thought that 2 months ago... Well last night on my way to town I saw her behind the barn cleaning the baby up.. I thought Yeah she did have a baby.. I went on to town.. Thought I would leave her be.. Well then it started raining nothing hard just a light cold rain!!
We got home from 4H and I went to check on them and momma was getting a little stressed and baby was laying at an odd angle!! Apparently it had gotten up and tripped over a log and went down. It wasn't moving much and was soaked and shivering at 5 hours old. So I panicked a bit but didn't want to scoop up baby and run, we would have had a mad momma!! So We slowly coaxed momma to the back door of the barn with Kyle holding baby and me holding the bucket.. She didn't ever really get to upset at us which is good! We had a light up in the barn so we could see and the goats were gathering..lol We got her in and laid the baby down and she snuggled up to her and started licking her pretty rough and getting her dry.
 Its hard to leave them alone sometimes but I have learned sometimes that's the best thing to do!! This morning went down to check and they had moved farther into the barn in a pile of bedding and baby was dry and sleeping. She has allowed us to pet the baby for a few minutes and then she lets us know enough is enough.. lol But she is fairly calm though. Baby is a little shaky compared to the other 2 but its was better weather when they were born.
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Monday, November 10, 2008
Ooooo My Aching Back!!!
It is Simply life.......
 Thats what comes with the trimming of goat hooves!!! lol It took us 5 hours today but its done!! Well except the boys. I am going to have Kyle help me with those. Some of the does havent been handled much so this is what happens when you do get a handle on them...... Well besides their horn handles.... Basically once we get the halter on some of the wild ones we just hold on till they realize that we arent out to get them. They calm down and the girls hold them while I trim the hooves. then you gt a stubborn goat or 2...or 20...lol I was all bent over trimming hooves when she plopped down!! Please be aware pics of us are ummm not the best Lol We are in chore clothes and not at our fashion plate best..... but hey the animals dont care if they match and goats tend to nibble on the flyaway hair!! 
 Here are the calves out playing last night. They were in the corral the mommas couldnt get in to them and they were about to have fits!! I could just see Momma's saying You just wait till you get back on this side of the gate You WILL be in trouble!! LOL They were flying around with tails straight up in the air and kicking up the heels!!
 Website for Walk behind Tractor and implements! http://www.earthtoolsbcs.com/ This is a pic of the rake the mower was behind it I forgot to get a pic of it. But they both hook up to the tractor. Very cool!!
One little Black Silkie Roo!! He is the biggest out of the 2 silkies roos we have!! So cute!! The Ducks have discovered that the chickens get free food!! They dont have to work for all the food they get!!lol SO they are making themselves at home in the chicken pen!! Not to much they still like the pond too....  I hope everyone has a great evening.. We have a 4H meeting I forgot about!!! I was hoping for a night at home... All well maybe tomorrow night...
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Sunday, November 9, 2008
What a weekend!!!
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It is Simply life.......
After 2 crazy weeks of babysitting we were gone basically since Thursday night. We had a 4H volunteer meeting and the girls went to Nana's house. Then Friday and Saturday was spent at the Small Farm Trade show. Kyle didn't get to go on Saturday as planned though. I didn't get to all the classes either because of getting hung up in other classes talking to people about things. But I did get to go to the class given by Joel Salatin. The best part was Friday Kyle and I got to be together all day and we talked like we hadnt talked since the big move and all the stuff that snow balled after it. It was great!!
 First pic is of a tractor type thing that looks like a tiller on steroids!!! lol But it has a baler, mower and rake that hooks up to it.. Would be great if you had about 10-15 acres!! It was a multi-purpose deal! And Expensive!!!!
Then here is a Sam look alike!! A full blooded Komondor! I am really impressed with these dogs!! He does the same thing as Sam to and tried to chew his leash in half so then he was on a chain! He trims him every year in the spring with a pair of scissors over a week or 2. and that's it!! They are so easy around people too.. They don't seem to get confused on where their place is like some of the other LGD's do. They look like miniature polar bears and they can put another predator in its place!! We were worried about them getting from one side of the farm to the other. Friday morning we were getting ready to leave and We saw a dog up on the road.. Dinah and Sam was no where to be seen all the sudden here they come Flying across the field over the fence and to the road edge fence. The other dog took off like he had been shot at!! We were like YEAH!!!! go Sam and Dinah!!! All I can say is I am impressed!!  Fainting goats that were there.. Short but broad!! Very pretty colors!!  Muscovy Drake and duck. Full grown!! Made ours look small!!!! Very pretty birds!
 Last but not least how to pasture rabbits with out them getting away!!! I thought this was cool. Joel Salatin's son started raising rabbits at 8 yrs old and has developed some that he is very happy with. And speaking of Joel Salatin. I read his books and thought they wer great ideas didn't understand everything or how it would be applied to a smaller farm. Then getting to hear him speak He was an awesome person to listen too. He is very personable and a little goofy! lol But he is also very passionate about family, farming and changing the way its done. He is very concerned about certain issues and not his next dollar. He said after all this time and the way they do things they still don't have a financial plan or long term goals. His advice is you want to farm quit the job and just jump in and do it!!! Yikes!! What scary advice!! He also inherited his farm.. His website is www.polyfacefarms.com the farm of many faces.
There was also a couple of guys right here in Missouri that are practicing Managed Intensive Grazing with cattle and sheep. They cant say enough about it! They said it can be done on a place as small as 5 acres! It improves the soil at a rate of 4 tons an acre per year!!! Adding organic material and natural fertilizer. It also keeps the rain in the soil and it doesn't dry out as much. The seed bank is turned up and all 3 guys that talked on MIG said they haven't seeded in 20-50 years and have a wide variety of grasses and legumes Except Alfalfa.Which I have never been real impressed with alfalfa. My goats prefer weeds to alfalfa!! lol They think Alfalfa is expensive bedding meant to be wallowed in... Brats!
Also did you know that Honey bees go to a range of a 2 mile radius from the hive? The supreme courts have also declared they have the right to trespass!! lol
It was fun to go to the tradeshow But I was so Glad to be home!!! We are such homebodies!!!
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Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Just My Luck!!!
It is Simply life.......
 I was out doing chores this evening and it was just getting dark, I stepped on a piece of glass!!! funny thing was earlier today I saw it in the tack shed and thought I really should pick that up or someone will step on it....... Yep someone did... I hate it when I am right!!! lol Of course it would be right before the weekend I will have lots of walking to do..... I have soaked it all evening and it looks better.... I was wearing my crocs because they are more comfortable when its warmer outside... It went right through the shoe into my foot Very much painful.... But it will heal.
 This is what the yard looks like now. It has been windy and the temps are starting to drop some. Indian Summer is over for us!!
 A few brave leaves hanging on... The goats are snatching up all the yellow ones!! They love them...
The Mamas and babies!! They are growing so fast!!! The other mamas take turns babysitting. The brown mama Nina has calmed down and is no longer interested in pawing the ground when we come around.. Just wants to see whats in the bucket... lol Tomorrow night starts a busy weekend for us. Its a meeting for the 4H volunteers tomorrow night and then the trade show Friday and Saturday. So I hope everyone has a great weekend!
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Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Our Weekend and Some Pictures..
It is Simply life.......
 I was playing with the camera Friday when starting a fire to take the chill out of the house..
I did a rare thing Saturday morning and slept in for about an hour and a half more than normal. But then I felt like I was behind all day!! I did get the tack shed cleaned out some more and the feed moved into it and organized. There is still a pile in one corner that needs to be taken care of but it will happen!! We also got the travel trailer moved closer to start working on that for the chickens!! I will have to take before and after pictures..
I was up early yesterday and took some foggy pics. the way the fog rolls in here just amazes me..  
What Kyle did sitting in the stand with Kara deer hunting! He couldn't hunt at all because it was for youth only so he took the camera and was taking pictures of wild animals...(squirrels and chipmunks.) But I thought this was a good one...  We go to the Small Farm Trade show this weekend. There is much to see!!!
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Saturday, November 1, 2008
My Baby Girl, The Hunter!!!
 It is Simply life....... She got a small doe this afternoon!! It wasa clean shot and quick kill.. Made her daddy proud!!! She is the one of our girls that has the patience to sit and wait for the deer!! And it paid off today. THis was her first deer and she is 11 yrs old. She did much better then me!! Lol I never hit mine!! I got so excited I couldnt keep it on the deer!lol. Anyway I just had to brag a little!! Have a good night!
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Thursday, October 30, 2008
Hard Frost
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
ONLY ONE WORD
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It is Simply life.......
TYPE ONLY ONE WORD. IT'S HARDER THAN YOU THINK!!!
1. Where is your cell phone? truck
2. Your significant other? work
3.Your hair? long
4.Your mother? home
5. Your father? work
6. Favorite thing ? life
7. Your dream last night? nothing
8. Your favorite drink? coffee
9. Your dream/goal? sustainability
10.The room you're in? livingroom
11. Your fear? lose
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years?Here
13. Where were you last night? Home
14. What you're not? crazy
15. Muffins? oatmeal
16. One of your wish list items? shelves
17. Where you grew up? country
18. The last thing you did? picture
19. What are you wearing? jeanskirt
20. Your TV? digital
21. PETS? Lots
22. Your computer? Cool
23. Your life? interesting
24. Your mood? happy
25. Dating someone? No
26. Your car? ancient
27. Something you're not wearing? shoes
28. Favorite Store? farm
29. Your summer? where?
30. Your favorite color? Blues
31. When is the last time you laughed? minutes
32. Last time you cried? week
Here's what you're supposed to do...and please don't spoil the fun:cut & paste into YOUR BLOG or Email, delete my answers and type in your answers & keep the fun going!
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Tuesday, October 28, 2008
DUcks,Calves And 1st Frost....
It is Simply life.......
 We have been able to get a little closer He is up and running with momma now.. So I now have to get him through the gate with momma!! I am pretty sure its a boy too..
 I sent the girls out with the camera today and they came back with pictures of the calf #2 and ducks.. Here is a few of our ducks. I want to catch a pic of one flying. They are so big and pretty. Especially the darker ones. They have the greenish tint to some of their feathers. We should have a big variety of color of color. We have the gray, black, white and brown. Some are most one color with a little other color here and there... 
 We had the first hard frost this morning too. Its was below 30* and everything was white.. It was so pretty and if I had really been with it I would have went out and got a pic but I was cold!! lol And a little lazy... SO I just enjoyed the view with a cup of coffee... Maybe next time...
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Saturday, October 25, 2008
Another New Baby!!!
It is Simply life.......
I knew it was soon she kept trying to seclude herself yesterday!! But we had another calf early this morning.. Its was still wet! I dont want to say for sure bull or heifer till I can get closer. She is keeping him well away from us mean people that give her treats!!lol I am almost positive its a boy though.. She started pawing the ground at me and rolling her eyes so I figured I had better make myself scarce!! Anyways there is calf #2!!
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Friday, October 24, 2008
Pigs, Chickens, and One Little Calf....
It is Simply life.......
It was very cool this morning! So this is what I saw when I looked out this morning!! When I opened the door the ears popped up!! LOL They were dreaming of buckets overflowing with treats I am sure!!lol They have gotten lots of hair in the last week! All the animals are getting fuzzy!!
I don't think I have posted many chicken pictures... So here are a few.. First is my Light Brahma Roo. He is a year and half old now.. He is the biggest sweetest feller!!lol He has never been aggressive in the least bit. I have 5 light Brahma hens also.
Next is a little banty hen we first thought was a rooster because she had such big comb for such a little chicken But she lays eggs and talks back to us!! She is so funny she also allows us to pick her up and carry her around. She is a little bald right now though thanks to over attentive roosters!! But it will grow back! Then there is a little wild girl... She is an Americuana banty. Cute as a button!! But she watches us like she is afraid of us! Or she is a bit sassy! lol She should make a good momma though! That is an Australorp hen standing next her. The Australorps lay pretty dark brown freckled eggs!! 
And last but not least little Sirloin he was trying to check out the little roo. But it would have nothing to do with him..
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Thursday, October 23, 2008
Why we do what we do with the farm.....
It is Simply life.......
There are so many reasons to do what we do here at the farm. But the main reason I got into milking goats and other animals is this.
My youngest DD was Diagnosed several years ago with Hashimotos Disease. Which is basically an under active thyroid. She was only 7. I had already tried to eat as much organic as possible. I tried the soy milk and all that stuff till I started reading more about it. A little soy is okay but to much hampers thyroid processes. And if you read ingredients you will see its in just about anything.. About this time my mom started looking into goats. She got a few and the next year we started drinking goats milk raw.. The milk in the stores has been processed till there is not much good left.. They take most of the good stuff out (what they haven't cooked out in the pasteurization) then they put back with chemicals. The Vitamin D they put in store bought milk is actually a poison type stuff.. Not a natural vitamin. Check out www.rawmilk.org I don't say no to cows milk!! Goats are easier and cheaper to get started in I will eventually have raw cows milk too..
Also with soy children as young as 3 were starting puberty and it was causing men to develop breast and other things because of the high estrogen content.. I cant remember the site that I found the info.. The doctor told a friend of mine that girls normal age for puberty is Now 9 yrs old where it use to be 11 yrs old.. The longer it is before they start puberty the healthier it is.. Boys or girls...
So fast forward a few years.. My middle girl has just recently been diagnosed with the same as her twins sister they have small goiters and hashimotos. I really think the reason it took longer for one to develop it is because of the change in our diet..
Now I am not saying we produce all we eat or we never eat out... We eat Mickey D's occasional and have a candy bars too. Soda on occasion.. But I try to make the bulk of our diet good stuff.. Its taken several years to get to the point we are at.. I haven't pushed the garden much because I was trying to get the livestock going. There are various farmers markets and farms to buy from too..
Now we have moved to this farm and are managing for a friend which is Evelyn who post comments occasionally. Its is certified naturally grown .http://www.naturallygrown.org/ We use no chemical fertilizers, or pesticides. Antibiotics and chemical dewormers on rare cases. We try to use Holistic/Natural Alternatives methods first.
Pastured is best for anything.. Some of it is extensive though and takes more time then some of us have. But we can all do small things.. Like support local farmers or farmers market. www.localharvest.org
Here are some of the websites I use for different things.
We do care for all our animals to the best of our ability. There is a lot of learning to be done.. Everything is given a good life on the farm and when it comes time, a humane death. We do have pets and not all are for meat. We use some for eggs and some for milk.. On this farm as of right now. We have Dexter cattle for meat and milk. We have goats for milk and meat. Various breeds!! Chickens for insect control, meat and eggs. Some for entertainment!! Hogs for tilling the garden and meat. Sheep for meat. Rabbits- small ones for pets and big ones for meat. Ducks for insect control, eggs and meat. Horses well they are here for entertainment. We have livestock guardian dogs for protection from predators.. But they seem to like the eggs too!! Brats! We have 2 house dogs and various cats around the place.. Little rescue boy cat is outside I cant handle cats in the house for very long!! Anyways that is about us.. Everything I can think of right now.. I am sure as soon I publish I will remember something else!!
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Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Just Ducky!!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Happenings Around Here!
It is Simply life.......
 The top pic is of all the goats and sheep waking up in the morning.. They all sleep together now. And they spend most of the day in the same area too... I got most of them in the pic but I couldn't quite get it wide enough.. I was trying to take it from the front door because if I had went out to the gate to where I would have gotten a better pic they would have all gotten up and come to the gate...
We have been busy .... Okay I don't ever have much time really always something to do!! But this last week I went to Columbia twice in one week... The farthest I usually go is town.. less then a mile away!! Columbia is at least 2 hours away.. But Saturday I went to a 4H Project Leader Forum.. While I don't agree with everything in 4H I do believe its a good program with good intentions. Anyways Of course I took the goat project class since I do lead the goat project now.. One of the guys that spoke in that class runs the USDA buying station in southern Missouri.. About 3 years ago after struggling for several years with parasite overloads they started heavy culling for parasite problems.. They started with 1100 Boer does and ended with 100. I was like I cant even imagine that many just does!!! That's not counting the kids or bucks!!! But they have gotten chemical worming down to 3 times a year.. For an operation that large I think that's good... He did say to that the ones that are so good can be traced back to the same matriarchal lines. He had a lot more to say but that is the thing that stood out the most to me..
While I was typing this the goats got out!!! But they have been real good and will follow us just about anywhere with a little coaxing.
 We also had a miscarriage scare. My one big white doe Gina that some one gave to me last spring because they didn't know anything about goats and should be pregnant. My oldest DD came in said she was peeing blood but it was watery... But then I got to noticing that all the goats had purple stains on them.... They had been in a different part of the woods and been into the poke berries!!! She was acting fine and everything else was fine too... SO I think she just had to many poke berries and it colored her pee.. If she was bred by my Nubian buck she is due in another week or so. but if she was bred when I moved her here then she isn't due till middle of November.I did feel babies moving too. I had to push pretty hard but I felt them!! SO she is getting close. But her ligaments are just now starting to soften but just barely. But she is almost 4 yrs old so she could do all this over night!!
Well I am off to get ready for the rain we are suppose to get. Its now cold enough to keep the fire going all day most days and with the wet weather headed our way I have to get the wood covered so its not to wet to burn!! Have a good day!!
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Friday, October 17, 2008
Look What Came Up With The Rest Of The Cows!!!
It is Simply life.......
He is soooo Cute. His name is Sirloin. He was still a little wet but up and running. Momma wouldnt let us get close either. She took him back over the hill and hid.
He is so little !! You just want to pick him up and squeeze him but that isn't happening!!!
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Thursday, October 16, 2008
When I Think I Can Do It All........
It is Simply life.......
Here we are in a family self portrait! LO I set the camera up on my purse and took the pic... That is why its at that angle!! All the various new animals are doing good. Little ducks cant fit through the wire and are outside now! Good thing they don't do enclosures very well! STINKY! Little pig is doing good and follows me if I am out in the pen. I need to get the Solar Electric fencer and get him set up for a new pen.
I now have to get going and will be back later! Have a great day all!
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And here are the ducks again....lol They are just so Photogenic!!lol I will have pics of other things for tomorrow. Like the pigs, the lamb and whatever else catches my eye this afternoon....
The top pic is of all the goats and sheep waking up in the morning.. They all sleep together now. And they spend most of the day in the same area too... I got most of them in the pic but I couldn't quite get it wide enough.. I was trying to take it from the front door because if I had went out to the gate to where I would have gotten a better pic they would have all gotten up and come to the gate...
So then yesterday we had to go about 2and a half hours away for a doctors appointment for one of the girls. We also had a field trip to the state capital since we had to go through there to get to the doctor. On the way home we stopped at the grocery store and the girls and Kyle rescued a kitten while I was inside... They hid it when I got in the car and was waiting for it to make noise to tell me. It wasn't making noise before they got the giggles and told me... he is only about 6 weeks old and has been deflea'd, dewormed and fed... And has made himself at home!! He wont be able to be a house cat though as I am allergic to them and they make me sneeze if around them to much.. But hopefully he will make a good barn cat once he gets healthy and goes back outside.