Breakfast Buffet...

This is a typical scene during feeding time....
This is what happens when you're only 40 lbs and sharing a food tub with someone who's atleast 750lbs and hungrier...

Darn it....shoved out again....

Cute chick and new additions...

Little chick is still alive out there...boy there are some serious hazards to your life when you're only 3-4 inches tall! It has managed to thrive and momma hen is awesome. She has an amazing set of different noises for each little thing she is trying to teach it. It's so neat to watch. I need to get a more recent pic. You can really see it feathering out good now. I do not want to raise chicks again. Broody hens are great!

This gal below is SweetPea. She is a nanny goat given to us. Her hair is so soft and full. I've never pet a goat like her. She is a mix of some sort...not sure what, but it looks as if she's letting me know exactly what she thinks of her new pasture mates..look closely for that pink tongue. She also figured out how to jump onto the roof of the chicken shed! It about scared the mess out of me. She hasn't done it again though.

These two banties are Australorpes...I'm sure I spelled that wrong...but oh, well. I laughed when I saw that pic. He was quietly clucking to her when I took it...must have been whispering sweet nothings in her ear. LOL. We have four of these.

We also have another barred rock roo and some hens. I plan to take one hen to a friend of mine. She gets picked on by my hens and hides all day in the coop from fear it seems. She is blind in one eye and it's affecting her response time when hens come at her for whatever reason that they may...moody little things. My friend only has a hen and a roo and would love to take her I'm sure.

Curious Goats...

The goats have thoroughly enjoyed the Gustav aftermath. They stripped the mulberry tree clean and then they went after the brush pile we have waiting to burn...the kids can't wait for that since we promised to roast hot dogs and marshmallows over it. The kids built a little hut into the side of the stick pile using the branches and logs. They have fun out there and so do the hens...they hang out underneath as well.

Prayers in a restaurant...

My grandmother sent this to me today! I found it very touching...

Last week, I took my children to a restaurant.

My six-year-old son asked if he could say grace.

As we bowed our heads he said, "God is good, God is great. Thank you for the food, and I would even thank you more if Mom gets us ice cream for dessert. And Liberty and justice for all! Amen!"

Along with the laughter from the other customers nearby, I heard a woman remark, "That's what's wrong with this country. Kids today don't even know how to pray. Asking God for ice cream! Why, I never!"

Hearing this, my son burst into tears and asked me, "Did I do it wrong? Is God mad at me?"

As I held him and assured him that he had done a terrific job, and God was certainly not mad at him, an elderly gentleman approached the table.

He winked at my son and said, "I happen to know that God thought that was a great prayer."
"Really?" my son asked. "Cross my heart," the man replied.

Then, in a theatrical whisper, he added (indicating the woman whose remark had started this whole thing), "Too bad she never asks God for ice cream. A little ice cream is good for the soul sometimes."

Naturally, I bought my kids ice cream at the end of the meal. My son stared at his for a moment, and then did something I will remember the rest of my life. He picked up his sundae and, without a word, walked over and placed it in front of the woman. With a big smile he told her, "Here, this is for you. Ice cream is good for the soul sometimes; and my soul is good already."


Sometimes, we all need some ice cream.

I hope God sends you some Ice Cream today!


Speaking of Ice Cream...we made our first batch of ice cream with our goats milk (and homegrown eggs)! YUM! It is vanilla with mini chocolate chips. I'll post pics later...

I had also taken 4 quarts of milk to a friend of mine who wanted to make cheese. He brought me back some and it was delish. We are really enjoying our milk goat. Unfortunately for the babies they aren't...today started their weaning and they are an unhappy little lot. I'm letting the sheep mama's do theirs naturally if they can manage it on their own. We'll see. The babies are just huge. They already have to practically lay down to nurse. LOL...it's quite comical to watch.

Some cuteness for today and farm stuff...

I've watched them play 'King of the hill/stool', but 'King of the hole'? That's a new one on me!
The chickens dug this hole from an old ant bed...chickens love to take dust baths to help keep the bugs off of them. This particular hole is a foot deep and atleast a foot wide. There is a whole next to it too. Often we'll catch the babies laying next to it and then when we look again, they've fallen in and are trying frantically to get themselves out...too funny!
I-Pod, the boer x buckling (his mother's name is Blackberry, LOL) seems to be wispering something into his ear, LOL.
What...we're not up to anything at all!
This is our bull calf...hopefully he'll be our steer calf soon. He loves this wooden spool. He rubs his head and sides on it and he rolls it all around the paddock out there. Goofy calf.
We did lose a little female sheep baby. We're not exactly sure what happened with her. We noticed this past month that she wasn't growing nearly as good as the others and was a bit smaller; she just seemed to keep loosing weight even though she was eating and nursing. She would also throw up when the kids picked her up they said...I never saw that though. We did all sorts of stuff for her, but a few days ago she laid up under the horse trailer (the babies favorite spot) and passed on...that stinks, but it happens unfortunately...

It's official...

we are being overrun by eggs! We're getting a dozen a day right now and my fridge perpetually seems to have 5 dozen at a time in there! We pretty much walk out there with a carton and fill it up! It's nice though seeing them all laying so well.

I am going to be putting up a flyer at the feed store to sell some of these babies and a couple of goats. I really need to downsize. The feed went up again two weeks ago. Horse feed jumped a dollar in two weeks, cow feed .75 cents more, goat and chicken feed .50 cents more. This is the fourth hike this year...it's just nuts. Luckily we've got pasture and grass to put the animals out on. I need to get a bale of hay for the calf so he'll have something to munch on in there. I so wish I could let him out in the pasture, but the fence isn't good for that.

I'm heading out in a sec to feed some of them and let the smaller livestock out into the back and front yard. Atleast they'll keep it mowed down and we'll save gas from the mower, LOL. Gas is rediculous right now too...

UGHHH...

Computers...what did we ever do without them? A whole lot more that's for sure, LOL. I have a tendency to stay on here too long some days.

Unfortunately, lately I have not been able to get on. Our computer went on the fritz last weekend and hubby is trying to figure out the problem...the think is just over two years old and I am ticked. We spent a good bit on it. Steve likes to play games online and with the kids so he got all sorts of up-grades for it.

I hit the library to use their computers...half the sites I couldn't get on due to their blockage system. Steve switched us over to the 'old' yet working computer and so that's what we're using now, but it's slow and I still can not go to some sites...it can't handle them. I needed to finish my order with Kodak.com, but I can't see one blasted picture in any of my albums to know what I'm ordering! LOL.

Hopefully we'll have the other computer up and running before too long. Steve has a part on order for it...I pray that it's the issue and not something else....

The last few days have seen me outside putting in our stone walkway to the front door from the driveway...it's a long walkway! I've had to stabilize each stone with some sand so they don't rock, and then I went along the whole path and cut a trench of sorts 6" wide. Tomorrow I'll be taking all the grass out of the trench and shaking the dirt from it, then add some manure and good soil to it, then planting the Mondo grass that my neighbor so graciously gave me to edge the path...I can't wait until it's finished. It's been a lot of work so far, but we needed it. Visitors can't use the back door anymore since we've got the drive gate up now.

On another note...I think Taffy, my dairy doe, and her little baby, got into something noxious as both were icky sick this afternoon. The doe looks like she's coming round and was wanting to munch down hay...the baby was still green in the gills...

Oh and the neighbor's have done it again....they have been letting their dogs out and I of course wasn't home this time. I've already called them once and got upset because they were in our pasture chasing our horses a few weeks ago. Of course they are more rambunctious dogs that haven't been taught any manners or commands. They are the ones that as puppies, killed all 23 of our pullets...not thrilled at all.

Today they were in our pasture and tried to eat our Golden Sex Link hen...she is one of our original hens from our very first batch. We really like her and she is very sweet. They chased her down into the horse shed and pulled her feather out and gave her four puncture wounds. I dressed her wounds and cleaned her up. I hope she does okay. They will be talked with tomorrow. My husband had to step on the dogs to keep them away from the hen. The owner was hollaring for them, of course that does absolutely no good. I am livid to say the least.. I am not going to be returning their dogs every time they are out like I tried to before....I was attempting to be nice, but they know I don't have the patience anymore.

Well on to tomorrow. Little Man is at a birthday party tonight..they are out in their tents for the sleep over! LOL. He has a game at 8:30 though so I have to go get him early. B has a game at 9 and Steve has to work; I'll miss the first half. Then it's back home to work on the pathway...

I'm off to sleep...it's been a long day.

Life on a farm sometimes is hard....

Well, our last goat that was due, just couldn't birth the kid. It was a really big one and was stuck and died...we tried to help her, but it wasn't happening. It was plain stuck. She wasn't doing well and unfortunately was getting on in her years. We had her put down to alleviate her suffering. I didn't feel it was a good idea to open her up and pull out the kid at her age.

B was upset about it when we told her. We had made her go inside once the decision was made. She of course wanted to know 'what' we did. She's old enough to know if she's asking. She understands that living on a farm has it's drawbacks sometimes and can be hard. I have decided that I really need to get a small pistol. I had to ask our neighbor, a hunter, to come and take care of her for me. I know he felt bad as we all did...it's hard to take an animals life even when you know it's suffering.

Rest in Peace Nutmeg...

A beautiful crisp day...

I know...kinda like seeing a kid pick their nose and eating it...still it was a funny shot that I didn't think I actually got!

There is no rain today. Hallelujah! I hope it stays gone until the start of summer!

One of our goats in is labor today. She has been up and down most of the morning. B keeps checking on her, watching her, keeping me up to date, minute by minute, of what she's doing-Mom, she's laying down. Mom, she has something hanging. Mom, she's up. Mom, she's walking around. Mom, she went into the shed. Mom, she's back down again.... LOL. That girl can be so obsessive when something interests her.

Our friends called us last night to say that our calf can be picked up. We headed over there when Steve got home and got him loaded up. He pretty much just went on in. That was so nice because he's a pretty big boy and no one wanted to have to fight him to get in! He did try and slip his big butt under the gate that we had blocking the way out of the barn; I was worried for a few seconds as we rushed forward to shoo him back. But I was mainly wondering about what we were going to do when we got home...we couldn't bring the trailer into the yard to the opening of the pen...still too wet-imagine that... I will give a huge thumbs up to my hubby though. He brought that trailer and truck in here, turned that thing around, avoiding the new fence, carport poles, basketball goal post and stayed on the cement for the most part. He got it put back just right after a few tries, without having to turn around in the yard like we normally have to do! Good job honey!

My friends will have to come back out to our house though and band the calf (a castration procedure). He is a big boy, already weighing in at over 600 lbs. We'll feed him out for the next 90 days and see how big he is then. He is a Hereford and is mooing like a maniac out there. He won't really let us near him, but that's ok...I don't like getting too friendly with something that we've 'named' Sirloin, LOL! (B likes to name everything even if it's destined to be food...sick child, LOL).

Here are our cutie little kids-the four legged kind that is. I need to get a video of them. They are a hoot to watch. As always...who needs TV when you have a farm full of animals?! They were playing chase here....

And now a Buck...

Got home last night from running a bazillion errands, Steve walks out and says, "You're just in time!"...our other goat Blackberry had her baby. I swear I thought that goat had two in there, she was big...but just the one little buck came. He is too cute with his floppy ears. He's a bit bigger than Taffy's little doeling. All seems well so far.

A New Addition...

We came home last night from soccer practice and I headed out to feed the animals before it got too dark...I called to the goats -who were already running to the gates with the hens in hot pursuit, but I didn't see Taffy, our cream colored Lamancha. I got the feed ready and heard her call to me from the goat shed next to the horse shed. I walked in there to see the cutest surprise that had just come forth not more than 20 minutes before I'd gotten out there. She was still quite wet. These pics are from this morning. She is nursing good so far. She has the markings of the boer goat we borrowed, but the ears are too darn cute! They are floppy right now, but I hope they'll stand. We'll see. They've got their own heat lamp and I'm glad we set it up last night. It was frosty this morning and they were toasty warm...I thought for sure she'd be the one going last of the 3 goats that were due! The kid's head is as big as my fist...too cute!

What a beautiful day...

So Thursday afternoon (when all the rain had finally stopped) we headed over to our friends farm and picked out our bull calf; too cute too! We'll pick him up when the ground dries up so we can get the trailer in the yard. I don't feel like wrangling a 500 lb calf across the backyard to the pen when I can just back the trailer into it instead!

We also got the dryer back...with no squeaking! May it last another 10 yrs!

I popped a letter off to the head of the Conn's company in Beaumont, TX. I had also recently filled out a 'rate your experience' card and had made a note that I was extremely unsatisfied with how things were being handle with my freezer. A lady called me about it yesterday (sort of a surprise really) and I told her what had been going on so far. She emailed it all to another office and stated that they would be calling me. I also told her that I would be writing a letter to their main office. So now we'll see what happens. By the way, the ice has built up so bad on the door that it's now touching the inside top and forming an ice patch there...the repair man just came on Tuesday and had cleaned the door off...so in less than 4 days a thick layer of ice has already formed. These people are nuts if they think that I should have to put up with all this for a new freezer!

We now have 3 goats that are bagging up and so we'll see who goes first. Most likely Blackberry, our black and white boer goat. I can't wait to see the babies!

At 2pm we are running over to the church building to clean. The kids are excited as they'll be able to use the humongous vacuum cleaner! They think that thing is fun. LOL. Wish they thought that about the one we have here at home!

Do I have to call them back?

We're almost finished with school today...we took a break for lunch (grilled cheese sandwiches, tomato soup and strawberries) and the kids ran off to play in J's room after they were done. They are playing Animal Rescue and Adoption...LOL. I can see we've been watching too many episodes of Animal Planet at night! They are being so nice...we only have outloud reading and journaling left to do. I think I'll sit here just a little longer, finish my post, put two items on Ebay and then call them back. By then they'll probably be yelling at each other for some reason or another and I'll need to separate them!

The temps went down again though. But it sure poured down last night. The animals didn't seem bothered by it and all but one, Pedro, looked nice and dry. That horse just loves to stand out in the rain! He does have alot of winter hair though and he'd been sweating the last couple of days. Poor fella.

We sold another one of the male goats. We now have 1 left. Then we'll be down to 6. 6 goofy, fence climbing, loud mouthed, opinionated, pushy, food hogs! They are funny though and if you've never had a goat come up to you for some lovin's then you don't know what your missing! They love giving little 'burpy' kisses. It's weird, but cute!

Well the kids are already starting in on each other...I'd better go....

Oh...and the freezer, after it's so called repair yesterday, is still icing up! Guess who I get to call today?! Fun....

Goats....

We sold two goats today and the big white roo that the kids called Charmin, LOL. Little did I know how my morning would turn out after we delivered them....

It's rained here so much that the guy couldn't get his trailer unstuck so we offered to deliver them for him. We sold him the two older ones since all he wanted them for was brush clearing and not breeding. We got there, pulled the big brown one out and put it into the guys pen. I had told him that his electric lines must be close together and near the ground so they wouldn't get out...his lines weren't and he put them in anyways. That goat got out in 2 seconds flat! We then were led on a good long chase of the thing, which I had just come to realize was a male. I always took it for a female. I guess I wasn't paying much attention to all that. I'd just assumed they were all females! Boy did I feel dumb when I had to tell him. Come to find out, they were both males! LOL. Their bellies are so hairy I actually had to feel up under there. I guess I never really stood around long enough to see them pee! LOL. We had to carry that blasted thing back at one point because he just flopped down and refused to move! What a goob.

The fellow didn't care that they were males and they were eventually put up into the horse trailer he had until he could make a pen for them. I wish him luck!

So we're now down to 8 goats...I need to catch the other wild ones and check them too; or else just stand around for a while and wait for them to 'go'. I'm not in need of any males and I'll sell them too.

We should be getting a Hereford calf this week from a friend of ours. We're going to raise it out for the freezer. The kids are trying to find a funny name for it. Our little neighbor friend wants to call it Angus, which would be cute if it was a Black Angus calf, but it's not. Then B said to call it Chili. I suggested Sirloin, LOL. We'll see.

B and I ran off to town to do some shopping after we delivered the goats and man were the stores packed! It was worse than before Christmas. I don't understand what the deal was.

We are letting the kids stay up late tonight to watch the ball drop. They don't seem to have on any shows for the kids late on TV though. Last year B watched a cute Cinderella movie on TV until right before the ball dropped.

Hope you all have a wonderful New Years tonight. Pray that the kids don't drive me up the wall since I'm sure they'll be ultra tired and just plain silly!

One of the goats...

I like her coloring....I need to get a pic of her other side. Plus the new 6 need names...I'm sure the kids will take care of that soon.

New goats....

An older couple we know and love had these goats and asked if we'd like them. They just don't have the energy to keep up with them anymore. I believe they were originally their sons goats and the neighbors goat got out a few times and bred them. Our Blackberry is a sister to one of them. They are very timid and won't come anywhere near us right now. It won't take long though and the kids will have them tamed up pretty well. 2 of them are older girls and need a little extra care. I love the coloring on the big black and white spotted one. I'm not sure of the breeds....just a bunch of mixed ones as far as I can tell...

We should be getting a few babies in the spring though...their neighbors buck had one last fling before he was rehomed! LOL.

Getting the goats out to the pen once we got home was a mess! They of course are wiggly and fast little buggers. We can't pull the trailer to the gate since the swing set and trampoline are in the way, but we got close enough. While taking one of the goats out, Steve had it'd neck between his legs. I was behind the goat and getting ready to pick up it's hind end. I told Steve to reposition himself so that he could pick up the front end and he did just that...only in the process of swinging his size 9 foot behind himself to stand upright-without realizing that I was right there behind him, he clocked me in the nose and front teeth! I dropped to my knees and blurted out a few obcenities (he said I did anyways). He couldn't really see me and thought I was okay since I sounded mad, but then I started crying (cause let me tell you that hurt! Made my nose bleed and my head already hurts from this stinking cold). Course he couldn't check my face out since that would mean letting go of the goat! He kept saying I'm so sorry! We hurried up and wrangled the goat into the pen and then he looked me over...my gums are bruised and my face hurts something fierce, but nothing seems broken. Course now my nose is really stuffy since I'm having a hard time blowing the darn thing! Hurts too dang much...

Baaaaaaaaaa...

That's the sound I heard at 6:30 this morning complete with hogs squealing, horses nickering, goats bleating, hens clucking, dogs whining, cats mewing and the rooster crowing over and over and over. Good thing the kids weren't up...I'm sure they'd have been whining that they were hungry too! LOL!

I had to get up a little earlier than usual to get the trailer hooked up, catch the sheep and haul them down the road, to my friends house, for a two month vacation with his handsome ram. Let me just say that my sheep are not like my goats. We've had them since they were young, but that doesn't mean they jump all around happy to see us everyday like the goats do. They don't look at us like the goats do: "Hey you human, you personal body scratcher you, come scratch me here, here and here. Oh and please, please, please, put down that bucket of feed or we'll jump all over you and try and stick our goofy little heads in the bucket anyways because can't you see we're starving!"
LOL!

The sheep are like..."We know you don't feed us, though we hollar every morning for it and sometimes you feel pity and throw us a little corn-ha, ha, ha, even though we are as wide as the broad side of a barn. Really it's just the wool...not our rotund bellies, honestly. But now we see you with not corn, but grain! Oooooh, sweet grain, but wait, you have a rope...uuumm...we think we know what's happening, but oooooh the grain smells so good, munch, munch, aaaack rope! Run! Run fast...oooh, but the grain. Dang, she got me, but ooooh, the grain is so good...go where? Um I don't think so! I'll just pull back and fight you on this one. There's grain involved someone might get hurt!"

So then I drag her over and tie her to a tree while I catch number 18...the hard one! Repeat the same process with a lot more running involved and some stealth manuevers on my end, which probably look absolutely hilarious to anyone watching as I'm falling down since the grass is so dewy and now I'm all wet and cold (it was actually 58 this morning! I know I've mentioned that I love fall!). She just couldn't resist the grain though and I mananged a quick grab and snatched her up by her leg. Course now it's time to hang on for dear life! These girls probably weigh as much as I do! I did manage to get a rope on her and then the even more fun part starts....getting them to the trailer which I had the forethought to back up as close as I could.

I got them in with a large heave after I put their front feet on the trailer, slammed the door shut, and sat there trying to breathe! Boy was I wet and man did I stink! Those sheep have their own funny smell when they are wet...

I ran inside and got the kids up with the promise of a stop at our local country 'One-Stop' shop for breakfast...Nothing like a little bribe to get them moving a little faster. Bad Mommy! LOL.

We got there, early even and unloaded the girls. We'll be back for them in December, but the roundup will be a lot less work...he's got a border collie to do the deed! :-)

A new friend for "The Girl's"...

A fella from church knew that I was looking for a buck to breed 'The Girls", as we call our 4 female goats here. We gave 3 Lamanchas (a type of dairy goat) and a Boer cross. I wanted a Boer buck since they are raised as meat goats and would hopefully make a more meaty baby. I wanted to be able to sell a couple of the crosses as market goats for the local 4-H kids or put them in my freezer. I had asked around a bit and was told by a local farmer that they charged $100.00 per breeding from their buck to each doe! YIKES! Thanks, but no thanks.

Anyways. A friend of his had a Boer buck that wanted it to leave her property for a little while so she could use her other buck. I offered to take him and feed him in exchange for his 'services'. Works for us both and I think he's a rather nice buck.

I do believe that he's a little confused though...he seems to like one of my sheep and she him. That's not happening you two! The 'Girls' don't seem to like him much yet and have spurned his few little advances their way. They aren't ready yet anyways, but he sounds so forlorn out there...just calling out whenever he see us. Goofy guy. He's so mixed up.

It won't be long though he'll get it straight and the girls will get their act together and realize that the wonderful odorous buck is a hunk to be had! LOL! He is rather smelly in his own little bucky way. For those that don't know, bucks pee on themselves and their beards during breeding season. It's sooooooo gross, quite smelly (some more than others) and if you pet them it takes quite a few soapy scrubbing's to get their 'unique' smell off your hands!