~Poppies~Have a Little Sunshine

I took these pictures last night.
This one is the same shot I did two years ago sitting on top of the septic tank.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good Morning

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the day the LORD has made.  We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Even on the days when rejoicing is harder.
(Nothing's wrong this morning.  Just a thought.)

Today was Interesting

The day started at 5:30.  I milked Buttercup and tested her for mastitis.  The test was a positive in one of her quarters.  I called the vet and picked up some medicine for her.  This means I had to stuff a syringe into her teat and infuse the meds into her udder.  Lovely.  It also means that I will be hand milking for the foreseeable future.

The good news is we can still use the other three quarters' milk.  It would stink to have to toss it all.  The up side to hand milking is that it is quiet.  The machine is so noisy.  Though it is nice to be able to hook her up and do the other chores at the same time like feeding the chickens, cleaning, and feeding the neighbor's horses.

I had to call for help last night.  One chicken died yesterday morning, and one the evening before.  Between more chickens looking like they were about to die, and the possible mastitis issue, I really needed someone who knew what they were doing.  My neighbor is wonderful with cow things, but hates chickens and is out of town anyway.

The friends that came over last night were so helpful.  They know chickens and said it was time to butcher them anyway so they would come over today and help.  I had not realized it was time simply because they have been Sweetheart's project.

So, the wife came over today and we processed all the meat birds.  That sounds so tidy, doesn't it?  It wasn't.  At all.

This was the first time I have had to kill anything larger than a bug.  And I killed all of them after the first one.  It is a hard thing to do.  I think my general feeling of being completely overwhelmed may actually be helping as I cannot dwell on much for long.

I had hoped to kill and pluck the chickens and be able to keep them whole for roasting.  I really like chicken roasted and love having all the bones for broth.  And had we been able to plan and prep for the slaughter, I would have been able to process them the way I wanted.  However, just being grateful that I didn't have to do it all alone, I will take whatever I can get.  Which ended up being quite a lot of bags of meat in parts and no feathers to pluck.

After the extensive clean up, I drove the remains up the forest road and dropped them off the side.  There are some happy bears and coyotes and wolves tonight.  We had leftover Beef & Barley Stew, but chicken in on the menu for tomorrow.  I think I may have to fry it, which I love, or do Chicken and Dumplings.  (What do you want for dinner, Mom?)

Then it was time to milk, feed horses and take care of the remaining laying chickens.

I am about ready to drop, but decided to write while waiting for the dishwasher to finish running.  It is a portable one that you have to shut the water off when the wash cycle ends, or the water will just run until you do.  It just ended so I will be signing off in a moment.

Hopefully, Sweetheart will be home in a few days.  His three day trip is on Day 9 and I am not sure when it will end.  Doing all this myself is not fun.

A Quiet Moment

Barn at Sunset

The end of another day.  The animals are in the barn, the children are in bed.  And it is still light out really late here.

Linking to Barn Charm & Saturday Silhouettes.

Wild Plums

Coming soon....

This Morning

Inside, I'm making Go-Gurt, Goat Milk Yogurt, in the Kitchen.  Sweetheart is assembling our new bee hives in the Living Room.  The boys are playing everywhere and the girl is napping.  Looking forward to sampling the Firecracker Carrots I made last night and putting together Chicken Pot Pie for dinner, though I may change that to Calzones with some of the ricotta I made from Bella's milk. 
Joining in at Barn Hop as well!

Help Needed

Barn Across the Valley

The chickens aren't laying.  Bella, the goat, is only milking about half of what she was.  I am new at this.  (I've read a ton in the last year to prepare for all this, but I want to hear from you all.  There's only so much a book can teach a girl living in the city.  Now I'm here on a farm and just jumping in, but feeling dumber by the day.) Any ideas?

The chickens are two year old layers, who are apparently at the end of molting, and are probably still recovering from two moves in two weeks and the general trauma of their first morning here.  I haven't given up on them. 

By the way, I saw #6 that evening when the neighbors' dogs went tearing across our property.  She almost flew back into the barn, which is what I wanted.  She disappeared around the back, not to be seen since.  The dogs did NOT get her we know, but she hasn't reappeared since that evening. 

Sweetheart and I searched, trust me.  I did notice the neighbors to the north, whom we haven't met yet, do have a flocks of chicken that were out in their yard yesterday.  Hopefully, she just joined up with them.

Meanwhile, Pecksie, Flapsie, Mrs. Goodenough, and the other girls whose names I'm still debating until their personalities are more discernible, are happily clucking away and still alive.  They're just not laying!


Bella and Eve are generally making themselves known to the neighborhood.  Nubians ARE loud.  Truly.  One neighbor walked by and made a comment when I was out doing chores this morning.  I agreed and retorted that it was payback for all the barking dogs.  Ahem.  Probably should have held my tongue, but it was out there before I thought.  At least they are totally silent at night.  Can't say the same about the dogs.

So, life in the country is great.  It's just noisy.  I am loving the sounds of the countless frogs at the pond and by the creek (crik) and the owls who hoot from the immense trees out back.

We had to change Bella's feed from Purina Goat Chow to oats because that was all that was available.  We have them out in the pasture area during the days, but the grass is still quite short.  We are supplementing with hay.  Someone suggested I switch them to COB to up the protein content.  Sure.  I'll try anything. 

I also question how much milk the previous owners were really getting, but I know that she is giving me about a quart less than the first few days I had her.  What, if anything, can I do to try to up the amount of milk she gives? Am I out of luck?  Have I ruined her somehow?

Joining in Barn Hop #8 and ♥Barn Charm♥.  (Barn Charm links go active Monday evenings.) 

Bird Brain

That's me.  Picked up the box of chickens from the neighbors' house last night.  We'd been told there would be 11-12 originally.  Then seven.  Then six.  Apparently one didn't make the journey to their house and they decided to keep more than they originally wanted.  No problem.

We put them in the pen in the barn last night and all was fine when I went to milk Bella this morning.  I decided to be nice and clean up some of the mess they had made, shutting the door, but not latching it as I was inside.

Yup,  they got out.  Luckily, I had already put Bella and Eve into their outside pen or I imagine it would have been worse.  Somehow.  Chickens squawking!!  Feathers flying!! And one apparently made it out of the picturesque window Bella enjoys looking out of that Sweetheart removed to fix.


Bedlam ensued.

By the time it was all said and done, I got five back in the pen.  Some swearing may have occurred in the process.

Where is number six?  Who knows.  I went walking around a bit looking and met a new neighbor who is probably still laughing at me.  She may still be hiding somewhere in the barn for all I know.  The chicken, not the neighbor.

The rest of them are just lucky I already have meat for dinner, or it might have all ended differently...

Go visit Farm Friend Friday for more adventures...