Ragdollcatlady's Just a Little Patch of Weeds Farm journal

[ragdollcatlady]

Oh and did I mention that it actually rained ...I mean poured on halloween....no rain before or after.....just when the poor little kiddies wanted to go out and have some fun! Not us of course because we were busy stuffing our faces......

 

[ragdollcatlady]

Thanks Frustratedearthmother.... I know folks on here understand where I am coming from.....

 

[ragdollcatlady]

I had to weigh HazelNutzzy for her Banamine.... 58 lbs! Born July 10th ....sooo she is only 4 months old right????

I weighed Bellini just for fun cause I thought Hazel was catching up to her awfully quick.....and she came in at 53 lbs. I think it must be RavioliAnnas fattening milk .... either that or the fact that Hazel is just a little piggy in disguise!!!! DD said that Ravi is only going to have 1 baby again next year because she won't want to share her food any more than she has to.... She is a total eating machine so maybe... We were totally shocked that she was so gigantic and only had one. Maybe she did it on purpose.

 

[babsbag]

Boers are usually eating machines, at least mine are.

Is Rigatoni the red doe I gave you? She was always shy but I am afraid that Bellini sister might have her beat.

Do you have an LGD? You need one of those with your bucks and no more dog problems. And once you work with them and get the chicken and duck safe no more of those being lost either. But you might lose some during puppyhood, which can make it tough.

 

[ragdollcatlady]

Babs,

Yes, Rigatoni is the red doe you gave me. She has no issues telling me very loudly that she could really afford to be fed right now!!! but she is afraid of being touched. The nigerian queens tell her what is what, but she tells the nubian and boer babies what is what, so it is all fair I guess.

The back "pasture" 1/2 acre, is where the girls are. I wouldn't know what to do with a LGD..... I am barely qualified to teach basic manners to house dogs. I have to because I like them to have manners, but I understand LGDs need more and better training. I am afraid Pyrs (which is mostly what are around here) aren't actually bred for that kind of work (in our area.) Most people bringing the pyrs into my work have them as dirty, backyard, non working dogs.... They want $600 for them, but no proof that even the parents have the stuff to do the work I would need. DH doesn't want me to get a gun, but I am looking into it. We talked abut a guard donkey or llama....While he doesn't usually propose more mouths to feed, he would prefer one in this case and then I would have a guardian on duty when I am at work or heaven forbid, asleep.

 

[babsbag]

I have two dogs, both of them are pyr/Anatolian x and I love them to pieces. We also have hot wire around the entire pasture so the dogs are as much for me as for the goats, maybe even more for me. My female is 4 and is 100% chicken safe as long as they are birds she knows. Heaven help the chicken that flies over the fence if it doesn't usually live in her field. My male is almost 2 and still torments the birds now and then. There are a few he lives with all the time and they are fine, but new ones have a steep acceptance curve. I hope he will get better.

Yes, they need training, but I really didn't do any with mine other than keep them busy as pups and keep them away from baby goats and kidding does until I knew I could trust them. Their basic manners are ok, but I have been told that the command "come" to an LGD is really just a suggestion and oh so true. They can challenge fences, one reason I have a hot wire; it keeps the dogs in the field. Some seem to have a hard time knowing when the threat has left and they stay in pursuit way to long.

If you have close neighbors they may not like the barking as they do bark. Mine don't do it none stop like some, but they do bark at nighttime critters and daytime ones too. I have all manner of things near me, everything from neighbor's dogs and cats, to raccoons, bears, squirrels, fox, mountain lions, and the ever present coyote; so they have lots to bark at. They also bark at the neighbors motorcycles and loud truck.

If you have other cats and dogs that frequent the pasture you need to make sure they are socialized. I have 2x4 no climb fencing so cats are getting in the field and my house dogs, 2 border collies, never leave my yard. My female LGD is ok with my house dogs, she loves them. My male not so much but really my fault for not letting them socialize more when he was young. He was fine with them when I got him at 6 months of age, but then he was never near them again. When they meet now through the fence it is pretty intense, but not sure if it is him or my BCs. My dogs are both ok with strangers when I am around; no idea what they will do if I am not here.

I have raised 3 liters of pups, should have my 4th and last liter born in Jan-Feb. and then I will have her spayed; she is a working girl, not a puppy machine so it is time. She is in heat right now but I haven't seen them actually do the deed, but I have no doubt that they will. I love having puppies, they are so much fun to raise and I have no problems placing them for LGD work. I sell the males for 300 and females for 350. I really charge that price as I want people to value what they are buying and not do it on a whim. It is a commitment but for me one I have never regretted and I will never be without an LGD. I feel so safe when they are one duty.

They aren't for every situation but it would sure take care of pesty neighbor dogs. Oh, I don't train dogs well either. I did agility for awhile with my BCs and I know they would have done better with a different handler. My dogs own me, they have me trained just fine. LOL

If you ever entertain the thought of an LGD, Southern by choice is the true LGD pro. And she IS a professional dog trainer. She has taught me most of what I know about raising LGDs.

 

[ragdollcatlady]

Well, since I took a couple practice shots at him with the BB gun, I haven't seen him in a whole week. I wouldn't be surprised if they heard the 22 go off (just checking to be sure it was clear, but boy it sure made some noise!)...... they seem to have decided to control the evil thing for now. Good news, but I would feel way better if I had already solved the problem myself. The trap is still set, so maybe I will catch him yet..

On a goofy note, I set the trap for the stupid dog, but caught the evil cat instead! UGHH!! when I set the trap for dumb cat, I caught my special needs kitties, but when I want a dog I catch a cat! On another really dumb note, our local animal control is apparently not taking cats, even wild or strays that beat up all your rescue kitties. I can not afford (nor do I want) to feed any more cats and I can't afford the vet bills from them beating up my rescues and injuring them or making them sick. If I stop feeding outside, then the strays, ferals, and dumped unwanted pets, kill my chicks and baby turkeys costing me money and food from my kids mouth... I am not OK with any of that. Without humane options, where do they think they are leaving me?

Speaking of my "short bus" rescues, did I mention that Beastie used up her (really,really) last life last week? I think she used up more than her fair share already anyways, but we were all really sad to lose her. We found her dead in the yard. Not sure if she died from something attacking her or maybe getting hit by another car??? She hadn't been near the road in years that I saw....

Hazel is still limping pretty good. I gave her 2 doses of banamine, I will give her another if she is still sore tomorrow. I don't want her to hurt, but I don't want to sacrifice her liver by using it too often. She is still such a baby!

I sold a dozen chickens. Yeah!

Then I had some people show up wanting to buy some chickens. I sold these guys some previously, but I am afraid I don't like them much. He usually tries to get me to sell them for less. And the last time I traded him some nice mixed breed layers, for pigeons, I got the short end of the deal. One died that night, one had a huge hole in his leg that was already black and a deformed/injured toe. The one pigeon that was fine is of course a male that we didn't need and they all had lice, badly! We patched up the one of course but I won't ever trade with him again. Anyhow, they want to buy chickens. I tell them that I sold them all and have none for sale. The lady points at my hens running around in disgust, pointing out that I do in fact have chickens!!! Well, Duh!!! Those are my breeders and pets and NOT FOR SALE! They keep saying they just want 3 or 4!!! NO!!!! None for sale means none for sale!!!!

Picked up hay and grain, and a couple of rat/mouse cages (on clearance! ) so the babysitter will be set when we go to our families for Thanksgiving. I think the mouse and rat being able to get out of their cages is fine for us, but might freak the babysitter out! LOL!

Nigerian Buck boys got out today. They just ran the girls fence, so no harm, no foul. I had to fix a couple of boards in their fence.

I am planning on sorting out some of my faverolles, maybe tomorrow. I plan on using the pure white male over the half white females (I call them the speckled variety) and maybe keeping a more colorful (very speckled with kind of alot of white) rooster, in with them also. I think they are beautiful and I want to get a pure white strain going, but I may try and keep these speckled ones too. They are mighty purty !!!

 

[ragdollcatlady]

While I have never heard anyone accuse salmon Faverolles of being the smartest chickens...in fact, quite the opposite! They are usually accused of being quite derpy,..... I think Bucky is topping the charts right now. My favs are typically pretty shy and sweet. Exactly what I love about all of them. Well, Bucky is my one pure white baby (about 5 months now) out of my regular colored favs hatched this year. He is beautiful!!! He has had a ton of sun, so he has golden top feathers and white everywhere else. Yesterday, my neighbor was over and we were going over feed schedules for the holiday as she will kindly be caring for everyone in our absence. All of a sudden, we hear a "thunk" and Bucky falls/stumbles out of Andy's house. He tumbles and stumbles a bit and I rush in to grab him, thinking he hurt a leg or foot.... He actually hit his head and knocked himself loopy!!! I knew he was roosting in Andys house. For months in fact. It is sheltered and he is out of harms way so why not? I throw him a little grain when I feed the other chickens and he drinks out of the goat water bucket. It seems that the little house only has maybe 6 inches of clearance between the roof and the rafter Bucky roosts on! When I held him, chest to back he is at least 5 inches thick, add thighs and you have a very squishy situation, between those boards...so most likely he has been knocking himself loopy every evening trying to go to bed on that darn roost!!! DOH!!!!So for now, he is a cage to protect him from himself. Silly chicken!

 

[ragdollcatlady]

DH made me cry. He called while I was driving home from my night class. He rarely calls me but especially not when I am out. So I had the kids answer and I pulled over to take the call. I had been giving myself migraines, stressing over Hazel. Do I call out the butcher and cut my losses, use her for our family? She is smaller and I would rather not. But if I giver her antibiotics and NSAIDS or other meds, I will have to consider the drug residue/withdrawl times. Part of the reason I raise our own animals for food is to avoid unnecessary drugs and I just didn't want to butcher her. I was really wanting to keep her as a breeder if the kids didn't take her to the fair as a sale animal, which she was looking pretty promising for. DH asked if I had decided what I was going to do. I said no but that I had made an appointment with the vet for my next day off. He told me to take some money that I had set aside to help with bills to use for her vet or for whatever I decided I needed to do for her. Then he told me not to cry.....yeah right! Grateful relief I guess I would call those tears. I knew that the answers if I got any might still be bad or not very helpful, but showing his support for me by making up the difference in the bills so I was free to do what I felt best, said alot to me. Especially since he really doesn't even like the goats. And in all reality, he will likely hate eating them too when we finally do.....city kid that he is.

Hazel made it to the vet and we are (almost done)doing 2 weeks of antibiotics. The verdict seems to be that she likely has a spot of festering infection internally right near or in the knee joint and looseness in the knee/stifle as well.... At this point, I am not holding out much hope for keeping her back as a breeder, but maybe growing her out longer to feed our family if we can. I don't think there is any chance of showing to sell now... She seems to be steadier and using her leg a little better now.....

It has been pouring down rain....almost never rains here, so at 4 in the morning I was out rounding up soaking wet chickens and putting them in their shelters... again.

I sold most of the baby silkies. Just have a handful left for sale and a few ducks. If the ducks don't sell though, we will taquito them....once the rain lets up some.

DD gave 4 of her pigeons to the local pet store guy and I came away with a new pet.... a blue dumbo rattie baby!!! Of course named Ratatouille like the movie! giant ears, big roman nose!!!!! hmmmm....sounds suspiciously like the kind of goats I like....... I am sensing a theme.....

 

[ragdollcatlady]

Hazel is doing good. She saw the vet again and is finally out with everyone else. She isn't completely sound, but I don't have to put her down and she can run and get around just fine. As for her future....most likely she will feed the family. I want to keep her but I am not sure how her injury would affected by a pregnancy, being a meat goat and all.

Rigatoni is doing good without her horns, seems to be healing well. Her duct tape helmet came off weeks ago and the tissue beneath looked great, pink and healthy. I am hoping to still squeeze in a breeding to Andy this season even though I know I am pushing my luck with the timing....

I plan on waiting to breed the Nubian girls, Brie and Colby, though they look beautiful and are in good condition. I want them to be mature enough to hopefully have easy kiddings and with the possibility of quads, I REALLY want them to be well grown before asking too much from their own bodies. I don't expect quads of course, but they are 2 of quads themselves.

I separated out the geese into breeding pens. I have my new lavender sebastopol gander in with the lav girls for pure lav babies! My white seb gander is with my white and blue/white seb girls and the other geese will be moved to the side pen once everyone starts laying. Normally they are all into laying by now...not sure if it is the weather or what?

Silkies are sorted into breeding pens, I have the feed store guy calling already looking for babies, so we sorted and turned on the incubator even though it is a little early. I will see if he is interested in Shadows babies this weekend. She is an ameraucana hen that regularly hatches ugly naked necked babies from Hannibal (the love of her life of course) but I think she made a date or 2 with AJ, the Faverolles rooster this time. The babies are really fluffy and very cute...so far, not a naked neck in the bunch!