Ridgetop - our place and how we muddle along

Ridgetop

Herd Master
Joined
Mar 13, 2015
Messages
6,724
Reaction score
22,895
Points
693
Location
Shadow Hills, CA
DS3 said he would drive down this weekend to pick up the horse. 3 hours each way plus gas plus the charge for bringing the horse here in the first place! Personally, I would just sell the horse but DDIL1 was trying to do the right thing but the former owner. I'm going to tell DS3 if he wants to pay bord for the horse here and leave him till after the wedding in Texas I will let him stay. I'm also going to call around and see if anyone is looking for a horse to ride temporarily. I would really like to find some horse mad teenager who would put miles on the mustang. Tiffany Bailey (who brought the horses down) said that kids are not riding anymore. She thinks it is the cost of the hay, I think it is cell phones. What is the world coming to when kids don't want to ride horses?

While settling in the new horses, I took a look at Cleopatra, one of the young ewes I am bringing to Baymule. OMG! She is the prettiest ewe out there! Super long, clean fronted, wide, good straight legs, thick butt, very feminine! This is definitely a grade 5 ewe! Her black eye rings have disappeared leaving only a little black mark near the outside of each eye. I immediately regretted promising her to Bay. Bad Ridgetop! So selfish and greedy No biscuit! 👿 But Cleo is a perfect ewe to do what Bay wants with her flock. The other ewe lambs will be as nice, but at almost 10 months old Cleopatra is drop dead beautiful. Hopefully Bay will love her and make her into a pet. :) She also will shed clean. And she has a name unlike the others that only have numbers. LOL DGD1 named her Cleopatra because of the black eyeliner markings around her eyes. This eweling will have the greatest propensity to throw color which is why I can't keep her in my flock of White Dorpers. As soon as I can put a flock tag in her she will get registered since the amount of black is less than the undesirable &.

I finished taking apart another rabbit cage. I took the top off this one and released 2 of the sides so they folded in on the bottom making a square. They didn't fold entirely flat since they are used cages with the normal wear and tear on the wire. I will do the same with the last one and remove the clips from 2 sides of the first one so it will fit into a square with the others. These are 36 ' 30 babysaver wire hanging cages. I used to have over 50 of these and 50 smaller ones 24 x 24 which I used as sorting cages after I sold off my Holland Lops. Since many of them didn't weren't baby saver wire cages, I sold those off. I still have at least 4 brand new ones still in the shipping pack from 20 years ago. Not to mention the 8 triple carry cages, judging cage, etc. still in the loft of the barn. Those don't collapse so will be moved later. I will burn them off in Texas when I hang them, and spray them with galvanizing compound. That will extend their life. In the meantime, pieces of drywall give the rabbits a comfortable place to sit if the wire gets rusty and sharp. The galvanizing paint helps and I sometimes also will do a light sanding on the inside of the cage if the wire looks sharp. With old cages that develop a lot of rust in the bottom wire, I replace the bottom panel when it gets bad. I have a roll of 30" wire in the shed to take back with the rabbit equipment. After getting out the cages and working on them I thought about just selling off the sheep and going back to rabbits. But I can wait to only do rabbits when we both get a bit older. A 12 lb. rabbit doe and 5 lb. fryers will be easier to work with after we outgrow our PRIME. LOL

DDIL2 bought Robert a baby doll to play with so he will be able to feed it and hug it while she is working with baby Nick. He was thrilled and fed them and shoved the pacifier in its mouth. He likes to trundle it around in his little shopping cart. DS2 put the baby doll in Robert's new Big Wheel and Robert's baby care took a back set. Robert went over and kicked the doll off his trike and sat n it himself while his "baby" sprawled face down on the carpet. Mre baby training needed. Howeer, Robert is doing well with the baby. When Nick is in the swing Robert will kiss him and push the swing to make it move. If Nick cries he runs to him then comes to get us. The other day Nick was sleeping and we were all talking and Robert shhhhed us to be quiet. He says Mam and Dad and has a couple other semi words. Pretty good for 22 months. Yesterday he said "hosh" meaning horse and wanted to go out and see them. It was dark so he had a tantrum about being told he couldn't go. Main problem is that he won't sleep in his bed so does naps on the couch instead. At night he is hard to put to bed and continually gets up until he falls asleep on the couch. This is the result of not training him to a crib when he was 4-6 months old and his mother continuing to sleep with him on a mattress on the floor. I think they started doing that when he would not sleep through the night and DS2 had 4-5 am work times.

DS2 answered a call off the books and has gone back to work. The job will only last until March 7 and he already told the foreman he will drag up a week before the job closes since he will be going to Texas for the wedding. The company lost the contract, or it was ending, and another company will have the contract next. DS2 says he will hire on with another job when he comes back from Tx. He is also on a diet since he gained weight on paternity leave. DDIL2 has lost any weight she gained. Only DS2 is still carrying "baby weight". LOL

DH has lost a total of 10 lbs. since Christmas. His secret? Don't eat bread, snack crackers, ice cream, mayonnaise sandwiches (yes, that is a thing, 1/2" of mayo between 2 slices of bread :tongue), candy, snacks, etc. that he usually munches non-stop while he watches FOX news. Which he does about 5 hours a day. He tried on the suit jacket to his other suit and was pleased when it fit him really well. The pants were another story. It was amusing to hear him lecture DS2 on healthy eating so DS2 could lose weight. I am serving small portions at dinner and tell everyone it is because of the price of food. I have lost another lb. and am down 8 lbs. now. My goal is to lose enough weight by the end of March to wear my beautiful green chiffon pantsuit to the baptism the end of March. It fits, but the pants are very tight. I would like to be able to zip them easily and be able to sit down in them without them splitting open! :lol: A few more pounds should do it. I long for the days when I could drop 5 lbs. in just a few days. I weighed myself every day and could eat anything without gaining. I didn't gain more than 12 lbs. from the day I married to the day I started chemo then my body went to he// in a hand basket. However, being alive to fight increasing weight is worth the trade off.

I cleaned out and rearranged the closets the other day. I gathered all the out of season clothes and packed them away until summer. I have some new stuff that I bought just as Covid closed in, as well as the bridge clothes that I wore to the club. After this trip I will bring some clothes back and leave them at the ranch.

I really need to get a washer and dryer installed there too. That will be time (and $$) saving when we are working there. There is already a fridge that the owner left and the tenants were using. Stove and dishwasher are in place as well so camping out in the house while working on fences will not be difficult. The existing fridge is not very large though so eventually we will buy a larger one when I do the kitchen reno. Minimal reno, just removing the peninsula (just a counter top with no storage under it). I will also take down part of the overhead cabinets at that end of the kitchen counters which will make room for a large fridge. Removing the peninsula will make room for an island. I will remove the overhead cabinets in the laundry room that are currently over an upright freezer and put them in the kitchen over the new fridge. The old fridge is sitting in a wall cubby made for it and that will become a pantry by adding a door. Minimal reno as I said. We will do that during the winter months when we can't work on the fencing. I am really looking forward to bringing the house up to date. I like doing things on a tight budget and repurposing stuff.
 

Ridgetop

Herd Master
Joined
Mar 13, 2015
Messages
6,724
Reaction score
22,895
Points
693
Location
Shadow Hills, CA
Not boarding the horse. It actually belongs to DDIL1 who got it from this woman 12 or more years ago. She just offered it back to her to be nice. I might see about putting DGD1 on it. It is an older gelding and supposedly a babysitter now. We'll see since she didn't send any tack with the horses except halters. Just need bridles and I don't want to buy any. I sent all my tack to DDIL1 when she got Skittles.
 

Finnie

Herd Master
Joined
May 6, 2017
Messages
1,160
Reaction score
3,262
Points
333
Location
Hamilton County, north of Indianapolis
Not boarding the horse. It actually belongs to DDIL1 who got it from this woman 12 or more years ago. She just offered it back to her to be nice. I might see about putting DGD1 on it. It is an older gelding and supposedly a babysitter now. We'll see since she didn't send any tack with the horses except halters. Just need bridles and I don't want to buy any. I sent all my tack to DDIL1 when she got Skittles.
Oh, sorry, I misunderstood. I thought you were housing the horse for the former owners. A family horse is different.
 

Ridgetop

Herd Master
Joined
Mar 13, 2015
Messages
6,724
Reaction score
22,895
Points
693
Location
Shadow Hills, CA
Don't be sorry! Family can stick you for it worse! :lol:

Did not accomplish anything I meant to do today. Got a call to play bridge last minute just as I was heading for the rabbit cages. Someone sick and they needed a fourth. Rushed inside and changed shies and shirt. Did not have time to shower so sprayed on a lot of cologne :lol: and brushed my hair with water. Bad cards but fun people. DS1 got home late and said we will do the hooves first thing in the am. That is better because he usually likes to do things after the evening feed and we never finish enough jobs and I have to feed everyone late. I prefer doing stuff early in the day then fix dinner and collapse. Tomorrow Lewis and Moyboy get pedicures - their feet got really bad. Luckily, we got the cut off blade for the Hoof Boss so can use it to cut off the extra inch of hoof on Moyboy's rear feet before grinding the hooves down. Lewis will get a touch up - we already gave him his first pedicure several weeks ago and he is not sore anymore so we can grid down more. Then those two go back into their pen and Smalley comes out for a hoof trim. Junior is still looking good at 9 months old. Next ones up will be the open ewes in their big pen, several at a time. I will take that opportunity to tag Cleopatra, mark the ewes to go to TX, and vax. I won't worm for another week or so. Dr. Nenn comes 2/9 for the health check. I will worm then, and again 2 weeks later. Then I can start loading the trailer with our boxes of equipment and shelves. We will load the ewes through the side door. I will put the hay and a couple 5 gallon jugs of water in the rear of the black truck which has a tonneau cover. I can access it by dropping the tailgate each day. I would actually prefer loading the ewes in the middle or rear of the trailer, but if the weather is bad they will have more shelter in the trailer nose. I will line the floor and lower half of the gate with a tarp to avoid getting any urine on the boxes in the trailer. Then I will tarp the trailer contents too.

Our brown truck is still not finished. "Next week - we are waiting for a part" is what DH was told. I did not comment. We are both numb and it is best not to dwell on the dealership. If it is not finished in time (mid February) we will take the black truck and stock trailer with the lambs, boxes of livestock equipment, reno stuff, shelves, and the cardboard boxes in the covered bed. DH, DS1, and I can leave as late as 1/24 and stay later as long as we are home for a doctor's appointment on 3/10. Next lambing starts 3/17 through 4/18 - 6 ewes. By staying a bit later before leaving, we can leave the ram in longer with the ewes to breed. :fl
 

Ridgetop

Herd Master
Joined
Mar 13, 2015
Messages
6,724
Reaction score
22,895
Points
693
Location
Shadow Hills, CA
Told DGD1 that DS3 said she could have one of the horses if she wanted it. Very excited 9-year-old. Her mother said she is thinking of putting her in Blue Shadows, a horse drill team for children. They are taught to ride and the horses are supplied. If I can get a bridle for this horse from my son and DDIL1 I will put DGD1 up on her and give her a starter lesson. I will start calling around to see if I can find someone to give her lessons. Told DD1 that if she paid for the hay they could keep the horse here for DGD1. Said she had to think about it.

DS1 and I trimmed the hooves on both older rams this am. It was blowing really hard so we did not do any of the sheep outside. Moyboy was wearing skis. I took 3" of toe off one foot. I am ashamed that I let them get so bad. :hide I used to do the goats at least once a month on the milk stand but these guys are bigger, heavier, and won't stand still for me like our milkers used to do.

We used both the sheep chair and the Hoof Boss and they both worked great. In the chair Lewis just lay back and let me trim his feet with no problem. Moyboy was a little wide for the chair at 15" but it still worked great. We may have to make it smaller for the ewes and particularly the yearlings. We found that using the cut off wheel on the Hoof Boss we just scored the outside of the hoof and then it could be cut with the clippers giving me more control and less risk of cutting the animal's foot. Possibly the wet weather helped too by making the hooves less hard. After 2 animals I had to stop because my back gave out. Leaning over to do the hooves got painful. DS1 said that we should raise the chair but then the front feet might be out of reach. LOL We are going to do Lewis tomorrow and then do a couple of the ewes. Maybe run up the ones in the breeding pen and check them out before sorting out the breeding groups. Any ewes that don't get bred by mid-February will have to wait to be bred in April and May. I am not going to have any more August lambs in the heat.

After doing the 2 rams I finished taking the rabbit cages apart and folding them up. Now I have to use some hay ropes to tie them together so I can flat pack them in cardboard. I need to put cardboard around them to avoid catching the cage wire on anything and snagging it. Then I have to get another box and pack the 3 feeders up. I found another several ceramic rabbit crocks in the tool shed that need to be packed up too. The privacy panels and urine guards are just sitting in the milk shed on a shelf so I need to pack them in cardboard too. Last to pack will be the cage clips/rings, and clip/ring pliers and removers. I have a bruise on the lower inside of my thumb from removing all the cage clips and rings. Here is a tip for rabbit cage owners - using cage clips may be harder than using the rings when assembling cages, but the clips are easier to remove.

Finished the last of the potato leek soup for supper. I cut the remaining ham into it and threw in some corn. DS1 wanted biscuits and we were low on Bisquik so I made baking powder biscuits. Served everything with a salad. I used the hambone to make the stock for the soup and we have gotten 8 meals out of that 20lb. bone in ham. :yesss:
 

Baymule

Herd Master
Joined
Aug 22, 2010
Messages
33,385
Reaction score
100,090
Points
873
Location
East Texas
As always, you are highly organized! You may not think so, but I am in awe at all that you get done. I wouldn’t expect anything less from a woman in her PRIME OF LIFE! I can’t wait to see y’all! I need a couple more cow panels to enlarge the pen I’ll put the ewes in. Also some more pallets….. those sure are making good shelters!
 

Ridgetop

Herd Master
Joined
Mar 13, 2015
Messages
6,724
Reaction score
22,895
Points
693
Location
Shadow Hills, CA
On one of our trips back there maybe we can make a trip down and pick up some pallets to use for shelters. Once we get some fencing in.

Talked to an old friend and she had the farrier there for her horse - asked her to have him call me since our old farrier moved. I wanted to see if she knew of anyone that might like to use the mustang. He will be a great little horse for someone with experience who wants to put miles on him. Probably also good for kids to Gymkhana. I used Tom years ago, but he stopped shoeing after a bad accident with a horse. He only does easy horses now. Called DDIL1 to check that the 3 new horses were good with farrier, and they are ok so will have him come out to check feet. Josie hasn't been trimmed in several years, but she seems to wear her hooves down equally so no problem. DS1 said we needed the farrier off because Skittles seemed to have a crack in her right fore and this am DH said it looked like a little bit chipped off in the rear of the hoof near the corona. Hopefully it was not a true crack through the hoof wall but still needs looking at. DDIL1said DS3 is coming down to pick up the 3rd horse this weekend. When he comes, we will try to load the heavier corral covers onto the flatbed. We can load the rest of the panels later. Don't want ot waste muscular manpower! ;)
 

Ridgetop

Herd Master
Joined
Mar 13, 2015
Messages
6,724
Reaction score
22,895
Points
693
Location
Shadow Hills, CA
Yes, looked at her again this morning and she is definitely nice. Suer log with the thickness and muscle to go with it. And still feminine looking.

DS3 drove up this morning to pick up the 3rd horse and take him home. He goes in to work tonight so couldn't stay more than an hour. I wanted him to bring his diesel truck with the gooseneck hitch and move the flatbed into position to load it, but DH and DS1 began arguing with me and each other about having to move it "in the rain" (which was predicted but didn't arrive). When he got here, he said he should have brought the diesel and moved the flat bed since dragging all the panels over to where it is parked will be difficult. If we ever get our truck back, we can move the flatbed ourselves. Our truck is still in the shop. 4 months there now. The flat bed still has 20 sandbags on it since DH has not gotten out to clean the sheep pen with the little Kubota. He went out and the battery was dead. If has been charged but today was football playoffs. I remember now why I always hated football. GRRRR! Hopefully he will get the pen graded out and the ram pen to. Then we can spread some of the sand in those 2 pens to give a firmer footing. The barn pens also need to be cleaned and both DS1 and DH said they were going to dig them out. I think I will end up just raking them out and then empty a couple bags of sand in each of the jugs. At least DH is now duping the dirty hay and straw over the edge of the gully. He said he doesnt think it would be a good idea to dump the manure. What?! The straw and hay cold be a fire hazard in fire season, the manure will just melt into the ground during the rain.

It has been cold and is expected to get down to below freezing tonight. Heavy clouds rolling in today but no rain yet. Hopefully it won't rain in the freezing temps since the tarp is off the sheep pen. I think this spring I am going to have to shear Moyboy. He has a heavy wool coat and doesn't seem to shed as easily as the others. If I shear him, maybe I will find that the wool has shed but is just remaining on his body because the new wool grows in among the old wool if that makes any sense. I would sell him, but he throws so many Grade 5 babies. Lewis is actually the better ram, but between the 2 of them they complement each other so well that they are producing a terrific blend of what I want. Smalley is a good ram and is doing a good job on their get. I hope that Junior does just as well eventually. I will put him into production towards the end of this year.

Went out to the Connex and found the remaining medicine cabinet to bring to Texas. Couldn't get into the Connex far enough to find the coffee pot I know we brought home from MJ's but will buy a cheap one to leave in TX.

Lamb prices have dropped a bit but hair lambs and Dorper crosses are still holding between $2.50 and $3.35 at weaning weights in the larger packing areas. 40-60 lbs. seem to be the best weights with respect to prices. My weaning weights are on the high side of that range, so I may start bringing weanlings to auction earlier to save money and time on feeding. No point keeping lambs for 3 months to a lower priced when the higher weight brings ess $$ per lb. If 2-month-old lambs will bring higher prices I will start weaning then. I will have to go back to withholding food and water to dry up ewes if necessary but taking the lambs off the ewes sooner will be better for the ewes to regain condition. I should weigh the lambs in the creep now to see how much they weigh and maybe pull the ewes off them now. Oops! Those lambs range in age from 8 1/2 weeks to 12 1/2 weeks. The ewes can be pulled any time. Time gets away from me too, so I guess I shouldn't criticize DS1 and DH for not getting things done quicker. :hide
 

Baymule

Herd Master
Joined
Aug 22, 2010
Messages
33,385
Reaction score
100,090
Points
873
Location
East Texas
Always more to do, and the incessant rain hasn’t helped much. I’m thinking a rainy day would be nice, force me to stay inside and get things done that are screaming for attention. But NOOOOO……. I have to suit up, slog out In pouring rain to care for animals. With doctoring Reina’s eye on a loose schedule of every 2 hours to meet 6 times a day, then the last eye drop of a different kind before night, well that blows my image of a cozy ME inside with a cup of hot tea.
 
Top