Resurrecting the Farm and Ranch

[VINCENT]

The wife thinks eating her eggs is a kin to eating your grandchildren

but sticking them in the freezer until they die and then tossing them in thetrash is ok??? sounds like abortion to me.

[southernmom]

Nothing big going on around here lately to update-any day now the eggs in the incubator should hatch (I believe I have one pipping that I'm keeping an eye on this evening). A cow had a calf-cutest little thing. I'm waiting on a sheep to give birth and have a few cauliflowers that are looking pretty nice in the garden.
Been super busy getting ready for Christmas, hope everyone is well!

[Tex]

Southermom, have you sheared the ewe that is about to lamb? out here they always shear them right before lambing season. if the fleece is left long the lambs will sometimes mistake the long fleece with the tit and they will starve themselves to death. Even on our angora goats, we have to worry abouut this. The Native will atleast shear them around their bag so the kids will have a clear shot at a meal.


Tex

[reddawnspokane]

beautiful looking place

[southernmom]

Southermom, have you sheared the ewe that is about to lamb? out here they always shear them right before lambing season. if the fleece is left long the lambs will sometimes mistake the long fleece with the tit and they will starve themselves to death. Even on our angora goats, we have to worry abouut this. The Native will atleast shear them around their bag so the kids will have a clear shot at a meal.


Tex

It's one of our Katahdin hair sheep that's due. We do have two other finn/cracker sheep that we believe are pregnant as well and thank you for the shearing tip. I kinda figured but wasn't sure cause I didn't want to 'shock' them.

My issue now is that I want to have primarily wool sheep and that means buying a Finn Ram cause the one I have is actually Katahdin-any input on this? I would rather not have two rams but it seems my only option to keep a wooly line growing as the only wooly sheep person I have found is two hours away and I don't think she rents her boys. I'm thinking about buying in the spring.

[VINCENT]

nothing big going on around here lately to update-any day now the eggs in the incubator should hatch (i believe i have one pipping that i'm keeping an eye on this evening). A cow had a calf-cutest little thing. I'm waiting on a sheep to give birth and have a few cauliflowers that are looking pretty nice in the garden.
Been super busy getting ready for christmas, hope everyone is well!

i want a baby cow

[southernmom]

Well so far I have 8 chicks hatched and 3 more trying to-about ten more in this batch that haven't done anything yet and about 15 more eggs that should hatch in a week or so. I'm a proud mama!

[southernmom]

Things have been busy around here-my MIL is here visiting so it's hard to get to the computer to do a whole lot. We had a good Christmas and dinner which included collards and sweet potatoes from the garden which were really good.
I have 23 chicks so far and have only lost 2. (the second batch I put in are starting to hatch now)They are growing really fast and are adorable little austalorps and a few americauna mixes.
Still keeping an eye on my pregnant sheep. No lambs yet.
I'll get some pictures uploaded again soon. Just super busy.

[reddawnspokane]

You going to keep any of them as pets?

[southernmom]

The chickens or sheep? I may be selling about half my chicks at the local auction next week-they are bringing $3-7 a piece just for regular old chicks. If I sell at that price I will make back the money I spent on the incubator. The others I will keep for layers or put them in the freezer when they are big enough.
The sheep will be for wool and milk and I'll sell some of the katahdin lambs here and there.

[southernmom]

...and we have lambs! The first wooly mama had two, a boy and a girl. The ram survived and is thriving, the girl was really weak and her jaw was slightly malformed and despite our efforts, died.
Yesterday afternoon another wooly mama had a single-a little gurl. She has resoundingly rejected it(first time mama) so we are bottle feeding colostrum. We even held the mama and the baby nursed some, but she tries to stomp her, not good. So I'm milking her and giving the lamb that colostrum as well. I really didn't want to have to bottle feed but this sheep is an idiot. Below is my daughter with the rejected lamb.
TPhoto_00026.jpg

[reddawnspokane]

are you keeping any of the chickens for eggs?

[southernmom]

yep i am keeping layers

[southernmom]

Sooooo the first lamb born (a wee Ram) is doing great-the one I posted a picture of, died. She started wheezing so I did the antibiotic route (pretty quickly-within an hour or so of noticeable symptoms) gave her some LA-200 and she perked right up, ate a bunch and promptly died in the middle of the night. We were all sad, but I figure there might have been something else going on and that's why the mama rejected her so vehemently.
Now we have 3 more due with twins or triplets. Any minute. They'll drop a few as soon as my back is turned.
Moved the bigger chicks out to the big hoop coop, and the tiny new chicks out to the 'brooder'. All seems well in that world.
Cows are still due. They are enormous and I hope all goes well cause I don't want to have to pull one. I recently helped the owner of the herd that we let graze our pastures pull a stillborn and THAT was a mess, as many of you know. (Tex).
Temps are back up to the upper 70's. Our trees survived the epic cold. (28 degrees)
Hope y'all are well!

[southernmom]

I didn't disappear on ya'll-I know you've all been looking about wondering 'but why is she so quiet? Where did Southernmom gooooo????" haha! Seriously, though-big update.
Animals are fine-the sheep I thought was going to have twins only had one good sized little girl lamb. So I have two little lambs that love to run about and play. It's adorable. Lost a handful of chicks but still have the majority so I'm happy. I'm pausing on the incubating cause I think we're good for now and it's been cold so the chickens are slowing down in the egg laying department.
The winter garden is still plodding along, and I gotta say, I love just running outside to pull an onion or carrot when I need it. I haven't had to buy any and it's so nice. We ate up all the sweet potatoes so next time I have got to plant twice as many to last a little while. Thank goodness I can run down to the local family who farms in a big way and buy some from them. I'm telling you, homegrown sweet potatoes are the sweetest, most awesome thing ever and super easy.
What's really keeping me busy is my grandmother-more than my 6 kids! Since she is in decline it's like every bad thing about her personality and poor decision making skills has grown in massive proportions. Every week I have to stop her from trying to sell off the rest of the cows, or the bull. She thinks she needs money (for what she can't say) and she doesn't remember that we NEED the cows for greenbelt, and because we are trying to build our herd. She is convinced that the heifers are too old to have calves (all under 7 years old-well, maybe one is kinda old but she calves just fine). The thing that's set her off this month is that her sister sold a bunch of yearlings for a hefty price-but what my grandmother doesn't remember is that her sister does it RIGHT. She builds the herd for a couple years, then sells 8 or so yearlings and an older cow or two, makes a good bit, buys a couple new cows and has a little money to repair fence, etc. My grandmother only sees a a trailer full of cows going to market and doesn't think it's fair that her sister is going to have a pocketful of money. She's forgotten the process. Hell, I don't think she ever understood it. My grandfather was the rancher, My grandmother worked.
It's a battle every day. If it's not the cows it's trying to sell off property (grrrr we are already down too low as far as I'm concerned thanks to her selling so much over the years.) or trying to get rid of something of Pop's that is still useful here. I love the woman and all, but it's hard being a caretaker/rancher/farmer/mom/wife/superwoman and keeping my mom and brother happy in the process. It's esp. hard when some people don't know that she's in decline and think I am taking over and bossing her around. Nope. She'd have had this place burned to the ground by now if I wasn't here. (she like to forget things on the stove)
Anyway-that and trying to help my oldest daughter get enrolled in culinary arts college has been keeping me busy. I guess things overall are ok it's just the issue with my grandmother. She's a strong woman and it hurts to see her go downhill, esp. when she fights so hard to maintain that nothing is wrong. Sometimes I get the brunt of her anger and frustration. Not pretty. I also have to keep a few jerks away who think they can take advantage of her kindness and it doesn't win me any points with her either cause she doesn't see what those characters are up to.
Didn't mean to emotionally vomit, just updating. Hope everyone has a great day!