More babies and other happenings

 Hello everyone, in my last blog post I mentioned that I wasn't sure when Coco would have her babies. I said something like "it could be today, or it could be another month." Well, it was "today". That afternoon, without anyone noticing, Coco had a set of triplets! Daddy and the kids were all outside working on the garden fence, and never heard a thing. Aislyn finally noticed them when she went to check the chicken coop for eggs. I was amazed, because it was her first pregnancy and she didn't look very big at all.

Brand new

 She had two boys and one girl. The girl's name is Violet and the boys are Rowen and Ash. Coco is doing an amazing job with the babies. She is having no problems nursing all three babies and she keeps a close eye on them to make sure none of the other animals bother them.

Ash 

Violet 

Rowen 

"Mom, is it food?"

Nap time

  Since we can't breed either boy to any of the girls, because they are too closely related, Rowen will be castrated and we'll keep him as a pet and companion for our future buck. We are going to be trading Ash for a Saanen buckling later this afternoon and then we'll use the new boy as our new herd sire when he grows up. I'm going to be giving him a tree name (like Rowen and Ash) but I'm having trouble deciding between Linden, Birch. or Beech. Whichever name he gets, he will be a bottle baby, which is always fun.

 Other than new kids (as if that wasn't enough cuteness) I also got a dozen chicks last week. They were in the "assorted straight run" bin, so I'm not positive what breed they are, but I think they're Barred Rocks. I thought so when I picked them out, since I've had them before, and as they get their feathers and they show barring I'm more confident that I was right. They have spent the last week in a plastic tote on my dresser, which is not very conducive to a good night sleep. Luckily, Daddy built a lid and added legs to the brooder he made me last fall, so now I can move them outside where chickens belong. They'll be going out as soon as we get the heat lamp attached in such a way that they can't peck it or pull it down.

Chicks are so darn cute

Brooder made out of pallet wood and scrap 2x4s

 In pig related news, Daddy also built a feeder for them. It's also made out of scraps and was entirely free. He used some of the scrap plywood he brought home and some really big PVC pipe that was leftover on a job. I decided to paint it purple (because I can!) and then Daddy finished it off with a pink pig on the lid that the pigs lift to get to the food. Apparently, the pig painting came about because he needed a way to keep the lid from staying open when the pigs weren't eating, so he added these two pieces of wood that turned out looking like pig ears. Whatever the reason, I love it!

Pig feeder

 That's all for today folks, there are chores waiting for me.

 Blessed Be )O(

Busy Week on the Farm

 It has been a very busy week on the farm. Things that we meant to get done last weekend got postponed because we got the nasty bug that's been going around. Ian ended up with Strep throat and then, once everyone was better, I got a two day migraine that kept me indoors.

 We thought that Sweetie had mastitis and she stopped nursing the triplets, so I had to milk her and bottle feed the babies. Luckily, it wasn't mastitis, but only a bruised udder and she's letting them get their milk straight from the source again. They are growing like weeds and are at the ridiculously cute stage where they bounce around the yard all day.

This may have been the only time they were still all day

 Coco is still pregnant, but is starting to show signs that the baby (babies?) might come soon. Of course, I thought Sweetie was going to deliver weeks before she actually did, so what do I know? She's as standoffish as always, so it's hard to tell if her tail ligaments have softened yet. She is starting to hollow out a little, but not nearly as much as Sweetie had before she delivered. It could be today, or it could be in another month. Next time I won't field breed them, so I have a better idea of when to expect the babies.

She is camera shy, but I finally managed to get a decent picture

 Daddy brought home a big pile of pallets, which is great, because they can be used for so many things. He also got some long pieces of rain gutter that we'll use to plant strawberries in, some, 2x4s, and a bunch of scrap plywood. 

16 masonry pallets, some of which were used to give Bacon a raised floor in the pig pen

 The first big project that we (actually he) tackled was getting the main part of the garden fenced. After the umpteenth time that the goats ate my sprouting artichoke plants, there was no choice. We didn't have quite enough fencing to go around the whole area, but that's where the pallets come in. We used five of them in the northwest corner and a gate off of the old chicken run to finish it off. It was just in time too, because the peas, asparagus, and lettuce had started sprouting. The goats did manage to wipe out most of the Brussels sprouts and broccoli seedlings though. 

Welded wire fencing and pallets 

 I would have been in the way while he was working on the fence, so I used the time to turn over more of the raised beds. I'm doing my best to get all of the Johnson grass and Bermuda grass out of the garden, so every fork full of dirt has to be checked for rhizomes. They are, pretty much, the bane of my existence right now. If you miss even a single piece it sprouts again. I would guess I got about 70% of it out, so it'll be an ongoing battle. I've finished 17 of the beds, and only have another 4 to go.

Lily collects the pieces of rhizome so we can toss them in the pig pen

 The next project was getting a permanent pig shelter built. I wasn't able to help with that either, because Bacon had managed to head butt me on Friday evening while we were trying to get her back in her pen and I had a terrible headache. I am also missing a bit of skin from my temple where her rough hair rubbed it off. It felt like getting hit with a baseball bat covered in Brillo pad. Let me just tell you, a pig REALLY dislikes being picked up and has no problem letting you know it!

She looks so innocent, but it's all an act

 Anyway, the kids helped Daddy, by fetching pieces of roofing and wood. Lily likes to be in charge of handing out the screws. By the time the ibuprofen had kicked in and I was able to handle being out in the sunshine they had the supports up and the roof in place. The floor is a couple of pallets and it will have a plywood back and side walls to make sure there is enough shade come summertime. 

The shelter backs up to the compost bin

Her favorite thing is to be told she's a big helper 

 After getting a good start on the pig house, Daddy and the twins went to pick up our new addition! Hamlet had been castrated and was ready to join Bacon. He's from the same litter, but he's slightly smaller than her. Between the two, we should have about 350 pounds of pork in the freezer come July. I'm also planning on rendering the lard and making some homemade sausage. If we manage to get a smokehouse built before then we will smoke our own hams and bacon.

Bacon and her buddy Hamlet

 

 The last big thing that happened was that I finally got my Lovage seeds to sprout. I had some growing when we lived in California, but have had lousy luck with it here. I put the seeds in the back corner of the herb bed and covered them with a hot cap made from a 2-liter bottle so that the soil would warm up a bit and the animals wouldn't bother them and, after 10 days I had six sprouts. For anyone who hasn't had Lovage, it tastes like slightly spicy celery and it grows six feet tall. I'm looking forward to adding it to soups and gravy. It's a perennial, so once it's established I won't have to worry about it ever again. 

A couple of Lovage seedlings inside their tiny greenhouse

 That's it for now. I hope everyone has a great week! 

 Blessed Be...

Spring (and kids) have arrived

 Texas doesn't care what the calendar says, spring has arrived. To prove it our Nubian doe, Sweetie, gave birth on Wednesday.

 She and Cocoa were both field bred early in the fall, so I didn't know exactly when they were due to kid. I could tell just by looking that Sweetie was further along than Cocoa, so I had been watching her closely for the last few weeks. Her udder was filling for about a month, but her tail ligaments had just "gone away" in the last two days and her sides sunk in on Tuesday, so I knew it would be soon. On Wednesday afternoon I went out to check on her and discovered that she had gone back into the pen by herself. This was not normal, usually she is wandering the property with her buddy. I went in and she started licking my hand and arm. I was pretty sure she was in very early labor although I didn't see her having any contractions

 I wanted to stay with her, but Gabe's bus was due any minute and I had to go out front and wait for it. Plus, I thought I had plenty of time before things really got going. I got Gabe off of his bus, grabbed my phone, book, camera, and a drink and headed back out to the pen. As I got close I heard a teeny-tiny little "Maaahhh" and saw a slimy little bundle lying on the floor of the goat shed.
 I was shocked! Sweetie hadn't made a sound! I got into the pen, crab walked into the shed (it's only 4 feet tall) and checked on the baby. It was breathing and healthy looking and Mama was cleaning it off just like she was supposed to.

What a good mama!

 I praised her and waited for the twin that I was sure was coming. As I was waiting the twins (the human ones) got home from school and they and Lily came out and joined me. Aislyn was kind of grossed out by the "bubble" that was coming out of Sweetie, but she changed her tune once we were able to see the hooves and nose of the next baby.
 Sweetie gave one big grunt and the baby started to slither out. Since she was standing I reached out, caught it, and laid it on the ground near Sweetie's head. It was entirely enclosed in the sac still, so I ripped it open and started cleaning off the baby's nose and mouth.

 While I was doing that Sweetie gave another grunt and I looked up to see a THIRD baby being born! I reached out and caught it just before it hit the ground. It couldn't have taken her more than 3 minutes to get the second and third babies out.

Triplets!!

 Once everyone was cleaned off I made sure that each of them nursed, so that they got the colostrum that would keep them healthy in the coming weeks. Then it occurred to me to check and see what sexes they were. Three girls! That means we get to keep them all and breed them in a year or so. I am imagining huge quantities of milk for cheese making and, possibly, soap making in the future.

 We named them Rose, Petunia, and Daisy. Everyone is doing well. Mama is nursing all three, without any need for me to bottle feed any of them. They spent a good part of this afternoon out in the, yard romping and playing with Boris, who's pretty sure that the babies are his and growls at any other animal that comes near them (except Mama, of course.)

 The human kids are absolutely in love with them and I have to tell them constantly not to pick them up. Luckily, I don't have to follow the same rule, and pick them up at every opportunity. I tell myself that I'm just making sure they'll be friendly when they get bigger, but I really just want to give them cuddles.

Here are some more pictures of the new additions...

Petunia is the smallest and most cuddly

Daisy is the biggest and most independent

Rose is the most curious

Notice Boris in the background, keeping an eye on "his" babies

 Now I'm just waiting on Coco to have her kid or kids. Since it's her first kidding I'm not sure how many to expect from her.

 Other than spending a huge chunk of my day watching cute baby goats romp around, I am getting the garden ready. I just got the broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower in the ground today, which is a little late, but I hope we'll still get a decent harvest. Peas and lettuce will get planted this weekend, and I hope to get the tomato and pepper seeds started indoors too.

 Sunday we will be going to pick up a feeder piglet to raise for the freezer. I've decided to name it Bacon as a reminder not to get too attached. Expect to see a post about little Bacon later this week.

 Well, that's it for tonight. I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!

 Blessed Be...

Chickens. and Ducks. and Keets. oh my!

You may have noticed my absence for the last month. My Facebook people know that we got a few more birds in the last few weeks...if you count 81 as a few.

 See this is how it happened. Mike and I went to the feed store. The moment I walked in the door I heard a little "cheep cheep" (you can probably see where this is headed.) I was off like a shot towards the middle of the store where they keep the birds. There, in big metal bins, were the babies. I noticed right off that there were seven Barred Rock pullets, and four straight run Rhode Island Whites. I was prepared to wheedle and pout, if necessary, but hubby told me to go ahead and pick some out. After I picked the ones I wanted Mike came back to the bins and decided we should add the last of the red and black broilers that were left to our box. We left the store with 17 birds, and I was thrilled (if you'll remember I had lousy luck with chicks this spring and summer so my flock is down to just 10 hens and 2 roosters.)

Barred Rocks, RI Whites, and a few broilers for the freezer

 The next day I asked Mike to pick me up a new waterer for the babies and he came home with 26 more babies! I now had 10 Black Australorps, 10 Rhode Island Reds, 5 White Rocks, and a the lone leftover Easter Egger from the bin. We got them all settled in and cozy in their various makeshift brooders. 

We need a bigger box!

 A week later, Hubby got home from work and called me out to his truck. In the truck, on the seat, was a box. And the box "peeped" when he moved it! When I opened the box there were 17 Guinea keets. I was so excited, more babies! (Mike used his Jedi mind powers to get an amazing deal on them.)  Of course, they needed somewhere to go, and the area in the laundry room where the chicks were staying was already a little crowded, so we moved the outdoor brooder back onto the porch, hooked up the heat lamp and settled them in there.

They especially love to catch the bugs that swoop into the cage in front of the lamp

 Another week later, and I was once again called out to the truck after work. This time there were two cheepy boxes! In one there were 20 Khaki Campbell ducklings, and in the other were a dozen Jersey Giant chicks. The ducks went in with the keets and the chicks went in with the other chicks, into the new brooder that hubby made out of recycled pallets and hardware cloth.

The ducklings, before moving into the brooder with the keets

Jersey Giant chicks

 It turned out to be a bad idea to put the Jerseys in with the bigger chicks, four ended up getting trampled by the others and I had to move them back into the house. But this just means that they get lots of attention from the kids and will be more hand tame than the others. When one could turn out to be a 13 pound roo, hand tame is a good thing!

New brooder, with a nice little screened porch area

Inside the brooder

Ducklings and keets, they tolerate each other, but they don't mingle

"Are you looking at me?"

 

While I was out taking pictures the big ducks felt that they weren't getting enough attention, so they complained until I took a few shots of them. Geeze, they're such camera hogs!

Rouen drake and hen

Pekin hen

"What do you mean you don't have food?!"

Duck yoga

Ducks

That's all for today. I hope everyone has a great week. Blessed Be...

Poo free works for me

 Okay, the title of this post sounds a little odd, so let me explain... I haven't used shampoo or conditioner for more than 6 months. I watched a wonderful documentary on Netflix called Chemerical that explained that a lot of the personal care products we use these days are FULL of toxic chemicals. Since I often get migraines that put me to bed for the whole day (or longer) I decided to see if going "poo free" would help.
 Now, there are several ways to get your hair clean without using shampoo, but I decided to use baking soda since it's cheap, easily available, and I already have it on hand (because I use it for cleaning.) Instead of conditioner I use vinegar for all of the same reasons.
 I'll admit to being a bit skeptical before I tried it. I have straight hair down to my hips that has always been oily and prone to tangles. Could baking soda REALLY get rid of the oil? Could vinegar REALLY detangle all that hair? Would I smell like pickles after my shower?
 I'm thrilled to say yes, yes, and no! My scalp is clean and not oily, my hair is mostly tangle free, and I smell nothing like pickles. In fact, my scalp is producing far less oil than it used to. So much less, that I only "wash" it once or twice a week. And yes, I do seem to get fewer headaches.
 The process of using the baking soda and vinegar is no harder than using regular shampoo and conditioner. I keep two mason jars in my shower, one full of BS and one full of vinegar. I wet my hair and put about 1/4 cup of baking soda in an empty container (I use an old sour cream container) and then fill it with water. I pour it onto my scalp, rub it in for a few seconds, and then rinse. Next, I rinse out the container (remember to rinse it or it will foam up when you pour in the vinegar!) and then add about 1/4 cup of vinegar, fill with water, pour it over my hair, wait a few seconds and rinse.

This is all I use in the shower 

 A completely unexpected side benefit has been that my back, always prone to breakouts, has almost entirely cleared up. Once I realized that it was having such a positive effect on the skin on my back, I decided to give up soap all together. I now just use straight baking soda on my entire body. It's a great exfoliant and easily rinses off in our soft water. I've had some people say it's too harsh for them to use this way, but it works great for me.
 Just in case you think I'm fooling myself about my hair really being clean here's some pictures of it since I've gone "poo free" so you can see for yourself. 

Ooo shiny

No tangles and easy to braid

Clean and shiny

 That's it for today everyone. Enjoy your weekend and Blessed Be.