I've decided to move to WordPress. I have a confession: I had blog envy seeing some other people's blogs in WordPress. So I made an account over there and migrated my blog over to try it out for a few days before making my official announcement. I have some links out there that are linked to this blog, so I will leave this site up for a bit, but if you would like to continue to get blog updates from me then you will need to look for me on WordPress.
Here is that link: https://starstruckinsouthbridge.wordpress.com/
Hope to hear from you there! :)
Friday, March 20, 2015
Monday, March 16, 2015
Sunday, March 15, 2015
Squirrelly Squirrels
We have some young (juvenile) squirrels that have been visiting our bird feeder over the past week. They come right up to the sunroom windows to look at themselves. The windows are mirrored, so they can't see us, but we can see them. We are able to get right up to the window to take pictures of them. They have no idea that they are being tracked and hunted by dogs and kitties that can see them from inside the house.
Hopefully they can stay out of trouble. Last year we had trouble with them getting into things they shouldn't, etc. Just doing what squirrels do.
Hopefully they can stay out of trouble. Last year we had trouble with them getting into things they shouldn't, etc. Just doing what squirrels do.
New Farm "Arrival"
"Is that the new arrival? Tell me what is it, a boy or a girl?"
-Fiddler on the Roof
Well, I don't know, I'm guessing a boy! We named him Big Tex!...He arrived on a trailer about a week ago. We were all grinning from ear to ear.
Jason went to work right away, it did not come a second too early, or late.
Big Tex will come in handy with our upcoming projects this Spring and Summer. :)
Baby Goats and Roosters - New Digs
With winter... ending... well, we were hoping it was ending but it said it is here to stay for a bit longer.
Moving on... the barn stall has needed some periodic overhauls. The chicken pen was a right mess and I took care of that earlier last week. Today, I focused on the goats and roosters pen. I moved them over to an open stall that has an outdoor run. Here are a few pictures of their new digs.
I think they will be ultimately happy in here. This is "stage 1" As our thaw continues (or tries to) we will give them access to the horse paddock. They will be the grounds keepers in there. This should be a good thing because when the horses start going out to pasture the grass will begin to get overgrown down here. So the goats should have fun keeping things in order down here. If all goes according to plan, they will be milk goats, so we don't want to get them too spoiled on going OUT into the pasture. The 'best" milk goats (for those that don't know) are fed special diets and don't get to eat "wild plants." ;)
The hens will be getting some new outdoor digs soon, too. Stay tuned for that. Their plan will be incorporated into the garden plans. :) Can't wait to see that project unfold.
Moving on... the barn stall has needed some periodic overhauls. The chicken pen was a right mess and I took care of that earlier last week. Today, I focused on the goats and roosters pen. I moved them over to an open stall that has an outdoor run. Here are a few pictures of their new digs.
The hens will be getting some new outdoor digs soon, too. Stay tuned for that. Their plan will be incorporated into the garden plans. :) Can't wait to see that project unfold.
Friday, January 9, 2015
Friday, January 2, 2015
Morning Predator
Yesterday morning at a couple of minutes shy of 6 AM I was awakened by my Livestock Guardian Dog (LGD), Natsar, he was barking. Since moving to New England he doesn't bark as much as he used to. Well, he did at first, but we've managed to teach him that barking more than necessary... is not necessary. So when he barks now... we pay attention.
I jumped out of bed and ran to the window to discern where Natsar's location was. I determined he was up behind the barn barking into the forest. So I was fairly certain it had to be a predator of some sort. In my sleepy state of mind I quickly jogged my memory of what could give us the "honor" of a predator visit. It was still dark out so it was hard to see. I laid back down as Natsar had things under control and was simply barking a "boundary/territorial" bark. As I lay there I recalled that I did not remember closing the chickens up last night. Things got a little busy in the kitchen as I was preparing supper and I did not get back out as I had planned. Normally I close up the chickens at chore time (3pm-ish) but the chickens were being rebellious and were not coming in willingly. Instead of chicken wrangling I figured I'd let them have a few extra minutes of foraging until we went out to give the goats their bottle at 6PM. Well as I said, I did not go out with my daughter because I was preparing dinner, so she went alone. When I go out to the barn I have a mental checklist that I run through, and since I did not go, I didn't even think of it. Then again, right before bed I go through my mental checklist and even if it's midnight I'm like "close the chickens up" (you can ask my husband because I have sent him out to do so, I've even been looking into that remote chicken door that closes them up automatically... moving on...).
So I grabbed my flashlight and went and shone it on the chicken house door, and sure enough... I was dismayed to find the door OPEN! :( Now I was SURE we had a predator visit. Especially since now Natsar was doing his rounds to secure the property. He trotted down to the gate and was spot checking certain areas.
Later in the day I went out to do chores and decided I'd better MAKE the chickens go in at 3PM chore time to be certain everyone was safe. So I ushered them all in, even rebellious little "Sparrow" the 'lead hen.' She was NOT willing, but I didn't take no for an answer this time. They all filed into the chicken house and as I was waiting for them all to go in so I could shut the door I noticed one hen sitting quietly under the ladder. She was not acting normal in this instance as all my chickens know "the drill" and will get in line and go in, this hen was just standing quietly. I went to pick her up but she decided to go ahead and go up the ladder. I could see her really struggling to get up the ladder, she wouldn't let me grab her though. So I let her hobble inside. One more hen left, Sparrow's second in command, a hen with tufty tail feathers my daughter named "Henrietta." She finally came in, I usually dub the last chicken "Ping" like the story book. So with the last hen shut up in the hen house I went around inside the barn to check water and food levels and I decided to grab this hen that was hobbling up the ladder. I don't believe we named this particular hen. She has some other health issues I've been working to correct such as she doesn't lay an egg with a shell very often. When she does the shell is thin. She has the same food as the others, the same foraging time, etc, but she is just a little off in this department. Anyhow, I took her into the tack room and examined her more thoroughly. I discovered that she had a nasty bite taken out of her under her left wing. I treated her with Iodine and replaced her in the coop under the heat lamp. She was warm to the touch so she seemed, other than being sore, to be ok.
This morning at 6AM I was again awakened by Natsar. Same situation except for sure the chickens were locked up. Natsar was up behind the barn barking down the trail. Tomorrow morning we may get up at 5 AM and go camp out waiting for our little predator visitor.
What do I think it was? Well at first I thought it was a Coyote, but after further contemplation I am thinking we are looking at a smaller predator otherwise the chicken would have been likely carried off. I'm thinking either a
A. Fisher Cat
~or~ a
B. Red Fox
IF we find out... I will post about it.
Until then... :)
So I grabbed my flashlight and went and shone it on the chicken house door, and sure enough... I was dismayed to find the door OPEN! :( Now I was SURE we had a predator visit. Especially since now Natsar was doing his rounds to secure the property. He trotted down to the gate and was spot checking certain areas.
Later in the day I went out to do chores and decided I'd better MAKE the chickens go in at 3PM chore time to be certain everyone was safe. So I ushered them all in, even rebellious little "Sparrow" the 'lead hen.' She was NOT willing, but I didn't take no for an answer this time. They all filed into the chicken house and as I was waiting for them all to go in so I could shut the door I noticed one hen sitting quietly under the ladder. She was not acting normal in this instance as all my chickens know "the drill" and will get in line and go in, this hen was just standing quietly. I went to pick her up but she decided to go ahead and go up the ladder. I could see her really struggling to get up the ladder, she wouldn't let me grab her though. So I let her hobble inside. One more hen left, Sparrow's second in command, a hen with tufty tail feathers my daughter named "Henrietta." She finally came in, I usually dub the last chicken "Ping" like the story book. So with the last hen shut up in the hen house I went around inside the barn to check water and food levels and I decided to grab this hen that was hobbling up the ladder. I don't believe we named this particular hen. She has some other health issues I've been working to correct such as she doesn't lay an egg with a shell very often. When she does the shell is thin. She has the same food as the others, the same foraging time, etc, but she is just a little off in this department. Anyhow, I took her into the tack room and examined her more thoroughly. I discovered that she had a nasty bite taken out of her under her left wing. I treated her with Iodine and replaced her in the coop under the heat lamp. She was warm to the touch so she seemed, other than being sore, to be ok.
This morning at 6AM I was again awakened by Natsar. Same situation except for sure the chickens were locked up. Natsar was up behind the barn barking down the trail. Tomorrow morning we may get up at 5 AM and go camp out waiting for our little predator visitor.
What do I think it was? Well at first I thought it was a Coyote, but after further contemplation I am thinking we are looking at a smaller predator otherwise the chicken would have been likely carried off. I'm thinking either a
A. Fisher Cat
B. Red Fox
IF we find out... I will post about it.
Until then... :)
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