Out Around the Barn

I have been raising chickens now for about three years now and I still learn something new everyday.  I have Bantys, Leghorns and Buff Orringtons and they are all now grown.  I have started allowing them to roam the farm and have to alternate letting them out of their coup in the daytime and the dogs out of their pens at night.  I have found that to let them all out at once is unhealthy for the chickens especially.

I have 4 roosters and 43 hens.  They are now laying over 2 dozen eggs a day and I sell them for a buck a dozen otherwise I have them running out of my fridge, literally.  They are a sight to watch as they peck and roam around scrounging for worms and bugs and can make a mound out of nothing pretty fast.  I was surprised to go out to the barn to feed and found my storage room where I put straw and hay for my goats all in mounds and hills.  They work fast.

The other thing I am trying to learn is how to get them back in the coup when I need them there.  If I wait until 8 pm  they might go in pretty easy because it is getting dark but, there are days when I need them to go in earlier if I need to be gone or I know I won’t be able to be out at the barn at the time when they need to go in.  Right now I am chasing chickens everyday to get them in.  I seem to always have a couple stray away from the group and then it is a chore to get them back to where they belong.  I am afraid to get one of the dogs out to help since Jessie has caught one or two before and they didn’t make it.  So I run myself ragged just trying to get them in.  I have had to leave a c0uple out once or twice just for the sake of not being able to get them where they belong.

I keep my hens healthy by feeding them Egg Maker Complete Chicken feed.  This particular type of feed is designed to help the hens with all the nutrients they need in order to lay their eggs.  Love my Chicks!

I have goats as you may have read in my articles. I enjoy my small herd and love caring for them. I am, at this time, awaiting the arrival of new kids any day now. So I get excited when it comes to my goats.

My little herd has a pasture to roam around in, a barn to sleep in, straw for bedding, hay, water and nutritious goat feed and minerals. They are very easy to care for and wonderful pets. Oh, once in a while, I’ll get a Nanny that has to be Queen and cause problems with the others but, that doesn’t last long around here. I don’t have a lot of patience for one that refuses and won’t get along. I, also, won’t tolerate a Buck that has no respect for me. I guess, even though I don’t think I am a perfectionist, I want a easy to care for herd that I can enjoy and not have a lot of hassles.

I am still in the learning process and am still getting all the ins and outs of raising Boer goats down like the dehorning, deworming and vaccinations.

The only real problem I have had is that they, like all goats I suspect, like to take advantage of getting out of their designated area. I have found that high tinsel electrical fencing works great, when it works, but the best I have found is woven wire fencing. When the fencing stretches from ground up they seem to respect the fence and not even try to get over, under or through it. But, as soon as they find or realize that the electric fence is not working, they go right under it and out into the field across the road. It really is pretty simple to get them back in, I just talk to them or holler, sometimes it takes a few loud words, and they go right back in. The hard part is if they get out once, the fence has to repaired and the short has to be found before they can be let out of the barn again. That is especially true if I have to be away from the house and can’t keep an eye on them.

Right now that wouldn’t be a problem, the fence is working, but since there are 5 of them due to kidd any time now, I check on them every 2-3 hours. The weather is in the single digits and pretty dangerous out there for newborns. I work close to home and try my best to be ready at a moments notice to help them bring their babies into the world.

 So, as I have mentioned, goats are a lot of fun to have and to be around. They don’t take many farm supplies to care for them and they are an easy animal to tend to. So if you want an easy hobby, goats may be your next adventure. They eat everything, especially my strawberry plants when they get out, but are so much fun. Enjoy!

Merry Christmas everyone.  It is the holiday season and we are all getting ready for the parties, family get togethers and presents.  Now, who doesn’t get excited over receiving a gift?

Well, can you believe that your animals like to receive gifts also?  Now I am not necessarily talking large animals but if they are a pet, they will let you know in their own way that they are happy.  Larger animals, like cattle appreciate a new bale of hay set out for them or an extra bucket of feed, even an extra bale of straw for bedding and to show their appreciation, they jump right in like it is a new toy. 

If they are pets they are more loving and affectionate.  Our horses enjoy an extra and unexpected brushing and even that unexpected walk just because they spend time with their master.  Our calves get an extra bale of straw for bedding and my pet, Buster, gets to be led around and pampered a little, he is my Little Holestine bull calf.  Our dogs, Jessie and Bella may get a new tennis ball and treats for a day or two and my goat herd will get new bedding and a little treat, animal crackers. Even livestock vitamins are a treat for your animal.  My horse enjoys peppermint and if I give him a piece of peppermint candy after a good ride or just because.  I can tell he loves it.

They really do appreciate the extras that we can give them just like we appreciate the gifts we receive.  So do something special for your animals this season and show them your love.

If you do not live on a farm or if you have never been on a farm this question is not that silly.  I was always told that no question is silly if you do not know the answer.  To someone like me, the first time I was asked this, I was surprised.  It seemed so funny that y0u wouldn’t know what is around a barn.

I guess the first thing most of us would say is animals.  Whether it be horses, cattle, sheep, goats, pigs or whatever livestock we raise.  Then, of course, there is the feed, horse feed, cattle feed, salt blocks, minerals and cat and dog food.  Also, there is the hay for the animals to eat and straw for their bedding.

Then the next thing would be the equipment, such as, tractors, wagons, combines, disks and maybe plows.

Of course, there would be all the neccessities of farm life such as fencing supplies, shovels, rakes, pitchforks, manure spreaders, buckets, log chains, hammers, wrenches and all other kinds of tools.  

It may be surprising what you find out around the barn.  You might find lumber, where someone has been building something or horse shoes lying on the ground where they have just finished shoeing a horse, halters and bridles hanging and saddles on saddle racks in a tack room.  There will be lead ropes and sorting sticks and sorting paddles used for herding the livestock.  You might even find a skull or two of bulls or deer. 

There is just no telling what you may find.  I do know that a farm is a great place for a treasure hunt. 

Any how, these are just a few of the things you will find on a farm, out around the barn.