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Sunday, April 29, 2012

Nice Spring Days

 I got a visitor today.  This beautiful bird keeps flying in the front door and around the house.  Every year, these wonderful little birds grace my farm, raise chicks in the rafters of the old cow barn and eat up all the flying bugs they can catch.
Sonya keeps an eye on the remaining turkey poults that are waiting to be caught up as they run around the kitchen floor.  The lid is damaged from Sissy goat and I haven't fixed it yet.  Guess I need to do that before Sonya gets up from under my chair and decides to catch them for me.  Eh, between the dogs, the cats and a baby goat, the floors need scrubbed every day so a couple of momentarily wayward turkeys isn't going to hurt too much.  Still, that lid needs repaired some time today.

Well, I was going to have my son start seeds to replace what got damaged by him not having the common sense to put the goat out when nobody is home.  I'm out of peat pellets.  The weird spring we had, all the seed that didn't sprout and the 2 rounds of restarting seeds already this year had depleted my stock of pellets.  So, off the the dreaded wally world where the only stock of peat pellets is.  Lo and behold, wally world was out of them and just like the lawn and garden stuff not being stocked here after July 4th, they aren't getting any more for this year.  So, I made him go to the amish greenhouse and buy me replacements.  At only .25 each, he still had to spend $30 to replace what the goat ate.  The boy now has a better appreciation of what it takes to feed us and why I spend so much time starting and tending seedlings for our garden. 

Big step for weaning Sissy the baby goat today!  She finally ate all her morning feed!  Guess the watering down the milk trick is working.  She's spending all day outside now (unless it's raining) but still isn't folding into the flock yet.  All the does think she's wanting to nurse off them so they chase her off.  The other kids play with her but she knows she doesn't have a protector in the herd.  As the other goat kids get closer to weaned, she will fold in with them like Lucky did.  It's rough on such a social animal to be all by themselves not to mention being stuck outside by themselves either in a barn that floods or one where the chickens crap all over ya.  Soon, she'll be a big girl and off having adventures with the other kids.

More garden prep, planting and weeding to do today, plus catch the turkeys!

11 comments:

  1. Your dog looks almost exactly like mine.

    What kind of birds are those?

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  2. Hi Lynda! Aussie cattle dogs, red heeler. I'm thinking that the bird is a male barn swallow. There's at least a dozen flying around the house today.

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  3. That explains the resemblance. Lola's half Aussie Cattle Dog, half Jack Russell. All demented.

    God bless the birds. Ours keep away mosquitos, as do the bats, and other pesky insects. Have a great weekend.

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  4. Your son will probably be more careful now that his lack of responsibility with the goat cost him money, real money.

    Can't you reuse the pellets?

    Would sissy nurse if they let her? Would she know what teats were for?

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    1. hey PP, I hope he uses him head more, especially the simple stuff he shrugs off as unimportant.

      Cant reuse em if they're chewed up or stomped or have molded seed in them like the sprout failures earlier this spring. I guess I need to learn how to make those little paper cup things and just use the compost pile. A project for later in the season ;) I just stick with what I know works for me. Guess I ate change as much as anybody does.

      I think Sis would if they'd let her. The instinct is pretty strong to suckle.

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    2. I didn't think about being stomped to smithereens or mold.

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  5. someday you are gonna get caught up on all this farm/homestead stuff and be able to actually put your feet up and enjoy a cup of joe without having to worry where you need to watch where you step. glad you made the boy do something to help redeem himself...

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    1. ROFL Anon! heard that! Who was it said this was "the easy life"? LOL some day this farm will work the way it's supposed to and i won't have to drink my coffee on the run all the time. I cant wait! Eh, he's a good boy, just doesn't think like an adult yet. He thinks he's grown up tho.

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    2. I found with my son that punishment did not improve his memory or critical thinking abilities...lol. Making a consequence that fits the crime and one that keeps him focused on what he should have done by his making amends worked best.

      There was a weekly chore that he and his sister alternated doing. He decided he would half-do it one week. So, I called him in and calmly showed him the correct way and watched while he redid it.

      Surprise! I called to him the next week and he reminded me of my reteaching him. I was sooo nice and told him I was going to let him do the chore for the next four weeks because it was such a simple task and I never wanted him to forget again.

      He groaned and saw the follow of his attempt to half do something.

      The task: folding a dozen or more paper grocery bags from grocery shopping to put flat in the cabinet. His way: mash them. Not in my house.

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  6. That's a really pretty bird! And I love the way you posted the pics so that it looks like the dog is looking up at the bird.

    Peat pots.... I just saw a post somewhere the other day where it showed how to MAKE YOUR OWN out of newspapers and potting soil. Have you ever done that? I am going to try some this week. I would post the link here, but I am finding that that usually sends the comment to s pam. Just google it and you will find all kinds of directions, especially on e how. Once again, I would be glad to send you a few herb starts to help out. If you are interested, I can let you know what I have extra of.

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