Birthdays!

 

Rachel turned 9, she celebrated her birthday with new baby goats being born. Another set was born this past Saturday. We'll probably have a party for her when the weather warms up.

Iris' babies (a buck and a doe)

Jeremiah is done with his 3 weekend in a row traveling stint and the weather has been pretty nice! We had highs upwards of near 70 yesterday and some rain and fog in the morning. I am not complaining!

Our computers have been on the fritz. The main computer is having diode issues...whatever that means. It's dying basically but in the mean time, the laptop's power cord went kaput and so I was without a computer for a few days while someone was looking at the main computer and we've been able to limp along on it for a week while the new charger came in.

Because of the work being done to some of the school's in the kids' school district, their school day has been lengthened by half an hour. Normally they'd get out of school at the end of May. This year, however, they get out May 2 and I was just thinking the other day, that's JUST around the corner! They won't go back until after Labor Day and then this will be the last year at OB.

We came back from Ca. to welcome a little bit of a snow on the ground. It was incredibly cold while we were gone but our neighbors took such great care of the place and the animals. We're so thankful so have such awesome neighbors like that!



 

The animals don't mind the cold too much. We're finding ways of dealing with ice issues in regard to water. Both the does and the bucks have tank heaters but the chicken coop does not have an electrical line nor do the pigs. But, we make due, breaking ice in the morning and/or filling up water buckets AM and PM and they just learn to drink their fill while the gettin's good. The tank heaters are not the cheapest thing to run so generally I judiciously reserve the right to use just one for the does and break the ice for the bucks every morning. Fortunately, the temps haven't been that bad to warrant a whole lot of breaking really...in the mornings yes, but day time temps are usually above freezing which makes life easy! 

The chickens don't mind the cold and the dogs LOVE it. Snow is about ready to have her pups, we're about 2 weeks away so there's lots of new life here on the farm!

 

Silver Laced Wyandotte pullets (August chicks). See how their combs and waddles have still not developed? In a short period of time they will grow a single waddle (the dangly things that hang like a beard) an a short comb and it will turn bright red when they are about ready to lay). Wyandottes are supposed to be better for the cold because of this single waddle and short comb...less to freeze as opposed to the double waddle of some breeds and longer comb. 

  That's all for now...busy busy busy.