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It Aint For Sissies

7/13/2013

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I have been reading a lot about people in urban areas deciding to become backyard chicken farmers only to discover it wasn't as bucolic as they imagined and now shelters are having to figure out what to do with the chickens. I think we as farmers have a responsibility to make sure those who read our blogs and articles understand.. animal husbandry of any sort takes a tremendous amount of work and dedication. It is tough going some days and means taking on the responsibility of another creatures health and happiness. Go into any animal endeavor with your eyes wide open. This will make your experience better and may help you decide if this life is for you!

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Free range my chickens bring much joy. This comes with it's dangers, however I believe this is the healthiest choice for my flock. If you live in an urban environment, this will be too dangerous for your chickens. You must take into account where you live!  I am lucky that I do not face a lot of predators. I do not cover my area, though there are a lot of places they can run to for cover from the sun, potential predators and weather. Living in the "wilds" of Wyoming it is good to be knowledgeable of the type of predators which pose a threat in my area. Do your research in regards to your area. What are the potential dangers your animals may face? Talk with neighbors or other people who are doing what you wish to do!
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Know your climate and do the research. A certain chicken may be pretty but will it survive and survive well in your climate? What kind of eggs do you want? Do you want meat chickens or egg chickens?  Are Roosters allowed in your area? What will you do if your little hen turns out to be a little Roo? These are all important questions to know the answer to.

 Wanting mainly egg layers, I researched the top layers with the other characteristics I desired. Years ago we slaughtered all the extra Roosters we had. Honestly, I am tooooo soft hearted for that... I could not even cook them! Will you have a place to animals you cannot care for? 



My main focus was be cold hearty animals, family friendly,  with high egg production . I knew I wanted brown or colored eggs. Do you care about cross breeding? Do you have a way to separate hens from Roosters? Do you know how to handle a mean rooster?
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Are you prepared for the unpredictableness of animals? This little gal is a crazy flyer... I swear I have to duck almost every day or she may roost in my hair! We also had to train all our animals to co-exist peacefully. You cannot have a dog attacking your goats or pigs! Do you have neighbors with aggressive animals. Do you know your local laws regarding farm animals?
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What are your financial limitations? Investing thousands into safe living quarters for my animals was not even a possibility.Do you have access to free or nearly free items to build with? Pallets make wonderful pens!
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Will you be able to easily obtain and afford feed. We chose a barley fodder system, as well as grinding organic grains. In our area, organic eggs at the store run $4-$5 a dozen! We are committed to organic so the extra cost for organic feed is ok with us. 
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Do you have the time and ability to commit to early mornings, late nights and anything in between? Willow requires milking twice a day even though I work full time. Sometimes you must walk a goat in the middle of the night if they get bloat and yet still make it to work on time the next day. You must nurse an animal back to health or hold it as it passes away. Will you want to milk twice a day, avoid vacations because your animals count on you and are creatures of habit who get upset at change, or learn everything you can about animal husbandry skills? 
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Have I scared you away from farming or backyard chicken keeping yet? I hope not. Even a backyard coop can bring tremendous joy. What a delight it was finding this little green egg today. It was proof my little Easter Egger had laid her very first egg! The work is made worth it by daily moments of joy and the love you share with your critters!
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Her first egg ended up being a double yolker... I have never had one of these! Hopefully she will lay single ones and this was just a fluke ... because she wont be able to hatch these out. Cracking her first egg to be made into a marvelous dinner was wonderful!
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There is nothing like eating fresh eggs! This crustless quiche made a wonderful summer dinner!
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Dolomite has had to learn that chickies are not for eating...and he must stay out of the way while I milk! He was a rescue... and adopted us when we moved into our house! 
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..and when he does... he gets a little treat! All the work and responsibility is worth it in the end. Take baby steps, learn as you go and be blessed!
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At the end of the day, sometimes exhausted beyond belief, this life I have chosen sets well with me. There is a profound sense of rightness and happiness. 
The above slide show was my day today. As you can see... I have a lot of beauty and love around this place! Thank you for letting me share it with you!
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Adventures in Waddling

4/28/2011

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Three little quack quacks!
God really knew what he was doing making babies, any kind of baby,  cute and sweet and innocent. They melt your heart and you want to take them home...or at least I do. Hence why with a "doe eyed I've been sick and you love me" expression sent the way of my husband, I became the proud "mama duck" to three little waddlers! Took my son and I just a few moments to pick out the three we thought were the cutest, but an hour to decide on feed dishes, waterers, feed, medicine in case they get sick, and then there is the choice of bedding material. By the time we left the store I know my husband was either regretting his decision to agree to the additions or was trying to figure out how to avoid eye contact with me the next time there were small creatures around. 

I envisioned taking them home, setting up their little home by the stove and watching them bathe in my claw-foot tub. Oh the pictures I would have and the blogs I could write. I began to slightly question my decision after thirty minutes of loud peeping; how in the world was I going to sleep through this racket? Ducklings are no shrinking violets and what seemed cute at first was rapidly becoming annoying. However, as with any task I undertake, I decided I'd just figure out a way to live with it. 

Once we arrived home and the little critters were safely housed in what will be their home for a few weeks, until the weather warms and I can make a predator proof oasis, I took to the internet to learn all I could about these little ones. I love the internet with it's vast array of educational information right at my fast little fingertips. I was thankful right away, as I learned the bathtub idea was a poor one. You see, when ducklings are hatched (not born as my daughter corrected me) in the wild, they sit under their mama, which I knew. What I did not know was their mama has glands which produce an oil. This oil waterproofs the mama and her babies and allows them to swim without becoming waterlogged and then drowning. I would have felt like a horrible mom had I put my little ones in the tub, surrounded my children, only to have them sink to the bottom. The thought just horrifies me right down to my tippy toes!

There were a lot of great pointers and much needed and wonderful information on the web. What the web did not cover was the mess....and oh heavens...the smell! You cannot underestimate the smell of three small waddlers! The little ones out grew their first box rather rapidly. We also found that while they may not be able to swim, they still 'love them some water' and while drinking they bathe themselves, and their entire habitat with water. At first I thought, they cannot be going through three quarts of water a day! I did not realize it was because they were throwing it everywhere, until my first round of "cage" cleaning! Every inch of the box was soaked, so we had to adjust and realize a card board box just wasn't going to cut it! 

We have all sorts of things here on the farm, so the search for another home became the focus. We found a wire dog traveling cage someone had given us. While preparing the home, I made the mistake of putting the ducks on the floor with my daughter watching them. After a few piles of loose You know what, back in a box they went. Time out to bleach the floor and then back to their home. We lined the bottom third of the cage with thick painters plastic, using black Gorilla tape(I LOVE THIS STUFF)  to secure it to the sides of the cage. Then in an attempt to make sure there is a dry place for them to bed down,  we placed a box with bedding in it on one side with short edges for them to climb over. Then we placed wood shavings over the floor of the plastic covered cage. We placed the waterer and feeder at the opposite end. Then with much trial managed to get the heat lamp attached to the cage. I did not realize baby ducks are just as curious as human toddlers, and ended up with a slight mishap with the duckling and the heat lamp, but thankfully all is well! So, set that heat lamp where they cannot come in contact with it if you decide to give ducks a home.

The stench issue was the next problem we decided to tackle. My dear cowboy man is all for animals being "IN THE BARN" which was said with a stern man voice. I'm sure it is another moment of  "thank God I love her" which I imagine happens a lot for him. After a days of twice a day cage changing, I'm beginning to see the wisdom of it. However I want them to be people social, so I have to balance the two, knowing with mono I will not be trudging up to the barn, as just walking across the house wears me out some days. This weekend our plan is to spend some time on a compromise. A warm, protected, outside and close to the house duck habitat! I have envisioned a cute cottage style, painted with a fence around and over it, while cowboy man ...I'm sure has other ideas! This should be an adventure in compromise!

I have also learned a lot about how tolerant the other animals are in our home. The dogs are learning not to even look the ducklings way or get put outdoors, and the cat has not climbed back up on the cage since it sent them into fits of hysterical cheeping which caused me wild eyed and wild haired to leap from the bed to shew her from the room. I think the sight and sound of me running through the house was enough to scare any creature into rethinking duck for a midnight snack. 

I have been asked many times why in the world I chose ducks. I must confess the decision was mainly because they are cute followed by some quick thinking reasoning of 1. They are great bug eaters and since I want to be as organic as possible here, this is a good opportunity to try something new. 2. They are cute ( yeah we already covered that). 3. IF they are girls they will lay eggs. I say if because you cannot tell the difference until later :) ...if they are the egg laying kind I will be able use the eggs  for eating purposes and to paint the shells. The eating part we shall see...if I like the taste otherwise the pigs will get the insides of the eggs). 

We have discovered joy we did not have pre-ducks. They really are funny to watch. We don't have TV, so this is great entertainment. We also discovered one of them is quite musically inclined and cheeps to the sound of the microwave or computer beeping sounds and even mimicked the cell phone beep so well we did not realize it came from the duck! I now have someone to talk to during the day, and the kids have fun laughing at me for one more thing and it has given them great facebook status fodder. I am sure there will be many more adventures, and Ill keep our tales of ducklings updated. 

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