Good Morning! <=2017

Post by **poultry_admin** » Sun Oct 02, 2016 5:53 pm

baronrenfrew wrote:QR_BBPOST "Sub-par education system"....hmmm... I have to disagree with that. I see a system where teachers are expected to do more with less and be pseudo parents at the same time. Kids are harder to teach as their brains have been "rewired" due to excessive video games (they have shorter attention spans). They are not allowed to fail: they are pushed forward anyways. Every kid gets a medal for showing up, no more winners and losers. Bullies now can torment kids at home through electronic means. Male teachers are dropping out as the envirenment is not friendly to them. "Zero tolerance" policies bring police in for situations that teachers used to deal with. Parents now challenge teachers instead of supporting them. I don't know the answers, i just know its getting tougher for all involved.

One easy solution: Allow kids to fail their grade again and having to repeat a class if they don't get it. At the latest in High-school.

ross · Post by **ross** » Sun Oct 02, 2016 6:13 pm

Novel idea Martin

Bayvistafarm · Post by **Bayvistafarm** » Sun Oct 02, 2016 7:08 pm

Good evening!! Just about to go to the barn. Its been a cold and rainy day. Yesterday was beautiful.

At chore time yesterday morning, I saw that my old cow was beginning to calve. We got her inside. She came down with milk fever last two times, so called the vet to see if he could come and give her calcium... or to ask about the stuff you could give for preventative. He was out on call.... only large vet on call for the weekend... and of course, Gary went to a sale in Elmira.

After awhile... I went back out and the feet were showing. I just grabbed on, and pulled, and out it came. I was wishing for a little girl..... and low and behold.... a little girl!! Shes never had a girl! AND shes 15 years old! YAY.

There is her last years steer calf... visiting his mama... before the birth. Everyone else was outside... it was kind of touching to see. Hes slated for the sale next week. I was hoping for a nicely marked heifer calf... like him, but shes all red, with a little white tip on her tail.

So, I ended up going down to town for some tubes of cal-something or other. I looked at these honking tubes, and wondered how in the hell I was going to get this thing syringed down her gullet. Thank goodness shes a calm/tame cow. Before I left... I asked it there was something I needed to plunge this stuff in. It looked like a caulking tube. She came out with a purple stick.. that looked very much like a grapefruit peeler/gouger. I looked at her and said "Really"? "want to show me how this is going to work?". She tried, and looked very stupid. Then she came back with a gun, very much like the caulking gun. (I had actually left the office, and took them out... and then thought... there must be something more". I took it out, and took it home.

It became obvious that this wasn't going to work either. The paste was way way too long. Holy cripe... I was MAD by then. MAD that someone had to leave the farm when a cow was calving..... and I had NO help from him, OR the vet, who by this time, I was sure didn't want to come out.

I put a halter on her, and tied her head up as far as I could try and lift it. She didn't want to be tied up. Well, I got the bolus gun and stuck it in the end... the other end in her mouth, and got most of it in her mouth. What fell out I smeared on her calf, thinking she would lick it off. She didn't want to, lol. After a little while, I got the calf sucking. She has two footballs for teats on the front, and one is dead from mastitis. So... had to weasel the little thing around, so it sucked the smaller, much smaller back teats. She caught on quickly.

Then I finished bedding everyone else... and a few chicken chores.

Went to a baby shower for my son's girlfriend, and Melissa and I went together. It was a good shower. Met her mom.... and a few other relatives of Jenn's. Then Melissa and I went to a pottery place and home.

Came inside and sat for a while... and then went out when it was almost dark, like now... to do chores, lol. (I really should get out there). I decided to clean out the hen coop.... and ivomec the remaining hens I didn't take to the sale. I wanted to ivomec all the pullets in the back room..... and bring them out while dark, and put them in with the older birds. When I was walking from the back room to the hen house part... the cows freaked out at something down below. I went to look, and noticed two cows down below, while everyone else was GONE. The older cow with the sore foot, who is better, but very old... and the LAST cow to calve...she WAS calving!! But oops... afterbirth first. My heart sunk... because I knew the calf was most likely dead. We got her inside..., I washed up, and stuck my arm in. Feet were RIGHT there... but his ankle and foot were kinked back. So.. his knuckle was coming with the other foot... and kind of bridged up against the top of her vagina. So he was stuck. How easy it was to crank him out after I just straightened his foot. I still feel sick about it... if only I had realized that she was calving.

Then we both gave April her second tube of stuff.

What are the chances that the last two to calve... come in on the same day???????????????? These two cows should have calved in April/May/June with the majority of the rest.

After that

show... I went and continued doing what I was doing. Got all the pullets moved (30) and now my hen house is a FULL house again. Then I went on the fill everyones waterer with fresh, and everyones food. It was 11pm when I got in the house, or nearly. I could barely walk to the house, I was so so sore from bending, catching/carrying/walking.

I had a hot bath... drugs, and BED. Slept good, but 6am came too early. Just can't sleep in!

Then today, did chores, attended to April and her girl.... and then did the bedding. Cows are so wet when it rains for 3/4 days. Then had a snack at Daves, he made breakfast... then in the house to do quickbooks. Like ALL day. Well... 5 hours. Finished finally, and that feels good... and then went outside, where the two grandchildren Sawyer and Jacob were playing. We went a got pumpkins from the fencerow... Jacob planted them, and he got first pick of a pumpkin! Then went to the barn for a walk... and back in to make some butternut squash soup! Just finished a huge huge bowl. So so good.

Now I'm going out to probably bed the cows again.... and do chicken chores. I did let the hens out today, but it rained, and they came back in, and I locked the door, but I noticed that the rooster and a couple hens were likely under the trailer. Got to go get them, before it gets pitch dark... which is right now nearly, lol.

And Monday is tomorrow. Sigh.

Brebis · Post by **Brebis** » Mon Oct 03, 2016 9:51 pm

Bittersweet day as I sent my last pencilled palm turkey to fridge camp. This fellow was always slated for this as he wasn't breeder quality but still sad that he's the last of my turkeys. He had an extra summer to enjoy himself free ranging so guess he had a pretty good life for a turkey.

Except for the chase around the pen it was a peaceful end.

So, will give thanks this weekend to all the creatures who enrich us in all their ways.

Post by **Killerbunny** » Tue Oct 04, 2016 8:19 am

Interesting morning here. It's that day when everyone gets ILT vaccine and Ivermectin. Turkeys are such fun to catch when they are up in the rafters but all 23 now vaxxed. My sweet Tom you just pick up and you can do whatever - so calm. The young pullets scream like you wouldn't believe, glad we don't have close neighbours they'd be calling the SPCA. Anyway everyone is done with only minor injuries to us. Now I really need a shower because I smell of turkey

.
Sorry you don't have turkeys anymore Brebis, perhaps in the future.

Post by **WLLady** » Tue Oct 04, 2016 8:28 am

good morning all!
wow, computer update that took 30 minutes. great time to clean up my desk....and drink tea and wait.
so....did any of you realize the site was down about 20 minutes last night? LOL. YEP. it was. it's fixed now....we were amazed that our texts didn't go wild! ;-P
KB, amazing how some birds are like that huh? touch them and you must be skinning them alive! i banded some of my new girls last night, and it was the same thing. the first girl was nice and calm and basically sat in my lap, but the second got everyone in the barn going! even the birds downstairs were sure the sky was falling! and all i did was remove one band and put a "better" one on! think i might be a little more deaf today than yesterday.
sorry to hear brebis....tough to do. which reminds me i better get my one done tonight if we are going to cook her on the weekend. oh yay. i'm not sure that i can catch her at all. she's totally wild...hm.

we had finished putting in the posts for the turkey pens but i wasn't happy with the placement of the one, so i redug it yesterday. Now it's looking great, and ready for the doors to be made and put up and then the wire to go up. That's a weekend job. Also got the insulation done around one side of the pool, so hopefully tonight i will get the front done, and then i can start the framing so we can install the cabinet. i want that FINISHED now....the pool is wonderful. been swimming about 20-30 minutes just about every night. feel like i'm actually getting somewhere, and not drowning now.

back to grant writing. hope everyone has a great day!

goatgal35 · Post by **goatgal35** » Tue Oct 04, 2016 10:17 pm

Yippy, I got Grand Champion at Norfolk Fair with a Beltsville. Okay it was only a class of three turkeys, but my little hen is still very proud of herself.

Post by **WLLady** » Tue Oct 04, 2016 10:31 pm

Congrats goatgal!!!!

baronrenfrew · Post by **baronrenfrew** » Wed Oct 05, 2016 12:11 am

Hhmmm, I thought turkeys would be tougher meat as they got old; just like old roosters and pheasants. Any special marinade or cooking treatment?

Post by **Killerbunny** » Wed Oct 05, 2016 7:26 am

That's fantastic!
Give her extra treats! (and cuddles)
I added the new emoticon too!