Well Bonnie had a baby, sweet little billy that we call Buck. I have helped deliver cows before but never a first time goat and it was scary. One point we thought we would be heading to Cherokee to get her help.  As we were getting things ready to go she started showing hooves and a nose. A few mins later with a wee bit of help Buck popped out healthy and strong.  He is a sweet little thing. Mom cleaned him up and with in 30 mins he was eating with his tail going 90 MPH. Buck is now bouncing around our porch and playing with the chickens. Its so hot here right now we are keeping him and mom as cool as possible. Everyone critter on the hill seems to adore him and he loves to be held and petted unless he is hungry.

It has been a crazy time around here. We have moved our baby chicks out to the hen house. Our older hens and roos are free ranging right now. Come cooler weather we will let the new hens out and have it where they can all  get in the big house during winter and free range during the day.  Geese are doing good, well the big ones are. The little ones wander off and we have locked the teenagers up till they learn to stay.  I think our duck Abbey hides the little ones and the male ducks we rarely see them anymore.

It has been a rough month for my beloved Star. She is a exceptional cat who always is with me. Either on my desk during the day or on my pillow at night. With the mild winter fleas have been a major problem.  She got so badly infested she nearly died. Between Pet-Tinic and just love and reassuring we pulled her through. She is still thin but is eating 2 cans a day plus dry and anything else she can get.  She is a petite grey tabby and white cat. Long haired. Big green eyes and loves to be with you. She will read a kindle with you or just keep you warm while you read. She takes the princess role well and usually find her on a pile of rose pillows on the bed. I am so happy she is doing better.

And the count is......

Lets see since I last posted we have gained a few more critters for our little place. We have Bonnie a pregnant pygmy goat, Lola a small pig, 7 geese, 2 ducks, 20 chicks and a guinea fowl. Our biggest addition was Bo a great Pyrnees. It is quiet a sight to see pig chasing dog, chasing goose then blink and the duck is chasing the dog who now chases the pig. This goes on for at least 30 mins at a time. All the while our cats have taken to great heights to avoid being run over. Needless to say the cats think they are very daft. 


 Bonnie is due sometime this early summer but exact date is unknown. She reminds me of a big cup of coco with whip cream on it... Lola is a house pig, trained well mannered. She is hyper and for one so small she is a royal pain when she stands on your toe.


Our latest addition was Cookie (Oreo) 12 week old black and white cat. She fills in my daughters empty spot when Cookie died at the age of 11. She would nearly pass for her twin. She is sleeping on daughters shoulder as she plays a video game. 


Believe it or not I have 4 roosters living in harmony... YES harmony....seems they have decided they all want to live (I did threaten crock pot to any fighters) so they have divided the property up into 4 zones. Each rooster and his clutch of ladies have a certain area they eat and patrol in. They have even got a communication system up and check in hourly giving the all clear or warning. At night they even all nest on the porch( would love them not to, got any suggestions) all 4 roosters with in 2 foot of each other and not a feather out of place.. sure is a funny sight seeing a big hen nesting on a string of christmas lights and nothing more.  They are funny creatures. 


Our geese , my favs, 2 adults now hang out at the A- frame house which has the 7 young goslings in it.  Now do they make a fuss, I am not sure if they want in or want the babes out.  If you go back there they start a fussing and during the day they walk around the pen trying to figure a way in or out.  We hope in the future to let them free range with the older boys.


The roses are doing well this year. Tomatoes are trying to grow and bloom but the duck thinks they are nesting material.  Even with the duck we have some tomatoes on the vine and one nearly ready to pick.  Plenty of eggs if you don't mind going on a hunt for them each day. Our chickens are in a creative mood where can we lay today. They have laid on the porch, under the porch in the two nesting houses we provided and then behind the house in a old swing set.  Guess they like to rock while they lay? It has finally got hot, at least by our standards, and now we probably will have to water more daily.  


Well that's it for now. will keep you posted on what happens with Bonnie, will it be one or two.... take a guess and check back later to see if your right.


peace out
Kim

                                                       Lola

Geese, goat, ducks, chicks,rabbits oh my.....

A Busy few weeks....


Finally the school year is over EOG's (End of grade testing) both passed and we are ready for (shock) 9th grade and 6th grades where did time go? We also have several new family members. Brownie a pygmy goat maybe expecting looking so. Geese, 5 baby muskovey ducks, chicks, rabbits... so yes a busy spring. Got a few things planted as well. Have red, yellow, green and orange pepper plants. If abbey our female duck will not nest in the planter. Have tomatos, cucumbers,watermelon, hot pepper and dill and parsley along with orange and white pumpkins planted.  I have a few flowers planted if they now can survive the hot temps and the over watering they got the past few days.


Even though the weather wasn't to helpful we got a trampoline assembled and in use. We got the pool up and filled just in time for one of the biggest rain storms we have had in a few years. Hopefully with 80 + temps it will warm up enough not to freeze you to death. lol


My rose bushes are trying to look pretty but with the rain we have had most of the blooms just turned brown. That is the wild roses I have climbing roses that should put on a show abit later.  Good thing the geese, chickens and ducks dont like to eat them but do keep the grass underneath trimmed nicely.  I never knew what good little mowers they could be... They leave my wildflowers and most of my planted flowers alone but gobble up the grass and dandelions.  Good job my sweet little mowers.


One of the next projects I will be working on is diapers for the geese. We have 4 babies that are so precious. They are too young to wander free just yet, and they are too big for our small coop. They have been with us since we picked them up from Riverview Farm and Garden. They have bonded to us and will follow us everywhere. As I am writing this they are in a pile at my feet under my desk.  Im sure my favorite one goosie is a male as he is the largest of all the geese and he is the leader of our little troop.  I do hope that we have 2 females would love to have more baby geese in the future they are so much fun.  Our two adult males Chester (brown Chinese goose) and fester a white (Eblem) goose are a hoot to watch outside. They make sure all chickens, and ducks stay within the boundaries and not leave the hill. I do have a couple of hens that pay them no mind and venture down to mom and dads to pick some extra long grass and bird seed.


Well guess that is it for now... will keep you posted on Brownie and possible baby(s) that may be coming.

Gaggle of Geese

Geese the honking and squawking and even pinching... well that is what I have heard about geese. Then I got a goose and life changed. Chester is a Brown Chinese goose. He is brown and creme and tan and white. He will talk to you and will say I Love You. But one goose seemed so lonely so we found Fester he is a all white goose. Not as trusting as Chester but still very nice and polite. They are great buddies and go everywhere together. Then baby's came in to our local feed store. Some how seven little darlings followed us home. Some look like they will be like Chester and maybe one or two like Fester. They are in a nice little house by my desk till they feather up a bit, then they will come in and out till full grown. They love playing with toys and have learned how to ring a bell to let you know they want something. They loved to play and be held and loved on. So when they are full grown they should follow us and be great guard geese. They have already run off anything in their area they even fuss at bluebirds. Having geese is great... don't let their reputation sway you from adding one to your home.

Baby Chicks.

We have started on a adventure. Starting with 10 hens and a couple of roos just to keep us in eggs, we have now added  7 geese 5 ducks and have 7 guinea eggs in the incubator. We also have 11 chicken eggs, 3 of which are starting to hatch out. Now that is exciting...well till you remember you can not go to bed till all eggs hatching have hatched. Why you ask... well its like this. We we got our new family member Bo the great pyrenees and  the gentlemen gave us 7 guinea eggs. Well I couldnt hold them till the chicken eggs hatched they would go bad. So I had to add them half way through the chicken run. So now I can not turn the egg turner off and take it out or we will lose our guineas. So that is why we have to get the babys out of the incubator and into the brooder before they get a foot or worse caught in the turner and die.  They will be what we call a barnyard mix. So now we wait...they could take from 2 to 12 hours to hatch. Its never a dull moment here at Hydershire keep following and you'll see.




Ramblings of a single parent