Denim Deb Hay, hay, hay. Thank the Lord!

[Denim Deb]

Today is going to be another hot one. I have Bible study this morning, my appointments this afternoon and am going on a bird walk this evening. So hopefully I won't get too hot. I do have a few things to do. We need a new belt for my mower, so I need to run to TSC to get one. And since I'm low on both goat and rabbit food, I'll get that while I'm in there. I need to do some dishes and house work this morning, and need to get busy. So, here's my list for today:

1. Dishes
2. Housework
3. Errands
4. Normal farm chores
5. Bible study
6. Appointments
7. Bird walk
8. Feed animals
9. Put out trash

That's enough for today and I need to get busy.

 

[Denim Deb]

I'm beat. I've been so busy the last couple of days I haven't really been able to get on. And there's just not enough hours in the day. Tomorrow I'll be busy again. I need to do some work to my hay shelter. I need to put boards at the halfway point on the sides. Hopefully doing this will mean that the sides stay in place better.

I need to work on my new chicken house. I've decided to take my hens back to the farm. I just don't have enough hens right now for the roosters, so this should help

My mower isn't running. I don't know if hubby's going to stop at the farm tomorrow or what, but I couldn't use it today to spread my manure. So I have a full spreader sitting in my field.

I have it all set up so I can take the chicks in my basement out to the farm tomorrow.

OK, I'm sitting here falling asleep. I think I need to go to bed.

 

[Denim Deb]

Today promises to be another busy day. Rather than making a list today, I'm going to put stuff in categories as to what needs to be done, so here goes:

1. Chickens: I need to take the chicks out to the farm. They're old enough to be outside now. Then, I need to clean the container they're in so it's all ready for the next batch. I checked the eggs this morning B4 putting the incubator in lock down. One egg is no good for sure. It looks like it's barely developed. Another I'm not sure about, so I left it.

If I have time, I also need to work on my new chicken house. I need to get that done ASAP, but also have a ton of other stuff I need to do ASAP. It makes it hard to juggle stuff. And while not as important, but still important, I need to redo the platform I have for keeping a broody separate from the other hens. I messed up when I made the one I have, and it's a hair too small. Right now, my broody is on fake eggs. Since I don't really need more chicks right now, I've told KN if she wants, she can put eggs under her. She's been trying to get one to go broody, but has had no luck. If she doesn't, I'll be putting eggs under her anyway.

2. Hay shelter: Right now, I have enough hay to last for another 18 days. I'll be going to the hay auction Tuesday. If I don't get anything, I'll go again the next Tuesday-I would just have to wait until Wednesday to get my hay since I have my appointments. But, I need to get that all cleaned out, and the sides put on better. That's my priority for the day out at the farm.

3. Work w/horse(s): I'm not sure what all I'm going to be able to do. When I left the farm yesterday, there were a bunch of horses in the RP. If they're still in there today, I won't be able to work w/a horse in there. I had hoped to work w/Licorice in the RP. She's doing well and I hope to have her saddled again by the end of the month. I won't be able to get on her until I know for sure that KN will be there. She's the only one I trust to help me w/that. If I can't work w/her in there, I'll work on sacking her out a bit. She can be spooky. And I'll groom her.

Misty will get a day off for the most part. I do plan on grooming her an taking her out of the field and letting her graze. She's had a hard week so far. I worked w/her in the RP on both Monday an Wednesday. I've done very little cantering on her and only once was it in a riding arena. Other than that, it's been solely on trail rides. Nor had I worked w/her on the canter in the RP. Watching a cantering horse can actually trigger a vertigo attack. But since EH wants to start me cantering soon, we worked on the canter. Then yesterday, EH ha another of her students work w/Misty during my lesson on the canter. She did very well. Next week, I'll be taking a double lesson. The first half, I'll ride her. The 2nd half, the other student will ride her and work w/her a bit more. They only cantered in the one direction, so EH wants her going the other way.

While I'm not working w/Stormy, I will work on getting rid of his winter coat. He doesn't like me to use a curry comb on him, but he doesn't mind a shedding blade and a brush. So, I'll spend time doing that. So I should pretty much be covered w/horse hair by the time I leave.

4. Housework: I had planned on cleaning my bathroom yesterday, but it didn't happen, so that will get done today B4 I leave. Then after I get home, I'll be cleaning in the basement. I want to clean up as much as I can where I have the chicks set up so it's clean B4 I have the next batch hatch. Plus, there's bits of bark, etc. still from having a fire as late as I did. I did have it cleaned up.

5. Dishes: Need I say more?

6. Laundry: I have a basket of clothes I need to fold and put away. I have a basket I need to iron. And I need to wash and hang out a load. I get that done, then all I'll need to do is fold up and put away the last load, and I'll be caught up for now.

7. Goat pen: I'm hoping I have time to at least get in there and rake up some of the hay they're not eating. It's going to depend on how late I get home.

8. Garden: I need to do a bit more weeding in my area. As much as I want to plant stuff, until I take the chickens back to the farm, I can't. They're doing too much scratching in there. They'd just dig it all up. I may start some more stuff in the basement, though. I never got my flowers started, but I do want to start some sunflowers. They get up and get to be a good height, they'd be transplanted into the chicken run for shade.

Other than normal animal chores, I think this is plenty for the day and I need to get started. Oh, and I may have to go to work for a bit this afternoon. I had been mowing yesterday and part of the tractor came apart! If they get it fixed early enough, I'll be going out and finishing it. I'm also going to try again to start my mower. They're calling for rain, so I'd really like to get my spreader emptied.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

That's your plan for the day? I thought it was for the whole weekend!

 

[Britesea]

 

[Denim Deb]

If it makes you feel any better, I didn't get all done. Today wasn't long enough. I got the chicks out at the farm, and it's a good thing! My eggs are shaking, peeping and 1 has a hole in it! Maybe they're possessed! I got the broody pen cleaned out, so I'm good to go. If my hen had gone broody last week instead of this week, I would have stuck the eggs under her, but I don't think she's been broody long enough.

It took longer to do the hay shelter than I was expecting and I'm not done. I HAVE to get that done, so I didn't work w/the horses today. I felt bad about that, but sometimes you just don't have a choice.

I did the house work I'd planned on doing, but didn't work on the dishes, goat pen or garden. And I got some, but not all of the laundry done. I was just too beat.

 

[Denim Deb]

Today was a good day. I was able to do dishes this morning as well as put away the load of clothes. Tomorrow morning I'll do more dishes and iron the basket of clothes. That will have me caught up on that.

We went for our first trail ride of the year today! We had a total of 5 riders. I wasn't sure how well Misty would do. Well, she was awesome! She gave me some trouble when I went to mount, but all the horses were acting up, so she was just feeding off of them. She spooked a couple of times, but it wasn't bad and we worked thru it w/no problem. The biggest problem we had was w/biting insects. I sprayed her B4 we left. And I put spray on a brush and did her face. But in spite of that, the flies were really going for her-especially her face. She kept trying to get them to leave her alone, but they wouldn't. At one point in time, she almost lost it. She wasn't trying to be bad, just get away from the insects and she tried to buck. I got her under control real fast. And I barely moved in the saddle! That's a BIG difference from other times when she's acted up that badly.

At that point in time, I did the smart thing. I told them I was done. It just wasn't fair to her to keep going, so we headed back for the trailer. 2 riders went down another trail, and the rest of us headed back for the trailers. There are times when Misty really drags her feet-not today. She never tried to break into anything other than the walk I asked her for, but it was a good pace. It didn't take long for us to get way ahead of the other horses. It didn't bother her in the least that she was by herself. So, all the work I did w/her last year in the woods at EH's really paid off!

When I got home, hubby and I went out and bought him a new horse-a Troy-Bilt horse. While I would have bought a used mower, he wanted a new one. He figures this should last us for the rest of our lives, I hope he's right. And it came w/a free cart. So, it will come in handy.

Yesterday I had 2 eggs pip. They've done nothing since. I've had 2 pip today. Hopefully the first 2 are OK. I hope I get up tomorrow and find chicks.

I'm having to rethink my breeding program for the year. Nothing is going the way I planned. But, that's the fun of it. I had planned on getting rid of all 5 of my first batch of chicks. But it suddenly dawned on me what the one chick may be. It's all black and has dark legs. One of the eggs was from my barred rock. Last time I had an all black chick, it was a cross between a barred rock and an Ameraucana. And, it was a hen that laid jumbo eggs. So, if this chick turns out to be female, I'll be keeping it. Any hens I get from this batch will be ones that I keep. I'm waiting to see what I have B4 I decide whether I need to raise more for at the farm. I will be doing some for home. Oh, and the hen I had go broody the other day is now on real eggs. So hopefully in 3 weeks, I'll have more chicks.

 

[Denim Deb]

All 4 of the eggs that pipped have hatched! These were eggs I got from KN. 2 of them were buff orpingtons, 2 were from a red sex link and 3 were from a leg horn. I don't know what kind of rooster is in w/these hens, but I know that typically the hens that have this rooster as a father make good broodies. The hen I have right now w/chicks has him for a father. The buffs and the sex link eggs are the ones that hatched. When I get home from church today, if the other eggs haven't pipped, I'll be taking these chicks out and sticking them in my brooder. That way I'll be better able to tell whether or not I have anything peeping in the other 2 eggs.

 

[Denim Deb]

I had planned on doing the rest of the dishes and ironing the shirts this afternoon. Well hubby was working on my bike and needed some help. So I helped him w/my bike (it's fixed!), did some yard work when he was going to need help but didn't need it right at that sec, did the dishes and some of the clothes.

W/the last 2 eggs, there's no pips or peeps. I'll give them a few more days B4 I give up on them. And while I wanted the genetics from this batch of chicks in my flock, I'm glad I didn't decide to raise these breeds. I can't tell the difference between the chicks. I've always been able to tell the difference between the chicks from my Ameriucanas.

 

[Denim Deb]

Today was a good day. I ironed the rest of my clothes, worked for a couple of hours this morning, then headed to the farm. My mower is still at home. Hubby got it running, but I still need a belt on it. So I still can't spread manure. Since my spreader is full, I filled up my cart.

I was going to work on my hay shelter, but I left my glasses at home, so that was out. And I wanted to clean my chicken house out, but don't have any empty feed bags at the farm, so that was out. I was able to put fresh shavings in the nesting boxes though. Once that was done, I moved my broody into the one farthest away from the door and have her closed in so no one else can get in on her.

RU came over w/her tractor. She wanted to do some work in the parking area. She had a couple of smallish trees that she had pulled out that she was just going to burn. I wanted the trunks for firewood, so I cut them up and threw the pieces in my area. Then I started working on cleaning out my hay shelter.

Well, I didn't get very far when it started to rain. The horses were in the parking area, and Stormy was eating his 2nd feeding. I had him blocked off so the other horses couldn't get to him. They wanted back in the field, so I let them in, but was hoping Stormy would finish eating. Well he followed the others. Then it started to rain harder so I ran to get stuff covered and put away. Then, I went back in the hay shelter.

I got in there just in time. It started to pour! Since I didn't finish the hay shelter, my hay was actually getting wet, so I moved that, then got most of the shelter cleaned out. It stopped raining, so I got Stormy to finish eating while I finished up what I had to get done. I was on the bike, and I could hear thunder, so I wanted to get home while it was clear.

Got home and crashed for a bit, then went out, did some yard work and fed animals.

Now I'm relaxing and thinking about going to bed. I'm tired.