NH Homesteader's journal

We have one more hay rack to build so they aren't all fighting over that one. They still have one outside too, but that'll likely go to the buck pen come spring. I'm thrilled, DH outdid himself on this and we spent $0!! Lost wages, sure. And he used a hog and a cattle panel, but we've had them kicking around so they've already paid themselves off. Still more to do in there before kidding season but, good for now!
 
Well that's a HUGE load off of your mind!! Looks great and it will be so very nice for your weather there to be able to walk into a barn and feed, milk, etc. Happy Dance!!!! Praise DH wildly and enjoy that barn.

"Down to 16" chickens...lol...I had way more than that hatch this year! In fact, have that many pullets from hatches & 7 young roos I hope to process next week. Probably 50 hens now. Plus keeper roos... Yeah, chicken math.
 
They look happy and settled in there :) Love that pic of the one looking through the window. Good that the flock is smaller now too. Less feed and hassle for you.
 
I try really hard to not be overcome by chicken math! I keep a tight rein on the amount of chickens here lol. Next year we might have issues because DH will likely want to keep some. We have 2 cockerels we aren't keeping, we'll probably end up skinning them out sometime this winter. One's small still, the other DH just hasn't grabbed yet. So we'll be down to 14! I always forget how much they eat in the winter, happy we only have that many!

DH is doing a roofing job the rest of this week and it's going to be cold next week. I'm nervous about when exactly this pig is going to go.
 
NH Homesteader said:
So we'll be down to 14! I always forget how much they eat in the winter, happy we only have that many!
Click to expand...

People who don't have any just don't realize what they CAN eat. Summer I'm good because of free range area, winter....get ready! But I do sell eggs and that pays most of their feed bill. Have regular customers (who are using WalMart now! Molt/winter) waiting for them to get back on line. Some older hens will prob go thru summer & be culled come next Fall. Actually waiting to see who goes broody in early Spring to get new chicks working. Some will get eggs that I get elsewhere to work into my own flock when they grow out. It's all part of farming. A lot of work & planning.:)

Goats? I'm working to get them bred now. Need Spring milk & kids to sell. :clap
 
I'm seeing goat bellies expanding (particularly Lilly and Peppermint) so let's hope I have some bred! And Clifford is not very interested in the girls at the moment, so I hope he did his job already.

We caught the dorking roo tonight to Blue-Kote him. I think he was more aggressive than our Dom roo! Our Dom is calm as could be right now, he's only a jerk during breeding season. He just wants snacks now lol!! Anyway we did steal 3 of the dorking's ladies yesterday and he's probably sore from all the pecking so... We'll see how his attitude goes in the future! He's in a fence so doesn't matter much, but I would prefer to have one non-aggressive roo.

The doctor I saw two weeks ago said I should have no issue being taken off 4x/day sugar checks once I figured everything out. So this week I saw the midwife I can't stand, and she told me I have to do them until I have 2 weeks with NO high numbers. Seriously? So I had two times in the past 2 weeks I was over by like 4-5 (which would be under the old guidelines which were in effect until this year!) and I'm stuck with checking 4x/day still. Annoying. I just feel like complaining. Grumble grumble.
 
Ugh.....! Isn't it funny how they change the guidelines? Hard to hit a moving target...GRRRR!

Expanding goat bellies are a good thing! Hope they expand a LOT!
 
My fasting numbers are great, that would be the worst to not have under control. It's not the end of the world, just a PIA. Nothing like what your DH has to deal with, FEM!

I am freaking out a little that I might have 5 does kidding lol. And 3 of those are FF's! Soooo so happy we aren't having pig babies. I can only handle so many babies! Lol. DH is going to want to crank out some turkeys and chicks too so.... It'll be plenty busy around here. So, when my seed catalogues get here, remind me... LITTLE GARDEN!
 
Your goat barn is freakin' fabulous! Your DH did an awesome job! :clap:clap

On the garden, uh.....little-NO, you'll order a lot of seed and plant a big garden. It's what we do.
 
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