Coffee's Ready, Come and Sit on the Porch

[baymule]

Great Pyrenees roam. If their feet are standing on the dirt, it belongs to them. That’s wonderful, only problem is, if they SEE it, that’s theirs too and they will go there. My male, Trip, jumped out daily, to do whatever he was doing, but he wasn’t home guarding. My female was known to dig under the fence.

A hot wire, top and bottom would be a good idea, plus a middle strand while you are at it to keep the sheep from rubbing against the wire.

Great Pyrenees are wonderful, fantastic dogs. They are friendlier than other breeds, which is a benefit if you have friends coming and going. They love and adore children and will protect children with their very lives. They are excellent flock guardians. Know and understand that LGDs bark. Their bark is a warning to predators to stay away. Bear in mind that a predator is practically anything that doesn’t belong. They will bark a warning for it to stay away, or if it comes into their territory, they will kill it.

Maremmas are the Italian version of a Great Pyrenees. They are everything the GP’s are, except for roaming. They stay home much better. They are not as plentiful as GPS, but can be found.

Both breeds make excellent dogs for someone who has no LGD experience. My two taught me more than I ever taught them. I now have 2 Anatolians, a Turkish breed. They are not friendly and people are only safe if I am with them. I can take children in to see the lambs, they love children. I can take most adults in to see the lambs, but some people they just don’t like so they have to either stay out or I have to lock up the dogs.

Grain. You have excellent grass, very little grain needed, just enough to call them in at night to close them up for the night. No to little copper. Sheep don’t metabolize copper, it accumulates in their liver and will kill them. That said, hair sheep actually require a little copper, 5ppm to 10ppm. Provide dolomite lime, it negates the adverse effects of too much copper. Dolomite lime is also good for lactating ewes. Sheep mineral free choice, sometimes they can’t get enough, sometimes they don’t care.

Shelter. Make it bigger than what you think you will need. Then it still won’t be big enough. 5 or 6 ewes? You make me laugh!

 

[baymule]

@Trying2keepitReal how do you keep the apples and pears from turning brown?

 

[The Porch]

Inside work today -- which I'm hating! Weather ok but, some days you have to clean inside or bulldoze! so I'm breaking it up often as I can. . Will need to take some stuff to dump...taking things to truck as I go along. Mean clean today . Washer, dryer and dishwasher going. This isn't my idea of fun. . Cabinets need reorg but not today!!!

I'd rather be cleaning the barn but, that's next week.

Me too, I would rather cut brush than do house work, but as you said, some days you just got to get it done.

 

[The Porch]

sounds

Wow! busy weekend guys. I completely checked out after Thursday night and spent it with the family. It was so nice here this weekend, in the upper 30s-kissing 40, that we had to spent every minute we could outside. Took the youngest sledding 2 days out at our property and did some wood clean up.

last night was the oldest choir concert for school, she did great and had a solo

DH bought me a dehydrator, nothing fancy but I think it will work just fine for our family--it is full of pears and granny smith apples this morning.

We are in a winter weather advisory starting tonight into Thursday morning, I have to go into the office (Twin Cities) on Wednesday, thankfully DH will be home and will drive me. I need to swap out my work laptop.

I am ready for spring, though I don't want to wish my life away....

Happy Monday all

like a great week end,
Have a great day

 

[Trying2keepitReal]

@Trying2keepitReal how do you keep the apples and pears from turning brown?

I soaked them in water with lemon juice for about 10 min prior to putting them in the dehydrator, that is what my mom does, this is my first time so we will see.

 

[The Porch]

good morning chicken lovers,
have I told you how much I just love my rooster
When I went in last evening to close the coop door, he was talking to me as I fussed about, I picked him up [boy is he heavy] I talked to him and showed him what it looked like out the window and than I set him down in the nesting box. Well he walked back and forth in it, kind of inspecting it, then he started chatting at me again and fluffing the spot where the one hen has been laying her eggs. So, I said, "yes, Cornelius, good job fixing the nest, I see that, tut-tut-tut, thats the egg spot isnt it,,,," he kept chatting and I fluffed the other areas , then he was done, he hopped down and trotted off.

 

[Trying2keepitReal]

good morning chicken lovers,
have I told you how much I just love my rooster
When I went in last evening to close the coop door, he was talking to me as I fussed about, I picked him up [boy is he heavy] I talked to him and showed him what it looked like out the window and than I set him down in the nesting box. Well he walked back and forth in it, kind of inspecting it, then he started chatting at me again and fluffing the spot where the one hen has been laying her eggs. So, I said, "yes, Cornelius, good job fixing the nest, I see that, tut-tut-tut, thats the egg spot isnt it,,,," he kept chatting and I fluffed the other areas , then he was done, he hopped down and trotted off.

he is beautiful and really sounds like a good boy.

 

[baymule]

good morning chicken lovers,
have I told you how much I just love my rooster
When I went in last evening to close the coop door, he was talking to me as I fussed about, I picked him up [boy is he heavy] I talked to him and showed him what it looked like out the window and than I set him down in the nesting box. Well he walked back and forth in it, kind of inspecting it, then he started chatting at me again and fluffing the spot where the one hen has been laying her eggs. So, I said, "yes, Cornelius, good job fixing the nest, I see that, tut-tut-tut, thats the egg spot isnt it,,,," he kept chatting and I fluffed the other areas , then he was done, he hopped down and trotted off.

What a good boy!

 

[baymule]

I soaked them in water with lemon juice for about 10 min prior to putting them in the dehydrator, that is what my mom does, this is my first time so we will see.

The Foxfire books method was to peel and core apples, slice and put on a string to air/sun dry, if I remember correctly. Or maybe they were hung in the smoke house. I remember that the apples turning brown was no big deal. Once dry, a pan of Sulphur was placed in the smoke house and lit with a match. Door closed, the Sulphur smoke whitened the dried apples.

I always wondered why packages of dried fruit at the store said Sulphur added, now I know. Probably a much more modern way of the same basic process. I never tried this, not having an apple tree nor a smoke house. LOL

 

[The Porch]

The Foxfire books method was to peel and core apples, slice and put on a string to air/sun dry, if I remember correctly. Or maybe they were hung in the smoke house. I remember that the apples turning brown was no big deal. Once dry, a pan of Sulphur was placed in the smoke house and lit with a match. Door closed, the Sulphur smoke whitened the dried apples.

I always wondered why packages of dried fruit at the store said Sulphur added, now I know. Probably a much more modern way of the same basic process. I never tried this, not having an apple tree nor a smoke house. LOL

I love my fox fire books!!