Due Dates and Birthdays

All my goats are finally bred. Only Varla was bred to Joshua James.
Varla - March 8, 2014 or March 26, 2014
Laura- March 22, 2014
Matilda - March 29, 2014
Faye - April 2, 2014
Elesméra - April 11, 2014
Pippi - April 16, 2014 or April 21, 2014
And Leipchen is hopefully pregnant, and if she is she's due any time between March and May!

While I'm here I want to post all my goats birthdays. It's nice to know how old they are.
Pippi's Birthday is December 12, 2010
Matilda is February 18, 2011
Faye's is March 9, 2012
Leipchen is April 5, 2012
Elesméra's Birthday is March 9, 2013
Laura's is April 24, 2013 
And I actually don't know Varla's Birthday 

Cranberry Cookie Bars

Click Picture to Enlarge 

A first time for every thing

They were all laying on the same couch together!  It's a miracle!
From left to right: Rain E Day, Lila Mae, and Alexis Louise (Rain, Lila, and Lexie)
I think Rain and Lila will actually end up good friends. Lexies a lot more hyper, and makes Lila nervous. 
But there's hope, lila hasn't even been down stairs since we got the puppies,  but this past week she's been down on the couch nearly every day.

Breeding Season

The breeding season is near to closing.  Most all of my girls are bred, (fingers crossed) a couple of them are sneaky and don't let us know when they are in heat...
I'll have goats kidding in the spring in March and April,  As will Larissa at Tiny Hill Farm. We are each breeding a good number more does than last year; it will be crazy :)
Only Varla ended up being bred to Joshua James (pictured in previous post), my six other girls are bred to Sting N Ned L- An adorable young chocolate buck. I will try and get a picture.

Half Cape

I've had a table cloth mom gave me that I had planned to make a cape with, and I also just bought some pretty curtain like material  at Savers. I found this amazing pattern on line here. I made two capes out of two very different fabrics, an over cape and an under cape. But they can be worn by them selves because they aren't attached. The top one is more elegant,  with a fancier clasp.  The under cape is much more rustic and woodsman looking. 

both

top

Smitten with a Kitten.

So we have six kittens...and I just got two Silkies for my sister for her birthday. The chickens right now are to small to go in the coop and the kittens are in the kidding stall. We didn't know what to do with the chickens so I decided I'd try them with the kittens. They love each other! They snuggled up and everything! We do have to lock momma kitty out though cause she thinks the chickens look like dinner. But that's ok, they are really eating on their own anyway.
They are adorable together!

Who's a handsome buck?!

This is Joshua James. Two or three of my does will be bred to him this year. Varla is already bred to him, she will be due around march 15th. And so starts the long season of waiting and hoping; as well as the calm before the storm of many increased chores.

Virtue makes you beautiful

My mom showed me this on her facebook. I think its just awesome! A must see for any Christian girl. If you've never heard One Direction's That's What Makes You Beautiful pull that up on YouTube first and pay attention to the words. Then watch this link. It's great.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oartIE7rKuM&feature=youtube_gdata_player

I graduated

I had my graduation party just a couple weeks ago. I graduated late in the season, true, but I actually did high school in three years. I'm rather proud of my self for that...
The party was a lot of fun but I do feel it was more for my mom than for me. Which is totally cool, she deserved it! The one question everybody asked- the one question I didn't want to be asked- was "what's next?" Honestly I don't know for sure. I have a couple different courses I'm doing this year and other than that I know want to farm. I love farming and I love my goats! But really I'm not worried about it. I'm not worried about having a "career" I don't feel like that's what God Wants for me, not right now anyway. If I'm learning to grow food and can soups and make jellies I think that's enough for now.  I'm excited for my future, and yet I don't want to grow up, I never have. I want to be spontaneous and fun and daring for the rest of my life. And what's stopping me? I'll be 18 in a couple months (dreading that) and I'm waiting for God to show me his plan for the next chapter of my life. I hope its a fun chapter!
Just babbling again... Heres a picture my brother Forest took. I was being a bit uncooperative for the pictures... I thought "graduating from home school will be great, no cap and gown needed" I was wrong.

Azariah

This isn't a great picture but that's Azariah. Tilly's son.

Apollo

Here's a more recent picture on Apollo, Pippi's son. He's darker than that now though.

Smart phone

I have a smart phone. And I've had it for some time but I'm still only getting used to it. (I hate the touch screen key board) but I can blog off of my phone! I down loaded this Blogger app. I guess we will see how it works.

More new birds

Zach

Lady Bird

Ok, so I've been blessed with a lot of birds...no really, a lot of birds. Not sure if I wrote about him or not but about a year ago my neighbor - Larissa - found a Cockatiel hanging out with her turkeys! Her husband caught him and they gave him to me. I named him Darius.  Now I already had a Cockatiel -Zach - and a Parakeet -Levi - that I had bought when we lived in New York. Darius is a very friendly bird and I am so happy to have gotten him. But then... One of my dad's employees asked if we wanted a cockatiel. she said they were moving and couldn't keep her. She also said this Cockatiel lays eggs.  So I got all excited, I thought "I can put her with Zach or Darius and have some baby Cockatiels hatched" So we took her. I named her Merriam. Though we hardly ever call her that, she's Lady Bird. So I had these four birds for a while, happy as could be.  They were all getting along great and Darius and Lady bird were very social with me. No eggs yet but I'm still waiting patiently. Then I get a text; Larissa knows someone who is trying to find a home for their two conures and they come with cages. At first mom said no way. but then we got thinking, we are buying two rather pricey dogs and we could sell these birds for puppy money. We said we'd take them.  So these two four hundred dollar birds arrived With their two massive cages, each in their own personal carriers! We put one cage in the house an put both birds in it. There is a Peach Fronted and a Jenday Conure. They both love to dance to almost any music you play (Though Casting Crowns' praise you with the dance is their favorite) And they Peach Fronted talks his head off! He says Thank you, and your welcome, Hello, Whatch' ya doin', I love you, all kinds of stuff. They are both so much fun. I fell in love with the Jenday though, We are trying to find a home for the Peach Fronted, but I'm keeping the Jenday. I named the Jenday Jezreel (jez REE el) and the other is Alex. Jezreel is very social. He loves having his head scratched, and he would sit with me all day if I let him. Such a love bug. I have recently given Zach away. I miss him a little but he went to a really good home where I think he is probably getting more of the attention that he needs. I love all my birds even if they do scream and wake me up at five am every so often. But if you know any one who is interested in a Peach Fronted Conure, we are selling :)

Darius 

 

Levi

Jezreel

Alex

Tennessee

The last week of last month we went to mass to pick up my Grandmother Dee and Uncle Luke and all eight of us drove to Tennessee to pick up two puppies! We made a lot of stops on the way and had a great week! we went through eleven states. New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Verginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee. We went to the Louisville slugger factory, drove around Lexington Kentucky. We saw many of the film sights from the movie Dreamer. and we went to the Creation Museum. That was without doubt the coolest museum in the world! I'd highly recommend it!

Look familiar? 

They had a petting zoo there with a zorse and a zonkey (zebra crosses with horses and donkeys) 

And they had Camels...I RODE A CAMEL! It was Awesome! 

Zorse

Zonkey

 

And we finally made it to Tennessee and picked up our puppies! Lexie and Rain. Rain is Forestt's and Lexie is the Family's 

 

The puppies are full sisters with Sadie, the dog we lost. They have been so much fun. We Love having dogs in the house again. And yes it's been a little hectic. But they are worth every second. and no I don't enjoy cleaning there messes up off the floor but id rather clean it than not having a dog again. And I can't wait to start agility training again. They've got a little growing to do before that first. They turned 9 weeks old Wednesday. 

Crowing Hens

I discovered the other day while I was carrying water to the goats that I have a crowing chicken! I thought "Great. on of my new chicks is a rooster...." so I put my buckets down and went into the barn to hopefully see who the culprate was. I looked into the coop, they were all just standing there looking very innocent. I looked to Molly, thinking "she's got a rather large comb and bossy demeaner..."  I crowed hoping to provoke a reaction and it did. but it was coming from around the corner. My first thoughts were "who ever it was escaped." then "maybe one of the neighbors roosters got out and came to visit my hens" I rounded the corner into the them empty goat stall.....It was BABY! My Productive hen! I was dumbfounded "baby did you change gender on me!" I can not explain the thoughts that were running through my head. I googled it and sure enough if there is absence of  a rooster one of the hens may "take over" the position of rooster and start crowing. I've seen her do it since then and it is the weirdest thing having a hen that crows! 

Chicks

I got more chicks! I was only going to get three but then my hen Sophia died so I got four. First I got Grace (the most photogenic hen in the world) and Molly (she's my sister's)  Grace is a Buff Orpington, and Molly is a Brown Leghorn (Sophia was a White Leghorn).

Grace

Molly and Grace 

Easter Chicks!

Goose and chicks

Then I got Zoozoo and Jade. Goose was broody so I put easter eggs under her and when the chicks came in replaces the eggs with these two and she was possitive they were hers and she hatched them! They are both Americaunas

Baby Goats

I had seven goats born this spring!

Pippi was my first to kid. She had twins, a girl and a boy. Apollo and Pixie.  Pixie came out one leg first then Apollo decided to come out backwards! Silly boy, he was just fine though. I have been wanting a girl from Pippi for about two years now, but sadly pixie was a bit of a disappointment in the fact that she actually had four teets, thats pretty rare, I've seen goats born with three, but never four, teets. oh well though, not much you can do. Pippi not only didn't want her babies...she wanted them dead. I am convinced if left alone with them she would have killed them. She immediately started to stomp them so we took them away from her and they were fine.

Pixie

Apollo

Azariah 

London

The next to kid was Tilly, she also had a boy and a girl, London, and Azariah. I loved London and planned on keeping her but ended up selling her. When they were borne Tilly (the great mom that she is) accepted them very well but London set herself aside in the corner and wouldn't go near her mom or brother. I took her inside because it was too cold for her without the shared body heat of her family. She wouldn't settle down in the crate or box so I actually slept with her on the couch wrapped in a towel for three nights in a row. she got very attached to me and couldn't just sleep on the couch, she had to be on me! Then when she was disbudded one of her horn scab things started to bleed, so she was really babied then too. she got so she was very attached to people...too attached. she didn't think she was a goat and she HATED being with the herd. at first it was cute, she'd follow me every where, help me with chores, follow me inside and back out again but then when she got bigger and she was mad at "mom" (me) for leaving her in the pen with all the goats, she'd break my fences to come and see me. That was not cute. So I sold her. She was getting out far too often.

The next was Annika, a boy I named him Robin but sold him right away I also sold Annika, sorry to say this is the best picture I have of him:

Robin

Then Faye kidded, like her mother, one boy. I named him Guy of Gisborne, to go with Robin. He was really cute and SO SO friendly, wished he was a girl actually. He was boring in color but so cute. And my Friend Brittany was up from NY when he was born so she got to see that, so that was cool too. Sold him too though...sadly. And for some reason I don't have any pictures of him. 

Then! Leibchen Surprised us all with a baby girl! I didn't even know she was pregnant till just a couple weeks before she kidded! She had Laura. And I'm so glad she had her because she made the decision to sell Londen so much easier. Laura's a sweet heart. I had her mom raise her because by the time she was born there were no other babies herr size to put her with, so unlike most other babies I've had she thinks she's a goat, and I'm another member of her herd, not her mom. She's quite silly and so much fun to watch. and she's HUGE because she was nursing forever she got big FAST. Shes eight weeks younger than Ellesmera (who I will discuss in a moment) and she's the same size if not bigger than her!  

Laura and my new chick "helping" me milk Leibchen

 Ok, Ellesmera (El es MEAR a) I bought from Larissa when I discovered I couldn't keep Pixie. I was feeling awful about Pixie and I met her and she lifted my spirits the second I saw her. So when I heard that Larissa wasn't keeping her I was quick to claim. Then Larissa told me (about a week or two later) that she was also selling her mom, Varla (who is also Tilly's mom. so Tilly and Ellesmera are sisters.) so I traded Annika for Varla. So I have seven goats now (one more than I had planned) but it works nicely.

Ellesmera 

Ellesmera

Pixie, about ten minutes old

Apollo

Pixie

London, Pixie, and Ellesmera

So I ended up selling all the babies but Mera and Laura, but my friend Eliana (who has Tilly's sister Ally) bought Apollo and Azariah. So I get to see them all the time. I'm going to take some more pictures tomorrow of the four babies so I can post some more recent pictures.




P.S. I also sold Leipchen's sister Leia. 

Updating

Ok. I'm very sorry, I lied. I said "I'll keep you posted" and I guess I didn't really.
We couldn't find the charger to our camera so all the pictures I've gotten for here were on my phone, I didn't know how to transfer them and of course my dad shows me how easy it is just today... We haven't really had a computer for me to use. We have my mom's but she's always on it. and I've been VERY  busy. but, excuses excuses...will you ever forgive me?
I'm hopefully going to do like a million and one posts tonight updating you on all that you've missed. baby goats, puppies, new birds, camels,  paintings, you know...the usual. Better get to work!

Prolapse Vent

My friend's chicken has a Prolapse vent. I helped her clean t it up and put it back into place (though she's still not 100%).  Mom said that what we did could count as school if I did research and wrote a report on it and what to do...so here I go.


Prolapse Vent
A Prolapsed vent is where the oviduct (where the eggs are made) comes out of the vent. This prevents the chicken from pooping and laying eggs. There is often chicken poop oozing out and all over the feathers around it. There may also be blood present. The hen will most likely be calm.
The area around the vent needs to be cleaned with warm water and the tissue coming out has to be disinfected. (We used Dial disinfectant soap)
Next you can put something on it to help with pain and swelling. I have read many different suggestions for this, we used antibiotic cream and Vaseline because that's what was available. You can also use Preparation H cream or honey.
Then (the fun part) You need to use your finger to push the oviduct tissue back into the bird. Gloves come in handy here! Once it's in you might want to hold in there for a minute until she stops trying to push it back out (you can tell by feeling it against your finger), Put more cream on the outside once its in.
If it wont stay in place (we had this problem) you can diaper her over night. and that should cure it; although is is common for the issue to arise again later so keep an eye out for it.
Only bandage/diaper the bird over night! if it's on during the day she wont be able to lay her eggs making the problem worse. Here's a link on how to bandage the prolapse: http://www.littlehenrescue.co.uk/Pages/Medicaladvice.aspx
 A Prolapsed vent may be caused by a number of different things; it could be because the hen started laying when she was too young, or maybe the chicken laid an egg to big, soft or weird in shape, if the chicken is old and over weight it can also cause it. Or there might be an egg stuck. If you think the last is the case you can gently massage around her tail and vent to see if you can feel and egg.
Another possibility is the chicken is deficient in calcium.

After the treatment add vitamins, electrolytes  and/or liquid calcium to her food or water; and keep her away from the flock until the issue has cleared up completely.
If the other chickens are able to pick at her vent they could make it worse infecting it and possibly causing her death.
Your chicken may also need antibiotics if it's really bad.

Pregnant Goats

I have a couple very pregnant goats...then some not too pregnant goats.
Pipi's due date was the 26th, n she looks like shes going to pop! Tilly is due on the 5th of March. She and Pipi could kid anytime . I'm very Excited. Annika and Faye are also pregnant but not due till the end of March and the Beginning of April. I'll will keep you posted.

School

If you haven't noticed I'm posting a lot of my school projects/reports on my blog. As three electives for high school I'm doing a Wilderness survival study, an Agricultural Management study, and an Animal Husbandry study. I'm really enjoying all three of them. I will be posting a lot of what I'm learning here.

Forest Fires- Why they are GOOD

More school 

Forest Fires – Why they are GOOD

When God created forests He knew what they needed, and He gave them what they needed. Forests can take care of themselves. Many years ago, though, scientists wanted to help the forests. Scientists were afraid the fires were killing the forests, so they found ways to help prevent forest fires from starting. People did everything they could to avoid fires, and it worked. Forest fires decreased greatly, but they were doing more harm than good by stopping the fires.

Suddenly when a fire did start it didn’t stop. Rather than running along the forest floor for a ways and then going out the fires went on, they went higher into the trees and actually were killing the forests. Now we know that forests depend on fires for survival.

            Forest’s floors are built of debris from trees and dead plants. There are layers of dead twigs, pine needles, seeds, and leaves. On top of all that there are fallen trees, shrubs, baby trees, and briers. When natural forest fires happen when they are supposed to all this “fuel” on the floor burns away and the fire goes out, then in a couple years when more material have built up it happens again. If fires are not able to happen the debris accumulates more than it should creating a very large amount of “fuel”,  Trees and shrubs begin to grow to thickly, and the briers, fallen trees, and branches begin to get so thick people can hardly enjoy or even walk in the forests anymore. Then lightning or a spark from a near camp fire lights the forest. The forest starts to burn. Because of the massive amounts of debris and overgrown shrubbery the fire reaches the tops of the trees and burns much hotter at the basses, killing the trees, and most likely destroying the entire forest, and killing many living creatures as it goes.  

Scientists have now learned from their mistakes and there are now prescribed fires for overgrown forests.  Trained professionals now use drip torches to burn away undergrowth at a very slow pace, giving animals plenty of time to get far enough away to avoid being burned. These fires are planned and watched very closely and with great care, before the fires the weather, wind, floor density, and moister in the forest are all considered when planning the burn day.

Johanna E. Howland

Kelp and Minerals

I wrote this for school.

Kelp and Minerals

There are many advantages of feeding kelp and minerals to your farm animals. Animals need vitamins to be healthy just as like we humans do. Their bodies can get what they need by eating kelp and minerals rather than only hay and grain.

Kelp contains iodine which is needed to avoid iodine deficiency which can be the cause of a messed up thyroid or goiters.

Kelp also has many different vitamins and amino acids that will help to keep your animals healthy, fit, and strong. Kelp also gives animals a nice shine to their coats.

Minerals are needed to keep your animals healthy, they are full of vitamins and other essentials such as Calcium, Potassium, Zinc, Iron, etc.

When buying minerals for your animals (in blocks or loose) make sure to buy what is specific to the animal you have.  Goat minerals, for instance, could kill sheep. Goats need a much higher percentage of Copper than sheep do, so the amount of copper in goat’s minerals is much too high for sheep. It goes the other way too. Sheep or “sheep and goat” minerals could make goats sick by not giving them enough copper.

Any minerals for sheep or goats would not have enough of anything for cows and cattle. Cattle are a much bigger animal and require much more to maintain a healthy level.

If your animals are in Milk, Kelp and Minerals will increase production and if nursing the babies drinking milk from a mother on kelp and minerals will be stronger and healthier.

           Johanna E, Howland January, 2012