Saturday Ramblings

This is what it looks like right now out my front door. The sun tries to break through but the clouds just dominate. The wind here is gusting something fierce, whistling as it catches the edges of the house and windows.

I feel somewhat better today. Even though it is windy and overcast, I get a glimpse of sun every now and then and the rain has moved out. I don't mind the wind so much. It will help dry up the ground and I won't have so much mud to deal with.

Yesterday after I got off the computer I went through the Market Bulletin ads looking for some bermuda hay I could buy locally. I have been buying the bales from Ladds up in Cartersville. They charge 8 dollars a bale. Now that I have Derby and the goats to feed through the winter I have to find a better price. I called a number from the ads that was close. No one answered. Hm. My second try was meant to be. Turns out this man was not ten minutes from me and I could go back roads to get there. He has over 2000 bales of Tift 44. Perfect! I should be able to keep my animals fed all winter. His price was five dollars out of the barn,
or six dollars in barn. I definitely want in barn. You don't want to risk the hay having mold. It can make animals very sick, even die. I am not that savvy on types of hay. I will admit I didnt know what Tift 44 was. So I looked it up on the internet of course. The answers to everything are on here, arent they? ;) Turns out all
Tift 44 is, is a bermuda hay that will grow in spring and fall, not just summer like regular bermuda hay. It is some really pretty hay, smells soooo good too. I was proud that I was able to find a source locally and for a better price, AND I am buying from a local farmer, and thats important.

After Shelby and I got back with the hay we fed the horse and goats right away. There is nothing like seeing them chewing and grinding hay contently. It gives you a peaceful feeling to know they are happy.

After that I got outside and was productive, and just like I knew I would, I felt better for it. I scrubbed some waterers and filled them. Fed some critters. I just put up a fenceline a couple of days ago. I will have to say it has made my life much easier. When the horse is let out he goes around grubbing, looking for any chicken feed he might be able to get into. I caught him pushing in one of my metal pens, bending the bars. I had just put feed in there for the two silkie/polish cross boys and he was doing his best to try and get to it. I am also tired of stepping in emu poo when I try to get in the gate, they are always right at the gate when its time to eat and they are so big now I can hardly get in between long necks swinging, big long feet and legs in the way, not to mention all the chickens pressing themselves at the gate. So I made a barrier. To protect my pens from the horse, and to keep the emus from being right at the gate pooing it all up. Emu poo is SLICK. Its like stepping in slick mud, and yes, just like slick mud, it makes you slide and fall on your butt. I love my emus, but they have got to give me some space to get in the gate. I also like to feed them seperate. They have their own feeder I hang on the gate. I don't want them to eat the chickens food because I mix scratch grains in with the food. Corn goes right through emus. Their bodies don't process it. Then you are left with a pile of emu poo, with cracked corn in it. Then a chicken walks by that pile, sees the corn pieces in it, and well...you know what happens next. I won't go any further. So we just like to avoid that all together.

I was able to get fresh hay down in a couple of pens and in the emu bed area. I also got hay down on all the slick mud areas at the gate.

Of course as usual, dark came too early and I ran out of daylight to work outside. I retreated indoors and cooked supper. We had baked potatoes and boiled shrimp for supper.

The Wizard of Oz was on tv last night. Ian and I were watching that while eating supper and it made me have a happy feeling. Something I had been struggling with all day as you can see from yesterdays post about the weather getting me down. Then he turned it to crap...at nine he turned it to that Dr. Drew Celebrity Rehab junk. Its where you watch has been celebs whine and moan and groan while trying to kick whatever drugs they are hooked on. Oh this wasnt good, it was depressing, and I told Ian to please put it back on The Wizard of Oz, that this show was ruining my happy feeling. He hesitated, said he had been waiting on that to come on and wanted to watch it. I sat through a few more minutes of it and then said he was going to HAVE to change it back PLEASE. He laughed and said okay. So I watched the rest of The Wizard of Oz...and felt happy. :)

I put Johnny at the top this morning because he needs to have good thoughts sent his way. He is able to stand, but doesn't unless he has to drink and eat. He is still not using that leg. I am worried about him. I took him out of the pen and tried to hold him and talk to him, but all he ever wants to do is try and bite me. I tried to sooth him by rubbing under his wings like chickens like, rubbed his chest and around his neck, but then he snapped at my hand and you don't want him to bite, because he doesnt let go once he gets a chunk of flesh. It hurts. I don't guess he will ever be one of my nice roosters, but he is still my responsibility, so I do what I can for him.