My Day Off

I have been working the 4am to 1 pm shift at work and I am tired!! Today was my day off but I had to go to the hospital at 7:30 to get an ultrasound. I have been having stomach pain and gaining weight like I am mainlining Twinkies (but I am not) so I hope they can figure out whats wrong. I don't like being a patient, my entire family are terrible patients.
     My Dad had to spend nearly a month in ICU and he thought he was in prison camp and kept trying to escape. if it weren't for my incredible brother Andy, I am pretty sure Dad would have been put in the Psych Ward. Even with Andy there, dad kept trying to get out of bed and pulling out tubes. Andy was so traumatized by the experience he went to Afghanistan for a break.

These guys have to start helping around the house!!

   Since I am working, not much is getting done around the house. I am definitely going to write a chore list for the boys. I think they can do laundry and dishes. That would take a major load off me.

Sometimes Farming Sucks!

I spent the last 3 weeks raising 50 meat chickens. I made sure they had food and water and even came home from work to check on them on my lunch hour. They finally got too big for their brooding pen so I moved them to a big portable coop so they could be on grass. They looked very happy scratching the grass and dirt and chasing bugs. I get up this morning and they were all gone, not one was left in the coop. I was just heartbroken. I try so hard and it is so frustrating when nothing comes of it.
      During the day I was able to find a few of the chicks. They seemed to be popping out of bushes. The count is up to 8 now...pitiful but better than nothing. As I was raking grass and feeling very sorry for myself and thinking I should just stop farming (and having a panic attack at the very thought) I heard a peeping so I ran to the front yard and followed a peep as he was running out of my yard and towards the neighbor's pond. I caught the chick and then looked up and found myself in a thick overgrown raspberry patch. Yeah!!! I got my hubby and we picked the sweetest raspberries, a whole bucketful. we enjoyed them for dessert with chocolate ice cream and whipped cream. I am still very bummed about the loss of my chicks but I definitely feel a little better on my sugar high.

I Have a New Job

I started my new job at the local hospital. I haven't worked drawing blood in 10 years. I hope I will get the hang of it as I used to be quite adept. So far the hospital and co workers both seem very nice so far. If you are wondering why I am working off farm after so long it is because I need some social interaction and the money will be very welcome since the renters will be leaving my Colorado house.

What a Week!

I feel so Farmy! My prayers were answered with comfortable weather so on Monday I cleaned the barn, Tuesday I got all the alpacas in the barn so they would be easy to catch on shearing day, then I butchered 10 chickens.
   This was my first time to butcher all by myself (I miss Colleen) and it went pretty well. I drove an hour to borrow a chicken plucker (so worth it!) then I set up my area. I had a fire burning under the scalding pot which turned out to be brilliant because the smell of the smoke covered the smell of chicken guts.
    The plucker was an interesting experience. It took off the feathers so fast but i got covered with them (yuck!) and it took off a few wings so some of my chickens looked a little disabled. Still I finished 10 chickens in 4 hours...then another chicken came out of the bushes. I was too tired to care at that point so he got a stay of execution. I delivered them to the customer after the shearing on Wednesday and they were very pleased.

Shearing was dirty but went very fast. The guys managed 19 alpacas in 4 hours. I was way impressed. I had a bad eye allergy during the process and had to take benadryl after the shearers left and passed out until 6:30. Then I took the chickens to the buyers. It was a long day.

Before

 

After

It is so HOT!!!

I feel so bad for not updating but it is always so busy. In the last month we have had to deal with excessive rain, excessive heat, excessive ants, taking pigs to butcher, raising meat chicks, driving to GA, having guests come here, school, work, and lots of chores.
   I actually love this crazy farm life but it does get annoying when the sheep get out and eat your flowers or something gets into your meat chickens and eats them! Sometimes I think I should just give it up, especially when some people are not very supportive, but I know I live to farm. I really wouldn't function well without my animals.
                                                        We had all the lambs born healthy and female. That's

     good news for breeding but now we don't have any             to  eat. I am looking for a ram to rent for a bit to get

   the moms preggo again. I don't want to keep one on
  farm, they are too much trouble.