We Are Deep In the Heart of Texas

Nomadic seasons of farming adventures with nature thrown in to include; a pinch of family, snippets of friends, counting our blessings, paying IT forward, home school, and the spicy things I decide to rant about.















Tuesday, February 23, 2010

I turned up the heat

Man, who would have thought it.


South Texas cold and wintery; but a damp kind of cold which cuts right through our normal clothing.  Brrrrrrrrrrrr, been so chilled I am wearing socks. AND I HATE TO WEAR SOCKS.


Our animal tally this fine Feb 2010........


We have three pigs, one a pregnant sow with two of her last offspring named Lumpi and Limpi.


Four boer goats, Aries (maybe pregnant), March with two kids, Almond her own -- Pices who was orphaned with Hilliary died on the 13th. I still can not believe she had three.


Six guinea fowl, whom I think I am enamored with because they are so dang ecceltic in personality. My favorite thing to do here is to watch them -- bully up on Sprocket the Spanish Rocket. He is a Rhode Island Red, who believes in miscegnation.

Well, the guinea do not. After Sprocket is found to be forcing himself on a guinea hen. Out comes the guinea gang RAISING CAIN and grabbing Sprocket by any means necessary. Much to the detriment of Sprockets' manhood (calling card) --- tail feathers.


See the guinea take turn chasing Sprocket with one usually clutching his tail and skiing through the back yard. (Think of a skier behind a motor boat a river, with water spray marking where the skier has been claiming territory.) In this case the water spray would be normal South Texas dust, the skier would be a guinea, and the boat being ridden like the wind Sprocket; it's a hiliarious site I tell you.


However, since Sprocket has been misbehaving so much. The guinea have now taken to grabbing him by the neck. ROFL, Sprocket now has a mullet of feathers under his comb but is missing those on his neck. Way funny stuff, especially when he does his stately MAN DANCE before crowing and looks like that spitting dinosaur from Jurrasic Park.


Then we have an assorted collection of araucana hens who are watched over by our first natural born chick born April First, 2007. We named him Uno; he is a red feather footed banty mix. I love watching him especially from behind when he is struting and calling his hens -- his feathered legs look like chaps and he is rightly bow legged.


Last count, we have 40 birds -- whom we free range during the day and feed scratch grain before closing them up at night. Soon, I will be ordering more Auracanas and Buff Orphington hens for eggs; our birds are now about three years old and will stay pets.


Our next project, will be rasing rabbits for meat and sale. We hope to get to a point where not only we own our home out right but, to homestead it for most our needs. The best part of all; having something to pass on to our sons along with the knowledge of taking care of one's family and raising animals respectfully.


Just thoughts on a gloomy day

1 comment:

Sharon said...

For sure this damp chill, is not any fun, I can't seem to get warm.

Wish I had some birds running around outside, think the neighbor dogs would kill them and even not so sure about Jill. Yep, is fun watching those banty roosters struff their stuff!