Yesterday morning our doe began kidding. I checked in on her quite frequently, but nowhere near as much as last time. She had a very easy delivery. Labor lasted about 6 hours. And at 5:30 pm we had a newbie!! Then about 6 minutes later another one!! TWINS!! Twin bucklings. They are very cute.
Her last kidding she only had one (buck also) and what a size difference! These little guys are tiny in comparison. But healthy.
Is was such a nice day I guess Momma let the kids roam a little. We found them outta the stall and under a tree.
We did notice a little trouble. Since they were apart from Momma we wanted to make sure they were being nursed. Usually Momma and babies lay together for a few days. Usually she a lil over protective. To check if the baby is full and eating you have it stand. ( Yes at a day they can stand , not very good but still) You feel its belly, if it's squishy it needs to eat if its firm its good to go.
Both tummies were squishy. Which meant no milk. So, we watched her for a bit and she was over by the fence with a buck... So we took the buck away from her sight and right away she tried to nurse. But it seemed the kids couldn't get a hold of the nipple. Either didn't know or couldn't either way we had to step in.
Now, first off, I'd rather NOT step in and bottle feed right away. Animals are just like people. They develop bonds with their young. And I would never want to take the mommying away from a ready and willing doe. But sometimes they need interference. We milked Dora next to her kids. Two reasons. One to relieve pressure, the nipple may had been to large for the mouth. And two, to see if we could help the kids find what they should do. We gave the kids some milk, they loved it but just would latch.
So we emptied her. We got about a gallon or so from her. Between the kids and her (yes does love milk!!) we ended up keeping about half a gallon for them later to feed "in case".
All you need to bottle feed them is a nipple from a feed store, about a dollar, and a 20 oz bottle of some sort. Snap it on, thats it!
Well these little full Nubian bucklings are very cute!! And in late March will be ready for sale!!
If you've never tried Firefox and would like to download and give it a whirl:
Just to let you know this chicken had been killed and scalded first then placed in.
How nice and quick! I gotta find me an old washing machine!!
I recently discovered Bookswim. It's like Netflix for books! Pick your membership and load up your favorites. Just like Netflix, once you've mailed it back they send another from your list! So you can list all the kids reading requirements in the order they need them done and they ship in that order! They have from 1 book to 11 books at a time memberships. No late fees ever and free shipping both ways! Exception: 1 book membership.
BookSwim has a wide array of book choices. College textbooks, Oprah Book Club List, Childrens everything you'd find at a big bookstore. Something for everyone in the family.
If you decide you just can't bear to let a book go, been there, you can choose to buy it!
Bonus: They're offering a $50 gift card to Restaurant.com to anyone who enrolls in the avid or devout readers plans!!
They also offer
BookSwim.com Gift CardsSo no more rushing to the library hoping you get it in on time, and no paying the late fees if your not done in time. No contract. Cancel anytime!
For you greenies out there like me that love to see some good going on here's a bonus:
"Renting books, rather than purchasing, helps lower the number of trees cut down each year for virgin paper. BookSwim also plants trees for every gift card we sell. BookSwim has planted or otherwise saved enough trees to reduce 10 TONS of carbon emissions! That's like taking 14,000 cars - all the yellow taxicabs in New York City - off the street... ...enough cars to fill a parking lot the size of 152 football fields!" Straight from the horses mouth!
So click on the picture below and give it a try. Your under no obligation and may cancel if it's not all you'd thought it would be.
*Summer's on its way and books are a great way to keep your child learning and busy*
1. Waffles, pancakes or french toast?
Pancakes, Homemade not boxed. Fluffy. A big stack of flap jacks please♥
2. Dream home..What would it look like?
A small farm. An older farm house with the white weathered porch with a porch swing. Two rocking chairs (pointed to the west) A big red barn and windmill. :)
3. Favorite sport to watch during the Winter Olympics?
Have no clue. Don't watch it really.
4. The first word that comes to mind when describing yourself?
5. Dresses, pants (jeans, leggings, etc.) or skirts?
T-Shirt and jeans kinda gal.
6. What is your favorite time of day?
Early morning, just before the sun comes up. Hubby and me with a cup of coffee and talking as the sun comes up. Best part of life.
7. Beach or Mountains..which do you prefer?
Mountains
8.Will you watch the Super Bowl?
abso-friggin- notly. Just don't have the time. It'll be on somewhere in this house I just won't be planted to the chair.
My time that I can shut out my chores and kids and focus on whats bothering me, troubling or just the opposite. I need this blog. So to get me back into the spirit of things I revamped my blog! It really got my bloggy- mojo going! I'm please with what its become. I worked really hard on it and I think it's a little more pleasing to the eye and easier to get around. I love finding the neat little tools and steps for the DIY blogger. Theres so much if your willing to search and tweak. One day I'll get into school like I planned and learn even more. Web design is still a passion!
I've been busy with the redesign but I have managed to catch up with a few of my favorite bloggy buddies. (I'm not done yet♥) I spent most yesterday and today just cruising the blogosphere and reading. I must say it was nice. A cup of coffee in one hand, the mouse in the other, snack on the desk, feet up. I laughed, I cried and I commented. You all were exactly what I needed! Thank you.
Anyway, I'm back and I'm ready so watch out! Who knows what I'll say this year! But I do promise more details, pictures and hope for the wanna-be homesteaders like me.
Roughly 150days from breeding is kid time. But, like last time it's just nature. We were quite off. I think 2 weeks or so. Some of it's human error and some times its plain nature. Your ready when your ready. I have her marked 1st week of February. But I don't think she'll make it much longer. But I will, like last time, keep you all posted!!
Wooo Hoooo!!!
This year I ordered their bargain assortments. I wanted a flock with lots of different chickens. I chose the brown egg layers. Which are Black Australorps, Lt. Brahmas, Dark Cornish, Black and White Giants, Buff and White Orpingtons, New Hampshire, Rhode Island Reds, Barred, White, Partridge, Buff Rocks, Delaware, Sussex, Turkens, White, Silver Laced, & Columbian Wyandottes, Red Star and Black Star. From this list you get at least 5 different.
Then, we ordered their BBQ special. Which are the Cornish X Rocks and or Cornish Roasters. These are fast growing with the best feed ratio.
The price difference on buying the bargain assortments vs a straight run of Orphingtons is Orphingtons: $2.06/per bird and brown eggs layers: $49.75/ 25 birds BBQ: $39.50/ 25 birds. But this way I'll have the opportunity to see the other temperaments of the different chickens. Laying and setting habits etc. Maybe I'll have a new favorite. Or maybe I'll stick with Ophingtons next year.
Our order is placed and they should be here around Valentines!! I'm so excited. Now our geese, ducks and turkeys we'll get from the local feed store. Just because theres no way I'd need enough to fill an order. We'll get maybe 4 ducks, 2 turkeys and a couple of geese. McMurray has a Barnyard combo that's a pretty good deal for a combo of turkey/ducks/geese. Three different ways. Either 16, 15 or 12. But you can't choose the breed. And I wont change my preferences. I love my toulouse geese and I favor the Broad Breasted Bronze turkey and Jumbo Pekin ducks.
Now that that's done and on their way, we have a lot of work ahead of us with preparing the garden. Maybe this will be our year!! I've tried and failed the previous planting seasons but I will not give up. My lemon tree gave fruit this year!! Tiny but yummy! Keeping out the varmits is going to be my only goal! I'm also thinking of planting in buckets like I explained here. If I can find enough buckets! I'm such a procrastinator, I should of been on the lookout all this time for buckets.
Also at the end of this month we'll be getting 3 pigs, if their ready. I'll post pics of our new arrivals!!
2010, I can remember thinking we'd have flying cars by now. Living like the Jetsons high in the sky or something from one of those sci-fi movies with robots. But I woke up and it was just another regular day.
Get this, I had 2 weeks off straight no work, no home school ahhh it was so nice. We were able to do so many projects and get so much done. We had a lot of good, quality family time together. But this week we got back into things. I went back to work and the kids went back to school. I must say this was the break we all needed so bad. Hubby's vacation time won't come til next month or so. He was the only one that had responsibilities, lol. The kids and I slept in and went to bed late. But, we'll all be jealous of him when its his turn I'm sure.
Christmas was great the kids gifts were a hit! Nana loved her tree and everyone loved their decorations! We went a little overboard with the sweets of course but yummy! We had but one glitch in our plans. I had spent so much time on baking and making gifts I left myself very little time for making tamales. We went grocery shopping for everything a couple of days before Christmas. I started the meat the 23rd. On Christmas Eve I started the masa....... and the darn masa was bad! Yuck! So we didn't get to make the tamales we ended up having just burritos and beans. Luckily my Mom sent us home with a dozen of hers. They were tasty as always. We fought over the last couple, lol.
Our New Year has begun and my resolution to my kids was to be more patient and creative with home school. To Hubby it was to set aside more time for just us. For myself it was to become a more healthy me and tackle this anxiety, when I feel burdened and overwhelmed, give it to God and find relief. For my family it's to have more fun as a family. ♥♥♥
Peace and Love in Your New Year!
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Website/ Company/Product Review:
I also do company, website or product reviews. Who doesn't love hearing about new and exciting offers, companies and/or products. Grab a real 100% honest opinion. Plenty of links and photos will be given. Then that post link or feed will go to my followers on Twitter, Myspace friends, Feedburner subscribers, Twittermoms page, Mom Central page, Mom Bloggers Club page, SheBlogs Blogger Network Forum, Facebook followers, Facebook fan page, and Facebook Networked Blog followers.
I have plenty of voices here! Have children products? I have four children ages 11/m, 9/m, 5/m, 3/f. Mens product are also accepted. My husband has agreed to volunteer for that.☺
For reviews I would need a sample of your product usually full sized and NOT returnable. I will only except products right for my family.
A review with a giveaway is an awesome way to get lots of attention to your product and business. For that it would be a post just like a review, links and all! I would urge my readers to go to your site and find something else there that interests them as a mandatory entry to the giveaway. Followed by extra entries earned by actions such as following your tweets, fanning your facebook etc. Lots of attention your way!
*All shipping costs involved with getting the product to me will be paid for by the company.
For giveaways, the company will ship the prize directly to the winner. I will hold the giveaway and give the winner’s information to the company.
Contact: thechickenista@yahoo.com or USE FORM BELOW
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