Happy Farm {spring 2019}

by Meghan // March 29, 2019 // Comments off

Life on the farm is wonderful these days!

We have 11 bouncy puppies. They’re about 8 weeks old and healthy as can be (aka, fat little babies). They’re learning their temporary places among our goats. The goats definitely don’t let them play with them, and will head butt them in a hurry. It is funny to watch the puppies reactions- they whimper and back off, just like they should! I pray each one of these little fur balls grows into a wonderful LGD for their future homes.

This is Waylon, the boy I chose to keep from our litter. There is one more boy I *really* want to keep, but I think 1 is probably enough. =)

The logistics of raising 11 pups has been interesting, but we have a good system/living situation for them now so it has all worked out great. They have safe place to sleep at night, and during the day can be free with Yona and the goats, which is ideal.

The goats tolerate 11 pups running around pretty well. Yona (their mama) keeps them in line, and doesn’t let them get too far from where she deems appropriate. I am just astounded by her instincts; she has been an amazing mama. You always hear horror stories about dogs abandoning their pups, attacking them, not raising them. She has done so well, knew when to begin weaning them, corrects them, cleans them … she’s wonderful! It definitely makes me want to do this again!

Each puppy has a colored collar now which corresponds to my notes from when they were born. We take notes on their personality/behaviors/reactions on the farm so that pairing them with families/homes will be easier. I want to be sure each pup goes to the right family/person, and if there are any problems, they come back to me, and don’t end up in a shelter or passed around.

The sun has been shining, and all the animals are happy for the warmth!

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Rick Leading the Herd {wordless Wednesday}

by Meghan // March 13, 2019 // Comments off

Rick Leading The Herd

Leading the Dexters back home after escaping …

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Garage Conversion Remodel

by Meghan // March 6, 2019 // Comments off

The remodel on the garage is going great! (I am back dating this post, but we just finished painting the walls, electrician comes today, then floors, trim, and sinks/fixtures).

I am so excited! I couldn’t decide on a paint color; I truly wanted a blue gray, but settled with a warm gray that will blend nicely into the rest of the house. I may actually end up using this color in the living room and dining; I love the color we have, but in winter and in certain light it becomes a really weird color (east/west facing room with big windows on either side).

Anyway, I love the gray we chose. Really, I though I was sick of seeing gray in everyone’s house on Pinterest and the internet … but now I get why it is so popular!

The pictures do NOT do the color or the room justice. It is so much bigger than it looks in the pictures; I think we are even going to put a breakfast nook/snack table in front of the window for the kids.

We are going with painted trim. I LOVE the color of the trim, and plan to paint the kitchen cabinets the same color… But part of me is mourning the wood trim. I know it isn’t trendy and people hate wood trim, but ours is actually pretty nice and it hides the farm dirt so well! Im worried we are making a mistake by painting it, but what’s done is done … so we shall see.

My favorite part of the room? Aside from the extra wide entry stairs and my window (which I begged for) is the pantry! The size and the barn door definitely take the cake!

Yall- look at that thing! IT IS HUGE! The picture doesn’t really show how big it is, but the barn door that slides across it had to be custom built by my husband and our friend (who has been doing the remodel) because it is so wide! They put together 2 barn doors, and husband is having the metal rack built.

In the back of the pantry will be the garage fridge, so we don’t have to have it out in the actual room. We will line the rest of the pantry space with shelves for storing bulk goods-cans, toilet paper, paper towels, appliances, my BIG stock pots and pans.

I know my pictures are pretty terrible. Between the lighting and my amateur photography skills, I’m not doing any favors. But, you get the idea.

Anyway, more pictures to come as the project gets finished up. Next we start on the old laundry room/master bath conversion! It won’t take nearly as long as the garage, but will definitely make a nice difference!

Happy Wednesday!

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Friday on the Farm {winter 2019}

by Meghan // February 22, 2019 // Comments off

A lot has happened this winter on the farm- we welcomed our wirehaired pointing griffon, Flossie, to the family.

Our LGDs-Yona and Huck- welcomed a litter of 11 (ELEVEN!) fat, healthy puppies. They are growing like crazy and are 2 weeks old. I just love them, and want to lay in the whelping box with 11 puppies all day … but Yona won’t let me =P

the night puppies were born, after I cleaned up our mess this was in the garage (pre remodel) because she kept wanting to have the puppies in a hole in the shop. They are now moved out to the shop and everyone is happy

We also started the remodel on our garage-it will soon be a laundry, half bath with utility sink, GIANT pantry, and maybe reading/sitting nook (the space is bigger than expected, but I’m not able to capture it well in pictures). We will gain a new master bathroom, and move our bedroom door; we’ve added a split A/C/heating unit, and we will hopefully be refinishing the stairs to the basement and opening up that area. A LOT is happening.

And, lastly, I fell on the ice February 10th and suffered (I mean, like suffered for real, y’all) from a concussion. I’m not entirely sure why movies and tv shows make concussions seem like no big deal, I expected it to be no big deal- I was SO dizzy, nauseous, and out of my element for 2 weeks; I couldn’t drive, look up, be around bright lights or noise, and I was exhausted! This weren’t as bad the day of, it was the following day that everything set in. I seriously thought it would never end and had a break down on day 8 (which is probably kinda silly).

Now that I am feeling better, I realize just how bad I truly felt… man was I cranky, too. We are all so thankful that is over!

Later this spring we should have some baby goats arrive (end of May/early June), the remodel should be done, and we are hopefully adding to the garden.

Right now, it feels like winter will never end, so I am not sure when any of the outside work/gardening will begin =(

How is the weather where you are? What are your plans for the end of winter?

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Friday on the Farm {trusting our LGDs & Puppies}

by Meghan // December 28, 2018 // Comments off

Life on a little homestead farm has lots of ups and downs. We have lost chickens to exposure, ducks to cocci, and had some scares with the goats (bloat) this last year.

In the meantime, running in the background, has been our best investment for our family: our Livestock Guardian Dogs.

Huck is bonded to his chickens and stays on the farm/yard/ has freedom to run the property. He stays home and we don’t have to worry about him galavanting about. He loves his animals and his people, is a giant teddy bear with our human babies, and never lets any of his guardians out of his sight (our 4 children included).

Yona is our female, she is Huck’s to train and raise as his working partner. We had her tethered for a long time, letting her accompany us for chores, until she was trustworthy (LGD breeds are slow to mature, slow to let go of their puppy-hood, but due to their size can injure a goat, chicken, sheep, easily if they are too playful).

Relaxing Our Trust

Sometime in late summer/early fall we decided it was time to let Yona do more than just chores with us; we let her stay in full time with the goats and dexters.

This girl has never been happier!

I think as LGD owners, we can be too hesitant to let go and allow them to do their work in fear of losing goats, kids, chickens … but when they come from working stock and good blood (not show blood), they KNOW instinctively what to do, and with the correct exposure can be ready sooner rather than later. Oh how I wish I had given her the freedom and trust sooner! She is right where she needs to be, in that pasture with the goats and dexters.

She and our largest Dexter have the strangest relationship … he grooms her, licking, nuzzling, and rubbing on her. She leans into him and lets him do whatever it is he is doing?! Maybe it is a dominant behavior on his part? Maybe it is a loving behavior? I can’t tell.

Puppies?!

In November, Yona went into heat (you can read about the benefits of waiting to spay/neuter until they’re older via google)- we thought we made sure Huck couldn’t get to her. But that giant boy jumped through hoops, literally, to get to her. Again, we confined him and he broke out & got to her in the middle of the night. (hindsight- we should have separated her into the cattle trailer where he couldn’t get to her, instead of trying to confine him).

We are now *almost* certain she is due with puppies! It is very exciting and nerve wracking. We will see the vet to hopefully confirm if she is expecting, and then we will begin preparations for ear;y February pups! I am excited to see Yona and Huck work together to raise pups to become great LGDs one day- homes will be selected based on many factors, but specifically for personality matching, fencing, etc. I know the hardships of trying to keep an LGD home without proper fencing (thankfully we are almost done with our entire pond-pasture fencing!), they’re loud barkers, and chew everything!

I see how many of these LGD breed dogs are in shelters because they either went to homes without proper fencing, or city homes where they aren’t really meant to be, thus causing problems with chewing, barking, escaping, etc. They require huge amounts of time and dedication, do not do well with changes, and are NOT quiet. They’re smart, independent thinkers, work best in pairs, and are truly amazing workers.

I look forward to the possible puppies and new lives here on the farm. Please pray we have a safe, healthy first experience!

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Breeding Nubian Goats {signs of a doe in heat}

by Meghan // December 20, 2018 // Comments off

Ooooh yes, goats. How I love thee! =)

So this newbie completely, 100% misunderstood goats’ breeding seasons. Turns out, they are seasonal, but there is only about 24-36 hour of time to get them bred! And since we don’t keep our own buck, and were planning to take our girls to be “serviced” by a buck, nailing down that day was hard!

We instead were able to borrow a buck to show us when they were in heat. We thought he wouldn’t be big enough to breed them … we were wrong! Haha Winston definitely bred 1 girl, and I *think* bred the other; we will have tests done to check if it took in a few weeks.

Wendy Woo (the one I’m not certain was bred … she didn’t want to stand for Winston) giving snuggies

Signs a Nubian Doe is in Heat

lots of tail flagging- this can be hard, because my girls already flag when they see me, and rub up against me. But it definitely increases during heat.
sticky/wet under tail- there will be evidence of sticky/creamy discharge under their tails, from ovulation (much like human female’s cycle when preparing to get pregnant)
swollen- under their tails, their vulva will go from regular sized (pay attention before season hits to what it normally looks like, take pics if you need to!) to swollen. It will be a very distinct difference from one to the other
dominant behavior- OH YEA! if you have 2+ does they will definitely start showing dominant behavior. I *think* when Wendy was in heat, Lucy was mounting her. When Lucy was in heat, the girls were head butting, fighting/playing rough, and in general being snarky… and I do mean, snarky with each other
buck rag- if all else fails, find a buck, rub a rag on him (get lots of stinky on it), and then put it in a covered container in the barn with your does. When they start going crazy over that rag, trying to get to it, you have heat!

Everything I’ve read about does and bucks during season was definitely true!

Those boys go stupid! I mean, they’re ridiculous, funny, sweet, they really do try to persuade the lady!
Depending on your doe, there will be flirting. Lucy was all about some flirting-flagging, rubbing, waving her tail right in his face, prancing around like she was queen, then finally standing so he could breed her.
You may need to help out =/ Wendy did NOT want to stand- Usually the doe will give the buck a run for his money, fussing, running, head butting, running away … but after a bit she stands for him. Not Wendy! So after the first afternoon of no bueno, I *did* hold her the following day so he could breed her. We will see if that took? One of my goat mentors told me (and shared video) that sometimes, does just don’t like the buck, and you have to help some.

I can’t wait to test for pregnancy and find out if we will have goat kids this year!

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Why, fall? Why?! Snow in November {wordless Wednesday}

by Meghan // November 8, 2018 // Comments off

The picture isn’t that great- but snow, y’all. ALL. MORNING. LONG. That little kid in me is so excited, because it is actually pretty, thick, BIG flakes falling non stop since 7am.

The fall-loving adult in me is cussing November right now.

So I embraced it … we took a snow day this morning, put up the Christmas tree, and are making potato soup for dinner.

Take that, mother nature!

and the tree probably won’t get ornaments this year because TODDLER. Maybe some ribbons and decorating the house will do.

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First Time Goat Breeding {Friday on the Farm}

by Meghan // November 2, 2018 // Comments off

Well … here I am. Waiting for my goats to go into heat. I’m 99.9% sure I missed it a few weeks back, at least for one of my yearlings. I am waiting again for the “signs”-like tail flagging, mounting, screaming, squatting to pee non stop, and possible wet tails. We will see if I am able to pin point it next time?

Everyone says I can borrow a buck rag-the scent of a buck rubbed onto a rag, placed in jar- and when she goes crazy to get to the rag in the jar, it is time. I think after Thanksgiving that is what I will …

We will be taking them back to their breeder, to use one of her bucks (not related to our girls) for breeding.

They sure are pretty! And fat! haha

Right now we are giving herbal wormers weekly, a handful of organic alfalfa pellets, a handful of organic black oil sunflower seeds, and a handful of organic barley each evening, along with a supplement of alfalfa hay.

It sounds like a lot … but it is all nutritious feed, they’re happy, and we are hoping they stay healthy! Trial and error is the name of the goat game right now. Being new to anything means learning from others and reading a LOT; in the farming world everyone does something different. So we have chosen what works best for us in this season.

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Our Fall homeschool Routine {2018}

by Meghan // October 2, 2018 // Comments off

One of my favorite things about homeschooling is that with each season in life, or literal weather season, we can do what works best for our family.

In this season of both life, and weather, we are enjoying the fall 100%! Waking up to the windows open, crisp fall air, and spending a lot of time in nature is what autumn is all bout. So far, we have watched monarch caterpillars flock to our milkweed, make cocoons, and develop into butterflies.

We have enjoyed collecting different colored leaves as they fall, and acorns we have found. We’ve worked together to prep the garden for winter, and finished the last of our harvest. We have raked leaves to feed to the goats, and enjoyed collecting sticks for kindling.

Each day has a nice rhythm to it and looks something like this:

I wake 5:30-6am for my coffee, journal, and Jesus time
7am I get the kids up, we have breakfast, brush teeth, and get dressed for the day, morning chores
Some mornings we do our morning basket during breakfast, some days it is in the afternoon. (morning basket is our science, history, a read aloud with the littles, a little memory work and whatever else the kids are into. there are handicrafts involved too)
8/830am I do my workout, then the kids do their brain gym/dancing movements from youtube, or we may do animal walks across the room to mama for a bear hug reward
by 9/930 We begin table work together
1130/11:45- lunch time!
Everyone goes outside to play until naps
Our afternoons are filled with: playing games (Uno, rat a tat cat, and Qwirkle are current favorites), being outside, doing chores on the farm, prepping dinner if needed, and reading aloud from our current family chapter book. Some days we do our morning basket here if we didn’t have time in the morning.

The weather outside (rainy or not) determines during which part of the day we do games, read alouds, etc.

Every-other Wednesday afternoon is still poetry tea time, sometimes it is every week if we don’t have an errand or other plans. I plan to hit the zoo 1x a month to take full advantage of membership and homeschool freedom. =)

As we come into winter, I am sure our routine may change up a bit. But for now, this is working well for our family. Fall is our favorite time of the year!

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More Dexter Babies {wordless Wednesday}

by Meghan // September 26, 2018 // Comments off

This week we added 2 more Dexter calves to our farm. They are steers, and will be raised for our family’s beef. They are half brothers to our other 2 Dexter calves. We just love happy baby cows on the homestead.

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