Epic Fail: Ex-Husband bites the dust!

Tonight we went to the horse barn to stack hay, and while we were there I decided I would hop on Mia bareback and go for a little pony ride.  Needless to say Steve (the ex-husband) was trying to tell me how to ride the horse, and after I got off he decided he was going to show me how it should be done.  Epic fail!  

Poor Steve!  

(No worries folks, nothing was harmed in this video.  Well, except Steve's pride...)

Bawk a dub-dub, chicken in the tub.....

You are going to do what to me?!  A bath?!

Today we had unseasonably warm temperatures for January, which was wonderful since I needed to "poop scoop" my yard.  I turned the hens loose for grazing and frolicking while I performed this chore, and everyone was enjoying themselves except my Americauna hen, Bluebelle.  Blue had droopy wings, and just did not feel well.  I checked her over and noticed she had what looked like blood coming from her vent and diarrhea all over her bottom.  I had never given a chicken a bath, however with some tips from the friends on the Facebook page, I decided to try it.

I first filled the bathtub up to the chest level of the hen, with luke warm water.  (I needed to make sure it was high enough to soak the debris off the feathers below the vent.)  I used a very mild Aloe and Oatmeal shampoo for cats to wash her with, figuring cats are fairly sensitive and hoping if it was safe for them it would be safe for a chicken.  (One reader suggested baby shampoo and she used it with great success, but I didn't have any of that.)  I scrubbed her up and got all of the junk off her, and then I refilled the tub and rinsed her well.  From there I put her on a towel in between my legs and dried her with my hair dryer.  This took about 20 minutes.  Then I bedded down a dog crate with towels and left her in the bathroom for several hours just to make sure she was good and dry before returning her to the coop.

This whole process went better than I thought it would, and I must say bathing a chicken was easier than bathing a dog!  I think Bluebelle might have enjoyed having a bath.  She never once flapped her wings to try to get out of the tub or get away from the hair dryer, and she was actually falling asleep towards the end of the drying.

I checked on her bum before returning her to the coop, and it actually looked a lot less irritated already.  I think some of the other hens were pecking her, which is what caused all of the blood and combined with the poop issue, it was just a mess!  I took a stool sample into the vet office to make sure she didn't have a coccidian infection, and she didn't, so I am hoping she will recover quickly.  Fingers crossed!

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WW: My Soul Dog

Sometimes when I look at Chai, he is absolutely so beautiful that he takes my breath away.  This is a picture of him laying on the deck in the fall.  He is by nature one of the quietest dogs I have ever met, and when I took this picture I remember glancing over at him and instantly getting chills by the focus and expression in his eyes.  I love this boy so much.  I rescued his sister (Nautique) from an abusive home, and was able to meet their breeder through this event.  She and I became friends and I purchased Chai a year before his sister died.  Nautique was my soul mate, and I have never met anyone human or animal that understood me the way she did and I am confident I probably never will.  Sometimes when I look into Chai's eyes I see Nautique looking back at me.  The resemblance is uncanny and the devotion is unbounding.  They hold my heart....

(This was supposed to be a Wordless Wednesday post, but some dogs and pictures just deserve to be talked about!)

Bit O' Bunny Bartering

Today was a busy day!  The Reluctant Farmer and I woke up early so we could drive 3 french angora rabbits to Indiana, to Teri from Spin Me a Yarn Rabbitry  (http://www.facebook.com/SpinMeAYarnRabbitry?fref=ts).  I started following Teri's Facebook page and contacted her because I was looking for an unrelated buck to add to my group.  She mentioned that she was in the same situation, so when I decided keeping 2 bucks that were siblings or sons of my does, I contacted her to see if she would be interested in them.  We talked and worked out a barter!  

The 3 angora rabbits that she got were all from Wooly Wilma's litter and they are gorgeous, heavy wooled babies.  (Just like their Mama!)  I really held on to them too long with the thought I would breed one of the bucks to Cher, however since her death, all of my rabbits are related which will not work for a breeding program!  Teri now has 2 new bucks and a doe to love, and I am getting a buck from her next litter.  I was so excited that they were going to someone who knows the breed and that will take good care of them.  I was even more excited to meet someone I could talk angoras with since I know no one else.  Can't wait to see what my new buck will look like, and I am glad I have formed a new friendship with someone else who understands my love for these wooly beasts.

These are the things I like the most about farming: bartering and new friends!  I have to laugh about this now, but when I first started this urban farming project, people wanted to know why I was doing this and if I missed my friends.  (Between working 40 hours a week outside the farm and the animal and garden upkeep on the farm, it is like having two full time jobs!)  The truth is I have met more genuine people through farming then I ever would have met before on my own.  The friendships I have now are more dear to me then what I had before, they are deeper.  These are the people that get me and are doing the same things I am.  These are the people that guide me and understand what I do.  I get asked quite frequently if I created this farm so I could escape, and I often have to explain to people that I did this to live healthier, to know where my food comes from, and to make sure the food I was eating was being raised humanely.  Yes, it is an escape, an escape I welcome.  I am blessed to be able to escape to the most amazing place in the city.  My home.  A place where great things are happening: new friends, life, death, growth, exercise, and learning.   I wouldn't trade this life for anything....

 

 




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Marty: Teaching an old dog new tricks!

Update on Marty, one of the Maplewood 6-pack  ( http://ontheurbanfarm.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-secret-is-no-more.html ) puppy mill rescues that we took in.  Marty is making big strides in life, sadly not all of the strides are in forward motion.  In the last few weeks, Marty has graduated to pottying outside in the fenced backyard with the other dogs off leash.  He has learned the value of a great couch, and frequently naps with the other dogs there.  He has learned to bark, and he is doing much better on his housebreaking.  Sadly, his fear of humans is getting no better.  Actually I think it was better as of last weekend, but he has regressed some this week.  It is frustrating.  I know it is a stage, and I am sure he will get over it, but non the less it is still frustrating to watch him suddenly be afraid of us again.

I decided tonight I would try clicker training with Marty to see if I could teach him a few new behaviours, with the hope that some of his old behaviours will eventually disappear.  I had the Reluctant Farmer shoot video of the quick training session, and I was actually impressed that towards the end of the session he wanted to continue the "training game".  I am going to continue working with him this week, and see if I can help him move forward.  My hope is Marty will learn to trust people in the near future.  As you can see by the video, he is a quick learner!

WW: Lean on me!

In life it is important to have friends.
My resolutions this year is to be a better friend. 

They are great for comfort and support.

Happy and Suzi realize the importance of this!

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Egg-less streak over?!

The women in my life are being difficult as of late....  

Three weeks ago my chickens stopped laying.  Completely and with no warning.  My first thought was that they were slowing down on their laying due to the cold weather, however the temperatures were in the 50's when this started. 

I supplemented light and heat.  No luck....  

I added a new roost just to give them more space, thinking maybe there was some type of teenage girl syndrome going on.  No luck....  

I then started playing them music, and even researched what type of music chickens preferred.  (It turns out supposedly chickens like country and classical music...)  No luck....  

Finally last weekend when I was at my wits end with my non-egg producing hens, I had a heart to heart chat with them.  I explained that they were responsible for producing my breakfast, and I was making resolutions to stop eating out in the morning for breakfast therefore I needed them to produce eggs!  Still no luck, and no eggs....

Well, the Reluctant Farmer went out tonight to put the girls to bed and she came in with a surprise.  I finally got an egg!  It isn't enough to make us breakfast in the morning, however it is a start.  Guess I might be eating oatmeal for a few days until I have enough eggs to scramble, but I am hoping that my egg-less spell is coming to an end.  Fingers crossed!