Monday, November 30, 2015

Goodbye Jack...



I hate to write this post.  I hate it, I hate it, I hate it.   But......
We have to rehome Jack.  We have tried for 3 years to keep him from killing our chickens, but it's just not working.  We have even put the chickens behind a fence reinforced with cattle panels and he got in and killed them.  HE BENT THE CATTLE PANELS to get in and kill the chickens!!!!!!  He has cost us more money and more time than any other animal on the farm.  He has to go.

 We found him a home a few miles away from us.  He will be living with a military vet and his wife and kids (which he loves).  They live up a holler where there is no traffic.  This is good because Jack had gotten to where he was running after certain cars that would go down the road. He would have gotten hit here sooner or later.  His new family also has 77 acres of land that he can run on. That's more than what he has here too.

I'm going to miss him.  He really was a good dog to me.  He guarded me like it was his job, which it was.  Now he has another family to guard.  A family that doesn't have chickens, and a family that has children that he can play with.  I know it will be an adjustment, but Jack loves EVERYBODY (especially kids) so I know he will be fine.  Actually, he will probably be more than fine. He will love his new home.

With us living on a farm, we will need an outside dog.  I don't know if we will use one of the Aussies as an outside dog, or get another dog.  If we get another one, we'll go to the dog pound and get one.  We think a pound dog makes the best dogs.  We have gotten them there before.  We usually get an older one because we know that an older dog doesn't have a huge chance of someone taking him home.  And, what dog wouldn't want to live the rest of its life on a farm?  

We had tried everything so that we could have kept Jack.  I didn't want him to have to live his life on a chain or in a small kennel.  I like him too much for that.  Although it's not easy for me, I know this is what's best for everyone.  We had planned on getting a good flock of chickens soon.  I know that if he had killed them, we would have done something in anger and I don't want that.  Once again, I think we are doing the best thing.  It's still not easy.

So until next time,

Small Farm Girl, feeling low.

P.s.  Please no negative comments or telling us what we "should have done." We have tried EVERYTHING.

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Busy November


Once again we have been very busy around the farm.  I feel like I've been neglecting this blog.  Don't worry friends, I don't plan on leaving it.  I love writing on here and love to have your comments and feedback.  Hopefully things will start slowing down soon.  But, we are getting such great weather for it being the last part of November, it's hard NOT to do stuff around the farm while we have the chance.

This is one thing that's been going on.  It's deer season!  
And as you can tell, Hubby had filled our freezer.   This was a nice one!  I'm so proud.  He shot it from 200 yards in our back field.  He's an awesome shot!



This chickens seem to be liking their coop. Now the problem is they have Dry Pox.  It's like Chicken Pox for, well, chickens. Hubby and I are thinking real seriously about just starting over with new chickens.  Butchering these chickens, (Don't worry, we aren't going to eat them.) cleaning out the coop with bleach, and just starting the flock over. 

We're thinking about getting good young chickens that are not just the random batches that we normally get.  I'm done with that.  I think we're getting a deal and they turn out to have something wrong with them.  Nope, we are going right to the source and getting them from the hatchery.  Since we have a place to put them now and keep the dogs away from them, they should last longer than a couple weeks. lol.  Here's hoping huh. 

We are still working on The Sherri Shack.  It's coming along slowly.  Hubby is allergic to insulation so I've been putting up what I can.  On days that my back and knees aren't hurting I go out and put some up.  I'll tell you now, I'm not as good as he is, or as fast.  But, I'll get there.

I'm hoping to be on here again before Thanksgiving, but if I'm not, I want to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving.

So until next time,

Small Farm Girl, busy on the farm

Thursday, November 12, 2015

The Long Awaited Chicken Coop

It's done!  Well, almost.  I still have to paint it and we still want to put a fence up.  We have it now so that the chickens can go into the garden.  Hey, they can eat the leftovers and fertilize the place all at the same time.  Works for me!
Isn't it cute!!!


Hubby just bent the cattle panel around into the garden.  We have rabbit wire on the bottom of the panels so it works nicely.  We like to have the chickens to be able to get under the building.  That way they can get out of the sun and still enjoy some nice breezes.  I am still planning on getting some boards down and the fence nailed to them so that the fence around the bottom is sturdier. We don't want anything getting in that way.




See those posts back there?  That's where the back of the permanent fence is going to be.  Those chickens sure are going to have a nice big space.


Hubby designed the coop so that we don't have to go inside to collect the eggs.  Good idea Hubby!!!


The chickens really seem to like it!  I will make a suggestion here, if you are ever going to build a chicken coop, put linoleum down on the floor.  It makes clean up sooooo much easier.  Just sweep it all out.  No sticking poop on the floor.


You may also notice that there isn't very many chickens in this coop.  If you'll remember, we had bought about 24 chickens just a few weeks ago.  Well, Jack decided that once again he was going on the rampage.  We had had enough.  We were either going to give him away, or fix the coop.  As you can see, every one wins.  And from the looks of it, everyone is happy.  All of the many roosters anyway.  I think I see chicken dinners in my future.


So until next time,

Small Farm Girl, chicken coop owner.