Adventures in Animal Husbandry

Last Saturday was a bugger of a day.  It was supposed to be a great day!  We were finally moving out to the farmhouse.  We still have the house in town that is going to be re purposed into a (hopefully) profitable endeavour.  (More on that later.)  So we didn't have all that much to move when it came down to it.  Bedrooms, kitchen stuff and of course the dining table that my step-mom's father made back in 1975. It was handed down to me about 13 years ago and it is one of my only earthly possessions that I am way to attached to. 

And then it rained.... and snowed a bit.... and threw in some sleet.  Just for fun.  Why does it always rain when you try to move?  But we ducked rain drops and got most things moved without getting them wet.  I'm thankful for the lovely friends and neighbors that took the time to help!



Banner the miracle alpaca.

And then we had a sick alpaca.  A very sick alpaca.  I noticed on Friday evening that he wasn't acting right at all.  He kept going to the poo pile and straining but nothing would happen.  Not a good sign!  He also didn't want to eat anything.  A really bad sign for an alpaca!  They love food as much as I do!  As soon as I got the little guy caught and checked his vitals I knew he was in real trouble.  He was dehydrated for sure.  Capillary refill was slow.  All he would do was strain to poo and then go lay down. 

So I had the neighbor girl come over and she held him still while I tortured the poor beast.  First by squirting syringes of warm water and olive oil down his throat.  I didn't have any mineral oil and figured some kind of oil had to help! He was too sick to fight much and took the liquid pretty well.  We got about 10 ounces down him.  After turning him loose and encouraging him to walk around for a bit, we caught him up and the torture got worse.  I can now say I have given an alpaca and enema.  Several of them actually!  The enemas did seem to help things move along somewhat.  So after an hour or so of torture, we turned him loose to live or die.  I had a feeling he had sand colic and I wasn't feeling very optimistic.  Actually I was down right sad.  I thought I was going to lose my first alpaca.

The next morning before we got busy moving things I rushed over to doctor the poor guy.   When my big boy and I got to the barn, I warned him to brace himself for the worst.  We walked into the corral to find Banner laying flat, not moving, teeth showing, eyes still and open.  Looking pretty darn dead.  I crept over to find he was still breathing.  I nudged him and he got to his feet but he looked bad.  We and repeated the water and oil down the throat procedure and got him to take about 16 ounces.  His breath was horrible!  With his breath smelling like necrotic tissue I just knew he had ruptured an intestine.  I just knew I was going to have to shoot Banner.  But instead I doctored and prayed and prayed some more.  If he got to looking like he was in constant pain I was going to put him down. 

We left and went to haul our things to the farm.  A couple of hours later I checked on Banner and saw a very slight improvement.  He was standing up more.  A few hours after that I saw a miracle!  He was out in the pasture with his buddies and actually nibbled on some grass!  I couldn't believe it. By the end of the day I thought the bugger might actually live!

Banner and his buddy Huck.

The next morning we wasted no time getting out to do chores.  There was Banner alive and well and he was HUNGRY!! He acted like his only care in the world was food!  He happily dove into his alpaca chow and never looked back!  He is now my miracle alpaca. 

All is well that ends well.

Bye for now,
B

Short and Sweet

There's a snow storm expected.  I am truly grateful for the moisture. But I admit I am over the snow.  Kinda wishing for rain instead.  This time of year I start to get the itch to garden.  I have some cabbage plants growing in my garage that would really like to get outside.  I also have some chickens growing in my garage that would really like to get outside!  Just don't tell the mayor!!! 


With the snow storms continuing to roll through the seedlings and the chicks have to stay put.  And I have to stay put in the house more than I'd like to.  But today, my big boy went over to feed the chickens at Grammy and Papa's house and came back with a little present for his momma.  A perfect and wonderful sign that spring really is here.  The classic, free expression of love from little ones to their momma's for generations....

 

HAPPY SPRING EVERYONE!

 

It really is here, the dandelion's told me so!

 

 

Bye For Now,

 

B

Of All Crazy Things

So of all crazy things, we're buying a ranch, or is it a farm?  I think maybe a farm. I'll let you know how it works out.  The thing is, I need a way to have a vocation that is just mine.  The oil field is really not for everybody, including me.  I also need to be able to stay home with the rugrats.  I have always said, "I didn't have kids just to pay someone else to raise them".  Just a personal mantra of mine.  So that doesn't leave a whole lot of options here in Geraldine.  But one of the things I can do, and do pretty well, is grow things.  Critters, gardens and such. 

After doing TONS of research on what is marketable and profitable in farming, I now have quite the business plan!  More details later....  But one of the things that called to me was.... (drum roll....)

ALPACAS!

This is my new buddy Huck.  I just love this guy!

I bought eight alpacas yesterday.  It's a bit like owning a herd of fuzzy deer.  They are shy, quiet, persnickety little creatures.  But I LOVE that my kids are totally safe around them.  They just shy away slowly if my rugrats get too close.  So far every body has good manners.  The only exception was Mudflap, the herd sire.  He was resistant to the idea of leaving his lovely home yesterday and was kicking in protest.  But he seems to like his new digs and is calming down.

Huck, Mudflap, Chip and Banner

The girls are pretty lovely.  Mallory is the "mom" of the group and is a bit cranky.  But she's just trying to watch out for everyone.  Particularly her baby, that I have renamed Genesis.  She came with the name Chaos, but I'm afraid of the negative vibes.  So Genesis it is.

Cricket, Genesis and Ginger with Mallory hiding in the back.

The profit on these guys comes from selling the fleece that is shorn once a year and selling the babies.  The going rate for fleece is about $2.00 per ounce of raw fiber.  More for young fiber or light colored fiber.  Threw that info out just for ya'll that are thinking I have completely lost my marbles!
And hey!  They give me another fun thing to write about!

Let me know what you think! If nothing else, I hope you had a good chuckle.

Bye for now,
B

Sometimes You Get a Red Calf

I was out at Prairie Momma Trish's today.  I always come back with good things to write about.  At least I think I do....

Sometimes life doesn't go at all the way we plan!  Lately my life has been just like that.  While I would much rather it was not as upside down as it is, I realize that blessings almost always come out of tough experiences.  Some things that come to us as a struggle can actually be blessing in disguise.

 One of Trish's lovely black heifers was bred to a very nice, registered, black Angus bull.  Trish's black cows always have black calves. That's what they're supposed to do.  Yesterday, Trish got a surprise! Meet "Latte"....

He is a beautiful little bull calf, perfect in every way.  But he's red.  The one and only red calf on the place.  With his breeding he was practically guaranteed to be black.  But he's red as red, with a little pink nose.  But Trish is happy.  He's a healthy calf and pretty as can be.  He's just not what was expected.

With life throwing curve balls at me right and left, I decided to pretty much chill out today.  But the boys got restless and I needed to change my chill out plan.  So we went to Trish's and had way more fun than we have any where else.

 

The chutes became a jungle gym....

 

 

The pea grinder became a sensory play station....

 

 

And the old tractor was the most fun ever!

 

 

 

 

 

And just for fun, here's an update on Charlie.  He's doing fantastic and now gets to go out in the field!

 

 

 

Bye for now,

B

Is it a Farm or a Ranch?

Something that has been on my mind today....  What is your definition of a farm? 



The lucky chickens on Martha Stewart's "farm".

Most of the people I know snicker a little at the little mini farms or ranchettes that people have.  The ones that say, have 2.5 acres, a horse and dog, but they call it a "ranch" or "farm".  Around these parts, if you say "farm" that usually means several thousand acres of grain fields or crop land.  If you say "ranch", that means several thousand acres of pasture that supports at least several hundred head of cattle.

But then, I have some cousins that have a "Ranch" that is all grain and crops and no cows. But I know it's a ranch and always has been. (Ya'll know who you are,*wink*.) You can read about life on that Ranch at www.montanaprairietales.com 



This picture was taken when we were out walking in the wheat fields on a "farm".

So my questions are:  What makes a ranch a ranch and a farm a farm?  If you raise a bunch of goats say, or some menagerie of critters, is it a farm?  Or a ranch?  Also, how big or small should said farm or ranch be to not be the snickered at, mini farm or ranchette?  Is it based on number of acres, number of critters, or bushels produced?  Or should it be based on the owners' own definition?  Some of my dear blog readers are bonafide farmers and ranchers.  Some of you are not.  But either way, I'd love to know your thoughts on this subject!  Feel free to comment on here or on Facebook.  It think it could be a fun discussion!



This windmill is on a "ranch", West of Geraldine.

Bye for now....

B

Charlie's Angels

Today we loaded up the kids and went to the ranch where Prairie Momma Trish was doctoring a calf.His name is Charlie.  Charlie was born with some rotten luck.  First, he was born to the only cow on Trish's place that is not happy.  She is about as "honky" as they come and had the nerve to run Trish down when she was trying to help her deliver Charlie!  She is so unhappy that she's looking for a new home!


The kids wanted to know why Charlie couldn't get up.

Secondly, Charlie was born with contracted tendons on his back legs.  This made it pretty much impossible for him to stand up.  So Momma Trish has been helping him get extra food by bottle feeding him.  She also came up with a plan to help his legs.  He was given the medication to help his tendons relax.  Then she gathered up some paint mixing sticks, vet wrap, gauze and Gorilla tape and we fashioned him some splints.



Can you believe I'm actually in a photo? I'm almost always behind the camera.

 

 

After his splints were on, Mr. Charlie had a whole new day! He was able to stand and even walk a little bit! Now he's able to stand and nurse and get enough to eat.  Soon you won't be able to tell he was born with crooked legs.

 

Charlie with his new legs.

After Charlie was fixed up the kids had a ball running around in the corrals.  The squeeze chute became a play pen and the horses got hugs. 

 



It was a beautiful, perfect day in Geraldine....

Cowgirls

What do you think of when someone says "cowgirl"? The idealized, rope swinging, hip swinging, rodeo queen wannabee's? Or the gun toting, truck driving, Miranda Lambert wannabee's? ( I admit I'm sometimes in this category!) 



 

 

Well I have a new image for you....

 

 

 

 

 

This is Prairie Momma Trish.  (I hope she forgives me for posting this!)  Trish is what I consider the cowgirl standard.  She and her adorable husband ranch and farm here in Geraldine.  I am so proud to call them my friends.  Trish is a Momma to strays of all varieties.  People, dogs, old horses, bum calves...  She's every body's neighbor and rescuer of many. 

 

 

 

Today, I bounced around in Trish's pickup as she scoured the pasture looking for cows that were about to calve and checking on the wee ones that recently came into our world.  We had a blizzard the other day that left a blanket of snow that is now causing everything to be wet and muddy.  Trish's cows all have lots of fresh hay and bright straw to bed their babies in.  Trish's cows are happy cows!  They are so happy that they never leave or wander off even though the gates are never shut. Sometimes the neighbor's drive by and shut them, thinking they were accidentally left open.  Trish just laughs and opens them up again.



Doesn't she look happy?  I swear she's smiling!

 

This one is definitely smiling!

 

 

 

And just for fun.... 

 Who can tell me what these are?  If you know, you just might be cowgirl, or cowboy enough.... 



'Til next time,
B