Two weeks later...

Okay, so the two week mark isn't until tomorrow... you'll get over it. Bessie is a wonderful mama. We're down two piglets but this happens. The remaining 8 are adorable, getting redder, and they've about doubled in size.

            Babies and Bessie at the barn. 

              Playing in mama's wallow. 

There is plenty of grass in the barn area but our goal is to raise them on pasture. We've had issues getting a fence put up and water to the land we have set aside for this purpose. Then Bessie finally gets pregnant and plans change. The garden area it is. We get it all set up with mobile domed huts for shelter, an electric netting boundary, and water set on a timer to give them plenty of cool mud to wallow in since shade will be minimal most of the day. Big Boy won't have any. 

We've attempted multiple times to move the hogs from the barn out to pasture. I was determined to get these babies on pasture ASAP! The Big Boy was willing but not Bessie. Can't say that I blame her. After all, she was very pregnant, or nursing, and it's been really hot. It's about a quarter mile walk. Hogs aren't really fond of climbing ramps into a trailer. We tried food, squealing piglets, the trailer, walking... multiple times, multiple combos. Hogs in abundance of 400 pounds don't move unless they want to.

Sunday morning we successfully walked the Big Boy out to his new pen. 😄

Mama almost made it... 😐

Later we got Bessie in the trailer after almost an hour. We're taking the long way around the pond. I'm following in the Ranger to close the gates. As I catch up to the second gate I'm looking at Michael standing behind the trailer with Bessie and I'm wondering why on earth he's decided to give her a potty break⁉ I mean, she's not a dog; it's not that far. Then I see we forgot to latch the sliding door... 
Inhale. Exhale. Don't lose it. I know I should've stopped about 30 minutes ago. I know I'm bordering on heat exhaustion. I know I want her on pasture. I don't know what to do, and what'll work but...
I tell Michael to get in the truck and don't stop. Of course, we get through the gate, merely yards, and Bessie decides a dip in the pond is a wonderful idea. 💦
Apparently it is. She frolics, rolls, roots for who knows what, and really enjoys herself. Michael gets a bucket of water to help the piglets stay cool in their tub in the trailer (amazing it's not that hot in there). Bessie climbs out, gate is closed, I grab a squealing piglet and, yes, she follows. We make the slow trek around the pond while I'm in a barely rinsed out cattle trailer (I really don't suggest you use your imagination) exchanging piglets for noisier ones. She made it!

Bessie was being lazy and eating while laying down. Silly girl! 

 Sweetly sharing with the piglets. I'm sure this won't last long...

Happy babies! 

Piglets at Lazy Dog Ranch

On April 1st we brought home a bred pair of hogs. She was 15 months old and he was 14. At first I named them Peggy and Sue (because everyone should have a boy named Sue). I didn't like the way Sue sounded so I went through a few combinations. None of which have stuck....

She fattened up but then stopped. Her expected due date(s) came and went. No piggies. We were disappointed. I checked her almost everyday for signs of being bred after that. Nothing....

Hence, the two reasons I haven't posted a blog about them. No names. No piglets.

A few weeks ago she started getting plump again. Having no idea when they bred I had no way to know when to expect them so I was keeping a close eye on her. Gestation is 3 months, 3 weeks, and 3 days on the dot. Still...

Last night I started chores as usual by going out to the barn to feed the hogs first. I was still thinking she had a week or two to go. I was wrong. She was smack dab in the middle of farrowing, already had 4, and birthed another shortly after I arrived!

              Mama with the first 5 piglets. 

              After they were all here. 

That was a fascinating experience! Mama did great! They arrive about 15 minutes apart. It's kind of obvious when another is coming but if you miss that her tail wags as the baby is emerging! The umbilical cord cuts itself. They snort out excess fluid and within a couple of minutes have stumbled their way around to find food. I only intervened twice. Once to attempt to revive the stillborn, and again to remove the sac from one. This breed is known for being docile and she had no problem with me being there close. I was petting her, dribbling water in her mouth, and encouraging her. Sigh... happy place!

They are so stinkin' CUTE!

 This morning everybody was fine. She stood up to move around. I was so worried she'd step on one! Look how huge she is and how tiny they are! She's so very gentle. Well, as much as a 400 pound hog can be! She moves slowly and gives them plenty of time to move...

There are three tiny ones. This is the smallest.

I can't ever seem to get all 10 in one shot. They're all there! 

Milk comas and mama resting. 

Finally, sound asleep...

Big Boy is lonely and doesn't know what to do with himself...

"Here, let me lay on you!"

Rest for all 😍

Happenings at the pond

Lots of activity at the pond this year! We added some fingerling bass after having a company come out to count our stock. It's a healthy pond and well stocked but we want more bass. We can catch quite a few catfish and some tiny perch most days. Our goal is to be able to go out and catch something anytime 🎣

I originally got a few ducks because I wanted them at the pond. Well, I could use some more girls. My ratio isn't ideal. I've posted a few photos of ducklings. They're so cute and fun! Watching them follow mama is adorable! Sadly for one reason or another none have survived. New mamas and cold windy weather are tough. Take your pick of predators: turtles, bass, snakes, herons, and egrets. Well, I'm happy to announce we finally have a survivor 🦆! Our Cayugas, Right, Left, and In Between (the drake) are shown here with the five little ducklings the girls co-hatched. That seems to be a trend at our place 😎 No recent photos. It spends a lot of time in the duck house and is always too far away. Here's to a long and healthy life little one!

Canadian geese that are frequent visitors. These aren't just passing through. We're told somebody raised a bunch a few years ago on the other side of town and they will now randomly show up and hang out at different lakes. We have a pair that visit us regularly for days at a time. Their current visit has lasted almost a month. Two days ago 6 more joined them. The 6 stay for the day then fly off at night and return in the morning. Love it!

Our Guinevere is happy to stay and protect his flock of chickens in the yard. He, yes he (his story here: http://lazydogranchblog.blogspot.com/2016/06/mother-goose.html?m=1), did chaperone the first ducklings at the pond for a while but was returned to the yard a couple of weeks later. He likes to play and bathe in his pool and sometimes the koi pond because he can flip upside down in it 🙃

Sprout, a crested duck, was an impulse buy at the feed store 😲 Because I've never done that before.... I wanted a yard duck. Would've worked except I have an uncanny knack for picking boys... He's a very confused duck. He tries to grab a hen by the neck once in a while but he's just not sure what to do after that. I can't exactly put him out at the pond. He'd be attacked by the others and might not survive. Here he's sitting in a nest box. He often does this in the morning sometimes joining a hen as she lays her egg. 🙄 I do have a duck I rescued one cold evening from the pond. Not sure where he/she will eventually end up once grown. If it's a girl I may let her join Sprout. Sorry, no photo. It's happily living at this point in a grow out run with some chicks though. 

I got a call one evening wanting to know if I wanted a goose. Well, I didn't want one in the yard but I was happy to take the chance she wouldn't fly away if we put her at the pond. Meet Gwendolyn, a Toulouse goose. Larger than Guinevere by a bit, she has made herself at home and keeps her distance. I hear her once in a while honking. She likes to hang out when the geese visit but seems just as happy with the ducks. 

As for the koi pond I finally ordered lilies and got them planted. Hopefully they'll all survive, fill the pond, and give us blooms all summer long 🌸 Still struggling with planting around it but I'll get there. 

Sun's almost up!

"Gosh, mom, the sun will be up in 2 minutes... where ya been?"

Elvis, Prince, and Tom meet me every morning (because they roost on top of the coop - no room inside for these big boys) to escort me through my morning routine and discuss current events in the flock. Yes, they talk quite frequently. They guard the flock by keeping watch over them. Sometimes they break up confrontations between chickens. Sometimes they do the confronting...

Tom was our first tom turkey. There was a Jerry but he got sick several months ago. Had I known I would have three they'd have been named Larry, Moe, and Curly.

The poults hatched this year are doing quite well. The mamas wanted to be moms but just weren't ready so they've been growing up with the baby chicks. It'll be interesting to see what will join the flock this year. The meanest will join us for Thanksgiving dinner!

The turkeys are some of my favorite birds in the yard ❤

Presley and her poult

After one turkey poult was hatched under a broody chicken Appalonia hatched her six. She then proceeded to move to the next nesting box to continue in her broodiness. I happily took the poults to raise. Appalonia has spent the past two weeks breaking her broodiness...

I had high hopes Presley would be a good mama. Unfortunately, only one of her eggs hatched. She then proceeded to stay with it for four days. They ventured out together but not far on days three and four. 

On day five they were happily wandering around and I was watching from the patio. Once the baby disappeared but it was just resting in the grass. I became a tad concerned at that point. She wouldn't be the first mother I'd have to remove the young from. Almost an hour later I took charge of the adorable little poult saving it from some curious guineas and an oblivious mama. Young fist time mamas don't always get it. That's why I'm here 😊

Both are well! Presley went back to a normal life. App is still attempting broodiness, crushing eggs if she gets in a nest 😕 , but I'm hoping we're about done with that. #7 poult is in a brooder with some young chicks and will soon join the rest of this year's poults. Not sure what I'm going to do with them yet. Guess it'll depends on how many of each sex there are. 

Turkey for Thanksgiving anyone? 🦃

Twins!

Last night.... no, let me back up a tad....

Appalonia hatched her poults then moved to another nest box with eggs and a hen sitting on them. She just joined in... The little ones are happily growing in a brooder. I'm slowly having to break the broody cycle in the flock because we have no eggs! Broody hens don't lay eggs...

Presley, my other turkey hen, has faithfully sat on her clutch leaving once or twice a day for food and water. She's in a medium size igloo dog house on the patio. One or two hens regularly lay their eggs in with hers. A couple of weeks ago I caught her off the nest. I candled her eggs and removed the chicken eggs to my incubator. They started hatching last week one or two a day...

So, I feel the need to explain here...

You may jump to the next paragraph if you know about hatching eggs ~ Fowl will lay an egg almost every day. Once they are happy with the number they will go broody and set on them. Going broody means their body temperature will increase and some will pluck their chest feathers to expose the skin. Then they sit until their eggs hatch leaving the nest for food, water, elimination (yes, it's huge), and fiercely guarding their young. Some breeds brood more frequently than others with or without eggs. Those eggs will wait until she starts to brood to begin developing. So, the first laid egg will hatch about the same time as the last laid egg. Chickens hatch in 21 days. Turkeys and guineas in 28.

When it's time the chick uses its beak to break through the egg shell. It usually goes all the way around then comes out the top through the hole it has made. Sometimes the cap falls back into place making the egg appear whole again. Well, sort of, at a glance maybe...

Now, back to Presley...

She's due to start hatching this Friday. I grabbed the extra chicken eggs and candled hers again this morning. Five of her six eggs are good. One more may, or may not, be a day late. The seventh isn't. Writing this I realize I probably should've removed it too... oh, well. The chicken eggs laid in her nest immediately started to develop, rather than waiting, because Presley was providing the proper environment. This explains why they were hatching daily in the incubator - because they were laid daily.

Forward to where I began...

Last night I checked and saw a foot poked out of the pipped hole of an egg.  I was excited because I was wondering what was in that large egg. Generally breeders don't help a chick because if the chick can't get out it's probably not strong enough to live on the outside. I'm not a breeder but I stopped spending so much time and effort on a weak or sickly chick months ago because I'd rather the time and energy go into my healthy flock. After consulting with my chicken angel (yes, she's the best) I decided to take off a tiny bit more shell.

This morning I check on the brooder and see the little chick calmly sitting in an egg cup (the cup that holds the egg in the correct position - pointed end down while the incubator automatically "turns" them). Yay, it made it! I turn to check on the other newbies in the brooder on the floor. All's well so I open the bator to take out the newest, love on it, and add it to the others. I see a shell with two legs sticking straight up. (Remember it's morning and this is the first thing I do after getting dressed.) I look back at the chick, then back at the legs. First thing I think is that last night's chick didn't make it and the little yellow newbie was from a different egg. The legs had folded down and started chirping! Such carrying on! I grabbed the egg and carried it to the sink to get a better look. I didn't hesitate. The egg was over half gone. The chick was just upside down and had stated pipping from the other end. The little one looked just like any other freshly hatched chick - a bit tired, wet, and glad to be out. So, I carry it back, grab the other newborn and put them under the heat lamp in the brooder.

Time to remove the shell.......... there is no shell..... Where's the second shell? I check every egg. Twice. Then I check the one I'd just helped the upside down chick out of. Oh! I get it! It was the big egg. I'd just help successfully hatch a double yolk egg! Twins!

No, they aren't really twins. One is black and one is white. But they shared an egg. It's cool! They're doing well and I'm hoping they live a long time. It's a good story 😊

I named them Ebony and Ivory.

Kai's morning

Digging for gophers and curiously watching the squirrels run around in the trees this morning. Kai leads a super stressed life guarding his flock 😂😍

Appalonia

Appalonia is a Royal Palm heritage turkey. She's one of two hens we have and I really didn't expect her to lay or much less hatch some eggs. Well, here she is with four gorgeous poults. There are still 5 more eggs. We'll see if they hatch... Presley's eggs are due to hatch in two weeks 😄

Happy Mother's Day!

Mouse insisted her babies were ready for the great outdoors. She's such a great mama I figured she knows what's best. This is her second clutch this year.

Appalonia's first egg hatched yesterday. I'm hoping the others aren't far behind.

Broodiness in the spring

Spring brings on broodiness in chickens. Some of the girls find creative places to lay their eggs and brood. Blue hatched a variety of babies in a covered cat bed on the stair landing in the garage. Mouse chose a pot in the greenhouse that was just the right size to lay her own eggs in. Afterward I moved her little family to a larger space. Fun!

First Turkey Poult

I didn't expect the turkey hens to brood much less have fertile eggs. (If you'd seen the toms in action you'd understand my skepticism 🤔) So, I took the chance and placed a turkey egg under a broody uhh chicken hen. After her eggs hatched I moved it to the next hen due to hatch. A turkey's gestation is 28 days versus a chicken's 21. Well, this morning we welcomed our first turkey poult to hatch at Lazy Dog Ranch! It's a slate.

All of our turkeys are heritage breeds, meaning the breeds have been around a long time and aren't hybrids. We have toms of three breeds - slate, royal palm, and red bourbon. Our hens are slate and royal palm. We're very fortunate that our toms get along (for the most part) since the ratio is NOT good. Because of them roaming together none of our offspring will be a particular color, but crosses.

Appalonia, the turkey from the last post, isn't the strongest of girls but she's taking her brooding job very seriously. Presley is working on her clutch in an igloo dog house and I expect her to start laying within a week. She may be a bit confused but it's better than nesting out beyond the yard.

Now that I know our girls are laying fertile eggs and brooding I'm hoping to have more hens and maybe we'll have turkeys available for Thanksgiving 2018! Oh, don't worry, I always keep the sweet ones and only cook up the meanies 😉

Appalonia

I can't seem to get back to blogging so for now I'll post shorts from my phone because y'all are missing out. I'm determined to blog again though so hang in there.

We came home late one night having been to a wonderful dinner to celebrate my beautiful mil's 80th to find Appalonia in a nest box. We have two turkey hens and App isn't the one I would've guessed would brood... She's tiny and had the weakest legs. Guess I was wrong 😊