Callie-Jo is Becoming Quite the Ranch Dog!
Our little Callie is fast becoming an awesome little ranch dog. She gets after her Rooster and tries to gently move the hens into their coop. She goes down to get her sister, Penny-Sue, in the evenings and she is very interested in the goats and donkey but she is still way to little for any of that.
These Guys Are Ready to Go!
Kevin Artemis Bacon I and Sir Francis Drake Bacon I are ready to be processed. They have received clean water and delicious food and much loving from us over the time they have been here. I called the mobile butcher for the 15th and am awaiting a callback. Deliciousness awaits!
BD Farms Welcomes: Callie!!
We picked up little Callie a couple weeks ago but I am just now getting to updating the blog. Callie-Jo is a McNab. McNab’s are California Ranch dogs; bred specifically for the California climate and terrain. They are working dogs and are great cattle dogs, squirrelers, protectors and family dogs. She’s grown quite a bit since we got her and she is the smartest dog I have ever had the pleasure of guarding. She knew her name after only three hours.
We say “Go to work!” and Callie starts after the rooster to get him in his coop; it’s hilarious (I’ll try and grab a video soon) and she is getting pretty good at it. When we go into the hens coop she starts around the backside of the coop to round up any strays and herd them to the front door while we close up the back windows and round up any on the other side. She goes in the coop and sits guard so no wandering cluckers get back out. She’s not perfect but she’s only 8 weeks old.
Her bestest friend in the whole world s Penny-Sue; Callie loves her sister… And her sister’s food! She will sit and stare at her sister lovingly and then devour any spilt food - Hey! All’s fair in love and food. ‘Dem’s the rules!
UPDATE 9/7/2020 - McNab’s were bred from a Scottish Collie and a Basque Shepherd over 100 years ago by Alexander McNab and his son John McNab . They are hearty and never tire. Callie is especially good at finding and digging up old squirrel bones and skulls and mummified lizards all the time.
Finnegan’s 7th Birthday
We can’t believe that our tiny Finny is 7 years old… For his birthday he wanted a Call of Duty: Warzone-themed party so we got him a couple paintball guns, ammo and face-masks so he and his brother can go out in the wild lands and play Warzone; wholesome boy activities. Cake and presents and thorough cleansing rounded out the awesome day. Of course then the crashing.
Fire Table Time!
Why work all day on the farm if you can’t enjoy the downtime? This is the perfect addition to our decor. Heather and I got this for each other for our 8th anniversary :-)
BD Farms Welcomes Penny-Sue!
Penny-Sue is a New Zealand Kunekune mini pig. She is adorable! They don’t root up the soil like her big brothers and she is a grazer. Normally pigs don’t graze but the Kunekune can eat and graze on grasses. She fits right in.
These Guys…
First Pic is from inside the Brooder: Ski with the Don King doo, Pom Pom Flash (The obvious future rooster, grrr…) and the back of some frizzles. The second pic is of Cheepers. The third pic is our very own Ninja Chicken, Thunder. The last photo is Junior, the rooster… This is the trouble with buying “Straight Run” chicks; you never know what your going to get with them.
Besties in Secret
Don’t let their sometimes hostile actions fool you; when no one is looking these guys are the best of friends. #AnimalNerds
New Additions to the Family - Jersey Giants
We welcomed two new family members yesterday; two Jersey Giant chicks. These little ones are so small compared to the others but they are so cute.
Maverick’s Run-in, Delivered.
we ordered a run-in for Maverick and it was delivered last weekend. It’s nice! We ordered it from a chance meeting with the builder (and by chance I mean that my wife and mother-in-law saw these coops and sheds being built on their drive and they went and asked if they built them to order.) Well, good thing they did or we would have never known about Mark. Mark is a disabled Veteran and he builds these sheds, coops run-ins on his property with his daughter and, I’m guessing, future son-in-law. Superior workmanship and delivered right to the spot we wanted it (which was no easy feat but they did it; you’ve seen our hilly property).
Happy 40th Birthday Wife!! I Love You!
What do you get the woman in your life that either has everything or doesn’t want much? Well, when Dr. Pol is the background of your life (We watch Dr. Pol almost every day) you work some magic and have him tell your wife Happy Birthday!
I love you Heather! You make every day an adventure and because of you life is worth celebrating. You are the most amazing woman I have ever known and you make me a better man for it.
Happy Birthday from Steve, Finn, Susan, Don, Louis/Corey/Jack (dogs), Kevin & Frankie Bacon (pigs), Buzz/Ollie/Jelly/Momma (goats), too many chickens to name and one big Ass, Maverick (donkey)!!!!!!
Snake Alert!
Click for Video
This one is a little older but a goodie. Finn saw a snake, warned me of it, stayed away, said it was a rattlesnake but stayed away. Good job Finn!! This was not a rattlesnake, it was a bull snake. Bull snakes can look like rattlesnakes - check it out!
The Little Chicks Are Getting Their Feathers
These little girls are starting to get their ugly teenager feathers and are growing so fast. There are three Frizzles and one Crested Polish. The Crested Polish is the one with the Don King hair doo.
Maverick and Friends
Maverick was not done getting his paparazzi treatment, apparently. Finnegan got in on the fun too :-)
Picked Up Our Thanksgiving Turkey Today!
We picked up our Thanksgiving turkey from Mullenax Ranch today; we named it Holiday. She is the smallest one in the brooder but she is cute! The other chicks are three Frizzle chickens and a Crested Polish (look these up on Google, trust me. :-)
This Guy…
This guy is a photobomber extraordinaire. What a character! He wants to be wherever you are, which I love because I want to be around him and the goats too. I was going to do a before and after corral/pen/paddock cleaning but this guy wanted pictures taken of him. So next week I’ll show you what else we do to care for the beasties; every weekend we muck their stalls/crates and clean the pasture. But really, this guy…
Farm Life
Life on a farm is a lot of work. Livestock needs to be fed and cared for at least twice a day.
We get up every morning around 6am and let out and feed the chickens. We fill their chicken pool and open the back shutters to their coop for maximum air flow. We give them some layered feed and 9-way scratch and dried mealworms. Yes, they are spoiled as are all of our animals.
Then we go down to the pigs and open up their gate so they can get to their mud pit. The new hog feeder we got (Tractor Supply, $199) holds two and a half 80 lbs. bag of feed (Sturm’s CS Grower, $18.99) and works so much better than the old, smaller one.
Back to the barn for gloves and feed buckets. The goats get about a half a cup each of Goat Chow (Tractor Supply, $14.99) and about half a slab of Orchard Grass (Hemme Hay, $12.99/Bale) for it’s protein for them to share. Check their water and put the chain back so Maverick doesn’t get into the goat paddock and eat their grass.
Back to the barn to put away buckets and get another half slab of Orchard Grass in a corner feeder for Maverick and fill up the Barley Straw (Hemme Hay, $6.99/Bale) slow feeders for Maverick and the goats to graze on all day since the straw has low nutrient value so munch away!
Then close up the barn and grab a small treat for Maverick and give it to him on my way back up the hill just to start working all day.
There is usually a few times in the day that Finn and I go give Maverick a carrot or check for eggs but at the end of the day we go down and do it all over again, fill water buckets for the next day, give the goats their Chaffhaye (fermenting alfalfa), lock in the vulnerable for the night and say goodnight to those furry friends in our charge.
We love it. But, even I sometimes want to just keep sleeping :-)
Almost Time to Put The Animals In for the Night
Another day almost done - hard work and patience is what runs a farm.
Donkey Update: Maverick is Settling In
Maverick is settling in nicely. He is off his pain meds from his gelding complications and is looking and acting better. He really is a sweet boy.
He is making friends with the goats and I swear he herds them to wherever he wants them to be; it doesn’t appear to be aggressive, he doesn’t try to stamp them or bite. I had to put a chain up so he didn’t go into the goat paddock to munch on their orchard grass.