Fiona's wool coat

It's now Sept. 16th. The middle of Sept. And Fiona's scraggly wool coat finally came off. She's been looking like a viking for months now and I finally grabbed what was left and pulled til it came off. It was basically just hanging by a few hairs so I didn't hurt her. And I think she was glad it was finally off.

She looks so much better now.











If only her sister Leelah's would come all the way off too. She rubs her back on the back scratcher board so part of her back wool is off. But the side wool is still hanging on.  I guess she'll need it in a few weeks. It's supposed to start cooling off some here. I am ready for it!

New farmer's market

Today I went back to the Brainerd market. I love it. This is my 2 nd week there. I am so happy that there are people who are in to healthy organic food and not prices of healthy organic food. Just a totally different environment at this market. We even talk about ways to prepare the food they buy and ways they have prepared it. I sold just about everything I brought. I have some Roma beans left and one bag of kale and some radishes. The kale and radishes will go in the pot with the home grown chicken that's in the oven roasting right now along with some potatoes and onions in about an hour. The beans will be washed and put on the stove next. So I am ok with bringing a little home from the market. That's dinner!

I so hope that everyone who reads this blog will find a farmer's market near them and buy some healthy good food and support us farmers. I for one, so appreciate you! And you will appreciate the fresh food that you will have for dinner tonight too.

Every morning

Every morning, this is what I see out my kitchen door. There are usually a few more cats. Looks like they are all in line, waiting. Stella was laying down when I opened the door. Of course I had to go find my camera and when I got back, she was standing up.

The dogs are the first to get fed. Bubba and Sophie eat outside. Stella eats inside. I don't know why, but that's the way we do it. Then the cats get fed. Then I get the milk goats and feed them. While they are eating, I fix all the feed containers for the chickens, sheep and the rest of the goats. I go feed all of them and let the meat chickens out. Then back to milk the goats. Stella is still inside because she aggravates the goats. She does come in at the evening milking though. The dogs and cats are in the milk room for their bowls of milk. They love goat milk!

And then we do it all again in the evening, except the sheep and dry goats don't get feed. I put the meat chickens back in their pen and let the laying hens out for a few hours.  The dogs get meat bones. And the cats get rabbits and birds. Really. This morning I go out to feed the back yard goats and there's a dead rabbit in their shelter. With the middle eaten and a pile of puke next to it.

Sometimes I feel like I am in the movie Groundhog Day. Same thing over and over. Day in and day out. Every day the same thing. But I love it. This is my life right now. I can't imagine it any other way.

Farm Country

There is corn in North Georgia. There is a huge field across the road from us and they are harvesting the corn today. Big trucks loaded with corn from the big corn combine. It's really interesting to watch that big machine cut through the tall dried corn stalks and then go to the big trucks waiting to be filled. I love living way out here and hearing the big farm machinery. Seems like there is a tractor or some type of machine for everything.

And all around us are hay fields. There is haying going on everywhere right now. We have had a great year for hay. I don't think any animal will go hungry this winter. I have around 180 bales right now and will be getting another truckload in a few weeks. My truck holds at least 40 and sometimes 45-50 depending on who stacks it. You can see a round hay baler here in this picture. This is to the South of my property. You can see Lookout Mt.

Here is the field to the North. And there is Lookout Mt. through the trees in the middle of the picture. I love the smell of hay after it's been cut and it drying. Just don't like loading and stacking it. But the smell is amazing.

I had to cut some privet and honeysuckle for the goaties. They love that stuff. They have eaten every tree and bush in their pasture. It was full of blackberry bushes and those thorn trees. Lots of stuff back there and now there are only some big tall trees. Nothing much but grass back there for them now. So I go and cut them branches for them.

There is a lot going on around me here in farm country. What's going on in your neck of the woods right now?

Adalaide

Little Adalaide is walking on her foot now. She seems to be ok. It could have been bruised in the commotion yesterday morning. I hope that's all. I mixed the Red Cell into their feed and they all ate it up. I like it this way. SO much easier. I won't know how much each one got this way but I know each one got some. I just could not put them or myself through that again.

Just another day at the spa.

This afternoon, I went to check on the boys. They were snoozing under the shade tree. And getting massages from the nice chickens. And getting there wool all fluffed. I thought this was so funny and so sweet of the chickens. It must have really felt good to the rams. They never batted an eye. Such is life at Outback Farm. And they looked so good after their spa treatment too.

And now...

a broken leg. Poor little Adalaide must have broken her back right leg this morning during the chaos and confusion in the stall. I got all 8 ewes in the stall for their Red Cell and B Complex shots. It was a little crazy in there. She must have been hurt in the shuffle then. I feel so bad for her. It's right above the hoof, like the ankle. I noticed her limping this evening. I am going to see if it heals on it's own. I just can't put her through any more stress like she's been in the last few days. I need them all to be calm and happy. If it looks like it's getting worse or she's in pain, then I will have to take her in to the vet again. She's supposed to go back in 2 weeks for another blood test.

I am going to try putting the Red Cell in their feed in the morning. I just can't do all that again. It was horrible. They were all scared and running and I can't put them through that again for 13 more days. This better work.

It's always something around here. This morning when I looked out the kitchen door, there was Iris and Brie, the 2 little doelings. At the kitchen door. I looked to see how they had gotten out. The sheep were all at the gate, looking at them. The gate was open at least a foot wide. And the sheep were all behind it. Such good sheeps. I just love them.

So I put the does in the milk room. BIG MISTAKE! They had that place in the biggest mess I have ever seen. Stuff all over the floor. Broken glass under the shelves. Stuff inside the mineral bag. Poop all over the stanchions. A MESS! And they were only in there while we were drenching the sheep, about 30 minutes. Those girls are wild!. So had to clean the milk room before I could bring in the milk goats. Such fun on the farm.

How was your day? Anything like mine?