It’s definitely been busy lately and the animals are constantly reminding us how being good stewards is immensely important. Here’s some highlights from around the farm:
We had a great rabbit escape where one of the buns lived outside for almost five days straight. The kids had spent hours chasing her trying to capture her and put her back in her cages. I tried catching her and putting her back. Finally I threw my hands up and resolved to just letting her be a free-range bunny. We put water out for her, left some pellets out where she could get to them and just was done. The very next day I was checking on my new litter when she literally hopped right up underneath me and stood there waiting for me to put her back in her cage. She’s now back home where she belongs. I’m thinking adventure wasn’t for her!
We also have bred our two main rabbits again. The intent is for them to be the last litter until September. The heat is extremely hard on our rabbits and I try to avoid breeding them from July until the middle of September. We currently have about 15 rabbits waiting to be processed and put away to feed us for this fall.
Bertha, the mule, has another foot infection that we are currently treating. We have taken a two fold approach and are treating her both internally and externally with hopes of getting her well soon. We then plan on listing her for sale. It’s not that we don’t love her, we really do. It’s probably the hardest part of the farm, when you have to make some hard and fast decisions about what animals you need to keep around the farm and which ones really need to be moved to a home that would serve them better.
We have successfully weaned the bottle calves to just creep feed and grass. They still really wish they were getting their bottles- just go visit them and see how much they head-butt you! They have made the transition well. By fall, Mr. Moo will be heading to the sale barn to be sold as a gentled bull calf. I’m hoping that he brings enough to cover the taxes and put some away for savings.
The horses have graduated to fly masks with the insane amount of flies. These record high water levels have created far too many breeding grounds for flies, leaving us battling them at epic rates. Domino did very well with the fly mask, with zero negative reaction on putting it on or taking it off. It’s definitely the small victories in his training that continue to impress me.
The dogs are currently battling epic high rates of ticks. So much that they refused to lay on the ground anymore, instead laying on the picnic table or in the bed of the truck. I cannot say I blame them. These ticks are so insane this year that we aren’t even out riding because the woods are overran by them. NexGuard is barely working to help kill what is on them, so if you have any recommendations- I’d greatly appreciate it. We’ve taken to spraying them (and all the other animals) with permethrin.
So this is the highlight reel from the last week or so on the farm. I’d love to hear what has been happening around you farm- so please feel free to leave a comment here or IG! And as always, remember to grow wild, get out in nature, and connect to your roots!
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