Whatever the Weather: Caring for Horses through the Seasons

This is going to be a longer blog then usual, but I think it will have a lot of information that is useful, especially to new horse owners.  I've added sub-headings so, hopefully, you can browse and use just the info that you need!  The information in this blog is from my own personal experience.  It is not the only way of doing things, and may not even be the best way, but it has worked for me personally.  Thank you for reading!

SPRING

   
     By the time winter is over, everything has been brown and dead for so long -  I truly doubt that it will ever be green and beautiful again.  This year, especially, I was overjoyed to see the first signs of spring; a few weeds popping up, a robin hopping along, and some bugs irritating me as I went out to feed.

Grazing the horses in the spring

This spring when the grass finally started to come back, we sectioned off most of the area letting the boys graze about 2 hours a day.  Unfortunately the first time I foolishly left them out all night, Bogart developed gas colic the next morning.

Although the grass was not long and lush, Bogart had spent the entire night grazing, which taught
me a valuable lesson.  When turning horses out onto fresh grass in the spring, slowly work up the time spent grazing to get them used to the high sugars in the new grass.  Increase the time by about one hour every few days and supplement with hay throughout the process.  Also limit time spent grazing on overcast days and in the late afternoon & early evening when the plant sugars are the highest.

Feeding horses in the spring

     Springtime feeding can be tricky, since every horse is different.  It is hard to tell how much forage they are receiving - too much food can cause colic, founder, and other problems.  It is a good idea to get a couple measurements, especially around the girth, so you can accurately judge the weight. Entire blogs can be written on the proper weight of horses, but here are a few guidelines:  

-You should not see ribs, but you should easily feel them

-The back should be level; the spine creating a ridge is too thin, a crease down the middle is too fat

-The cushion above the tail should be soft, but not spongy

     If you notice your horse is getting too fat, however, you should not take away grain all together. The grain supplies nutrients that horses need, which they can't get solely from pasture and hay.  If you need to cut back, gradually switch to a concentrated nutrition supplement to be sure he gets the nutrients without the calories.

Speaking of nutrients, be sure to supply a salt lick year round - salt is essential to a horse's health!

Spring cleaning for horses

Spring is a great time for cleaning in the barn.  Before putting away winter blankets, air them out then scrub off any dirt patches with a dry stiff bristle brush - don't use soap and water.  Have any torn areas repaired and heavily soiled blankets professionally cleaned.  Put them away securely where rodents cannot get to them for the summer.

Carefully check tack before using - over the winter straps may have become weak - leathers, girths/cinches, billet straps, etc. especially should be checked for weakness or cracks.

In the tack room, make sure all feed is secure, the feed bins are in good shape, and other foodstuff is in rodent proof containers.  Check the tack room and stalls daily for signs of wasp nests, carpenter bees, termites, and other pests.  Don't use rat poison if you can at all help it - the poison used now cannot be reversed if it (or the mouse who ate the poison) is consumed by a pet.  

Taking care of spring pastures

     In the spring the first green you see may very well be weeds.  Since owning horses, we have a
new definition for weed - whatever the horses won't eat.  You have to act fast to control weeds before or as they emerge.  Since we have a well, we don't like to use a lot of chemicals.  We battle weeds by planting invasive weed-type grasses like bermuda grass, and mowing often to prevent the weeds from going to seed - a difficult task.  Buttercups are a real problem, and overgrazing can allow them to take over a pasture completely.  Sometimes weed killers may be necessary, but talk with your extension agent to find out what type are the best/safest types to use in your area.  If you use a weed killer, verify it is meant for use on horse pastures, and allow a good rain before turning them out.

     You can plant cold weather grasses in the early spring, but we have had better luck planting them in the fall.

     Spring is a great time for harrowing the pastures.  On a dry day, preferably before a heavy rain, drag the pastures with a harrow (or other heavy object like an old box spring) to break up the piles and disperse them for use as fertilizer.  

SUMMER

     After the winter we had, I refuse to say a single negative thing about the summer.  I am thrilled to be surrounded by green, and even when the air conditioner went out, I didn't utter a word about the heat.  

Water troughs for your horses

     Of course horses are going to drink more in the summer heat, and coupled with the speed in which things rot, checking the trough daily is a must.  We have added a dozen feeder goldfish to our trough to help to keep it clean - I remember my grandfather's goldfish in his trough when I was young.  It seems to be working fairly well, but we still need to give it a good cleaning about once per month. Goldfish will eat rotting vegetation that horses leave behind, and will also eat mosquito larva.  Keep in mind that goldfish are cold water lovers, so put a couple cinder blocks in the trough to provide shade.  The cinder blocks also provide an escape route for cats, opossums, and other animals to help if they fall in.  No one wants to find a bloated body in the trough - ugh.

Battling flies in the summer

     Being one of the biggest challenges of the summer, flies drive horses and horse owners crazy.  Don't ignore them - a stomping horse can crack a hoof, and small wounds from biting flies can become infected and attract other flies.  There are a number of things you can do to help:

-Fly sheets and masks.  This sounds like a great idea, but keep in mind that the same sheet keeping out the pests can trap a horsefly or wasp against your horse's skin.  Use cautiously, and check on your horse often

- Fly eliminators.  Fly eliminators are a predatory insect that are purchased in an early stage and sprinkled on piles.  I have not used them, but I hear they work very well.

- Fly traps and fly bags.  I have not had the best success with these.  There seem to be a lot of flies buzzing around the trap, but only a dozen or so per day go in, and they are all house flies. 

- Bug zapper.  If you use a bug zapper, set it up well away from the barn, as it will attract bugs in the evening.  A good place for it would be in the chicken yard, so the fallen bugs can be useful as added protein.

- Fly sprays.  As much as I hate using chemicals, I do use fly sprays and wipes on my horses.  However, I mix in oils so that I don't need to use as much chemical in my mixture.  Essential oils such as tea tree oil, lavender oil, eucalyptus oil, lemongrass oil, citronella oil, and Skin-So-Soft all help keep flies away, and I have used them all.  Just add a bit of Dawn dish soap to help break up the oils, and shake well before using.

Keeping your horse cool in the summer

     Of course you take care not to overheat your horse by heavy riding, and hose him off to help keep him cool, but there is more that can be done.  Be sure your horse has access to shade throughout the day - given the opportunity, horses will hang out in the stall during the hottest time. There is no need to lock them in, as horses know what to do.  Hang fans in the stall if possible, and they will not only keep your horse cool, but help keep the flies away.

     Every single morning, whether it is overcast or not, it is important to use waterproof sunscreen on your horse's nose, and not only the top but all over the muzzle, even underneath.  If you think about it, when a horse has his head down grazing, the sun can reach the underside of the muzzle.  Not only will it prevent burning and blistering, but it helps to keep him cool.

     Provide fresh, cool water and change it out during the day if the temperatures really start to get high.  I have even heard of people who freeze 2 gallons of water that they use as giant ice cubes in the trough!

     Don't forget to keep an eye on that salt block - it provides extra minerals to a sweating horse.

FALL 

Fall is my favorite time of the year, with cool evenings and the beauty of seasons changing.  It is an outdoor time, perfect for enjoying football and other fun activities. Fall can also be a stressful time of careful preparation, since we can't be sure what winter challenges we will face.

Storing hay in the fall

     If you haven't already stored away your hay, now is the time.  Hay is wonderful for keeping horses warm in the upcoming months.  It has about 800-1000 calories per pound that is digested in the hind gut, where heat is generated.  Last winter my cache was woefully inadequate.  I found out later that I wasn't the only one - just about everyone I spoke with ran out of hay half way through the season.  This year I already have purchased 70 square bales from a local farmer, and may need to provide a good quality round bale if we have the frigid temperatures like we did last year.  Hay loses some of it's nutrients immediately, but can be stored for over a year without a significant drop after. 

     A few thoughts on hay: You can't tell the quality of hay by the color.  For example, alfalfa will always look more green than orchard grass.  The second cutting is a good choice as it usually has less weeds than the first. Hay cut when damp will grow mold & mildew, so it is best to know the farm and the farmer if possible, and know when it is cut.  Bales can vary greatly in weight and nutrition.  A larger farm will have tests done to prove the quality of their hay.  Some round bales are as good in quality as square, so if you have the storage space and equipment for moving it, don't be afraid to consider round bales as a money saving option.

     Hay should be stored out of the weather, but stored with plenty of ventilation to prevent mold.  Put down a couple pallets, then stack some bales, then another pallet, then stack more.  Don't pack them in too tightly.  

Caring for the pasture in the fall

     The fall is the best time for sowing cool season grasses such as fescue and rye (annual or perennial).  Rye tends to last a bit longer into the winter, however, fescue is a good choice since it can be eaten even after it has died off.  We put down both.

     It is a good idea to section off your pasture into at least two larger areas, and have one smaller
area that you can sacrifice on muddy winter days, allowing the horses into the productive paddocks during dryer times.  Dividing the pasture is one of our main goals this year!

     There is a low spot in front of our barn, so we have dug a ditch to help with drainage.  In addition, we plan to put down a polypropylene woven scrim with about 8" of sand in front the barn this year to keep the area higher and more accessible to the tractor.  The scrim helps keep the sand from being ground down into the soil beneath, keeping it dry and usable for a longer period of time.  Never build up an area using muck from the stalls or other organic matter - it will make a low spot even muddier, as organic matter holds moisture.

     Trees are a good idea for low spots, too.  They will not only provide shade for your horses, but they can take in a lot of moisture.  I don't like willows because their extensive root system can be damaging, however river birches and evergreens are good trees for taking up extra moisture.

Check blankets and tack in the fall

     Take the blankets out in the fall before they are needed.  That way, if there are any missing straps, holes, etc, it won't affect the use.  Watch the temperatures closely, especially if your horse has not grown in his winter coat.  You may want to add a light blanket if there is a sudden and unusual drop in temperature.

     All tack should be cleaned, conditioned, and (if it will not be used) stored properly for the winter.  Be careful when conditioning leather - too little, and the leather can become stiff/hard, but too much conditioner can ruin the leather outright.

WINTER

When I lived in Florida, we did not give much thought to winter issues, and our horses grazed year round.  Here in Virginia Beach, traditionally the temperatures rarely get below freezing, and almost never get into the teens.  Because of this, I had become a bit lax about preparing for winter.  However, this past winter was different, reaching a low of -1 degree, and staying below freezing for days on end.  I was met by challenges that I didn't expect, especially with the horses!  It is winter that inspired me to write this blog about caring for horses through the seasons.

Blanketing horses in the winter

Sinatra checking for grass under the snow.

     It took only one frigid evening standing in the dark trying to put blankets on cold, irritable horses to get the idea that I was going to have to plan better when it came to clothing our horses.  I am often asked why we put blankets on horses, since in the wild they don't need them.      One main reason is financial - it is a lot less expensive to put a blanket on a horse then it is to try to keep weight on or, worse yet, to put weight on an underweight horse in the cold.  So we blanket in the morning when there is light and have worked out a routine of constantly checking the weather to adjust the blankets accordingly:

Less than 40 degrees - light blanket/sheet

Less than 32 degrees - medium blanket

Less than 20 degrees - heavy blanket

Subtract 10 degrees for wind and rain

    Our horses are allowed to come in and leave their stalls at will, so they have good shelter, and we leave their coats long, which helps as well.  However, they are "seniors" so require a bit more warmth than young horses might.  You shouldn't leave a heavier blanket on than necessary, because if a horse becomes hot and sweats, when night falls, the chill will do more harm than good!

Feeding horses in the winter

     Here in Virginia, extra hay is a must in the winter.  Being unaccustomed to the crazy weather, my two horses were eating about 300-350 lb of hay per week this past winter, and they still needed extra calories.  During one particularly cold spell we put out a 600 lb round bale.  They loved the round bale, hugging it, nuzzling it, sleeping on it, whispering sweet nothings to it, and they were terribly heartbroken when all the hay was gone one week later.  Purchasing and moving around large round bales in the mucky wet cold winter is terrible - we had to wait for a hard freeze to be able to get the bales into the barn without getting the tractor stuck.

     Although horses may need extra calories in the wintertime, you shouldn't just increase the quantity of grain for calories, as it will also give them too many vitamins.  Also keep in mind that although it is calorie dense, grain does nothing to help keep them warm.  Extra fat and roughage is a better choice.

For additional calories, I added 1/3 cup of corn oil per feeding to our horses' grain.  I started out adding a high calorie supplement, but found it was just a different form of vegetable oil, so I switched, and saved a great deal by adding plain old corn oil.

As cold turned to a freeze that lasted weeks, I added a large bucket of hot soaked beet pulp twice a day, which my horses loved.  The beet pulp works well to keep them warm because it is digested in the back gut which stimulates heat, similar to hay.  Many people think beet pulp is high in sugar, but that is not true; Nearly all the sugar has been removed, and the pulp is the hard fiber that is left over.  Rice bran is great, too, if you can get it.

Supplying water to horses in the winter

     I did not truly expect the water trough to ice over, or if I did, I thought it would have a thin layer of ice that I could easily break with a mallet.

     After the first cold night, I went out with my mallet and tapped away the thin layer.  After the first truly cold night, I banged at that ice for a good while before barely breaking through and then realized the water level was not much lower then when I had filled it two days ago.  Horses will not drink enough if the water is too cold.  I hauled hot water from the house to put in their stalls and purchased an electric warmer that very day for both the horses' trough and the chickens' waterer.

Mucking stalls in the winter

     Mucking stalls in the winter bites ass (sorry, but it really does).  Because of the rain and snow, the horses spend much more of their time in their stalls and so the stalls become wet and gross quickly.  I couldn't stand seeing them standing in muck, but it was too wet and muddy to push the wheelbarrow though the pasture.  The garden tractor wouldn't make it at all.  I ended up piling the muck outside the stall doors and moving it when the ground froze enough to make it over to the muck pile.

     One thing we did do right was preparing the stalls.  There is about 18" of sand covered in 6" of shavings, plus we banked the sides well with shavings.  We put down lime and stall mats in the center where we would have the most muck, but left plenty of gaps for fluids to drain through.  The only thing I have changed is adding a couple bags of pelleted shavings in the center to help with absorption.  

Taking care of the winter pasture

     There isn't too much to take care of as far as the pasture goes in the wintertime, since everything is brown.  It is a good time to put down clover seed, though, if you want to "frost seed." Clover is great for adding nutrients to the soil, and horses love it.  Just put down the seed in rows before the last couple frosts - for us, that was in February.  The freezing and thawing of the ground incorporates the seed into the soil.

     As I said before, it is a good idea to have a "sacrificial area" to keep the horses in when it becomes excessively wet so they don't tear up the whole pasture.

     And remember, spring is coming - It won't be brown and dead forever!

     I am ending this blog knowing that there is so much more that could be written (worms, vaccinations, hooves, etc), but I hope this blog has given a good overview of what to prepare for through the seasons.  If you have any more helpful ideas, please leave a comment!

How to Set Up a Chicken Coop and Run

 

   If you Google chicken coops, you will find there are many ways of setting up a chicken coop since they can be made out anything from an old car to a trashcan to a shed.



Some people have gotten very creative with their henhouse. Whatever kind of coop you decide on, whether rural or urban, here are some basics that every hen house should have:

1) Good ventilation.  Throughout the year, your ladies will need good ventilation.  In the heat of the summer, don't cook your chickens.  Make sure their coop is kept as cool and airy as possible.  In the winter, they still need good ventilation.  If they are cooped up too tight, the humidity makes them damp and the coldness freezes them.

2) Feeder.  Waste is the biggest problem with most feeders.  If you put a feeder on the ground the chickens will not only toss dirt and shavings into it, but they will scratch out and waste all of the feed.  Find a way of either hanging it from a chain/rope or setting it on top of something about 6 inches or so.  You can buy a commercial feeder or make your own.

"Feed us!"

3) Water.  Keep fresh water available at all times.  Add a splash of apple cider vinegar to kill algae and bacteria.  Put the water on top of blocks or some other stable stand to keep them from pooping in it or filling it with shavings. (Depending on your winters, you may need a warmer to keep the water from freezing)

4) Adequate shelter from the elements.  Keep those chickens out of the heat, the cold, the wind, etc.  It should be durable and not drafty.

5) Nest box.  There should be about 1-2 nest boxes for every 5 chickens you have.  Most likely they will pick their favorite and everyone will try and lay in the same one, no matter how many chickens you have.  Depending on what size your chickens are, your box can be 10"x10" for bantams, up to about 15" x 18" for very large birds.  Nest boxes can be purchased or made from just about anything.  I suggest making sure there is a perch in front of the entrance so that their feet are clean when they hop in.

Five hens using a nestbox...at the same time.

6) Run.  The run is simply a safe area where the chickens can get outside to scratch, dance, and dustbathe.  Add some wood ashes and/or a bit of DE (diatomaceous earth) to their dust bath area to keep them from getting mites.  Even if your chickens free range, it is a good idea to have an enclosed run that they can use if you have to lock them up.

We found a well-built child's playhouse on Craigslist and added a small run.
The whole area is surrounded by electric netting.

7) Roost.  Chickens love to roost, and it keeps their feathers and feet clean and dry out of the mess on the floor.

Rebecca demonstrating proper roosting technique.

8) Security.  One of the biggest problems chicken owners face is predators.  Depending on your location, these could include  foxes, racoons, opossums, snakes, hawks, eagles, owls, and don't forget neighborhood dogs and cats!  Your coop will need to be able to secure your ladies from whatever nature has planned.  Here are some tips to securing your henhouse:

- chicken wire is useless - it can be easily penetrated, and raccoons can reach through to pull off delectable parts of your chickens like the wings, feet, or heads.  Use hardware cloth and secure it with screws, not staples.
- Use solar or other lighting at night to deter the wildlife.  Even those cheap color changing one LED lights seem to work well
- If you can afford it, get some electric netting to surround the coop. However, don't rely on it too heavily - we have a solar charger, and it will discharge into the grass, snow, or side of the coop - whatever it touches.
- Use shiny metallic pinwheels, whirligigs, and/or spinners to keep the hawks and eagles away.
- If you have a dog, encourage him to mark around the coop and run to deter predators.

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These Crazy Animals: What's Next? Goats?

     With the amount of animals we have, you would think that a petting farm would be of no interest to Caleb and Lucas, but they love going to Hunt Club Farm.  They chase the Hunt Club's chickens, take a pony ride, and spend quite a bit of time feeding and brushing the goats.  The goats at Hunt Club Farm are extremely cute and very gentle.  (Also, Hunt Club keeps the goat area deceptively clean, as though their particular goats don't leave the vast amount of droppings goats are  known for.) I'm pretty sure this is why Caleb and Lucas both want us to get goats.  Lucas went so far as to pick out the very goat he wanted, a large Nubian at Hunt Club.  After feeding this particular goat a handful of sweet feed, he turned to me and said, "Yes, this is the one," as though we were picking out a shirt to wear.  

Caleb and Lucas brushing a friendly Hunt Club Farm goat.

     So last year I checked out a couple books on keeping dairy goats.  Here's the thing about dairy goats:  You have to milk them twice a day.  Twice a day, every day.  That is, let this sink in, twice a day even if you are sick, even if it is sleeting, even if you want to go to an out of town, even if you are running late for work and are supposed to meet your boss at Panera for breakfast in 20 minutes.  I don't know about you, but this is the kind of relationship I don't enter into lightly!  

     There are other difficulties to consider, too.  To get milk, goats need to be bred, so you have to find someone with a male goat (If you keep a male on the premises, it makes the milk taste bad).  You also have to deal with the birth, de-budding (burning off the horns), and bottle raising of the kid (baby goat).  Then you have to find a home for the kid.  And this has to take place every year that you want milk!

     After reading about all this, you would think the goat idea would be banished from my mind forever.  But like a puzzle, my mind keeps returning to goats and working out the logistics.  Especially after Rebecca's friend, Jesse, brought us a half gallon of goats' milk to try - it was creamy with a wonderful fresh taste, and it immediately (although temporarily) cured the stomach issue I had been suffering with for about 10 days.

"Do you love me?  Do you want to be my friend?"

So here's what I came up with so far...

Raising goats will only work for us with good neighbors, and we have good neighbors.  With careful planning we can schedule a goat sharing program where each of our 3 families would take a couple days of the week to milk and care for the two goats, and any milk collected on those days would be kept.  Of course, we would need to be flexible to work with anyone who needed time off for illness or vacation.

One particular neighbor raised goats for years and is completely familiar with the process of breeding, so we would have a knowledgeable mentor, and I've been assured that finding a home for a good milk goat kid is not a difficult process.

"Please feed me!"

Some of the other issues such as food, shelter, fencing, etc. still need to be worked out, but with the biggest issue of my commitment-phobia cleared up, we may just see goats within the next year or two!  

To all you goat keepers out there, what are your biggest challenges?  I'd love to hear from you!


   

These Crazy Animals! Part 4: Miniature Schnauzer

     Our miniature schnauzer, Fritz, has always been a friendly dog.  We got him as a pup from animal control soon after Caleb was born.  We would take a daily walk around the neighborhood with Fritz tiring out about half way and crawling under the stroller for a ride, then he would hop out fully charged when we got to the park.  Soon he would escape our house and go to the park by himself every chance he got. Fritz soon made friends with the 5:00 dog group whose owners brought them to the park to let their dogs run.

Fritz with his "schnauzer" hair cut.
Silly little pup begging for a biscuit.

     Our backyard was a pass through that the neighborhood kids used to get home from, and they often left the gate open.  After we had to retrieve him from a shelter, we attached a tag with our street address and phone number.  We met quite a few strangers at our door bringing Fritz back from the park.  Eventually park regulars got to know him enough that they would just put in back in our yard and secure the fence.

"Squeeka! Squeeka! Squeeka!"

     Fast forward to our new home, with plenty of room for a little dog to run.  I shouldn't be surprised to find out that he had made new friends with the neighbors before we did!

     Gail and David were the first neighbors who we met at our new home.   They are awesome and have an adorable little pug named Pugsly.  We found out that every morning when Fritz was let out, he would head across the ditch and wait at their back door for them to let Pugsly out to play.  He would also get a daily dog biscuit from them.  Eventually Gail and David got a new dog - a pit named Scrappy who loves to be chased by Fritz.  When Gail and David put up a fence to keep Scrappy in, they made sure to leave a 8" gap so that Fritz can continue his morning visitation.

"Pugsly"

     We met Christie and her mom, Jenny, not too long after.  Christie had moved in a couple months after we did.  Fritz would visit her family in the evenings.  He would bark at the back door, then snooze under her dining room table.  Once on a cold wet night, he even had a nice beef stew dinner before coming home.  When we met Christie, we had Fritz with us, and her greeting to us was, "Oh, he belongs to you? We hoped he was a stray.  I even told my mom that I thought we might have a new dog."  She was so disappointed.

In need of a haircut - I guess he does kind of look like a stray...

     We have now lived here for almost three years and Fritz continues his daily neighborhood rounds.  One day Rebecca was looking for Fritz's leash.  When asked why she needed it, Rebecca said, "I'm going to take Fritz to the park." 

    "NO!" I said, "Absolutely not.  Fritz is never to find out there is a park near by!"  

"The end"

These Crazy Animals! Part 3, Guinea Fowl

GUINEAS!

     Guinea fowl sounded like a great idea when we were packing to move to Pungo almost 3 years ago.  The land was covered with ticks, and we were buying enough space, and they are just comical when they run, their feet moving frantically under the skirt of feathers.  So when Malbon's Feed & Seed offered guinea keets for $6 each, I bought 6 and took them home in a cardboard box.  "Guess what I have!" I said, opening the box for Rebecca and Dan to see.  Rebecca said I had lost my mind.

     I raised them from tiny babies, bought a chicken coop kit to keep them in, and let them free range.  The guineas refused to voluntarily go in at night, but would sit on the fence waiting for me and our dog, Fritz, to chase them all over the yard, then finally trap them and herd them in.

Guineas on the fence waiting to go in for the night.

     One night I was getting my shoes on for our nightly routine and heard a commotion.  I ran outside in time to see guineas flying everywhere.  Two were in the pool, one was in the front yard, two were hiding in the corner, and one was missing.  I rounded them up, spent forever chasing them around the pool, and was not only soaking wet, but heartbroken - an owl had apparently swooped down and snatched one right off the fence.  I was down to 5.

     The thing about guineas that I still had to learn is that guineas are suicidal.  They will get themselves killed every chance they get.  So by the following year, 2 had flown into neighbors' yards and gotten eaten by dogs and 1 more had been hit by a car.  

     After the owl incident, the guineas started roosting on the back steps' handrail.  The steps quickly became covered in disgusting poo.  They also tore up the screen on the back porch, and a week after we had it fixed, they did it again.  They would consistently get stuck in the fence behind our house and scream loudly into the night until I came to save them, then they would run, fight, and scratch me during the "rescue."  So when I saw an ad on Facebook for guinea keets, I proved that Rebecca was right when she said that I had lost my mind, and bought 6 more.

     In my defense, I had a plan this time.  I was going to raise these babies right alongside the chickens, so they would be more docile, sleep in the large coop with the chickens, and only leave the area to clear the property of ticks like normal guineas should.  Instead I got crazy guineas, all male, who attacked and molested the chickens mercilessly, ate all the chickens' food, and didn't leave the run to hunt for ticks.  

Guineas on top of the chicken coop.

     I took out an ad offering guineas for $10 each.  Then hens were afraid to leave the coop and cowered in the corner.  I lowered the price to $5 each, and locked the guineas out of the coop.  Those horrible randy guineas flew into the neighbor's chicken run and molested their chickens.  I lowered the price to free, and was relieved to get an answer.  We immediately boxed them up and drove them a few miles away to drop them off at their new home.  The lady's son met us in the yard and offered us $10 each to take them back home with us  - NO DEAL!

     At the beginning of this season, I still had the two of the originals.  I called them "The Sisters" and watched them run around comically as they combed the yard for ticks and left eggs in strange places.  One evening I noticed only one of The Sisters was roosting on the handrail.  "Sister"now  walks around the yard by herself now and occasionally hollers out into the woods looking for her sibling.  

"Sister," our last guinea hen

     The other day as Rebecca and I stood on the destroyed porch, Sister crossed the yard heading for her lonely roost.  Rebecca said, "She looks so sad.  We should get more guineas."  She has lost her friggin' mind!

   

These Crazy Animals! Part 2; My new Chickens

     As I have said before: Chickens are addicting.  This week after my latest fix, my husband uttered the 5 dreaded words no addict wants to hear; "You have too many chickens."

     More than a year ago, I had been Googling Polish chickens when I found out that there is such a thing as a frizzled Polish.  Last week the opportunity came for me to to actually own my own!  Dan and I drove 1 1/2 hours away to the home of a nice breeder who was selling off her Polish - two show quality tolbunt Polish chickens and two roosters - one of the roosters being frizzled!  

Captain Jack, my holy grail of chickens.
Admit it - you want one, too.

     The frizzled has feet issues - when he was young, his feel went through the wire cage bottom when traveling to a show and broke his toes.  She was unsure how well he would get around and unsure if he could mate. However, it turns out he gets around fine.  Although with his hilarious crest blocking his vision and his slight limp, to the amusement of all, he walks like a drunken sailor!  Hence his name: Captain Jack

     I tried pulling his top feathers up out of his eyes, and it worked fairly well, but he hates it.  The tie only lasts an hour or so before he manages to scratch it off, taking off a couple feathers each time, too.

Jack with his crest pulled up in a ponytail.

     The boys had a brief spat to decide the dominant rooster, and although Jack lost (it was close!) I have seen him make more than a few attempts at dancing with the hens.  Here is his rival, Will Turner, who currently catches the ladies' attention:

Will Turner and the ladies.

     As far as I can tell, none of the newbies had ever seen grass or been on a roost before.  Every night I have to round them up and set them on the roost.  Last night I covered them in wood ash from my neighbor's fire pit before setting them in because I believe they may have mites.  I also added DE (diatomaceous earth) to the communal dust bath areas, but those silly noobies don't even know what a dust bath is.

     Will, especially, had the hardest time learning how to roost, and would lose his balance, but clung on with the determination only a rooster can have.  When I checked on them the first morning, he was still on the roost.  Then when I checked around 10:30 am, there he was - still on the roost.  It turns out he didn't know how to get down. 

   

These Crazy Animals - Part One, Horses

     This afternoon, we had a very nice visit with my neighbor, Jinny, and her family -  which inspired me to write another blog.  Jinny came with a visitor from out of town; "I brought my sister over to see your animals - I hope you don't mind!"  So they followed me around the farm as I took care of some chores and introduced them to the menagerie.  

     I apologized for the condition of our tack room before reaching it.  Last night Rebecca forgot to dead bolt the door, and Sinatra, one of our horses, knows how to open doorknobs. This morning while having a cup of coffee on the porch with my husband, we heard a clanging noise.  Sinatra had opened the door, helped himself to the chicken feed, and was trying to open the can containing the horse chow.  There were remnants of a pile still on the floor and the feed cans were noticeably dented in.  Horses are a lot bigger when they are inside.

Rebecca mucking out the tack room the first time this happened.
We bought a dead bolt soon after.

     After visiting the chickens, we sat and watched the kids in the pool while drinking a couple glasses of wine (it is national wine day in case you don't know) and fresh cold mojitos.  The back porch overlooks the pool, but also the horse pasture and the chicken yard, which is just an awesome view.

Early morning view from my porch.
There are horses in my backyard!

     As we watched, Sinatra backed up to a small 15' tree and rubbed his butt vigorously.   

     I said, "I think might push that tree over," and, sure enough, he backed even more pushing against the tree.  The tree bent incredibly under his weight, then bent even more until it was at a 90 degree angle.  Then he backed completely over it, dragging the tree between his back legs, backing more and more until the tree was finally released from between his front legs giving him the ultimate tummy scratch.  The tree popped up, and that is when I noticed that all the trees in our pasture have a very similar tilt.

    We all stared, no one saying a word, until Jinny's sister spoke up: "You should write a blog about these crazy animals.  I would follow it!"

Sinatra, our Appaloosa mix, and Rebecca