Zōe (aka Riff) came to visit yesterday, and spent most of the day playing on the property in the rain.
Notwithstanding her lack of usable back legs (Degenerative Myelopathy), she still motors around in her cart like she has no limitations whatsoever.
About 6 to 9 months ago, I worked with her one weekend to teach her to wait patiently — and not freak out — when she tips over in her cart. As you can see, she maintains that ‘skill’ today.
Always warms my heart to see Riff enjoying her time on the ‘farm.’
Was just about to make another batch of split pea soup, and decided at the last minute to take the opportunity to make it an unpaid, unsolicited product endorsement … as that the ONLY form of endorsement I have ever done, or will do. 😉
I use my 6 quart Instant Pot at least 6 times a week, usually to make soups, stews or brown rice.
Started using the IP about a year or two ago. I plan to buy a second (backup, spare) pot soon, because I’ve become so functionally dependent upon it … I can’t imagine not having one available. Might go through IP withdrawals, or some such.
There are literally thousands of IP-specific recipes on the Internet. “One Pot” meals seem to be popular.
Similar to a crock pot or other slow cooker, you can kick off a recipe in the AM, go to school, work (or whatever), and come back later and eat … as the pot can be programmed to keep the meal warm
We went out to spend some quality time with the badonkadonks.
I noticed the chicken flock was following us around, so I decided to chuck a carrot stick to see who was willing to fight for it. Chickens went in first, then Luna chased them off, but when she turned her back, Hooey snuck in and stole the carrot.
You might think … YAY for Hooey! … but anybody that has spent any time around Luna, especially in the evening, knows that she’s in PUNK MODE then and looking for anything, ANYTHING to @#$%^& with.
In the second segment of the video, Luna runs up, lines up her crosshairs very carefully (watch her eyes shift from forward to backward, which is synonymous with a USAF A-10 ‘Warthog’ pilot switching to their 30mm cannon), and kicks Hooey right in the chops!
So, what does Hunter do? She chases Luna … which is EXACTLY what Luna wanted … because while being chased, she can throw kicks that Bruce Lee would envy.
Poor Hooey’s prey drive ‘buttons’ are well known to Looney Luna, and she plays Hunter like a damn fiddle.
Need to start a GoFundMe project to buy Hunter a hockey helmet before she looses all her teeth to Luna’s world-class upper cuts.
Picked up a new Taurus/Rossi Circuit Judge carbine chambered in .45 (Long) Colt / 410 gauge and spent my first hour behind it this AM getting it zero’d using a Holosun HS503C red dot site.
The first sequence in the video is of shooting five rounds of Winchester PDX1 (410 gauge, 3 inch) self-defense shotgun ammo at a distance of 65 feet. That’s a LONG shot given the firearm and ammo, but I was really impressed with accuracy energy on target.
The second sequence is of shooting five rounds of Hornady Critical Defense .45 Colt 185 grain FTX rifle ammo from 50 yards out. The red dot was zero’d at 65 feet with no adjustments made prior to engaging from 50 yards, so it may be a little off. My sense is it is shooting low/right.
I need to put a few 100 more rounds through the rifle before I can write a meaningful review, but so far … I’m favorably impressed.
As described in this video Hunter (akaHooey) suffered for years with nasty yeast infections in her ears, and on her stomach (skin). Last year, a new medication called Apoquel came out on the market, and our Vet (Animal Hospital of Mebane) suggested we give it a try.
The results have been utterly amazing. No more infections. No more vet bills. Now, that said, the medication costs about $85 for a month’s supply, but in the long run, I think it’s cheaper … and her quality of life is SO much better.
Back when the vet suggested we try it, the option was to have her tested for allergies, and he said that whatever allergy she has the was causing all the fungal infections will ultimately be traced to something on the property (e.g. weeds, grass, pollen) that aren’t going away. So, the Apoquel essentially masks that allergy and keeps her infection free.
As stated in the video, her blood chemistry is monitored every few months to make sure the med isn’t causing any sort of organ damage. So far, so good!
Got up, did all the ‘animal chores’ (feed, water, clean) … then fed Hooey a monkey meat & kibble breakfast …
Next, over-seeded the big pasture with about 10 pounds of grass seed (rye, timothy, fescue x 2), covered it with two trailer loads of green mulch from mowing the ‘park’ yesterday, then raked it in with the drag harrow. Got it done before 11A and before the temp got up to 85F (will be over 90F today).
Broad daylight, about 7PM, I’m relaxing (finally!) in an air-conditioned house, reading a book, after a long/hot day of work outside … when I hear the chicken flock sound off in “alarm mode” just outside.
I stand up, look out and down, and see a fox and my alpha rooster going at it right next to my truck, about 30 yards from where I stood.
Instinctively I yelled, then sent Hunter out and grabbed the “ready alert” 12 gauge (Remington Versamax Tactical) heading out the door.
I don’t think Hooey ever figured out what was going on, because she went about as far as my truck and came back. Come to think about it … I was yelling to call her off, so I guess she was doing as told. I didn’t get her back in the house, but she saw the shotgun and knows what it does … so she stayed behind me. Yes, she’s that smart.
When I got about half way to the donkey pasture, I saw the donkeys standing there (together) about 50 feet inside the gate, looking SW. Then I saw the fox under the pasture tree, right where the donks were looking. The fox no longer had a bird in his mouth, and both roosters (alpha and beta) where just inside the donk pasture, facing the fox, and alarming their heads off.
I stopped moving forward and stood still. Waited about 5 seconds, and saw the fox turn around and start running back to the scene of the crime. I figured he must have dropped his chicken and was trying to run back and snatch it.
He ran right up on the donkeys, so I had to hold fire. But, he then hooked a left and started running towards the driveway. I let him reach the driveway then opened up with the 12 gauge with OO buck at about 40+ yards … a bit long for buckshot, but caught him with the second round and spun him around. Got up and started limping away, so I put him down for good with 2 more rounds, same range.
If you look closely (or freeze the video) when I get close to the downed fox, you can see where all the buckshot struck the ground around him on the final two shots.
Did a quick “after action” check and found that it was the alpha roo that was going toe-to-toe with the fox. The last thing I saw before bolting out of the house, was a red bird in the foxes mouth. He had it by the neck. Apparently either the fox dragged the roo about 100 feet into the donkey pasture, or perhaps he dropped the roo and the roo continued to engage and defend. Not sure.
But, there is obvious evidence (feathers) the fox and alpha roo went at it right where you see the donkeys standing in the video.
When I play the initial engagement back in my head, both roosters did their jobs PERFECTLY. They were both positioned between the fox and the flock, both facing the predator, standing tall, and alarming LOUDLY.
Those that know me know that I hate killing any animal. I would NEVER kill a fox, coyote, skunk (etc.) except to protect my family, which includes my chickens, ducks, rabbits … and Hooey.
It wasn’t fun … I’m not happy about it … but I am (obviously) very proud of the two roo’s for their defense of the flock.
Gotta do whatcha gotta do …
Now that I think about it further … some of you may recall another episode a few months ago where my alpha roo had obviously tangled with something and lost most of his tail feathers. Pretty much in the same exact spot. I’m speculating this fox and my roo have mixed it up before.
For anybody thinking about free-ranging a flock of chickens, THIS is why you need at least one rooster. I maintain two, and primary (alpha) and a backup (beta). I’ve also lost about 5 roosters in the last two years to predators. When the attack comes, a good rooster will not shy away from a fight, and will give his life in defense of the flock. Brave birds. They aren’t stupid, they know what they’re getting into, but they do it anyway. Sorta like U.S. Marines that way. 😉
As documented in the video below, I found four more baby bunnies outside the Dome 1 rabbitry this morning. Caught them and returned them to the dome.
Looks like they have been slipping out between the bottom struts of the dome, and the cinder block wall the dome rests on. Normally I fill the cinder block holes with dirt, but hadn’t filled them all back in after renovating the dome a month ago. Soooo, the little sneaks found and exploited that weakness and escaped.
