06/11/2023
Life has been a little turbulent on the homestead, by things are back to being on the right track!
We discovered myco in our chickens and decided to move them off the homestead before the ducks became ill.... It was an extremely difficult choice to make. The right choice for our other animals safety but sad still... Thankfully our girls all went to a different farm, they'll be egg layers and pets, that farm has a myco positive flock, they are fully closed and have everything my girls would ever need living with a chronic repository disease. I am extremely grateful for that person and her care and help....... I know many said most back yard flocks are positive with myco and it doesn't matter, but, it matters to me. I lost many pets, loved birds, even with quick antibiotic care, because of someone else having that exact mindset of it doesn't matter. I wont do harm onto others knowingly.. So to preserve the work I've done with my duck flock, quick action was taken with the chickens. One day we will rebuild our laying flock, but we will no longer breed and sell chickens though because this loss was to great on me. My new goals will really only to have pet birds they lay breakfast for us.
We also traded Peanut and Cashew, for a steer named Winslow. His introduction post will be coming this week! I decided to focus more on the mini side of pig breeding, and will be working on a faster growing but still mini, easy on pasture, red meat cross.. We brought home a new mini gilt named Edna to help with these goals. Her introduction post will be coming this week too!
Lastly. We choose to process Gertie this last weekend. Another who will be missed greatly. She began breaking the gate to attack Moto and Kevin, I had fixed it, but with determination, she'd find a way, every couple days she'd try to jump the gate, she was already almost big enough to get over, again with determination, she would eventually get in by my other animals.... She was also attacking the steer through that gate, it was upsetting him greatly, the rain collection system is near the gate, it's Winslow's water, so there was no really way around that issue either....... We will be adding a new member next weekend too, who could end up injured as well if Gertie finally broke or got over that gate. She was also killing chickens and biting people. I have chronic back issues, and have fallen and struggled to get up in the past. With iccy weather around the corner. I have to water pigs and have to be in the pen alone with her..... We as a family decided the risk was no longer worth it. We harvested her at 180 pounds instead of the hopefully goal around 300... I will never know why she turned so awful, but I can't keep dangerous animals here.
Here is my beautiful girl Peppy!
