Why the Little Farm

There are times I wonder why we have horses and chickens, especially when the temperatures are below freezing for days and the wind is bone chilling.  Our animals are lucky they have warm water to drink during the freezing winter.  We didn't always and that made for  a miserable chore time.  The water would freeze over which meant either breaking the ice and taking it out or at night when it would freeze farther down the barrel we would have to tug and pull to dump it out and refill.  It is worth every penny that the electric bill goes up in the winter with the heaters.  Another reason is going away for more than a day.  They still need cared for and that means asking our family.  Last is putting in hay during the hot summer month of July.  The bales seem to get heavier every year and each bale is lifted a total of 3 times before it is fed.  Now that's getting a little much when I start counting lifts of a bale.  I guess we consider it our gym workout, and does give us good reason to move it, move it!  Last summer we started buying the rounds bales and just a few square bales.  Dick made a steel spear that hooks to the bucket on the tractor, doesn't matter how many times it's lifted, easy work!  Now let's go back to how many times we lift a bale of hay.  I forgot the final lift........manure!  Lots of it.  Again in the summer ok,  the pasture is their choice. In the winter they go in the stall more so the manure has to be shoveled out every day with fresh bedding put down.  I tell the animals (yes I talk to them) that they live in a .  Then the feed bags to lift, another lift or two.
  I have went on long enough about horses let's get to the girls (my chickens).  They sometimes  more bother than they are worth.  Like the nights they are not ready to go in the coop or decide to roost in the rafters then the chase is on!  Better not write the names we call them when trying to round them up with below zero  temperatures.   I wouldn't be without the girls or their beautiful eggs.   I do sell a few dozen  a week when they are laying good.  Chickens slow down or quit laying during the winter months.  Once the days get longer they pick up speed and are good to go until the days get shorter in late fall.  Even though we let the girls free range they still like to hang out in the hen house to lay eggs and roost for the night (unless being stubborn).    The  nasty job but has to be done is cleaning the coop and putting fresh hay in the nesting boxes. Taking good care of animals makes for healthy animals.  They also get cracked corn, table scraps and old bread daily.  I learned something from my oldest son that chickens love table scraps.  Yeah!  That works perfect for me.  All the manure goes on the garden after it has been piled for a year and turned over with the tractor bucket frequently.   One more time for handling that hay.

Have I discouraged you from wanting a little farm and animals or have you shaking your head saying, "never"?  Here is the up side which out weighs the downside and why we keep them.  We love them.  There is joy of taking care of them, having a horse nuzzle up, the softness of their nose and the smell is something only a horse lover can understand.  I also like to hear the leather saddle, yep it has a wonderful sound when riding.  I don't ride now but a few years ago we had one that I trusted and dared ride, Ivy.  We kept her for our DIL until our son hauled her to their "little farm" in NC.   Ivy is still a sweetie.  The chickens are just as entertaining.  We take our coffee out after breakfast or  supper to set and watch them scratching and clucking around the barn yard.  Writing that just brought back a loving memory.  Have you ever heard the song by Randy Travis, "I Thought That He Walked on Water"?  That song could have been about my brother Bob.  We went to visit Bart when he was stationed in Germany back in 1990.  He had me listen to the song, I stood in the middle of Stuttgart with tears streaming down when one line of the song said it all.  "He'd sit in the shade and watch the chickens peck, I thought that he walked on water". Exactly what Bob would do. I guess it runs in our blood for the love of animals.  Most of us have at least one or more of horses, cows, mules, donkeys, chickens, goats and of course dogs.  Between the horses and chickens we watch the best shows that television could never offer.  I find myself watching out the kitchen window frequently during the day.  We love company especially little ones,  simple pleasures watching them gather eggs, pet the horses, play in the creek  or pick some garden vegetables.   I do love Cook'n by the Creek!

♥ Ivy ♥

♥ Looking beautiful ♥

Sunday Dinner Menu:  It's German all the way!  Pork Schnitzel, spatzle (noodles), fried cabbage, red cabbage, and brotchen (rolls).  If they are good to the cook possibly apple strudel for the sweetness.  Recipes and pictures on the next blog.

Bangers & Mash tonight.  Freshly stuffed Bangers made and cooked by our son.