Sheepy Sheepy

Who would ever have thought that I would have a flock of chickens, 2 bum lambs, a large garden and not work!?!  Not me! I didn't not want it, but the idea had never crossed my mind up until the last year.
My mom had a garden most of my life, and I never really paid much attention to it. I honestly don't remember the last time I was in her garden! Yet now? Flowers, and gardening is half of all we talk about. She's teaching me her tricks, and i'm rubbing it in her face that I can grow corn, and we are a zone 4 here, and we have hardly any snow all winter! Now, I love gardening! Last years garden of mine was kind of a flop. The deer, the hail, the too rich manure that hadn't been worked for a few years, and then the 2 snakes I had seen in my garden which made me constantly watch my back and my feet.
This year however, this year, this month, (May) my garden is getting fenced! With 6ft deer fences. I think we (fil+Jed+me hovering around) will fence the whole garden area; not just the garden itself. Woot.  Half of this reason is because the bulls keep running over the fence that's there and coming into the lot. If they want somewhere, a fence doesn't always stop them!

That old shed on the far right will be torn down and the coop there instead! (The plan so far)

We will just replace the fence that's shown here (right and behind tree)

And then all of this tree area will be fenced!! We will put a smaller (4ft) fence separating my garden from the tree area, and then let the chickens roam in there! I cannot wait!!   

On Sunday, we brought back to bum lambs from meeting! Cutest little things ever. They have the whole old milking shed for themselves with a fenced off area on the outside too.  The weather has been super sad and rainy and windy out. But once the weathers nicer, they'll just follow me around when i'm out in the yard. They still follow me around but it's been so gross out that I haven't been outside much, aside from feeding them 5x a day!  They will hopefully too live in the trees here. 

                 Feeding the little lambies

                 

SO cute!

Love his speckles

always at your feet

I would never have thought i'd have lambs, and chickens, but I love it! They're so simple, and entertaining, not to mention cute! (chickens...mehh not so much) 

Chicken Crazy

I swear i'm not chicken crazy. Just yet.
But in all seriousness, when you start looking up chickens online and finding blogs about people who have chickens, the chickens are named, have a personality and the owner LOVES them like crazy!
I swore I'd never be like that. I never really liked birds. I remember taking care of McB's chickens once and the stupid thing went to bite me when I went to feed it! Hello, i'm feeding you, don't bite.
However, having been with mine since day 3, they know who I am. They like me! They know I often come bringing 'treats'. They hear me and run out to greet me. Actually. And yes, they're developing personalities. But I won't mention them. Except for the fact that the smallest chicken (half the size of the others) is always on the highest roost!

I did manage to tame a wild, fast and sneaky chick. (The same one that is always on the top roost). I caught her/him, and held it, and it fought, so then a few hours later I caught it again and now it loves me. I'm its favourite.

Added this hollowed out log for them to poop on

haha totally passed out!

She's kind of pretty I think

 On Thursday, I had been with the chicks off and on throughout the day, as usual. Jed came home at 5:30, and I went out to see the chickens and one was dead! The one panel (that you can see in the picture below) was knocked off...we have it up against the coop with a board and a roll of chicken wire keeping it in place...not the best solution, I know. The chick was on the north end of the run with it's head kind of underneath the wire a bit. It was as though whatever got it, tried to drag it out and failed. I got it, and it was still warm! I had been out at either 3:30 or 4:30, so this animal was fast! We have since then, narrowed it down to quite probably a wild cat. The 6 cats that live on the property, don't really do much of anything, at all. A skunk or raccoon would have struck at night, as there is always activity in the yard. I was kind of sad, but it's part of life so i'm over it. It was either the one I am holding below, or the one that looks just like it. (Barred Rock)

We also finished the exterior of the coop! Now all that's left is a permanent roost and their nesting boxes. The picture below shows the North, East, South and West side! The door is on the East, and the windows on the South+West to get most wind and sunlight.

Weekend

This weekend was a good one. A little extra sleep in time due to blinds finally in our windows, a nice breakfast, and the day spent outside!

It seems as though on lots of Saturdays, something involving cows always interrupts the day. Thankfully, that wasn't (directly) the case this Saturday! 

I've never had a bad Costco grapefruit!

Dug up a ton of roses 

just passed out

I'm getting quite good at catching chickens. 

 It was a gorgeous day, as usual! I"m loving the warm springs here. I spent all of yesterday outside, got my first burn, and plan on being outside for the rest of today! 

West Side of the coop

North side

We finished the exterior of the chicken coop! Finished the siding, and something else we put up but I don't remember what it's called. The stuff on the corners. Maybe it's just called corner metal? 

East side

South and west side

We had hoped to start on the roosts, but a little fire started and we had to go deal with that for a while. The chicks are fighting crazy over the top roost! Kind of funny to watch actually. They can somehow squish 8 of them on the higher roosts. Apparently, the top roost usually is for those of the top of the pecking order. My smallest chick is always always on the top! Sucks to be the ones below because they likely get pooped on all night long.  They can easily fit on the roosts, if they learned to use the bottom ones! Hopefully this weekend, or next, we can make their permanent roost! 

These pepper plants want out

Mornings aren't his favourite

Lambs

Earlier this week I went out to some friends on the other side of the river. They are in the middle of lambing so Of course I had to see that! Unfortunately, no ewe's decided to lamb when I was there. Silly things. I got to help bottle feed the bums that are just So. Cute.

The drive over

Ewe's and their lambs

They all want me

I am actually going to get a few bums here this weekend or next week! I've been told that they get annoying, but I'll try it once and see how I like it!! I picked up some nipples and feed in town yesterday, so just have to get some fencing and then the lambs! 

The younger bums soaking in some sun

Some of the older bums

The other twin got on the other side of the fence

The only black set!

It is gorgeous where these sheep are!! Trees! Made me realize just how much I miss trees.  We took a walk along the river and through all these massive cottonwoods. So so gorgeous!

This Gorgeous Week

This week it was gorgeous! Weather got to about 21C (I have not figured out Fahrenheit for the life of me!) and I took advantage of it! It was t-shirt time, and I even brought out the shorts!

I have been taking the dog down to the creek lately. It's great because 1) there's no cows down there 2) the dog has so much room to run and burn her energy 3) there's water for her to play in 4) it's protected from the wind! We just walk and walk and sometimes I have No clue where I am until I get to the top of a hill and see Jed's brother Cole's house! We discovered this deeper pond for Sassie the dog to swim in. It was the first time she actually swam, and not just flopped in at the edges. She loved it. She would race out back to me and then spray me with water. Such a happy dog!

Drying off

Her swimming hole

Trying to take a picture with the dog without getting soaked with pond water!

SO happy!

This little one is quite timid!

Had about 2 minutes 'free ranging' in the garden before I threw her back in the run!

Started pulling this rose mess out, and will replant with some bulbs

T-shirt, shorts, smoothie, outside...Perfect day!

Passed out

More passed out...guess they don't like that roost!

 I went with a friend to Belle Fourche/Spearfish SD the other day. I discovered some seeds at Walmart for .50C, .20C and then this Huge collection! I Obviously had to buy some of the cheaper ones. It was such a good deal!

Every time. I just can't help it.

I transplanted some tomatoes the other day so this window is getting Super full!

Golden Hour