The Sagas Continue on the Teeny Tiny Farm

 It may be coming, sooner than we'd like.

The shootout at the OK Corral.

Pippi is in the full swing of roosterhood now, at six months of age, and Sharone isn't too pleased.  The hens aren't thrilled when Pippi decides to exert his manhood and usually squawk.  Sharone comes on the fly to check it out and tells Pips to back off.  I'm hoping it doesn't come to a real showdown when Pippi reaches a year in the spring.

I've probably said it before, but it stands repeating.  Sharone is the perfect roo.  Never bothers us, defends the girls, and is just plain handsome.

  Sharone in the middle, Pippi on the far left.

Yes, as usual donkey water always has, still is, and will forever  taste better than chicken water.

We're still treating the leg mites.  Amazingly it's working.  Rick holds while I slather on petroleum jelly and then dust with DE.  I'm actually seeing areas of nice pink legs.  Although some of the girls still have big "knots";  I have to wonder if they'll ever go away.  

Here's our process:  At 1:00 the girls gather in the porch waiting for free range time (oh yes, they know) so we try to let those who don't need treatment out.  Invariably some of the remaining girls wander into the run so then it's a matter of using a towel to herd everyone into the coop, quickly closing doors and shooing those who are left into the porch where its easier to catch them.  We do have it down to a science at this point.

We lost Stevie last Thursday.  If you remember she was the girl I took to the vet and treated for an infection.  I had been so pleased she seemed to make a recovery.

Little Stevie in 2022 when she first arrived with her buds

She was the last of the three white beauties

And then there's Gabby.  

When the soaking didn't seem to be working any longer, I checked with Fran at Crossroads Donkey Rescue and she suggested a poultice.  

After several days of no change, it was time to call the vet.  She's coming tomorrow.

Random farm scenes --

After a hard rain, the girls skirt Lake Luigi

Here's one of the famous wheelbarrow dumps.  It was quite full of manure, I walked away and upon my return found it tipped over with half the load on the ground.  In years past I could blame Luigi, now I don't know who the culprit was.  Balderdash!

When It Rains...

Hey teeny tiny farm gang
To be honest, I'm really beat and have to get up early tomorrow to work the election -- a loooong day.  So I'm going to sum this up relatively quickly.

It's been a week.

We went out of town for a long weekend the end of October and, of  course, Gabby came up lame again just before we left.  My farrier, who has known the donks for many years, said she'd swing by while we were gone and take a look.  Found nothing.  I asked the housesitter to keep soaking Gabs in the epsom salt water. When we returned she was looking good, and then she came up lame again... (wait for it) on the other foot.  Farrier out, but this time to trim.  A little heat but nothing else.  Again with the soaking.  Oh yea, and a terrifically weepy eye appeared with a tick on her eyelid.  Rick removed the tick, I gave her some warm compresses and waited a day to see if we needed a vet visit.  It cleared up nicely.

Farrier's advice --  just keep soaking.  

Round 1, after less than 5 minutes Gabs dumps the bucket.

Round 2, I set the bucket down to grab the halter and lead line and found Sugar drinking the epsom salt water.  A wee bit left.  Phooey, we're doing it anyway. 

A couple of days later I take a good look at one of the chicken's feet.  Crap crap crap.  Scaly leg mites.  Chicken feet should be smooth, not scaly and bumpy looking.  Keep looking.  Five of the six new hens are looking bad.  Could we have brought them home like this?  Could I have not noticed?  I'm guessing yes since our original crew look fine.  So now we're treating them.   For 2-3 weeks.

See a trend here?

To conclude here's Pippi (for whatever reason I now call him Pippi poops) showing off his newfound skills. 

Let's hope the election results do not decimate the country, AND, let's hope there are no more critter surprises.

Peace out.