Autumn is upon Rubber Sole Farm and the leaves are falling. It is time to winterize the animals' watering systems. I have to put heating elements in the goats' water pans and trade out the chickens' nipple waterer with a heated dog water bowl. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! I am so thankful for my hobby farm and the time I can spend with the animals that live on it. Jo Jo is showing definite signs of being in heat. She is even putting bucks ahead of food! One of my heating elements may have been damaged over the summer and I'll explain how. The chickens are eating more of their chicken food and that's because their food source of insects and foliage has decreased due to the cold weather. I have to contain the 'free range' chickens to the coop and run for the winter to protect them.
Every day my family and I are learning what it means to run a hobby farm. We started with chickens then added myotonic, or fainting, goats, and eventually kunekune (kune kune) pigs. Throw in some Guinea fowl and turkeys and cats and dogs with a creek and tons of wildlife and you start to get an idea of what our hobby farm is like. Hobby farming is time consuming and hard, but rewarding and fulfilling. There are daily chores that never stop. The animals need to be fed and watered. Pastures and pens need to be fenced and built. Goats and pigs need to be rotated in their pastures to give them fresh food and to rejuvenate the land. Food is planted and grown for the animals. Medicines are given orally and injected to prevent and cure sickness and combat parasites. Hooves need to be trimmed. Babies need to be raised. At any given time we have gilts, sows, boars, piglets, bucks, does, kids, chicks, chickens, keets, guineas, turkeys, etc. that need our attention, love and care. Follow along and we’ll learn and grow on this adventure together!
12 сен 2024
