tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72809253962039324242024-03-13T20:11:34.010-07:00Fleece, Fur & FeathersFollow our adventure into farming featuring alpacas, Anatolian Shepherds, chickens and the llama.Barb Gadolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089856697466662640noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7280925396203932424.post-3048083085964266342013-10-05T16:27:00.000-07:002013-10-05T16:28:25.814-07:00Setting up ShopMy shop/office/workspace has been evolving for the past 3 years. It started as a hay barn with a good roof, but not much else. It's grown into a 24x24 building where I work on my fiber and manage the <a href="http://www.distinctivedogtraining.com/" target="_blank">dog training business</a>. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwHBnEkV_m9SNZHX-L_IeoQmLNmeZHxROlKqlplo5ZRyMnmiO9T7h8IDjNsaqeZ9CWerCNFmYTxm4pPt8wm2tdJoiqFna3nW_gK3yjbfFEZ0QXJFQnqtO6CBZKUAQfbANCtQKKTb-hh-bp/s1600/100_2318.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwHBnEkV_m9SNZHX-L_IeoQmLNmeZHxROlKqlplo5ZRyMnmiO9T7h8IDjNsaqeZ9CWerCNFmYTxm4pPt8wm2tdJoiqFna3nW_gK3yjbfFEZ0QXJFQnqtO6CBZKUAQfbANCtQKKTb-hh-bp/s320/100_2318.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2/25/2010</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Visitors who come to the farm are often interested in what happens to the fiber after it comes off the alpaca after shearing each year. I'm able to show them the process from raw fleece to yarn in my workspace. Right now, we're processing everything on-site: washing, picking, carding and spinning into yarn.<br />
<br />
A couple of weeks ago, a very talented young lady, Jessica Johnston, came to visit to learn more about fiber work. She's a professional knitter and is going to make some things from the yarn I've spun.<br />
<br />
In the shop right now is one of her creations - not made from my yarn, but from organic cotton. It's a lovely cap-sleeve sweater that would fit size small to medium. There are more details in the <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/164747030/cap-sleeve-hand-knit-sweater-organic?ref=shop_home_active" target="_blank">Etsy listing</a>. I'm so amazed at what talented knitters can do. I'm lucky to be able to make a scarf without dropping stitches and having things come out lopsided.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi83o6vLyRVTAPbXiLnkfA26MSb4rX4DIp9sziTIstabM6X_dSbTSA1MIEgZLuTv5te9Ku235S1zSeL-Pvf3jeCfnTUojdB63GROjVeE5iIOV7pVrWjm4LsY8qNMhfm-pOnJgM88ufk8zdH/s1600/sweater.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi83o6vLyRVTAPbXiLnkfA26MSb4rX4DIp9sziTIstabM6X_dSbTSA1MIEgZLuTv5te9Ku235S1zSeL-Pvf3jeCfnTUojdB63GROjVeE5iIOV7pVrWjm4LsY8qNMhfm-pOnJgM88ufk8zdH/s320/sweater.jpg" width="242" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We welcome visitors by appointment to the farm and the shop. We enjoy having home-schoolers and other small groups of kids and adults to learn about the animals and the fiber process. We can tailor each tour to your group's interest. <a href="mailto:fleecefurandfeathers@gmail.com" target="_blank">Contact us</a> to arrange a visit. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Check out our website at <a href="http://www.fleecefurandfeathers.com/">www.FleeceFurandFeathers.com</a> for more information.</div>
Barb Gadolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089856697466662640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7280925396203932424.post-67927225786764169452013-09-18T17:46:00.000-07:002013-09-18T17:47:06.592-07:00Babies<span lang="">A couple of years ago, we added some girls to our herd and last fall we decided it was time to try for some babies. Female alpacas carry their babies (crias) for an average of 355 days. We learned (too late) that fall babies are born earlier than spring babies, probably because of the heat. And, boy, did we have heat this summer.<br />
<br />
Lucy, our 11 year old, gave birth on September 1 - one of the hottest days of the year, it seemed. The baby girl had a hard time breathing and struggled for every breath. She wasn't able to suckle and nurse. We suspect that she was born a few weeks too early and her lungs weren't fully developed. She put up a good fight for 4 days. We milked Lucy every hour and fed the baby by syringe and eye dropper. She was a beautiful copper-colored baby and we all grew very attached to her. Our first-born died on September 5. <br />
<br />
</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span lang=""><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTEG1oTP0vEqPxnJ0YfPdxbvscUOzhE6E3Ib2zasYpC_pIz3vGccoszYgzawHINSYiCWYRmOXkklJjMSHwl5jSP7wnOIrYnvQEfg7wexNe0twiPeOTxoJ9iAZ4xUkGqPv6l49EKLGKCN1u/s1600/Cria+090213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTEG1oTP0vEqPxnJ0YfPdxbvscUOzhE6E3Ib2zasYpC_pIz3vGccoszYgzawHINSYiCWYRmOXkklJjMSHwl5jSP7wnOIrYnvQEfg7wexNe0twiPeOTxoJ9iAZ4xUkGqPv6l49EKLGKCN1u/s320/Cria+090213.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span lang="">
<br />
<br />
It was a heartbreaking loss. We were exhausted from not getting enough sleep each night. We got angry with each other for both giving up hope and having too much hope. We were disappointed the vet didn't have any good answers. Her lungs sounded "horrible" he said, and the drugs gave her only a brief respite. We struggled with the fact that this baby was not a "pet", but livestock. Livestock bred for profit. As business owners, how much could we, or would we, invest in saving her life, if she could even BE saved? It turned out to be a moot point. She wasn't meant to survive. She was just wasn't prepared to live in this world.<br />
<br />
We vowed to be better prepared and ready for the next birth. We ordered the bible on alpaca birthing and gathered our supplies. <br />
<br />
We didn't have much time to read the book. On Friday, September 13, our grey girl, Star, gave birth to a beautiful grey baby boy. This cria is so different than our first. He's very strong. At birth, his teeth were already coming in and he had fully developed toenails - 2 things the first baby never had. <br />
<br />
Star is a first time mom and she's a nervous animal, even without a newborn. She's very worried about her baby and checks out everything we're doing with him. Thankfully, they have bonded well and he's nursing regularly. He's gained at least a pound in his first few days here. He's running around the enclosure, exercising those long legs leaping and bounding about.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7xiR1MSN34QjyCyBBM8-TCx8hGL-27fweEnUCXYeRPHmg3DN_dw0p15MQdQSd2ReO0baeJS8k5GpuzrL6gK_SwUAL_rv-DXixgFDoMBU6virvzqGRIKs5F4U1Vjeuk0vGGk_cUqy4qYe6/s1600/Grey+baby+091313.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7xiR1MSN34QjyCyBBM8-TCx8hGL-27fweEnUCXYeRPHmg3DN_dw0p15MQdQSd2ReO0baeJS8k5GpuzrL6gK_SwUAL_rv-DXixgFDoMBU6virvzqGRIKs5F4U1Vjeuk0vGGk_cUqy4qYe6/s320/Grey+baby+091313.jpg" width="218" /></a></div>
<br />
We don't have a name for him yet. Some sort of tie-in with Friday the 13th would be neat or a connection to his mama "Star". Feel free to comment with suggestions!</span><br />Barb Gadolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089856697466662640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7280925396203932424.post-70719167173901383662013-08-31T14:32:00.000-07:002013-08-31T14:32:18.764-07:00Back to Business<span lang="">We're back! I feel like we've been on hiatus for the past year or so. Leaving the corporate world 2 years ago was my dream come true. I'd have time to build my dog training business, take care of the farm, get my house in order, and have time to spin my ever-growing supply of alpaca fleece. <br />
<br />
The only thing that's truly been accomplished during that time was growing the <a href="http://www.distinctivedogtraining.com/" target="_blank">dog business</a>, for which I'm very grateful. My house is more a mess than ever, the guys have been taking care of the farm, and my spinning wheel was gathering dust.<br />
<br />
In addition to that, our application for an agricultural land use exemption, which would have reduced our property taxes, was denied. Although this wasn't the main reason we keep alpacas, it's a huge cost saver at tax time. Texas doesn't have a state income tax. They get homeowners instead with a huge property tax, compounded by the city and local school system. The denial of the ag exemption was pretty discouraging and we were ready to disperse most of the herd to save money.<br />
<br />
In a last ditch effort, we went through the appeal process in front of a local review board. We presented our case and to our surprise, we won! We are the only property on our road to have an ag exemption. <br />
<br />
Along with that good news, I've found a wonderful person to help out around the office and farm. The combination of these 2 things has really energized me to start focusing on the potential of the farm business. We are moving fleece through the process of cleaning, carding and preparing for either spinning or making other products for sale. I've re-opened the <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/fleecefurandfeathers" target="_blank">Etsy shop</a> and have alpaca items for sale here at the office when visitors come for tours. Here are just a few of the things we've been working on:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi72rejCEOkAuq0qVSTgUuGZ10BXTv9AmfFjG8_clKY4Q0s3aBhBn4EYTyfWvuW-E0UACSwKiTKl3x2ZSpRhQM7CFEHGlFMZN04vD2TUM41qIvDpkgoH2yXWrnWysOY7m_ak7dCFzljDEuM/s1600/dryer+ball+basket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi72rejCEOkAuq0qVSTgUuGZ10BXTv9AmfFjG8_clKY4Q0s3aBhBn4EYTyfWvuW-E0UACSwKiTKl3x2ZSpRhQM7CFEHGlFMZN04vD2TUM41qIvDpkgoH2yXWrnWysOY7m_ak7dCFzljDEuM/s320/dryer+ball+basket.jpg" width="271" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dryer balls</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAidKQPLDt_dGQ5kTWX1X-fxCTi4Fov7dc23oiMxOJsnzeT7Bs083SBk1YNmkCQgGz0jKitzumxFP4Gz7dXZLqmJ9npWsQ7mHVxqmG41PPfckTneS4fAEh0jjF9aUapcfPSdP71ItzDHp6/s1600/roving+061613.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAidKQPLDt_dGQ5kTWX1X-fxCTi4Fov7dc23oiMxOJsnzeT7Bs083SBk1YNmkCQgGz0jKitzumxFP4Gz7dXZLqmJ9npWsQ7mHVxqmG41PPfckTneS4fAEh0jjF9aUapcfPSdP71ItzDHp6/s320/roving+061613.jpg" width="257" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roving for spinning or felting</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCBBrTjOttlYdvTP4OVXxEq6z-Dz44QItLUNDa3h88ojsKFGMprCagYvE5Ra7aGHr9rePIOzF4_jiktChrirrgzdwA73YAjfa2Ai7pUJrm89MvHjhIaTxgeLrMmvf7_y43OUI0U072KRI0/s1600/grapevine+ball.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCBBrTjOttlYdvTP4OVXxEq6z-Dz44QItLUNDa3h88ojsKFGMprCagYvE5Ra7aGHr9rePIOzF4_jiktChrirrgzdwA73YAjfa2Ai7pUJrm89MvHjhIaTxgeLrMmvf7_y43OUI0U072KRI0/s320/grapevine+ball.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nesting fleece for birds</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
If you have a Cub scout pack, homeschool group, or just want to bring the family out to see the critters, drop us an <a href="mailto:fleecefurandfeathers@gmail.com" target="_blank">email</a>! We'll get you scheduled and hope for cool weather.</span><br />Barb Gadolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089856697466662640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7280925396203932424.post-27665436650545390802012-08-06T11:34:00.000-07:002012-08-06T11:34:15.093-07:00Surviving the Texas Summer<span lang="">This spring, we bought some Black Copper Marans chicks. This breed of bird lays very dark brown, chocolate-colored eggs, which I thought would be a nice contrast to the pretty blue and green eggs that our Americaunas produce.<br />
<br />
Black Copper Marans is apparently a rare breed and I was happy to have found someone local who had a lot of them for sale. They are black with red/copper coloring on their head and feathered legs. We picked out 10 and took them home to add to our flock. <br />
<br />
Since then, they've been dying off one-by-one and only 3 pullets remain. I'm not sure whether they are sensitive to the heat or there is something genetically wrong in the line that's causing their early demise.<br />
<br />
Today, I removed the 3 survivors from the hen yard and brought them to my office building to stay cool while it's over 100 degrees outside. I also brought down my Naked Neck pullet who is limping and seems to have a broken wing or leg. <br />
<br />
We're all trying to stay cool here while the temperature soars with no end in sight in the forecast.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz71dPuCjfBJUS0BOoww8winE-yNpNdocqh17CcxruzFYDXHfvIO8xtntn-ykZjvJf6FJyC2ynpUHN2QnOeVc6HZtFy_0iuZOJ1jae9RiCGShnp7mPSeWDInbsfl9Dlj6alsw6mXdByND9/s1600/marans+turken+080612.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz71dPuCjfBJUS0BOoww8winE-yNpNdocqh17CcxruzFYDXHfvIO8xtntn-ykZjvJf6FJyC2ynpUHN2QnOeVc6HZtFy_0iuZOJ1jae9RiCGShnp7mPSeWDInbsfl9Dlj6alsw6mXdByND9/s320/marans+turken+080612.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</span>Barb Gadolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089856697466662640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7280925396203932424.post-60406133797891317152012-06-28T11:19:00.000-07:002012-06-28T11:19:53.954-07:00The Truth about Keeping ChickensChicken keeping has spread from rural farms into subdivisions and urban areas in the last few years. While I can't argue with people who want to control where their food comes from, there's a lot of BS out there about how easy keeping chickens is. I'd like to address some of the things I've read and heard recently.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><em>Chickens are quieter than dogs and your neighbors will never know you have them in your backyard. </em>In fact, one of our most recent acquisitions is a hen who cackles so loudly after she lays an egg that the neighbors in the subdivision she lived in threatened to call the city. So, she's living with us now and I can verify that she's got some powerful lungs. Chickens cluck quietly while eating, a little more loudly when they are excited about something, but let out a powerful yell after pushing the egg out. Imagine going through the birthing experience every day.</li>
<li><em>Chickens create very little waste.</em> Fact is, chickens poop everywhere they are allowed to roam. If you truly allow the hens to free range in the yard, they will poop all over it and all over anything they can climb on. I had a person ask me how to stop their chickens from pooping on the lawn furniture. The answer is easy, confine your chickens to their coop. Her answer was "I want my chickens to have freedom". My reply - then give up sitting on your lawn furniture without squirting it off each time. </li>
<li><em>Chickens stay close to their coop and can't fly. </em>When chickens are young and light, they <strong>will</strong> fly - over fences, on top of your patio covering, and into your neighbor's yard. In that case, you will have to learn to clip their wings.</li>
<li><em>If the chickens are in my backyard, they will be safe from predators. </em>During the winter when food is scarce for any predator, they find very creative ways to get their meals. Hawks that can pick up and carry small dogs won't have any problem nabbing a chicken. Wild cats and stray cats that are hungry will find a way to have a chicken dinner. Domesticated dogs don't even have to be hungry to kill a chicken. If they have enough of a prey drive, it's instinctive for them to stalk/chase/grab/kill a chicken. Snakes are often attracted to chicken coops to steal eggs and rats and other rodents can be attracted to spilled chicken feed. </li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPpyriVQ2ej0Hu4i4ZNOVqRuu52W-ipmMnhgZggqLITmRdAU5zJc6gq5Dt5ZloR9t722NzMqQ2RgNidLa3dAYla3ADlOiLF8vcIUC7oNDjNQE-IgmmM7vshWKrBse2LI1L_JLE2Dd-fFV5/s1600/lola.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPpyriVQ2ej0Hu4i4ZNOVqRuu52W-ipmMnhgZggqLITmRdAU5zJc6gq5Dt5ZloR9t722NzMqQ2RgNidLa3dAYla3ADlOiLF8vcIUC7oNDjNQE-IgmmM7vshWKrBse2LI1L_JLE2Dd-fFV5/s320/lola.JPG" width="291" /></a></div>
<br />
I don't want to scare anyone away from keeping chickens, but a reality check is in order. Yes, they are a lot of fun to watch, they help keep bugs in check, their poo is good compost material, and best of all, fresh eggs can't be beat. However, I'm already seeing the results of unrealistic expectations being promoted by the "chicken movement", so before you dive into chicken keeping, ask questions and do your homework. Talk to someone that doesn't want to sell you something.<br />Barb Gadolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089856697466662640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7280925396203932424.post-47820151131071834522011-07-26T07:26:00.000-07:002011-07-26T07:26:38.922-07:00Where Does Your Meat Come From?When we first started keeping chickens a few years ago, each hen had a name and we got to know each one individually. This flock of about a dozen birds kept us amused as we unwound after work by sitting and spending time with them at the end of the day. I decided that even when they stopped laying, they would be allowed to live out their natural lives as pets. We were able to rehome a few roosters that we picked up, not wanting to think about the alternative.<br />
<br />
Our jobs moved from Arizona to Texas and when we packed up the house, the chickens came along. They traveled in dog crates in the back of the Impala and the Suburban. They were part of the family and we weren't going to leave them behind. <br />
<br />
When the Fleece Fur and Feathers farm become an official business entity and our flock expanded, it was harder to keep track of who was who, especially when they all looked alike. We could still recognize our Arizona girls and they had a special place in our hearts, surviving the long trip and a stray dog attack on arrival. A couple of those hens are still with us.<br />
<br />
We have about 50 birds now and we band them so we can distinguish birth dates to know how old they are and how much longer we can expect them to lay. For the most part, they don't have names. The troublemakers and the 2 roosters are exceptions. We've hatched lots of babies and sold most of them to people wanting to add to or start their own flocks. We've also sold to people who want to butcher and eat them, something we hadn't done yet. <br />
<br />
Though all of our hatches, we didn't have a rooster mature. Sales had taken care of that. Until last week. One of our 14 week old birds, who we were fairly certain was male, attempted to mate with one of the younger birds. He had to go. Our 2 resident roosters are plenty for the flock and this boy was obviously going to be a problem. <br />
<br />
Chet had butchered a couple of older birds before, but we didn't eat them. The older the bird, the tougher the meat. I kept the meat and used it for training treats for the dogs. <br />
<br />
We're not vegetarians. We try to eat local foods. Our meat purchases in the last year have been locally raised and slaughtered animals from local ranchers; nothing from the grocery store. Our vegetables come from our garden. Just a short step from eating chicken from our own flock, and one we decided to take.<br />
<br />
The guys did the killing and cleaning over the weekend and last night I roasted the bird. It was, by far, the best chicken meat I've ever had. Can't get much fresher and the meat was tender and moist. It was smaller than a typical roaster bought in the store since it wasn't a "meat bird", but it was enough to feed the 3 of us.<br />
<br />
This animal lived its entire life with grass under its feet, eating what chickens are meant to eat; no hormones, vaccines or antibiotics injected in its system. It enjoyed fresh air and freedom, the company of other birds, being part of a family unit, flapping its wings and flying around once in a while. You can't say that about any commercially produced chicken. While it was a bit weird preparing the bird for cooking, it's something that I know I'll do again. It's the way this country used to eat, the way my dad describes his Sunday meals when he was a boy. <br />
<br />
So, in honor of this bird, here's his photo. Yes, he had a face, but so did all those who end up in the meat aisle at Krogers. We still enjoy watching our birds each evening, but realize in order to have a sustainable homestead, everyone's got to make a contribution. This guy definitely did.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWVwIED1GYqo6nvxxYLVYe8IwzS6sS7B8hay2YsHNIQbWDYEUvAFCGnlLB2ersRA1iuUd9JjGmCq7XHq8oYUv0Mzc0tKxJrVMwpZYA4dtU4PwFbQ2vPFMY7lNMkseoie2wVMWM6zsedxFk/s1600/12+wk+roo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWVwIED1GYqo6nvxxYLVYe8IwzS6sS7B8hay2YsHNIQbWDYEUvAFCGnlLB2ersRA1iuUd9JjGmCq7XHq8oYUv0Mzc0tKxJrVMwpZYA4dtU4PwFbQ2vPFMY7lNMkseoie2wVMWM6zsedxFk/s320/12+wk+roo+2.JPG" width="307" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thank you.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Barb Gadolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089856697466662640noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7280925396203932424.post-90630608558548428472011-07-02T13:35:00.000-07:002011-07-02T13:35:45.319-07:00Gourmet GarlicChet planted 8 varieties of garlic last fall as an experiment to see what would grow here in our garden. We had a beautiful garlic bed with rows neatly marked with the names of each variety. Then the storm came that took the roof from our barn, which tore across our garlic beds and ultimately landed in our neighbor's yard. In the process, garlic was broken, markers disappeared and it looked like our crop was a bust. <br />
<br />
Never one to give up without a fight, Chet salvaged what he could and we ended up with a nice little harvest of 5 different varieties of gourmet garlic! <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_QMk_HlGssMVd62O6df6YSy-T7_taFejKhwa5ZM-_BvI-w9MoU9KpK1eU0TBg3DBy3c6JESQG85YnahaMR_zj2ZU8IWbEodmeSW59Z2jlJV2zNL5jjXkbUCTl2U-Mj921i7jBQPzCSiZ/s1600/persianstar1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_QMk_HlGssMVd62O6df6YSy-T7_taFejKhwa5ZM-_BvI-w9MoU9KpK1eU0TBg3DBy3c6JESQG85YnahaMR_zj2ZU8IWbEodmeSW59Z2jlJV2zNL5jjXkbUCTl2U-Mj921i7jBQPzCSiZ/s320/persianstar1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Persian Star Garlic</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Persian Star is a hardnecked garlic and it's really tasty. It's a sweet garlic when you roast it. I baked a clove to have with pasta last week and it was awesome! This is one of the varieties that we have the most of.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I put an ad on Craig's list hoping to find some local customers that enjoy cooking with garlic, but my first reply was from someone out of state that wants bulbs to plant. I was happy to accomodate and the order is getting ready to go out the door!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLYzYUPa-Axte0lStWG94wMlugig7v1Ha676AH8PNNIX-BqaSrgov5akYkndf61EFuBsMjpf9oVS1FDuORI7T7QMV-QAJEjZIzMPqdP0kqGxGK54sJlV_Mh_D2eEDVpkEpf1C_psFshDU2/s1600/garlic+bagged.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLYzYUPa-Axte0lStWG94wMlugig7v1Ha676AH8PNNIX-BqaSrgov5akYkndf61EFuBsMjpf9oVS1FDuORI7T7QMV-QAJEjZIzMPqdP0kqGxGK54sJlV_Mh_D2eEDVpkEpf1C_psFshDU2/s320/garlic+bagged.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bagged and on its way to OK!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Besides the Persian Star, we have Sonoran, German White, Chesnok Red and Metechi varieties. If you'd like to try some, email us at <a href="mailto:fleecefurandfeathers@gmail.com">fleecefurandfeathers@gmail.com</a> or call 817 337 4690. We're selling it either by the clove ($1) or by the pound ($7).Barb Gadolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089856697466662640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7280925396203932424.post-72544555681314864302011-06-20T14:11:00.000-07:002011-06-20T14:11:25.506-07:00Learning to FeltMy favorite thing to do with alpaca fleece is to spin it. However, not all the fiber that comes off the animal is suitable for spinning, so I'm always looking for ways to use the "seconds". Felting fibers is very popular right now and I've sold fleece to crafters for this purpose. I've seen people make purses, hats and even slippers by felting.<br />
<br />
I thought I'd teach myself to felt by doing something pretty easy to start with. I have to admit that although I've seen dryer balls in the stores, I've never been tempted to buy a plastic or PVC ball made in China to bang around in my dryer. Dryer balls are replacements for liquid fabric softener and dryer sheets. The action of the ball in the dryer reduces drying time and naturally softens fabric and reduces cling.<br />
<br />
I recently came across wool dryer balls which intrigued me. If a plastic dryer ball can reduce drying time, imagine how much more moisture could be absorbed by a fiber ball. An alpaca dryer ball with no dyes would also be hypoallergenic and so much safer than something made of PVC.<br />
<br />
As every spinner has, I have a stash of leftovers - small balls of singles and leftover plied yarns that aren't enough to make a complete project, but too much to throw away - along with some badly spun yarn made when I was just learning. So, I gathered my baskets filled with the yarn remnants and started winding. I had enough leftovers to wind 3 balls that measure about 9" around. Then I put the ball in a tube sock and tied each end off with acrylic yarn that doesn't felt.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr3VUJPm47tBKQVHwlN02nTvpo_uDPmlZppX2SKk4AOg2C97CvHMVw1vmGkHRjQfbwPf0KMpQnrm_AgcbY0vY8oX1HwKL0a8da_jdW4wGCoNKb4l41VQ1418U5G6igpIDo_qDg9m7PZdlw/s1600/ball+in+sock.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr3VUJPm47tBKQVHwlN02nTvpo_uDPmlZppX2SKk4AOg2C97CvHMVw1vmGkHRjQfbwPf0KMpQnrm_AgcbY0vY8oX1HwKL0a8da_jdW4wGCoNKb4l41VQ1418U5G6igpIDo_qDg9m7PZdlw/s320/ball+in+sock.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
I ran each through the washer in hot water with a regular load of clothes. Then into the dryer for at least 2 cycles of high heat. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHRe60yWYWFGxyeRGcoO-CZ4AHHcVA17_4XSDOechbGa9_NDPc5NFK32dZD_tXcRyBlSkY-lW_ZXo7WLCJwmDCRvpLXx7xznKpO9NlwBDiR87C7l_BXEOSUNA5o0hKmDjo2tfPF0nAyDN1/s1600/dryer+balls.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHRe60yWYWFGxyeRGcoO-CZ4AHHcVA17_4XSDOechbGa9_NDPc5NFK32dZD_tXcRyBlSkY-lW_ZXo7WLCJwmDCRvpLXx7xznKpO9NlwBDiR87C7l_BXEOSUNA5o0hKmDjo2tfPF0nAyDN1/s400/dryer+balls.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The yellow ball at the top left is pre-washing (you can still see the strands of yarn) and the other 2 are finished. The yellow balls contain a mixture of alpaca and merino wool which was dyed. This is some of the fiber I learned to spin on that I had stashed, but wasn't worth knitting with. The brown ball is pure alpaca and this is what I'll continue to make my dryer balls with so there will be no chemicals or dyes in the process. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ideally, I'd like to make the balls directly from roving or even washed fiber. That will be my next experiment. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">These dryer balls are great for drying diapers, too. Smaller balls can also be cat toys and I'll trying to make those as well. Stay tuned for 100% alpaca dryer balls and toys for the kitties coming soon!</div>Barb Gadolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089856697466662640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7280925396203932424.post-23575396368545353802011-06-17T14:22:00.000-07:002011-06-17T14:22:42.344-07:00Yes, it's hot enough for me, thank youIt's hot in Texas. Very hot. Excruciatingly hot for the past few weeks. The heat index is around 105. A month ago we were complaining about the constant wind. Now we hope for the wind to cool it down a bit.<br />
<br />
Everything in the books say that alpacas can withstand the heat up to a heat index of 120. All of our new animals were shorn the first weekend in June, just after the heat wave started. A few days after shearing, Lightening, one of our new grey boys was spending a lot of time just laying flat out in the sun. We have shady areas where most of the animals took cover, but Lightening insisted on sunbathing. His respiration was rapid and shallow. He was on his way to heatstroke. I had to go out every couple of hours and get him up and moving and get him cooled down. I truly thought we might lose him, but he survived.<br />
<br />
An alpaca's cooling system is on the surface of their belly, armpits and groin area. Chet put a sprinkler in the pasture so they can cool themselves as needed.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv-7xvKFDOz2k5uENCoCsq3rtLYa2MPWFtsM1W83A5fY0ButU2lZ2342FMhjw22bwZgHrBv5rweImgbU1YvRykRK-OW5TjZ_49cC0R_aNo8jgsY-c5A9MSvqxKKz6K8qSn_y1B_cK2PuLJ/s1600/lightening+cooling+off.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv-7xvKFDOz2k5uENCoCsq3rtLYa2MPWFtsM1W83A5fY0ButU2lZ2342FMhjw22bwZgHrBv5rweImgbU1YvRykRK-OW5TjZ_49cC0R_aNo8jgsY-c5A9MSvqxKKz6K8qSn_y1B_cK2PuLJ/s400/lightening+cooling+off.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nothing like playing in the sprinkler on a hot day. Lightening is front and center!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
On the other side of the fence, mamas and babies come to get cooled off with a belly squirt from the hose. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9hhhgA667JB5_7Qi6_YFk8btH0weZOhNOvMz1793Bjb5D6sVpQC-zd0s41-zNmOzKLSYoZFKPCI_f7KQWuUD4DXRRhb-IURVcFq61qGVrItxSSS4zCZBG314FaMvR_H9-WXON2zG1y8dc/s1600/stephanie+and+baby+girl+061711.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9hhhgA667JB5_7Qi6_YFk8btH0weZOhNOvMz1793Bjb5D6sVpQC-zd0s41-zNmOzKLSYoZFKPCI_f7KQWuUD4DXRRhb-IURVcFq61qGVrItxSSS4zCZBG314FaMvR_H9-WXON2zG1y8dc/s320/stephanie+and+baby+girl+061711.JPG" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mama Stephanie and baby girl.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">And once they get their bellies wet, they cush to keep the cooling effect as long as possible.</div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja_ljijBRCyxI_N-hBaVqP27Bhkc2cWba_PFe3c9hN1FZak0eEvRdFGP-F-EvOLlU86pAYj_kXgxAp7tL3jz70BIDxoa2F9aaMYz8hEKuEhSHbhWEXUbv1sJtGLBUVwT9aTLectqVohXZ1/s1600/baby+boy+in+the+dirt+061711.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja_ljijBRCyxI_N-hBaVqP27Bhkc2cWba_PFe3c9hN1FZak0eEvRdFGP-F-EvOLlU86pAYj_kXgxAp7tL3jz70BIDxoa2F9aaMYz8hEKuEhSHbhWEXUbv1sJtGLBUVwT9aTLectqVohXZ1/s320/baby+boy+in+the+dirt+061711.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little boy in the dirt, imagine that!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Barb Gadolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089856697466662640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7280925396203932424.post-14913715825403488572011-06-09T06:57:00.000-07:002011-06-09T06:57:48.232-07:00Why Buy Local Farm Eggs?Someone asked me the other day about the benefits of eating farm fresh, free range eggs. My first thought was to tell them that it’s like eating green beans from the garden as compared to ones with Libby on the label. But then, maybe not everyone gets that either. <br />
<br />
So, here are the facts, according to 2 studies done by Mother Earth News in 2005 and 2007. Eggs from hens raised on pasture contain:<br />
• 1/3 less cholesterol<br />
• 1/4 less saturated fat<br />
• 2/3 more vitamin A<br />
• 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids<br />
• 3 times more vitamin E<br />
• 7 times more beta carotene<br />
<br />
Our laying hens eat what hens are supposed to eat - grass, seeds, bugs, along with their normal feed, which contains no antibiotics or medications. They have access to the outdoors every single day and have access to roam over an acre of land. (We take pains to keep them out of our garden!)<br />
<br />
Eggs bought from a grocery store are from hens that live their short lives in a factory farm in a cage, never seeing the sky and never being able to stretch their legs or their wings. Even labels that say "free range" or "cage free" actually don't mean that the chickens have free access to the outdoors. The USDA has no requirements for chicken houses on what these terms are supposed to mean for laying birds. Often these are uncaged birds living inside a giant warehouse in overcrowded conditions. Because they are so crowded, they are often de-beaked to reduce injury to each other.<br />
<br />
Even if you truly don't care about the humane aspect of chicken raising, the fact that free range birds are healthier animals is a big deal! Last fall, some giant factory farms produced eggs contaminated with salmonella. Rodents running rampant through chicken houses can do that. The FDA report from that investigation doesn't paint a pretty farm-like picture:<br />
<br />
<em>"Dark liquid, which appeared to be manure, was observed seeping through the concrete foundation to the outside of the laying houses..."<br />
<br />
“Un-caged birds (chickens having escaped) were observed in the egg laying operation in contact with the egg laying birds at Layer 3 –Houses 9 and 16. The uncaged birds were using the manure, which was approximately 8 feet high, to access the egg laying area. “<br />
<br />
“The live flies were on and around egg belts, feed, shell eggs and walkways in different sections of each egg laying area. In addition, live and dead maggots too numerous to count were observed on the manure pit floor”.</em><br />
<br />
Ew. This is where grocery store eggs come from. Is this what you really want to feed your family?<br />
<br />
If all of that isn't enough to convince someone of the benefits of eating local, fresh eggs, then just crack one open. They really do look and taste better!<br />
<br />
If you're local to Keller, contact us at <a href="mailto:fleecefurandfeathers@gmail.com">fleecefurandfeathers@gmail.com</a> for eggs or to tour the farm. The girls will be happy to visit with you!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63nYAu74VUdzgA-n5-82q2scWt5ymFhv5KsfPVq1LxVpJ5LF4ZqijBoXSBQ2ACYNjZANxzVJXFcAMIyfqd1sVUH-TZrEj0iPudD9uiUcQ7C0ic9EePmg_aHyRDZuVllNPOb-eWYgOWKwK/s1600/singingchickens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63nYAu74VUdzgA-n5-82q2scWt5ymFhv5KsfPVq1LxVpJ5LF4ZqijBoXSBQ2ACYNjZANxzVJXFcAMIyfqd1sVUH-TZrEj0iPudD9uiUcQ7C0ic9EePmg_aHyRDZuVllNPOb-eWYgOWKwK/s320/singingchickens.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Barb Gadolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089856697466662640noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7280925396203932424.post-34193394446484473922011-05-17T07:14:00.000-07:002011-05-17T07:14:18.940-07:00No longer just a fiber farmUp until this weekend, our alpaca herd has been entirely male and most of the boys have been gelded. This is typically what makes up a true fiber farm. No girls around to complicate life for the boys. Some say that gelded males have the nicest fleece because all the animal's energy goes into making fiber instead of testosterone. <br />
<br />
We found someone selling some grey boys, and one of them was rose grey - a color I've been wanting to add to the herd. These folks also had some females with young babies. Chet's been talking about getting some girls to diversify our options and possibly do some breeding and selling animals. Truthfully, I wasn't all that interested in adding to the alpaca population. Maybe it's my background in dog rescue; maybe I'm really like Prissy in Gone with the Wind, "I don't know nothin bout birthin babies" or even taking care of young crias. I've read horror stories on mail lists about difficult births, crias dying, having to bottle feed and the troubles that can cause.<br />
<br />
The girls for sale were from excellent bloodlines, one and two generations removed from the original Peruvian and Chilean imports with big names. The girls were brown, but the babies were white, which is another color I don't have enough of. The package price for the 2 girls with crias and 2 grey boys was outstanding and we decided that if we were ever going to get some females that we couldn't pass up this chance. <br />
<br />
I've been in research mode for the last few days reading about cria care (the baby girl is 10 weeks old, the boy is just 8 weeks old), weaning, breeding and birthing. Once we get new animals sheared, we'll doing some breeding really soon. An alpaca's gestation period is a minimum of 335 days (about 11.5 months) and you don't want babies born in the heat and humidity of the summer or the worst cold of the winter. (See what I've learned already!)<br />
<br />
Having these new animals means that the boys have to be kept separate from the girls and crias, and the new boys have to be separated for a while from the resident boys. Good thing Chet built out nicely divided pastures. I think he was planning for this all along!<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVWI7TApszLaLlrX06-UTHQ-wiw7AAP57QL5juA31QmuK7GqeGbVu72K4huT4OmfaPMp9p4psLiaqtmZDJ2KORS3M_n0xAr5vHwL6l27va3zuwrON8fsImlDI23JPxQ6iN23CPMqrfjOFZ/s1600/mamas+and+babies.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="245" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVWI7TApszLaLlrX06-UTHQ-wiw7AAP57QL5juA31QmuK7GqeGbVu72K4huT4OmfaPMp9p4psLiaqtmZDJ2KORS3M_n0xAr5vHwL6l27va3zuwrON8fsImlDI23JPxQ6iN23CPMqrfjOFZ/s320/mamas+and+babies.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bonacella and baby boy, standing; Stephanie and baby girl cushed<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
The grey boys are gorgeous! They are actually half-brothers, having the same dam. I can't wait to get my hands on these fleeces.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR4hDwgGeOcsVv3k0pzPAT9wd8XXNCMICIXq1PSvKCeZi7UdXo7MXiNLkDGNUImbt-UUOTinMfRxLbTedovgSaNmXxSAdkobFBrPmUCoebgOlUnzSEiihdllapkjlxpexMircf3bBlciQH/s1600/brothers+grey2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR4hDwgGeOcsVv3k0pzPAT9wd8XXNCMICIXq1PSvKCeZi7UdXo7MXiNLkDGNUImbt-UUOTinMfRxLbTedovgSaNmXxSAdkobFBrPmUCoebgOlUnzSEiihdllapkjlxpexMircf3bBlciQH/s320/brothers+grey2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rusty (rose grey) and Lightning (silver grey)<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Barb Gadolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089856697466662640noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7280925396203932424.post-9240893003458552772011-04-24T14:54:00.000-07:002011-04-24T14:54:51.731-07:00Disaster StrikesI must have really angered the gods yesterday when I wrote that there was nothing new at the farm. They targeted us with a vengeance last night. There were thunderstorm watches and warnings all evening, but the worst of the storms had already passed and I think we weren't even under a warning condition. It was very windy all night, but it's always windy here. I've gotten to a point that if I don't hear the wind chimes, I figure the wind has blown them down.<br />
<br />
About 9:30 we were sitting on the couch watching TV and the local CBS station was breaking in during commercials to give updates. Nothing serious in our area at all. It was mostly south of us and the storm was moving more to the east toward Dallas than north to Ft Worth. We heard a bang, I saw something flash past our window that faces the backyard and the lights went out all at the same time. My fear was that one of our light poles in the pasture had been blown over.<br />
<br />
We walked outside and saw something laying across the front of our barn doors. Upon closer inspection we found that it was a portion of the tin roof from the south side of the barn. The roof piece took down the power line that feeds the barn, our house along with our neighbors, and my office. The wind had torn off the entire southern half of our barn roof. <br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcRhgHqUvsH7YWak-JZY8IMbkuHKQ1U74awTK7MS1_klCp0joeLoWDRF2a-Ln9FPth9TQQITEbaX3hs4ycH6X4hiLtceexdlZJhq9C0nciPu2zsgORbz_uDI_ka4U3JLWIUk-0Q1W1Q4EB/s1600/DSC_0110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcRhgHqUvsH7YWak-JZY8IMbkuHKQ1U74awTK7MS1_klCp0joeLoWDRF2a-Ln9FPth9TQQITEbaX3hs4ycH6X4hiLtceexdlZJhq9C0nciPu2zsgORbz_uDI_ka4U3JLWIUk-0Q1W1Q4EB/s400/DSC_0110.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The morning after</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
There were huge pieces of metal all over our yard, in Chet's garden as well as in our neighbor's yard directly to the north.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Uar9iZjgXPNOZK60nyQa055ZloAcLu8ZUCSSuJBzFNKEDu7U4m4JgBvPGmkGyHkr2dfz3ddKY6InaJVK4dSz0tVpvjo53EbcyEZ8um2sDQpuoaYItJN-o9q69Pkmns5dTA4nIWvbXB0y/s1600/DSC_0106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Uar9iZjgXPNOZK60nyQa055ZloAcLu8ZUCSSuJBzFNKEDu7U4m4JgBvPGmkGyHkr2dfz3ddKY6InaJVK4dSz0tVpvjo53EbcyEZ8um2sDQpuoaYItJN-o9q69Pkmns5dTA4nIWvbXB0y/s320/DSC_0106.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Power line taken down<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAlhpZOGrZPi2nzqT3VgzkzqWC43M4bw9GaJMUNCiBu69t_UlOe5d8CI7qrjW7ptkk9BfXmE2lR05ozuToX-b87IioDGItoHyQyO63Mz084Ck5oq_UO0niMjXj2Jt1GdeiycoBCvGih_Y9/s1600/DSC_0088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAlhpZOGrZPi2nzqT3VgzkzqWC43M4bw9GaJMUNCiBu69t_UlOe5d8CI7qrjW7ptkk9BfXmE2lR05ozuToX-b87IioDGItoHyQyO63Mz084Ck5oq_UO0niMjXj2Jt1GdeiycoBCvGih_Y9/s320/DSC_0088.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We lost half our garlic crop as the roof made its way over the garden and into the next yard.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS1Wm5Y4MKR8MHmAxb28XDieub92CrABPxFknTg3497A1MqSs84SQAZJSq4pvil00dBWWOg21EWAkWwj9LZw7ImMqYIw_33z4bX4fH8Galx08p1VyZa6d7ag2_CYj8Xhj9THX14bR_Vyvk/s1600/DSC_0122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS1Wm5Y4MKR8MHmAxb28XDieub92CrABPxFknTg3497A1MqSs84SQAZJSq4pvil00dBWWOg21EWAkWwj9LZw7ImMqYIw_33z4bX4fH8Galx08p1VyZa6d7ag2_CYj8Xhj9THX14bR_Vyvk/s320/DSC_0122.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5yFCYqD1BvtfgCVI6DAMNs1Y8nYgT8Z4PwWlO6D1P-XBjLk2LxvQCtJiTqdpCXNKVmre46bN26i8uI-JFTe4m8XZOxtx2A4TmoYSRjg1z_pr2KEf28O86Ug0ihBl2MQBRE5UhLT09Ns5Y/s1600/DSC_0124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5yFCYqD1BvtfgCVI6DAMNs1Y8nYgT8Z4PwWlO6D1P-XBjLk2LxvQCtJiTqdpCXNKVmre46bN26i8uI-JFTe4m8XZOxtx2A4TmoYSRjg1z_pr2KEf28O86Ug0ihBl2MQBRE5UhLT09Ns5Y/s400/DSC_0124.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Huge pieces of our barn roof in our neighbor's yard across the fence.</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We have large portions of fencing bent over between our pastures and between property line and our neighbors.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5x8aydkhPWiBRdhcu-octLsDcwEsONub7e_67h9Fs3qIpQY6_-ZeU7jDQ6dzFtHT-J29hJ9lLmkuAuJGE_xCy_p7BTjPAyab9TIdRUFbmExRpkmr2cV5_aHtOZAj9_aKS9On48keEP7sl/s1600/DSC_0140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5x8aydkhPWiBRdhcu-octLsDcwEsONub7e_67h9Fs3qIpQY6_-ZeU7jDQ6dzFtHT-J29hJ9lLmkuAuJGE_xCy_p7BTjPAyab9TIdRUFbmExRpkmr2cV5_aHtOZAj9_aKS9On48keEP7sl/s320/DSC_0140.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The good news is that none of the animals were hurt. If a piece of roof had hit one of the alpacas, it would have been deadly. Waylon was in an area all by himself and out of the the direct path of the flying roof. The other boys were all out in the upper pasture away from the barn. Luke, one of our Anatolians, must have been in the barn when the roof got torn away. We found him curled up a ball, refusing to move from his corner in the stall. He was quite terrified. He's much better today.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUNWz1HOMM7fvQo0q2RfIkvVHbkmr6ywhPPTq7mu829z-1NWjNg79O3cjMyIbC_lkbywXKkQo0ZGZQAYp9PCyylQx_xdHFhdV4vSS9btMJ68ODk_-xNQrkByFhHRon7IGlLV3QtnCoFgWP/s1600/DSC_0104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUNWz1HOMM7fvQo0q2RfIkvVHbkmr6ywhPPTq7mu829z-1NWjNg79O3cjMyIbC_lkbywXKkQo0ZGZQAYp9PCyylQx_xdHFhdV4vSS9btMJ68ODk_-xNQrkByFhHRon7IGlLV3QtnCoFgWP/s400/DSC_0104.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We don't usually see sky from inside the barn.<br />
<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table> I called Allstate right away to start a claim and in the back of my mind pictured the commercials where the insurance person shows up immediately after a disaster and helps make everything right. Must have been a State Farm commercial, because I won't see an Allstate adjuster for a week. <br />
<br />
However, they did contact an emergency restoration company who showed up about midnight last night and tore down remaining pieces of roof that were flapping in the wind. They came again today and removed the debris from our neighbor's yard and are out there right now tarping the barn so that we don't get any rain damage until repairs can be started. <br />
<br />
So, it could have been much worse and I'm thankful that no animals were injured. It was pretty terrifying though and for a while we went to our "safe room" (aka bedroom closet) while the wind was at its worst and we could hear pieces of the roof smacking against the barn. We'll be in recovery mode for a while and we won't have power to the barn or my office until we can get an electrician to do repairs. Kudos to the electric company, TXU/Oncor, for coming out and getting the power to our house back on in a timely manner.<br />
<br />
The weather alert radio has just gone off again - tornado watch. Texas in the springtime...it ain't all bluebonnets and sunshine.Barb Gadolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089856697466662640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7280925396203932424.post-60027699883926022592011-04-23T14:02:00.000-07:002011-04-23T14:02:24.391-07:00WaylonWhen I quit my corporate day job, I figured I'd have plenty of time to keep up with the farm, the dogs, housecleaning, cooking, <a href="http://www.distinctivedogtraining.com/">dog training business</a>, spinning and the blog. Hasn't quite worked out as I thought and I feel like I'm not giving any one thing the attention it needs. I've got to get better organized. Not sure how I did ANY of these things while I worked full time. <br />
<br />
There's not been too much new going on at the FFF farm recently, other than the hens are laying eggs like crazy now. We've got plenty of baby chicks available for sale, too. <a href="mailto:fleecefurandfeathers@gmail.com">Email us</a> if you're interested in either. <br />
<br />
Shearing day has come and gone. I wasn't entirely happy with the process, but it's done and our boys are pretty cool now without the excess fleece. If you want details on who we used and why we will be looking for someone else next year, email me.<br />
<br />
Chet scans the web for potential alpacas in need of re-homing and found a single boy south of Dallas last week. We made arrangements to pick up him today. I was worried about getting him loaded in the trailer since Chet is recovering from hand surgery. He's still all bandaged up and is not supposed to be doing anything like lifting an alpaca. The folks had the animal in a barn - thankfully we didn't have to chase him around a field. We haltered him without any fuss and he walked willingly into the trailer where he was treated to some alfalfa (like sweets to a kid). <br />
<br />
His name is Waylon. His buddy, Willie, died last year and he's been lonely since then. Alpacas are herd animals and they do much better when they live with their own kind. We'll keep him separated from the rest of our herd for a while until they get to know each other. Waylon is on the left.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi52nXlOsx52nzmFgvQ7bW2f9GoSr2tNVEco9jaIPlCKrlrLftAcfaYQHUSetY4wg4cwSGk9d6hXCNeUVTtZ_LsvJJtnBLdWCOsfKsdz_qz_SIwVH1dCkq3hNVByewVYTzxt5ZsEJtH9PkY/s1600/waylon+meeting+the+herd.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi52nXlOsx52nzmFgvQ7bW2f9GoSr2tNVEco9jaIPlCKrlrLftAcfaYQHUSetY4wg4cwSGk9d6hXCNeUVTtZ_LsvJJtnBLdWCOsfKsdz_qz_SIwVH1dCkq3hNVByewVYTzxt5ZsEJtH9PkY/s400/waylon+meeting+the+herd.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
He's a beautiful dark fawn with a coppery hue to his fleece. He rolled in the hay in the trailer on his way home so he arrived quite messy. His main issues we can see right away are his feet and teeth. His back nails were overgrown and curled over so he's not able to walk properly on his back legs. He's also got some badly overgrown front teeth.<br />
<br />
Alpacas generally need a pedicure at least twice a year. For most animals, it's not a problem once you get them secured, but it does take 2 people to get it done. Some alpacas never need their teeth trimmed, but those with a serious underbite will need trimmed down. This usually gets done at shearing time.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIz5h4OTvvS_Cw66kDxQ_m_sA0TMdiraBN2EXmdvil1FcBLrUwHRn0tbtBqJxJwc4ZpbGjp9z9AOqBIPh4GdWkCP5eWl-8NDanS18ApLPNvkRTIt7iUhGARl9ihIuE-mx4P0HcQxV3zZaP/s1600/waylon+nails.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIz5h4OTvvS_Cw66kDxQ_m_sA0TMdiraBN2EXmdvil1FcBLrUwHRn0tbtBqJxJwc4ZpbGjp9z9AOqBIPh4GdWkCP5eWl-8NDanS18ApLPNvkRTIt7iUhGARl9ihIuE-mx4P0HcQxV3zZaP/s320/waylon+nails.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We were able to take care of the back feet right away. The teeth will have to wait until Chet's hand heals up some more and his stitches come out.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiXxUq4AKXNG8GeN1YImHkBpn1IPq0LWU2dmZZrU25Lg088uNB0WcCRRoux7x7Otyrl76Cm-T6KFJf_DCAlSNhOCbfw8Otm2AcrDfYNCWef450UiCYJln84_V_hXGjQf2XyJsQR7uoTlPf/s1600/waylon+teeth.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiXxUq4AKXNG8GeN1YImHkBpn1IPq0LWU2dmZZrU25Lg088uNB0WcCRRoux7x7Otyrl76Cm-T6KFJf_DCAlSNhOCbfw8Otm2AcrDfYNCWef450UiCYJln84_V_hXGjQf2XyJsQR7uoTlPf/s320/waylon+teeth.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Welcome to the farm, Waylon! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjof0rg9LJXDqAgpcFVOojB9PUKqOmFXRyE4DJzYZoCcDmfSOYktmO3tfuaJFo5D1GOzKROpUIh7kntfBSG_DBLz4hKN1v5UDhffPPy4oBRQmUnU6gxl9sCZwVTiwbz4zE08qADf-ZKtNSJ/s1600/waylon+and+boys.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjof0rg9LJXDqAgpcFVOojB9PUKqOmFXRyE4DJzYZoCcDmfSOYktmO3tfuaJFo5D1GOzKROpUIh7kntfBSG_DBLz4hKN1v5UDhffPPy4oBRQmUnU6gxl9sCZwVTiwbz4zE08qADf-ZKtNSJ/s320/waylon+and+boys.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"></div>Barb Gadolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089856697466662640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7280925396203932424.post-49061193574940463072011-02-23T13:58:00.000-08:002011-02-23T13:58:00.004-08:002 Roos and a Bevy of Barred Rocks<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We made it through the winter and only lost a couple of hens. Three of our 6 chicks that we hatched late September made it. We lost 1 of them to a predator, 1 to Luke our livestock guardian dog, and 1 just disappeared. Of the 3 survivors, 2 are pullets and 1 cockerel. They are about 5 months old now.</div><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTkP0833qL7SJOrbJDRdwFqWLa_fTuEfmMeJeowUWKMOTG5jutjC2YEVvq3F3hqT_sJS0BqlsIXmNS8hQIcqdbch2L-xaudzZcaThMk_QAjiKkD3STd6Cjz9GuMjx6Mo6_eqA0ws2L_KiQ/s1600/Junior+022311.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTkP0833qL7SJOrbJDRdwFqWLa_fTuEfmMeJeowUWKMOTG5jutjC2YEVvq3F3hqT_sJS0BqlsIXmNS8hQIcqdbch2L-xaudzZcaThMk_QAjiKkD3STd6Cjz9GuMjx6Mo6_eqA0ws2L_KiQ/s200/Junior+022311.jpg" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Junior</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">So, we've got 2 roosters now - Rocky, who is just over a year old and Junior, his son. I watched this morning as Junior had his way with one of the hens. While he was ..um...in progress, Rocky came over and knocked him off. Junior's going to have to learn to be more discreet and get the girls when dad's not looking. They are both handsome boys and Junior is really starting to look like a chip off the old block.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhARNfMU8qehGPr7bLrniIxYfbEJ2Za_vYHox6ZXbQkvWiTUdtaDPi_yr2g0yUA8EIXYseLBsz85ANkacn6FofovkrpwFIxwt6RMeOV3Sne-8f9QfSWyXKYw39K75cNc_NlEwBri728C5g-/s1600/Rocky+022211.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhARNfMU8qehGPr7bLrniIxYfbEJ2Za_vYHox6ZXbQkvWiTUdtaDPi_yr2g0yUA8EIXYseLBsz85ANkacn6FofovkrpwFIxwt6RMeOV3Sne-8f9QfSWyXKYw39K75cNc_NlEwBri728C5g-/s320/Rocky+022211.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rocky</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div> <br />
<div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Our girls stopped laying this winter. We had some really bitter cold weather and egg production halted. Since we sell lots of eggs, Chet went and got some young Barred Rock pullets a couple of weeks ago. Not sure what his original plan was, but he came home with 30 of them. They'll start laying in the next couple of months and we'll be up to our eyeballs in eggs.</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWshkg_LCxI9O8KBAVMOy7S6y6DmFGM5kJna5jev8Jpvd77mDqi9UZgoVbFmLtXeXkYz3wTVp1sE0mOYa7U8kQasHxSREpOdiWsne_7pf8wglN4mEKT01wc_BMfgLsQM0nMgfgVjPmXZyQ/s1600/Barred+Rocks+021211.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWshkg_LCxI9O8KBAVMOy7S6y6DmFGM5kJna5jev8Jpvd77mDqi9UZgoVbFmLtXeXkYz3wTVp1sE0mOYa7U8kQasHxSREpOdiWsne_7pf8wglN4mEKT01wc_BMfgLsQM0nMgfgVjPmXZyQ/s320/Barred+Rocks+021211.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">In the meantime, with the weather getting spring-like here, our older girls have started to lay again. We should be back in the egg business very soon. Unfortunately, feed prices rose over the winter, so we're having to raise prices. We'll be selling them for $3/dozen. <a href="mailto:fleecefurandfeathers@gmail.com">Email us</a> if you're interested. We generally have a waiting list.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Last fall, I wrote about a litter of kittens that started hanging around here. We fed them through the winter and neutered the ones we could catch and actually found a home for 2 of them. They look awfully happy to be in a home and off the streets!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt0_zc85UrXz_ftuQ4WcYI4E24W9ONGRiIVc6fbvaOaLRn5cUrYGl2hVYn54golpv9cIUrKBVXgPBg-j6a9O8-OfIee1mCKtelb8Ida0Q2NMdOlAtzav-KkUGd-PGaXHVjgshkn2L18AZP/s1600/pussandboots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt0_zc85UrXz_ftuQ4WcYI4E24W9ONGRiIVc6fbvaOaLRn5cUrYGl2hVYn54golpv9cIUrKBVXgPBg-j6a9O8-OfIee1mCKtelb8Ida0Q2NMdOlAtzav-KkUGd-PGaXHVjgshkn2L18AZP/s320/pussandboots.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Barb Gadolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089856697466662640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7280925396203932424.post-35621196963779297202010-11-20T14:45:00.000-08:002010-11-20T14:47:32.077-08:00Moving into WinterThis fall is so different than last year, which was our first in Texas. In 2009, it rained constantly and I wondered about the huge mistake we had apparently made moving here. I hate rain and gray skies; Tucson was the perfect place for me.<br />
<br />
The fall of 2010 has been delightful. Perfect fall weather - sunny, blue skies during the day and cool temps at night. The weather report says that we're supposed to get a hard freeze around Thanksgiving, so I went out and took photos of the tomatoes that are still growing that will, no doubt, not make it through the week. Wonder if these are what could be used for fried green tomatoes?<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGDFnA_coY2xe1FoGy2Qr8K1OwUS7NskuGF5vrQEM76oSxR_F3yrOt5EUbVsM5sRAEJG2UxzaawkojW3R418oZmd3lyLpnmjtrr48yw6v3LqJeWb0tUhMeAVM6_Ph1dAdH-XaLe47ircKz/s1600/tomatoes_nov10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGDFnA_coY2xe1FoGy2Qr8K1OwUS7NskuGF5vrQEM76oSxR_F3yrOt5EUbVsM5sRAEJG2UxzaawkojW3R418oZmd3lyLpnmjtrr48yw6v3LqJeWb0tUhMeAVM6_Ph1dAdH-XaLe47ircKz/s320/tomatoes_nov10.JPG" width="236" /></a></div><br />
Garlic gets planted in the fall and Chet put down hundreds of cloves in about 8 different varieties. We'll be selling garlic in the spring.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM1RsOqVJadwWA3JPbmGUFqzXlir3LuYbu3QXmjiie7jqqNYwrl8Kp-UZyqvqGcyHuYLr7EgLJmCbdWzqbWN2t1fYMQqTKIAdBfb2KIGEQoaYOkJr5aaGXlHtXU0qojfF2GG2tpQAD85Pu/s1600/garlic_nov10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="209" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM1RsOqVJadwWA3JPbmGUFqzXlir3LuYbu3QXmjiie7jqqNYwrl8Kp-UZyqvqGcyHuYLr7EgLJmCbdWzqbWN2t1fYMQqTKIAdBfb2KIGEQoaYOkJr5aaGXlHtXU0qojfF2GG2tpQAD85Pu/s320/garlic_nov10.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Garlic as far as the eye can see<br />
<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The chicks are getting bigger and I hope they have enough feathers now to keep them warm during our upcoming cold spell. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb9GEP6dU7fhMER9BkghqT5p8Er0VHBQzF02_j2JqYiy3G9xaRXWOKmg7vPLyyJez_YZu7sjS3aBQz8LEDgPdyKWjGSl2nHu1yt-j4gTvEpcMtfBv7q5YQyPEUOvVgrZbmoXbUSOOFAi9z/s1600/chet_barred+rock.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb9GEP6dU7fhMER9BkghqT5p8Er0VHBQzF02_j2JqYiy3G9xaRXWOKmg7vPLyyJez_YZu7sjS3aBQz8LEDgPdyKWjGSl2nHu1yt-j4gTvEpcMtfBv7q5YQyPEUOvVgrZbmoXbUSOOFAi9z/s320/chet_barred+rock.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Chet is working on an addition to the existing coop so we can keep more birds comfortably. We're calling it the "West Wing". It's got a big picture window to let as much daylight in as possible. More daylight....more eggs. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-6G2t1J5x_eTkD29fWiHlBIspIk2JnfkJg_n4JczF50JJ5UFuudI-dH8deJY7wTYPRmZLWzsMQ8CNqz1O0-nzqfVyW-V9FRSOmGURjKSL7iBEPdEqU9GVHtu7JM5vYUfqM8659kmER-rH/s1600/west+wing.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-6G2t1J5x_eTkD29fWiHlBIspIk2JnfkJg_n4JczF50JJ5UFuudI-dH8deJY7wTYPRmZLWzsMQ8CNqz1O0-nzqfVyW-V9FRSOmGURjKSL7iBEPdEqU9GVHtu7JM5vYUfqM8659kmER-rH/s320/west+wing.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">We're also at the point that we're considering culling the girls that aren't laying anymore. It's just not feasible to feed animals that don't produce. They're not pets anymore. I couldn't have said that 2 years ago! </div>Barb Gadolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089856697466662640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7280925396203932424.post-86571208376100312082010-11-11T02:25:00.000-08:002010-11-11T02:25:52.603-08:00Chicks and KittiesOur baby chicks are almost 7 weeks old. We started with 6 that hatched - 2 black ones and 4 yellows. They moved out of my bathroom after about 3 weeks, growing out of the large aquarium pretty quickly. As a transition phase, they are living in the big chicken coop in a large wire dog crate. This keeps them safe from predators, including our Anatolians, who we would probably eat them in a single bite.<br />
<br />
The crate is portable enough to move outside while we're home to allow them some time with grass under their feet and to learn to start finding bugs. It was during one of these outdoor times that we found one black one dead, with her head missing. She must have stuck her neck out and got nailed. Predator; but we're not sure what - cat, hawk?<br />
<br />
The 5 remaining chicks are doing well and now have some free range time since they are getting bigger. They are about half the size of our adult hens. The big girls peck on them if they get out of line.<br />
<br />
The yellow ones have all changed colors. Three of them are mostly white and one developed pretty brown wings. The black one is marked like a Barred Rock. They are good layers, so I'm hoping it's a hen.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSVkupEhh0NOn504TE2NrtOrx5PPiYta-Rrulmvo4Kb42fGyCfxjnKyR3UjRO3T02A_WNGqKrH4uNMAt_p1VxLT5X-tKhbp0OXQVtOYbHZopr2Q2l-qKE8334llSzK_tCVF1Zx6ZCO9Vr6/s1600/4+chicks+111010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSVkupEhh0NOn504TE2NrtOrx5PPiYta-Rrulmvo4Kb42fGyCfxjnKyR3UjRO3T02A_WNGqKrH4uNMAt_p1VxLT5X-tKhbp0OXQVtOYbHZopr2Q2l-qKE8334llSzK_tCVF1Zx6ZCO9Vr6/s320/4+chicks+111010.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGp4wvJ92mC5jL05mydSAYU_sZWhnpNBJUddgjvxyn8nmX3_5sRF3gkCGYp5BFoucueVAvlaHvT3lCN6i67MDNA_UTKe5OdI_8CP9KBDw7MNvGoSVKN6rgoqEUiwOzbkTu-p1zomrnvHCt/s1600/barredrock_americauana.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGp4wvJ92mC5jL05mydSAYU_sZWhnpNBJUddgjvxyn8nmX3_5sRF3gkCGYp5BFoucueVAvlaHvT3lCN6i67MDNA_UTKe5OdI_8CP9KBDw7MNvGoSVKN6rgoqEUiwOzbkTu-p1zomrnvHCt/s320/barredrock_americauana.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We've had a couple other new additions around the farm. A few weeks ago, there was a litter of kittens roaming the neighborhood, pretty close to starving. We couldn't help but give them food and a couple of the boys have hung around. Hopefully they'll be good mousers.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ7yKYYdFUAlVuM5Np6L4A-mmOpKCNDMVipW9XLgnZ0HXLAIX7iM1YuEBv0YCsxC00pw9R2jhyphenhypheng4PwoE7VNA0zDPn_6UPqFGkwK-pHo0Kr5NTdgimdJH6UzAZhRANZGPnNYK6vv_PorMNg/s1600/mrkitty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="203" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ7yKYYdFUAlVuM5Np6L4A-mmOpKCNDMVipW9XLgnZ0HXLAIX7iM1YuEBv0YCsxC00pw9R2jhyphenhypheng4PwoE7VNA0zDPn_6UPqFGkwK-pHo0Kr5NTdgimdJH6UzAZhRANZGPnNYK6vv_PorMNg/s320/mrkitty.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mr. Kitty</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Yesterday Mr. Kitty got brave enough to wander up to the barn and meet the alpacas and llama. Everyone was curious.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNbK__-oIvGvUJPq6zpF0rEkIVETm1rwhtM23d2hssT8sgX7p9rFOJ2DFxWXBqBJ3JRmZnH41lbmagunE7gJQvmt_01fih0I2S2g12B09UeRii3LFpLJshcoQ7Z0j6RQNehbpItvmOZAsr/s1600/mrkitty+meets+pacas.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNbK__-oIvGvUJPq6zpF0rEkIVETm1rwhtM23d2hssT8sgX7p9rFOJ2DFxWXBqBJ3JRmZnH41lbmagunE7gJQvmt_01fih0I2S2g12B09UeRii3LFpLJshcoQ7Z0j6RQNehbpItvmOZAsr/s320/mrkitty+meets+pacas.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Barb Gadolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089856697466662640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7280925396203932424.post-79675064937442269612010-10-15T15:12:00.000-07:002010-10-15T15:12:35.333-07:00All Grown UpLuke and Leia, our Anatolian Shepherd livestock guardian dogs turned a year old in July. It's been a rough year with lots of growing pains. We've had a few major challenges with the dogs; 2 of them we're still dealing with and 1 that's been fixed. Leia is no longer chasing the alpacas or attempting to play with them. If you've read the older posts, you know that we tied a log to her to slow down her ability to run in the pasture. We didn't have to do that for very long before that issue was resolved.<br />
<br />
Probably our biggest issue that remains is with the Anatolians and the chickens. They still can't be trusted around the birds. As long as the birds are all calming pecking around in the same area, the dogs are fine. However, if one bird strays away or starts to run, all bets are off and the dogs go into a predatory mode. They chase, grab and would likely kill the bird if not interrupted. That means we can't leave the dogs loose in the full pasture during the day while the chickens are out roaming around. The dogs have access to the barn and a fenced-in yard all day while we're gone. They mostly sleep all day since they go out on patrol at night, so it's really not a big deal, but it would be nice to know that they would be available during the day if a big cat or stray dog did get into our pasture. <br />
<br />
Our other issue is barking at night. Livestock guardian dogs bark - a lot. That's the first line of defense in interrupting a potential attack by an intruder. And usually, that's all that's needed. A coyote will always try the path of least resistance and a couple of big barking dogs is enough to send him on his way. However, Leia barks at everything and nothing (at least nothing we can see). She barks at the aircraft going over our house at night, too. She's the dog who cried wolf. Luke, on the other hand, barks very little. When you hear Luke bark, you know there's something going on and it better be checked out.<br />
<br />
So, I'm missing my sleep some nights, but at least our alpacas are safe from the scary things that roam outside in the dark. We can't be sure how many predators the Anatolians have chased away, but we have seen a coyote in the neighbor's yard. He didn't hang around long. They've also chased away skunks (and paid the price) and killed a possum. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSq_TT5ygnk9ZazGGwQYNMDb1HZtvIvGEiewdsre-yUwHidfS1DFfnRX-FB8cGS2RI25TJB5QtSakTE5BmgG85wBFUvvpA0AC9qSaqITArqby20nIR36EtHBEujhgYF3bKxvwWSU9QSfnw/s1600/luke+leia+grown+up1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSq_TT5ygnk9ZazGGwQYNMDb1HZtvIvGEiewdsre-yUwHidfS1DFfnRX-FB8cGS2RI25TJB5QtSakTE5BmgG85wBFUvvpA0AC9qSaqITArqby20nIR36EtHBEujhgYF3bKxvwWSU9QSfnw/s320/luke+leia+grown+up1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">They are probably still not completely at their full adult weight yet. Leia is 102 pounds and Luke is 118 pounds. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikuOP9u5IFqB0qxGUJk5SUFfuJ6zL7NAg-fAQvvBgAwaZI4CoXtrMQ5lyylXQFr66Nl7hs6Tt2GpiRW5mLTzvtDNzIu8E7NgvXKUNQ-Y-LQ1c60UrWoZ5cKDOrQ9Ohb0XSh9gqV4TIdL-S/s1600/luke+chet.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikuOP9u5IFqB0qxGUJk5SUFfuJ6zL7NAg-fAQvvBgAwaZI4CoXtrMQ5lyylXQFr66Nl7hs6Tt2GpiRW5mLTzvtDNzIu8E7NgvXKUNQ-Y-LQ1c60UrWoZ5cKDOrQ9Ohb0XSh9gqV4TIdL-S/s320/luke+chet.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">They are definitely Chet's dogs!</div>Barb Gadolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089856697466662640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7280925396203932424.post-58670704190193389432010-10-10T12:33:00.000-07:002010-10-10T12:33:36.480-07:00Chicks at 2 WeeksThey're getting their feathers and wings now. Two of them have very defined tail feathers already and we're assuming those will be our roosters. They're spending their first day outside on the grass and getting some sunshine (which they do their best to avoid). Notice the longer tail on the bird in front as compared to the other two.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKuWxBHXRHk4yZvEwDxIL2uWhCI99gLOmpeGah0d2rPog-m_N_6QHKhafnWSPbdOiHtJ63szMr_Qrf_wTVCrhsDHSeMDACrIFbqjLYJIrV_RkoG4MgZuL0Fm_k3jGkYPQj6d8O0EkgjHzP/s1600/yellow+chicks+101010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKuWxBHXRHk4yZvEwDxIL2uWhCI99gLOmpeGah0d2rPog-m_N_6QHKhafnWSPbdOiHtJ63szMr_Qrf_wTVCrhsDHSeMDACrIFbqjLYJIrV_RkoG4MgZuL0Fm_k3jGkYPQj6d8O0EkgjHzP/s320/yellow+chicks+101010.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>If 2 out of the 6 turn out to be boys, then we've beat the odds and we'll be happy. We'll try and sell them once we're certain of their sex and they're old enough to go. We have one rooster and that's enough.<br />
<br />
I have them in a secure box right outside my office window so I can be on the lookout for the neighborhood cats. Pip (my 7 month old Border Collie) was fascinated watching them.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoPuMSArekm13Pe5dvOU3QYUVbh-Y7BhSjfV0ESN2ELAFsrNneRdC8t6m32TtHzfNIls6njwYyLU7iQoaca_Ghq-CMS0eAoUUSnrgCesvH3ZTxAPltKjZ-Zrd_NLjr9I7am-Kl1w-uvH0k/s1600/DSC_0030+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoPuMSArekm13Pe5dvOU3QYUVbh-Y7BhSjfV0ESN2ELAFsrNneRdC8t6m32TtHzfNIls6njwYyLU7iQoaca_Ghq-CMS0eAoUUSnrgCesvH3ZTxAPltKjZ-Zrd_NLjr9I7am-Kl1w-uvH0k/s320/DSC_0030+(2).JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div align="center"><br />
</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFeJA-Kb4Ot4w7OLdUAjeWGS0wGxBeHyMZRhwjGxCt9qs_JayVCMglwimEuSXL0ba2vsGbX4fEDJqDJb_Hwcvr6du3Hhocw18Uy5zNjNuhnbnETwjWMU7fyf45nUChDavyP79uuSJ1VK9w/s1600/DSC_0031+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFeJA-Kb4Ot4w7OLdUAjeWGS0wGxBeHyMZRhwjGxCt9qs_JayVCMglwimEuSXL0ba2vsGbX4fEDJqDJb_Hwcvr6du3Hhocw18Uy5zNjNuhnbnETwjWMU7fyf45nUChDavyP79uuSJ1VK9w/s320/DSC_0031+(2).JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">"Don't bother me now, mom, I gotta watch in case they need herded."</div>Barb Gadolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089856697466662640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7280925396203932424.post-6909097354745861292010-09-28T18:51:00.000-07:002010-09-28T18:51:48.134-07:00Just a couple more new baby picsThey're just so darn cute. Three days old now.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Black and gold - Steeler chicks!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTC6yBc6DdieEzFSnRQKlocHzhtMdyvBv5zgu1LAWIQnQzFCZYCTSiHlU7uNni0xLxYaUKVbsjgCJb5gqZcelYci0TBV8v5hlmsgB1b71vGJyOccrE-UaQjiDImTGm1qtjtCsByPhfjG35/s1600/black+and+gold.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTC6yBc6DdieEzFSnRQKlocHzhtMdyvBv5zgu1LAWIQnQzFCZYCTSiHlU7uNni0xLxYaUKVbsjgCJb5gqZcelYci0TBV8v5hlmsgB1b71vGJyOccrE-UaQjiDImTGm1qtjtCsByPhfjG35/s320/black+and+gold.JPG" width="297" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">This one has black stripes down its back. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAHGr36zFQiUxOJiBMKosDBokiyyzJeT7kdw7pDHOm1WzZyn8wRyBlNdDyds5mv525RkJlJa2SLt-6DGTT9q9fxWxqdyQtg-KzdKFChRSbGITbbkNIHKOHHfwbUNyLLEBQhA6c7e6cGpUq/s1600/black+striped.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAHGr36zFQiUxOJiBMKosDBokiyyzJeT7kdw7pDHOm1WzZyn8wRyBlNdDyds5mv525RkJlJa2SLt-6DGTT9q9fxWxqdyQtg-KzdKFChRSbGITbbkNIHKOHHfwbUNyLLEBQhA6c7e6cGpUq/s320/black+striped.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN1T04BpCKReFcMxV9bzfJJhBXYOzczApOiwuupYr47VXXeldPkENGhJfhN_-Wm_Kfa3Wyu7wg2JOiPzLu6NU2PiO0mHtkmij-ITzxP8szdLJDHKWF49vIL5FJO1Vbzy9jD3Ik0GTWr6iU/s1600/black+striped+3+days+old.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN1T04BpCKReFcMxV9bzfJJhBXYOzczApOiwuupYr47VXXeldPkENGhJfhN_-Wm_Kfa3Wyu7wg2JOiPzLu6NU2PiO0mHtkmij-ITzxP8szdLJDHKWF49vIL5FJO1Vbzy9jD3Ik0GTWr6iU/s320/black+striped+3+days+old.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY_MzpdlWLuobmqB-kfgRluQZoUsD-b9vLxOjTqP-p2WaoSrsBEP15vsI8s1sSQHj4qXKvBafB9v2QxELYqxKaxjKJhXyXoeL5-QYMvRqHNzOGXPA4vMEFVi2Q4VLc2ocw24YVqhBfxq5_/s1600/chicks+3+days.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY_MzpdlWLuobmqB-kfgRluQZoUsD-b9vLxOjTqP-p2WaoSrsBEP15vsI8s1sSQHj4qXKvBafB9v2QxELYqxKaxjKJhXyXoeL5-QYMvRqHNzOGXPA4vMEFVi2Q4VLc2ocw24YVqhBfxq5_/s320/chicks+3+days.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Barb Gadolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089856697466662640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7280925396203932424.post-87352716486835748422010-09-26T15:39:00.000-07:002010-09-26T15:39:52.060-07:00One Day Old<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh_fPvTR36g1bRa83D3EKC2_wg4vJv9HzcSG5a2ADDUSXgar11yuR5jM2BbNryEdiW4FJH7G5gTFj17pL6SJTvpsNsbgskKSw6_pic-M-rQUqByrHKxIh2kqWd0X227jpRaQ6hGPsn-QMS/s1600/DSC_0020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh_fPvTR36g1bRa83D3EKC2_wg4vJv9HzcSG5a2ADDUSXgar11yuR5jM2BbNryEdiW4FJH7G5gTFj17pL6SJTvpsNsbgskKSw6_pic-M-rQUqByrHKxIh2kqWd0X227jpRaQ6hGPsn-QMS/s320/DSC_0020.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1EfAhBqsZzJmXWWt9U1KEqQiCdVCTE868rxu8YR5uX_ANUjSRp3haCwfcSy-k9t7UI9MjgzFUaHdGdH9HsMTjVuGB9vXVBJY79ELz2uf0feO-GPv4wXnb5WyDMi-g9UA8WVR-9z6DxmD-/s1600/DSC_0010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1EfAhBqsZzJmXWWt9U1KEqQiCdVCTE868rxu8YR5uX_ANUjSRp3haCwfcSy-k9t7UI9MjgzFUaHdGdH9HsMTjVuGB9vXVBJY79ELz2uf0feO-GPv4wXnb5WyDMi-g9UA8WVR-9z6DxmD-/s320/DSC_0010.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp5lnRuX_KtU1OR2l0hKZN7F2Vo7jas0xNV4qrvNklwIcfRj0Dchk0fS6vLdn758KKGZEL7fLgjMEe-cguDOQcsf2ehhTA95xB1-DC5iI5w-zf-WjU84pYBUFUkxAeQHYKttgr10FMhWO0/s1600/DSC_0007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp5lnRuX_KtU1OR2l0hKZN7F2Vo7jas0xNV4qrvNklwIcfRj0Dchk0fS6vLdn758KKGZEL7fLgjMEe-cguDOQcsf2ehhTA95xB1-DC5iI5w-zf-WjU84pYBUFUkxAeQHYKttgr10FMhWO0/s320/DSC_0007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
We ended the day yesterday with 6 chicks - 4 yellow and 2 black. Three other eggs had pipped and I could see that one bird was breathing and trying to get out, but nothing yet. I'm afraid it won't make it. You can't help the bird while it's trying to get out. If it's not strong enough to break through the shell, it won't be strong enough to survive outside. There's no NICU for chickens.<br />
<br />
These babies have moved from the incubator to their first home in an aquarium. They'll live in our guest bathroom for a couple of months or until my house smells too much like the barn. Then it's moving day!Barb Gadolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089856697466662640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7280925396203932424.post-64873289029212527552010-09-25T17:01:00.000-07:002010-09-25T17:01:10.969-07:00New Baby ChicksWe finally have some new baby chickens. Our first 2 attempts using a broody hen failed. Our first attempt with an incubator failed - thanks to TXU for a 6 hour power outage.<br />
<br />
Three weeks ago today, we put 17 eggs in the incubator. We candled them at 10 days and removed 5 that we could see weren't developing. This morning at around 8:00, 2 were showing the "pip" - the place where the beak first breaks through the shell. By 11:00, we had our first chick - a black one. We watched it break through and emerge from the egg. Amazing! It's exhausting work being born.<br />
<br />
Seven hours later, we have 2 black and 3 yellow peeps. They're all still wet and will stay in the incubator until sometime tomorrow. I'm hoping we have at least 3 more before then. There are pip holes in at least 2 other eggs that I can see.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo05-0ys1jcIOkDIAA2wKcCqj-uzsiD-YWEHGVkJgLS93CYGqafZ6w5y5iwxCvSiQvgGCM93qZoxnAbILPDsLqb415twPbIjZmHScMLu48aJP6fys6efGFYPR7dQYREKVmWa_PbNi-ugAw/s1600/DSC_0002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo05-0ys1jcIOkDIAA2wKcCqj-uzsiD-YWEHGVkJgLS93CYGqafZ6w5y5iwxCvSiQvgGCM93qZoxnAbILPDsLqb415twPbIjZmHScMLu48aJP6fys6efGFYPR7dQYREKVmWa_PbNi-ugAw/s320/DSC_0002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU_Obba6WamC4_UneHcKzbEcU0IpKdtU36H689i0IvFnAvPX3dfSX9EbEp_FFR76ewbU43Lq5cVtf3DRk3zR7SH6WkSxyetEWAIi3Gagg8T-EtPwbAzHmiyUhH2Wr5iImslRChDTqkpXxw/s1600/DSC_0006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU_Obba6WamC4_UneHcKzbEcU0IpKdtU36H689i0IvFnAvPX3dfSX9EbEp_FFR76ewbU43Lq5cVtf3DRk3zR7SH6WkSxyetEWAIi3Gagg8T-EtPwbAzHmiyUhH2Wr5iImslRChDTqkpXxw/s320/DSC_0006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
We're hoping these chicks (assuming some of them ARE hens) will start laying eggs this winter when production from the rest of the flock goes way down.Barb Gadolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089856697466662640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7280925396203932424.post-55765262822223728892010-09-20T18:07:00.000-07:002010-09-20T18:07:57.652-07:00Farm Business Cards<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0uoUQkm0mMwSwV7dqHsvsUmmicqoD0VANF-4VFwaE0Wcf7xPeX6hjvXBTYkhnv7WwfWXghDhLArW5qU_nxz8EXj7kUyqDkHo-xiNIakbiK74d1dO8F3XnFK_ZnFGbUKb6roAXLLMBkqG5/s1600/FleeceFurBizF.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0uoUQkm0mMwSwV7dqHsvsUmmicqoD0VANF-4VFwaE0Wcf7xPeX6hjvXBTYkhnv7WwfWXghDhLArW5qU_nxz8EXj7kUyqDkHo-xiNIakbiK74d1dO8F3XnFK_ZnFGbUKb6roAXLLMBkqG5/s320/FleeceFurBizF.gif" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZfWimpDRC2ySxQxByr_mUDcvEBwAOMZZjFlLZJlEEspruAjvHQNzN-yi9Cfd_feDAEh_Z3R4qbFaS2aXf2efOatKYq1ksKnKwWDXHfjzUV8UQ-2lgIs0w6h4FzZhd0qN9wO8oeVaBFZPH/s1600/FleeceFurBizBackF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZfWimpDRC2ySxQxByr_mUDcvEBwAOMZZjFlLZJlEEspruAjvHQNzN-yi9Cfd_feDAEh_Z3R4qbFaS2aXf2efOatKYq1ksKnKwWDXHfjzUV8UQ-2lgIs0w6h4FzZhd0qN9wO8oeVaBFZPH/s320/FleeceFurBizBackF.jpg" /></a></div><br />
We got our new business cards today and I really like them. Thanks to Ellen at <a href="http://www.top-dogmarketing.com/">Top-Dog Marketing</a> for helping with the design. Ellen did my <a href="http://www.distinctivedogtraining.com/">Distinctive Dog Training</a> business cards as well and I've been really pleased with her creativity and prompt handling of my orders. Next thing - getting a web site up and running!Barb Gadolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089856697466662640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7280925396203932424.post-21643769792504581842010-09-17T18:03:00.000-07:002010-09-17T18:03:34.887-07:00New DigsI knew it would happen sooner or later....Chet wants me out of the house. Or rather, he wants all my dog training and fiber stuff out of the house. Over the winter we had some construction work done on an open shed on our property to make it into a real building. <br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">This is what it looked like then:</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0bQWCWOj86vz7M_lruOoIeymkP1bKyzRT5g2qjBna9YFfPx-8wvGiWUbq6BtGwzHrKXd2kSHrJLd26HnfE5OndlFLGQr-ns5XildTTqCDgLbiDZ3avoJ8YP4ahLHbInUo2K3nhc3DWM8Q/s1600-h/100_2336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0bQWCWOj86vz7M_lruOoIeymkP1bKyzRT5g2qjBna9YFfPx-8wvGiWUbq6BtGwzHrKXd2kSHrJLd26HnfE5OndlFLGQr-ns5XildTTqCDgLbiDZ3avoJ8YP4ahLHbInUo2K3nhc3DWM8Q/s320/100_2336.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And thanks to my wonderfully motivated hubby, this is what it looks like now:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjnC3YDfY1BkEtbsJfTlxzrIub6fBg7ZMPAR-Hc0QvhvI69uGW7TKDWaIRpbLwKu7FK3bl8Tg1A4fphOm37Jsn7YM0bcuaslUQKzxMtxRmNO-2mDkKkrlIxUhpRtQofNKfJXbDGWBmNpEE/s1600/DSC_0006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjnC3YDfY1BkEtbsJfTlxzrIub6fBg7ZMPAR-Hc0QvhvI69uGW7TKDWaIRpbLwKu7FK3bl8Tg1A4fphOm37Jsn7YM0bcuaslUQKzxMtxRmNO-2mDkKkrlIxUhpRtQofNKfJXbDGWBmNpEE/s320/DSC_0006.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLSq-JR6Gn-UNhfqe2jjRmjD8CfV90L2K94drACshl5HQeNrm94Qz4zLhQQt5h4ocdz7jgxhdy0Y-_t18QYc3yZ7Zdkvs_9XHLQ3BzYfClWGwtYd3AKfaB-iYUll2mnxL50JyChS-jHJeU/s1600/DSC_0005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLSq-JR6Gn-UNhfqe2jjRmjD8CfV90L2K94drACshl5HQeNrm94Qz4zLhQQt5h4ocdz7jgxhdy0Y-_t18QYc3yZ7Zdkvs_9XHLQ3BzYfClWGwtYd3AKfaB-iYUll2mnxL50JyChS-jHJeU/s320/DSC_0005.JPG" /></a></div><br />
These photos are from half the room which will be dedicated to my fiber work and sales. I'll bring my spinning wheel and carder up here along with the fleeces I'm working on. Nice big windows and lots of natural light on this side. The other half of the building, not finished yet, will be for dog training equipment and an area I can work with clients who want to come to me with their dogs.<br />
<br />
Our house is small, about 1600 square feet, and having this extra space is going to help clean out a lot of clutter there. Working out here will also get me out of the house, which may be Chet's ultimate ulterior motive :-)Barb Gadolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089856697466662640noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7280925396203932424.post-49029787163831492862010-09-06T12:59:00.000-07:002010-09-06T12:59:00.730-07:00Growing and DyingIt's been a hot, humid spring and summer here - my first in Texas. After living 9 years in Tucson with little to no humidity for 10 months out of the year, I've been extremely uncomfortable since around May. It's only started to let up in the last few days and actually been nice to be outside.<br />
<br />
The alpacas had been enduring the heat as well. They got their bellies squirted every afternoon and played in the sprinkler in the pasture. Their fleece actually acts as an insulator from the extreme heat, but they enjoy the coolness of the water on their bare undersides.<br />
<br />
Two of the boys we got from the LSU vet school in March, Excalibur and Durango, were extremely thin and never gained much weight over the summer. These guys were part of a research study looking at the effects of anesthesia on alpacas. They were put under anesthesia every couple days for about 6 months. They were kept in stalls and not allowed to graze at all. I'm sure the stress level was pretty high. We lost them both in the last 2 days. Durango was our oldest boy - 12 years old - and a real sweetie. He loved to eat and wasn't shy about trying to get whatever you had in your hand. He was a fun personality. Excalibur was a little more shy. He never really warmed up to us, but would take food if you offered it. He was 5 years old and a cute little boy.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKLEq5uJIc-EjteuzMB_EtwU-7Ydix4uxqx25XRb4pFLoSJNAoe6PpL9rm2v2zNheNUdaaMgEhCfUSFcU6kv6fx9irl34XKOHZ34wHUxp087u-PaG2Nf6nrGpEYvrVm0zoAb462wcc5kiF/s1600/durango+flower+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKLEq5uJIc-EjteuzMB_EtwU-7Ydix4uxqx25XRb4pFLoSJNAoe6PpL9rm2v2zNheNUdaaMgEhCfUSFcU6kv6fx9irl34XKOHZ34wHUxp087u-PaG2Nf6nrGpEYvrVm0zoAb462wcc5kiF/s320/durango+flower+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Durango</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxvU0zAqE-FFoIAwMdKNapWjfxT5FSFo5uT21E9hVIbSf3FNGLaXci6fvphJ59Vov7iHgdPQQl8l2sCDPZwxYXITQVYxmSNhvx8DdyNyL5uZdFZ1_dCutVnUnmznX6lgHYNmDokjV4RyS8/s1600/excalibur+082610.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxvU0zAqE-FFoIAwMdKNapWjfxT5FSFo5uT21E9hVIbSf3FNGLaXci6fvphJ59Vov7iHgdPQQl8l2sCDPZwxYXITQVYxmSNhvx8DdyNyL5uZdFZ1_dCutVnUnmznX6lgHYNmDokjV4RyS8/s320/excalibur+082610.JPG" /></a></div><div align="center"><em>Excalibur</em></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="left">We're not certain what caused both of these boys to die within a day of each other, but we're keeping a close eye on the rest of the herd. All the others are a much better weight and aren't showing any signs of illness. </div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">We only lost one chicken this summer, but the heat has caused them all to slow down on the egg production. We're trying again to hatch some eggs, but this time in an incubator. Our last couple attempts using the broody hen didn't go well. We're hoping to have some nice young laying hens for the winter.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitOggc-Bi4dwmMuxEQwAUMraxAvHo8nOb22uWrfzUY4oBrmNqKW1kpYmBQsY_jVV3uaijbVVgoh64GTJQXiQXbtWHzRHYVybG7NE7UG_LOQEdfYHjYPOC1giZ780CKOVb2qbcp0z9EKmHR/s1600/DSC_0052+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitOggc-Bi4dwmMuxEQwAUMraxAvHo8nOb22uWrfzUY4oBrmNqKW1kpYmBQsY_jVV3uaijbVVgoh64GTJQXiQXbtWHzRHYVybG7NE7UG_LOQEdfYHjYPOC1giZ780CKOVb2qbcp0z9EKmHR/s320/DSC_0052+(2).JPG" /></a></div><br />
Chet's garden grew really well this year. We're getting peppers galore right now and beans are starting to come up again. The surprise crop of the year is cotton. Chet planted it for fun to see what would happen and he got a bumper crop. He's been picking it and pulling out the seeds so I can prep it to spin. Spinning cotton is pretty tricky, I guess, so I'll be learning something new.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWWNVOQegb7OG6A6CJB8CcV_29gfxTtoPQmD7HuNqpRXtA_IoBhiRMFKn5laqZZaxvBlIq2EhD5CZ-ShRY269xZFC3w__x4XZHuTTaGQGJHG0PwNmdMTsW9A0e93ZvEj6RE5BjD4d7rgsJ/s1600/chet+cotton+aug2010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWWNVOQegb7OG6A6CJB8CcV_29gfxTtoPQmD7HuNqpRXtA_IoBhiRMFKn5laqZZaxvBlIq2EhD5CZ-ShRY269xZFC3w__x4XZHuTTaGQGJHG0PwNmdMTsW9A0e93ZvEj6RE5BjD4d7rgsJ/s200/chet+cotton+aug2010.JPG" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiktgBGXYCYZf3dORdNQsonBMDxZcTroO-1eF1yXjD5t311_Sgaw2gauTzwT6w0SDJiop8d1LF4aoPJb59LWr8QC95sLu2yl4X9-x2U8JxGFKSFZ6pKadRFUztCvFRpkZeBX6vv_kvglUic/s1600/DSC_0017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiktgBGXYCYZf3dORdNQsonBMDxZcTroO-1eF1yXjD5t311_Sgaw2gauTzwT6w0SDJiop8d1LF4aoPJb59LWr8QC95sLu2yl4X9-x2U8JxGFKSFZ6pKadRFUztCvFRpkZeBX6vv_kvglUic/s320/DSC_0017.JPG" /></a></div>Barb Gadolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089856697466662640noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7280925396203932424.post-60527341646361999832010-08-26T16:47:00.000-07:002010-08-26T16:47:00.462-07:00My First Commissioned PieceI only started spinning last summer just after we got our alpacas and picked up knitting not long after that. My Grandma Stacey taught me to knit when I was young and I never really forgot, but hadn't done it for many years. I was determined that if we were going to have alpacas I would learn to do something with their wonderfully soft fleece.<br />
<br />
A friend asked me to make a couple of scarves for Christmas presents and I've been thrilled to be able to do this. We have one gray alpaca - Dude. He's not the cutest boy in the herd, but I love his coloring.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapJnBc8tpgBjlWZ8frRvZDAeP72JL61JrPkFAnahX60HAOVk_RBC9ou4OFlWNxLMcVKqLQc99jqp5cEolXP4-tqHAkyP-e-L_Ue7A8S5k2ClaB78wkrYh42XCDE_X5Za3Ji94SMbDnF_H/s1600/dude1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapJnBc8tpgBjlWZ8frRvZDAeP72JL61JrPkFAnahX60HAOVk_RBC9ou4OFlWNxLMcVKqLQc99jqp5cEolXP4-tqHAkyP-e-L_Ue7A8S5k2ClaB78wkrYh42XCDE_X5Za3Ji94SMbDnF_H/s320/dude1.JPG" /></a></div><br />
I finished the first scarf yesterday. It's the "Misti Chunky Ribs & Ruffles Scarf" pattern. You can find it free on the internet. It's a very feminine scarf with pretty ruffles at the edges. I used size 9 needles and made it according the pattern otherwise. It came out 3" wide and 81" long. There's so many cool things you can do with long skinny scarves. I need to find a mannequin, cause I'm sure not modeling anything!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVcV3eijm-d_6qbTqA-hW4AlOStA7zTyu5jPldZwvsd_AFKiaXT4eywu_AKNOY4sAyyrDCaT7BbWd9adSupzfW7DhFTYaBcSSOydp2t4ViTiADvV83e1SJSlyCUxW6b2NgXyl6vBV_iIXl/s1600/gray+scarf+on+shirt1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVcV3eijm-d_6qbTqA-hW4AlOStA7zTyu5jPldZwvsd_AFKiaXT4eywu_AKNOY4sAyyrDCaT7BbWd9adSupzfW7DhFTYaBcSSOydp2t4ViTiADvV83e1SJSlyCUxW6b2NgXyl6vBV_iIXl/s200/gray+scarf+on+shirt1.JPG" width="157" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinxm2ICNUkMTYv0P7F_NR8kAKWo6cZ6olF559iBpqkSyawrxBC0Qu6C6eskSAFp3mmeofZTaxTQUA92ESpuaUrCtgRVajbHH207SmqG-mjUaNBKzR8Omxb_D1Dh-f_ukRgNloUIo6A2xf3/s1600/gray+scarf+on+shirt2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinxm2ICNUkMTYv0P7F_NR8kAKWo6cZ6olF559iBpqkSyawrxBC0Qu6C6eskSAFp3mmeofZTaxTQUA92ESpuaUrCtgRVajbHH207SmqG-mjUaNBKzR8Omxb_D1Dh-f_ukRgNloUIo6A2xf3/s200/gray+scarf+on+shirt2.JPG" width="123" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZwgukrSxMNFZwqkopLd_Khtdi0EO3INhFCclYoZgC6fIgMfyHDxa5s3Jm12ilKvjekF0t1eDhZui1UTYv-53LoIhLksL0UgZOxQISjVaADKH-n-V0C0ONGcd6WMQf2R6cyTeCjE73uOQ1/s1600/gray+scarf+082610.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZwgukrSxMNFZwqkopLd_Khtdi0EO3INhFCclYoZgC6fIgMfyHDxa5s3Jm12ilKvjekF0t1eDhZui1UTYv-53LoIhLksL0UgZOxQISjVaADKH-n-V0C0ONGcd6WMQf2R6cyTeCjE73uOQ1/s320/gray+scarf+082610.JPG" /></a></div>I'm taking more orders for Christmas, so if you're interested, let me know: <a href="mailto:FleeceFurandFeathers@gmail.com">FleeceFurandFeathers@gmail.com</a>. The gray is all gone now, but I can make any other color or blending of colors that we have in the pasture. Or if you'd like to do it yourself, I can provide the yarn.Barb Gadolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11089856697466662640noreply@blogger.com0