And the good news is...

    We found the perfect replacement for my mom's van. 
    I will admit that it is sometimes super easy to forget that God is taking care of you. I was feeling very dejected Friday after having failed at my first attempt at milking, going with Mom to clean out TaWanda (who I will still miss for a while. I get attached to inanimate objects, because I am weird.), test driving the only vehicle close to our price range (which was still over it a bit and would have "stretched us" as Mom puts it) that we did not like but were figuring we would have to settle for, and looking for something else to no avail. Everything was either out of our price range, or had a bazillion miles, was a bazillion years old, and/or didn't meet our needs. But then we went to a tiny little place known as Cousin's Auto Sales. It literally had maybe 10 vehicles on the lot, but amongst those ten was our perfect replacement. Our new van is a blue 2007 Chevrolet Uplander that has less miles, more room, and more features than TaWanda (a 2004 Caravan) did. He was and is in great condition, has plenty room, and isn't so different from TaWanda that we feel out of place like we did in the other vehicle. It was a leased car, so it received regular maintenance. The best part is that the price was below the price we were shooting for and mostly just figured we would be stuck with for something decent. Actually, he was advertising it as above our price range, but told us immediately the lesser amount. We didn't even have to ask. As soon as we test drove the new (to us) van, I told Mom, "This is the one." She wanted to wait until Dad could look at it to commit, but I could tell she wanted it, too. So after Dad got out of training at his new job, he went straight to the van and test drove it. He also approved immediately. His name is pending, by the way, but we definitely think he is indeed a male. All along this process I kept thinking, "Getting a new car is supposed to be exciting, but this just feels crappy." It finally got exciting when we found the blue van. 


    God takes care of His children.


-Rachel in Wonderland


P.S. - Just as a side note, I will never understand the urge people seem to have to buy brand new vehicles every four years. Why? They depreciate an incredible amount, for one. With regular maintenance, a vehicle can last for years and years. My 1997 Ford Ranger has 260,000+ miles on it, and still runs like a charm almost all of the time. Why do people want to make bad investments, and have a car note to pay every month? Why not get something you can pay off on the spot or at least shortly thereafter, and then drive it until it is literally no longer safe to drive or isn't meeting your needs? This idea that we need a brand spankin' new car every few years is just a great way to waste money.


I don't really ever want to sell my Ranger, Bloog. I do want a car one day, so that I can park more easily and carry more than one person comfortably, but for me to get around by myself to places with reasonably sized parking lots, Bloog is great. Plus, I was there when my dad bought it when I was just a kid, and it is the first vehicle I drove in by myself when I got my license. Bloog is a good truck. I think he can stick around. 

Bad News

    Thankfully, this isn't awful news, but it's just one of those things that makes life a little bit more difficult than you want it to be. 

    We received news on Friday that our van, which my mother and I hit a deer in about a week ago, had to be totaled. That means, in a nutshell, that the cost of repairs will be more than 75% of what TaWanda was worth (we name our vehicles). To me, the damage didn't seem that bad, but I am not a mechanic so I don't how these things work or how much they cost. Aside from being bummed that we don't get to have good old TaWanda back, this means that my parents now have to hunt for a new vehicle. The timing is pretty bad for this, because we will only be able to buy a vehicle that costs what the check we will get from the insurance costs. We drove around looking today, and we could only find vehicles that were $6,900 and up + taxes, and all but one of those had 100,000+ miles. 

    Poor TaWanda, I wish we could have just kept her! And so close to the holidays. Isn't that how it always goes? Well, if you happen to know of anyone who is selling a SUV or a minivan for $6,000 or less, please let me know so I can forward the information to my parents! A car or truck would not do, because we need seating for both us and my grandparents ideally, though we could make do with a SUV that seated four. We also carry my goats and things around in the van, and gas mileage would be too awful in a truck that would be big enough. 

    Until then, we will be up the road without a van! Hah!

    -Rachel in Wonderland

Sorry for the Delay...

    I know I said that a blog would be posted as soon as babies were born. Well, as it stands now...I lied. It has been a little less than two weeks since the first babies "hit the ground," so to speak, but I have just been so busy! I'm terribly sorry for the delay. So, here is the belated birth story of eight (yes, eight! That doubles my adult count, in case you were wondering!) adorable, bouncy, colorful little Nigerian babies. Oh, there is nothing in the world like it! 

    The first doe to kid was Sandy, who gave birth to triplets early last Monday morning with no warning. Her milk did take a few hours to come in, and she was a bit slow to cotton on to being a good mother, but instinct finally kicked in. It isn't unusual for a first time mother to not really "get" what's going on. Sandy gave us two doe kids and one little buckling. One of the does will be available at weaning, and the boy will be available as a whether. Overall, Sandy's was the most stressful of the three births; not for anything during the birth, which I actually missed, but for how long it took for things to get going post-birth. It all worked out in the end, though.

    The second doe to kid was Brownie, who had twin boys. Her birth went smoothly, just as it did last year (and just as I expected). I missed the kids actually being born, but I know it took less than an hour because that is how long I left her for when I came back to find the twins. Brownie is a great mother, as always. Both of her boys will be available, as whethers or bucks. They are a bit less friendly than the other kids, because of Brownie's protective and shy nature. I am working with them, though, so they shouldn't be too skittish. The third

    The third and final doe to kid was Clara, and she also gave birth to triplets. This time I got two boys and one girl. Her girl is being retained, as is one of her boys. The reason I am keeping a male from her, though I had not originally intended to, is because he is being bottle fed and I have gotten too attached. He was the runt and he just would not nurse his mom, despite all of our efforts. He is doing well on the bottle, though. I would like to sell her other male intact, because he looks very nice so far (though you obviously can't tell too much at this age), but also because of the great genetics behind him. I would be willing to sell him as a whether, though. He should be friendly. The available boy is the first pictured. Sorry this goofy thing turns my pictures sideways; I don't know how to fix it. 

    Well, there is your promised baby-blog! I just want to add a little bit more, just to get it out I suppose, because it doesn't have any real reason. I am apprehensive about selling the ones that I have to sell. This will be the first time I sell any, as last year the first - and at that time, only - baby born was kept. I want, so so much, for them to all go to wonderful homes where they are treated excellently and nothing bad ever happens to them. Now, I feel that God will help me find them the right homes, with folks that will treat them humanely, but the fact of the matter is that there is no guarantee. No matter how careful I am, or how much I pray, some may end up in a less than desirable home, or something tragic - albeit accidental - might happen (that could just as easily happen to them here, and trust me, I lose sleep over that possibility, too. Literally.). My main reason for raising my own farm animals is to have a humane source of food. I want to know that what I and my family are eating is not only better for us, but that it comes from animals who were well treated and loved. And, oh, do I love these guys! However, in order to have a supply of milk, babies have to be born, and those babies have to be sold, because I can't keep them all and they aren't meant to be eaten (as opposed to chickens, for example, which I could keep a completely closed flock of if I desired and never have to sell any at all). I totally want to be able to help other people achieve their goals of homesteading or having a small farm, just like people have helped me by selling me their animals and giving me support, but it is just stressing me right now. I know it will get easier after I sell the first ones, and I am thankful that God has blessed me with a compassionate heart, but sometimes compassion can make life a bit harder. I want to have faith that every goat I place will be loved and treated humanely, but in the end I can't be guaranteed that. I'm also afraid that it will be hard on me to see them go when the time comes, after caring for them for three months at minimum. Right now, I am trying to let go of the worry that I will place them in horrible homes by accident. I am also trying to remember that purebred goats are a somewhat costly investment, and anyone who invests a good chunk of money is more likely to care for what they purchased (which is why you should never give animals away "free to a good home!"). Also, I am hoping that like-minded people will be the ones drawn to Nigies, who are, in my opinion, the perfect goat breed for a small homestead. 

    I really feel that what I am doing is right, and I know that God will honor that. It's just a matter of me being able to let my anxiety go. Lets face it, I am an anxious person in general, so that is not an easy task for me. Feel free to pray that I master my anxiety. ;) I, personally, shall be praying for that as well as discernment.

    Ah! I almost forgot. I will be able to start milking my does next week! I am very excited about that. The first thing I plan to make is Cajeta. Mmm. After that, I will make Mozzarella, then Cream cheese and Cottage cheese, which will lead me into the hard cheeses such as Cheddar, which shall be followed by Brie - a white mold-developed cheese that is very delicate, hard to make, and takes 3 months to age. I think I'm getting ahead of myself. ;)

  God bless! 

     -Rachel in Wonderland

Fall Break!

    I'm sure all the college students out there feel the same way as I do about Fall Break - it's wonderful! It's not as good as Christmas Break, but it's nice to have a few days off to clear your mind. One of my seven week courses just ended (though I am afraid I must admit that I underestimated the final exam, and probably did not do so great. Ah, well.), but my other seven week course begins Wednesday. In any case, I'm enjoying having a bit of time off. 
    Yesterday I did have a bit of unpleasant excitement. As I was turning into my driveway (from the left), I had to come to a complete stop because another car was coming. (My turn signal was on, just in case you were wondering, and we checked - they are working.) I just happened to look in my rear view mirror to see a man in a HUGE Dodge pickup (I drive a Ford Ranger - very small), who was obviously not going to be able to stop. The truck was weaving back and forth and I could tell he had had to slam on his brakes. I immediately floored it to move forward out of the way, but the guy still had to take the ditch. It's a good thing his truck was so big, because if he was in a car it would have hurt him. He actually went behind and around my mailbox, and the ditch there is pretty steep - it's a flat shoulder kind of place. I pulled into a drive a little past my house to turn around, and waited to be sure he could get his truck out and wasn't hurt. He pulled out and actually drove to where I was to apologize, which surprised me, but was a very nice thing to do. He said he and his truck were fine. It was a really frightening experience, and is the closest I have ever come to being in a wreck. It's a miracle that I looked in the mirror. I always do when I know someone is behind me, but when I had last seen him he was pretty far off. He wasn't tailgating or anything, I guess he was just going to fast and didn't see me. I know if I hadn't of seen him that I would have been hit, especially judging by his tire marks in the ditch. It's only by the grace of God that I'm not in the hospital right now! 
    Unfortunately, there was more unpleasant excitement. The night before last, I realized that Trouble either had pneumonia or a bad cold. He had coughed a bit earlier while eating, and I thought something had just gone down the wrong way, but when I checked on Clara (his pen is near hers), he was coughing again and I knew something was wrong. I grabbed him up and took him inside (he is only 4 months old, so is still somewhat of baby - I wouldn't have brought him inside if he were an adult). He was quite snotty, and coughing every so often, but the he had no temperature and the snot was clear, and all his bodily functions were - and are - normal. This is the third day, and he has two shots of antibiotics, Probios to counteract the toll the antibiotics can have on his tummy, and Immunity Support Tincture every few hours (this particular tincture was purchased from Molly's Herbals, but I intend to make my own next time using the ImLife herbal tincture mix from www.bulkherbstore.com. LOVE that website, you should check it out.) His nose is remarkably clearer, he is coughing and snorting a lot less, and he is acting more perky than he was. I really think the herb tincture has done more for him than the antibiotics. The tincture contains, among other things, Echinacea Root, which is one of the best immunity supporting herbs. Now, I am not saying that, if this is to ever happen again, I would skip the antibiotic. I would not change the way I have done things. If it were myself getting sick, or different symptoms in the goat, I would have put off the antibiotic until it was clear it was absolutely needed. However, pneumonia is a very serious illness in goats, and everything I have ever read and all the advice I have ever gotten is to hit it hard and hit it fast, and to not play around with it. I did not want to take any chances considering that Trouble is still young, so his immunity isn't as strong as an older animals, the seriousness of pneumonia in goats, and the fact that his coughs sounded so bad and raspy. If it had just been a snotty nose with no cough, and he hadn't been acting "off" as he was, things might have been different. In any case, I'm pleased to see how well he is doing, and am positive that the herbs have a lot to do with it. He will get one last antibiotic shot tonight, and I will worm him tomorrow and again 10 days later just to be on the safe side (especially since a cough can indicate lung worms, though I do not think that was the cause). I am waiting to worm until after the antibiotic round is done to try and take it a bit easier on his rumen. He will be going back outdoors tonight after his last shot, and I will be cutting the Immunity support down to 3 times daily for a few days, and take him off of it from there, assuming he keeps showing improvement. If he starts seeming ill again, I am taking him to the vet. 

    As for Clara, I am still waiting on her babies. Her ligaments are pretty much gone as far as I can tell, and her bag is getting fuller by the day it seems, but she just keeps me waiting. I swear, she knows what I want is bound and determined to deprive me as long as possible! Evil, calculating thing she is! ;) I am sincerely hoping she'll go while I'm on Fall break, though...preferably on the weekend while my mom, the nurse, will be here. Yes, I am a chicken, and the idea of having to assist a labor with no one around to help scares the bajeebers out of me. Hopefully the delivery will be smooth and she won't need help, though. I've got her on Red Raspberry leaf, so that should help. It tones the uterus. I know I will be keeping a doe from her, so I hope she gives me a nice one! I only plan to breed Clara one more time after this. She is only 7 years old, and does can normally be bred safely until around 10, depending on the individual doe. Of course, they can breed until they die, but that doesn't mean they should. I do not feel that it is humane to breed them until they die, and if you do that you might just bring their death on quicker. Anyways, Clara has become such a sweet pet, and the fact that she has a history of really large litters makes me worry so much. I would rather have a couple of daughters from her to continue her line, and have her around for company, than continue to breed her until she's 10 and something bad happen. 
    Oh, I have some good news from Nature! We bought some beautiful purple annuals to go on our porch for Fall decorations, and honey bees have been flocking to them! I'm so happy to see the sweet little buzzers flying around, because a lot of the wild honey bees have been disappearing. We depend on these little guys to pollinate for us, and make the miracle that is honey. (Did you know that honey has antibacterial properties, is a great natural sweetener, can help with allergies, is good for your skin...well, it's just a great food. Check this out - http://www.bulkherbstore.com/articles/honey?s=honey , and use Google to find even more articles about its benefits.) So, needless to say, I was very happy to see some honey bees flying around in the wild. These guys are docile, and they won't sting you unless you give them just cause. I was inches from them while taking pictures, and they didn't bother me at all. So, if you see some honey bees or find a nest, please don't kill them! They're very important, and there are bee keepers who can safely remove them if they are swarming or nesting somewhere that they shouldn't be, without harming them. This time next year we should have a hive of our own in our backyard, but we still need the wild ones to stick around. ( http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/honey-bees-dying-scientists-suspect-pesticides-disease-worry/story?id=10191391 , http://environment.about.com/od/biodiversityconservation/a/honeybees.htm , 

http://news.discovery.com/animals/honey-bees-disappearing-still-a-problem.html )

    Enjoy your Fall Break, if you get one!

  -Rach in Wonderland

New Chicks

    Hello, everyone! I'm sorry that it has been so long since I have blogged. School has been keeping me pretty busy, but I can't really complain. I've still got more free time than a lot of students. Anyways, I just wanted to drop by and share some news! One of my Rhode Island Red hens went broody a little bit ago, and we allowed her to set her eggs. She in turn rewarded us with seven healthy little chicks the last week of September. They are adorable little things. 

    Everything is going great, and I can only think of two negative things; 1. I am still impatiently awaiting Clara';s kidding. She is absolutely huge. I really thought she would have gone by now, but her udder is still not "tight" and she shows no signs of labor yet. It's driving me nuts! 2. It needs to rain! It is unbelievably dry here. The ground is just nothing but dust, the grass is dying, and the dryness is not helping the horses hooves, which seem to start chipping again as soon as the farrier leaves. I can't remember it ever being so dry this time of year. Our weather seems to favor extremes of late. 

    Yesterday I had planned to be in Ethridge, Tennessee for the second day, but the other person who was supposed to go became ill, so we had to postpone the trip. Instead, my mother, Sarah, and I went to Ada's Unusual Country Store, Heritage Days at Ames Plantation, and Backermann's Bakery and Cheese Shoppe (my favorite - and only, really - local-ish Mennonite store). At the festival, my flip flop broke, so I had to walk around barefoot. It was a little embarrassing at first, but I got over it. =) Perhaps the homemade Mennonite Ice Cream helped, hehe. 

   

Well, I hope your Octobers are filled with delight! 

-Rach in Wonderland

Save the Cheese!!!

    I am reposting this text from a forum (homesteadingtoday.com), but I want to add my own two cents to it first. 
    This is all about a family dairy in Missouri that sells raw milk and is getting the run around for no darn good reason. I won't go into that personally, because I am going to post links that far better explain that situation than I could (read the links!). I just want to say how awful it is that this is happening the Morningland Dairy. Emily Dickson, a member of the family that owns Morningland, is a wonderful person. I know her through the forum, and she has given me and several others helpful advice for their goats more times than I can count. She is extremely knowledgable and takes good care of her animals. Not to mention the fact that, in 30 years of business, their raw milk cheeses have never made anyone sick, they've always been 100% legal, and  the cheese is DELICIOUS. Yes, I have had it, and it was the BEST! Their dairy is making wonderful, healthy food items and is being basically attacked because of it. It seems that the government always wants to hurt the little guy, but lets Mr. Big Britches KILL CHILDREN with contaminated and unsafe food before they even recall it (watch Food Inc if you don't believe me. A child died from eating contaminated meat that wasn't recalled until 16 days after the death of the child! It's so ridiculous...but I must digress, before I start ranting.) The major food industry is in the pocket of the government, and so the little guy who does his/her best to make wholesome, safe food is prosecuted because Uncle Sam thinks it's his right to tell us what we should and should not eat. I 100% believe that the only reasons this is happening to Morningland is because they offer raw (and therefore more healthy) milk products, and they are one of the little guys. My heart hurts for them and the nine families that are supported by this dairy. 
    Anyways, if you can't donate to them to help, please keep them in your prayers, write the people "in charge," do whatever you can to support Emily, Morningland, and the others like them.


Links:  

About the Situation: http://www.newswithviews.com/Hannes/doreen107.htm

Morningland's Website - http://morninglanddairy.webs.com/apps/blog/

About Raw Milk - http://www.rawmilk.org/default.php

http://realmilk.com/

Now, what I am reposting - Lets have a Cheese Party!

"Sponsor A Cheese, Save A Dairy!

---

I'll assume most of us are aware of the assault against Morningland Dairy that began back in August, and has resulted in anti-raw milk pencil pushers (and toadies of corporate dairy concerns) demanding that the dairy destroy all their cheese in stock (SIX MONTHS WORTH OF PRODUCT!) -- despite the fact that all FDA testing done at the dairy proved that there is absolutely NO contamination of their healthy food.

So... I had an idea. Here's what I am going to do, and if you'd like to do the same, I certainly encourage you to join the Un-Cheese Party!

Here's the low down:
If Morningland can't sell the cheese because the Missouri Milk Board and the FDA are against wholesome food, they may well lose their business which has been in operation for THIRTY YEARS. (And through all those years they are able to boast that NO ONE has EVER been made ill by their cheese!)

I'm not going to let that happen if I can help it.

I'm going to "sponsor" a few pounds of that embargoed cheese. I invite anyone else who is interested to join me in our

CYBER-SPACE UN-CHEESE PARTY!

There are 50,000 pounds of cheese slated for destruction. This is not counting the cheese destroyed due to the recall.

Here's how to SPONSOR A CHEESE:

The average price per pound is $5.

You can paypal a donation to

morningland@centurytel.net

Or, you can send your sponsorship checks or money orders directly to the dairy. Just let them know what the money is for, and a note of encouragement would certainly be appreciated.
Morningland Dairy
6248 County Road 2980
Mountain View, MO
65548

Now, folks, this is a PARTY, so INVITE YOUR FRIENDS, your neighbors, your mere acquaintances to join us!

Plaster the message on other boards you frequent, put it on your Facebook Status, make a YouTube video and hey! maybe it'll go viral!

We have to stand together as raw milk consumers and producers, or we WILL see the day where we can't even grow food for our own consumption!

(see the thread, "Another threat against raw milk" for sample letters to write to your politicians to make an even bigger impact.)

Let's get Morningland back on its feet -

SAVE THE CHEESE!!!"

Thank you, Pony from Homesteadingtoday.com, for thinking of this AWESOME idea! Please guys, pray for this family at the very least! Repost! Link to this! Write! Donate! Do something, please!! 

- Rach in Wonderland...at least until even just owning your own dairy animals is made illegal!

C'mon, Clara!

    I cleaned out the kidding stall and moved Clara into it today. I have been putting that off as long as possible - I hate having to lock them away for kidding, away from their "friends," the guardians, the outdoors. Therefore, I put it off until I felt it was no longer safe to do so. Her udder is filling out a little more each day (it's not really FULL and tight yet), her ligaments are loosening but not gone (at least, as far as I can tell), and it looks like she's swallowed several basketballs and a small child. I'm keeping a really close eye on her - I do NOT want to miss her kidding. I do wish she would hurry up, though! On the one hand, I realize that it is still very hot out during the day, but on the other hand...well, I just want to be able to stop worrying about it! Haha. The temperatures are supposed to start being more comfortable next week, so maybe she'll kid then. That would be ideal, but you know how goats are - they never want to do what you want them to. ;) 
    I really do feel for her being moved to the stall, though. I know a lot of people allow their goats to give birth in the pasture, but I don't feel like that is the safest option here. Maybe one day, when I have a separate pen strictly for new mothers and their kids like I plan to, that might be an option - or I would at least give them the option of kidding outside if they wanted. It's out of the question right now, though. I don't want any does kidding in a pen with other does who aren't also late in the family way, because they might be more inclined to butt the newborn kids. I also don't want her kidding near Lakota. I think that Mellow would be fine, but Lakota is still a puppy and might try to play with a kid - that would not end well, as I'm sure you can guess. In the end, I feel that it's best to have control over the kidding environment by putting the does in the stall(s) in the barn. It definitely lessens the risks. Clara was displeased, though, which I expected. She didn't want to leave the fence, and she didn't like being in the stall. She isn't completely alone, though - Rumor and  Trouble are next door. They don't have access to the same areas, but they can see and touch each other through a gate. I would never want her to be completely alone (or any of them, for that matter). I am going to have to switch around that arrangement soon, though, now that I know Rumor is not pregnant (via blood test). I also need to get electric fencing around the buck pen so I can keep the whether inside of it...oy. It seems like sometimes, no matter how much I get done, there is still so much left to do! I can't wait until my list of outdoor improvements/changes come down to nothing more than normal, everyday chores. That might be a while though....
    I really hope Clara kids soon! I'm itching for some babies - it has been way too long since I've had any! I'm also itching to put my milking stand to it's intended use! I can't wait for that sweet, rich milk! And the cheese and yogurt I intend to make from it....mmmm, yummy! I finally bought my Maggidan's Milker (http://maggidans.com/milker.htm) today. It is/was actually a birthday present that I just hadn't got around to ordering yet. I still plan to learn to hand milk, which I have never done before, but I knew that with classes, possibly small teats (I expect that more out of my first fresheners than Clara), beginner milking does, and a beginner milking human that I would need some help making things go faster. Also, the milker will allow me to keep the milk clean and away from kicking hooves! None of my girls have been milked extensively (I believe Clara has been milked some, but not a lot), and I don't want to loose that precious milk to a kicky doe. I still haven't figured out how I am going to work my milking schedule. I have one very early "night" class that would require me to milk around 3:00pm just to give myself enough time, and the other night class would require me to milk around 4:00pm for enough time...Of course, you are supposed to milk on a steady schedule for the best production, which would mean milking at 3:00am and 3:00pm every day! Now, aside from the obvious reasons that wouldn't work, I have no electricity in my barn, so I have to milk during the daylight hours. What I think is going to happen is that I will have to milk only once a day, around 7:30 in the morning. I am disappointed that I will only be able to milk once a day, because that will cut down on the production, but it is better than the alternatives. I hope I can work my schedule out better next semester for milking. 
    Well, I have rambled on enough! I hope everyone is having a great week!
-Rach in Wonderland

Just Another Manic Monday

    Alright, my Mondays aren't really manic. I don't particularly like Mondays, simply because they are the start of the school week, and the end of the weekend. Poor Monday really can't help where it was placed in the week - but that doesn't make us like it any more. Regardless of what day it is, I am not looking forward to my classes this week. That's not why I am writing, though! 

    I am actually writing because I have finally uploaded the pictures of my chicken's new digs, which I actually finished on Friday.  I am pretty proud of our little A-farm chicken house. It is holding 11 youngsters (I forget their exact age - I would have to look it up) with room to spare. I feel that it could comfortably hold a couple of Midget White turkeys (yes - I have been getting ideas) if moved frequently - which it will be regardless of what is in it, or a flock of maybe 4-6 standard hens or a few more bantams. You can see in the picture that is has large triangular sections. You can see two clearly in the picture, and it has four altogether. Hopefully that can give you some sort of an idea of it's size. It's current little mixed flock will be residing within it until they are at least 1/2-3/4 the size of my Rhode Island Reds, at which point they will be integrated into that flock. Unfortunately, the prettiest colored Easter Eggers turned out to be a roo, or at least was acting like one toward the Australorp. I'm going to have to give the roosters a space of their own. I want to have hatching eggs this Spring, and I want them to be purebred - since I have Buff Orps, RIR, and EE, this means that I will have to have a rooster of each breed. That, of course, means that I will have to have the roosters separate until I want hatching eggs.  That reminds me - one of my RIR hens went broody two weeks ago! That means that - with any luck - I should have a clutch of RIR chicks hatching out around this Saturday, which will be the three week mark.                                                     

I am already anxiously awaiting next Spring, when I will be starting to sell eggs. I will be having regular eggs for $2.00/doz. Actually, to be more accurate, I plan on charging $2.50 for the first time buyer, and then $2.00 for repeat purchases if they bring back the egg carton. The extra .50 cents is to cover the costs of the egg carton if it is not brought back. It is actually illegal to re-use another brand's egg carton, so that is a necessary expense. I'm really hoping to get up a client base that I can get to know, and who will bring back the cartons. I feel like there is a big enough market for farm-fresh, cage-free, healthy, all-natural eggs for me to be able to sell enough to cover the expenses of the chickens. My laying hens are fed a completely hormone and antibiotic free diet, and a vegetarian layer crumble [I don't prevent them from eating all the bugs they want, of course. ;) ] Their eggs are definitely healthy, flavorful, and worth at least $2.00. 
    I also really hope to start a booth at the local farmer's market next Spring to sell my eggs and soaps, as well as a few crafts. I would also really like to get a certified kitchen to sell my jams and jellies at the market. 2010 held great things for Wonderland (like chickens!), and I just know that 2011 is going to be even better! I'm actually hoping to expand into honey bees next Spring also, as well as meat chickens and turkeys. Maybe I am just ambitious, but I really hope that it will work out that way! The meat chickens are a definite must, and I would probably choose turkeys over bees, but I really hope to have all three! I just love delicious, fresh honey, and I think honey bees are adorable. Not to mention the anti-bacterial and anti-allergy properties of honey, or the fact that it is a natural sweetener! I would love to have enough honey to offer some to the local public (local honey is the best for allergies), as well as to eat myself, and use in my soaps and on my face (it is very good for the skin).

    Anyways, you can see in the picture to the left that the chicks are very happy to finally be out of the "brooder" and on the grass! The ones to the left are all rolling around on the ground taking dust-baths. I'm very glad they no longer need the heat lamp, especially considering the night that the storm caused the heat lamp bulb to burst (it got wet), which in turn cut one of the Buff's back above the tail, which unfortunately led to pecking. The affected Buff is actually the one standing near the feeder in the picture. You can see where he/she is missing some feathers still where it was cut and then pecked. Vaseline stopped the pecking and helped it heal, but it is still taking awhile for the feathers to grow back. I'll be glad when it's completely better!  
    I hope that you all like the layout of the pictures in this blog. I have previously had all the pictures in a straight line at the end of the blog, but I thought that this might make it more interesting! 
    I hope you all are having a great Manic Monday!
- Rach in Wonderland

Hopeful Master Gardener-To-Be!

    I was reading a small local newspaper today - which very rarely happens, and was only occurring this time because of an anthropology assignment - when I stumbled upon a small ad in the bottom left hand corner of one page. This ad began with "NEW CLASSES" and went on to explain that the University of Tennessee is offering a Master Gardener class this Spring in my area. I tore the ad out of the paper, showed it to my parents, and then gave it an honored spot on the 'fridge - rough edges and all. I have to turn in an application to by October 1, 2010, and if I am accepted, I will be a Master Gardener after a 15 week course starting in January! I am excited about this, because I love to learn. There are so many things that I eventually want to learn or have some sort of formal training in, or have a degree for, or be certified for...well, you get the idea! I just love to learn as much as I can. I believe that knowledge is very important; after all, knowledge is power! In any case, I also think that the knowledge I will glean from this course will be helpful to my homesteading. As soon as I know if I'm accepted to the course, I'll let you know! (Here I've been talking about it like I'm already in, when I haven't even sent in an application! =p) 
    Oh, I would also like to add that, after further research, becoming a Master Gardener might open up a lot of doors for me, either to help others or even just to participate in fun things. Check it out for yourself! - http://mastergardener.tennessee.edu/index_whatis_mastergardener.html

-Rach in Wonderland

Multiple Blogs? Nah.

    I have noticed a trend among some fellow bloggers. It seems that a lot of them have multiple blogs. For example, someone might have a blog dedicated to life in general, a blog for their farm, a blog for their quilting hobby, and a blog about their opinions. I thought briefly about doing that myself, especially since my current blog is named "Wonderland Farm," which some might say molds my blog to fit one topic. After a bit of thought, I don't find that to be the case. This blog is about my farm, yes, but it is also about my life. My farm is a huge part of my life, so it gets blogged about a lot. However, I see no reason why I can't spice up my blog a bit by posting pictures from a fair, or talking about a hobby, or any other part of my life. This is my blog, after all. I also would want any readers that I might have to feel like they had to seek out every other blog I had and follow them in order to get a good picture of what my life is really like. I also think that no one wants to read a blog that is just about say, goats. Yes, goat antics are interesting, but lets be honest - sometimes there really is nothing new to say about my goats, my chickens, or even the farm itself. That would get so old for someone to read. I imagine it would go something like this; "Ariel bit my shirt again! Oh, the hens layed an egg! The chicks eat a lot." See? Not very interesting - at least not to anyone who isn't me. No, I would rather blog about interesting updates on the farm, mixed in with the rest of my life. Yes, homesteading is a huge priority to me, but so are things like school, family, God, hobbies, and just life in general. If you narrow down your entire life to make it only about one segment of it, your life - and your blog! - will get boring pretty fast. 
    I hope that y'all don't mind this blog being about more than my homestead. If you do, well, that's too bad! What can I say, this is my one blog, and it is about my one life - all the various parts of it. =)

Chicks No More!

    I realized that I haven't updated about the chicks lately. Well, they're hardly chicks anymore! They have grown so much - it's amazing. The Easter Eggers are just beautiful. There is one that is a blue color with red on the wings, and Speckles is now speckled almost all over. The others are very pretty, also. The Buffs in particular are feathering out nicely, and are so rich in color and soft looking. We did lose one of the Black Australorps, unfortunately. I won't go into detail here, but he/she had to be put down. It was the first time I've had to make the decision that it would be best to put down an animal. It wasn't easy, but I am confident that we did the right thing. Death is something that has to be dealt with when you homestead.
    The other eleven chicks are thriving! They quickly outgrew their box in the bathroom, and have now outgrown their above-ground hutch, their fan, and their heat lamp. We are in the process of building them a portable ground coop. It is an A-frame structure designed to be moved every week or two in order to give them fresh grass and bugs. All that is left for it is to attach wire, tin, and a door. Once they outgrow it, they will be moved to the adult layer's pen. The A-frame will be used later on as a brooder for meat birds. Once the construction is complete and the chicks are moved, I will post pictures! 
    In the mean time, enjoy a few pictures from the Tennessee State Fair! Would you believe we spent four hours there?

-Rach in Wonderland

Picture Time!

The bowl obviously doesn't fit, but hey, I was making do with what I had. 

Hello, September!

    As some of you may know, I celebrated my birthday September 3rd. My birthday is a welcome day for me, not just because it's my birthday, but because it also signals the end of Summer. How fitting for me, the lover of all things Autumn, to be born at the beginning of my favorite season! The air has held a slight chill during the evenings and mornings, and even on a few rainy days lately. The skies have been overcast more often. The temperature and humidity have markedly dropped. The first leaves have also started to turn, as well as soybeans and cotton. It's glorious! 
    Another thing that my birthday comes along with the beginning of is school. Children - both home schooled as I was and the public and private school attenders - are once again turning their minds to their studies. "In fourteen hundred-ninety two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue." College kids like myself have also begun the semester. My classes keep me fairly busy, even though one was canceled too late for me to find a replacement for it (Summer classes are in my future...oh, great!). I live in fear this time of year that some emergency on my "farm" will make me miss one of my once-a-week night classes. It's not as big of a problem for the classes that meet more often and longer, but if I missed one of the seven week classes, I could fail if my professor was unforgiving. Here's hoping none of the goats choose one of those nights to kid! Yikes! I should probably rethink seven week courses the next time I have does due to kid, but I do love only have seven - albeit very long - classes. 
    In other news, no one has kidded yet. Clara has been developing an udder for a while now, so I am thinking that she will be going first. Pictures will be posted within 24 hours of any births! I can't wait. I also received a metal milking stand for my birthday - pictures will be posted soon. IT is so helpful with things like trimming hooves! Yesterday my mother and I shucked, blanched, creamed, and froze 5 and 1/2 dozen ears of corn straight from Wisconsin. The ears were beautiful and delicious, and not a single one was skippy! I hope we have an opportunity to buy some Wisconsin corn next year. The South may be known for farming, but I have to admit that the North has us beat as far as Sweet Corn goes. There is one more bit of exciting news. I also received a new buckling for my birthday! I was planning on bringing home an adult, but I fell in love with "Trouble's" dam, and Trouble himself. Introducing Chinook Winds Wild America (name pending). 

    The pictures below are of my birthday dinner and the corn. On my birthday, my grandparents, parents, Sarah, and I had Indian food for the first time. It was SO delicious! Afterwards, we had ice cream cake at my grandmother's.

 -Rach in Wonderland