Boarders I have known have been sometimes wonderful, kind people, and then some ? Amazingly odd- and their horses were almost as odd. I find that horses tend to pattern themselves after whomever they see as "boss"- and so often it's a human. In this day of highly domesticated equines- they turn to us as an example of what is 'normal' in their lives. Sometimes they are absolutely nutty- like their owners are.
Being high 'flight or fight' instinct ruled, horses will look to someone else to 'see' a monster coming.Or they'll rely on themselves to see 'danger' coming. Be it a wild goose, or Heron flying over, a baby bunny or a piece of paper fluttering across a trail... the horse is ever on the alert. 40 million years of being 'meals' for predators have created a very watchful animal.
Thus horses, when being ridden or handled by us, look to us for guidance. If a human is lacking confidence, the horse will be too. If their human is confident and knowledgeable, then the horse attempts that too. Ever see a horse who's scared of his own shadow when being led by one person- yet, relaxed and easy going when led by another ?
A prime example...was one person who boarded at my barn one year. She was scared of the horse she owned.As a result, her horse, when being handled by it's owner, looked for things to be scared of. What the owner Didn't realize was that her horse was feeding off her emotions. He didn't know it was He that she was frightened of, only that she was frightened, so he was being ever watchful . And oh boy, did he ever find some scary things around the farm !
I have seen scared, spooky horses handled by confident trainers eventually behave as their humans do. It takes time to build that inner confidence in a horse, and you have to know HOW to correctly- but I have seen it happen over and over again. I have one mare living here now who came here scared of anything she didn't understand. She would run/ kick/ bite and ask questions later. Just last night, I was letting her pasturemate go into her stall, and this mare stopped to visit with one of my Percheron mares while waiting to enter her stall. Well, this big mare was eating her dinner, and we All know how important FOOD is. The Percheron mare squealed, stomped her foot- ears back,etc.... General negative posturing : " Get outta here ! THIS is MY dinner !!" The little bay mare squealed right back in surprise and fear-- and threw a Big kick out behind her. I had to yell at her for reacting as she did and that next time, NONE of that behavior.
Will it happen again ? Sure will because this bay mare was used to being low horse on the pecking order of her former herd. She had to fight to protect her hay, and was so thin when she moved here. She's getting better with each mishap, and she's learning that I (being the Boss Mare here) won't tolerate that kind of thing.
So we have to try to have confident animals who are learning to not rely so much on those 40 million years of ingrained instinct, but to stop and consider if that bunny really IS going to attack them......
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Peeps outside...
They had their first day out, and have been out ever since. Mind you- in a small enclosure so the horses don't step on them and the cats don't have tasty little snacks, but out just the same. These little chicks are incredibly small- being Bantam chickens... so I'm protecting them till they get a little larger.
Below are some pics I took:
So far, they're all healthy, happy little babies and Emmi is doing a SUPER mama job !
Below are some pics I took:
So far, they're all healthy, happy little babies and Emmi is doing a SUPER mama job !
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Peep Patrol
Today I was unloading a truck ( chick feed/ rat poison) when I heard a loud
'PEEEEEPPPPP!!!' Coming from the hen house. I dashed up there, well as fast as one can dash in 95 degree sunshine, and found that Emmi had chosen today to take her family for a walk. It was working real well. There were peeps in other nests ( lord knows how they got There) , peeps on the floor of the hen house and one peep sitting quietly , waiting for it's mama to decide what is happening.... I didn't quite know What to do. If they went outside, horses might squish them, or something ( barn catz) could have chicks for dinner. That's when Emmi decided it was to crowded in the hen house, and stepped through the small side exit.
Peeps panic all Over the place !
" omg- mama has disappeared- NOW what do we do !?!?!" Emmi sticks her head back in , clucking to them. I never knew little teeny 2 day old chicks could leap as these did. They all ( peeping all the while) climbed up to the big step, and hopped down to be with their mama. Now there were 7 chickens wandering about under wild violets, in tall grass, and one of them didn't quite know how to be a chicken mom.
I began trying to scoop up little bantam chicks, trying NOT to squish any under a blade of grass.. Emmi was all upset, and kept clucking to her babies, who peeped back Loudly ! Finally we all ended up in the front of the hen house. They all settled down as mama took a dirt bath. < whew>
Got some small holed chicken wire, fastened it to the chick pen I had originally used for Emmi and the hens when they were a week old. BIG difference between 2 day old Bantam chicks n' week old ' fat farm hen' breeds. The little buggars slipped right through the big holes where I hadn't hadn't had time to attach the smaller wire to. Finally got That done just as Emmi was getting done with her bath in the dirt. The little baby pen was looped around the front of the hen house, and all was well with mama and her babes. Got them a teeny waterer, and some chick feed ( remember- I was just taking that into the tack room ?) and tossed it out for them to eat. Little teeny chicks sure are super fast at copying what mama hen does. It wasn't long til they were all tuckered out , all but falling asleep in the chick starter.....
This evening, I took the small dog crate up, filled with fresh hay. I added the old nest where they had all hatched on top. ( No clue if that made a bit of difference at all, but dogs like that. ;) With a plastic square, I herded the babies out of their corner ( scared babies- I must look like a Giant to them) and held them down to Emmi's height, so she'd see where they were being put. Not a problem at all- she walked over, checked out the four already in there, and stepped in, turned around to wait for me to place the other two in with her.
Now they're safe and secure, and nothing will bother the little ones . Tomorrow- they can once again go outside in their little "playpen" and explore. Emmi might enjoy some cucumber skin, as the rest of my hens will, I am sure.
This is the first time I've done this with hens- and don't plan on doing it again. Whew.... Lots of work being an Gramma.
'PEEEEEPPPPP!!!' Coming from the hen house. I dashed up there, well as fast as one can dash in 95 degree sunshine, and found that Emmi had chosen today to take her family for a walk. It was working real well. There were peeps in other nests ( lord knows how they got There) , peeps on the floor of the hen house and one peep sitting quietly , waiting for it's mama to decide what is happening.... I didn't quite know What to do. If they went outside, horses might squish them, or something ( barn catz) could have chicks for dinner. That's when Emmi decided it was to crowded in the hen house, and stepped through the small side exit.
Peeps panic all Over the place !
" omg- mama has disappeared- NOW what do we do !?!?!" Emmi sticks her head back in , clucking to them. I never knew little teeny 2 day old chicks could leap as these did. They all ( peeping all the while) climbed up to the big step, and hopped down to be with their mama. Now there were 7 chickens wandering about under wild violets, in tall grass, and one of them didn't quite know how to be a chicken mom.
I began trying to scoop up little bantam chicks, trying NOT to squish any under a blade of grass.. Emmi was all upset, and kept clucking to her babies, who peeped back Loudly ! Finally we all ended up in the front of the hen house. They all settled down as mama took a dirt bath. < whew>
Got some small holed chicken wire, fastened it to the chick pen I had originally used for Emmi and the hens when they were a week old. BIG difference between 2 day old Bantam chicks n' week old ' fat farm hen' breeds. The little buggars slipped right through the big holes where I hadn't hadn't had time to attach the smaller wire to. Finally got That done just as Emmi was getting done with her bath in the dirt. The little baby pen was looped around the front of the hen house, and all was well with mama and her babes. Got them a teeny waterer, and some chick feed ( remember- I was just taking that into the tack room ?) and tossed it out for them to eat. Little teeny chicks sure are super fast at copying what mama hen does. It wasn't long til they were all tuckered out , all but falling asleep in the chick starter.....
This evening, I took the small dog crate up, filled with fresh hay. I added the old nest where they had all hatched on top. ( No clue if that made a bit of difference at all, but dogs like that. ;) With a plastic square, I herded the babies out of their corner ( scared babies- I must look like a Giant to them) and held them down to Emmi's height, so she'd see where they were being put. Not a problem at all- she walked over, checked out the four already in there, and stepped in, turned around to wait for me to place the other two in with her.
Now they're safe and secure, and nothing will bother the little ones . Tomorrow- they can once again go outside in their little "playpen" and explore. Emmi might enjoy some cucumber skin, as the rest of my hens will, I am sure.
This is the first time I've done this with hens- and don't plan on doing it again. Whew.... Lots of work being an Gramma.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
A new family at WoodFinn
Emmi's eggs have hatched ! All but one is now a fluffy little bantam easter egger. Healthy and happy- full of peeps and staggering about. I went up to check on Emmi this AM when I was feeding the horses, and there was a chick. I almost couldn't believe it ! But there it was.... I checked the rest and there was another one " pipping" ( working it's way out of the shell)
So by this evening, all but one are done. The last one is still working on getting born. Emmi's being a wonderful mama hen. It amazes me time and time again, how living creatures seem to Know what to do. Instinct is a great thing to have- and use. Humans so often don't.... but chickens ? Sure enough, THEY do.
Be prepared for lots more updates on Emmi & her new family. In the meantime- here's a couple of photos I took this evening. But first- this is the very first chick that hatched this AM :
So by this evening, all but one are done. The last one is still working on getting born. Emmi's being a wonderful mama hen. It amazes me time and time again, how living creatures seem to Know what to do. Instinct is a great thing to have- and use. Humans so often don't.... but chickens ? Sure enough, THEY do.
Be prepared for lots more updates on Emmi & her new family. In the meantime- here's a couple of photos I took this evening. But first- this is the very first chick that hatched this AM :
Emmi and her new family....
Thursday, July 21, 2011
A New Road.... or Tar n' Chips ! 7.21.2011
Our little road that goes past our house has been in need of serious repair over the years. Patching has happened, but it got to the point where it simply needed to be fixed. Bumpy, sloped in odd places and just looking like some kind of old cow path it was. In fact, I thought to myself just earlier this week how the road really needed some proper care.
Yesterday- lo' and behold, I heard some truck noises outside. It was So hot that I had been keeping the front curtains closed to help keep it cooler inside. I peered out the window and felt like a crazy person doing it. You know- the kind in the scary movies ? She peers out of her room upstairs to see who has arrived, and to plot terrible things happening to them ? Well, I did peer, but so far, I'm not crazy :)
This is what was happening :Tar and chips were being laid down !!!
Yesterday- lo' and behold, I heard some truck noises outside. It was So hot that I had been keeping the front curtains closed to help keep it cooler inside. I peered out the window and felt like a crazy person doing it. You know- the kind in the scary movies ? She peers out of her room upstairs to see who has arrived, and to plot terrible things happening to them ? Well, I did peer, but so far, I'm not crazy :)
This is what was happening :Tar and chips were being laid down !!!
So ''YAYYYYYYYYYYY''
for the township guys in taking good care of this little road !!
You rock, guys !
Sunday, July 10, 2011
7/10/2011 Emmi & her Eggs
I got a photo of Emmi setting on her eggs-thanks to my pal, Shanna ! Here's Emmi- she has 8 'bantam easter egger' eggs to care for. Tonight I'll make my first attempt at 'candling' them to see if they're fertile or not.
This little hen is doing a superb job with being a brand new mama-to-be. She only gets off her nest one time daily. She takes a healthy dirt bath, gets something to eat, and drink, catches some tasty bugs, and she's back on her nest. Mother Nature sure created some wonderful instincts in these chickens !
Here's Emmi:
This little hen is doing a superb job with being a brand new mama-to-be. She only gets off her nest one time daily. She takes a healthy dirt bath, gets something to eat, and drink, catches some tasty bugs, and she's back on her nest. Mother Nature sure created some wonderful instincts in these chickens !
Here's Emmi:
I imagine I'll have to begin putting a small dish of water / food in a corner so she can have something to drink all day long. It's supposed to be HOT the next few days here, so she'll appreciate that.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Emmi wants to be a Mommy
7.3.2011
It seems I now have a hen who wants to sit on eggs in order that they hatch and she will have babies to care for.... only trouble is that we have only Non-fertile eggs here now. Aiden, the Dominique rooster, got very bad natured and jumped at some of the kids who come to visit here at our farm. THAT was against ALL rules, so he got three chances to behave- and didn't. So Aiden found a new home, and there are 6 hens here . This is actually what I wanted in the first place... six fat farm type hens. After a LOT of roosters finding homes, and loosing a couple, I am now to where I want.
Emmi, my little Light Brahma hen, how ever has chosen to go 'broody'. She's been trying to sit on some eggs, but none are ever going to become anything but rotten. So, I sent a plea out to a friend of mine who has many different types of chickens- AND Roosters! Ahhhhhhhh- fertile eggs for my little hen to' set ' on. So tomorrow, they will arrive here and we'll see what Emmi thinks of her future chicks to be. I'll try to get a picture of Emmi in her nest- sans fertile eggs this afternoon.....
It seems I now have a hen who wants to sit on eggs in order that they hatch and she will have babies to care for.... only trouble is that we have only Non-fertile eggs here now. Aiden, the Dominique rooster, got very bad natured and jumped at some of the kids who come to visit here at our farm. THAT was against ALL rules, so he got three chances to behave- and didn't. So Aiden found a new home, and there are 6 hens here . This is actually what I wanted in the first place... six fat farm type hens. After a LOT of roosters finding homes, and loosing a couple, I am now to where I want.
Emmi, my little Light Brahma hen, how ever has chosen to go 'broody'. She's been trying to sit on some eggs, but none are ever going to become anything but rotten. So, I sent a plea out to a friend of mine who has many different types of chickens- AND Roosters! Ahhhhhhhh- fertile eggs for my little hen to' set ' on. So tomorrow, they will arrive here and we'll see what Emmi thinks of her future chicks to be. I'll try to get a picture of Emmi in her nest- sans fertile eggs this afternoon.....
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