Ok this is the about the fifth morning in a row with temps in the upper to mid 20s.
Brrrrr!!!
Dang, time to start thinking about digging out the serious winter gear here. When it snowed the other day and I had to be outside for about four hours, I could only find my worn out pair of winter boots-time for a new, warmer pair :)
So as I am breaking ice this morning, I was regretting not getting the tank heaters installed. This is something my husband normally does, but truthfully, it usually is not this cold this early-and neither one of us thought we'd need them until towards the end of the month. I will be getting those up and working this weekend for sure, to take advantage of the higher temperatures to come.
The time spent outdoors this week was educational, at the least. Most importantly, I learned that my horse has developed a heart murmur. I know for a fact (at least, I did not hear it using my own stethescope) it wasn't there last fall, so this is a relatively new thing. It is a thump thump-whisssshhhh sound, and I was told this is a faulty valve on the upper chamber. Since his overall circulation is outwardly good, there may be nothing to worry about. But it is significant, of course.
It is not likely to cause damage to the heart muscle itself-which could lead to serious complications down the road. I have heard other heart murmurs in horses before, but nothing quite like this one....most were worse, in fact. And most of those horses lived lengthy lives too-so I remain somewhat optomistic as to what this means for his future. On the other hand, if the valve gives, I will end up with a horse with basically and "enlarged heart", for the most part.
So then we talked about-how did this happen? And this is the most likely cause: When my horse dropped a molar about a year and a half ago, that tooth was likely abcessed. Even though we did not see any outward evidence of it, that probably caused the bacteria to migrate-and just like small dogs, it landed in the valves. I have not had a chance to do much research on this yet, but of course that is high on my list over the next couple of days.
Interesting, isn't it? Always something new to learn, even if the lesson is scary ;)
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Heating up and cooling down!
The events of the past week or so, have left me a little adrift. Unless you live under a rock, you have heard about the "financial crises" on Wall Street, the first bail out plan which did not pass, and the second, pork filled one which did. Oh joy, each residents' portion of the national debt is now something like 80 grand!
And if you have been checking your retirement and investment portfolios, you have no doubt seen a substantial loss. I haven't. Wanna know why? I am afraid to look! LOL, I am in it for the long haul, and there is no way I am going to try to micromanage my retirement-that's what the professionals do quite well. I presume they are about to go bargain hunting, once the market settles out.
Of course, the entire global financial markets reflect Wall Street....I read a great line yesterday that said: Wall Street gets a cold, the world catches pneumonia.
Nice to see the price of oil dropping too. I hope that too, finds its center and stabilizes for a while. I also hope the price of shipping products to Alaska does not continue to rise-Many people who ship are upset that the fuel surcharges just keep going up and up, when bunker fuel (which most cargo ships burn) drops in price. Always paying through the nose up here, aren't we?
Of course I am sure you regular readers are wondering: What's that got to do with horses?
Well, check out this link:
http://fuglyhorseoftheday.blogspot.com/2008/10/how-bad-does-it-have-to-get-before-they.html
This is a noteworthy report of a couple of horse auctions recently. The prices and the outcomes are not for the tender hearted-the prices are rock bottom, and I have a hunch its only going to get worse down there as the economy tanks. Joe at TBFriends yesterday had on a report from a kill buyer, that the KB had been out driving around and saw some neglected horses in a small lot. Stopped, offered $200 for the four of them, and bought them-they are already en route to Canada for processing. That's $50 each, two year olds, otherwise healthy. No training or handling of course, so the KB just round penned them into his trailer and they were gone. The thing is, this is happening all over the US, not just the coasts-low end auctions where some are given away, horses are being let loose to fend for themselves, abandoned because auctions are now not the way to even get your gas money and fees back. Too expensive to euthanize, never mind dispose of the remains...this is a very bad time in America for horses.
I don't know if I am relieved we don't have an auction here in Alaska, or not. Yes, we really do need some central way to to put buyers and sellers together that does not cost a fortune and is held regularly. I have toyed with the idea myself off an on for at least six years....a place where all livestock can be sold-either for nominal sum through an auction, or privately outside the ring. Say you pay $10, you have all day to sell your critter and if you don't, you just take it home. For ten bucks, people would bring their stock, I am sure-they could make their own deals for however much they can get. Showcase in the arena for performers or something special-$25 for three minutes, with reserves if they chose. Seems workable to me, but more than I could possibly manage on my own. And there is that little issue of location and insurance. I am sure it could be overcome but again, this is something I cannot manage working full time. No big percentages, no big fees for the day, make it something affordable and the people will come-and their animals too. There is no one central place to take cattle, goats, sheep, fowl of all kinds, llamas or alpacas, swine-no place at all.
That leaves Craigslist and the Alaska Horse Journal, plus bulletin boards, online groups and word of mouth-for a huge state with livestock scattered everywhere. Which is likely part of the reason for the very high prices we see today.
Here's a few examples that will leave you scratching your head:
A Fuglyhorseoftheday candidate: http://anchorage.craigslist.org/grd/869511537.html
I know the seller-eeks! http://anchorage.craigslist.org/grd/869848078.html
Here's a nice horse, but hooboy, the price tag! http://anchorage.craigslist.org/grd/868032924.html
Hmm, why would you breed for this? http://anchorage.craigslist.org/grd/867779927.html
Why would you email about these two? http://anchorage.craigslist.org/grd/867267246.html (You can't see anything of either)
And so on and so forth. Funny, the horses listed for under $1000, don't seem to stay on CL long, which means the true market is somewhere near that. Not to say there aren't some really nice horses that are reasonably priced-there are! But reasonable means something different to each of us-just go back and take a look at the auction reports to get an idea of where we are heading.....maybe?
So, do we need a regular, every two weeks auction up here, or not? Would it help the market find a firm footing, or just serve as a way to provide cheap dog food to our mushing community? Thoughts?
And if you have been checking your retirement and investment portfolios, you have no doubt seen a substantial loss. I haven't. Wanna know why? I am afraid to look! LOL, I am in it for the long haul, and there is no way I am going to try to micromanage my retirement-that's what the professionals do quite well. I presume they are about to go bargain hunting, once the market settles out.
Of course, the entire global financial markets reflect Wall Street....I read a great line yesterday that said: Wall Street gets a cold, the world catches pneumonia.
Nice to see the price of oil dropping too. I hope that too, finds its center and stabilizes for a while. I also hope the price of shipping products to Alaska does not continue to rise-Many people who ship are upset that the fuel surcharges just keep going up and up, when bunker fuel (which most cargo ships burn) drops in price. Always paying through the nose up here, aren't we?
Of course I am sure you regular readers are wondering: What's that got to do with horses?
Well, check out this link:
http://fuglyhorseoftheday.blogspot.com/2008/10/how-bad-does-it-have-to-get-before-they.html
This is a noteworthy report of a couple of horse auctions recently. The prices and the outcomes are not for the tender hearted-the prices are rock bottom, and I have a hunch its only going to get worse down there as the economy tanks. Joe at TBFriends yesterday had on a report from a kill buyer, that the KB had been out driving around and saw some neglected horses in a small lot. Stopped, offered $200 for the four of them, and bought them-they are already en route to Canada for processing. That's $50 each, two year olds, otherwise healthy. No training or handling of course, so the KB just round penned them into his trailer and they were gone. The thing is, this is happening all over the US, not just the coasts-low end auctions where some are given away, horses are being let loose to fend for themselves, abandoned because auctions are now not the way to even get your gas money and fees back. Too expensive to euthanize, never mind dispose of the remains...this is a very bad time in America for horses.
I don't know if I am relieved we don't have an auction here in Alaska, or not. Yes, we really do need some central way to to put buyers and sellers together that does not cost a fortune and is held regularly. I have toyed with the idea myself off an on for at least six years....a place where all livestock can be sold-either for nominal sum through an auction, or privately outside the ring. Say you pay $10, you have all day to sell your critter and if you don't, you just take it home. For ten bucks, people would bring their stock, I am sure-they could make their own deals for however much they can get. Showcase in the arena for performers or something special-$25 for three minutes, with reserves if they chose. Seems workable to me, but more than I could possibly manage on my own. And there is that little issue of location and insurance. I am sure it could be overcome but again, this is something I cannot manage working full time. No big percentages, no big fees for the day, make it something affordable and the people will come-and their animals too. There is no one central place to take cattle, goats, sheep, fowl of all kinds, llamas or alpacas, swine-no place at all.
That leaves Craigslist and the Alaska Horse Journal, plus bulletin boards, online groups and word of mouth-for a huge state with livestock scattered everywhere. Which is likely part of the reason for the very high prices we see today.
Here's a few examples that will leave you scratching your head:
A Fuglyhorseoftheday candidate: http://anchorage.craigslist.org/grd/869511537.html
I know the seller-eeks! http://anchorage.craigslist.org/grd/869848078.html
Here's a nice horse, but hooboy, the price tag! http://anchorage.craigslist.org/grd/868032924.html
Hmm, why would you breed for this? http://anchorage.craigslist.org/grd/867779927.html
Why would you email about these two? http://anchorage.craigslist.org/grd/867267246.html (You can't see anything of either)
And so on and so forth. Funny, the horses listed for under $1000, don't seem to stay on CL long, which means the true market is somewhere near that. Not to say there aren't some really nice horses that are reasonably priced-there are! But reasonable means something different to each of us-just go back and take a look at the auction reports to get an idea of where we are heading.....maybe?
So, do we need a regular, every two weeks auction up here, or not? Would it help the market find a firm footing, or just serve as a way to provide cheap dog food to our mushing community? Thoughts?
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
October 1st, already!
This morning was the fourth one in a row, that I walked under stars for morning feeding. Brilliant stars, the constellations glittered in the quiet of my footsteps. As usual, my first glance is towards the Big Dipper-and as always, I search for the North Star. The North Star is difficult to locate if it hasn't been pointed out to you before, and you wouldn't think it would be so faint-but it's there. And as always I wish I knew more about astronomy because I don't know the names-and that's something a parent should teach their children. I think I better go do some research on this topic.
Today was my father's birthday. Funny how you don't forget those things, isn't it? For years, as rather a joke, I would get the same things for this day, and he always chuckled with a twinkle in his eye when he opened them too. Traditions, very important and I am saddened that his passing in '87 will only be remembered by a few. He would have loved my son, truly, and would have gotten along well with my husband I am positive of that. As a sailor, he knew all the constellations and their origins-and sadly, I did not pay attention when I was a child.
Yes, I miss him dearly, and can easily envision his expressions and hear his voice (complete with original sayings too) in my mind. Dad, I am missing you today. Oh dear, I am melancholy, imagine that :(
Starry morning skies and sunny days make me hopeful that some local farmers got in a late second cutting-I know of only one so far, but it's promising that others are doing the same. Let's all hope for a bountiful cutting tucked into barns for the coming winter-we need it. In the meantime, vans continue to arrive and I continue to work like a dog arranging them and offloading. The grower called me yesterday and we spoke of the supply and the freight, of course. Next year will be much better for supply as he is adding another pivot for hay. And again, we lamented that there seems to be no affordable shop space in Wasilla proper for storage of extra hay. I would basically have to have for nearly free, and that is just not a possibility.
So, all the outside chores are done and we are ready for the first snows. The place is tidy even if the inside of the barn is it's usual disshevled mess. I think we'll work on that a bit tonight when I get home, it's time to dig out those stock tank heaters anyway. So far, the insulated tanks are doing well-no serious ice even at 26 degrees, but I know it's coming. I will need to install the heaters the next time the tanks are empty and due for cleaning.
Oh, small thing! I have been complaining about my chickens who roost (three of them, the three Aracuanas) up on the lower part of the trusses in the barn. So three are up top, and three remain down lower, perched on their wooden door. This morning everything was very quiet when I walked up-no crowing at all. Somewhat puzzled, I looked around for the three up high-since its that rooster that makes the racket. I didn't see them in their usual place just above the stall wall and I though-for a second-oh no, they're gone! About that time I heard a faint coo, and looked way up and over my shoulder-and there they were, crammed into a small space directly under the metal roof! I swear I do not know how they managed to get up there, but they did. Goofy birds, they are not going to be happy when they get penned in, are they?
Today was my father's birthday. Funny how you don't forget those things, isn't it? For years, as rather a joke, I would get the same things for this day, and he always chuckled with a twinkle in his eye when he opened them too. Traditions, very important and I am saddened that his passing in '87 will only be remembered by a few. He would have loved my son, truly, and would have gotten along well with my husband I am positive of that. As a sailor, he knew all the constellations and their origins-and sadly, I did not pay attention when I was a child.
Yes, I miss him dearly, and can easily envision his expressions and hear his voice (complete with original sayings too) in my mind. Dad, I am missing you today. Oh dear, I am melancholy, imagine that :(
Starry morning skies and sunny days make me hopeful that some local farmers got in a late second cutting-I know of only one so far, but it's promising that others are doing the same. Let's all hope for a bountiful cutting tucked into barns for the coming winter-we need it. In the meantime, vans continue to arrive and I continue to work like a dog arranging them and offloading. The grower called me yesterday and we spoke of the supply and the freight, of course. Next year will be much better for supply as he is adding another pivot for hay. And again, we lamented that there seems to be no affordable shop space in Wasilla proper for storage of extra hay. I would basically have to have for nearly free, and that is just not a possibility.
So, all the outside chores are done and we are ready for the first snows. The place is tidy even if the inside of the barn is it's usual disshevled mess. I think we'll work on that a bit tonight when I get home, it's time to dig out those stock tank heaters anyway. So far, the insulated tanks are doing well-no serious ice even at 26 degrees, but I know it's coming. I will need to install the heaters the next time the tanks are empty and due for cleaning.
Oh, small thing! I have been complaining about my chickens who roost (three of them, the three Aracuanas) up on the lower part of the trusses in the barn. So three are up top, and three remain down lower, perched on their wooden door. This morning everything was very quiet when I walked up-no crowing at all. Somewhat puzzled, I looked around for the three up high-since its that rooster that makes the racket. I didn't see them in their usual place just above the stall wall and I though-for a second-oh no, they're gone! About that time I heard a faint coo, and looked way up and over my shoulder-and there they were, crammed into a small space directly under the metal roof! I swear I do not know how they managed to get up there, but they did. Goofy birds, they are not going to be happy when they get penned in, are they?
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Today, a raving ramble
Sometimes, you just have to wonder what is going through a persons' mind when they put their horses on the market.
There are so many examples online across the nation, it's a tragedy-or a comedy, take your pick. We are not immune to this up here either, weirdness abounds. I'd like to say it's because the brains are fried under the Midnight Sun, but alas, with our cloudy summer this excuse doesn't apply.
Yesterday, I was chuckling when I read an ad on Craigslist for an "Appalussa" horse for sale. I was mildly interested so clicked on the ad and no information as to age, sex or height was included. A few hours later the ad was revised to include a lousy picture, age of 7, and a mare who seemingly has done quite a lot. Topped off by a cowboy in large hat, chaps or chinks, white shirt and vest *rolls eyes* The gear was so big and the photo so poor, you couldn't see anything of the horse for sale. Priced at $3500, well over the going market.
We have some locals attempting to downsize for whatever reason....money, hay supply, lost interest-there are as many reasons to sell a horse as there are people, and few are doing a very good job of it.
One gal I know has 3 for sale....she attempts to get ads on CL regularly, and they just as quickly get flagged down. Its pretty obvious that both riding horses are very well trained, but someone has a vendetta against the seller so the ads are replaced about as quickly as they are flagged off. Unfortunately, her action shots don't show the horse(s) conformation well, are too distant for true assessment, and she uses the same ones over and over. Until she either adjusts hew asking price or works at better marketing photos, she will continue to feed them.
Another gal has a very pretty grulla mare for sale, and a grulla yearling filly. None of her sale photos show the horses well groomed and posed, and her prices are fairly steep considering their pedigrees and training. One is currently lame too, the one I have attempted to email the seller about *four* times over the past two months. The seller will not reply to me-so yes, I got it-no sale to me, period. This is the same seller that refused to take in a new boarder because of me, and this blog. *rolls eyeballs* Now, you'd think income from a boarder, who contacted her on my own recommendation, would be worth a reply-but nope. Better off not to sell the horse, or have a boarder.....right? But hey, it's her horse(s), she can do business as choses and it's no skin off my nose but you gotta wonder about someone's mind set when they categorically refuse contact based on......what? One does not know, and I surely don't-heresay, I would bet.
Then another local breeder is downsizing....about 18 months behind the curve of selling. This person has been shameless at self promotion (hey, nothing wrong with that!) and since she got in a snit about something she did to herself, she now uses CL as her primary marketing tool. Her ads get flagged down asap, because of the content, but at least her pricing is more in line with the current market. This person also likes to think rather a lot of herself and her position within the horse community and has been known to post some rather strange things on CL from time to time, all for "community service" or whatever. So while the rest of us are scratching our heads over the content of her ramblings....the phone is still not ringing-who wants to do business with someone who seems unstable, at least in print?
The horses that are selling, are the ones under about $1500....I have been watching some ads come down and down in price over the past three or four months. If they had just started at near their lower threshold to begin with, they wouldn't be facing feeding them all winter-but it's their own conviction, that their poorly bred, unregistered mutt with marginal training must be worth a bunch because after all, it has color (or whatever)....I feel for the sellers who no doubt have a legitimate need to rehome these horses-but can't seem to grasp that the market here is tanking.
So here I am, idly "in the market" myself, and the one mare I had a mild interest in-the seller won't do business with me. Hey, not my problem, no harm no foul, but seriously silly. So I kept looking, and by chance I stumbled across another mare. It turns out I know the owner, a little bit. I eventually manage to make time to go see this horse in person. What a nice impression she made on me, good enough that I think we'll have a new resident at my barn, just for me. Pretty pretty girl, with loads of Appytude to boot ;) It will be the weekend before I can get pictures here, so stay tuned!
There are so many examples online across the nation, it's a tragedy-or a comedy, take your pick. We are not immune to this up here either, weirdness abounds. I'd like to say it's because the brains are fried under the Midnight Sun, but alas, with our cloudy summer this excuse doesn't apply.
Yesterday, I was chuckling when I read an ad on Craigslist for an "Appalussa" horse for sale. I was mildly interested so clicked on the ad and no information as to age, sex or height was included. A few hours later the ad was revised to include a lousy picture, age of 7, and a mare who seemingly has done quite a lot. Topped off by a cowboy in large hat, chaps or chinks, white shirt and vest *rolls eyes* The gear was so big and the photo so poor, you couldn't see anything of the horse for sale. Priced at $3500, well over the going market.
We have some locals attempting to downsize for whatever reason....money, hay supply, lost interest-there are as many reasons to sell a horse as there are people, and few are doing a very good job of it.
One gal I know has 3 for sale....she attempts to get ads on CL regularly, and they just as quickly get flagged down. Its pretty obvious that both riding horses are very well trained, but someone has a vendetta against the seller so the ads are replaced about as quickly as they are flagged off. Unfortunately, her action shots don't show the horse(s) conformation well, are too distant for true assessment, and she uses the same ones over and over. Until she either adjusts hew asking price or works at better marketing photos, she will continue to feed them.
Another gal has a very pretty grulla mare for sale, and a grulla yearling filly. None of her sale photos show the horses well groomed and posed, and her prices are fairly steep considering their pedigrees and training. One is currently lame too, the one I have attempted to email the seller about *four* times over the past two months. The seller will not reply to me-so yes, I got it-no sale to me, period. This is the same seller that refused to take in a new boarder because of me, and this blog. *rolls eyeballs* Now, you'd think income from a boarder, who contacted her on my own recommendation, would be worth a reply-but nope. Better off not to sell the horse, or have a boarder.....right? But hey, it's her horse(s), she can do business as choses and it's no skin off my nose but you gotta wonder about someone's mind set when they categorically refuse contact based on......what? One does not know, and I surely don't-heresay, I would bet.
Then another local breeder is downsizing....about 18 months behind the curve of selling. This person has been shameless at self promotion (hey, nothing wrong with that!) and since she got in a snit about something she did to herself, she now uses CL as her primary marketing tool. Her ads get flagged down asap, because of the content, but at least her pricing is more in line with the current market. This person also likes to think rather a lot of herself and her position within the horse community and has been known to post some rather strange things on CL from time to time, all for "community service" or whatever. So while the rest of us are scratching our heads over the content of her ramblings....the phone is still not ringing-who wants to do business with someone who seems unstable, at least in print?
The horses that are selling, are the ones under about $1500....I have been watching some ads come down and down in price over the past three or four months. If they had just started at near their lower threshold to begin with, they wouldn't be facing feeding them all winter-but it's their own conviction, that their poorly bred, unregistered mutt with marginal training must be worth a bunch because after all, it has color (or whatever)....I feel for the sellers who no doubt have a legitimate need to rehome these horses-but can't seem to grasp that the market here is tanking.
So here I am, idly "in the market" myself, and the one mare I had a mild interest in-the seller won't do business with me. Hey, not my problem, no harm no foul, but seriously silly. So I kept looking, and by chance I stumbled across another mare. It turns out I know the owner, a little bit. I eventually manage to make time to go see this horse in person. What a nice impression she made on me, good enough that I think we'll have a new resident at my barn, just for me. Pretty pretty girl, with loads of Appytude to boot ;) It will be the weekend before I can get pictures here, so stay tuned!
Monday, September 29, 2008
A productive weekend!
Gosh it was a pure delight to have two sunny (now three!) days in a row, wow! I did not have enough time to enjoy being outside in it as much as I would have liked-was rather too busy in the kitchen this weekend.
Well, the tomatoes are finally gone from the freezer, cooked down into a wonderful italian sauce for quick spaghetti dinners-it just took hours to cook them soft, then run it all through the spiffy KitchenAid juicer, and thence into a large pot to reduce. Reducing took about 7 hours, and the canning another two, but I think it will be worth it :)
On Saturday, my wonderful neighbor dropped by with the potatoes-including two new varieties I haven't tried before. Unfortunately the name escapes me on the one-very unique looking, rather like ginger root of all things-but supposedly very flavorful. While I was busy with the tomatoes, we got started on the moose scraps, and on Sunday we did up 14 quarts of savory moose stew-and hope to get another 14 quarts done this evening. Over the next week I will be trying to get one batch of spuds canned every evening....lots of cleaning and chopping ahead for me ;)
For outdoor chores, the firewood project is done done done, at last. My poor husband has worked at this for months, but we should have plenty to spare all winter long. I am not sure how many cords are now split and stacked, but it's a bunch! My son, who does not really like chores (how many kids do? lol) will tell you straight up he does not like doing firewood-but he sure appreciates being warm! He's very good about helping me stock the wood stove too, another plus.
The chickens are laying eggs, but I sure wish they'd find another spot to roost. Sigh. No arguing with chickens, they will roost where they chose and that's that. This week I need to get them a heated water bowl, and also more wire so we can get them penned in a little better. To my neighbors within ear shot-I apologize that I have one rooster that insists on crowing at six am-when it's still dark! I swear I do not know what his problem is-I simply must have a light on in the barn, darn it! The hens within reach are getting better and better about their morning strokes and pets, and each evening they come to their stall as soon as they hear my voice.
The hony and his princess are doing very well, the hony's mystery diarrhea has cleared up, hopefully for good. Next week is vet visit, let's hope a couple simple tests will reveal what his problem is for sure, so I can accomodate his disgestive tract without upset. All I have done is cut out his grain completely, and upped his hay considerably....he's putting on a little additional weight and looks just right for heading into winter-even has a layer of fat now. I am hopeful this will help him cope with the cold, as he has previously been very sensitive to anything under about 40 degrees. And yet, it's been 27, 28 degrees in the morning when I go to feed, and so far-no shivering.
Of course everyone is a muddy mess....day after day of wet and rainy, it was bound to happen. If I can get a handle on the canning this week, I plan on spending some hours doing some intense grooming-they all need it, lol
Well, the tomatoes are finally gone from the freezer, cooked down into a wonderful italian sauce for quick spaghetti dinners-it just took hours to cook them soft, then run it all through the spiffy KitchenAid juicer, and thence into a large pot to reduce. Reducing took about 7 hours, and the canning another two, but I think it will be worth it :)
On Saturday, my wonderful neighbor dropped by with the potatoes-including two new varieties I haven't tried before. Unfortunately the name escapes me on the one-very unique looking, rather like ginger root of all things-but supposedly very flavorful. While I was busy with the tomatoes, we got started on the moose scraps, and on Sunday we did up 14 quarts of savory moose stew-and hope to get another 14 quarts done this evening. Over the next week I will be trying to get one batch of spuds canned every evening....lots of cleaning and chopping ahead for me ;)
For outdoor chores, the firewood project is done done done, at last. My poor husband has worked at this for months, but we should have plenty to spare all winter long. I am not sure how many cords are now split and stacked, but it's a bunch! My son, who does not really like chores (how many kids do? lol) will tell you straight up he does not like doing firewood-but he sure appreciates being warm! He's very good about helping me stock the wood stove too, another plus.
The chickens are laying eggs, but I sure wish they'd find another spot to roost. Sigh. No arguing with chickens, they will roost where they chose and that's that. This week I need to get them a heated water bowl, and also more wire so we can get them penned in a little better. To my neighbors within ear shot-I apologize that I have one rooster that insists on crowing at six am-when it's still dark! I swear I do not know what his problem is-I simply must have a light on in the barn, darn it! The hens within reach are getting better and better about their morning strokes and pets, and each evening they come to their stall as soon as they hear my voice.
The hony and his princess are doing very well, the hony's mystery diarrhea has cleared up, hopefully for good. Next week is vet visit, let's hope a couple simple tests will reveal what his problem is for sure, so I can accomodate his disgestive tract without upset. All I have done is cut out his grain completely, and upped his hay considerably....he's putting on a little additional weight and looks just right for heading into winter-even has a layer of fat now. I am hopeful this will help him cope with the cold, as he has previously been very sensitive to anything under about 40 degrees. And yet, it's been 27, 28 degrees in the morning when I go to feed, and so far-no shivering.
Of course everyone is a muddy mess....day after day of wet and rainy, it was bound to happen. If I can get a handle on the canning this week, I plan on spending some hours doing some intense grooming-they all need it, lol
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Horses, of course
So I have been thinking about the horse situation up here quite a lot recently. Maybe I have a heightened awareness because I am getting so many calls for hay, any hay. Maybe it's an understanding of the supply/demand situation, maybe it's just a worry about what this winter will bring-who knows. But it stays at the forefront of my mind-how bad will it get?
I don't know. I am apprehensive, that's for sure.
I am trying as hard as I can, to get prepared for whatever happens. I never know how many horses I will end up feeding over the winter anyway, boarders or rescue types. I am finding it hard to say no to people who desperately need clean dry hay, even as I am trying to build an inventory of my own. Thus, several tons that I would normally hang onto, went into pickups or on trailers to grateful folks instead. That's okay, I have more vans coming, but I worry just the same about all the horses out there whose owners can't find decent hay.
Now, having said that, there are quite a lot of round bales to be found. Some are better quality than others, but it's out there. This works great for those that are set up to feed them-but I am not. In hindsight I sure wish I had given some more thought to feeding rounds, but if I had to I could manage.
No snow on the ground, and none expected for a couple more weeks, and already I have turned down three horses for free. Vets and farriers have lists of people willing to give away, or sell for next to nothing, a wide variety of horses. There are some on CL looking for companion homes, a bunch for lease, and a lot on the market for sale. Not much adjustment in price here in Southcentral, but I am seeing ads for riding horses for under $1000 fairly regular now-a first in my memory.
Hay production was very poor this year, at least for dry horse hay. Yeilds were down due to a very cool spring, and then it has pretty much just been rainy for about three months. Some farmers never even got a first cut on some feilds, some were fortunate and took their hay early (in June) and are hoping for one last dry spell before the snow flies. A lot of what would otherwise be horse hay, ended up round baled into haylage or turned into silage. The Delta area, long a savior to these parts with a great amount of hay harvested (typically!), did not fare so well either. I've been hearing the same gloomy news from across the state although some folks did manage to do pretty well. It's not just the weather, it's that there aren't enough acres in hay to meet the needs of the livestock here.
This has lead to a couple of feed stores being out of imported hay. Less local hay means more demand for imported, whatever the source. The largest hay broker in the PNW has had supply issues also-the hay is available in the Columbia basin, but the cost is up as much as $80 to $100 a ton since this spring. They too, had a cool spring and yeilds were down-and a bunch of them moved to more profitable crops such as wheat and soybeans-meaning less hay is being produced this fall down there too. Add in the outrageous freight charges to bring up hay, and that explains the prices you see posted-a small sliced bale of timothy going for $21, one of the main hay suppliers in Anchorage is at $668 a ton now, and so on. It's only going to get worse, and horse owners just have to accept that the cost of feeding them is going to keep increasing.
I don't know. I am apprehensive, that's for sure.
I am trying as hard as I can, to get prepared for whatever happens. I never know how many horses I will end up feeding over the winter anyway, boarders or rescue types. I am finding it hard to say no to people who desperately need clean dry hay, even as I am trying to build an inventory of my own. Thus, several tons that I would normally hang onto, went into pickups or on trailers to grateful folks instead. That's okay, I have more vans coming, but I worry just the same about all the horses out there whose owners can't find decent hay.
Now, having said that, there are quite a lot of round bales to be found. Some are better quality than others, but it's out there. This works great for those that are set up to feed them-but I am not. In hindsight I sure wish I had given some more thought to feeding rounds, but if I had to I could manage.
No snow on the ground, and none expected for a couple more weeks, and already I have turned down three horses for free. Vets and farriers have lists of people willing to give away, or sell for next to nothing, a wide variety of horses. There are some on CL looking for companion homes, a bunch for lease, and a lot on the market for sale. Not much adjustment in price here in Southcentral, but I am seeing ads for riding horses for under $1000 fairly regular now-a first in my memory.
Hay production was very poor this year, at least for dry horse hay. Yeilds were down due to a very cool spring, and then it has pretty much just been rainy for about three months. Some farmers never even got a first cut on some feilds, some were fortunate and took their hay early (in June) and are hoping for one last dry spell before the snow flies. A lot of what would otherwise be horse hay, ended up round baled into haylage or turned into silage. The Delta area, long a savior to these parts with a great amount of hay harvested (typically!), did not fare so well either. I've been hearing the same gloomy news from across the state although some folks did manage to do pretty well. It's not just the weather, it's that there aren't enough acres in hay to meet the needs of the livestock here.
This has lead to a couple of feed stores being out of imported hay. Less local hay means more demand for imported, whatever the source. The largest hay broker in the PNW has had supply issues also-the hay is available in the Columbia basin, but the cost is up as much as $80 to $100 a ton since this spring. They too, had a cool spring and yeilds were down-and a bunch of them moved to more profitable crops such as wheat and soybeans-meaning less hay is being produced this fall down there too. Add in the outrageous freight charges to bring up hay, and that explains the prices you see posted-a small sliced bale of timothy going for $21, one of the main hay suppliers in Anchorage is at $668 a ton now, and so on. It's only going to get worse, and horse owners just have to accept that the cost of feeding them is going to keep increasing.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Fall chores
Gosh I swear I don't know where the weekend went! Spent nearly all day Saturday at work, unloading hay-and just had to have Sunday for what needed doing there.
So I got a fairly early start, and with my sons' help, we managed to pretty much strip the garden out. The only things left standing are the half a dozen brussel sprouts which I happen to know can stand a light frost-and frost it did! Boy what a sodden mess, pulling up everything and getting it over to the compost area, wow. We were both soaked and muddy in nothing flat, lol I found about another dozen or so largish zucchini, and picked the last little bit of broccoli and I found some sweet peas still hanging on also. I pulled what remained of the beets too, but was disappointed that I found no more pumpkins, darn it. Of course I did not find out until late in the season that I was supposed to pinch off the vines-but oh well, live and learn!
Just after we got all the produce shuffled to the house, we propped open the gate and the chickens had a great time, going over the entire garden. Heaven knows what they found edible, but they must have for the amount of time they spent in there. Next up was working on the firewood pile. My husband had spent an hour or so earlier, cutting to length so I ran the splitter while my son stacked. The sun was actually out and it was fairly pleasant, if cool. We got about three quarters of the way done and I happened to notice that the hony and his princess were both laying down in the barn. Because of their size, they fit comfortably and we cozied up in the sun....the hony facing it and the princess with her back to the panel.
About ten minutes later I glanced over to check on them, and saw the princess having what I first thought were dreams-she was twitching her legs. Then, as I was watching, I saw her head start to move, and then the rest of her and I thought: Ut oh! Something is wrong! I watched for about another ten seconds and it continued to increase in activity and I stopped what I was doing, motioning to my husband to look. (He of course, paid no attention) After about another minute with no let up I am now concerned there is a serious problem (seizure, maybe? colic? or?) and I convince my hub to shut down the splitter and we dash over....and rouse the two to their feet.
I am abashed to admit I over reacted ;) Not 30 minutes later the owner happened to drop by for a visit and much humor was made over the princess' *normal* sleep pattern. Apparantly she even whinnies in her sleep! This I can't wait to see for myself, haha....but I am sure sorry I woke everyone up from their beauty nap!
From there I got a message about potato picking so even with guests showing up within the hour I headed out to the neighbors to help them get the crop up. Four or five different varieties, all organic too, it was a good crop and I think they got about 2500 pounds or so. I managed to pick around 8 five gallon buckets before I had to head home and play hostess. (And I won't describe the totally bogus "I should have been a blond" boner I managed to pull getting off the field either, but trust me, it wasn't my finest moment ;))
Today, I am back at work with more people slated to arrive to get their hay. If the weather co-operates of course, always an issue. It's been very busy at home since my husband got in, we've barely had a moment to talk that isn't on the phone. Such is life when it's fall, trying to cram in everything all at once. Most important our home list is getting the NG hooked up so I can get to canning, and soon!
So I got a fairly early start, and with my sons' help, we managed to pretty much strip the garden out. The only things left standing are the half a dozen brussel sprouts which I happen to know can stand a light frost-and frost it did! Boy what a sodden mess, pulling up everything and getting it over to the compost area, wow. We were both soaked and muddy in nothing flat, lol I found about another dozen or so largish zucchini, and picked the last little bit of broccoli and I found some sweet peas still hanging on also. I pulled what remained of the beets too, but was disappointed that I found no more pumpkins, darn it. Of course I did not find out until late in the season that I was supposed to pinch off the vines-but oh well, live and learn!
Just after we got all the produce shuffled to the house, we propped open the gate and the chickens had a great time, going over the entire garden. Heaven knows what they found edible, but they must have for the amount of time they spent in there. Next up was working on the firewood pile. My husband had spent an hour or so earlier, cutting to length so I ran the splitter while my son stacked. The sun was actually out and it was fairly pleasant, if cool. We got about three quarters of the way done and I happened to notice that the hony and his princess were both laying down in the barn. Because of their size, they fit comfortably and we cozied up in the sun....the hony facing it and the princess with her back to the panel.
About ten minutes later I glanced over to check on them, and saw the princess having what I first thought were dreams-she was twitching her legs. Then, as I was watching, I saw her head start to move, and then the rest of her and I thought: Ut oh! Something is wrong! I watched for about another ten seconds and it continued to increase in activity and I stopped what I was doing, motioning to my husband to look. (He of course, paid no attention) After about another minute with no let up I am now concerned there is a serious problem (seizure, maybe? colic? or?) and I convince my hub to shut down the splitter and we dash over....and rouse the two to their feet.
I am abashed to admit I over reacted ;) Not 30 minutes later the owner happened to drop by for a visit and much humor was made over the princess' *normal* sleep pattern. Apparantly she even whinnies in her sleep! This I can't wait to see for myself, haha....but I am sure sorry I woke everyone up from their beauty nap!
From there I got a message about potato picking so even with guests showing up within the hour I headed out to the neighbors to help them get the crop up. Four or five different varieties, all organic too, it was a good crop and I think they got about 2500 pounds or so. I managed to pick around 8 five gallon buckets before I had to head home and play hostess. (And I won't describe the totally bogus "I should have been a blond" boner I managed to pull getting off the field either, but trust me, it wasn't my finest moment ;))
Today, I am back at work with more people slated to arrive to get their hay. If the weather co-operates of course, always an issue. It's been very busy at home since my husband got in, we've barely had a moment to talk that isn't on the phone. Such is life when it's fall, trying to cram in everything all at once. Most important our home list is getting the NG hooked up so I can get to canning, and soon!
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