Have you noticed that time moves WAY too quickly!!! Actually, it’s just as God intended it, I just need to learn to invest it wisely. :o) I keep meaning to write an update on a specific event, thing learned, way we’ve caught a glimpse of God’s glory, etc. … and then time slips by and it’s a few months later. In just a few days we will be at the one year mark of our move from Ohio to Missouri, June 19, 2023.
The following started off as just writing a week in review, but I realized that it turned into more than that. Rather than trying to catch everything and edit and overthink, it’s just some ideas of where we are now and things on my mind. It won’t be perfect… but it will get done! :o)
One thing I’ve been learning is that perfectionism kills (as nothing gets started and nothing gets done). I need to remember this for myself, and for my family and giving too much advice. :o)
I’ll post it over several days to keep it from being too long…
Daily Animal Care
Two of the regular daily activities are taking care of the chickens and rabbits. One of our boys is often up, has finished much of his school work and is out with the animals before breakfast. It is wonderful seeing his joy to start the day.
Chickens:
- We now have ~22 chickens including 1 grown rooster, 8 grown hens and 13 chicks. That number changes as more are born and some die or disappear (at times leaving a pile of feathers). (We’ve only lost four so far, so that’s pretty good. We’re happy that the others seem to have learned not to wander into the woods. The over adventurous ring leaders tend to run into issues, which actually helps the others stay safe once they are gone.)
- Each day we let them out and collect eggs around noon, and they come in on their own and we shut the door in the evening.
- They basically take care of themselves finding bugs, grains and whatever else to eat since they are totally free ranged.
- Speaking of free ranged, we also get to round them up from the neighbors’ properties at times. They like to visit one neighbor (whose yard is perpetually wet, so full of easy pickins on the worm smorgasbord).
- The rooster occasionally likes to act tough and pick a fight with Robert (and sometimes Elijah), but he’s easily put in his place and we still love our “Roostie”. :o)
Rabbits
- While our chickens are producers… our rabbits are consumers.
- They need to be caged (though we’ve heard of people free ranging rabbits… maybe in the future).
- We’ve tried breeding the rabbits, but that doesn’t seem to be happening. (We thought we would have babies this weekend, but that doesn’t seem to be happening.)
- We cut “grass”, which is whatever is growing in our fields: wild onions, various grasses, etc. and give them to two of our rabbits (which are in normal cages). We have one rabbit in a rabbit tractor, that we just pull around the yard occasionally during the day and she has a new buffet with each pull. (We’re hoping to build two more tractors, but haven’t gotten around to it yet.)
- Update: One of our rabbits died yesterday. While we have some guesses, we’re not sure why. Apparently this is somewhat common. Homesteading gives great opportunity to face life and death.
Goats
- We’re looking forward to adding goats to the mix. The land could use them. With poison ivy as a favorite treat, these will be happy goats. (As I’ve mentioned before, we also have Jewelweed, the antidote for poison ivy, growing in abundance, so it’s not a big problem. God’s amazing provision.)
3rd Culture Living 