Yet another newbie...

[AprilAWZ]

Hi all,

I'm April from South Dakota, USA. I found this board from a link posted on another "homesteader" board.

I'm living just outside of a smaller town (13,000+) on a 8.5 acre farm/forest. I have rabbits, chickens, turkeys, and a pair of grade Saanen does, which should be popping out babies this April! This will be my first time milking goats, so it should be very...interesting! lol!! Regardless, I'm sure you'll be hearing about it this spring!! ;-)

Happy to be here!

[Millymollymandy]

Hi April, happy to have you here! Poultry wrangling sounds like fun (?! ). Is it the new sport in the USA?

I don't know anything much about goats - I thought does were female deer!

[hedgewitch]

LOL!
You obviously didn't watch The Sound of Music!

Hello April and welcome to the forum, I look forward to chatting with you

[diver]

welcome April, what's the climate like and what d oyou grow out there??

[ina]

Hi April and welcome!

Maybe the female goats are does in the states? It does sometimes seem a different language they speak... Ours are nannies and billies. Which means that the billy is generally called "Billy", too - not very imaginative! Nannies, however, are too many to be all called "Nanny"!

Ina

[AprilAWZ]

oops! Yes, does=nannies. Sorry 'bout that! Although, I have quite a few whitetail deer "does" hanging around, too. So, either way you look at it, I've got them!!

Climate wise, well, think Siberia...really! We are about as land-locked as you can get, so our climate can be pretty extreme. Today, it's been right around 5 degrees Fahrenheit, but it should be warming up to a balmy 20 by tomorrow. Of course, our 14 inches of snow that fell two weeks ago has melted considerably in the rain and 40 degree temps we've been getting prior to our current "single digit" spell. Yeah, I'm still trying to figure that one out! One hundred degree days are not uncommon during the middle of summer... When it humidity is not through the roof, it's tolerable, but that's usually not the norm.

Although, even with our unpredictable weather, this fall/winter has been bizarre beyond reason. I blame Bush/Shrub and global warming, personally. lol!! When was the last time that little weasel had to push his car out of a snowbank?? I did not vote for that @#$%, and yet, I, along with the rest of the world, have to put up with that @#$%!! lol! Ok, that concludes my political rant for the day. Now for something almost interesting...

As far as gardening/farming is concerned, I'm pretty lucky, at least compared to where we used to live, about 4.5 hours north. Commercially, this area grows corn, soybeans, and alfalfa to feed all the beef cattle. In my garden, I'll try anything!! My growing season starts by the beginning of May, although I'll put out peas, lettuce, and onions even earlier. The first killing frost usually hits sometime in early to mid October, so we have a fairly long growing season...at least for the upper Midwest.

Poultry Wrangling...oh wow, where do I start!? Yeah, I suppose it could be considered a spectator sport at the very least...LOL! Especially when they loose their footing at a dead run on the ice - you really have to see it for the full effect, but trust me on this one, it's a riot! But anyway you look at it, they are pretty cheap entertainment!

I just incubated and hatched out 30 chicks, who are now living in a large plastic box in a nook in the kitchen! Loud little buggers! But anyway, at 3 days old, they are ready for the brooder in the basement. Besides, when daily cleaning doesn't keep the stench at bay, somethings gotta give! lol!

I free range my chickens and turkeys. I have two pairs of turkeys, although one of the toms, oh-so-appropriately named "Lunch", has got to go. Being the wimp that I am, I might end up giving him to a neighbor rather than trying to wrestle and "off" a now 40+lb. bird!

I wish I could tell you how many chickens I have. You see, my sweet (and/or foolish) husband actually gave me what I'd asked for on my birthday...an incubator. <hehehehehe!> It's been a downward spiral ever since. Let's put it this way, this is certainly not the first time I've had poultry in the kitchen, nor will it be the last. Oh well, at least it keeps me out of trouble...more or less.

Have a good one!!

[Millymollymandy]

Love your photos, April and I love your sense of humour too!

[ina]

I free range my chickens and turkeys. I have two pairs of turkeys, although one of the toms, oh-so-appropriately named "Lunch", has got to go.

Do I take it that the other one is called "Dinner"? Or even "Christmas Dinner"???

Anyway, hearing what you have to live with, climate-wise, makes me see our problems from a different perspective...

Good idea to downgrade Bush to a Shrub. I'd suggest leaving that shrub out with my goats for a while; they'd cut him down to size alright...

Ina

[Andy Hamilton]

Hello April and welcome to the site, good to see another person from the USA on the forum.

Andy

[Wombat]

G'Day April,

Nice to see you on the site (I've been away and am just catching up!).

Nev