So... in our current situation, we're in a tiny apartment built in what used to be the haymow of a small barn addition on DS's big shop. He added a good sized bedroom on for us, with sliding glass doors looking out on the pond and pastures... a balcony is going to be built later this summer. We have animals below us in their stalls at night.. good thing as lifelong farmers thats comfortably familiar!
Anyway, I spend a lot of time watching the animals... I was fortunate to notice a few days ago that the month old Dexter bull calf was sick... no obvious symptoms, but he was much less active than normal, and I kept seeing him off on his own, which is not normal for a herd animal. When we caught him, he was running a low grade fever... almost certainly a navel infection. A shot of penicillin fixed him right up.. we tried to catch him 48 hours later to check his temp and retreat him, but we couldn't get near him... I guess he's cured! I need to find my lasso in the storage containers yet...
So, this morning, I noticed the entire herd of Dexters (8 head) was chasing what I thought was a piglet down the field. There are 6, 2 month old piglets grazing out there... they all get along a amazingly well. I couldn't figure out why they'd be chasing a pig, though... when I looked closer, I realized it was a very large skunk! Uh, oh!
Then I saw they were chasing it right towards the two horses... oh, sh!t!
So, I watched in horror as the bigger pony (I've got a mini mare I got from former member Willow, and a Quarter Horse mare, who, at 14 hands tall and 800# is technically a large pony) trotted over to challenge the "intruder". I was hollering out the window at her, but of course I was being ignored.
I grabbed the 9 mm and dashed out, certain I was going to be deskunking a horse (or two!) At one point, Bella was on her hind legs striking at the skunk, and the last sight I'd had just before I dashed for gun and boots was the mare on her hind legs with the skunk poised with tail up!
By the time I jogged to the end of the pasture, the skunk was out of sight in the woods. There was a faint odor of skunk in the air, but no animal had gotten sprayed! I have NO idea how!
My DDIL was pretty impressed by the show... she thinks the horses will protect the sheep from coyotes, which is true... but the Dexters will, as well.
Never a dull moment!
Summerthyme
Anyway, I spend a lot of time watching the animals... I was fortunate to notice a few days ago that the month old Dexter bull calf was sick... no obvious symptoms, but he was much less active than normal, and I kept seeing him off on his own, which is not normal for a herd animal. When we caught him, he was running a low grade fever... almost certainly a navel infection. A shot of penicillin fixed him right up.. we tried to catch him 48 hours later to check his temp and retreat him, but we couldn't get near him... I guess he's cured! I need to find my lasso in the storage containers yet...
So, this morning, I noticed the entire herd of Dexters (8 head) was chasing what I thought was a piglet down the field. There are 6, 2 month old piglets grazing out there... they all get along a amazingly well. I couldn't figure out why they'd be chasing a pig, though... when I looked closer, I realized it was a very large skunk! Uh, oh!
Then I saw they were chasing it right towards the two horses... oh, sh!t!
So, I watched in horror as the bigger pony (I've got a mini mare I got from former member Willow, and a Quarter Horse mare, who, at 14 hands tall and 800# is technically a large pony) trotted over to challenge the "intruder". I was hollering out the window at her, but of course I was being ignored.
I grabbed the 9 mm and dashed out, certain I was going to be deskunking a horse (or two!) At one point, Bella was on her hind legs striking at the skunk, and the last sight I'd had just before I dashed for gun and boots was the mare on her hind legs with the skunk poised with tail up!
By the time I jogged to the end of the pasture, the skunk was out of sight in the woods. There was a faint odor of skunk in the air, but no animal had gotten sprayed! I have NO idea how!
My DDIL was pretty impressed by the show... she thinks the horses will protect the sheep from coyotes, which is true... but the Dexters will, as well.
Never a dull moment!
Summerthyme