Filed under Dairy Goats, Fiber Goats, Goats, Horse, Leicester Longwool, Podcast, Sheep by on Nov 17th, 2010. 2 Comments. 
Leonardo the angora goat is in heat and attacking everyone that he thinks doesn’t belong in the pasture making it very difficult to get good close-up video. Beauty is being stand-offish, as is Johnny the sheep. I have not been able to get away long enough to pick up Johnny’s new mate. I keep hoping though. I feel so sorry for him being a lone ram at mating time.
Filed under Horse by on Nov 11th, 2010. 1 Comment.
This video is the third in a series – 30 videos in 30 days – for the NaBloPoMo Video Bloggers Group November challenge. There are two videos today. One is really short and one is longer. Leonardo, the angora buck, decided to attack me this morning while I was filming, so I had to stop and start the video several times while trying to deal with him and remind me I was the “head goat,” LOL!
Beauty Running
The Critters
Filed under Cast of Characters, Chickens, Dairy Goats, Fiber Goats, Goats, Horse, Poultry by on Nov 3rd, 2010. 1 Comment.
Most of the grass in the main pasture has been ate by this time of year. There are smaller, alternate pastures that still have grass in them, and a few cockleburs, which is how some ended up in Beauty’s mane. The chickens, duck, goats, sheep and horse are all in this video. They are getting their winter coat, so they look a bit shaggy!
Filed under Cast of Characters, Chickens, Dairy Goats, Ducks, Fiber Goats, Goats, Horse, Leicester Longwool, Podcast, Poultry, Sheep by on Nov 2nd, 2010. Comment.
Beauty came to us several years back as a horse with no name and no history. She was an abused horse that was underweight, and that was obvious. Through people who knew her story and others who know horses, we have been able to put together what happened to her. She belonged to a woman who was trying to break her. She strapped her head to a saddle and beat her. She does have scars on her face. Beauty broke free and stomped the woman to an inch of her life. The hay man showed up and was able to catch Beauty. He took her away while her owner was in the hospital and gave her to someone. That person, who gave her to me, did not want her. She was boarded for about a month before we were able to get a stall ready for her.
As soon as her stall was ready, we had someone bring her home. At first she moped, kept her head hung down and was very skiddish. As time went one, she slowly began to act like a horse again. We changed her to an all-natural and organic diet, gave her Red Cell and followed the vet’s advice.
She is now healthy, beginning to trust us and acting like a horse should. She still does not like strangers and will never be a “friendly” horse to those she does not know, but everyday we make progress. It is a reminder everytime I work with her of just how fragile trust is……and how cruel some people can be.
I am glad she is here. I learn from her and I hope she learns from us. This year she has begun calling to us when she sees us. This is a good sign. We were able to expand the property this year as well, so she has more room to run than she did.
We gave her the name Beauty, because, as you can see, she is a real beauty!
Filed under Cast of Characters, Horse by on Oct 4th, 2010. 1 Comment.
Over the past several days, videos of the farm and animals have been uploaded to You Tube, http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=SheriAnnRicherson
Feel free to stop by and check the videos out. There are some of the livestock, some of the plants and some of other activities that happen here at Exotic Gardening Farm & Wildlife Habitat.
Filed under Horse by on Feb 10th, 2010. Comment.
What a long day it has been here at the farm. The day begins quite early with milking, processing the milk, feeding Beauty the horse, the rabbits, chickens, guineas, turkeys and ducks.
Today I acquired a new female rabbit. She is not an angora but should keep Prince happier than he was since he had no other rabbits for companions previously.
Our two turkeys, Hobbles and Goobles, seem to be adjusting well. Friday I should be getting some more turkeys. I am hoping to get around 20 this year.
Beauty let me brush her quite a while today. I was able to brush the area where her saddle would go. This was the first time I was able to brush there for an extended amount of time. She seems to be adjusting quite well to her stall.
Darla is producing a lot more milk and we are planning to get some more female goats by June.
My garden is blooming dandelions! Seriously! They have already got way ahead of me this year. I did some weeding and fed the weeds to the chickens who had a hey day with them.
This coming Saturday is the native plant auction in Indianapolis. I am considering going but have not made a definate decision yet.
Filed under Chickens, Dairy Goats, Goats, Horse, Poultry, Rabbits, Turkeys by on May 9th, 2007. Comment.
Jerry, Sarah and I went out yesterday to see Beauty. Sarah decided not to change her name back to Dolly and quite frankly I was glad because Beauty suits her much better.
Sarah and I spent the day cleaning the barn and the yard so Jerry can start working on her stall and a small fenced area that she can come and go from at will.
We will have a larger pasture but I do not want any of the animals in it when it is wet.
This morning we went out to see Beauty and I was able to clean her front hooves. I didn’t get them real good because I could tell she was getting upset and she was trying to kick a bit but at least we did make progress. In time she will let me clean them right.
Sarah and I are going to work on cleaning the yard and barn again today. There is not much left to do. Hopefully tomorrow and Tuesday he can get a stall built and fence up.
Filed under Horse by on Apr 29th, 2007. Comment.
It has been another rainy day here. I went out to see Beauty this morning and found out her name was Dolly. The previous owner stopped by and told Marie that yesterday. I am going to leave it up to Sarah what we will call her from here on out.
In addition to the Cardinal family living here I now have a Blue Jay family too. I haven’t found their nest yet but have seen the male and female frequently.
Darla and Mr. Buck have been fussier than usual due to being cooped up inside because of all this rain. They have decided they do not like the grass hay so I filled their hay feeder with the alfalfa hay. Animals can be really picky sometimes! When they first came the grass hay was fine!
A few of the chickens ventured out today and of course, Sunshine the duck who loves rain. Kim said she expected the turkeys and ducks to be ready sometime Sunday. I can’t wait! She is hatching some Polish Chicks for me as well. She found a trio of Showgirls for me too! I can’t wait to get those.
Filed under Chickens, Dairy Goats, Ducks, Goats, Horse, Poultry by on Apr 27th, 2007. Comment.
What a week! Beauty came into our life and we have all been working to train her. Sarah, my daughter, just loves horses and this was a real surprise for her. Right now she is being boarded until we get her stall built and the electric fence up. I am hoping she will get along with our two goats, Darla and Mr. Buck.
We are thinking of getting another dairy goat come June because we need more milk!
I am done hatching chicks for this season and have done pretty good so far. All of the chicks are healthy and growing. This weekend I will pick up some turkeys and ducks from Kim who is hatching them. She is also going to be hatching some frizzles and polish chickens for me.
This afternoon I heard a strange noise in my office back by the wood burner and thought it was a wild animal. It turned out to be Bibbs the cat and her newborn baby kittens. Looks like I will have barn cats after all!
Lowe’s had a 75% off sale today on their trees and shrubs that had been bitten by frost. I bought several new ones and we planted them tonight. I bought a Semi-Dwarf Orient Pear, Viburnum bracteatum ‘Emerald Luster,’ Sweet Bay Magnolia, Princeton Sentry Ginkgo, Pink Dogwood, Yoshino Flowering Cherry, Clethra alnifolia ‘Ruby Spice,’ White Princess Peach and a Sugar Princess Peach.
Finally we are thinking of putting some instructional gardening videos up on the website. To do this we need to have more space. This decision needs to be made by the 20th of this month. I would like to encourage anyone who can to please use the donation button and donate what you can. You will have a choice if you would like to be listed as a donor.
Thank you in advance.
Filed under Chickens, Dairy Goats, Goats, Horse, Poultry by on Apr 24th, 2007. Comment.
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