Final Plans and Homesteading

Things have been so busy and chaotic here for the last few days. We have settled in our new chicks, which are from the same group of chicks we got in the beginning. Our friend decided to down size some more and the folks he was sharing with didn’t show so we were asked if we wanted them. We now have 5 Dominique, 3 Rhode Island Reds and 5 Australorps. My 3 kinds of heritage chickens for my project of good layers. One large egg layer and two medium ones.

The other day I went to feed and our goat was out of her pen. I was truly afraid we would have to chase her down but she went right back in as soon as she seen the feed bucket for her. And then there is Scapey the pig! She is no longer able to go through the fence to get back in with the other girls. She is always out roaming the yard or in with the boys. Unfortunately I think she is pregnant. She has found the row of blueberries and spends a bit of time eating them and she has one spot she favorers to rout, which is better than just routing up everywhere. I tried to lure her back into the pen with the other girls and one of the momma pigs rushed out the gate. I love that if you bring food they just follow you anywhere! Back into the pen momma went but not Scapey. She will not go through that gate. So back in with the boys she goes. She has been a bit more trusting  when I am in the yard, she comes to see me when I call her but  I only ever touch her nose. She is such a funny pig.

Last night my granddaughters brought over their rabbits so now we have three. I am going to have to sex them to get them separated into pens or we may have more than that next month!

Hubby fixed the leaky faucet in the bath. So no more drip, but what a booger that was. I have put the final measurements to the house plans, making sure all cabinets fit in their places in my kitchen. Also measuring furniture for the space we will have to place it. I have scaled way back on size now and figured how to save us a lot of money. We are added 16 feet to each end of the existing house and the trailer will be history. No more shifting walls and floors or leaky roof! This renovation won’t take as much time neither. Less materials and less work. As soon as the truck gets its new gaskets etc. we will be on our way and the parts come in this week, and the truck has already been tore down and ready to install the new parts! For the first time here I believe my homestead dreams are starting to come together! The grand kids are excited too because the front closed in porch will become their bedroom and they will have everything they asked for. One loft bed, their own bath, a window seat and plenty of space for them to play school. We will also have the Library/ Office one the other part where I have my indoor greenhouse. That part may be the last of the project on the house but it is in the plans. It is my grandkid/parent suite as it may. 

I know our goat is not pregnant now because she has gone into heat and the male goat that was coming with her may not come at all. My daughter said they have tried for the last week to catch him. I think he will be staying there. I don’t want to have to chase him here if he ever would get out! We have put out the word we are looking for a Nigerian buck.

This has been a busy last few weeks. I made my deodorant and some arnica salve for my oldest daughter. Maybe I can get some soap made soon. We are getting close to the end and it takes a month or more to cure. With all this rain I have to get back out and mow again too. Not to mention electric fence still needs to be run in the bottom part of the field down low to keep the pigs in and around the top area too. I want to get the garden in for the fall growing crops too. Homesteading is a never ending job. I hope this time next year we will be making money off of it.