A Sad Week on the Ranch.

     It was a sad week on the Ranch last week.  We lost our ranch mascot Billy. While feeding and closing everyone up one night, we forgot to close the back door to the chicken coop and Billy decided he did not want to stay in an go to sleep like he was suppose too.  He went out and did a little night time running.  Unfortunately , something else was out roaming also. Our little Mascot was not alive the next morning. Billy has been buried in the outside rabbit yard.
      He had his territory that he would run in and we had even seen cottontails running out there with him also.  At night we would round him up and he would sleep in the chicken house with them.  They never bothered him and he never bothered them.  It did not take long to get him trained to know that when the door was opened in the morning it was time to go out and run around,  After a while he would be the 1st or 2nd out of the door ahead of everyone else.  At night when we would go out to feed he would usually be out in the field.  We would walk up to him and he would most of the time just start running back to the door and just hop right back in.
      

 

     Really Crazy weather we are having here in Texas.  We have had some cold mornings, but so far, no snow as of yet. I have just this past week picked the last of the cherry Tomatoes off my plants. I have 2 plates of green tomatoes sitting out waiting for them to turn red.  I had some yesterday and they were great!
     I have moved several Geraniums inside that have already starting to bloom again. I am also trying to over winter several different kinds of Mints, Lemon Balm and Citronella's. Also trying to get several willows to root and plant in pots so that we can plant them come spring

     While I was out picking up some limbs yesterday for kindling I saw that we had a few pecan on the trees so stopped and picked the ones I could find.  Cant wait until the trees get big!  While I was out picking up pecans and limbs , the cats decided to join me. Betsey climbed up the tree and Trampas was playing around on the ground below the tree.

     This weeks sunsets and sunrises.

Until Next week,
The 2 Moore's Ranch

     A few extra pictures from the week.

Two injured ducks in the rabbit barn.

Kanga looking at bird in the bird window.

Frost on the rabbit greens.

Free Ranging!

    Def. of Free Range.      A small flock of mixed free-range chickens etc. being fed outdoors. Free range denotes a method of farming husbandry where the animals, for at least part of the day, can roam freely outdoors while looking for grasses and bugs, rather than being confined in an enclosure for 24 hours each day. 

     This is what we like to to do with our flock of Ducks, Chickens, Turkeys, and Guineas at least half the day if not all day long.  They have 5 acres to roam on and go where ever they want to. There is the pond we are working on for water , plus the 2 pools that are in the yard that everyone can go to for drinking water..  As you can see by the pics.  They really enjoy the running space and don't mind being with each other. The turkeys and the Guineas can be found walking the fence lines in the tall grasses..  
     We have done some research and asked people about why our neighbors across the street have killed Rattle snakes this year and we have not seen any.  They say it is because of all the birds roaming around.  If that is the case, they can roam all they want to.

     With the colder weather coming in the rodents have been looking for places to get warm.  The cats are on patrol all the time.  The other day I was walking by one of the food plots and Trampas and Betsey where pouncing around in it.  Trampas came up with a rat that he had found.  Last night Fred found one in the garden and he chased it out of the plot and Trampas was able to get it . It is not unusual to walk out and find a dead rat or mouse on the ground that one of the cats have killed.

     If you look close at the 2 pictures under here of Trampas you will see the rat that he has caught.  He is a very good kitty to have around. If he would just get them and kill them.  He likes to play with them a lot.

     Smokey will lay out in the tall grass waiting for them to run by where he is at. You never really know whee you are going to find Smoky at.  He just roams the property looking to make a kill.

     This is Pablo  the male living in the outside rabbit yard. He loves the kitties and every time one of them is out there with us he runs up to the fence to nuzzle them. Betsey and Trampas both grew up in the rabbit barn since they were about 8 weeks old.  They run and play with the buns all the time.

     The two females that are out in the yard with Pablo have been digging their holes in preparation for babies.  The hole in the bottom pic belongs to Maxine.

This weeks Sunsets.

Last light of the day behind the barn.

Until next week,
The 2 Moore's Ranch


A few extra pics from this week.

Fall at the Ranch.

Paper white blooming in the Fall.

Headed out to split some wood for the fireplace.

Added an update to the fish pond this week.A tub that had been buried in the ground. Cleaned it up. Put two holes in one side . A new water feature.

Growing Fall Crops!

     Been growing more deer plot and other greens for the rabbits and the poultry.  It sure helps on the feed bill when we can give them greens we have grown , plus we know it is all so much better for them.  The top one is all Deer Plot mix.  This has been a slow plot to harvest from as the ducks run right to it and eat in the morning and several other times during the day.

      The next picture is Alfalfa, Turnips and Chicory.  It is planted in a large part of the yard that the ducks use to be in.  This has grown really well thanks to all the fertilizer.  We have to keep running Billy, the yard rabbit out of here since it is such good eating.

     In the outside rabbit yard we planted perennial rye grass so that there would be some green during the winter and early spring.  It is coming up great and is going to be a really pretty yard out there.  I also have some planted in a few other places.

     This is my fall garden.  The ducks munched down on my Snow Peas so don't think they are going to do much.  The rabbits get Kale , Radishes, carrot tops, Broccoli leaves and Beet leaves along with some salad mixtures.

     Brent out cutting greens for everyone to eat.  The Scythe works really well at cutting it  Cut, Rake, pick up, cut, rake, pick up.  It is so amazing how this patch of Deer Plot is so green and everything else around it is brown.

     Fred don't make it into very many pics as he is usually getting into trouble someplace.  He is still a puppy . Only 8 months old and a very big puppy.  He is still in training at being a Ranch dog so has to be watched when he is out running. He can be by his dog house and the chickens and ducks can be right by him.  By let him go to run around with us and if one gets too close or start running , then he chases it.  He is coming along. Just going to take more time and him getting older.

Fred

Fred

     Robin could care less. She is 14 years old and would just as soon sleep than anything else.  She has been around since she was 8 weeks old.

Robin

Robin and Hens

     This is the chicken tractor Ranch Guy made a few weeks ago.  We put in several of the hens that were light on feathers to see if they would finally grow out. (I think they were being picked on.) They get moved every day and for the most part seem to be doing good in it.  There is one young rooster in it that I think needs to come out.
     Note:  Their feathers are growing back and they are looking very pretty.

     Ranch rabbit Billy gets to roam during the day.  He has his little area he goes and eats, but never very far away from the trees or the tractor for shelter.  He will head back to the chicken house most every night where he sleeps.

Billy

     I love birds and have for many years had this window bird feeder in one of our windows.  It only took me since moving here in Feb. to finally get it put in one of the window.  It is enjoyment for us and the indoor cat.  I just hope that the outdoor cats don't get too many of them.  We put a piece of tin under the window so that the cats could not climb up to the window.  I moved a few of the hanging feeders over by it to attract the birds in to the window feeder. 

Until next week,
The 2 Moore's Ranch


     A few extra pics from the week. Didn't get very many sunset pics this past week.

Been enjoying some fires.

Found a really cool old wire egg basket.

My tomatoes are still green !

Air Force plane flying over.

Sunset!

Sunrise!