Chicks and Calves

Our farm has some new little ones running around, and I couldn't be more excited. There is nothing cuter than a mama hen hatching her own chicks and taking care of them.

These are the Brahma chicks, there are 6 total

Our Silkie hens hatched 9. One is a black silkie, 7 are white, and one mixed. And the black hen is the one taking care of them all, poor Mama...could you imagine trying to corral 9 toddlers?? She does a great job showing them how to scratch the ground, where to find water, and then keeps them safe and warm from all the rain we've been having.

I took this close-up of them after just a few had hatched to share on our Instagram. SO cute and fluffy...Silkies are my favorites! 

And then this year has been a record...one of our Peacock Hens Peahens has hatched 5 little chicks peachicks herself! She laid on her nest with 5 eggs under her, and ALL 5 hatched and have survived!! 

Daddy Paco is proud too! 

She is taking wonderful care of her babies. There is another Hen laying on a nest with an unknown amount of eggs under her. We are hoping for the best...and the incubator is full (17) of what looks to be good eggs also. (Baileyhusband recently kindled them and they look to have chicks growing inside!)

WHEW! That will be alot of little ones running around....look for our "For SALE" page on our website Irishman Acres if you are interested in purchasing some Peafowl from us! They are MY FAVORITE farm bird. 

I also wanted to show some new pictures of our little calf that Carly Jo had on June 13th...that was Friday, the 13th!!! Her name is Carolina, and she is precious (of course).

You can read all about the day she arrived HERE. 

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I hope that this weekend has some rain-free moments so we can get more outside work done for our big 4th of July party that is coming SOONER than we will be ready for! (Wow, that was one big long sentence..just picture it coming out of my mouth fast and out of breath....because that is how my brain and body are functioning right now!) Happy Friday!

Obsessed Much? Mondays: A new summer-time series

Mondays are a bit of a bitter-sweet pill to swallow. And even though it is summer, they are still hard. Sundays are family days, and really the only day we have Daddy home...the life of a construction man!

 I am starting a little summertime series here on the blog called 

There are so many things that I obsess over...and I can just here my teenage daughters say, "Obsessed much, mom?" These are fun things that I either obsess over at home , while shopping, eating, crafting, etc.

To start things off...this week (actually, EVERY week), I am OBSESSED with:   COWS

{my favorites: Clover and Carly Jo}

This was a NO-BRAINER for anyone who knows me. You all know how OBSESSED I am of my cows. My Instagram feed is full of pictures of Carly Jo and all our other cattle here at Irishman Acres! 

Growing up in a bigger city, and even have lived here in the country for most of our marriage, I am still amazed by the beauty and personality of our cows. We do tend to spoil them....our vet has even teased us about probably giving our cows bottled water. (I wonder how expensive that would be?) 

I do know, that being around them, giving them attention, brushing them, giving them baths, keeps them extremely tame. 

Tame cattle are important when a vet comes for checkups

{Carly getting an ultrasound}

When they give birth, and are as tame as Carly, she doesn't mind me being right there taking pics and helping her baby stand! 

{minutes after giving birth}

Meet baby Carolina! She was born on Friday...and I got to witness it! This is Carly Jo's 4th calf, it is funny how she has had a heifer (girl) every other year. So we were hoping that this was a girl. 

{almost all clean and dry}

{trying to stand}

Shortly after being born, the calves try to stand up (with the Mama's help and encouragement). Carolina was having a tough time on the concrete in the barn...so I moved her outside. 

{so much easier outside}

{Mama's watchful eye}

I think that I stayed down there for about 2 hours watching this miracle and documenting this with my camera. 

{baby's first meal}

I know that many farmers just laugh at me when they find that I am totally obsessed with my cows...but these are more than just cows to us....they are our pets. 

And Carly Jo was the first farm animal that I have ever had to pleasure of loving...she was our bottle-fed baby, and has the personality of a puppy! 

{Carly- when she first came to live at Irishman Acres}

So, when people will ask "obessed much?", about our cows...I would answer YES! And so glad that I am! :) 

I think this will be a fun series every Monday..and hope you don't get too bored listening to the rambling of this Baileywife! It won't always be about our farm animals..I am a home-loving-obsessed-wanna-be-designer, so some weeks I'm sure it will be about home-y stuff. 

Linking up to: From the Farm Blog Hop

An UNplanned day!

Sometimes its the unplanned days that are the very best!

This past week, we had an unexpected baseball game cancellation. And so we had family time....to work with our cows! Honestly, these are our favorite days....

And yes, this is our Miniature Hereford bull, Hawkeye. He is a yearling bull, and oh so very tame. So Daddy thought it would be fun for the boys to "Ride a Bull". No bucking or running, Hawkeye is too sweet for that! 

Well, Good Evening to you too, Hawkeye! I know you are so excited for the fresh grass!

These pictures, which were impromptu....were taken with the Baileyhusband's little ol cell phone. Sorry for the poor quality! 

And I want to share with you another photo I found on his little ol cell phone! I know some husbands would have pictures of things that wouldn't be wife-worthy....yet, this one made me laugh......

The man DOES like big butts, he is oh so very proud of these! IF you are a cow person, you know that this is what the judges (at cow shows) look for. 

I have seen this on a sweatshirt and am seriously considering purchasing one for my dear man. 

Hopefully, this summer, we will have many of these unplanned days....and hopefully, I will have my good camera with me! :)

~Kim

A Winter Wonderland (around our farm)

We already had a big blanket of snow....

when, the other day it began snowing again, and it was so beautiful....

I decided to go around our farm and take a few snapshots.....

Even though our farm is more fun in the summer, the beauty of winter is undeniable.

Hershey-girl is still the "farm-keeper", even in the cold months.

 Ken walking to the pasture to visit his ladies! :)

Our peacocks getting their adult tailfeathers...just gorgeous!

Too cold for the chickens to venture out.

And even though this windmill quit actually moving a few years back, just can't part from it!

Picture perfect shots are everywhere when the ground has fresh fallen snow

and the world seems to be still.

And lastly, our guineas, sunning themselves in the barn door, along with Dixie in her winter coat.

I am still in love with winter.....hopefully this love affair will remain until spring! Although, I CANNOT wait to  get out in my gardens and get my hands dirty....and spend more (quality) time with my animals. 

Right now, Baileyhusband has been doing most of the chores, and keeping our calves tame. Now that the holidays are over, I plan on joining in more often! 

~Kim

Sick Ones and Vet Bills!!

We have only been in this cow business for about 4 years...and we have not had to deal with the sickies before. I didn't even know that cows could get flu-like symptoms! 

But lo and behold....it happened! We knew that our bull, Ken, was being a little standoff-ish, but Ken is Ken....and he is a grumpy fella anyways. Then one day, we noticed him limping  and shuffling towards the barn.

And when I say shuffling....I mean picture how the elderly walk on a sheet of ice....

and then picture a 1200+ lb bull walking like that! 

With a closer inspection...he had a severely red nose and eyes....

We quickly quarantined him from our other cows (and donkey)....and he went into our grain bin and stayed there for days....wouldn't come out for water or food. BaileyHusband tried coaxing him out with buckets of feed...which seemed to work initially....

We, I mean BaileyHusband, ( I still don't feel too comfortable being that close the big lug, even if he doesn't feel good!) had to carry water in large buckets to him to get him to even drink.

The vet arrived and gave him some (expensive) shot of anit-biotics that was to last in him for 7 days. Ken had a temperature of 103 degrees...and it was a cold day! Poor guy!!

After two rounds of shots, and 2 1/2 weeks later.....we are pleased to see that Ken is becoming his feisty old self....and is now back in the larger pasture with his lady friends.......

YEAH KEN!!! 

But.....just like the flu in a household of children....it seemed to have spread......

Most of our calves were having gross snotty noses...makes you want to get a large Kleenex doesn't it?

And they were laying around the barnyard, looking totally sad. So more shots and more vet bills later....we think we have knicked this flu in the bud.....just hope our baby mamas don't get it, don't know what it would do to their unborn calves! YIKES!

Hopefully we will have a more healthy month ahead!

~Kim

31 Days of Finding Home: Day 15 Home on the Range

Day 15

Home, Home on the Range....

You knew I couldn't go a whole MONTH without talking about my babies!!!

So this is all about Finding Home...for our COWS! :)

Meet our newest lil one...the one we picked out here:  Eeny Meeny Miny Mo

We chose #19. And now she has a REAL name: Carmele -A- Rae. And she has joined our little mini-herd. (literally, our miniature hereford herd) Although, she is full bred Black Angus. 

We hope that Carmele trains and shows just as good as sweet Clover did at this past year's County Fair!

We are in the process of training SEVERAL little calves here at Irishman Acres.

Our cute little bull, Hawkeye:

The beautiful (and freakishly strong) Cassie-Dee:

And since we are talking cows.....we had a first here at the farm.

We had a vet come out and actually ULTRASOUND our girls to see if/when they got bred.

So we washed the girls up and awaited the arrival of the doc.

Carly Jo

Claire-A-Belle

And the shy Clover (this will be here FIRST CALF!)

So in came the (pregnant) doctor..who looked so cute in her coveralls!

And she was happy to report that Claire-A-Belle is actually about 3 months pregnant! Yeah! Nervous because we didn't actually "See it happen".

And sadly: Carly Jo did not show a baby inside :( Doesn't mean she is NOT pregnant, but if she was, she was only a couple weeks into it. Which is not good, her cycle is WAY off. But we will keep our fingers crossed.

And lastly....our sweet Clover....this was a mystery because as I reported back in June: Beware of our Farm, we didn't know if miniature hereford KEN got the job done...because she looked to have been "Cycling" again in July, we took her to a farm that had an Angus Bull for a couple months.
So WHO IS THE BABY DADDY???

And the good doctor was happy to report that Clover was indeed pregnant....

 ....with at least a 3 month old fetus calf!!! Oh GOODNESS!!! So Ken DID get the job done!!

And now we will have a half-breed. But we know that she will calve easy being that it is half miniature hereford. And hopefully will have a beautiful white face like it's mama.

~Kim

Linking up to: The Nester's 31 Days Challenge