The family. We are a strange little band of characters trudging through life, sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another's desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that binds us all together.

- Erma Bombeck

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Grey Wolf Sighting

This morning we let Dobby (our dog) out and like she often does, she took off toward the livestock pens in pursuit of something we couldn't see.  Within seconds, we saw what looked like a large, dark coyote run away from the pens with Dobby in hot pursuit.  Immediately following Dobby was a second large, dark creature.

We called Dobby back as quickly as we could.  I grabbed the pellet gun (which wouldn't have done anything, so I'm not sure why I grabbed it) and J took off in the car trying to head the animals off at the road.  Dobby came back a few minutes later, limping.

I tried to check her hind end and she promptly peed on the entryway floor.  Apparently, whatever had tried to bite her did not get a latch on her.  She was unhurt.  But she was definitely upset.  She hasn't peed on the floor since she was a puppy.

J and I talked about what we had seen.  We assumed that they were just very well fed coyotes...until a neighbor said that he had heard a rumor of a coyote/wolf hybrid in the area.  We checked with the ODFW website and found out that there are actually wolves that have been tracked near our area.  After staring at photo after photo of grey wolf, we decided that what we saw today must've been a pair of wolves.

A Grey Wolf
We've been considering buying a 22 for the house.  We're now thinking that a thirty-ott-six might be more appropriate.  Of course, we would never shoot a wolf as they are protected by the state and the feds.  But we might shoot toward them if they try to take down any of our livestock.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Building a Good Fence - Adding Hot Wire

For our fences, we have chosen to build so that we can house any of our livestock without changing the set up.  Therefore, we use 48" field fence (the more expensive roll is worth the money for the extra stoutness).  We always concrete our wooden corner posts.  And we always run to lines of hot wire - one about 12" off of the ground and one at the top of the fenceline.

The main reason for using hot wire is to keep animals from pushing on your fenceline.  Even the strongest fence will not hold up to a 600-pound pig rooting up from the bottom or a 1200-pound horse leaning over the top.  We find that running two lines with the field fence is enough to deter any of our livestock...goats, pigs, or horses.  And it doesn't really bother the chickens or ducks.  I've only seen one of them get zapped.  I think that their feathers keep them pretty well insulated.

Start by placing your insulators.  We use 6" standoffs as we don't want the animals on the fencing.  You can attach standoffs to either the front or the back of t-posts - something that is very helpful when you have a shared fenceline and must run hot wire on both sides.  Don't forget to get nail-on standoffs for the corner posts.  We also use the "donut" type insulators on the corners as the hot wire can be pulled tight without fear of the wire slipping off.

I have found that measuring off of my body works well for placing standoffs.  I place a foot next to the t-post and judge it against my leg, making note of where it hits.  I do the same for the top standoff.  I then can repeat this with every post, measuring against the spot on my body.

Once the insulators are in place, begin threading the hot wire, starting at a gate opening.  This is really a two person job.  If you are using tensioners or donut-style insulators, you need to have one person

Monday, December 26, 2011

Building a Good Fence - Stringing the Fence

Third Step - STRINGING THE FENCE

Once your posts are in the ground, you are ready to run the fencing. You will need to have some way to roll out the fencing. We have created a fence roller by welding a square post onto a metal plate and mounting it to a trailer hitch. We place the roll over the post and then pull fencing from there.

Starting at the corner furthest from the gate, wrap the fencing around the wooden post and twist the wires back onto itself, thus creating a loop.  We find this much more successful as an anchor point than attaching the end of the fencing with horseshoe nails.  It also avoids the "pokey" end of the fence hanging off the wooden post.

Unwind the fencing so that it wraps around the pen somewhat tight.  You will tighten it up later with a come-along or other fencing tool, but you don't want too much slack in it to start with.  Make sure that your fencing is on the correct side of the t-posts.  It should lie against the "button" side of the post.  If you chose to keep animals in versus out, you may have to weave your fencing to the inside for t-posts and then back around the outside of your wooden corner posts.  It won't bother your fenceline at all to have this weaving, but it is very important to have the fencing on the correct side of the post.  I suppose you could attach the fencing to the inside of your corner posts, but this is not nearly as strong as if you have the tension held on the fence around the outside of the wooden post.

When you reach the end of the first side, you will want to stretch the fencing and attach it before moving on.  It is possible to stretch around a corner, but as I mentioned in the first posting, J is very anal about his fences, and it just wouldn't be tight enough if we didn't stretch each side separately.

For stretching, you can use a variety of tools.  We have been known to slide a steel pipe through the fencing, attach the pipe to our ditch witch and then pull.  We have also used a traditional fence puller with hooks down a pipe attached to a come-along.  However you decide to stretch your fence, make sure that you stretch it as evenly as possible from top to bottom.  Also, note that if you are using "field fence" where the squares go from big to small - you want the small squares on the bottom and the big squares on the top.

Once your fence is as tight as you feel safe handling, you need to attach it to the gate post.  Since the gate post will be pulled on, it is important to have a triangular brace (t-post) or an H corner (wooden posts) to support the strain.  We find that sliding the up/down wire over as far as possible, and then cutting the cross wires one at a time works best.  We cut a wire and wrap it around the post, securing it to itself.  We then cut another wire, repeating the process until we only have the top and bottom wires left.  By this time, the tension in the fence-pulling device is usually relieved.

This shows the wire attaching the fence to the post.  It also shows
a second wire (wrapping the t-post) because this was a spot
where we built a perpendicular line as well.
After the fence is attached at both ends, you need to attach it to each t-post.  You can buy wire attachment pieces, but we have found a great way to make them using fencing wire.  Cut a length of wire about 8 inches long.  Using channel locks, bend a hook in one end of the wire.  Hook this end on a cross wire of the fence.  Wrapping the wire around the t-post and back to the fence, loop the wire around the cross wire of the fence several times.  You should be able to do this mostly by hand.  Once you have the wire hooked and looped, take your fencing pliers and crimp the hook so it won't fall off.  Then clamp onto the loops on the other side and begin twisting them to tighten the loops on the cross wire.  This will slowly tighten the attaching wire behind the t-post and will leave a beautiful line of tight loops around one side.  Cut off any excess tail of wire.  Do this at least three times on each t-post.

to be continued...

Building a Good Fence - Setting the Posts

Second Step - SETTING THE POSTS

The first post determines all other posts. Decide where you are going to start and dig a deep hole. You want to be between 2-3 feet down for your wood posts. These corner posts are going to take a lot of stress so it is important that they are very secure. They will determine the tightness of your fence and the overall durability through time.

Once you have the hole, set the post in the hole and mix at least two bags (80 pounds) of concrete. Fill the hole with concrete, rattling the post around to make sure that the concrete settles in. Using a short level, adjust the post until it is plumb. Don't forget to check it all the way around. Leave it to set overnight.

Once the first post is set, you can begin to measure for the other corner posts. Using a tape measure, measure from the center of the first post to where you want the second post. This will also determine the orientation of the pen so plan accordingly. Set the second post the same way you did the first.

The third corner post needs to be measured a little differently. You want to eventually have a square pen, so you need to make sure that the third post fits into the right orientation. Using the Pythagorean theorem, you can make sure to create a right triangle at the first post. It sounds fancy, but it's pretty simple. Pull a string line (a string that is tied from post to post) between the first two posts. Then measure out the length of string for the second side (third post) and tie it to the first post and to a t-post. Pull the string tight and estimate a square by looking at the first side of the pen. Stick the post in the ground (temporarily) and walk back to your first post. Now, here comes the math...measure out three feet on one side and make note. Measure out four feet on the other side and make note. Measure between the two points noted. This hypotenuse (the diagonal line) should be five feet. If it isn't, you need to adjust the second side in or out (in makes it shorter, out makes it longer) until it is. Once you have a triangle with a 3ft, 4ft, 5ft measurement, you know that your corner will be square. Replace the t-post with a wooden corner post. Set it the same way you did the other two.

The fourth post needs to be measured off of the second and third posts. Make sure that the sides are equal. If you want to double check the square of your pen, use the Pythagorean theorem again and measure the diagonal from the fourth post to the first. The hypotenuse (diagonal line) should be the sum squared of the two sides squared (a2 + b2=c2). Once you are sure of your measurement, set the fourth post the same way you did the last three.

Think about where you are going to want your gates. Whereever you decide to put them, you will want to have wooden posts on either side. We often use a corner so that we can maximize the uses for our wooden posts. Be aware that you want to decide on the size of the gate and create an opening exactly that size. Gates are labeled 4ft, 5ft, 6ft, but they measure about four inches shorter than their label to allow for hinges when installed. You do not need to add width to your opening (ask me how I know this?).

If you are building a large pen (over forty feet on each side), you are best off creating what's called an "H" corner. To do this, you use seven wooden posts per corner. Measure out six to eight feet from the corner post and set another post. Do this on both sides of the pen, making sure that it is in line with the far corner post (this is where a string line is very helpful). Once the two posts are set in the ground, create a top rail and bottom rail between the corner and the new posts. This makes the "H." If you want to make it even stronger, loop some fencing wire around the top of the two posts, cross them in the middle, and loop them around the other post - creating an X on each H. Take a stake (or a strong stick) and twist both wires around the stake at their junction until the wire is as tight as you can make it. Tuck the end of the stake behind the wire so that is will stay. But this costs money, and if you are like us, you would like to stretch your fencing dollars as much as possible. So, here's what we often do...

T-Post used as a corner brace.
In line with your side, pound a t-post into the ground diagonally, creating a triangle between the t-post, the wooden post, and the ground. Pound the tip of the t-post into the side of the wooden post. This allows the t-post to take much of the strain as the fencing is stretched around the pen.

Next, you need to put your side posts into the ground. At our ranch, we are best off drilling post holes with an impact drill. Some places you can just use a post pounder. However you get your posts in the ground, you want to make sure of two things. First, you have the posts in line with the rest of the side of the fence (a string line helps to ensure this). Second, you want to decide how you are going to orient the post for the fencing. Are you more interested in keeping a strong animal in or keeping a strong predator out? If you think your fence will take more pressure from the inside, orient your t-posts so that the "buttons" are on the inside. If you think it will take more pressure from the outside, orient your t-posts so that the "buttons" are on the outside. Buttons on the inside, means that you will be running your fencing on the inside of the posts and vise versa.

Building a Good Fence - Planning

So, one of the benefits of moving from farm to farm is that J and I have just about perfected the art of building a good fence.  Granted, I often complain about how anal J is about his fencing, but I am always pleased with the results.

I thought it might be helpful to those people out there just starting to build fences, if we gave them some step-by-step instructions for fence-building.

First Step - PLANNING
I cannot express how important it is to plan out your fencing.  Fencing takes a lot of time and effort, so you want to make it exactly the way you want it to be FOREVER.  Think about where you will be going to get feed.  Think about access to each pen.  Think about how you might want to move animals from pen to pen.  Think about where you will be watering.  Think about where you will put shelters - specifically which direction the wind blows so that you can orient the door on the opposite side.  Think about how you will load and unload animals.

When we designed our pens at the new ranch, we had several things that we knew we wanted.  We wanted to build a corridor that could be used for loading and unloading animals.  We also wanted a corridor that could be used to move animals from pen to pen - for breeding, birthing, isolation, etc.  We wanted to have access to all pens from the same side of the fence.  We wanted to have easy access to feed OUTSIDE of the corridor/pen system (so that even if the animals got out, they couldn't get to the feed).

Our pen design ended up with two larger pens on the far side, and then a row of smaller pens paralleling the larger ones with a corridor running between the large and small pens.  In addition, there is a corridor that "Ts" into the main corridor, running between two of the smaller pens and creating a chute for loading and unloading animals.  We plan to use fence panels to cordon off sections of the corridor when moving animals around.  We also made sure that the chute lined up with the driveway in such a manner that we could back a trailer up easily to it.

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Not So Lucky

It is not looking good for Lucky the cat.  We put him out on Friday night (as we have many nights), but we haven't seen him since.  There is still a chance that he will return, but I'm not going to hold my breath.  I have a feeling he ran into one of the many coyotes that we have in our area.  He is a pretty quick kitty and can climb trees very well, but if he got caught, he's gone.

Friday, December 16, 2011

RIP Geo Dog

Geo 1998 - December 16, 2011
Today was a very hard day.  It has been coming for awhile now, but the reality of the situation presented itself in full force last night.

Geo, our family dog, has been with us since our youngest son Z was born...eight years!  We got him when he was about five.  As best we could guess, Geo is a combination of Husky, Shepard, Great Pyrenees, and Bernese - or something like that.  He was a big dog with lots of fur.  He had been rescued from a horrible home where his owner had kept him on a two foot chain in the front yard.  His fur was so matted that we had to shave him down to his skin.  He had chain scars on his neck.  But he was the dog for us.  When we first met him, M (who was even afraid of squirrels at the time) ran over to him and hugged him.  I was flabbergasted and thrilled.  This was OUR dog.  We brought him home that day.

We guess his age at around thirteen this year.  For a big dog, this is quite old.  For months, we have seen his level of activity decline.  He has had trouble controlling his bladder.  He has lost a lot of weight.  He has generally looked tired.  And this is saying a lot because Geo has always been a VERY calm dog.  We always joked that he is more of a glorified rug than anything.  But the changes were noticable and we talked at length about how to know when the time was right to help him leave this world.

Last night when I got home, Geo was not on the porch in his usual spot.  I called to him and for the first time in his life, I heard him crying.  He was lying in the grass about a hundred feet from the house.  He couldn't get up.  I went over, picked him up, and carried him into the house.  His body was so bony and fragile under all the fur.  I set him down on his blanket and he flopped over onto his side, apparently not interested in getting up again in the near future.

In the morning, he was just where I left him.  Several times I saw him shuffle his feet under his body in an attempt to rise, but he gave up quickly.  I brought the water bowl to him and he drank several times, but would set his head down in the bowl if I didn't remove it when he was done.

I talked with the boys about the situation and explained that we needed to help Geo to die.  They said their goodbyes before leaving for school.  While I told them that I would call the vet, I knew that we couldn't afford the $200 to have him come out to euthanize.  J is out of town for the weekend so I called a friend.  She and her father came out mid-morning to help.

We carried Geo outside in the blanket and then lifted him off onto the dirt.  He didn't even attempt to get up.  I think he knew it was time to go too.  I tried to busy myself with the goats, but the ring of the shot pierced me and I broke down.  While I am used to the life and death lifestyle on a farm, the loss of such a dear friend is devastating.  Geo has been with me through some of the most challenging days of my life.  It sounds so cliche, but he was a loyal friend and without a doubt, one of the best dogs in the world.

I spent the rest of the morning using the ditch witch to dig a hole and bury him.  J will have to rebury him when he returns as I am not able to get the trenching arm onto the front and really get down deep.  But for now, we know that Geo's remains will be safe from predators.

Monday, December 12, 2011

The Goats, Chickens, and Jaws Are Here

We relocated all but about a dozen chickens and a half dozen ducks today.  It was quite a show but nothing that any family farmer wouldn't think of doing...just a little unusual.

J and I went over to the old house with the intentions of loading the goats in the trailer and the chickens in two dog crates that J would drive home in his van.  Well, when I got to the house with the trailer, it seemed like Jaws might be interested in trying the trailer again.  So I backed it up, set up the ramp and got out the grain.  He was certainly more receptive, but still shy of getting those back feet into the trailer.

The thing with moving a pig is that there really isn't any way to man-handle them into a trailer.  They have to cooperate or nothing is gonna happen.  Remember, Jaws is a full-grown boar pig.  He weighs somewhere in the neighborhood of 500 pounds and is really all muscle.  He moves tires with his nose.  You're not gonna push him into a trailer.

So, we coaxed him into the trailer finally.  I jumped into the car and started to inch forward so that J could swing the door closed...but Jaws got cold feet and backed out before he could shut the door.  Not only that, but Jaws took the liberty of sauntering out around the trailer and into the open.  We tried to convince him back into his pen, but decided to give him a break and work on the chickens.

We managed to catch about a dozen chickens, dividing them between the two crates.  We also got both of the geese...I'm sure that they were less than thrilled to be stuck in a dog crate with a bunch of chickens, but that was the best we could do.

By the time we caught the chickens, Jaws had wandered into the chicken coop and we had shut the door.  J cut the fence between the coop and the pig pen so that we could try the trailer again without having to move Jaws through the open.  Again, we got him interested in the trailer, but not far enough to get up all the way.  He would reach his nose into the trailer and try to grab the bucket out of our hands, pulling it with his teeth.  This time, we set up the trailer so that the door could swing shut without having to move it.  We used some chain link panels on the opposite side of the door to create a chute for him to travel in.

Several times he got into the trailer, only to back out as I slowly swung the door shut.  We knew that there was no point in trying to shove him in with the door.  He would just push his way out.  We needed to have a clear shot to the latch on the door for the leverage it would take to keep him in.  Finally, he made his way into the trailer and I was able to swing the door shut.  J was yelling at me to pull down the latch before Jaws pushed back out...which he was trying to do.  We got it latched, and Jaws was ready to transport.

Only thing is, we were trying to bring over the goats.  And there was no way we were going to open that trailer until we had Jaws at the new house.  So, we looked at our options.  Instead of loading the crates of chickens into the van, we loaded them into the back of the Expedition.  That left the van empty.  So, we decided to load the goats into the van.

All of our goats have been in a car at one point or another, but not actually all at the same time.  One by one, I brought the goats to the side of the van and J would open the door.  We would push/lift each goat into the van (passed J who was acting as guard).  By the time I loaded the seventh goat, I wasn't sure we were going to be able to keep them all in.  But we did.

So, J took off with his load of goats (including two very stinky bucks) and I took off with my load of chickens, geese, and a large pig.  I had to stop at the bus to pick up the boys, but other than that (and the stink of chicken poop in the car), the ride home was uneventful.  We got all of the animals unloaded and they are now happily exploring their new digs.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

The Piggies Have Landed

We finally finished the fencing for two larger pens and can bring the rest of the animals over to the new place.  This afternoon J and I took the trailer over and set it up for the pigs to get in.  Ruby and the babies jumped in the minute we brought the grain out.  They didn't even need a ramp.  Jaws, on the other hand, was pretty skeptical.  We worked on trying to get him in the trailer for at least a half an hour, but it was super cold, getting dark, and the other three pigs were starting to wonder if the trailer was the best place to be.  So, like the old saying "Three pigs in a trailer is worth four in a pen" we decided to leave Jaws and just relocate Ruby and the babies.

J removed the gate in between the two pig pens and brought it back with us so that we could install it in the new pen.  We've been really trying to reuse all that we can and buying gates is expensive, so moving them as we move the animals makes the most sense.  Well, you know how a 2x4 is called a 2x4 but is really a 1 3/4x3 3/4?  It's the same with gates.  I swore up and down that I bought four foot gates.  So when J concreted the wooden posts in the ground, he left four feet six inches of space to hang the gate (figuring that we would need the extra six inches for the hinges and the latch).  I guess the people who make the gates figure that you are going to buy a four foot gate for a four foot opening.  So they make their four foot gates three feet eight inches wide (figuring that you will need the extra four inches for the hinges and the latch).  Suffice it to say, that J swore up and down when he realized this fact.  His beautiful, clean fence posts were in the wrong place!

Now, we couldn't just pull the posts, because remember, we had finished the pens with the exception of the gates.  So the posts were anchoring the entire line of field fence that encircled the pen.  This field fence was attached with four separate tie wires to t-posts every eight feet making up about a 40x40 foot pen.  So, J created a series of blocks that would span the gap between the gate and the post.  In the end, it worked out fine, but it wasn't as beautiful as my hubby would've liked.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Still Dry

We called down to the water hauler this morning and the trucker slipped on the ice and broke his wrist so he wouldn't be able to deliver water.  We are going to have to wait until Monday!  That is just a little too long for us to "dry camp" so we hitched up our trailer with a 300 gallon tank and drove it to the community well ourselves.  $3.00 later, we had a little water back at the house to tide us over until Monday.  You can bet we will be watching our water reserves more closely this next go around.  It hasn't been that much fun to be without water for so many days.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Still Out of Water

We got a call from the water hauling company this morning.  The owner was trying to fill the tank down at the local community well and had spent over an hour trying to get the tap unfrozen.  He apologized, but said that he wouldn't be able to bring water today.  Maybe tomorrow.  Ok....

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Out of Water

One of the things that most people take for granted is having water.  Even those of us with a limited on-site supply do this.  Only when we forget to watch what we use, we run out.

This morning, I made coffee and got the boys ready for school.  But when J went to brush his teeth, he turned on the tap and nothing happened.  We knew it wasn't frozen because it had worked earlier this morning...it was empty.  That means that our 3000 gallon cistern had no water in it and we were at least several hours away from any water in the house.

So, I called the water hauling company immediately to get them headed in our direction.  Well...the truck driver had been at the hospital all night with his wife and wasn't making deliveries today so we will have to wait until tomorrow.  No showers, no dishes, no toilets, no nothing.  Just like camping!

Realities of Living on a Dirt Road

We knew that we needed to replace the tires on our Expedition...but like everything, it was taking a back seat to our daily expenses.  Well, today the "squeaky wheel gets the grease" took on a whole new meaning.

I was driving into town to pick up the boys from school.  Rocks always hit the bottom of the car, but a particularly loud rock startled me for a moment.  It was no more bumpy on the dirt road than usual, but for some reason I was thinking to myself, "This road is so bumpy, you would never know if you had a flat tire or not."  A car passed me and I looked in the side mirror to make sure that I wasn't going to "dust her out."  That's when I noticed how many rocks my tire was flipping up.  Then I realized that the rocks weren't rocks at all...they were small black chunks of rubber.  Then it hit me...I had a flat tire.

I pulled over and got out.  What I saw wasn't just a flat...it was a shredded tire.  I must've been driving on this tire for at least 1/2 a mile before I realized what had happened.  Luckily, the wheel looked ok.

I called a friend to get the kids (first priority).  Then I called AAA to get someone out here to tow me.  They weren't sure that they could come up our dirt road, but when I told them what had happened and how close I was to the pavement (about a mile), they agreed to get me.  The driver towed me to Les Schwab where we were lucky enough to find a set of barely used tires that fit our wheels and our budget.

Next thing we're gonna have to do are the shocks.  I don't think I have any left on this car.