And then there were lambs 🐑 🥰🥹💕. Stella gave birth to two healthy little lambs and we could not be more obsessed 🤩🤗. These little babes are Barbados Blackbelly x Shetland crosses. Aggressive Strawberry, our registered Shetland, is also pregnant, so we expect to see a few more little lambs here shortly ☺️! #lambingseason #lambs #lambsofinstagram #socuteidie #obsessed #barbadosblackbellysheep #shetlandsheep #sheeparelife #homesteading #homesteadinglife #happyhomesteading #farmlifebestlife
🤩 So glad I caught this special moment! You know you’re special when Aggressive Strawberry lets you pet her 🐑☺️. We didn’t name her, but she sure lives up to it because this girl is spicy 🌶️😅. Also, the awe and pure joy on Ryker’s face is priceless🥹 🥰. And yes, we do morning chores in jammies because why not 💁🏻♀️. #treestars #iykyk #pjsallday #morningchores #sheep #shetland #hungrygirl #willdoanythingfortreats #petatyourownrisk #spicy #bahramewe #homesteadlife #homesteading #homesteadingfamily #happyhomesteading #farmlifebestlife #raisethemright
Watching this duckling hatch was so precious and incredible 🥹🥰. I watched it struggle for quite some time trying to break out, having to re-peck at previously cracked parts of the shell, and the will to survive on this little buddy was strong! I have a little ptsd from seeing chicks start to break out, only to die in the shell a while later, so I stayed and watched in case it needed an assist. I’m always in awe that something so tiny and seemingly weak, can accomplish something so difficult and strenuous, before it’s even really had a moment to just exist. Nature is beautiful and wild 🥚🦆💕.
🐽Piggy update: the boys are now 5 weeks old and they’re growing so fast 🥹💕! We still need names for these cuties, I was thinking Hamlet and Pork Chop, but feel free to throw out some suggestions in the comments ☺️. #mangalitsa #pig #piglet #pigletsofinstagram #adorbs #herepiggypiggy #ainttheycute #firstpigletsonthefarm #homesteading #homesteadlife #happyhomesteading #farmlifebestlife
Babs’ milkshake brought all the boys to the yard and now she’s got piglets 🫣🤣🐷! Be careful out there with your milkshake ladies 🥤😉😅.
#mymilkshakebringsalltheboystotheyard #bigmama
#bestmama #mangalitsa #piggy #piglets #socute #babyanimals #homesteading #homesteadinglife #happyhomesteading #farmlifebestlife
🐥#thelimitdoesnotexist #chicks #morechicks #cantgetenough #ifyouknowyouknow #homesteading #homesteadinglife #homesteadersofinstagram #chickenobsessed
🐰Does this sound like Alvin & the Chipmunks to anyone else . . . no, just me then 🐿️😅. These cuties are Noelle’s week old kits 🥰. She attempted to bite my hand the first time I tried to check on them, so it’s quite an improvement for her to let me count them and film them chortling (except they’re not really laughing, more like complaining for more milk) 😂!
It’s important to always check the nest box and count your kits because:
1) you want to ensure there are no dead kits in the nest box. You also want to check the health of each kit (deformities, runts, peanuts, etc).
2) if you have more kits than nipples, it’s important to keep an eye on them in order to ensure they’re all getting enough milk from mama. If not, we typically breed two does at a time for this very reason, you can move the smallest kit(s) to your other doe and see if she will adopt them.
3) rabbits are very fragile creatures, and kits are even more so. Counting kits every day allows you to consistently monitor the health of your kits (and mama), and ensures that none have died and are decaying in the nest box. I had a very traumatizing experience last summer, and now I religiously check/feel around the entire nest box, sometimes multiple times a day, depending on how hot it is. Same goes for when it’s freezing out. Consequently, we also no longer breed our rabbits in the summer.
☀️🥵 It’s starting to get hotter out, so don’t forget to check on your animals more frequently, and ensure they always have access to water and shade 🪣💦.
#cremedargent #rabbits #rabbitbreeding #rabbitry #babybunnies #socute #hairlessbabes #feedme #homesteading #homesteadinglife #happyhomestead #farmlifebestlife
😱On a list of things I never thought I’d be doing, this is probably right at the top! After Babs had farrowed, we noticed that she was still having labored breathing and hadn’t really gotten up to eat or drink since (14 hrs later). I even offered her a banana while she was laying down and she showed no interest. I called the vet, and they were concerned she may have a stuck piglet and wanted us to bring her in. Tom was at work and I didn’t have the means to get her there, so I asked if they could come and check her out on property since they do house calls. They would not agree to come out “because they would need an x-ray to check for stuck pigs and if she had them, they would have to do surgery” 😤. Needless to say, we will be seeking out a new vet, and when Tom got home, we did it ourselves. I watched a thousand videos and read up on pig anatomy as much as I could in order to prepare us. We followed all the protocols to ensure a clean and sterile (as possible) environment, I cut my fingernails so I didn’t accidentally scratch her or break the breeder sleeve barrier, and I went as slow as possible so as not to do any further damage. I was not able to fit my hand through her pelvis, but from what I could feel with my fingertips, there weren’t any piglets left behind and there were none in the birth canal. Shortly afterwards, she got up, drank water, ate, pooped and peed all while we were in the pen, so we’re hoping that she’s on the mend 🤞🏼🤞🏼! We’re keeping a close eye on her and her babies, but of course it’s raining today, so we’ll see if she decides to move into the shelter Tom built for her. It’s been a crazy 24+ hrs 😅!
💔 Although we raise our New Zealand rabbits for meat, we love and care for each and every one of them. It’s never easy losing an animal, especially when they are young and haven’t even had a chance at life yet. I discovered this little buddy when doing the rounds, almost didn’t even notice because it just looked like it was sleeping. Sometimes kits just don’t make it, I’m not exactly sure what happened in this case (sick or crushed), but unfortunately, that’s just the sad nature of raising rabbits. I thought those kits were old enough and out of the woods, but this is a humble reminder that rabbits are fragile creatures, and one must never forget that. Sad day for us on the farm today 😞.
@ryker_recce_mack_atk 😘 #starlightgreeneggers #morechicks #youcanneverhavetoomany #obsessed #homesteadingproblems #chickentenders
