I know I haven’t posted much on this blog lately but I’ve been busy with the launch of my latest book- Raising Chickens for Dummies. It’s a great book if I say so myself and it has all the newest and best information on chickens and it’s written so everyone can understand it. Don’t let the For Dummies part scare you- even smart, chicken savvy people will like this book.

It was agonizing sometimes writing the book. I wanted to say soooo much and space was limited. As it was they had to take out some pictures to make room for the writing.

My co-author for the book was Rob Ludlow, who owns the neat web site Backyardchickens.com. If you like chickens you’ll want to check out this site. Here’s a link
If you want to buy the book here’s the spot to go.

And if you read the book and like it go to Amazon and give it a star rating. Ask your local library if they’ll buy a copy also.

A Charlie - horse

Oh, Charlie the mini horse is appropriately named. He is a major pain to me right now. I tried to get him gelded but since both testicles are not down the vet wouldn’t do it. Today I was taking a break from writing and I went out by the pond to look for the big, beautiful dragon flies that have been out there. Usually this time of day the horses aren’t out by the pond, but today they saw me and came running. I don’t like to mess with Charlie out there so I quickly went back through the gate to the pasture in back of the barn. I heard a kitten crying over by the junk pile where the wild kittens live and I couldn’t figure out why.

About the time I discovered a tiny new born kitten on the ground Charlie jumps the fence- or rather crawls over it. He comes running for me with the idea of having some fun with me. He couldn’t step on the kitten because it was behind some wire but the chickens had also noticed me and they had came over. I was afraid they would pick at the tiny kitten and I wanted to cover it with something. Charlie was dancing around me trying to nip me and rearing up on me. I had to give him a good whack with the cover to a kitty litter pan that I picked up to put over the kitten and then it only deterred him for a minute. I tried to grab him by the halter but he is getting too heavy for me to control well that way and I didn’t have a lead nearby. I got the cover over the kitten and retreated into the barn. He then started chasing chickens around. I left him there to get back to his mom on his own.

I am going to put a lead on him tonight and give him a good manners lesson. I know he is being a normal brat boy horse but I am just glad he’s small. Steve wants to get rid of him, but I think it’s a phase just like all young animals go through. After he’s gelded maybe he’ll settle down. Poor baby boy horses get moved around a lot in life. I wanted to give him a good, permanent home but I don’t like dealing with male horses.

I really worry about Lily having a foal. If she does it will be nearly impossible to separate him from her. She’ll have to be locked in the barn or he will. I just wish I knew whether she was going to foal, she’s as big as a barrel but then she never stops eating either. She is still very active. And the other worry is that he will breed her before he’s gelded, if she isn’t pg. I need to work on fences he can’t go through too. Electric don’t seem to work with him.

Ah, well such is life with animals.