Dog Show at The Fair

Man if I had to name all the things I like about fair you would be listening to me for weeks. My brothers and I did really well at the fair this year. I had a lot of fun showing each animal. I showed horses, dogs, and goats. I also had some exhibits, I did sewing, photography, and gardening. I don't know which one I had the most fun with, I just loved them all.

Showing my dogs was a lot of fun! I did really well.  Although it wasn't my best year, I still had fun. In dog obedience with my older dog Lilly, I had to get her to go and fetch the dumbbell. The dumbbell is big, white and hard plastic and they don't really like it, especially a Great Pyrenees. For this year I had to make Lilly fetch it. Lilly and I practiced really hard and we eventually mastered it so I wasn't to nervous.



We practiced right before we went in the arena and she did it perfectly. So before we went in I felt pretty happy showing everyone how hard I have been working with my dog... and then all of a sudden, Lilly starts to throw up and it was gross. My heart started to beat really hard and I was thinking, "Oh Lord please help me and Lilly do good in the ring". Before all of this I took Lilly out to use the bathroom and she peed and pooped. So we got in the ring and Lilly was healing great. Then she started to veer away from me, I was thinking, "Lilly what are you doing".




Then she started to squat and she pooped. I was in shock, but I tried to stay cool so I smiled. Then I looked up at my mom in a very upset way. I felt like I was there forever with the crowd just staring at me. Finely it was over and Lilly got up and walked to me. I looked at her and I said "What is wrong with you girl?"
 




I had to pick up the poop. The judge was really nice. He told me, "You will never be a dog trainer if this has never happened to you at least 100 times". I just looked up at him and smiled.




The rest of it wasn't really good either, and I was wondering why, because Lilly would never do this. Next we went in the sit and down stay arena. I had to leave her in there for 3 minute at a sit stay and 5 minute at a down stay. I had her at a sit and left so she couldn't see me and I couldn't see her. I came back in and she was up and the helper was holding her. Then my dad came over and said that she had pooped again. At that time I knew something was wrong with her. I got her to go down and then I had to leave her again. I was just like okay I don't think she will get up on the down stay because she loves to stay down. The 5 minutes was up I look in the ring and my dog is not where I left her. She was with the helper. I was so upset. But I was so happy that it was over. We found out that Lilly was sick.






    
I wasn't going to show Lilly in showmanship, but she was feeling a lot better. So I got my showmanship clothes on and got Lilly all spiffed up. Then we lined up. The judge gave us the nod and we all trotted in. I was trying to look my best for the judge and trying not to show her what I went through a couple of hours earlier. It was hot and I was sweating bullets, I can only imagine what Lilly felt. It was over in about 20 minutes and then the call backs were coming in on the speakers. 

My number and name was announced for call backs which means the judge liked us and we had to go in the ring with the other favorites that she picked. I was so happy to here my name. I just repeated what I did in the first go round. When that was over we all came out. The showmanship level that I was in was called intermediate. One of the helpers came over to me  after the second round and said "Guess who won the intermediate showmanship?" 

I was so happy at this moment because I just realized that I won it and that I was going to senior showmanship against my brothers. I went in the ring for the third time. At this point Lilly was getting pretty tired and I knew that it showed. I got another call back and so did my older bother Zeke. And then I had to go back in the ring for the fourth and last time. Zeke beat me by a close call. But I won intermediate and got second in senior showmanship. So I was pretty happy. 

 Lilly and I doing showmanship

 Snyper is my Boxer Beagle mix. He is 2 years old. And he did great for me this year.
He did everything we worked on almost perfectly in the ring. The thing with Snyper is he can be a bit of a scatter brain sometimes. It's like he knows what he is supposed to do but he gets distracted. The only real mess up we did was when we where healing and the judge said "halt" he forgot to sit for about two crucial seconds then he looked up at me and sat. His look was like, "Don't worry I didn't forget." We got second out of a bunch of other dogs. I was so proud of him, and still am.
      
I had a pretty good start in my fair week.

Snyper and I

How to Raise Chickens for Beginners

 

So you want to know how to raise chickens? We are going to start from the beginning. Let's get started! 

My Mama has taught me everything I know. But I have picked up a thing or two on my own.

I have always liked chickens, but couldn't call them my own, I always wanted to. I mean, I always had to take care of our new chicks that would come in and I would claim one as mine. But I always wanted to get some of my own and start a business with chickens. So here I am.

Let's start with raising chicks.

The chickens that I have are all rare. When these chicks have chicks I will sell them.

This is what you will need:

a heat lamp with a heat lamp light bulb,

a plastic tote and shavings,

a screw on waterier and a mason jar,

and a feeder.

You can find everything at Tractor Supply, except for the plastic tote, that you can find at Walmart. You could use a card board box instead of a plastic tote, but I like to get new things.  Now all we need is the chicks. Get all of this ready before you get the chicks so when you get them everything will be all set up and ready to go so the chicks will not have wait in the cold.

When you put the waterer in you will need to put it on top of something and not on the shavings. Because the shavings will get in the waterer and that would be one messy waterer.

Of course, you need starter feed for them too.  Whether you get medicated or nonmedicated feed is up to you.  Once you get this all set up, your chicks are ready for their new home.  I like to keep them in the house for the first week or two so I can keep a close watch on them.

These are the basic needs of raising chicks.  It is really quite simple!

How to Hand Tame and Train Your Bird-Budgie

I am going to show you how I trained and hand tamed my budgies. This isn't just for budgies, you can do this with parrots, cockatoos, African Greys, Macaws, Amazon parrots, and more. 

First things first, you want to put your bird in a nice comfortable place with food and water. When you put your bird in the cage at first you want it in a quiet spot where the sun can shine. (Visit your bird often). Leave it in the cage for about 1 or 2 days so he can get used to everything. But if your like me I usually let them get  settled in for like 3 hours. Now for the hand taming and training. 

      Day 1: So you want to put your hand on the cage near your bird for 5 minutes. Then give the bird a brake. But keep doing this throughout the day.

                                                        Put your hand on the cage like this
   
 Day 2: Now put your hand next to your bird in the cage. Keep your hand there for 5 minutes. And don't forget to keep talking to your bird. Do this throughout the day.  

                                                    Now put your hand in the cage like this
      
Day 3: If you feel ready you can try to pet your bird on the abdomen (the lower stomach). If you can do that then try to make your bird step up on your finger. To make your bird step on your finger you gently press on the abdomen (lower stomach) and they should step right up on your finger.

 You can start to pet your bird

       

                                            You can also put your bird on your finger like this

Day 4: Day 4 is where you can take your bird out of the cage. Take your bird out of the cage in a smaller room, I used our bathroom, so it would be easier to catch and put back in the cage. They really like to fly around freely.  

You might have a more difficult bird, so this could take longer but every step is the same.

My next post will be about How to Deal with Biting and How to Calm Your Bird.

The Start of My Budgies

My Two Budgies:

My 2 budgies are Ace and Jule. Ace is 8 months old and is an English Budgie part parakeet. Jule is 11 months old and is the same breed as Ace. I got them at Pet Havens Pet Store. My sister surprised by buying Ace. Later  on we were out of town and my sister surprised me with Jule. My sister new I was wanting a female budgie, because she new I wanted to mate them and have baby budgies. I was so happy to see a female budgie in the cage with Ace. Today Ace and Jule are living happily together with each other.

My first time I ever saw a budgie was at a zoo. And I told my Mom and Dad I wanted one for Christmas or my birthday.

They said, "No, we have too many animals."

And I just had to have one so I told them I did not want anything for Christmas but a budgie. Then one day my mom texted my dad and asked what they were going to get me for Christmas. My dad texted back and said, "The budgie thing is starting to grow on me."

So my mom and I took Zeke to basketball practice while we  were going to pick up Christmas ornaments. I thought that was funny because we never go out to by Christmas ornaments. As we were driving, my mom turned into a pet shop and I was like, "Wait a minute, am I getting a budgie?"

My mom smiled and said yes.  So that is how I got my first budgie, Blazin' Blue.

Blue was a very good bird. I will never forget him as long as I live. Blue was a very well trained budgie and would never ever bite, he would let me do anything to him.  Unfortunately, he flew out the door one day and I never saw him again.  I was devastated.

But thanks to my sister, she bought me Ace and Jule.
                                                       
                                                       

                                                                              Ace

Ace

This is Jule

My Chores

Here's a typical day of chores for me:

  

My first two chores are to water the dogs and feed and water the ducks. Then I fill up some water buckets and water the chickens in the coop and feed them. I have to milk and feed 3 goats, which is my least favorite thing to do. The fun part about it is that I can squirt the milk into the dog's mouth.

       
When I am finished with the goats I water the horses. Then I give our horse, Cicero, some grain and hay.

I like to do the animals when no one else is around, I like to hear the morning birds sing and I like to listen and watch the animals.  Oh I almost forgot I have to do my school too.

In the evening I have to work with Cicero and do some ground work with Whisper. Whisper is our yearling horse that I work with. That is always fun to do. Then if I feel up to it I will teach Whisper or Tigger a new trick.

                                           This is me and Whisper doing some ground work

This is Tigger and me doing a new trick

My Little Sister

Today I will write about my little sister Eliana.

My Dad was just finishing our night  devotions and he pulled out a baby picture, and said "Who is this?

I said, "Is it mom?"

 He said with a smile, "It is a part of mom."

So we all had our guesses, and then my little brother R.J. said, "Are you going to have a baby?"

My Mom and Dad smiled at each other, and they said "Yes."

I was so excited to here this news!

My Mom want to the hospital to get a ultrasound. When my Mom came back she said, "Are you ready to here the news?"

We where all like YES let's here the news! Then my Mom said, "The baby is most likely a.....

 GIRL!"

My sister and I looked at each other and screamed!
Now you see I have 3 brothers; one older, and two younger.

So I was really excited to hear this news.

Months want by, and then the day came. My brothers stayed home, I wish I could have gone but I had to stay home with the boys. My older brother told me to get the phone to see if anything had happened and if they sent any pictures. That's when I saw my little sister for the first time.

Now I have been holding her as much as I can. In my eyes and my family's eyes Eliana couldn't be more perfect.

The Lord has really blessed my family.

All About Meat Goat Breeds

Which Breed?

Hi!  My name is Savannah.

Today's post is going to be about meat goats. 

You are probably wondering what breed of meat goat you should get. I think I can help

you out.   I am going to write about Boer goats.

 Boer goat kid

Originally from:  South Africa 

Color:  Traditional ( white with a light brown to dark red head), black traditional (white with a black head), paint ( spotted ) red, black; most Boers have white facial markings.

Description: Large size; long , broad, and muscular build; long, pendulous ears; convex facial  profile; swept-back horns; short coat; bucks have roll of loose skin on shoulders.

I will tell you a little history story about the first born Boer goats.  The first North American-born Boer goats were released from quarantine in 1993 and sold to breeders throughout Canada and  the United States.  I do like Boer goats, but as I tell you more about meat goats there are a lot more meat goats that have a good build, like the Savanna meat goats.

Courtesy of http://savannahassociation.com/

Breed:  Savanna

Originally from:  South Africa

Color: White with black  skin, horns, nose, and hooves.

Description:  Large size, long, broad and muscular build; long, pendulous ears;  swept-back  horns; short coat;  bucks have rolls of loose skin on the shoulders; resembles Boer but with slightly less-convex facial profile.

The first Savanna's were imported to North America in 1994.  Although they are still pretty rare, they are gaining popularity here as well as in Australia and New Zealand.

I will give you more breeds in a week.  Good bye for now:).