by Texas Homesteader
When one of the cows learns to open the gate, the Pied Piper RancherMan leads them back into the pasture.
Wordless Wednesday: Pied Piper Ranching
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Tag Archives: ranch life
Chicken Update – 3 months
by Texas Homesteader~
*This post contains an affiliate link
Back in April we bought baby chicks – three Hybrid Ideal 236 chicks for their larger egg-laying capabilities and three Black Minorca chicks, a larger dual-purpose breed.
They were cute fuzzy things and so much fun to watch. As they grew we moved them to an enclosed *portable coop in the garage. Then we moved the coop out to the yard as it warmed up and they grew their feathers.
We used that coop as a mobile chicken tractor moving them to a different area each day for fresh grass. When they got a little older we moved them to the coop of our 1880’s barn and locked them in for a couple of weeks to help them realize this was their new home.
Since then we’ve let them out to free range every morning and we lock them securely back in the coop each night when they go in to roost.
Refurbishing An 1880’s Barn Coop
by Texas Homesteader
We have really enjoyed raising these baby chicks so far. Their antics are good for hours of entertainment!
But our temporary coop is only large enough for 4 grown chickens and we have 6. And these chicks are growing fast. We’d love for them to finally call our 1880’s barn coop their home, as it was meant to be!
Wordless Wednesday: Chores Await Sunrise
by Texas Homesteader
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Introducing The New Girls To Our Herd
by Texas Homesteader ~
We were forced to reduce our herd in 2011 and 2012 due to the gripping drought that held us captive those years. We have maintained a lower stocking rate and use temporary stocker cows of different breeds during times when the grass was plentiful, selling them when the grass waned. It was a painful decision but that flexibility allowed us to continue our ranching operation and emerge strong.
Wild Game Recipe: Slow Cooker Pork Roast w/Red Wine
by Texas Homesteader~
Being the wife of a talented hunter husband, I’m often cooking wild game here on the homestead. I like to make pulled pork BBQ and I often do. And sometimes I’m using the Cook-Once, Eat Twice method of cooking so I’ll cook my pork roasts with more mainstream seasonings so I can use the leftovers in dishes such as Carnitas Tacos, Pulled-Pork Enchildas and more. But sometimes I like to make pork roast for a more formal meal.
The Love Of God Through The Love Of Others
by Texas Homesteader ~
Do you know how it feels to be comforted by the arms of God? I was diagnosed with breast cancer & my world started to spin. There were frightening and painful procedures to endure, many hours on the road and away from the ranch to attend doctor visits and test facilities and many long tense hours awaiting test results. It was an unbelievably stressful time for us.
Although we didn’t necessarily wish our predicament to be a secret, we didn’t feel like talking about it to anyone other than immediate family. But little by little the news came out. Friend after friend voiced their concern and comfort, offering to do anything they could to ease our burden.
We’re pretty fiercely independent so we didn’t even know what to ask for. So we simply smiled and nodded, grateful for their friendship.
No More Being Chicken – We Bought Chicks!
by Texas Homesteader ~
*this post contains an affiliate link
When we purchased our property in 2000 I fell in love with the old 1880’s barn. When we had the exterior repaired we had the workers leave the coop intact & just repair the exterior walls around it, but alas it sat empty all these years.
We’ve always known we wanted to try to raise chickens some day but it was never a priority. Well today we quit playing “Chicken” and jumped in with both feet.
