Jest Another Day in Pear-A-Dice - Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm in Alberta

Enjoying winter again, the seasons sweep in.

Got our -37C or there abouts. Feb 24th

Feb 24 2023 IMGP9720.jpg


May be cold but the sun makes it cheery.

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Put up the brass sconces...put an oak plaque behind the two. Looks nice.

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Took time out to add more crystals to the chandelier...still got a few more to add, but the smoke bell is on as is the prism leveller ring.

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Light in the hall has smoke bell and prism ring now too.

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Jan 31, tried out some paper white bulbs and an amaryllis. Not done this before.

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Paper whites started blooming Feb 22...the amaryllis is about to bust out next.

Got frames of wood, painted white put round two of my stain glass pieces...made them 30 years ago. Running horse is my 1st piece.

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Screaming "chicken" I did to use up some scrap glass.

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They look good.

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Done a bit of knitting too. CSM a pair of socks on Feb 13.

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And had the toe grafted so my spouse could wear them for Valentines.

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Now I am doing a pair of socks with thrums on the circular sock machine...see how that goes.

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Using an unwashed fleece from Jacob Lego from 2005 that I sheared.

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I have the hem and heel not thrumed and will not thrum the toe either...do the leg and foot.

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Got a bunch of new floppies (air brake pods) for the Girls...

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Not so easy to lose something like the flop in the white snow.

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That be that for now.
 

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Heel Low:

Gone to BC and brought back four ewe lambs and one ram lamb from the O'Keefe Historic Ranch in Vernon; end of September.

sep 28 2023 IMGP8709.jpg



It was our practise run to the States...gone under twenty four hours, so still just a day trip away but what a day, eh! The handforged horseshoe in the bottom of the photo below, was from the ranch. I used it for a sign for the ram's quarters.

Sep 28 2023 IMGP8454.jpg


Gone to Washington (Dec 3/4; up at 3 a.m. Sunday, back home at 8 p.m. Monday) and brought back three rams (2 lambs, 1 yearling) from Hall Creek Jacobs...mega (MEGA!!) paperwork started in the spring of 2023 and musta done it all quite well as we got the sheep up here; over the border and home.

Dec 05 2023 IMGP3826.jpg


Here's the signs made.

Dec 24 2023 IMGP5688.jpg


Shamrock green too. LOL

Dec 24 2023 IMGP5836.jpg


Likely paint the barn the usual colour scheme here, Navajo red with white trim, has the green metal roof.

Higgins RAT Boo Dec 31 2023 IMGP7708.jpg


Asked Rick this spring...so we have all these buildings, the facilities and know how on how to keep birds (have hens 9 years old that are producing younguns) so with all the empty buildings, told Rick, "Yer turn to choose...what kinda poultry you want?"

Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm Nov 7 2023 IMGP2760.jpg


Rick wanted the BIG BIRDS...the standard large fowl Brahmas. So I got on that and we now have forty standard Brahmas on the grow....so much promise in them. It takes about three years for a Brahma to be full sized.

Dec 31 2023 IMGP7833.jpg


The hip roof barn contains the Blue Partridge Brahmas and the one end pen the red Chantecler Bantams (for now, likely put either the Lemons or the Buff Brahmas in there in the spring for breeding).

Dec 31 2023 IMGP7854.jpg


Lemon, Splash, Blue Partridge, Partridge, Buff and Buff Blue Columbian.

43 Dec 29 2023 IMGP6116.jpg


Above is a Murray Mitchell's line of Buff standard. A cockerel we call "43" and below are him and two Blue Buff Columbian pullets; they'll make a great trio for breeding in 2025.

Dec 29 2023 IMGP6167.jpg


Lemon Brahma pullets...

Dec 31 2023 IMGP7354.jpg


Interesting recipe for them.

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Splash standard Brahmas.

Brahma Dec 31 2023 IMGP7189.jpg


I wanted Sweetgrass turkeys again, so I picked up eight hatching eggs and because our granddaughter was coming to visit for the 1st time, made another trip to get four poults as the eggs would not hatch in time for her to see turkey poults.

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So for the very 1st time...this is the year we will have hatching eggs for sale. We will be offering Sweetgrass turkeys & every Muscovy colour pattern here in Canada.

Jul 19 2023 IMGP6419.jpg


Should be fun. Next year, the Brahmas will be of the right ages and we can then offer eggs & chicks from them.

Granddaughter training Brahmas to "jump for a straw!"

Jul 09 2023 IMGP4437.jpg


Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada
--
____(\ Tara Lee Higgins /)____
(_____~> Rat Ranch - An ACD is for LIFE <~_____)
( `` `` ranchrat at telusplanet.net `` `` )
\ Alberta Canada /
) http://www.telusplanet.net/public/ranchrat/index.html (
 
Good to see you around, Tara. There aren't many chantecler folk on BYC and even fewer with your knowledge. :)

Ah thanks...happy to see you as well. Not alot of the original gang still on here & changes are expected.

There never has been alot of the Chant persons...enough I suppose to keep the breed going which in itself is good. Never been much about what was popular & more about what makes me happy.

I am pretty excited (like always) to see what the Chanteclers produce this year.

Dec 31 2023 IMGP7568.jpg


Got some nice whites,

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Some funky ones (basically working towards a Blue Laced Red simply because I can) as I am playing with blue dilution...

Jan 04 2024 IMGP8650.jpg


and some mahogany reds which are heading towards the partridge pattern. eb Brown based, you can see the slate grey down peaking out.

Dec 31 2023 IMGP7663.jpg


Since the Chant is a composite breed, I enjoy seeing the various breeds being expressed...seeing the Cornish, seeing the Leghorn--both extremes in form.

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It is the expression inbetween all the breeds that I prefer. What makes a Chantecler what it is.

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The standard Brahmas are sharing time with my attentions, never mind the Sweetgrass, Muscovies, and the baaaad Jacobs.

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada
--
____(\ Tara Lee Higgins /)____
(_____~> Rat Ranch - An ACD is for LIFE <~_____)
( `` `` ranchrat at telusplanet.net `` `` )
\ Alberta Canada /
) http://www.telusplanet.net/public/ranchrat/index.html (
 
Heel low:

About now one gets the urge to garden...a ridiculous thought because it is down right WHITE season...but none the less...

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If I started seeds now, be too far along to plant for beginning of June so taken to starting bulbs.

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These are from last year, March 2nd.

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This year, grabbed a few different coloured hyacinth bulbs.

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Began setting them out with a few weeks between so we can expect a nice lengthy flowering period. See how that works out.

Mar 3 2023 IMGP0319.jpg


Last year was pretty kewl...doesn't even look real.

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada
--
____(\ Tara Lee Higgins /)____
(_____~> Rat Ranch - An ACD is for LIFE <~_____)
( `` `` ranchrat at telusplanet.net `` `` )
\ Alberta Canada /
) http://www.telusplanet.net/public/ranchrat/index.html (
 
Heel low:

Entered the 2024 Valentine's photo contest with four entries. :-D


Higgins Rat Ranch Standard Partridge Chantecler.

love.jpg



Higgins Rat Ranch Standard Blue Lace Red Wyandottes.

Higgins RAT Boo Dec 31 2023 IMGP7708.jpg



Higgins Rat Ranch Standard Partridge Brahma pair; eating apple slices in the Great White North.

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Higgins Rat Ranch Standard Brahmas; Left is Partridge & Right is Blue Partridge.

Feb 17 2024 IMGP5451.jpg


Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada
--
____(\ Tara Lee Higgins /)____
(_____~> Rat Ranch - An ACD is for LIFE <~_____)
( `` `` ranchrat at telusplanet.net `` `` )
\ Alberta Canada /
) http://www.telusplanet.net/public/ranchrat/index.html (
 
Heel low:

Entered the Winter Contest Series—Winter on the Farm Photo Contest. :-D

Higgins Rat Ranch Standard Splash Brahmas.

Higgins RAT Ranch Splash Standard Brahmas Feb 08 2024 IMGP2964.jpg


Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada
--
____(\ Tara Lee Higgins /)____
(_____~> Rat Ranch - An ACD is for LIFE <~_____)
( `` `` ranchrat at telusplanet.net `` `` )
\ Alberta Canada /
) http://www.telusplanet.net/public/ranchrat/index.html (
 
Heel low:

Set one batch of homegrowns in Buster the bator...now he's off and we are enjoying the babies.

Jul 07 2024 IMGP7539 Chantecler Brahma standard Buff and Blue Buff.jpg


Brahma standards in Buff and Blue Buff (sired by Murray Mitchell's "43") and Chanteclers in white, blue dilution, partridge and red.

Jul 07 2024 IMGP7569 Booted duccle splash standard brahma.jpg


Brahma standards in splash and Booted Bantams in MdF and White and d'Uccles in MdF.

Hired a livestock hauler to bring hatching eggs to Alberta from Ontario. Parents of the Dark Brahma female that took Best in Asiatic in Ontario beginning of June produced these three.

Jun 23 2024 IMGP3821.jpg


And have 26 standard Brahma Lights and four Blacks (for the Splash Brahmas) hatched out from Northern Alberta.

Jun 27 2024 IMGP5056.jpg


So now we have Buff, Blue Buff, Splash Buff (Lemon), Black, Splash, Light, Dark, Partridge and Blue Partridge in standard Brahmas.

16th pair Rick May 21 2024 IMGP4000.jpg


Was rainy for a while so cranked out a few pairs of socks.

17th pair Rick May 25 2024 IMGP5910.jpg


Pairs for Rick...

18th Jun 23 2024  Rick IMGP3882.jpg


And got 1/2 a pair for me (one sock!)...

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Might crank the mate to it if I get time...suppose to be hotter on Wednesday (32C).

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Enjoying the summer...vehicle swap yesterday and found a nice set of wire headlight covers for the '80 Sub.

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Planting flowers and getting to put them outside...finally.

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Egg sales are doing well...did up two signs so we can change them to say SOLD OUT when we run out. Girls have been giving us large eggs since Feb 1st and should be time soon for them to quit and moult.

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Lots of belly baths for the next week or so...Girls too are shedding but not quick enough!

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Strawberries finally for Emmy and Lacy...next is the Saskatoons which are loaded.

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Been having alot of fun in the shop with projects...

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Even doing up some bowling ball and bowling pin chooks.


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Look good...next Rick will weld them up some chicken feets!!

May 8 2024 IMGP0158.jpg


Got the four post lift out and getting it ready for use.

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Be nice to have two of these and two of the '28's on the road...race to town for ice creams!

Jun 25 2024 IMGP4527.jpg


Taters are in and expect to get a nice crop with the heat showing up.

Higgins RAT Ranch Jun 29 2024 IMGP5631.jpg


Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada
 
Heel low:

Brought five totes of poultry rations home (heavy ton a piece) and got them put by today in the ten bins.

1 Jul 11 2024 IMGP8437.jpg


Mill uses my recipe and now calls it #10 ration. Works out to 17% protein and I am very pleased with how all the birds do on it.

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Hot dry day so good time to be doing this.

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Each of the bins holds 1,100 pounds.

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Rodent proof and weather resistant.

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Satisfying to be all topped up again.

Jul 11 2024 IMGP8479.jpg


Makes doing chores alot simpler.

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada
 

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