Guest Post!

Today, for the first time ever, I'm guest posting! Over at Pure Femininity, you can find me sharing my favourite chicken recipe. So head over there, and find out a little more about my cooking! :) Here's an excerpt:

"The best breaded chicken recipe in the world—at least, in my opinion! And it's also healthy for you. My cousin once smelled it cooking, and said that it “smelled like KFC”! I've never tasted KFC before, but I do know that this is really good. Here's the recipe (it came from Feasting Naturally, a GREAT cookbook!):"

{Read the rest here}

Hope to see you there!

My Life as a Chicken — the Trials and Troubles of My Life (Part 6 of 6)

Hooray! Here is the last installment of My Life as a Chicken! If you haven't read the first installments of the story, here they are: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5. In this story, there are a total of 4,878 words.

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-------------------------12th August-------------------------

Five months old now.

I lay my first egg today! The giants have recently brought a trailer into our home area (which changes about every day) equipped with lots of semi-dark boxes for us to lay our eggs in. I've been in there several times, so it came naturally to hop inside the door and flap my way up to the second-to-top row on one of the many rows of boxes. There I sat, on the clean sweet-smelling wood shavings, and got that humongous egg out. I was still sitting there resting when the children came to check for eggs. I watched as they made their way around the trailer, each holding red baskets into which they put the few eggs that were there. They were really excited as they found each egg, and I wondered why—until I heard the little girl say, “There aren't very many eggs yet, are there Seth? They're starting, though! The eggs are so small and cute!”

I tried to peck the little girl when she came to steal my egg, but she just grabbed my neck and pulled it out from under me! I was mad, but what could I do? I didn't want a repetition of the time—that terrible time—when everybody laughed at me! So I just sat there and fumed. After a while, I jumped down and went to find some tasty grubs to eat.

Some geese have been put in with us. They are supposed to help chase away the hawks and owls that try to get us. There are two gray ones, and one white one. They're really pretty, but personally, I think they're a little too proud and arrogant. I did see something that took the gander down a few pegs for a while a few days ago, though! It was really funny.

It was a clear, sunny day, and he was taking his morning stroll. His mate followed right behind, commenting on the beautiful sunshine and cloud formations. They were so deep in conversation that Mr. Goose didn't see the hole in front of him (that one of the chickens had made as for a dust bath the day before) until he stepped in it. His regal head hit the ground, and his feathers got mussed. Poor Mr. Royalty! He hurried away (with Mrs. Goose in tow), complaining that “Those nasty, illiterate, dust-bathing chickens ought to learn not to dig a hole on His Majesty’s royal lawn.” Mrs. Goose heartily agreed with him, and helped him clean off his rumpled feathers. We just laughed. We aren't illiterate, even if His Highness thinks so!

Another funny occurrence happened lately, the watering boy got bored. While he waited for the buckets to fill, he bounced a wire (that was strung up to keep the cows in) between his knees. The wire was off, which was why he decided to do it. The mother, who noticed what he was doing warned him—“Don't do that, the electricity might be turned on!” The boy didn't stop what he was doing, though, and almost as soon as the words got out of her mouth it was turned on! He jumped like a startled rabbit, and ran back to the buckets, his face a flaming red. I doubt he'll do it again! We've told the story over and over, it was just so funny!

-------------------------2nd February-------------------------

Ten months old today. Life has settled into a regular routine.

When winter settled in in December, we were put in winter housing. We are living on feed (since all grass is buried deep under the foot of snow outside), and I miss the good green grass and juicy worms, slugs, and occasionally mice.

The geese are being one big bother—all day, no matter if it be rain or shine, they honk their heads off. I hide in the trailer (where they rarely enter) to escape the noise.

Laying eggs has gotten to be a lot easier. I'm now laying regular-sized eggs, which compared to the eggs I laid at first (that were tiny), are just right.

Life has been pretty simple. Soon I'll be a year old, and by laying one egg a day, I'll earn my keep. Life is good.

This is the last page of my diary, and I don't expect to get another diary. Re-read it if you want to live my life full of adventure with me again, otherwise put it on your shelf and forget about it. Adieu, good friend! Have happy chicken days!

THE END.

A Recipe I'd Like To Try...

Oh...doesn't this look good? I'm going to try it!

(email readers: go here if you can't see the recipe)

Ten Endangered Species of the World

*sigh.* That's done! Now...on to other things.....

Today, I got to study some of the endangered species of the world! It was really interesting. Here are my findings, with a little bit about each animal. (Almost all information  from AllAboutWildlife.com, but a little from Wikipedia.org. All quotes from AllAboutWildlife.com.)

Here's some information about the animals:

1. Ivory-Billed Woodpecker: "The most critically endangered species on our list of the ten most
   critically endangered animals is the ivory-billed woodpecker, which lives—or lived—in the Southeastern part of the US as well as Cuba. This huge woodpecker was considered extinct until 2004, when a handful of tantalizing reports of sightings in Arkansas and Florida began to trickle in. However, definitive proof for the ivory-bill’s continued existence has remained elusive, and if a population does exist, it is likely to be tiny and extremely vulnerable. The ivory-billed woodpecker owes its near- or complete extinction to habitat loss (logging) as well as over-exploitation by humans, who hunted it for its feathers."
2. Amur Leopard: "The Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis) is a very rare leopard subspecies that lives only in the remote and snowy northern forests of eastern Russian’s Primorye region. Its former range included Korea and northern China, but the Amur leopard is now extinct in those countries. A 2007 census counted only 14-20 adult Amur leopards and 5-6 cubs. Threats facing the species include habitat loss due to logging, road building and encroaching civilization, poaching (illegal hunting) and global climate change."
3.  Javan Rhinoceros: "The Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus) is the most endangered of the world’s five rhinoceros species, with an estimated 40-60   animals remaining on the western tip of the Island of Java   (Indonesia) in Ujung Kulon National Park. The last member of another tiny population in Vietnam’s Cat Tien National Park was killed by   poachers in 2011. The water-and swamp-loving Javan rhinoceros formerly ranged throughout Southeast Asia and Indonesia, but has been hunted to near-extinction for its horn, which is used to make Asian folk medicines. Although it is now protected, it may not have a large-enough breeding population to prevent the species from going extinct."
4. Greater Bamboo Lemur: "The Island of Madagascar, off the southeastern coast of Africa, is home to dozens of species of lemurs—and almost all of them are disappearing very quickly due to habitat loss and illegal hunting. But the most critically endangered of all of Madagascar’s lemurs is the greater bamboo lemur (Prolemur simus), also known as the broad-nosed gentle lemur. Fewer than 100 greater bamboo lemurs remain in the island’s southeastern and south-central forests, and they continue to be threatened by illegal hunting as well as habitat loss due to logging and the burning of forests for agricultural purposes."   
5. Northern Right Whale: "The most endangered of all the world’s whale species, the northern right whale (Eubalena glacialis) numbers around 350 individuals that travel the Atlantic coasts of Canada and the US. During the whaling days of the 19th century, the right whale got its name because whalers considered it the “right” whale to kill, as it not only was full of valuable whale oil, but it floated after it was dead, which made it easy to handle and process. As a result, it was driven to near extinction. Although the right whale is now protected, its small remnant population continues to suffer losses due to entanglements in commercial fishing gear: Whales drown after becoming wrapped in nets, lines and other equipment. Global climate change, which can affect the availability of the tiny crustaceans on which right whales feed, may prove to be another serious threat to their recovery."
6. Western Lowland Gorilla: "There are two lowland gorillas native to West Africa: the western     lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla), which is the most numerous of the four gorilla subspecies, with over 90,000 individuals in the wild, and the Cross River gorilla (Gorilla diehli), of which only a tiny population of a few hundred remains. Both are listed by the IUCN as Critically Endangered because of the fact that their populations have declined by over 60 percent during the past 25 years—and are projected to continue dropping over the coming decades. Causes for the increasing scarcity include habitat loss and illegal commercial hunting by poachers, who sell gorillas for food in West African markets. But the largest killer of gorillas has been a deadly illness—the incurable ebola virus—which has ended the lives of up to 90 percent of these great apes in some forest areas."
7. Leatherback Sea Turtle: "The leatherback sea turtle (Demochelys coriacea) is the earth’s biggest turtle and has the largest range of any species, swimming all over the globe from the tropics to the sub-polar regions. When it comes time to dig a nest and lay its eggs, it crawls out onto sandy sub-tropical beaches the world over. The leatherback is also critically endangered. According to the IUCN, in 1982 there were around 115,000 adult female leatherback turtles in the world; just 14 years later, there were only 20,000 to 30,000—and the population has continued to plummet. The leatherback’s problems include theft of its eggs by humans, illegal hunting and nesting-habitat loss due to beach development, and the erosion of beaches due to global climate change. In addition, leatherbacks sometimes die after ingesting plastic debris they find floating in the ocean, which they mistake for food such as jellyfish."
8. Siberian Tiger: "The Amur, or Siberian, tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) is the largest big cat in the world, weighing up to 300 kilograms (660 pounds). Unlike the other tiger subspecies, which are jungle-dwellers, the Amur tiger lives in the birch forests of Russia’s frigid and snowy Far East, and formerly inhabited the colder regions of China and Korea. In fact, the animal thrives in winter temperatures that often drop to -50 degrees fahrenheit (-45 celsius). Due to relentless hunting, Russia’s tiger population had dropped to around 40 individuals by the 1930′s. Since then, the animal has been protected, and its numbers have rebounded to around 500. However, it is still threatened by illegal hunting and habitat loss in the form of logging and development."
9. Chinese Giant Salamander: "The Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianas) is the world’s largest amphibian, growing to lengths of up to 6 feet. It used to be common throughout central, southwestern and southern China, where it lives in streams in the forested hills and lays up to 500 eggs at a time in underwater burrows guarded by the male. However, the Chinese giant salamander has now almost completely disappeared due to its over-exploitation as a food source."
10. Kakapo Parrot: "The Kakapo parrot of New Zealand is a unique creature in several ways. Not only   is it the world’s heaviest parrot, weighing up to 9 pounds (4 kilograms) but it is the world’s only only flightless parrot, as well as the only nocturnal one. The bird was once common on both of New Zealand’s main islands. However, by the early 1970′s it was thought to have been driven into extinction by such prolific human-introduced invasive predators as rats and cats, which killed the helpless young birds in their nests on the ground. Tiny populations were later found on a couple of smaller, more remote islands. Despite an intensive program of breeding and protection by the New Zealanders, currently there are fewer than 150 kakapos left in the wild—so few that almost all of them have names given to them by conservationists." 

Where I got my information and quotes from: http://www.allaboutwildlife.com/ten-most-endangered-animals 

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All for now!

Uses of Dogs Around the World

Today, I got to study uses of dogs around the world. It was really interesting! Below are some of my findings: (click on the picture to read more!!!)

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(from en.wikipedia.org:)

• Turnspit dogs were used as a source of power, they turned a treadmill connected to a roasting spit. Similar arrangements were used for household duties such as churning butter.
• Service or assistance dogs help people with various disabilities in every day tasks. Some examples include mobility assistance dogs for the physically handicapped, guide dogs for the visually impaired, and hearing dogs for the hearing impaired.
• Therapy dogs visit people who are incapacitated or prevented in some way from having freedom of movement; these dogs provide cheer and entertainment for the elderly in retirement facilities, the ill and injured in hospitals, and so on. The very act of training dogs can also act as a therapy for human handlers, as in a prisoner rehabilitation project.
• Rescue dogs assist people who are in difficult situations, such as in the water after a boat disaster.
• Search dogs locate people who are missing; lost in the wilderness, escaped from nursing homes, covered in snow avalanches, buried under collapsed buildings, etc.
• Herding dogs are still invaluable to sheep and cattle handlers (stockmen) around the world for mustering; different breeds are used for the different jobs involved in stock work and for guarding the flocks and herds. Modern herding dogs help to control cattle and wild geese in parks or goats used for weed control. A well trained dog can adapt to control any sort of domestic and many wild animals.
• Sled dogs, although today primarily used in sporting events, still can assist in transporting people and supplies in rugged, snowy terrain.
• Performing dogs such as Circus dogs and dog actors are trained to perform acts that are not intrinsically useful, but instead provide entertainment to their audience or enable human artistic performances.
• Hunting dogs assist hunters in finding, tracking, and retrieving game, or in routing vermin. Less frequently a dog, or rather or a pack of them, actually fights a predator, such as a bear or feral pig.
• Guard dogs and watch dogs help to protect private or public property, either in living or used for patrols, as in the military and with security firms.
• Tracking dogs help find lost people and animals or track down possible criminals.
• Cadaver dog or Human Remains Detection Dogs use their scenting ability to discover bodies or human remains at the scenes of disasters, crimes, accidents, or suicides.
• Detection dogs of a wide variety help to detect termites and bedbugs in homes, illegal substances in luggage, bombs, chemicals, and many other substances.
• War Dogs or K9 Corps are used by armed forces in many of the same roles as civilian working dogs, but in a military context. In addition, specialized military tasks such as mine detection or wire laying have been assigned to dogs. Military Working Dog is the more formal, current term for dogs trained for use in military tasks.
• Police dogs, also sometimes called K9 Units, are usually trained to track or immobilize possible criminals while assisting officers in making arrests or investigating the scene of a crime. Some are even specially trained for anti-terrorist units, as in Austria.
• Dogs are sometimes used in programs to assist children in learning how to read. The Reading With Rover program in Washington pairs trained dogs with children who read aloud to the dog. This process builds confidence and reduces stress.

Photo Credit: fir0002 | flagstaffotos.com.au (Fir0002/Flagstaffotos)

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Be back later!

My YouTube Username

By the way--if anyone wants to find me on YouTube, here's the link to my profile: https://www.youtube.com/aFlourishingRose. Thanks for your patience, I'll be back later!

Common Cattle Diseases

Today, I got to study common cattle diseases! It was interesting, definitely not as interesting as some things I've studied so far, but still interesting. Click on the picture at the bottom if you want to read more.

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Anaplasmosis

Affected cattle either die or begin a recovery within 4 days after the first signs of the disease. The mortality rate increases with the age of the animal. Contact our office regarding tratment. In some cases infected cattle may not be treated unless detected during the early stages of the disease. If in advanced stages, and if the cattle are forced to move or becomes excited, they could die from lack of oxygen. Some antibiotic treatments do little or nothing to affect the outcome of the disease in the advanced stages. Treatment consists of the administration of tetracycline. A vaccine is available that helps to reduce the severity of the infection. Maintaining a good herd management program controlling ticks and following strict sanitation procedures during vaccinations will help stop the spread of the disease to healthy animals. Animals that recover from anaplasmosis are carriers and can spread the disease.

Chlortetracycline also known as CTC can reduce the risk of anaplasmosis. Chlortetracycline (CTC) consumed at the rate of 0.5 mg / lb. body weight daily during fly and tick season will help to prevent anaplasmosis. A consistent intake of the correct amount of mineral is crucial to a anaplasmosis prevention program. CTC is available in medicated feed, free choice salt-mineral mixes or medicated blocks. Be sure the product is labeled for anaplasmosis control and follow the label instructions exactly.

Anthrax

A highly infectious and fatal disease of mammals and humans. It is caused by a relatively large spore-forming rectangular shaped bacterium called Bacillus anthracis. Most outbreaks occur in areas where animals have previous died of anthrax, as the spores remain viable for decades. The predominant sign in cattle with anthrax is a progression from a normal appearance to dead in a matter of hours. Most animals are simply found dead. Once an outbreak begins in the animals may be observed with signs of weakness, fever, excitement followed by depression, difficulty breathing, uncoordinated movements and convulsions. Bloody discharges from the natural body openings as well as edema in different parts of the body are sometimes observed. After death, the animal's body rapidly decomposes.

Some animals may be saved if treated very early with penicillin or tetracyclines. Vaccination is very effective in preventing further disease from occurring in animals on a property experiencing an outbreak, however full immunity takes 10 to 14 days to develop. Antibiotics must not be used at the same time as vaccines are given, since they interfere with the development of immunity.

For animals and humans, anthrax is a reportable disease in the United States. Local and state health departments, federal animal health officials, and the CDC's National Center for Infectious Diseases should immediately be notified of any suspected cases. Remember, this is a potentially fatal human pathogen, so appropriate measures must be taken to protect all personnel. A physician should be contacted for the best preventative measures for all exposed or potentially exposed humans.

Blackleg

A highly fatal disease of young cattle. The spores in this organism can live in the soil for many years. The bacteria enters the calf by ingestion and gains entrance to the body through small punctures in the mucous membrane of the digestive tract. Cattle that are on a high plane of nutrition, rapidly gaining weight and between 6 months and 2 years of age are most susceptible to the disease.

The disease is not transmitted directly from sick animals to healthy animals by mere contact. The first sign observed is usually lameness, loss of appetite, rapid breathing and the animal is usually depressed and has a high fever. Swellings develop in the hip, shoulder, chest, back, neck or elsewhere. First the swelling is small, hot and painful. As the disease progresses, the swelling enlarges and becomes spongy and gaseous. If you press the swelling, gas can be felt under the skin. The animal usually dies in 12 to 48 hours. In most cases the animal is found dead without being previously observed sick. The speed with which blackleg kills usually makes individual treatment useless.

Blackleg is almost entirely preventable by vaccination. The most commonly used clostridial vaccination in cattle is the 7-way type which protects against Clostridium chauveoi (blackleg), Clostridium septicum and Clostridium sordelli (malignant edema), Clostridium novyi (black disease), and three types of Clostridium perfringens otoxemia).

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I have some VERY EXCITING news to share with you, but I think I'll wait a little bit longer to share it with you. I'll just say this--thank you to all for your prayers. Things seem to be working out.

My Life as a Chicken — the Trials and Troubles of My Life (Part 5)

(This is part 5 of the story. If you haven't read the first parts, here they are: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.) In this story so far, there are 4131 words.

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------------2nd June------------

Two months old! Each month seems to go faster and faster.

Life has mostly been pretty easy, but there is the occasional fright—or, should I say, alarm?—at what happened. Anyway…

Yesterday, I had a nice thing happened. About mid-morning, a snake came slithering over to our net. I guess it had a hole there right underneath it, and wanted to go home. Anyway, it started crawling into the hole. We watched in fascination as he wiggled and wriggled, and got about halfway in. He started really tossing on the ground, and wiggled so much that he hit the electric wire just above him! It must have killed him, because the rest of the day he just lay there not moving.

After he stopped writhing, we went over to investigate. The problem—he was on the other side of the fence. To get to him, we would have had to go through the fence. *sigh*

Later in the morning, close to lunch time, we saw some black people and the people who take care of us coming over the hill toward us. They walked past us, and as they came past one of the black people saw the snake and pointed at it. The procession stopped, and everybody crowded around to see the snake. I heard somebody say, “It's a blue racer!”

After a while, they went on, and caught some older brown chickens (like us, but much older). I went over to the fence so I could see better, and watched as they looked for string after catching the six chickens that the Mexicans (the black people) wanted. They finally found one, but it was way too long. They got out a flame thingy (I heard them call it a lighter), and burnt the string, a few strands at a time. Somebody ran up to the house up on top the hill, and got back with a pair of scissors just as they burnt the last few strands. After they tied the chickens up, they took them (squawking) away. We never saw them again.

I wish we could get to the snake! It looks so yummy...

          Later...         

It's evening now, the sun is setting. When the giants came out to take care of us tonight, the little girl got a big shovel and they moved the fence a ways away from the snake. She dug it up, all the time keeping us all away as she worked. When she was done (and she had to dig down through clay for about 1 ½ feet to get it out), she threw the snake to us and we were finally able to eat it! It tasted so good! As far as I know, only the skin is left. Yum, yum!!!

*yawn* Seeing the snake and eating it sure made for an interesting day! Now I'm tired. Goodnight!

------------2nd July------------

Four months old! I can hardly believe it. Soon, we will start laying. We have all grown about enough to be confused with the older hens—which could cause problems! But we have all stayed in our right places.

I'm getting more and more aggravated at the people who take care of us. They try to make out that they are being very kind to us and all, but, truthfully, I'm not quite so sure of it. They try to make sure that we have enough food and water, (which we usually do) but sometimes they pick us up! It's absolutely terrible when they do that! I'm planning to do something about it, though what I'm not yet certain. I'll have to think about it some more...

          Later...          

I figured out the perfect thing tonight! It was so simple—just attack those people! Then we'll be left in peace! So that's what I did tonight—I attacked the mother, the one who brought us to this farm in the first place. It was easy—except you should have seen what happened next! It was horrible!

I pecked her feet, and then flapped on her dress. She just grabbed me, and held me up so I couldn't get her again. She held me there, and said, “Silly thing, were you trying to protect your 'chicks'?” She was laughing and laughing. I just wiggled to get free. She finally let me go, and then went outside of our pen. I heard her tell the father and children about it, and they all laughed at me! I was so humiliated. I went into a corner and sulked. What a terrible let-down!

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More later!

The Usage of Sheep in Bible Times

Yes, today is another school day! I got to study the usage of sheep in Bible times today, and came across a great article on Sheep101.info about it. Fascinating! (by the way, at the bottom of the article, they say something like: "Click here to read more history." I haven't looked at it yet, but sounds really interesting!!!) Below is a first part of the article. Click on the picture to read more!

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The Lord is my Shepherd

Sheep are mentioned in the Bible more than 500 times, more than any other animal. The prominence of sheep in the Bible grows out of two realities. Sheep were important to the nomads and agricultural life of the Hebrews and similiar peoples. Secondly, sheep are used throughout the Bible to symbolically refer to God's people.

Biblical shepherds

Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. But Abel also brought an offering -- fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. (Genesis 4:3-4)

The very first shepherd was Abel. He was also humanity's first murder victim, slain by his brother Cain. Abraham and Moses were shepherds. King David was the best known shepherd of Bible history. He wrote the beloved Psalm 23. Shepherds were the first people to see the newborn Jesus Christ. The Prophet Mohammed worked as a shepherd when he was 8 years old.

A close relationship

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. (John 10:27)

The Bible describes close relationships between shepherds and their flocks. The sheep recognize the voice of the shepherd. They follow him (or her). The shepherd protects his flock and would give his life for them.

It is known that animals can instantly recognize the voice of a familiar trusted person. Sheep have excellent memories for faces. They remember their handler. They also remember people who inflict abuse upon them.

Break a leg?

There is a commonly-held belief that shepherds in Bible times would break the legs of lambs that constantly wandered away. According to the "story," the shepherd would then set the broken leg and carry the lamb on his shoulders until the leg healed, after which time the lamb would remain by the shepherd's side for the rest of its life. There is no such story in the Bible. To do so would be cruel and impractical.

Various Breeds of Cattle, and Their Attributes

Today, I got to study various breeds of cattle, and attributes of each. Very interesting, to say the least!

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Holsteins/Friesens: 

• Highest producer of milk in the world
• Lots of milk, not much butterfat 

Jerseys:

• Not as much milk, more butterfat 

Herefords:

• Mainly used for beef 

Brown Swiss: 

• Second highest producer of milk in the world (next to Holsteins/Friesens)

Angus: 

• Makes good beef 

Belted Galloway: 

• Mostly used for beef 

Guernsey: 

• Milk cow 

Ayrshire: 

• Milk cow, used to be used for meat but not as much now. 

Longhorn: 

• Beef cattle 

Dexter: 

• Milk 
• Meat

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All for now! Bed time!

Mating, Gestation, and Birthing of Sheep

Today, I got to study the mating, gestation, and birthing of sheep! I found a really interesting article (which is linked below) about it. Enjoy!

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Spring lambing
Mother Nature meant for sheep to mate in the fall so that lambs would be born in the spring when the weather is mild and the grass is plentiful. This scenario offers the best chance for lambs to survive and thrive. Of course, it also creates a food supply for young predators that are born in the spring.

For this reasons, ewes are considered "short-day "breeders. When day length becomes shorter (in the fall), this triggers the ewe's brain to release hormones that jump start her reproductive system. The further away from the equator the sheep breed originated, the more likely it is to exhibit these seasonal breeding patterns.

Conversely, sheep breeds developed in the tropics or nearer to the equator are less likely to display seasonal breeding patterns. Breeds in the U.S. that have less seasonal breeding patterns include the Dorset, Rambouillet, Polypay, Karakul, Merino, Finn, and hair sheep.

Ewes are "seasonally, polyestrus" because their reproductive cycle is controlled by the photoperiod (season) and they come into heat (estrus) every ~17 days (until they become pregnant), but only during their fertile period. Photoperiod is the relationship between light and dark in a 24-hour period. It is possible to manipulate the photo period and "fool" ewes into thinking it's fall.

During their fertile period, ewes will come into estrus (heat) every approximately 17 days until they are bred or their fertile period is over. Only during estrus will a ewe allow a ram to mate her. The duration of estrus is 24 to 36 hours. A ewe in heat will seek out the male. She may sniff, lick, or nuzzle him. She may fan her tail. The classic behavior response of the ram when he detects a ewe in heat is to lift his nose in the air and curl his upper lip. This is called the Flehmen response.

First-time moms
Though it depends upon breed, nutrition, and management, ewes can become mothers by the time they reach their first birthday. This is okay if the ewe lamb has achieved approximately two-thirds of her mature size (weight) before being bred. Thus, for some producers, it is commonplace to breed well-grown ewe lambs when they are 7 to 9 months of age. Other producers wait until their ewes are 18 months old before breeding them to lamb as 2 year olds. Different breeds of sheep reach puberty (sexually maturity) at different ages.

Rams
A healthy, mature ram can probably mate 100 (or more) ewes during a breeding season, though a ratio of 1 mature ram to 30 to 50 ewes is more common to make sure lambing is not too spread out. Six to 7 month old ram lambs that have achieved approximately 50 percent of their mature size can be used for breeding. Ram lambs are usually put in with fewer ewes, 15 to 25. It's best not to mix young rams with mature rams. Some rams may show a preference for ewes of their own breed or kind.

My Life as a Chicken — the Trials and Troubles of My Life (Part 4)

(This is part 4 of the story. If you haven't read the first parts, here they are: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3) In this story so far, there are 3391 words.

---------- 16th April----------

Two weeks old today. Life has been going fairly smoothly since I wrote last. Of course, since I'm getting older, life has sped up and I'm finding more things to do. The mewing animal was not able to come in again, although occasionally we heard it yowling all over the place.

The other chicks are starting to “feather out”. Their yellow and brown fuzz is slowly being replaced by white and brown feathers. They look pretty ugly! I'm starting to feather out too, but I don't look as bad as they do—I always make sure I'm well groomed.

---------- 23rd April ----------

Three weeks old today! After breakfast, the family came out and started cramming all of the brown chicks into crates. There were holes in the sides of the crates, so we stuck our heads out and looked around. The sky—a beautiful blue—had fluffy clouds floating in it, and the maple trees were wearing their leafy green coats. It was beautiful! Some of the not-so-smart chicks stuck their toes out of the cracks, and got them pinched. They squawked, and got them out of the way as fast as they could! I was smart, though, and didn't stick my toes out. I kept them on the solid plastic. Once all the crates were loaded, the trailer started moving. (Thankfully, we were one of the last so we were on the top; when you're at the bottom you get all the poo from chickens in the crates above you on top of you. One of my friends was at the bottom, and told me so. She said that it took a long time to clean off.)

We jolted out the drive, and headed down the road and turned into a lush paddock. There, we were unloaded onto the clean grass. It was beautiful! There were so many things to eat—crickets hopping in the grass, an occasional earthworm, and the rich clover and lucerne. It was yummy!

After getting our fill, we wandered around and explored our surroundings. There was a wire mesh fence around the pen, and plenty of room to chomp on grass and make dust baths in the sun. The gaps in between wires on the fence were about three by four inches, and we easily slipped through them. Oh, you should have seen the fun we had! Once outside the fence, we raced around the paddock, eating the grasshoppers and bugs. I noticed a fence like our own around another group of brown chickens, and hurried over to investigate. Other chicks went so far as to go through the fence to visit with the chickens, but I stayed outside. Life is more fun outside of the fence, you know!

After the chicks got through the shocking fence, they hurried to meet the chickens scratching in the grass. The chooks, of course, were curious about those strange chicks, and came over to investigate. They started pecking the poor chicks, who didn't know where to go to get away.

Thankfully, the humans intervened, and got us all back in the right places. They put up a double net, so we can't get through. It's been a pretty good day overall. I'm really enjoying being outside!!!

---------- 2nd May ----------  

One month old today. I'm growing bigger and bigger—I can hardly believe how small I was at first compared to now!

Since I wrote last, we've had something on wings (I think it's an owl) that comes at night, gets one of the chickens, and drags it outside where it eats the poor chick. It happened over and over—just one per night—and more than 20 chickens have died so far![1] It's mostly the ones closest to the door that get eaten, so I stay as far away as possible. One night the giant closed the door, and the animal didn't come. Which was nice, but the next night the door was left open, and the same thing was repeated!

The giants have tried different ways of trying to scare the owl off—they've hung pie tins and glittery CD's on wires all across the area where we are, but the thing still keeps coming. Don't they know that it comes at night? If I could, I would tell them! But they speak in a strange language that I can't understand. Hopefully they'll find out soon! I don't want to be the next one caught!

          Later:          

Eek! The shadow has come again!

It's mid-afternoon, and a hawk has been circling above us about this time every day for the past week or so. I'm huddled—with all the other chickens—in the far corner of our pen where he can't fly in and get us.

It still is scary, though! He flies around and around and around, uttering fearful war whoops, and making all my feathers stand on end. Oh, I wish that I might fly to another planet so I won't have to put up with the scary beast!

He's smart and very cunning, he often goes and sits on a barrel that our feed is stored in until we think all is clear, and then grabs one of us when we venture out to check! It's a fearful experience, I can assure you! He doesn't care about all the wires of tins and glinting CD's, he calls them “Crazy nuisances”.

          Later:          

What was that? A startling sound—like cannon fire—just about blasts my eardrums out. What in the world...? When it hit, I heard the hawk scream. Then all was quiet. I wonder what happened? Some of the chickens crouched in the shadows behind the door are sticking their heads out to see. No...it can't be! They are saying that the hawk is lying dead on the other side of the fence! A brown-skinned giant has come over, and is picking up the hawk! I'm going to see what is happening!

          Later:          

The giant took the hawk over to his place, and put it by a shack. When the giants who take care of us came, they went over to see it. I heard the children say, “It's HUGE!” We are just relieved that it won't be getting us anymore![2] 

FOOTNOTES:
[1]At that time, about 45 chickens got killed before we figured out the problem.

[2]The hawk was probably a Cooper's Hawk. Their wingspan is 2-3 feet across. It was beautiful! Our neighbor was an Indian, and claimed that he could legally shoot it. We were just glad that it wouldn't be a menace after that!

I'll be back later with more!

I suppose I've kept you waiting long enough...

Yes, I probably have. I've decided. Officially. My YouTube username will be aFlourishingRose. Does that satisfy you? Alright, on to other things!!! :) As far as school--I'm just about ready to post installment #4 of the Chick Story. Last night we had overnight company, and today we went to Dead Boring writing group. It really wasn't dead boring, but I'll have to leave that for another time too.

P.S. If you think about it, please pray about a couple things that I want to get before I start doing the recipe videos--a tripod and a video camera. I'm watching several on TradeMe, but don't know if I'll get them--I only have a limited amount of money to spend! Thanks!

For now,

Snow? In New Zealand?

Aye, aye, mates! It really is true! We actually had S.N.O.W. This is just the first time so far this year, (and who knows if it will be the last, last year we had two snowfalls!) and I really can't say I'm happy to see it go. But...I guess that's New Zealand for you, and I'm glad there wasn't any snow on our way to church this morning. It was really, really beautiful!

Here's a video of snow in Arthur's Pass (Wonder where that is? Look at this map:)


View Larger Map

I've been through there once, it was beautiful!

And the video (yes, I will get to it!):

---------------------------------
Here are a few pictures from our place (more later if I have time):

The snow was really heavy, and weighted down everything!

I love my beggars! Usually, they look pure white, but against
the snow Saanens don't have a chance.
(I can smell a story brewing...)

Sunrise--second day of snow. Beautiful!

A lot of trees lost branches. The snow was
almost rain!

W.E.I.G.H.T.E.D. D.O.W.N.

Beautiful!

The poor garden! (Even though the snow is off now, the
silver beet still isn't happy)

Don't you love how snow can hide a multitude of ugly things?
Reminds me of how Jesus' blood makes me white as snow.
PRAISE THE LORD!

 -------------------------------------
All for now!

Special photo tutorial, just for a friend:

Hi, Tiffy! This is a special tutorial just for you. So, here's how to insert a link (click on the pictures to see them bigger):

1. Write whatever text you want to add the link to, for example: "to view the post, click here." Highlight the text, and look for this symbol (this is what it looks like in most places):  in blogger, it looks like this: 

2. Click on the "link button", and then you'll have a screen something like this:

3. Write or paste the web address into the "To what URL should this link go?", for example, http://joyful-maiden.blogspot.co.nz/2012/06/i-need-your-help.html. Make sure there is the "http://" bit in front of it--otherwise, it won't work:

4. Click "OK". That should be all you need to do! You should have text with a line under it, like this:

Does that make sense?

The Transit of Venus

Yesterday was the Venus Transit of 2012! And...we missed it. It snowed off and on all day. We got about 6 inches, too! (which is REALLY, REALLY unusual for New Zealand! [photos of that later]) I probably won't have another chance to see it, either. Bummer. Anyway...

Image of transit taken by NASA's
Solar Dynamics Observatory spacecraft
(photo credit, the photo is licensed under CC BY 2.0)

Here's a video that I thought was really neat about the Venus Transit:

My Life as a Chicken — the Trials and Troubles of My Life (Part 3)

(This is part 3 of the story. If you haven't read the first parts, here they are: Part 1 and Part 2) In this story so far, there are 2,325 words.

----------7th April----------

A thunderstorm came through this afternoon. Somehow, the lightening hit something and the light was turned off. So here we were, all crammed together in a ball trying to stay warm. Some chicks in the middle got smashed by pressure from outside. I was about halfway out to the edge, and so was moderately warm and still a little squashed. When the family figured out that the light was out, they raced around and got the lights going again. We were sure relieved! Who knows what would have happened if we were left in the chill much longer...most likely, a lot more of us would have died.

Whew! Enough excitement for the day. I'm off to bed. The sun is on it's way out the window, and it's high time that all good chicks are in bed.

----------8th April----------

A week old already! How did time ever go so fast?

We all had a terrible fright today. The children came in to check on us this morning, and we all managed (somehow) to keep out from under their feet. Then, about mid-afternoon, we heard something scratching at the door. The thing also made noise, a sort-of mewing noise. Then something pushed the door open a little, and a hurtle of fur catapulted over the boards. The startled chicks fled in all directions, but the thing grabbed several and ate them on the spot. Soon it was purring, and it headed in my direction! I raced (in the middle of a flock) to another corner, and reached the spot safely—not so for a few more chicks. They were eaten by the hungry predator. When the animal was full, it left—we hoped for good.

Later, when the children came to check on us, they were distressed and hurried back to the house. The mother came out, and looked all around. I heard her mutter, “Weasel. That's what it is.” Later, a man came and filled in all the holes in the room that he could find. Then he left. When the man that usually takes care of us came, he found a door—wide open. That's how the mewing predator got in, I guess! Scary, anyway![1] 

[1]This incident actually happened over approximately a 3-day period when Dad was away helping a family move. We children were taking care of the chicks, and left the door open. The cat got in, and Mum thought that it was a weasel that killed the chicks. She got my uncle in, and he patched up all the holes he could find. Chicks continued to die until Dad got home the evening of the last day, and saw the cat darting out of the open door. The problem was soon fixed!

Back with part four soon!

I Need Your Help! (Part 2)

Well, I've had one positive response to my poll/question. And one maybe. One person said that they probably wouldn't be able to watch the videos. After praying and thinking about it some more, I think I'll do it. The next step is: choosing a YouTube name! Since I can have only one name per email account, I'll have to choose carefully--something I'll want to use in a month, a year, and years from now. Here's a list of possibilities that I've come up with so far (ones with a bar through them are taken, alternative after):

1. feminineObedience
2. peaceMaiden
3. peaceChild
4. heavenlyDove
5. dewOnThePath
6. lillyInTheValley--justALillyInTheValley?
7. jewelInHisCrown--justAJewelInHisCrown?

So what I need your help with: which one should I use, or do you have a better idea? If you have any ideas for what I should use as a username, please comment and tell me! THANKS A BUNCH FOR YOUR HELP!!!

{UPDATE: see comments; I've listed several other things including some that I REALLY, REALLY like!!!}

No-Bake Energy Bites/Bars {recipe}

Here's a yummy recipe me and some of my friends made the other day:

Oh...little bites of heaven!!! I could eat them
all (that is, if I was allowed!). (by the way, we
made these with white chocolate chips
because that's what we had on hand at the
time)

No-Bake Energy Bites/Bars

1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)
1/3 cup honey
1 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla

Mix everything above in a medium bowl until thoroughly incorporated (I mixed all the dry ingredients and wet ingredients together separately, and then combined). I found that the recipe was just a little dry, so we drizzled some molasses on to add more moister--and taste, too! After mixing, the original recipe says to chill in the fridge for half an hour or so, and then roll into balls (if I would do this, I would probably roll in coconut to reduce stickiness when eating). What I did was I just patted the batter into a small 7"x11" glass pan, and put it in the freezer. When I took it out, I cut it in bars and stuck it in the fridge. Next time, I'll probably put it back in the freezer, because it softens some in the fridge. Otherwise...enjoy! Here's where I got the recipe. [Here's a printable version of the original] YUM! 

Linking up in: 

I Need Your Help!

A good friend of ours suggested that I could do a five-minute recipe video (I would try to make it as short as possible, of course, and if it is five minutes or more, I would divide it into two videos perhaps. I figure that I would get my brother to do the videoing]) every week, and then at the end include a scripture verse. [I think it would be fine, even fun, and I don't think I would have a problem coming up with recipes,--I've already written down 15 I could share with you--I'm just wondering if you would be interested. If I made a video, would you watch it? And would you watch it every week? Because if nobody watches it, it's not worth making. Take me, for example. I'd love to watch every video out there, but with our 10 GB plan, I don't really want to use it all up so quickly!

So, my request for help is: please vote what you think you'd do, and/or comment to tell me your thoughts. Thank you in advance!!!

What do you think about a 5-minute recipe video each week?
	Sounds good! I think I'd enjoy it!
	I don't know, I might not be able to watch the videos.
	Probably wouldn't be able to watch the videos.
	Doubt if I would be interested.

In Christ,

Praise to the LORD!

This is a post praising the LORD. You see, this morning when I was trying to turn on my computer, it just wouldn't turn on. I tried everything I could think of, and finally Googled the problem (thankfully, we have two computers in the house!!!). I must have had a static build up, because it soon came to life, and is working perfectly. 

What happened was that when I turned on my computer (laptop) this morning, (as I do every morning) the light turned on and I could hear it running. When I came back later to type in the password, the screen was black. I did everything I could think of (punch the on/off button, run my fingers over the keys, wiggle the mouse, open and close the lid, take out the battery...). The only thing I did get was that the charging light (which was on in the beginning) would only come on when I punched the on/off button. I prayed, but what else could I do? We finally figured out what to do--hold down the on/off button for 15-20 seconds. It turned off, then turned back on and worked. Praise the LORD! (I'm sharing with you one of my favorite psalms praising the Lord.)

------------------------------

Psalm 9
1 I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.
2 I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.
3 When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence.
4 For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; thou satest in the throne judging right.
5 Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever.
6 O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and thou hast destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them.
7 But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment.
8 And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.
9 The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.
10 And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.
11 Sing praises to the LORD, which dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people his doings.
12 When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble.
13 Have mercy upon me, O LORD; consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, thou that liftest me up from the gates of death:
14 That I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion: I will rejoice in thy salvation.
15 The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken.
16 The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah.
17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.
18 For the needy shall not alway be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.
19 Arise, O LORD; let not man prevail: let the heathen be judged in thy sight.
20 Put them in fear, O LORD: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.

------------------------------

Praising the LORD with a joyful heart,

List of Edible and Inedible Animals

Today, I got to study Deuteronomy 14:4-20 and Job 38:39, and make a list of all the animals in there, putting all into the groups God divided them into in the chapters. It was really interesting! You can see the chart I made below. (Oh, yes--and notice that the bat is listed as an Inedible Bird. That's the way it is in the Bible, check out Deuteronomy 14:18. It says so there, so that's where I put it!) :)

List of Edible and Inedible Animals—as taken from Deuteronomy 14:4-20 and Job 38:39:

Edible Mammals	Inedible Mammals	Water Creatures	Edible Birds	Inedible Birds
ox  sheep  goat  hart  roebuck  fallow deer  wild goat  pygarg  wild ox  chamois	camel  hare  coney  swine  lion	fins + scales—fish (ones without fins and/or scales are inedible)	clean birds	eagle  ossifrage  ospray  glede  vulture  raven  owl  night hawk  cuckoo  hawk  little owl  great owl  swan  pelican  gier eagle  cormorant  stork  heron  lapwing  bat

My Life as a Chicken — the Trials and Troubles of My Life (Part 2)

(read the first part here)  In this story, I have 1,875 words so far.

          4th April          

When I woke this morning, I hurried over to the feed trough. I was starving! After gobbling down my breakfast and dipping into the water container, I played with some of my friends. They are really nice! We spent most of the morning playing tag, racing around the small enclosure. Oh, what fun!

Around mid-afternoon, when the sun was slowly retreating up the east wall, I noticed one of the white chicks—that was supposed to be on the other side of the boards—standing on top the boards that were supposed to be dividing us. Then, one after another, more chicks jumped up on the board. After a while, their weight was heavy enough, and the board flipped and lay on its side. What fun we had with the white chicks! We played different games all evening, and ate and drank together. We also had fun exploring each other's side together. Oh, what an exciting day! I doubt I'll ever sleep. The light is warm, though, and...I...have...warm...chicks...on...all...sides...of...

          5th April          

*yawn* I must have fallen asleep last night! Sorry about that! Anyway, today was a lot the same as yesterday. We had heaps of fun playing games today. Some of the chicks thought that they would be able to jump up on the boards around where the giants come in to take care of us, but they weren't able to. Too small, I guess! It was funny watching, though! They would jump, and then hit the side and fall back. The poor things; some of them tried it so often that they got headaches from it and huddled in the corner the rest of the day.

I guess I shouldn't laugh at them, though—I almost got a headache from trying it. I was smart enough, though, to stop after a few tries. If I had kept on going, though, I wouldn't have had the excitement of my life this afternoon! Just after lunch, when the sun was right on top of us—a burning ball of fire—I heard some scratching in the wall. There was a little hole on one of the corners where the headache-y chicks huddled, and then a gray figure just about our size with a tail bounded out of the hole. I watched in terrified fascination as, with one bound, he leaped over to the feed trough. You should have seen the pig! He grabbed the biggest pieces, then sprang back into the hole, to reappear a little later and do the same. It was scary, but we soon got used to it, and resumed our play. A good day altogether! 

          6th April          

Those silly chicks—you should have heard them this morning! They were talking about—believe it or not—trying to jump up on the boards again. After eating, we started playing again. Some of the more daring chicks tried jumping (I didn't try, because my head still hurt some from yesterday), and a couple managed to actually get on the top! There they teetered, for a couple seconds, and then fell down on the wrong side. I think they were too prideful, and that's why they fell. *smug grin* Anyway, after a little while, they all hopped up on the boards and fell back onto the right side and rejoined us. They were shivering with cold, and we herded them close to the lights so that they could thaw out. One little chick was too cold to jump, though, and when the giant came to fill our trough with food, I heard him say, “Oh, here's a dead chick! I guess it must have jumped and couldn't jump back. Poor thing.” After he fed us, I heard him calling the cat. I feel sorry for that poor chick, but I guess it's a good lesson to all of us: if you're cold, get warm or else you might die. I doubt that there will be many chicks jumping up on the boards any more after what happened! I guess we will see.

More a-coming!

The Called

Here's something I saw on a friend's blog this morning (she also has another blog, The Sweetest Charm. I love them both!), and thought I'd share with you. Isn't it amazing how God can love us, even though we are terrible sinners deserving hell? Praise the LORD!

All praise to the Lamb of God!