Misc. Idle Chit Chat - Part II (The Sequel)

[RubyJeansMom]

Hi Samar, welcome to Misc Idle Chit Chat!

(cows are ruminants, which are basically a class of animals who have 4-compartment stomach which has the capacity to digest cellulose from plants....I think another member, RubyJeanMom, has goats those are also ruminants !)

Yes, I have two little ruminants of my very own...LOL!! I can't believe how much I've learned about their digestive system, since they came to live with me at the end of June.
Especially after losing one to enterotoxemia.

And baby pigs are just about the cutest things!

It seems fall is upon us here in Michigan...well at least for the next couple days, then it's going back into the 80's.
It was 42F this morning...Brrrrrr...and I'm loving it!!

[Tweedledee]

Thanks for the welcome

Yes, I have two little ruminants of my very own...LOL!! I can't believe how much I've learned about their digestive system, since they came to live with me at the end of June.
Especially after losing one to enterotoxemia.

Don't ruminants have just the most interesting digestive systems?

The first thing my professor said as she began her lecture on ruminants was "COWS ARE MAGIC".....it was so funny cause she YELLED that and all the chatting in the hall died down and we were all staring at her like

But when we learnt about how crazy cool their digestive processes are, we were like yup, thats magical

So sorry to hear about your goat, enterotoxemia is awful, its big in sheep as well. It sucks because for goats, the vaccine is not as effective.

Weather is really bipolar here as well, we had some intense rain/thunderstorms just last week but today it is sunny and 75 degrees.

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

Samar, I'm enjoying your posts.

RJM's goats are the sweetest, cutest things ever. There are pictures and video of them in our "Off Topic" Section if you wish to have a look. Merlin and Arthur are adorable. Kian also has 2 goats.

RJM, it's been very Fall like here as well...our Fair is ongoing at the moment, and of course last Saturday was pouring rain, and it's been quite chilly most evenings, which is when the biggest crowds usually attend. I haven't attended in years. I used to take Ben and Elliot when they were younger, but I don't think either of them would want to be seen dead with their Mum at the Fair now. Neither one of them are really all that interested anymore either. It is so darned expensive. In a couple of weeks, there is a proper Country Fair going on just up the road from us in a little village that we may attend. It's more in keeping with a Fall Country Fair than the one in the City anyway.

[RubyJeansMom]

It's HOT here today...ugh!! I even had to turn on the a/c, as it was 80F in the house this afternoon!
Although I was still able to force down my pumpkin spice latte, in spite of the heat...heehee!

Deb, Our town's Fall Festival is the last weekend in September. Basically a parade and craft show...it doesn't take much to entertain us out here in the boonies. Actually, they do close down the intersection of town, and set up a bandstand, where various bands play all afternoon and into the evening. The HO usually goes to that with our neighbor, as I'm all paraded and crafted out by then...LOL!!

Samar, "COWS ARE MAGIC"...that is too funny! At least she's enthusiastic about her job.
Since losing Atticus, I'm always feeling Arthur and Merlin's left side, to make sure there rumens are contracting. I get a look from them like, "C'mon Mom, knock it off!!"

[Tweedledee]

Deborah, I went and looked for the thread, and saw all the pictures! I'm supposed to be reading my Chemistry but I got distracted by that cuteness (totally worth it, I'd take baby goats over binary compounds anyday )

RJM, your goats are SO adorable! LOL I can totally imagine them getting annoyed at having their rumens felt! Yes my animal science professor definitely loves her job. My chemistry professor is like that too, the first day of class she touched a match to a balloon full of Hydrogen gas (highly flammable, definitely do not do at home) it made this POW noise like a CANNON going off, and for a split second there was this HUGE fireball in the air where the balloon was.

Like the nerd that I am I was sitting in the front row and had the LIFE scared out of me (I was so close the balloon wrapper fell on my shoe). I sit in the second row now, cause she manages to make something explode every other class. I'll try to take a pic next time she does it. Its so cool cause she is like a real life mad scientist, she is definitely one of my favorite professors

Iphone 5 is coming out! My room mates getting it, I don't want to buy it, my iphone works perfectly fine so I don't see any point in wasting money to get a new one just for the sake of updating . But I'm still so excited to see what its going to look like!

[RubyJeansMom]

Iphone 5 is coming out!

Haha, I don't even know what that means.
I'm still using a basic flip phone, and that was my upgrade! I love pulling out my phone, when everyone is comparing their latest and greatest...the flabbergasted looks just kill me...LOL!!!

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

RJM, still "rockin' the flip"! How you manage to text on that thing is beyond me. I didn't attempt texting when I still had my flip (up until May of this year I believe!)

Samar, it sounds like you have some wonderful Professors who keep things interesting to say the least. I did chuckle at the bit where you now sit in the second row as there in an explosion every other class. That Prof knows how to keep you on your toes.

Merlin and Arthur are such lovely fellows. I can just imagine the poking and prodding, and their sweet faces looking at their Mum in disgust.

RJM, if it's any consolation, I am often being regarded with disgust, or just sheer annoyance, by any one of my four boys, two legged and four legged included.

[Tweedledee]

PIGLET LAB WAS TODAY!

They were so ADORABLE! Like, beyond my wildest dreams cute!

We were observing their suckling behavior, so basically we put them in a big tub for about 40 minutes, and then put them back in their pen with Mommy pig. We then recorded which teat they suckled on and once they were all finished we put them back in the tub and let them out again after 40 minutes and recorded again.

Its really interesting, they all went back to the same teat, as if they were assigned to them! The biggest ones got the teats in the middle, with the most milk. The smaller ones got the sides, with not so much. Apparently piglets choose their own teat within 3 days of birth, and they defend that teat during meal time! I wonder if the same happens with puppies?

Also something else I didn't know was when you hold piglets you hold them from their back legs, so they are just hanging there in front of you. When you hold them close by their chests, like you would for a puppy, they get scared and start squirming and squealing.

It felt weird holding them like that, and I thought it would be uncomfortable for them, but they were very loud about telling me preferred it!

RJM, its probably better you don't have a smartphone, they are wayyyy too addicting. Once you have one you can't go back!

Deborah, yes our chem classes are pretty hilarious. Today the professor was chucking liquified nitrogen everywhere! She wanted to show us first hand how it vaporizes immediately. There was nitrogen mist everywhere...thinking about moving to the third row now

I got a picture of the piglets, my favorite was the runt of the litter, he was number 6 but by the end of the lab we were all calling him Sixery. Poor Sixery, he got the last teat, and he was butted out by his brothers and sisters the whole time. He wasn't the brightest either, he mistook his sibling's tail for a teat and started sucking on it. He is the teensy one sitting up with his eyes open and the dark mark on his forehead.

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

Samar, I did not know that Piglets each claimed their own teat and stuck to it! That is fascinating. I always knew pigs were highly intelligent. Poor little Sixery! I do love Pigs (even though I enjoy Pork).

I'm quite sure pups change teats all the time. It's first come, first served usually. I know almost for certain that they don't just stick to one. If they did, imagine what would happen to the Bitch that only had a litter of 1 or 2 pups? She would have teats that were overly full. I think they tuck in wherever they can. If I'm wrong, by all means, tell me as I am merely going by what I remember seeing.

The Chem class sounds like fun, although I'm hopeless at chemistry. You are certainly receiving a wonderful education and it's being taught in a way that makes it interesting, fun and exciting.

YAY....it's Friday!!!!

[kian]

I missed a lot! Samar welcome, I too studied Animal Science and Behaviour at a University, it was my Major. I currently have a Hobby Farm with some farm critters. I love cows! I met the cutest pot belly piglet, he was so sweet. I thought of RJM, we both get mushy over a cute baby!

Nezza here is a picture you will love, my Chickens have great recall, almost too good. They come looking for me! Heres the proof, I was just relaxing watching a little TV and looked at the door and saw this! (I did have the camera nearby for once). The Rooster is getting a attitude, I'm still trying to find a home for the other. Photobucket isn't working, no surprise there so I will try to attach it through here, it might end up a big picture. I did resize it, not too bad!

copy of the chickens.jpg (308.17 KB) Viewed 827 times

Had a quick awakening the other night. The dogs started barking hard, I shut them up for a moment and heard one of the goats giving a distressed call. I was up like a shot! I did see something run by in the dark, possibly a fox or coyote.
The goats are secured, so I'm not worried about them too much. The chickens which usually are in a hynotic state while sleeping were disturbed so I knew there was something that scared them. The Donkeys are in the other pasture, they were no help for protection. Of course I didn't sleep well rest of the night, the OH did just like nothing happened. Actually OH slept through the whole ordeal, good thing I'm pretty tough when it comes to things that go bump in the night!

The work with the Juveniles is going quite well, one of the dogs got a home. The juvenile I was working did very well with her, she was very shy when she first came to the facility. The Heeler is still there and we now have a AussieX to work with.

Calling it a early night, first sore throat in years, have no idea where I picked that germ up!

[nezza]

Good Morning, Ladies!!

Haven't posted in a quite a bit in this thread though i've been lurking and posting elsewhere. Welcome to Samar I have been enjoying reading your entries about your classes. It sounds fun and fascinating. I loved your piggie story. My OH is especially fond of them. Recently, we saw some "miniature" pigs. They are meant to be pets and only reach about 30 pounds They were quite adorable.

Kian, i LOVE the pic of your chickens on the porch! You know how much i love chickens It's surprising how smart they actually are. Most people think chickens to be dumb...but they certainly are not! Mine come looking for me, too. When we don't have the back door open...they will peck at it...as if knocking. I love my ladies so much. No matter where they are on the property, if i call out "CHICKENS" they come running...in that funny waddle/run way that i love. "Little Red" (my red chicken) lets me pet her a little now. "Big Momma" has always been more shy and she doesn't let me touch her too much. They both eat out of my hand though

I'm glad all your animals were okay! For the chickens to be disturbed, they had to have been pretty scared Lucky for me, my OH is the lighter sleeper of the house...because, unlike you, i am very spooked by the things that go "bump" in the night!

So glad to hear your work with the juveniles is going well! The power a dog has over people is amazing!

Deb, RJM, it's very fall-like here, too! I love Fall! The smell of it, the colors changing, the cooler temps. So many fairs/festivals going on right now! Here, too! There are 2 this week and another next week.

The OH and I have already planned our next Pigeon Forge trip for next month. There is always so much to do in PF and the leaves should be bright colors by then! We plan on taking "Sabrina" so we can have the top down and make a special drive along the Cherohala Skyway. It's the most beautiful, scenic ride...it goes up through the mountains and cuts into North Carolina. It's very popular among bikers, too, because of it's winding roads...very famous part of this road is called "Tail of the Dragon" for it's extreme curves. Oh, it is BREATHTAKING!!! PLUS, "Sabrina's" got heated seats, so if it's a little cool, we won't be cold


Anyone else completely addicted to Pinterest?!! I can't seem to get enough of it and i will spend A LOT of time on it!

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

Nezza, I know you and your OH certainly do enjoy PF. I'm sure you'll have a lovely time, especially touring around in "Sabrina". Having an OH that is mechanically inclined is a marvelous asset, as you've managed to acquire a lovely vehicle, and have a built in mechanic, should service be required.

I am checking in rather late on here as we seem to have spammers that come on in the wee hours. It is 1:24 a.m. local time, and that's it for me for tonight. I was hoping to catch some of them.

Kian, I also wanted to mention how adorable the pictures are of the Chickens. They were looking for their Mama! I do hope whatever it was that disturbed you, and the animals (not the OH though...LOL) last night doesn't return. As the seasons change, the wild animals start looking for places, or food in preparation for the winter.

I also enjoyed reading an update on the Juvenile Program. It sounds like it is going well. Good for you! ♥

Happy Sunday everyone! I'm quite sure Margie will be watching Footie, if there's any to be had, and I'll be doing my usual.

[Tweedledee]

Deborah, yes I am really lucky to have such great teachers. I don't know what the suckling behavior for puppies are but I think you are right, pigs unlike dogs, are basically guaranteed a large litter so they won't ever have overly full teats!

Kian, nice to meet you! I love that you have a mini farm, that is just too cool! Your chickens are adorable, I see what looks like an Americauna and a Rhode Island Red in there, but I can't really tell what the other two hens are. My chickens come when you call too. If cluck my tongue, all of them will come running! I taught them when they were young to do that, I used to click my tongue at them when I fed them. They caught on pretty quickly, smart birds! I see you have two aussies, have they tried to herd up the chickens yet?

Nezza, glad you enjoyed the piggie story, those piglets were just adorable! Wow those mini pigs must be extra small, cause those teensy little piggies in the photo grow up to a 1000 Ibs! Pigeon Forge sounds cool! We went to Yosemite, and the drive up is incredibly curvy as well, but the view is worth it!

I have my first Econ exam on Friday so I am studying it now. I don't think there is a more dry subject than Econ. Sometimes filling up your general education credits is a pain in the butt.

Also is it just me, or are there a lot of spammers on here recently?

[kian]

Nezza I'm on Pinterest, I haven't been on there in a while, I can try to find you.

Samar you are correct, the litle Rhode is Gloria. I saved her from the evil fox and she has been my buddy ever since. The other two are Americuana mixes. My dogs will herd them If I let them, Ice, the big blue was good at herding the goats back into pen until Scout put her horns down!

I told OH we need to expand the coop, there are two problems with free roaming chickens! One is obvious, the other, they like to destroy my flower beds. Nezza they are smarties!

The videos spammers with the bad English have been a problem lately... We delete and have them banned, they manage to return.

We do have our share of predators, cougars have been sighted across the river which is a quarter of a mile away.

Something certainly has kicked me to the curb, hopefully I will be much better in a day or two. I'm taking Ice to do a demo at the Detention Center on Friday, he will already be pretty as Saturday is another ASCA Competition. I took Allie through the Rally Course, she did really good. After I get the last two legs to title Ice, then I will work on Conformation and Agility with him. Rally I will do for fun with Allie.

[Deerie me]

There do seem to be a lot of spammers lately. I got rid of one the other morning. The last few I've dealt with have been from India which would explain the time they are posting.

Chicken people, have you tried your chucks on marmite on toast? My friend used to give it to her hens as a treat. They loved it. It probably isn't good for them in large quantities but she used to give them a tiny piece.

Kian are you going to go for titles with Allie too? I've probably already asked you this but I can't remember. I have a brain like a sieve these days.

We had some lovely people staying with us on Friday night. We are registered with a site called couch surfing. We joined to find somewhere for the OH to stay when he went to Edinburgh but we registered to host too. You offer a bed or couch to people visiting your area. They give you info about themselves and it is up to you as the host to decide if you want to host them. We don't check it very often so we have missed a few. We get quite a few requests as we are in a tourist area which is popular with walkers. Our surfers were a French Canadian meditation teacher and an English yoga teacher.