Saturday at the Ranch.

It's a been a long time where I've spent the whole day in the ranch.  I started out in the morning, checking on all the livestock.  This is what I call morning checks.  Taking the time to look over each animal as I walk around the ranch.  Checking their water containers to see if it has still has some water.  If not, then I took the time to refill each one.  

Most of our water containers are 2 gallon buckets.  These are for the goats and sheep.  The carabao has a 30 gallon water trough.  But he enjoys playing with it and spilling out his water.  So I stopped bringing him water two days ago, until this afternoon.  Had to teach that 1000+ pounds, muscle packed, grass eating Bubalus bubalis a lesson.  This afternoon, I brought a shallow water trough that holds 15 gallons to where I had him pastured.  He drank up what he could, but he didn't turn over the water trough.  Hopefully, the lesson sticks.  

After my morning checks, I walked around the ranch looking at all sorts of things.  I was visualizing the new ranch makeover.  A corral with stable needs to go up to house the carabao during certain times of the year.  It could also be used by the goat herd and sheep flock  When it's time for them to use it.  That's the idea, to make my facilities not one species specific.  But to be able to be used by multiple species. 

The sheep are molting, or is it shedding.  They're both losing their wool hair.  One more so than the other.  It's weird on how nice they look with a nice fleece.  But when that thing is coming off in chunks.  They, at least the one with the worst molt, look really ugly.  

The buckling kids are growing up fast.  They're jumping and running around in their pen.  Pretty awesome for a week old kids.  The doe free ranges since they always drain her.  Then she gets double the feed to get milk to the the two kids. 

Pulled down some dead bamboo from the bamboo grove.  I'm going to have to trim them back a bit later on.  I trimmed some laguana (soursop) trees aka Guyabano for my Filipino familia .  Just cutting low branches to make them look better, also for security concerns.  Have to be able to see what I'm shooting at.  Later on, I took the chainsaw and cut down some saplings that I don't need.  

Working with Gera, our carabao since we acquired him a week ago, has been a challenge.  But not as much as the other animals we've brought into the ranch since December 2012.  Gera has been stressing since he arrived.  We've tried making him comfortable.  Giving him lots of water, which he always spilled.  Pasturing him at the greenest parts of the ranch.  He'll eat but not as much as I thought he would.  I'm pretty sure he was still adjusting to his new environment.  

He had spilled a 30 gallon water trough two days ago, that I had just filled up.  So I lectured him and placed him on corrective rehabilitation (punishment).  Yes, I talk to my animals and they respond in return.  In my experience as a rancher who has raised livestock for a number of years.  All animals want to please their master. Especially, when you're kind to your animals providing them care, feed, and shelter.   I would still visit him twice if not three times a day, during his "punishment", still untangling him, scratching him behind his ears, petting him, talking to him for the last two days.  I've been doing that everyday since he arrive to the ranch.  The only difference was, I didn't bring him water or did I lead him to water for two days.  As a ruminant, he is still able to draw water from the plants and grasses he eats.  He just doesn't get enough to quench his thirst.  But today, this afternoon,  I brought the 15 gallon water trough and a 15 gallon water container to fill it with.  As I whistled, he came directly to me and saw the water trough.  He pulled on his lead to try to get to it, but he was tangled up on a tangantangan sapling.  I filled the trough up, moved the wheel barrow and water container away, just out of reach from him.  Then I went and untied him from the tree that I tied him too, and untangled his lead.  Gera went straight to the water trough and drank his fill.  He didn't spill the rest of the water.  

Gera amazed me today.  I was surprised that he came to me when I whistled.  He didn't do that the last 5 days when I started training him, "to come to me", whenever I whistled and pulled on his rope lead.  He would just stand there looking at me and ignoring me.   But today, he walked towards me when I whistled.  Now that's progress.  Finally! 

I know it's not due to the water.  He couldn't see the water when I whistled for him.  Only when he came around the bend of trees that he looked at me first then the water trough.  A really good sign that he's making progress with me and his training.  

I wanted to ride him today, but I'll give it a week or two before I do.  




Keep Smiling