Ranch Assessment: Minor Damages from Typhoon Francisco.

 

Gera, at the South Side Area, after we acquired him. 

After the All Clear was announced earlier this afternoon, I took the time to check out my ranch.  I wanted to see what kind of damage was out there, if I lose any animals, did I have a minor or major rebuild on my hands.  I heard a large crack just before lunch.  So I knew either a limb broke from tree, or a tree fell.  

First thing I did was let all the goats and sheep out.  There was a lot of leaves and branches on the ground.  So letting them go will start the clean up process.  The weather was windy and rainy.  I don't know how the radio announcers were saying it was clear.  It would be clear for a couple of minutes, then gusts of wind and hard rain will follow.  

The goats/sheep were glad to get out of the pen and back into the paddock.  Even with the slight rain, they didn't come back in.  Making my way to the South side, I was greeted by my daughter Larraine's Rhodes, Rhode Island Red roosters.  I went straight to the fly pens where the hens were kept and opened the doors.  They were happy to get out and get some fresh grass and bugs.  I let the Alpha Rooster, Big Red, out of his pen.  He took quick to reclaiming his spot as the Alpha Rooster beating every rooster in the pecking order.  He fokai'd the Guinea roosters and the free range boonie roosters as well.  That's one tough bird.  

I never thought I'd see the guineas losing to a big Rhode Island Red.  That got the other RIR roosters motivated and confident, all 11 of them, to team up to beat the guineas.  They picked up the guinea technique and beat them at their own game.  Even the RIR hens re-established their pecking order between the two pens.  

There was minimal damage in the South side area.  Lots of leaves and broken branches littered the ground.  A couple of trees that I was planning to cut down had fallen over.   A discovery was made in the roosters pen.  Skeletal remains of a bird was found after the grass was all eaten, feathers and mud washed away from the rain. It wasn't one of the Rhodes.  I must've been a boonie chicken that died and was covered up by the vines.  The bones were too small for a RIR.  Also, all my roosters are accounted for.  

Walking the North side, a limb had fallen and missed one of our perimeter dogs, also a majority of the banana trees fell.  There is only one fruiting banana left standing.  But I'm cutting that down tomorrow because it's bunch is ready for harvest.  The trail to the karabao was closed off by a huge fallen tree.  Again, another tree that I had already planned to cut down.  I had to walk around the fallen tree. only to discover there are more fallen trees on the other side.  It took some scrambling to get back on trail. 

Finally made my way to Gera, our karabao.  He's is one big and healthy toro.  The area he's at is all cleared and starting to get muddy.  Gera is a better boonie cleaner than the goat herd.  One of the first things I'll do in the morning is to move him tomorrow to another side of the paddock.  This weekend, I'll take some time to make his oxen yoke.  Have no choice but to do On-the-job training with him, to pull.  Lots of timber to pull after I trim off the branches tomorrow.  

It's going to be really busy this Saturday and the next couple of weekends to clean up most of the mess from Francisco.  


ESTA...

KEEP SMILING