WINTER IS HERE!

THERE REALLY ISN'T ANYTHING QUITE AS AWFUL AS MUD!
Oh how I hate to slip and slide through the mud to the barn!
It seems as if we are having plenty of RAIN to keep those fields slippery!
Have you ever WALKED RIGHT OUT OF YOUR BOOT?  Yep, your foot keeps moving but your boot is planted in about a half a foot of mud and it stays put. The next thing you know is that your stocking foot is landing in "gooey" mud!
The best thing I can think of in those situations is to think about SPRING!
It will come one of these days and the grass will grow and the sun will shine.
Around here, the lambs are due to begin arriving in mid March, just in time for Spring Vacation from the local schools.
I don't usually let the moms and babies out of the barn until the lambs are about a week old. They need to "mother up" with their moms and get introduced to the flock. They also need shots and their tails need to be docked.
I will post some photos of the new lambs as soon as they begin to arrive.
Meanwhile we will all live with the MUD!

HORSE UPDATE

AUGUST 2nd two of the horses were put in the round pen to begin training. The round pen, is just that, ROUND.
It is a 60 foot circle where 1 horse and 1 person can inter act in a controlled space.
The person's goal is to get the horse to Walk, Trot. Whoa. and Stand on command.
It also gives the trainer a place to work off some of the horse's EXTRA ENERGY safely!
Many horses need time in the round pen to be able to settle down enough for a rider to safely mount and ride.
Our 4 horses are not broke to ride YET.
We are beginning at the BEGINNING!
Snowy and Baby Girl are the first two to be introduced to Sabra and the round pen training.
I watched and this morning, I took Huck in for a brief session. She was so worried about being there without her pals and watching them run around in the field, that it took most of her time in the pen to just get her to pay attention to me and then to WALK around the circle.
TROT isn't an option with her yet. She finally settled down and would complete 2 whole circles with me walking fairly close to her. She is not comfortable very far from me right now.
Next in the pen was Polly.
She did pretty well EXCEPT for wanting to STOP all the time and eat the grass. When I got her past that point, she walked the circle with me quite a ways away from her on the long line and also was able to complete a couple of circles at a trot. WHOA is yet to be accomplished quickly.
We will update our progress with the horses and put in a couple of photos as soon as we get a new camera!

DONKEYS ON PARADE

WE ARE ALWAYS HAPPY TO SHOW OFF OUR HERD.
WE ARE OPEN THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY APRIL
THROUGH SEPTEMBER FROM 10 TO 4.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO COME AT ANOTHER TIME THAT WORKS IN YOUR SCHEDULE, PLEASE CALL TONIE AT :
503-682-1604.
THERE ARE PRESENTLY, 12 DONKEYS IN OUR HERD.
STARTING WITH THE OLDEST AND WORKING DOWN THROUGH THE HERD, HERE ARE THEIR NAMES:

CHOCOLATE DELIGHT a chocolate brown jenny
SERENA a slate grey jenny with a black nose
SHADOW a slate grey jenny with a white blaze on face
COWBOY a spotted, brown, grey. white jack, (our stud jack)
CISCO KID a dark brown jack ,( stud jack )
SMOOCHIE a grey-dunn jenny
EMMA a grey-dunn jenny
COMMANCHE MOON a spotted jack ( stud jack)
CHOCOLATE'S SUPRISE red and brown jenny
PONCHO grey dunn gelding
TINKER BELL grey dunn jenny
BRONCO BILLY grey dunn jack with red and black ears and black stripe

He Has A Name!

Our new little donkey finally has a name.
As I said in my last post, it takes me a while to pick the "right" name foe the new babies around the farm.
He will be called BRONCO BILLY from now on. Of course, that will get shortened to BRONCO in no time.
He loves to race around the pasture with his tail straight out and his little nose up in the air. He bucks like a rodeo bronco just for the fun of it. He is full of life and seems to be enjoying it immensely!
He comes right up to the fence to be petted.
Like all mini donkeys, he loves attention.
I have not put him with the older group of babies yet. I will eventually add, Smoochie, Serena and Bronco Billy in with the rest of the female donkey herd.

It has been said ,by many breeders, that a male donkey ,(known as a jack), will often times try to kill a youngster that is not his offspring.
I would not take any chances with any of my donkeys!

I recently watched one of my jacks go after a little dog who ventured into his pasture. Donkeys do not like dogs. They will attack one if it enters their field. Many folks use mini donkeys to protect their sheep from dogs and coyotes for this very reason.

A donkey will chase it's prey head on and strike at it with their front feet and their teeth. They roll the offending animal under their hoooves and stomp it to death.

NEW BABY DONKEY ARRIVES AFTER 13 MONTHS OF WAITING!

FINALLY!

The gestation period for mini donkeys is anywhere from 10 to 14 months so it is very hard to know exactly when a new baby will arrive. This little guy took 13 months and he is a winner!

Our newest baby donkey has arrived safe and sound. I found him trying to get all 4 of his legs coordinated so he could stand up, at 10:30 the other night in the barn with his mom, Smoochie.

It was Smoochie's first baby, and while she loved him to death and could not stop licking him, there was no way she was going to let that child nurse!
That area of her body was OFF LIMITS! She had no idea that she held the milk he needed to get going and make it in this new world. She would kick at him every time he tried to head in that direction or went behind her.

After about 3 hours of frustration on all 3 of our parts, I intervened and tied her up 3 ways until she had only 3 legs to stand on. Then I had to wait for him to find the right spot. Once he latched onto that teat he was a happy baby. I let him have as long a drink as he wanted and then I untied her and went to bed! By this time it was 2:30 in the morning! The next day ,when I went down to the barn, Mom and Baby were doing fine. Smoochie was allowing him to nurse with no problems.

He is now 2 weeks old and runs around the pasture like a little "wild man". His little tail is straight out and he flies along the ground. He loves to buck and jump up on his hind legs. I am trying to figure out the best name for him. It always takes me a while to come up with what seems to me to be the perfect name for the new animals around the farm.

Come out and visit. He is outside with his Mom, his Aunt, and his Grandma on good weather days.

lamb saved by quick thinking and good help!

 

Saturday morning I was showing some folks the new lambs and right then one of the ewes began to lamb.

Eventually she produced a large fellow but he was not breathing

I got him breathing but then took a look to see what he was, boy or girl, and discovered that he was bleeding out!

His umbilical cord was herniated and protruding out of his belly!

I had the poor folks who were watching all this trauma, throw me a piece of twine that I used to tie off the bleeding area. I rushed up to the house to get my keys to take him to the vet.

Jenny Thrasher was here looking at a piece of furniture that she wanted to buy and she immediately offered to drive.

Thank goodness for her quick help.

Newberg Vet Hospital put him back together and I am happy to say that he is doing fine 6 days later.

Check out the wonderful photos that Jenny has on her BlogSpot.

Here is the link:   http://jennythrasherphotography.blogspot.com

OPENING WEEKEND JUST AHEAD!

SPRING BEGINS AT THE FARM!

OPENING DAY WILL BE  APRIL  8

YES, WE WILL BE PART OF THE FAVORITE 5 COUNTRY FARMS

SPRING TOUR !    APRIL 9-10-11 & 16-17-18

THE FARM HOURS: THURSDAY THRU SATURDAY 10-4

2010 SPRING OPENING on APRIL EIGHTH at 10 AM

JOIN US FOR OUR 2010 SPRING OPENING ON THE EIGHTH OF APRIL.
WE WILL BE OPEN FROM 10 AM TO 4 PM , THURSDAY THRU SUNDAY
IF THE WEATHER COOPERATES, THE NEW BABY LAMBS WILL BE
OUTSIDE WITH THEIR MOTHERS.
IF NOT, YOU CAN STILL SEE THE LLAMA , HORSES, AND MOST OF THE MINI DONKEYS. WE HAVE MANY WONDERFUL NEW ITEMS IN THE SHOPS AND IN THE GARDEN!
COME BROWSE THROUGH OUR ECLECTIC SELECTION .
YOU ARE SURE TO SPOT SOMETHING YOU WILL NEED TO TAKE
WITH YOU FOR YOUR OWN YARD OR HOME!
PUT APRIL 9, 10 & 11 AND APRIL 16, 17 & 18 ON YOUR AGENDA FOR THE

Favorite 5 Country Farms 5th annual SPRING TOUR OF FARMS!
You can get all the details from us and a map of the locations when you stop
by THE FARM.

TINKER BELL GETS READY FOR CHRISTMAS!

HOLIDAY SHOPPING HOURS

WE ARE OPEN
EVERY THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY
10 AM TO 4 PM
DEC. 10 THROUGH DEC.20TH
JUST GIVE US A "JINGLE" IF YOU NEED TO STOP
BY AT ANY OTHER TIME TO DO ANY LAST
MINUTE GIFT BUYING

FOLLOW THE RED & WHITE SIGNS

FAVORITE 5 COUNTRY FARMS

4 th ANNUAL HOLIDAY TOUR BEGINS FRIDAY NOVEMBER 27th AT 10 AM!
Visit 5 farms in the Wilsonville-Sherwood area and have a wonderful day!
Every farm has something different to offer in the way of Holiday gifts, and greens.
Find the perfect Christmas tree at Rolling Rock farm,
get a fresh holly bough and a hand woven scarf at Monte Bella Ranch,
add some sparkel to your life with jewelry from Pure Pizazz,
check out the clothing made from the fibres of Alpacas at Elan',
and buy a unique gift at Tollen Farm.
Enjoy watching the friendly farm animals,
have a cup of cider and a cookie or two.
Make new family memories.
Follow the red and white Favorite 5 signs.
Friday thru Sunday from 10 to 4
The last day of the Tour is December 13.

Tollen Farm will be open
Friday November 27th until Sunday December 20th
10 to 4 Thurs thru Sunday for your Christmas Shopping.
You are sure to find some great gifts here!

TEN TOP THINGS HAPPENING ON THE FARM NOW

1. Our newest baby donkey. She was born on September 27th.
We have not thought of the right name for her yet!
2. New Horse inspired metal garden pieces. Since the arrival
of the 4 rescue Arabian Mares last fall we have added
some interesting items to our shop. We are beginning to
collect cowboy and girl boots and we have an old calvery saddle on hand as well.
3. Sheep Shearing Day was last Sunday. It was the first time
that our llama, Jomocha Almond Fudge got shorn. She was a trooper!
4. The Horse Barn addition. Now we hope to be able to keep all 4 horses dry
this winter in the barn.
5. Lovely wool fleeces for sale from our flock.
6. Favorite 5 Country Farms Holiday Tour is just around the corner.
Mark your calendar for November 28. Go to the blogspot for all the information
This is year number 5 for this great family event. You will find a link
for Favorite 5 Country Farms on this site.
7. Comanche Moon is now a year old. He is our little spotted jack sired by
Cowboy. He is for sale and is a cutie!
8. LEAVES LEAVES LEAVES are falling! This not one of our favorite things as it
is impossible to keep them all raked up!
9. Fall Apples and Hazelnuts are falling off the trees in the orchard
10. The Squirrels are busy gathering all the nuts for winter dinners.

ANTIQUES&ART&AGRICULTURE THIS WEEKEND ! AUGUST 15 AND 16 HOURS 10 AM TO 6 PM START YOUR TOUR AT TOLLEN FARM ADMISSION IS $2.00 OR A CAN OF FOOD