Longtime local journalist Bill Radford and his wife, Margaret, live on 5 acres in theFalcon area with chickens, rabbits, dogs, cats, two noisy parrots, goats and twohorses. Contact Bill at billradford3@gmail.com.
It’s that time when we’re supposed to have visions of sugar plums dancing in our heads. But I don’t really know what a sugar plum is, so I prefer visions of holiday gifts that would make our animals happier or more comfortable or assist with life on the prairie. For example:
- We don’t have ducks anymore, but we might want to get some again just to have an excuse to buy the Round-Top Duck Coop. The enclosure includes a tiny pond that appears easy to drain, a feeder, a waterer, a place for the ducks to sun and an area where they can rest on the ground. All for $2,990 at roostandroot.com, although it had a 25% off sale price last time I checked. (The site also displays some cool chicken coops and accessories; one interesting notion is its Snow/Storm Panels, which can be erected temporarily around the run areas of a coop to protect against “extreme sideways driven stormy weather” ó say wind-driven snow in one of those pesky bomb cyclones.
- We have our two rabbits in a fairly sizeable, very secure outside pen with an igloo-type doghouse for their house. One thing it’s not, though, is stylish. You can find rabbit houses/enclosures that are indeed stylish and won’t break the bank. For example, there’s the Hanover Outdoor Wooden Elevated Rabbit Hutch with Ramp. Per the product description, ìThis two-level hutch includes a wire mesh run, waterproof roof, wooden ramps and a removable metal tray. Ö The upper level provides a cozy sanctuary for your pets to rest while the lower level is a mesh run.î ($299.99 at tractorsupply.com)
- The horses may get bored during the winter with no green pasture to graze. But there are products designed to relieve that equine boredom. Colorado-based Kong doesn’t just make dog and cat toys; it also has its Kong Equine line (kongequine.com), with the Kong Equine Hanging Kit With Treat Ring ($149.99). It has the familiar Kong shape, with holes in the ring for carrots and other small treats, while there’s a larger bottom hole where you can stuff hay or bigger treats. Itís intended to provide “mental stimulation and enrichment for all horses.” More affordable, but perhaps less indestructible, is the Carrot Ball Horse Toy from Shires Equestrian Products. It’s a “carrot-dispensing ball toy” for horses; you can also sub in parsnips, apples, turnips and other treats. I found it on sale at Chewy.com for $39.59.
- One of our least favorite chores, done twice a year, is wrangling goats and holding onto them as we trim their hooves. It would no doubt be easier with a trimming stand from Premier (premier1supplies.com.) We’d still have to catch the goats, but then it’s just a matter of getting them on the stand while we trim the hooves at a comfortable position for us; a chain is used to secure the goat’s head. ($299 plus more for ramp and side rails)
- Our bees haven’t complained about their quarters, but I wonder if they’d be interested in upgrading to the Flow Hive 2+ from honeyflow.com. “Crafted from premium Western red cedar, itís the ultimate in easy honey harvesting technology, with all the features of the Flow Hive 2 PLUS the latest innovations in beehive health management including ant-guards, entrance reducer, and more.” Probably the most amazing feature is its patented Flow technology, which allows you to harvest honey from individual frames directly into a jar (though my wife tells me some other companies have copied the idea). (Starting at $809)
- When we bought our house, we bought the owner’s riding lawn mower, too. But I soon sold it, figuring I would prefer the exercise I would get from a regular mower. That’s a decision I regret when we have, say, a wet spring and the grass needs mowing weekly or so. Perhaps I should invest in The Bad Boy Elite Zero Turn Lawn Mower. The zero turn feature means it’s easy to cut around trees and other obstacles. And it looks to be comfortable, with a “cushioned comfort seat with padded arm rests for a relaxed operating posture.” Plus, it’s orange, my favorite color. ($4,999.99 at tractorsupply.com)
- We don’t have a basement as we have a manufactured home; neither do most of our neighbors. So where to hide if a tornado was to rip across the plains? Well, we could get a Swisher EPS Safety Shelter, an above-ground tornado shelter. They promise to provide “near absolute protection from EF5 tornado strikes.” One of the models has a nine-person capacity, so we could invite a few neighbors to take refuge, too. It’s $7,789.95 at swisherinc.com. (Or spend even more for one that houses 25 people.) The walls are made of 3/16-inch thick carbon steel.
