Hope Valley Ranch

10/16/2026

Our smallest cat, our oldest girl, and sometimes our busiest little bee. 🐝💛

Mayla is sweet and fiercely independent. She loves attention on her terms, but she tends to give way to the other cats—even though she’s the oldest.

When she gets a little one-on-one time, she can get so wound up that she hardly knows what to do with herself. Up for some love, back down, circle around, come back for more. 😂

We take little breaks when the attention gets to be too much. But these moments when she has me all to herself? I love them.

10/13/2026

I’m still surprised when visitors comment that they can’t smell the dogs. I ask, what does it smell like and the response is usually “neutral” or “nothing”.

While the breed can definitely make a difference in how dirty and smelly they can be, there are core principles that really make a difference in how much time and effort will be needed to clean and maintain.

Leave a comment if you’re interested in learning more and what area do you struggle with when it comes to dog smell.

10/12/2026

Sad news from Brazil. Murphy, the matriarch of the house pack has crossed the rainbow bridge. Please read Jan’s post below. She amazing survived a local animal ritual because she was all black. Thanks to the amazing work by Jan and Carlos, she lived many, many years as part of the house pack becoming the pack leader. Momma Murphy will be deeply missed. Please help they continue their mission to help street dogs, cats and farm animals in Brazil. PayPal to [email protected]

We had a horrible day today. We had to euthanize Murphy. She was very weak and old. We will be missing her a lot. She was such a great girl. She must have been around fourteen or fifteen. She was in pain with her back legs and her front legs. She could no longer move. It was so sad. We both held her while she went to sleep on her last journey. All the memories going back years of happiness. She was the dog who adopted Cookie as a puppy after her own puppies died during a machete attack. She had to stay in the clinic 40 days and then came to live as a house dog here. She had a blood transfusion and survived it all with many stitches and a huge scar. She always hated baths, which is strange as she was a pure Labrador and they are supposed to like water. I can`t write much as I am still crying. We loved her so much. Another huge chunk of my heart gone. 14 years seems to have gone by in a flash. I wish we could all experience her presence for another year. The kitchen seems bare, her bark is silent now. We have so many older dogs. There are days when it all gets too much. The puppies with no names are doing well. I want to name the chunky brown Puppy Murphy. I am not sure it would be a good idea yet. Maybe it`s just a way of clinging to all the memories.

10/11/2026

I know she can’t understand the words but everyone can use some compassion especially after early integration attempts. They are not easy.

10/10/2026

We’re always learning from the animals in our care, and some lessons are harder than others. Sharing these experiences matters if it helps someone else recognize a problem sooner. ❤️

A few important takeaways for fellow chicken owners:

🐔 Deworming during molt: The manufacturer guidance shared with me is that Safe-Guard AquaSol is not recommended during molting. If your birds need treatment while molting, work with your poultry veterinarian on an appropriate plan.

🐣 Ask about Marek’s vaccination when getting chicks. It’s best given at hatch, before exposure—not something to wait on until a bird looks sick. Vaccination helps protect against the disease, although it doesn’t prevent all infection or spread.

🤲 Get hands-on with your flock regularly when possible. Chickens hide illness and weakness remarkably well, and feathers can conceal weight loss, wounds, and changes in body condition. Gentle handling helps you learn what’s normal for each bird and notice when something changes. Be especially careful around sensitive new feathers during molt.

We can care deeply, pay attention, and still have things to learn. My hope is that sharing what we learn helps all of us care for our flocks a little better.

What have your chickens taught you that you wish you’d known sooner?

10/10/2026

This was a hard one to record. We’ve had losses in our flock, and getting my thoughts into words wasn’t easy.

There wasn’t time to get the camera, lighting, or setup just right. But I wanted to share what we’ve been experiencing, the questions we’re asking, and what we’re learning along the way.

In this first part, I’m talking about our flock losses and whether changing weather patterns and feeding practices could be contributing factors. We’re still working to understand what’s happening, and I don’t want to present questions as confirmed answers.

My hope is that sharing our experience might help someone else—and that you’ll share yours, too. Have you experienced something similar? What did you investigate, and what did you learn?

Even after years of caring for animals, there’s always more to learn. We care deeply about getting this right for them. ❤️

10/09/2026

🐔 New Girl on the Block: Melrose Place Edition! 👑

Princess Buttercup is finally making her way into Melrose Place, home to the rest of our flock. And there’s already a queen in residence… Kenlie! 👑

For the past two months, Buttercup has been living in our backyard, where she’s become quite comfortable. She’s had opportunities to interact with individual chickens and smaller groups, and one thing has become clear: Buttercup has a dominant personality!

So we’re trying something a little different.

I’ve always said that one of the fastest ways to confuse an animal is to change its environment.

By introducing Buttercup into Melrose Place rather than bringing Kenlie into Buttercup’s territory, we’re intentionally disrupting some of Buttercup’s familiar behavioral patterns. We’re hoping that being outside her comfort zone will make her a little less assertive and more willing to recognize Kenlie’s position in the flock.

But there’s another important piece to this approach: supervision.

When animals become stressed or uncertain, they can shift into defensive behavior and make decisions they otherwise might not make.

My job isn’t to solve every disagreement or prevent the chickens from establishing their natural pecking order. It’s to observe, understand what’s happening, and step in when necessary to prevent an interaction from escalating into something harmful.

This isn’t a conventional introduction, and there’s no guarantee it will work. We’re taking our cues from the chickens and adjusting as we go.

The goal is to have Buttercup integrated before winter so she can enjoy the companionship and warmth of her flock during the colder months. ❤️

Will Princess Buttercup accept Queen Kenlie’s reign? Or are we about to witness a royal showdown in Melrose Place? 🍿😂

Stay tuned!

BackyardChickens

10/07/2026

Some birds will just have dirty butts. Myrtle doesn’t have as floofy a bum as some of the others but eventually she needs a spa day.

Chicken Butts 🐔🍑

1. Keep ’em clean.
2. Start with a lukewarm soak.
3. Gently break up the doodie.
4. Second soak—add Epsom salts.
5. That herb/hot pepper flake mix won’t prevent dirty booties.
6. Some birds will just have Klingons. 🖖
7. Dry those feathers before putting them back outside.
8. While ya got ’em, check their feet and vent.
9. Wear gloves. 😂

Oh, you wanted a maintenance-free flock? Sorry, not sorry. 🤷‍♀️🐓

10/02/2026

Slowing down “cat edition”

10/02/2026

The trash tote saga continues… and somehow I’m already losing. 😂

Old recycling tote: taken away early.
New recycling tote: apparently not being emptied
Me: loaded the FULL tote into the truck, brought it home, unloaded it… and now I’m wondering if I have to put it BACK at the curb🤦🏻‍♀️

And next week? That’s when the real fun starts — figuring out how I’m supposed to get two full 96-gallon totes up this driveway safely and efficiently

As a project manager, I have questions.

Next Thursday is the big day. Wish me luck.