Dogwood the donkey

Dogwood was born this spring when the dogwoods were blooming.   He was born on Easter Sunday.   Here's a then and now study.

Kenya and Rudy

Kenya had a bull calf this year in April.   He's growing like a weed.

Here he is a few days ago, and of course Gert is a camera hog.  She loves any attention.

Barnyard Zombies

"Ggggrrraaiiinnsssss"

Audrey and Viola

New additions to the farm this spring are Nubian goats.  I cant wait to try the milk from these girls when they grow up.  Right now they are chatty, needy, babies. 

Beautiful Mocabee Creek

How many is too many?

This year we have been having trouble getting someone to cut the hay.   With feed and fuel prices going through the roof, we are looking at reducing some of the flock.  But I love them all so much, who can I part with?

Gert had another bull calf

This is Gerts 3rd calf on our farm.   She always has bulls.  She's a good girl and never has any trouble birthing.  We have been getting about 4 gallons of milk a day.  Thats more than enough to provide the house with butter and milk for drinking, and cooking.   Occasionally we allow some to clabber for the pigs and chickens.  This calf is a cross of Gert, a jersey and Tank, a highland.  Hes the one behind Gert.  He's kinda small, but muscular. 

Lambing has begun...finally.

With spring has come lambing time.  Monday 3/28/11 we came home from work to find twin rams, both healthy and vigorous.  Those ears are crazy, you can definitely see the Blue-faced Leicester influence.  We used Carter, our BFL ram on our longwool flock this year.  Carter came from Potosi Sheep Farm in Glen Rock, Pennsylvania.

And then on Wednesday 3/30/11 Michelle(the dark one in the photo above)had triplets.  She had a single last year, Malia.  Michelle had been a yearling when she had Malia and didnt know what to do with her.  This year she is an attentive mother.  But alas, the weakest triplet did not make it despite our efforts.  I prefer that the ewe's not have lambs when they are so young, but Michelle had different plans...her hormones drove her to find a way to get with a ram.  And as a cautionary tale, it didnt work out so well for the lamb.

Winter

yuki-onna

http://www.farmersalmanac.com/weather/2011/02/07/weather-ology-the-myth-of-the-snow-woman/

This winter has felt as though it might never end.  In which case I welcome the yuki-onna.  Take me now if there will not be another warm day.    I am assured that spring will come.  It is always in the darkness of February that my patience for cold and snow becomes short.  We have neglected the blog in our discontent.   I hope that I will be more inspired as the coming weeks approach.  Sleeping bulbs will awaken and new blooms will nod in the breeze of early spring very soon.  Bouncing, spotted lambs will delight with their acrobatics and fuzzy, fragile chicks will peek out from under ruffled hens soon.  I cant wait for the scent of freshly tilled earth and the light smell of apple blossoms.  I would be happy right now to feel the sun on my face. If only for a few moments.  Soon.

bantam araucana chickens.

Rumpless, and tufted, true bantam araucanas are the breed of chicken that Rob is working with.  Here's one the of the roosters, and below is a hen that we hatched off this year. Overall, it was a very bad year for hatching eggs, everyone I know had a hard time with their incubators, and hens...

Pokerface update.

Poke is this big now. She's been weaned for close to a month now.  Her mother is visiting with the jack, Davy, someone actually wants to buy Marsha-and they want her bred.  Pokerface's latest hobbies include kicking and stealing grain from Gert. She's totally rotten.

The lovely Oreo

frosty mornings.

It's safe to say that Summer is over.  Frost is here and the woodstove is up and running most of the time. This was a tough season in general.  All we've got to show at this end of the growing season is a whole bunch of popcorn, 6 quarts of tomato juice, and a handful of snake gourds.

This photo was taken the weekend before we put the sheep in with their rams.  Blue Ewe Kendall, has taken over as lead ewe.  Alice is firmly in second place, these days.

And, as always the lovely Oreo. Mary-Kate and Ashley in the background, all grown up and looking for a man.

A new kind of pig pen.

We've been going back and forth all summer between two new styles of pig pens, to determine within which one ole' Denise can find the most comfort...

or...

mmm... Seriously, the best sausage you've ever tasted.



The last ram....

Been missing in action... Here's to trying to get back into the swing of things. This Jacob ram was born later in the summer than the rest of the lambs. His mother is Sheri and his Father is Malachi from Painted Rock Farm. As of now all sheep breeding groups have been put together. If this ram is any indication of what's to come from Malachi as a flock sire, I can't wait to see what else he can throw.

There is Alice's ram on the left.

piglets.

The piglets are totally out of control, they come and go as they please. It's about time to wean them, as they have been eating solid food for a few weeks now.  This weekend the boys will be rounded up and castrated.  I have put an ad up on Craigslist and our local radio station to sell these babies.  I suspect they will go pretty quickly, as not a lot of people in our area raise pigs.  The plan still remains to keep Ermine and one of the males. Also we will keep back a boar from the next batch and use him as a stud for Darryl Faye.

the cows.

The cows across the creek seem to be doing well. They are keeping the grass clipped pretty low. We heard the lonely cry of a male bobwhite quail last weekend while we were across the creek checking on the cows.  That was a very nice surprise. 

Pepper, is still the prettiest cow on Mocabee creek.

Here's frank. He'll be a year old in just two more weeks.  by the end of the summer he'll be in the freezer. I'll try to get some photos of the new calf and donkey soon.

meet Pokerface.

Born on Thursday morning.  Marsha had her baby.  I've just realized there haven't been any donkeys on this blog until now... This baby is already playing donkey games and trying to dominate every creature in her path.  As you can see her legs are nearly as long as her mother's.

This should be the last of the babies for the year, unless a couple of sheep surprise us with late lambs.  What a spring it has been.

BOOOOO!!!! a bull calf

Gert finally had her calf on Monday night.  Despite our many prayers for a heifer calf, she's had another son.  Oh well. He seems healthy.  Gert's bag is huge.  Fresh milk is on it's way.

we caught a swarm!

Friday evening after work, we rushed home to hurry through chores, and put the finishing touches on housecleaning.  We had weekend company on the way, and a sinkful of dishes.  As I looked out the kitchen window- I knew there was going to be a change of plans.  I saw a be swarm of honey bees pretty close to the top of one of the apple trees.

I had to cut out about 6 pretty good sized branches just to clear a path to pull the swarm down through.  We were down to one living hive that survived the winter, and really didn't want to loose this swarm.

Rob was in the ladder and I was up in the tree hacking away at it. But we finally got it cut out and moved out of the tree.  Then rob smoked the swarm off from their branch and put the lid on the hive.  As of right now they are sucking down sugar water, and will hopefully set up homestead... free bees- can't get any better than that.