Mucking Out

Yesterday Dan was home and he, Abby & I "spring cleaned" the barn. This included mucking out the chicken coop where the hens are, the chicken tractor & barn area where the broilers were, and under the rabbits cages. We moved a few rabbit cages to make room for the new broilers that are coming tomorrow, and rearranged where we keep some equipment. Swept out the coop and barn, and sanitized with bleachwater the coop, chicken tractor, and parts of the barn. All the manure and straw went into the back of his new truck and we dumped it behind the pature at the back of the property - Our first composting manure pile!
This weekend we had a divider fence put in down the center of our pasture, when the grass really starts coming on, we will start our paddock rotation.
We have our potatoes and onions in the garden, and the rest of the garden has the raised beds made and mounds ready for planting. Dan bought me a light system and I have started some things from seed. In our garden, we will have the onions, potatoes, lettuce, spinach, carrots, tomatoes, peppers, green beans, pumpkins, cantaloupe, zucchini, and cucumbers. Did I leave anything out?

Exciting day/week coming

Tomorrow, two Red Angus steers join our herd of two - wow, we are doubling quickly....
And, and Wednesday, 30 broilers - we sold out of meat chickens and are ready to raise some more.

Another Lesson Learned

Ok - so even if the ashes you took from the wood burner have sat all day in the bucket out back, it's still not a good idea to toss them onto the compost pile full of straw and manure and walk away. Thankfully, Abby and I noticed the billowing smoke coming from the pile and were able to put out the very, very, small fire with 4 gallons of water and some snow. Dan has way too much fun telling this story...

A Horrible Day for Wendy

I'm writing this retrospectively, because it's funny now, and I want to remember it. On last Friday, I took Dan's truck and went to pick up Abby's new 4-H projects. Three Californian meat rabbits, and cages. When I arrived back at the farm and unloaded the rabbits, I saw "Hamburger" and "Steak" waiting for me to notice that they hadn't any hay and were hungry. I threw half a bay over the fence, but they were on the wrong side of the barn and couldn't figure out where I put it, I guess. So, I grabbed a flake and was leading them around the barn to the pile and came upon one of my beloved Rhode Island Red layers, dead and ripped open. I started to cry a bit, even while I had a conversation with myself about living in the country, and knowing this would happen sometime, and the fact that this is the only one we've lost in a year, and it's to be expected. Then the cows stopped to see what it was and they wouldn't leave it be. This upset me more, I'm yelling at them to leave her alone, and I know they aren't going to eat her or anything, but it bugged me they wouldn't come along to their hay. I'm getting a bit distraught, when one cow pushed the other away from it so hard, he fell over and rolled onto his back. "Cow tipping, by cows?", Aaron said. Yes, it was. So, I sneak in there to grab the hen by a toe, and I'm totally saddened and creeped out that she is still warm and soft. This JUST happened to her, and I feel I let it happen, that I wasn't there to protect her and all she ever did was give us beautiful, healthy eggs - she didn't deserve it - again, I know this it to be expected, but..anyway, the cows both come at me quickly, because they still want to smell it. I tossed her into a corral they couldn't get in, and then they went to eat hay. I'm still crying and go to unload the cages so I can get the rabbits out of their travel cage and Mr. Rooster attacks me. Again, and again, and again. Coming at me, trying to peck me and run up my legs, his feathers are up higher than I ever thought possible. I'm trying to be understanding, he obviously still feels threatened and is trying to protect his flock from whatever got the hen (we believe it was a chicken hawk) by now I'm almost hysterical, because I can't get away from the rooster, and I'm yelling to him, "I know your upset! I'm upset too!", finally after kicking him a few times, I'm able to get away from him. I go to the house and call Dan for comfort. The rooster calmed down, I penned them back up in their fenced area, I unloaded the cages, and got the rabbits set up.
When Dan came home the next day, he said, "We really need to work on your level of reaction to death. By your reaction on the phone, I thought maybe you were telling me my dad died, or your mom, or maybe Tammy was decapitated or something - you need to bring it down a notch or two for chickens......" Thanks Dan...

planning for steer making

Yesterday, Dan went to Jamie's farm (the guy we bought our cows from) and helped him separate cows and their young, and move breedable stock in with the bull. Well, they tried moving the bull and he wasn't interested. When a several thousand pound bull bucks and fights with you, apparently, you leave him be.
Jamie lent us a few 12 foot gates and Dan has set them up in the barnyard pasture in the form of a small corral, using the barn as part of the enclosure. One side is open and that is where we will feed them hay and water them for a while. We need them to get used to going into the enclosure because soon it will be time for banding them - make them into steers.
They are starting to get rough with each other. The one tagged w/#11 (or Hamburger, as Abby named him) got his tag torn out of his ear at some point, I assume when they were 'rasslin-round' with each other. They are sometimes pretty interested in the "gal-cow" next door.
Dan cleaned some of this things off of shelving we had in the barn. I'm going to put the shelving in side my back glass door and start a little greenhouse. I definitely want to be more in control this year of when I have my garden coming in. As in NOT all at once! Hoping to fine-tune my salsa recipe and take a run at selling more of that. So, I need to dig into my garden plans and the seed books and get some decisions made about that. Also, need to get going on my research about what to do with my apple trees. They need severe help! And the grape vine...........so much to do - But, still having fun! Thank you, Lord!

Old Farmers

I love old farmers! I love to see them working in the fields, driving their huge machines down the road (except when I'm in a hurry behind them!) or walking out to get their mail. I am jealous of their knowledge and years of experience. I can't wait until we are 'old farmers' and when we know a thing or two - as opposed to now....Reading on every subject, asking opinions from those who have gone before, trying, failing or succeeding, then trying again. But that part is fun, too!

the tears won't stop

One of Molly's children died at Montana de Luz. She loved him very much. He fought pain and sickness so much of his young life. There is no pain now for him. Only for those left behind. The pain of mourning mixed with the joy of KNOWING Deybi is now being held in Jesus arms. And I am jealous. No more suffering, or confusion of this life. No more battles. Only peace, love and joy. Only the Father's love.
Forgive me, Father, for being so discontent with what I have. I am so blessed.