Bummer lambs

The sweet lady that I bought my ewes from called Saturday, all of her ewes are lambing this week. She has some older ewes that tend to have triplets. When sheep have three the mother tends to leave the first born and tend to the other two and you are stuck with a "bummer lamb". The farmer then has to bottle feed or sell the lamb. She has her grandchildren visiting this week and felt overwhelmed with also tending delicate lambs. She called and asked if we wanted the lambs. I was thrilled to go and get them. She gave me TWO ewes and a ram!!! Wahoo finally a few girls to add to the flock. The lambs are doing great and taking the bottle like a pro. So once again we have major cute factor here on the farm!!

Vintage posters

I just love these posters. With all the canning and preserving we do here it really is fun to see things like these. I have had many request for canning classes and with the food industry being what it is I can understand why people are feeling unsettled about the food they buy. I have a few friends that can but for the most part I am the most obsessed about it. With feeding five children and a hunk of a husband I want to give them the healthiest food I can. I don't want salmonella as an ingredient in my green beans!!

Snow!!

We got a bit of snow over the weekend. We were supposed to get around 5 inches but only got about one. I am not sad that we did not get what they were saying. It seems too late to have this kind of weather, I know it is only March and we do get crazy weather here it's just been so nice out. I have been spoiled by 70 degree days and nights that don't require me to worry about he contents of the greenhouse. I thought that the last snow we had would be it for the year I guess I was a bit hasty. Hopefully we won't get anymore snow.. I am not sure how the fruit trees are the peaches were in full bloom.

Muffin

We had quite a scare last Tuesday. My dear friend was here to pick up some milk and we were outside chatting, Muffin was out with me as usual. The farmer across the way way working on clearing some underbrush, he had parked his truck on the other side of the street by the mailbox. Now Muffin does not ever go in to the road I thought nothing of her being out with me. Well I guess she was wondering what he was doing and went across the street. As he bent down to pick her up she spooked and ran in to the street to be hit by a semi-truck going way too fast. She tumbled under the truck and I was sure she was gone. The farmer pulled her to the side of the road and I ran to get her. She was bleeding out her nose and having a seizure. I scooped her up and came to the house. As I held her I could feel her heart beating and knew at least for now she was alive. I cleaned her up and just held her and talked to her for a hour. She was in shock and shaking terribly. I made her a bed and covered her up and left her. She layed in that spot for two days and then she got up and acted pretty normal. I do think that she has broken/cracked ribs but all else is good! I think she will make a full recovery!! What a blessing I was right there when she got hit and I was sure that that truck had done a great deal of damage. She is a sweet dog and the children would of been heartbroken with her loss. She must have a guardian angel looking out for her!

Flowers!!

Now I know for sure that it is finally going to be outside weather. I get cabin fever in the winter something awful, I love to be outside working and soaking up some sun. I feel like I spend the whole summer outside. With the longer days I find myself outside for hours on end and not coming in until it is too dark to work. I am looking foreword to longer days, sunscreen and dirty hands!!

Keeping warm in the chick hut

We got the spring chicks, a few ducks and some turkeys. They are in the barn with this great little chick hut. My awesome hunk of a man made this for me last fall for some chicks and it has been wonderful. They can go in and out as they need and self regulate their temperature. We have them in the nursery in the barn so they are safe and cozy.

Mulch is down!!

Well 12 hours and several ibuprofen later the mulch is down!! I am pleased with the progress and we are planting the cabbage and cold weather crops today. We are expecting rain over the next few days. I am excited to get going on the gardens I am so ready for fresh veggies!!

Busy Week

We have been running about like chickens busy getting things ready for the comming CSA year. I have spent more hours than I can count in the greenhouse starting seed. We have so far gotten the biggest majority of things started and are now working on prepping the gardens. Today we are tilling and laying the plastic mulch. I want to put out the new rhubarb and fuinish the potato planting. I need to weed the garlic already the hens have moved around the thick layer of mulch and today I noticed some grass trying to peek through... I am excited toget going in the garden!! Dirty hands are a sure sign spring is here!!

Whatcha doin??

Unhappy

We banded the bull calves. They are very unhappy with me, they are moving slow and will not let me near them. I don't blame them much I tricked them into the stanchion so we could do the deed. They have never been uncomfortable for any reason their whole life so this is a huge shock. It will most likely take a day or so for them to feel better. I feel bad that we have to do this but it would be so uncool for Meatloaf to breed his mom.

Gladys is trying a new hair do..

This morning Gladys came in with this crazy hair.. it looked like someone had used gel and slicked it straight up... I guess she was going for that trendy spiky look.

Wahoo the buff orpingtons are laying!!

Friday we collected eggs and came across this cute tiny egg. The Buff Orpingtons that we got October are looking really good. I was wondering when they would start laying. There are 15 or so and a few that we hatched out that should be laying good in the next month or so. I love to collect the eggs it gives me that feeling of excitement to see all those beautiful eggs. It's a simple thing but is so fun!!

I got kicked in the head!!

Yes one of my cows kicked me in the head last night while we were milking.... Glady's baby was unhappy that I had leaned on Gladys to wash her off. The baby gave me a swift kick to let me know that I was invading on "her" (wishful thinking) space. I think this is the only way that getting kicked is kinda fun!!

GLADYS!!

Oh dear Gladys honey it seems that you have forgotten to iron your slacks before you put them on this morning how unlady like!!

Lambs playing

When I milk the sheep come in to the barn for a snack. While the ewes eat the lambs use the barn as a jungle gym. They jump and kick and run all over like kids at the park. It is funny to watch them it seems like they are playing tag or follow the leader. One will jump on the ledge, then the next and the next to follow. They walk along the length, jump off and run back to where they began.. It is so cute. I love having the lambs they are so friendly and cuddly. They are getting almost too big to pick up and love on.. It is amazing how fast they grow.

Kochia and her lamb

Meatloaf

We measured Meatloaf while we were milking tonight he is at 802 pounds!! This is a photo of him just a few minutes after he was born. He has grown so much!!

Full Freezer!!

When we bought our last house the owners left a huge chest type freezer in the garage. They said it was too big for their new house and asked if we wanted it. I have to say that it must be at least 30 years old and by far the biggest chest freezer I've ever seen. I never imagined that we would be able to fill the monster. Now we have two freezers one for meat and the other for vegetables and such. I picked up Stewy and a hog from the butcher and lo and behold I filled the freezer to the tip top. It hasn't been long since we had lambs and chickens butchered so now we have a awesome selection. I love to go out there and choose what to have for dinner the variety is wonderful, tonight we are having smoked pork chops and some Hubbard squash left from last fall. Yummy I can't wait for dinner!

Yumm O!!!

Milk bliss!!

3-2-1 gone!!

We have been giving Ribeye the surplus milk. He is quite happy about this arrangement and moos enthusiastically when I finish milking. He dances around and gets all worked up. I pour the milk in a hanging feeder that holds about 3 gallons. I let him loose from his tether and he takes off across the barn. I have never seen anything so funny he dives right in and slurps up that milk like a poor mannered child at dinner. It takes him about 20 seconds to down 3 gallons of warm milk. Then he stands around in full belly bliss licking his chops to get every single last drop.