Learning the hard way

     We have all done it, tried something new then realized down the road that you should have done things differently. Perhaps educated yourself a little more or asked a few knowledgeable friends for their advice on the subject.  Your new mantra becomes "Next time, thing will be different"!  I have always told my children "You cannot learn from always being perfect, you learn from making mistakes". I can say that with absolute certainty because I have mastered learning that way my entire life!

     As I look out onto the farm today, I see thousands of leaves covering the ground, a pond that insists on displaying its affection for the color green, a hen house that is still in the "when I get to it" stage, and pigs.  Yes, big fat pigs.

BIG

FAT

PIGS

 It is simple really, I should have called in August to have them put on the schedule for processing in October. Naively I picked up the phone last week, called a local butcher, and was told that they would be happy to process the pigs after the 1st of the year. What?! But they are only two little pigs, surely they can be fit in to the schedule? With a giggle that could only mean "Oh, you silly first time pig lady", I was informed that scheduling begins in early August, and that as of November the facility shuts down, sterilizes, and prepares for deer season. After which they shut down again, sterilize, and open back up in January for regular business.   Surely not all facilities do this, so I called another. And another. And yet another.  After seven calls, and seven identical answers I realized I would have to rethink this whole pig thing.

     The frustration that comes with a simple lack of knowledge is always a hard pill to swallow. Why didn't I call sooner? Why didn't just one of the dozens of people I spoke to about raising these pigs warn me of this Autumn shut down? Why did I think this would be an easy endeavor? Each passing day they grow larger and harder to contain, although they are still in the normal range for butchering. I only know this because I have since been scouring every pig article I can find about home processing. Could I butcher them myself? Oh. heck no, but I still want to know what is involved in the process so I am better informed. For now, we continue to move their pen around every few days, and let them out to run free and frolic in the pasture an hour or so each morning. As long as they have to be a part of our farm, they will have the best quality of life I can give them.  I just pray there is a sudden opening in the butcher's schedule before December!

God bless, and happy farming!

Pig Snuffles

What are pig snuffles you say? Why, they are the wonderful mud circles you get on the backs of your legs when the pigs are encouraging you to fill that food dish, or scratch their backs, or just walking with you as you complete your morning chores. 

The pigs have become another source of enjoyment for me over the last 2 months, and although they are being raised strictly for food and not pets, their lives could not be any richer. Here are a couple of short videos to enjoy of pigs doing what pigs do best... Getting dirty!

Warning, they are sideways. No one ever said I was a master videographer.

Forgive the goofy commentary.

I knew when I purchased these pigs that a typical pig pen with dirt and mud would not suffice. The smell that emanates from these pens after the pigs have been housed an extended amount of time is indescribable. So I had to come up with a different solution for housing that benefited both us and the pigs. Voila! The movable pig pen.

 Over half of the undergrowth in the forest has now been successfully cleaned out down to bare dirt thanks to these lovely creatures, and by keeping their bathroom area spread out, the chickens handle any poop issues we may have. Sounds gross I know, and while they are NOT eating the poop, they are pecking the grain that doesn't digest and scratching like chickens naturally do, so the piles are spread out and the smell is minimal. Isn't nature wonderful?! 

By keeping the pig pen in the forest, the need for shelter is eliminated. The pigs also stay cool in the shade of the trees, and have an abundance of new undergrowth to root through every few days. The down side is the actual moving of the panels through brambles and thorns, ticks and chiggers, poison ivy and any number of vines and green stuff that can cause rashes. Long sleeves, long pants, tall boots and gloves are mandatory for each move. Is it worth it? You bet! The pigs are happy and healthy, the forest is getting cleared naturally, and I keep collecting things long ago buried in the soil that my pig friends discover for me daily. Thank you Ham and Bacon excavation team!

Until next time,
Happy farming.

Where does the time go?

Has it really been since April that I last jotted a new notes and shared rambling thoughts about farm life? Where does the time go? I have noticed that since the days have become longer, so has my work load. What is the old saying about "busy hands"?

As I am sitting here typing this I have a lovely view out the back door of the deck and beyond that, through the trees, the cove that leads to the lake. Closest to my proximity and the focus at this very moment however, are the bird feeders that grace the railings of the deck. All 7 of them. Not to mention the 4 hummingbird feeders interspersed between.

 Looking at them and listening to the sounds of the Blue Jay reprimanding me for the absence of seed in that particular feeder, reminded me that they all need filled again. The 7+4 on the deck, the 2+2 in front of the house, and the solo feeder hanging at the welcome sign. Why so many feeders? I love birds. It's that simple. It is just another thing to add to the list of chores that seems to grow each day as the sunshine increases it's visitation time, and the temperatures rise. I realize it is a choice to have these feeders, and I could decrease the chore list by simply reducing the number of opportunities for the birds to peck at seeds and nuts, but it is a choice I happily made. Just like the pigs.

I know, I know...enough animals already! But seriously, look at that face. These little guys were the unwilling participants in the first annual greased pig contest at our local fair. Afterwards, well, they had to have a home. I am trying to be good, and am only keeping 2 of them to butcher in the fall. Knowing that the cuteness wears off fairly quickly with these little swine as soon as they outweigh me by 100 lbs., I will happily send them off to the butcher to come back as bacon. For now, they are being spoiled rotten with weeds from the garden, scraps from the kitchen, frozen scrambled eggs, and corn and oats soaked in fresh goat's milk thanks to our lovely goat mama, Rowdy.  Pigs never had it so good!

As for our lovely Rowdy, she and her precious babies are doing what goats do best; eat, poop, and make a mess. We learned a very difficult lesson last month and it is a mistake I vow to never repeat. You see we bred Rowdy so that the sale of her babies would pay for her feed for the year. That way she is completely self funded as a weed-eater. Great concept, worked liked a charm last year. That was then, this is now. She finally gave birth on June 8th, 3 weeks after her supposed due date. (Goats are not "late", I obviously just thought she was bred earlier than she actually was). So she graced the world with these 2 little darlings.

A buckling (little buck or boy) and a doeling (little doe or girl). Imagine our delight as we were hoping for at least one girl to trade for an actual milking goat later, and a boy to sell or take to auction. We chose the auction route and it was a HUGE mistake. The auction itself is nice enough, and people usually are fair about pricing things according to worth, and selling for a small profit is the norm. We attended the same auction in April and walked away with a handsome profit off of 2 goats and a hand full of chickens and ducks. This particular day it was 97 degrees at 11am , and no one was in the mood to buy anything except an igloo cooler full of ice.  Still, I just knew that when the buyers saw this tiny buckling with his beautiful fawn colored coat and dark blue eyes they would be clamoring over each other for a higher bid. Seriously, he is 90% Boer with a splash of Nubian for good measure, who wouldn't want that perfect mixture to add to their herd?
Answer: No one.  Not only did I take that tiny baby away from his mama at only a few days old, I did her a complete disservice by selling him to the only person in the entire arena who was willing to pay $20.  $22 actually. 22 measly dollars for our perfect little goat with the ears like velvet and a snuffly nose that he liked to bury in your neck. 22 heartbreaking dollars for her sweet baby that Rowdy called to for days trying to get him to come back. 22 "I will never forgive myself for doing that to her" dollars.  I cried all the way home.

Now, Rowdy and Peanut (the doeling) are happy grazing on the new pile of tree branches I gave them from the tree trimming I tackled yesterday, and munching on the new vines of poison ivy that keep popping up this year. Rowdy reluctantly lets me milk her each morning and I share that bounty between the pigs, dogs, cats, and a little saved over for cheese making. Her milk you see is not great for drinking as she is not a true milk goat, she is a meat goat. But the animals don't care, they just want more please.

Rowdy complies as long as the feed lasts in the bucket and I don't get too over-zealous with my tugging and squeezing. In the mean time Peanut plays like all kids do, climbing on whatever she can find, jumping circles in the air, kicking and bucking at falling leaves. She is a happy baby.

So now friends, my chores are calling. The garden is in full swing, the grass needs mowed, tables need painted and horse hooves need trimmed. Somewhere in the midst of it all, I still need to build a pig pen, and find a milk goat, after of course I feed the birds.  Maybe just one more bird feeder in that empty spot...

Happy farming.

Rain and new babies

Ok, I officially hate the rain. Not really, I mean I know that rain is incredibly beneficial to our local environment this time of year.  The farmers rely on it to get their crops jump started for the growing season, the rivers and streams are flowing anew with wildlife and plants, the lake levels are raising and the Tree Frogs are singing their lovely tune. Seriously though, enough is enough. I am a sunshine person and when the sun doesn't shine for days on end my crankiness level coincides with the amount of time the clouds have hung around.  Today I am roughly at level 6.5, if the clouds persist tomorrow I could be looking at a full fledged level 8.

So to counteract the clouds, I am making due with cute pictures of "new life" around the farm and searching the internet for homemade fly spray, herbal repellents and pest control in the hopes that I can use it one day soon. Wish me luck and pray for sunshine!

The 2 duck babies that are keepers this year.  All name suggestions welcome!

Rowdy is due with twins (maybe triplets!) in two weeks, and has been keeping the noxious weed growth down in the front yard as planned. Feed costs for this goat from March - October are nothing, except the occasional horse cookie or handful of mixed grains as a treat. Love that!

These two came to us courtesy of our local small animal auction. We have wanted a Cayuga (the black male) since Mady's duck died several years ago, and she has been asking for a Blue Swedish.  As fate would have it, they came as a pair! Still waiting on names that fit, but am leaning toward Esther for the Swedish girl.

These two are my pride and joy right now. They were also blessed upon us at the auction and wouldn't you know it, a mated pair!! Naked neck chickens are incredibly docile, curious creatures who are a misunderstood breed. More on them later.  Just know these are my favorite breed by far. So I am pleased to introduce Paco and Rosita to the farm.

Feeling a little better now, chicken pics tend to do that. :) 

Happy farming, friends.

Rainy day grooming

It's Spring in the Ozarks which means rain, more rain, then it rains a little. So chores are planned around the depth of the mud, the timing of the next storm, and which animals are on the schedule for t.l.c.  Today, it was the horses.

Lady Bug enjoying the day after her grooming, hoof trimming, de-worming, fly spray, mane trimming and tail de-tangling, and of course cookies. Only 3 more friends to go. (whew!) 

Flare and Mystery waiting their turn. Black Jack really doesn't care.

This little guy is not on the schedule today. Probably tomorrow after his latest mud bath.

His aloofness carries over to grooming time. Black Jack looks quite handsome sporting his Winter red highlights.

She may not be equine, but she still has hooves that need trimmed!

So after a full day of clipping and filing, brushing and combing, trimming and spraying, cleaning eyes and ears, and sealing hoof walls I am pretty well worn out. Somehow horses feet get exponentially heavier the more you lift them! 

Lady Bug says thanks for taking care of us with a big smooch! 

Happy Farming, friends. 

Babies are hatchin'!

So the last few weeks have been spent either rotating eggs in the incubator, cleaning poop, moving hatchlings to their brooders, cleaning poop, building temporary outdoor pens, or cleaning poop! Duck babies are without a doubt the cutest fowl babies since they look like miniature ducks with really huge feet, unlike chickens who look like wet dinosaurs. Obviously they get cuter as they dry off and fluff up, but they are kind of homely in the beginning.  But no matter how cute ducks are they poop constantly, everywhere, on and in everything. They also throw water, spill water, and yes poop in their water.  Newspapers have become my favorite go to bedding option for tiny ducks. 

So cute!

Seriously, a wet dinosaur.

Love this one. "Hey, come on out! Let me help".

Not bad for a home made incubator. We generally get 85 - 90% hatch rate, not including the un-fertilized eggs.  There are always one or two that expire in the shell before they can hatch, but it usually happens early in the incubation cycle and those eggs are disposed of when we candle them for fertility.  Currently we have our 5th hatch incubating, and probably the last one for a few weeks. I would like to have my bathtub back again.

Check back soon! Lots more great pics to share.

Happy farming!

Oh my goodness, so much has happened since the last time we met. Avie returned to her flock and is happily hopping along with her visible limp. Her obvious displeasure at having her photo taken was soon forgotten after she had room to fly and bugs to scratch at.  Walking in the dry leaves she looks like part of the landscape.

The garden space is almost finished for the fourth time in as many years, but this year by gosh I am going to have a garden!!! Year one; drought. To hot for anything to grow well, although we did get a few beans and some tomatoes.  Year two; goats and chickens.  Every day was a battle to keep the goats from jumping the garden fence or just pushing through it) and eating everything in sight. What they didn't eat they trampled, and what they ignored the chickens and ducks happily took care of. My only crop that year was okra. Year three; floods. The garden plot was the new swimming pool in town. Weeks of tilling, soil additions, row spacing, seed planting and twine tying was swept away in moments by torrential rains. Somewhere down current in the lake there are dozens of row markers floating around.

So with high hopes we are planting again! The garden plot has been raised 1' along with the site for the greenhouse I will have some day, a trench of sorts has been dug along the flood plane to divert excess water, gravel filled tires have been placed as a berm (and as the new strawberry bed), and drainage to and from the pond has been improved to alleviate back flow. Whew! The chickens were happily helping find worms in the newly turned soil and spreading the barn compost for me. They do make driving the tractor a little tricky though.

Finally, we come to the highlight story of the month. Babies!! Sophie, as the white goat is now known, gave us two precious kids, one male and one female just after Valentine's day. Mama and kids are doing well, but there has been a learning curve with this one as I will document in the next blog post. Until then, enjoy the pics.

Thanks for stopping by Heeby Jeeby Chickens! Have a blessed day and happy farming.