Chicama Run Family Farm

Ok everyone - I just wanted to let you know - I do not like the cold. Especially since it's NOVEMBER!!! I don't want all my waters frozen.... I don't want to have to take out warm water to defrost the water pumps. Just don't want to do this all yet. Oh well - we do need the freezing temps to kill a lot of the bugs that devestated Joe's gardens this past summer - but still.... 19 degrees?!?! Come on!!

OK that's my whining farming moment for the day.

Actually this time of year everything slows down - but we do start getting ready for babies soon. Unbelievable huh? But it's true! I think one of our goats will have kids in December or early January. Sheep start giving birth in January - none in February this year so we are actually taking that month off.

It's the season to start planning of next season. What a cycle it is :)

I have got to tell you all about this fencing we have. Ok - it's not new - we've used it for the past year + with the chickens. This year though we have started moving around the goats and the electric fence ROCKS!!!

We are using 2 units (196ft each) for the 7 big meat goats and 1 unit for the nigerian dwarf goats.

Right now we are running extension cords and plugging in the charger - but I would love to have a battery type unit that would shock them enough.

I think next year we might move some chickens around the same way - using the fence and therefore we could FINALLY use the back field for something other than weed production.

If anyone wants to take a look at it - visit: http://www.premier1supplies.com/fencing.php?mode=detail&fence_id=30

It's pretty cool and comes recommended by ME :)

Well it's been a few weeks and I think I'm recovered at this point. Our schedule seems to be getting back to normal which makes life a lot smoother.

The farm tour went really well - it's the 1st time I heard back from so many people telling me they had a great time and really enjoyed coming out. Usually I'll get a comment or 2 DURING the farm tour - but I'm talking about comments after the fact. What a wonderful feeling it is to know that people like coming out here. We do feel blessed with this farm - even though some days are "whew!" and tiring.

So far I know we have about 5 goats who should start giving birth in December. Sheep as well if I am correct. So I get a month "off" and then we watch every day to see what happened. FUN!!!!! Seriously - watching baby goats is a great joy - they are just too dang cute.

We ended up losing a TON of turkeys. Huge learning curve there - and now they will end up being Christmas turkeys instead of Thanksgiving because the ones that survived are the smaller ones (2 week difference from the others). This was upsetting to me - but what can you do? They seemed to get extremely stressed with the move from 1 pen to another and then said "Oh I can't take this - I guess I'll die!" and then the stress from watching other turkeys die - hey I guess I'll do the same thing - boom dead. Odd type of bird.

Oh well - we'll trudge on. This afternoon I move the goats to a new area that we need "cleaned up" from weeds and other stuff. But they love it so they can go out there. Should be interesting on how much they eat and how far we can move them. We need more electricity around the farm ;) Solar and battery backs can be used - but they don't seem to give enough "zap" to the goats. No idea why - maybe mine are just stubborn.

Off to work with the kids and school :)