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Have you ever come home to a masacre in your back yard? We did. A fox had gotten itself into a frenzy on andreneline and killed 1/2 our flock when we had about 50-100 birds. Our poor rooster did everything he could to fend off the fox but lost the battle. We had come home and Joe was able to stand about 5-10 feet away from the fox, without it even noticing him, and shoot it.
Now we have 2 Great Pyreness dogs who stand guard and bark at things that should not be around our farm.
Personally I wish they didn't bark so much - but then I remember what it was like to pull up after Christmas shopping and see the number of chickens dead or left for dead on my yard. Then I also hear friends tell me about similar situations in their enclosed coops during the night - racoons getting in and killing all their chickens.....all of them.
Part of our livelihood depends on eggs. We are known for them and we sell out quickly (in case you didn't notice at the markets). If we were to lose our flock of chickens, it would mean a financial hardship in some ways.
So again, I wish the dogs didn't bark so much on clear nights when they can see everything. But at the same time, I really don't want to come home one day and no longer be able to pay a bill either.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
I think these creatures want to die. I really do. We have lost a TON of the birds (maybe 20-30 so far? out of the 60 we got in!) That's why we had to stop taking orders for them. It's very stressful when you plan something out and nature just doesn't go along with the plan you have in mind. I hope to know a little more soon about the birds and WHY they all decided to just poop out and die on us. Our broilers never had this problem and we ran through a lot of them this past year.
Ok - so I didn't really want to butcher all 60 - so that's the positive part about it :) But I wanted to do 40 at least and it seems like that's just not going to happen.
Guess I'll be buying my own turkey for Thanksgiving this year.
So riding out to the pumpkin patch the other day - we just don't have too many pumpkins this year. It's heart breaking and MAYBE by the 18th we'll have more turn orange. But it was not a great year this time. Again, we planted late (and I remember planting and it was raining as we did it)..... and well bugs are up there.
So we'll see what happens. At least the hay ride will be going for the farm tour. And we WILL be cooking up yummy brats :)
Way to go girl!! Ain't she just the cutest!
Rumor has it that there might not BE farm tours next year because of the budget. Don't you just love it? So may I suggest voicing your opinion to SOMEONE over in the local government (not sure who) and let them know you want the farm tours!
To give you an idea - we pass through about 1000 people over the weekend. People who have never seen a chicken. I mean some people thought chickens had 4 legs!?! So "city-people" NEED the education that coming out to the farm brings. It's important no matter what. Kids need to see the animals - need to participate and also get out of the front of their computer or TV (even as both my kids are watching a movie right now)
So many kids are afraid of animals. They come out here all excited and then when an animal gets close they FREAK! Screaming & kicking and crying and everything else you can imagine. They NEED to learn that animals are ok to be around - you just need to be careful and approach them cautiously.
I really hope that the tours aren't done away with - because even though that weekend is exhausting - it's well worth seeing the kids faces light up when they get to see all these animals.
We'll see you that weekend! It's one not to miss!
What useful little creatures goats can be! We need weeds, trees and a bunch of junk removed from a pile of dirt and rocks so we can clear the pile (made when we had the pool built). So portable electric fencing with 5 little goats are busy at work! The electric fencing rocks! We are in the process of moving these guys around where ever we need them to clear stuff. See??? We do have working animals on here!
Yes - I brag about Joe a lot. Why? Because simply some days what he does just is great - and not any man will do what he does (and put up with my ark I seem to be building).
Yesterday he STARTED cleaning out the chicken coop. Oh - 800 chickens can make a MESS! And all summer long we've just been adding shavings as needed to help with the smell - not cleaning it all out. Well TODAY (Saturday) he finished and it looks just amazing!! I mean come on ladies - how many of you out there have a husband who will clean out a chicken coop which is a good 8 inches of.... well.... chicken poop!?!?!?!
So this is my public acknowledgement of how wonderful my husband can be :)
I know - it was 90 degrees two days ago and now we start planning for the winter! Stuff needs to get butchered - but we can't run as many animals during the middle of the winter - and honestly I think both Joe and myself want to slow down this year a little more than we tried to this year.
Slowing down is the hardest part. During the mad-dash of the fall we need to get all the butchering dates in - maybe try out a new butcher? (I'm checking that tomorrow).....finalize trucking the animals, picking up.... and then well we have to continue and plan school. And gosh darn it - it's the year I decided the kids need to start doing some other stuff - so my weeks are BOOKED!!!
I can truly say there is never a dull moment during this time of year. It's a rush that will leave us exhausted at the end - but hopefully a bill or 2 will be paid off!