Chicama Run Family Farm

Tomorrow is my birthday.... I'm turning (ack) 36. Right now I am sitting here and looking at a Christmas tree set up - and realizing it's the first time in my small history I have EVER put up a Christmas tree before my birthday - even though the kids big me every year to do it.

Here are some other odd thoughts that pass through my head as I think about the last 5 years. I chose 5 years because we have been here on the farm 3 year. So 2 years before that I was busy selling on eBay as my full-time job. Both kids were in school and I was ok with that. We lived in suburbia, I drove a fancy Land Cruiser *should have kept that*..... and life was good. If you had told me I would be farming, homeschooling, and even becoming Catholic in a few years I probably would have thought you were drunk or something - because that would NEVER happen in my little life.

Now - here I sit, in front of a lit tree noting that I am doing all those things and my life is actually better for it. We actually spend family time together and ENJOY it (though there are days where I say yeah right!)......we talk more..... we do more things together.... and amazingly - we listen more.

The whole farming thing - well shoot - that honestly blew up around us because of our wonderful customers. But I wouldn't change anything about it. Ok - some days I would - I mean - can't the chickens just feed themselves and let themselves out today - IT'S COLD!!!! Goofy stuff like that. But then you look out my window and you can't help but notice how blessed we have been.

Another year passes away...... and with a life like this - you can't WAIT to see what happens during the next year.

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 :)

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.

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 :)