Chicklets

Here are three of the Buckeye chicks from my first hatch. Right now they are in a dog crate in the breezeway. Sometime this week after I move the larger chicks to the chickhouse, they will move to the outdoor brooder.

Time to clean out the incubator. Not one of my favorite jobs.

Buckeyes are here

Not the nuts, the chickens! We picked up 28 little Buvkeye peeps and 32 hatching eggs from Matt Johns on Thursday evening. The peeps are happily making themselves at home in the brooder behind the garage. And the eggs are incubating on the second shelf of the incubator in the basement.

Now I have to get in gear and remodel the shed behind the garage into a chicken palace. I have 300 ft of chicken wire riding around in my Honda, and I've got a bunch of kitty litter buckets saved for nest boxes. Now I need to collect up posts, find a nice long pole or 2 for a roost, a few boards and a couple of cast off windows. Then an afternoon of banging and pounding, measuring and pulling and it will be ready to go!

Peep, peep

These are some of the chicks we've hatched out from our incubator. Anders supplied the fertile eggs from his hens. Right now they are in the brooder behind the garage where there is a heat lamp food and water. It's a nice place to be if you are a chick. These little peeps will go over to Anders and Emily's place as soon as they have enough feathers.
Now I'm hoping the Muscovy duck eggs I have in the incubator will hatch well.

I can smell it!!

This morning I got up at 4 am to get some computer work done for the Red Wattle Association. Around about seven, I looked at the thermometer- 27 degrees, that's good I thought. It's almost a heatwave! I stuffed myself into my coveralls, gloves, hat and coat and off I went to tend the animals.

The sun was just a suggestion on the horizon as I walked up the drive. A light breeze with a touch of warmth began to blow out of the south and that's when it happened. I could smell it- SPRING! That light smell of green that the south wind carries letting you know that spring is coming north, slowly maybe, but it's on its way. I can hardly wait.

Don't get me wrong I like snow... and we need snow to help buffer the cold winter weather, but now I am wishing for spring. Spring with baby lambs, and daffodils and baby chicks and seedlings sprouting and green grass. :) I want to see Spring and touch it.

I know it's coming.... I can smell it.

The Piggies are coming!!

It's finally here!

Time to go get our Red Wattle piglets. We have been on the waiting list since March. Originally, it looked like we wouldn't get our piglets until December. Marian, from Five Ponds Farm, called us in May and said she had our piglets if we could send the money and come get them soon.

We put the check in the mail the next morning.

So this is a really busy week around here. The weeds in the gardens are growing faster than we can pull or till them. Brian brought home our 4 new brood cows yesterday evening. The beltie is so close to calving he was worried she'd have her baby in the trailer on the ride home! Luckily she didn't. The 2 white park cows should calve soon, too. The fourth cow, Profit, already has a little creamy white calf by her side. For now, all of them will stay in the corral until they are used to their new home.

Today, Brian's moving 100 chicks to pasture pens, fixing the mower, weeding in the gardens, cleaning the stock trailer, setting up the pig hut in the new pasture lot and about a hundred other things to get ready for the piglets.

Tuesday morning, we are going to the justice of the peace to get married. Tuesday afternoon I am going to work at the hospital while Brian packs. Wednesday we're off for a whirlwind 3 day "redneck" honeymoon. We can't really be away from the farm for more than 3 days. My son will be doing the chores while we're away.

We'll be driving to Missouri, Wednesday night we'll spend in a small hotel. Then on Thursday morning its off to pick up the 3 Red Wattle piglets, and the perrenials we're buying from the Van Beevers at Five Ponds Farm ( http://fivepondsfarm.com/ ). Then off to Kentucky! Thursday night in a hotel for us and the piggles will stay in the trailer with plenty of hay, feed and water.

Friday morning it's off to C2H2 farm to pick up 6 percentage Boer goats from Carol Holler. Once we've got all the goats loaded it's time to get back to the farm. We need to get our hay cut this week while I'm on vacation.....

Talk about adventures in farming!

Stay tuned for updates......I'll post about our trip on Saturday

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