8:27 PM, Monday, 29 March 2010
Temperature: 40 F, raining
The rains came upon us today, and are with us still. The geese do not seem to mind; they've been drinking from puddles rather animatedly, and display their usual talkativeness and combative stances on all creatures great and small. That they are substantially smaller than us matters little, and we occasionally have to remind them that they are suspiciously football-shaped to be getting too uppity.
The sable doe got out again, having chewed through the string holding the back door shut this time. It took a bit of doing to round her up; the door's now secured with a ziptie, and we know who will be getting the next cage as soon as it's been assembled. The water containers in the two already assembled are working out fairly well, but we may want to keep already filled and ready to go bottles nearby for ease of use. Similarly, we need to work out a better feeder, something which keeps their food dry when inclement weather comes.
In addition to rain, last night saw heavy winds, along with the discovery that a farmer had left a flour sifter on the roof when applying baking soda to kill moss. No harm was done either to or by the flour sifter, but it was a startling sight. A plastic pet carrier that had been on the grass near the porch was carried away to about a third of the way across the pond; a long-handled rake and a certain amount of caution combined managed to do the trick of fishing it out again.
The sheep are out of sorts with the consistent wetness, and some of the ewes complain about it by demanding food whenever a farmer is in sight. There's no sign of illness or injury; they just complain until they have something to put in their mouths, regardless of when or how much they were last fed, and then they're quiet again - perhaps not happy, but grumbling into their cud instead of bellowing their complaints.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
12:13 AM, 28 March 2010Cool & overcast
The truck was loaded up and the trees gradually planted; another twenty in the ground, another farm milestone crossed. All the trees save those intended for the 'garden' are now in for the year, those already ordered.
The sheep are doing well, the lambs getting quite big for those no
longer considered 'newborn'; they're getting quite fat and sassy, in fact. In the all-ewe flock, some of the ewes have begun to get combative, battling it out for dominance. One got tangled in the fencing today and had to be rescued by the farmer.There are now over half a dozen eggs in the goose's nest under the porch, and she has two of her fellow geese attempting to run off anyone who comes close. Wimsey escaped out the door today and ran straight into a goose, who ran at him; he opted to try to reach the porch steps, from which he felt territorial enough to try making a stand. We put a stop to that; vet bills are expensive, and our curiosity as to who'd back down or win first isn't that deep.
The barn kittens appear to be entering their final growth stage, and every day they look a little bit more adult, sometimes startlingly alien compared to their kitten selves. They spent a little time bouncing through the grass today, and the black & white cat not only made an appearance but tried to claim the workshop as its turf. We're not sure how that was settled, but when we went to investigate, there was no sign of it.
Alfalfa has been seeded in some spots, to provide nitrogen to the soil and to offer a bit of forage. We'll see how it does. Tomorrow we go to pick up some hardware cloth from the farm store and possibly visit a neighbouring farm for some Jersey butter and cheese.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Kitties and Lambs
11:58 PM, 26 March 2010Overcast & cool
One more lamb's been born in the all-ewe flock; the first one, upon closer examination, has turned out to be a ram lamb. The new one was born sometime last night or early this morning, and has not yet been examined that closely. It is, however, easily twice the size of the tiny ram lamb.
The barn cats are a bit sulky at having been kept penned up today as half the day was sunny and warm. The rain began in the early afternoon, however, and there was enough coming & going of UPS and FedEx and ourselves to warrant not risking furry little lives.
Tootles can be seen on guard duty; Slightly appears to be lately stealing fluff stuffing from the stored mattress. He may however have caught something genuinely small and furry; we couldn't get a close enough look to be sure if it was that or a bit of well-chewed cardboard.
The ewe flock have been given more fencing and fresh pasture as of today, in addition to last night's shifting of their shelter. All else seems stable but stationary, although we farmers certainly won't be; tomorrow is another shipment of trees which means more holes to be dug.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
11:54 PM, 24 March 2010
Overcast but calm; moonbow visible
We had a surprise birth in the all-ewe flock today; a very tiny, possibly premature lamb, single birth. Its mother did nuzzle it and allow it to suckle, but it was curious enough about the farmer out there to wander through the mesh. This prompted immediate erection of new pasture for said ewes using the smaller mesh fencing, too small for a lamb to walk through and hopefully too small for it to become entangled in. It continued to occasionally follow the farmer, who had to lift it towards its mother more than once; it was a young enough lamb for its umbilical blood to still be wet, despite the dryness of the day overall.
The only other excitement was a paranoid gander hissing and rushing at the pizza delivery boy, who appeared unperturbed. Presumably delivering pizza in rural areas has far worse threats than those.
Tomorrow will entail more arranging for the security of the lamb and its mother and her flock; many of said ewes have gone more or less overnight from not looking particularly pregnant to being watermelon-smugglers. As this flock of ewes appears younger than our other flock, we expect a higher percentage of single births. However, it seems likely that they'll begin coming sooner rather than later, possibly premature in delivery; they did delight, though, in the fresh pasture.
The younger ewes seem more than pleased with fir branches but not so keen on the wild carrot, whereas the older flock don't mind chewing down the wild carrot and display less interest in the Douglas fir. Perhaps meaningless, but interesting.
Overcast but calm; moonbow visible
We had a surprise birth in the all-ewe flock today; a very tiny, possibly premature lamb, single birth. Its mother did nuzzle it and allow it to suckle, but it was curious enough about the farmer out there to wander through the mesh. This prompted immediate erection of new pasture for said ewes using the smaller mesh fencing, too small for a lamb to walk through and hopefully too small for it to become entangled in. It continued to occasionally follow the farmer, who had to lift it towards its mother more than once; it was a young enough lamb for its umbilical blood to still be wet, despite the dryness of the day overall.
The only other excitement was a paranoid gander hissing and rushing at the pizza delivery boy, who appeared unperturbed. Presumably delivering pizza in rural areas has far worse threats than those.
Tomorrow will entail more arranging for the security of the lamb and its mother and her flock; many of said ewes have gone more or less overnight from not looking particularly pregnant to being watermelon-smugglers. As this flock of ewes appears younger than our other flock, we expect a higher percentage of single births. However, it seems likely that they'll begin coming sooner rather than later, possibly premature in delivery; they did delight, though, in the fresh pasture.
The younger ewes seem more than pleased with fir branches but not so keen on the wild carrot, whereas the older flock don't mind chewing down the wild carrot and display less interest in the Douglas fir. Perhaps meaningless, but interesting.
'Ware the Kitties of Doom
11:57 PM, 23 March 2010Clear and calm weather
The farm has been quiet the past couple of days, with relatively little to report. An abortive attempt was made to move some sheep to a different pasture; the separating of four ewes from the larger ewe flock did not go as hoped, so we'll have to try again.
The barn cats today had success with their hunting. They caught a snake a bit over a foot in length, bringing it into the workshop where it feigned death as hard as it could in order to avoid the real thing. A farmer rescued it with a stick, finding no puncture wounds in it; it recovered sufficiently to try to hide under some stray bits of straw, so here's hoping it survives. Looking it up online, it seems most probable that it's a Western territorial garter snake. At this size, it's harmless to anything we've got on the farm which we're serious about keeping.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Working Weekend
11:43 PM, 21 March 2010
Temperature: 44 F, cloudy with occasional rain
Yesterday started off bright and warm while we went into the hills to fetch this week's set of trees:
We purchased a bag of alfalfa seed and a hand cranked seed spreader, which will speed up sowing over the well grazed area.
The trees were planted, starting by digging holes to the north of the workshop, where the apricots were planted. The reason is that the horticulturalist at the nursery said that shading them should keep them from awakening too early in springtime, and falling to late frost. The apples were all planted in well lit areas, since they are generally hardier plants. We would like all these trees at full size, so depending on their prospects we may well bury the grafting union so that they can root on their undwarfed scion stock.
When we were purchasing seed and so on we also placed an order for several rolls of hardware cloth (a metal fencing material of grillwork, one by two inches at each division) from which we will fashion the taller tree guards which will not only defend trees from the depredations of sheep, but deer as well.
Saturday's warm start necessitated some watering of the planted trees, but the weather grew progressively cloudier and rain started to fall as a cold front hit us. This had the benefit of soaking the ground with less work involved in rolling a barrel of water around to where the water could be conveniently siphoned to the trees. Towards the end of the day we saw that some of the south flock had escaped and were gorging themselves on the lush pasture, not basically a problem, but we managed to persuade them back into their enclosure so that we wouldn't have wandering sheep everywhere.
Sunday was a lot more tranquil as we recovered from our labours of Saturday, but there was more shifting of sheep pastures to afford them better access to the pasture in general. We also arranged to purchase a good quality crusher and press for small batch fermentation from a winery in Centralia. We also walked to our neighbours to invite them to a Memorial Day party we intend to hold. The invitation seems to catch most of them by surprise, but staying on good terms with the neighbours is conducive to a tranquil life.
During our walk we took a good look at some scotch broom which is infesting one corner of our property. According to weed information it is quite susceptible to grazing control, as well as simply uprooting. Fortunately, we have the grazing animals with which to do this.
Temperature: 44 F, cloudy with occasional rain
Yesterday started off bright and warm while we went into the hills to fetch this week's set of trees:
- five harglow apricots
- four arkansas black apples on M7 rootstock
- ten dolgo crab apples on M7 rootstock
We purchased a bag of alfalfa seed and a hand cranked seed spreader, which will speed up sowing over the well grazed area.
The trees were planted, starting by digging holes to the north of the workshop, where the apricots were planted. The reason is that the horticulturalist at the nursery said that shading them should keep them from awakening too early in springtime, and falling to late frost. The apples were all planted in well lit areas, since they are generally hardier plants. We would like all these trees at full size, so depending on their prospects we may well bury the grafting union so that they can root on their undwarfed scion stock.
When we were purchasing seed and so on we also placed an order for several rolls of hardware cloth (a metal fencing material of grillwork, one by two inches at each division) from which we will fashion the taller tree guards which will not only defend trees from the depredations of sheep, but deer as well.
Saturday's warm start necessitated some watering of the planted trees, but the weather grew progressively cloudier and rain started to fall as a cold front hit us. This had the benefit of soaking the ground with less work involved in rolling a barrel of water around to where the water could be conveniently siphoned to the trees. Towards the end of the day we saw that some of the south flock had escaped and were gorging themselves on the lush pasture, not basically a problem, but we managed to persuade them back into their enclosure so that we wouldn't have wandering sheep everywhere.
Sunday was a lot more tranquil as we recovered from our labours of Saturday, but there was more shifting of sheep pastures to afford them better access to the pasture in general. We also arranged to purchase a good quality crusher and press for small batch fermentation from a winery in Centralia. We also walked to our neighbours to invite them to a Memorial Day party we intend to hold. The invitation seems to catch most of them by surprise, but staying on good terms with the neighbours is conducive to a tranquil life.
During our walk we took a good look at some scotch broom which is infesting one corner of our property. According to weed information it is quite susceptible to grazing control, as well as simply uprooting. Fortunately, we have the grazing animals with which to do this.
Friday, March 19, 2010
The vet cometh
11:12 PM, 19 March 2010
Temperature: 41 F, calm and clear
Today was quite a busy day. In the morning we separated the ewes with their lambs which had not yet been inspected from the other sheep so that the vet could easily inspect the lambs. We found that the little lambs are all too quick to try to climb through any mesh fencing which is at all wide, so to create a visual barrier we reinforced the miniature temporary enclosure with bracing rods at the corners, and then laid tarpaulins over the mesh fencing so that it looked like solid walls. That was a great success.
The vet and her assistant came, and did rabies and distemper shots for all our barn cats, since the vet who originally supposedly did them couldn't find their paperwork. Fair enough, but we want to be absolutely sure that our cats are protected, so we had it done again.
The inspection of the lambs went well, with the vet showing us how to inspect for joint problems, how to sex lambs, how to properly check for cleft palate (which can result in all sorts of nasty problems down the line), how to do a subcutaneous injection (which a farmer did a couple of times, for practice) of selenium supplement. The selenium is to make sure our lambs don't die of white muscle disease. The vet also gave some very interesting consulting on wethering and culling, among other things pointing out that it is wise to give lambs tetanus shots when they are banded for wethering, and also that it's much easier to get the banding right after they're a few months old, rather than extremely young.
While working with the lambs, it became clear to us that it would be wise to have some kind of temporary marker or paint. When dealing with a flock which can look confusingly similar (such as can be the case with twin lambs) it is a good way of being sure which animals have received attention. As it was we filled the gap with some red vinyl tape which we had on hand, but this was, while sufficient, not ideal.
We shifted the pasture with the 29 ewes a little to give them some fresh forage. We will shift it more, later. A small douglas fir which was cut down and left in the pasture for them has been substantially browsed, without apparent ill effects. It is certainly lighter to drag around, now.
There is a large section of land by now which has been fairly well grazed down. Fresh grass is visible sprouting from it, so it will recover as pasture quite soon. We did some sowing of our intended cover crops, but the actual seed quantity from our first purchase was disappointingly small. We shall have to obtain bulk quantities, and possibly one of those hand cranked seed spreaders so as to do a good job seeding the land.
Where the seed fell should nonetheless be good, between rotting straw and dung, and good moist earth.
Tomorrow we plant more trees, and if opportunity presents itself, we purchase a crusher and press so that we can do small manual batches of fermentation while we wait for the big harvests.
Temperature: 41 F, calm and clear
Today was quite a busy day. In the morning we separated the ewes with their lambs which had not yet been inspected from the other sheep so that the vet could easily inspect the lambs. We found that the little lambs are all too quick to try to climb through any mesh fencing which is at all wide, so to create a visual barrier we reinforced the miniature temporary enclosure with bracing rods at the corners, and then laid tarpaulins over the mesh fencing so that it looked like solid walls. That was a great success.
The vet and her assistant came, and did rabies and distemper shots for all our barn cats, since the vet who originally supposedly did them couldn't find their paperwork. Fair enough, but we want to be absolutely sure that our cats are protected, so we had it done again.
The inspection of the lambs went well, with the vet showing us how to inspect for joint problems, how to sex lambs, how to properly check for cleft palate (which can result in all sorts of nasty problems down the line), how to do a subcutaneous injection (which a farmer did a couple of times, for practice) of selenium supplement. The selenium is to make sure our lambs don't die of white muscle disease. The vet also gave some very interesting consulting on wethering and culling, among other things pointing out that it is wise to give lambs tetanus shots when they are banded for wethering, and also that it's much easier to get the banding right after they're a few months old, rather than extremely young.
While working with the lambs, it became clear to us that it would be wise to have some kind of temporary marker or paint. When dealing with a flock which can look confusingly similar (such as can be the case with twin lambs) it is a good way of being sure which animals have received attention. As it was we filled the gap with some red vinyl tape which we had on hand, but this was, while sufficient, not ideal.
We shifted the pasture with the 29 ewes a little to give them some fresh forage. We will shift it more, later. A small douglas fir which was cut down and left in the pasture for them has been substantially browsed, without apparent ill effects. It is certainly lighter to drag around, now.
There is a large section of land by now which has been fairly well grazed down. Fresh grass is visible sprouting from it, so it will recover as pasture quite soon. We did some sowing of our intended cover crops, but the actual seed quantity from our first purchase was disappointingly small. We shall have to obtain bulk quantities, and possibly one of those hand cranked seed spreaders so as to do a good job seeding the land.
Where the seed fell should nonetheless be good, between rotting straw and dung, and good moist earth.
Tomorrow we plant more trees, and if opportunity presents itself, we purchase a crusher and press so that we can do small manual batches of fermentation while we wait for the big harvests.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Of Kitties and Sheeples
11:14 PM, 18 March 2010
Temperature: 38 F, calm and clear
Today was calm but busy, filled with cleaning the workshop where the barn cats have been living thanks to a sale on shop vacs at Home Depot. The cats spent their time wandering in and out of the garage while more cage construction went on; the black and white cat returned and fought a bit with Tootles and in general caused ruckus with Nibs and the others. It took a farmer to repeatedly drive it off; finally an arrow fired over its head drove it off so that it stopped coming all the way up the drive.
One of the lambs got tangled in disconnected mesh fence quite badly; it took both farmers to get it disentangled again.
Both flocks got fresh doses of sheep mineral, and fresh water all round. Minnow was groomed a bit but she was not happy with being groomed and so ultimately she was given a frozen water bottle to cuddle up to in case she got overheated, the day having been a warm one.
There are now three goose eggs that have been laid under the porch.
Tomorrow the vet comes to give pills for Wimsey, rabies & distemper shots for the barn cats, and to give the appropriate shots to the new lambs, all six of them. This means the farmers will have to round up said lambs before their arrival around approximately noon. Fun times.
Temperature: 38 F, calm and clear
Today was calm but busy, filled with cleaning the workshop where the barn cats have been living thanks to a sale on shop vacs at Home Depot. The cats spent their time wandering in and out of the garage while more cage construction went on; the black and white cat returned and fought a bit with Tootles and in general caused ruckus with Nibs and the others. It took a farmer to repeatedly drive it off; finally an arrow fired over its head drove it off so that it stopped coming all the way up the drive.
One of the lambs got tangled in disconnected mesh fence quite badly; it took both farmers to get it disentangled again.
Both flocks got fresh doses of sheep mineral, and fresh water all round. Minnow was groomed a bit but she was not happy with being groomed and so ultimately she was given a frozen water bottle to cuddle up to in case she got overheated, the day having been a warm one.
There are now three goose eggs that have been laid under the porch.
Tomorrow the vet comes to give pills for Wimsey, rabies & distemper shots for the barn cats, and to give the appropriate shots to the new lambs, all six of them. This means the farmers will have to round up said lambs before their arrival around approximately noon. Fun times.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Wascally Wabbits and New Lamb
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11:11 am, Wednesday, 17 March 2010Temperature: 46.4 F, sunny with some clouds, mild breeze
Yesterday began with a thump as the sable rabbit escaped again. This time it was clearly not ducks nor the buck's doing; she'd gnawed through the cord holding her door shut and headed off towards the green grass of freedom. We rounded her up without too much difficulty, but she really didn't want to go back into her habitat; she'll be getting a new one as well. For now, she's back in anyway, and the door's blocked off with an empty ark.
The rest of the day was fairly quiet. Today began with less of a thumb and more of a bleat; another new lamb has joined us. The ewe as pregnant as an aircraft carrier has dropped a single lamb, but it is a huge single lamb; the Lambzilla of the lamb world. It is as big at birth as the second set of twins currently are. Only the oldest lambs are bigger, and they are only slightly bigger.
The vets are coming back out on Friday to examine the six lambs they have not previously seen. They may teach us how to give the shots the lambs need, since in a few months we'll have an explosion of lambs from the other flock in all probability; then they can just write us a prescription for the vaccines, and do twice a year flock visits to cover regulations. They will also bring the pills for Wimsey and give distemper and rabies shots to all five of the barn cats as the vet who took care of their snips for the shelter cannot find their records at all.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Accomplishments
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9:02 PM, Monday, 17 March 2010Temperature: 51 F, calm & clear
Today was a day for new accomplishments; in addition to procuring more rabbit feed, a 3 foot cube cage was constructed as a new bunny habitat. It was constructed due to a sharp-sighted farmer noticing out a window the white buck bunny hopping from his cage to Minnow's, looking for some love. He'd chewed his door 's restraints open and hopped on out. While quickly retrieved, it
was nonetheless decided that it was 'time'. Construction went fairly well, although there were two casualties; a fly got hammered flat when it landed in the wrong place, and the farmer doing construction should've been wearing gloves and got a nasty cut to the back of a hand when the wire for the cages whiplashed. No stitches were required, thankfully.The three foot height has however been decided to be too high for the easy placement of items within it, and future cages will be scaled down - 2 to 2 1/2 feet in height at most.
The black and white cat returned, and our barn cats have been working their nerve up gradually to chase it off. Patience is clearly needed, but Tink in particular feinted at it when it tried to go into the workshop, driving it back a yard or so.
One of the geese has laid an egg under the porch. Now we know where our nestboxes will go.
A farmer took the ladder and went up onto the roof to demoss it a bit, and to put down baking soda; the inspector who examined the house prior to purchase recommended this handy and usually on hand substance as an excellent moss killer. Just sprinkle it onto any moss on a clear day, and when it rains, it will wash baking soda and dead moss away.
Some of the seedlings have begun to poke up their heads! One of the cabbages has for sure; the others, we're less certain of.
The new lamb is doing well; its mother is somewhat overprotective but certainly tending to it with due attention and care. All in all, another busy but productive day.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Sunday, 9:18 PM, 14 March 2010
Temperature 43 F, overcast and calm
Today began with feeding, and then going to breakfast at a local restaurant where we picked up copies of local newspapers with a view to finding references to loggers who would take down the lines of conifers which are surplus to our needs, and pay us for the lumber. That plan didn't work as well as we had hoped, but at least we had breakfast.
From there we went to Heymann Whinery to see if they could recommend a lawyer who would assist us with the more troublesome parts of dealing with the ATF for getting our licences, but nobody was there who could help us.
Finally, we went to Rose of Sharon Farm where we met the farmers. Aside from being a very pleasant meeting, we met their jersey cattle and animal companions as well, who inspected us and found us acceptable.
Temperature 43 F, overcast and calm
Today began with feeding, and then going to breakfast at a local restaurant where we picked up copies of local newspapers with a view to finding references to loggers who would take down the lines of conifers which are surplus to our needs, and pay us for the lumber. That plan didn't work as well as we had hoped, but at least we had breakfast.
From there we went to Heymann Whinery to see if they could recommend a lawyer who would assist us with the more troublesome parts of dealing with the ATF for getting our licences, but nobody was there who could help us.
Finally, we went to Rose of Sharon Farm where we met the farmers. Aside from being a very pleasant meeting, we met their jersey cattle and animal companions as well, who inspected us and found us acceptable.
Robert of Rose of Sharon is a pastor, and as such has many contacts in his congregation. Not only loggers, but quite likely also people who can help us with livestock guardian dogs are possibilities, and we look forward to having a couple of our outstanding problems solved.
Once we returned home (bearing Jersey cream and butter) we started work on moving the lower pasture, which contains 21 ewes, and separating that from the waterfowl enclosure (which has in the process become more of a suggestion than an enclosure).
The sheep are kept away from the trees for now, but from the pasture there are good views of the rows of planted trees. For now what is mostly visible is the rows of tree guards.
The rows are widely spaced, but that is because these trees are grafted onto rootstock which should make them full sized apple trees. We have to wait a bit longer for real productivity, but they will grow beyond the reach of deer, and we have to purchase fewer to cover each acre. The sheep are too short to reach above the tree guards, but we don't want them pushing the new trees over either. When they are better established, the sheep will get to properly clear between the rows.
Towards the end of our labours outdoors, we heard a plaintive crying. It turned out to be another newborn lamb, a single lamb this time rather than twins, and the mother was still licking the lamb clean when we arrived. Gradually the lamb made it up to its feet, and was nursing by the time we went indoors.
One of our ewes had been bleating a lot, and we'd noticed her apparently choking or coughing a little as well. For that reason, despite the presence of the newborn, we took the time to corral the sheep and inspect them. Our sheep don't trust us enough to make this easy, but the horns on the horned sheep make for useful handles, and we satisfied ourselves that any discomfort she was suffering appeared to be temporary, and already gone.
This evening we spent some time getting our accounts in order so as to be better able to claim expenses next tax season, as well as to keep an eye on the biggest costs. So far off the recurring costs, feed is the biggest, but not as big as we had feared. Equipment and trees are larger expenses, but those are temporary, or should be, while we equip ourselves and plant our land.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Johnny Appleseed
Saturday, 10:17 PM, 13 March 2010
Temperature 32 F, overcast with a light breeze, occasional showers of rain and hail
Today was largely marked by planting. We obtained 18 trees: Johnny Appleseed (reputedly scions of a tree originally planted by Johnny Appleseed himself) on Dolgo rootstock. The drive was wet, but worthwhile, partly for the reminder of how lovely this part of Washington can be.
Between the morning and evening feedings, we measured where to plant our new bareroot trees, dug their holes and planted them. We filled a couple of barrels with rainwater and transported them up the slope on the truck, along with the tools and trees, but owing to rainfall saw no immediate need to use the water. The barrels were shifted off the truck and left on the hill against future need.
While we were digging and planting, we let the barn cats roam. They discovered competition in the form of a black and white longhair which regards our farm as its territory, and Nibs came hurrying to us, mewing for our attention. When one farmer followed him, he took heart and, with the farmer's presence, saw the interloper off. Nibs is still a young cat, but later he will stand up better on his own.
While we were planting we saw a few dried up remnants of what we take to be an annual flower. Precisely what it is we aren't sure, but we hope to see it growing sometime this season, to see what it is like.
Aside from the trees we had purchased, we also transplanted two volunteer apples (or at least, we strongly believe them to be apples) which were inconveniently placed. Assuming they survive the transplanting, they will be out of the way now. According to a neighbour whose family first settled the area, the entire area was an old apple orchard. It is quite likely that the volunteer apples are descendants of that orchard. At the very least, they should help fertilise our orchards. With a little luck they will add something to our fermentation tanks.
There was little time or energy left for much else, but this weekend we have to do some paperwork. Our sheep have to be enrolled into a scrapie eradication program, we must get a reseller's permit from the state department of revenue (so as to avoid paying sales tax for farm necessities), and we have to organise much of our receipts so as to get our year's accounting on a sound footing.
All this aside, tomorrow the ewes in the lower pasture have to be moved so that they can make serious inroads in the uncropped pasture. It has grown too tall and proud and must learn that farming is a stern business, enforced by the gnashing teeth of dozens of hungry sheep.
Temperature 32 F, overcast with a light breeze, occasional showers of rain and hail
Today was largely marked by planting. We obtained 18 trees: Johnny Appleseed (reputedly scions of a tree originally planted by Johnny Appleseed himself) on Dolgo rootstock. The drive was wet, but worthwhile, partly for the reminder of how lovely this part of Washington can be.
Between the morning and evening feedings, we measured where to plant our new bareroot trees, dug their holes and planted them. We filled a couple of barrels with rainwater and transported them up the slope on the truck, along with the tools and trees, but owing to rainfall saw no immediate need to use the water. The barrels were shifted off the truck and left on the hill against future need.
While we were digging and planting, we let the barn cats roam. They discovered competition in the form of a black and white longhair which regards our farm as its territory, and Nibs came hurrying to us, mewing for our attention. When one farmer followed him, he took heart and, with the farmer's presence, saw the interloper off. Nibs is still a young cat, but later he will stand up better on his own.
While we were planting we saw a few dried up remnants of what we take to be an annual flower. Precisely what it is we aren't sure, but we hope to see it growing sometime this season, to see what it is like.Aside from the trees we had purchased, we also transplanted two volunteer apples (or at least, we strongly believe them to be apples) which were inconveniently placed. Assuming they survive the transplanting, they will be out of the way now. According to a neighbour whose family first settled the area, the entire area was an old apple orchard. It is quite likely that the volunteer apples are descendants of that orchard. At the very least, they should help fertilise our orchards. With a little luck they will add something to our fermentation tanks.
There was little time or energy left for much else, but this weekend we have to do some paperwork. Our sheep have to be enrolled into a scrapie eradication program, we must get a reseller's permit from the state department of revenue (so as to avoid paying sales tax for farm necessities), and we have to organise much of our receipts so as to get our year's accounting on a sound footing.
All this aside, tomorrow the ewes in the lower pasture have to be moved so that they can make serious inroads in the uncropped pasture. It has grown too tall and proud and must learn that farming is a stern business, enforced by the gnashing teeth of dozens of hungry sheep.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Egg Suckers
Friday, 11:12 PM, 12 March 2010
Temperature: 36 F, overcast & breezy
We've discovered that something (hypothesis: raccoons) has been stealing our geese's eggs and breaking them open just enough to eat the contents. Having found two emptied eggs outside the fenceline yesterday, today we found one half-eaten after having tended to the morning chores. Presumably we surprised it before it could finish its meal.
As a result, we're in the process of trying out different kinds of nest boxes in the hopes of maintaining a viable population of ducks and geese. Plus, if anybody's going to get to eat those eggs, it should be us.
The shelter in the pasture with the rams, pregnant ewes and nursing mothers and their lambs was faltering; today we took care of that, along with a trip to the farm store for chicken wire and hay. The hay we picked up today should keep us going long enough for spring to truly kick in, at which point the sheep should be able to graze until the fall with only minimal supplementation.
We have been warmly greeted at the farm store lately, and not infrequently given a discount. It seems likely we're accepted into the community as something other than stupid city slickers at this point.
Tomorrow we pick up more trees, and possibly tree guards from the nursery. More digging shall commence.
Temperature: 36 F, overcast & breezy
We've discovered that something (hypothesis: raccoons) has been stealing our geese's eggs and breaking them open just enough to eat the contents. Having found two emptied eggs outside the fenceline yesterday, today we found one half-eaten after having tended to the morning chores. Presumably we surprised it before it could finish its meal.
As a result, we're in the process of trying out different kinds of nest boxes in the hopes of maintaining a viable population of ducks and geese. Plus, if anybody's going to get to eat those eggs, it should be us.
The shelter in the pasture with the rams, pregnant ewes and nursing mothers and their lambs was faltering; today we took care of that, along with a trip to the farm store for chicken wire and hay. The hay we picked up today should keep us going long enough for spring to truly kick in, at which point the sheep should be able to graze until the fall with only minimal supplementation.
We have been warmly greeted at the farm store lately, and not infrequently given a discount. It seems likely we're accepted into the community as something other than stupid city slickers at this point.
Tomorrow we pick up more trees, and possibly tree guards from the nursery. More digging shall commence.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
A Time and Place...
9:11 Pm Wednesday, 10 March 2010
Temperature: 42 F, clear & gusting
We have discovered that Hercules was not jumping the fence but using a slight hollow in the earth to go under the fence (as there is no current on the very bottom line of the mesh). The secondary line of fencing thus was sufficient to keep him in, as there wasn't enough of a hollow for him to wiggle under both, and wasn't enough space between the two for him to go between the two.
Thus both farmers were off to the Big City with reasonably clear consciences. All animals were still where they were supposed to be and no worse for the wear aside from a little hunger and thirst upon returning. They were duly fed, and we have begun to shift the pasture with the lambs, remaining visibly pregnant ewes and the rams further away from the pasture with the other ewes in order to reduce temptation for escapes. All in all, a productive day despite time spent away from the farm.
Temperature: 42 F, clear & gusting
We have discovered that Hercules was not jumping the fence but using a slight hollow in the earth to go under the fence (as there is no current on the very bottom line of the mesh). The secondary line of fencing thus was sufficient to keep him in, as there wasn't enough of a hollow for him to wiggle under both, and wasn't enough space between the two for him to go between the two.
Thus both farmers were off to the Big City with reasonably clear consciences. All animals were still where they were supposed to be and no worse for the wear aside from a little hunger and thirst upon returning. They were duly fed, and we have begun to shift the pasture with the lambs, remaining visibly pregnant ewes and the rams further away from the pasture with the other ewes in order to reduce temptation for escapes. All in all, a productive day despite time spent away from the farm.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Prison Riots
7:43 PM Tuesday, 9 March 2010Temperature: 34 F, raining
Late last night a last-minute check on the newborn lambs resulted in Hercules deciding that he should jump the fence to check out this potential threat; armed only with a dying flashlight and alone, a farmer managed to get him back into the enclosure while keeping Mitey from taking advantage of the now opened gate without getting attacked. The lambs were fine.
Early this morning there were snow flurries, although they didn't last and the snow didn't stick. It was followed by strongish winds, which kept blowing the cover off Minnow's cage. It's now being held down with paint cans until we get a resized tarp fastened. Mother and babies appear to be doing fine all the same.
A down side of last night's debacle is that Hercules has learned he can, in fact, jump the fence, and he did so late in the afternoon, running around trying to find a way in to the ewes in the other pasture. As one farmer was in Seattle today, it fell to the other to round him up, done in part by tending to the dinner feeding and lining his usual pasture on three sides with an additional line of fencing a bit out from the first and blocking off the space between the two pastures with him on the inside.
This did result in Mitey and Double Nickel slipping out for a bit, but as the space was blocked off, it wasn't hard to get them back in once Hercules was back in. More of a problem was that once that was done, Hercules rapidly decided there was enough space between the two fencelines for a safe jump. It kept him relatively corralled, but still on the wrong side of the gate. Opening the gate resulted in almost all the rest of the sheep following him out.
Fortunately, the blocking still worked; the gate was pegged open to block one route, which left them in more difficulty for wandering, and eventually they were rounded up again. Hercules had not tried another jump since the fenceline was shifted inwards, but we'll check up before bedtime and hope for the best. Deer fencing (6 ft high or higher) may be in our future. If he keeps jumping, tomorrow's trip for both farmers up to Seattle may have to be postponed so that one farmer is on hand to keep the situation in hand.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Prison Breaks and Newborns
3:26 PM Monday, 8 March 201049 F, clear & sunny
Yesterday began with a bang as we discovered the sable rabbit had escaped her ark and was hopping around and being chased by the barn cats, who'd been let out to explore. We managed to catch her fairly quickly if painfully (bare feet and gravel and blackberry thorns do not combine well); she was put away, and the feeding for the morning session began.
It was during the morning feeding that we then discovered the buck was also missing. He didn't turn up right away, but eventually did turn up underneath the IBCs to one side of the workshop, which was also where we'd trapped the sable. It strongly suggests that the two buns managed to get together while out; we'll know more in a month or so. Right now, the principal suspect in the escape are the muscovy ducks, who do like to pluck at string and cord. We suspect they'd managed to undo the knots holding the grazing arks closed. Cages are our likely solution.
If this were not eventful enough, in the late afternoon right before the rains started, three of the ewes in the ramless enclosure got out due to a stake popping up during pasture shifting. They were eventually cajoled back in via a slightly earlier than usual evening feeding session and the combined fact of the rain arriving.
A trip to a couple of the local farm stores determined that pre-made cages are too expensive to be worthwhile; however, we can get the wire and assemble it ourselves and it should not be too difficult nor once we get the hang of it, too time-consuming. If this should prove false, there's a local handyman who will assemble them for us for a fee; it will still work out to less than the $40-$80 per cage that it would cost for pre-cut wire cages (most of which still require assembly on our end).
The apple trees so far appear to be holding up. We'll see how it goes in the long run.
We are allowing our ducks and geese to become free range within limits, as at this point the ducks in particular are difficult if not impossible to keep confined. The geese are more easily confined, not being able to wing it as well, but they appreciate the access to the pond so much that at this stage, we're confining them only at night and during the day, letting them graze freely.
There is a striking black and white cat we've noticed several times on our property. Yesterday, he or she decided to investigate the workshop via the open door. Doing so resulted in a very hurried exit and some feline cursing from the barn cats, who (rightfully so) consider themselves the legal tenants!
This morning dawned bright and clear with no trace of yesterday's rains, but a bit of wind remaining. It had somewhat opened the plastic sheeting on the greenhouse; fixing it showed that while no seedlings are yet poking their heads up, it has been doing an admirable job of keeping things under the sheet significantly warmer (even with gaps) than outside. The plants were watered, at which point we noticed that the other pregnant polled ewe had just finished giving birth. We now have two more solid black lambs, this time with no blazes on them to help us tell them apart. Mother and lambs are doing well so far, with the usual wobbliness of the newborn slowing them down only a little.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Sunny Days Hereon Out
9:52 PM, Saturday, 6 March 2010Temperature: 39 F, clear & calm
It dipped to below freezing at some point during the night; at 8 in the morning, there was still a layer of ice on shallow water containers. The temperature rapidly climbed, however, to somewhere in the 60s during the day, with plenty of sun. The animals enjoyed it, but eventually decided, actually, that they had had enough, and started seeking shade.
We picked up our first batch of trees today - 20 Kingston Black apple trees on Dolgo rootstock. Fortunately, we had enough holes already dug that planting them could be done right away, along with applying tree shields. Pruning was done on the three which were slightly damaged, and all were watered. Throughout this the farmer doing the planting was followed around by a lonely goose who's formed an attachment.
Rabbit cages were cleaned today, which led to some difficulties.
While cleaning the sable rabbit's cage, Wimsey, who had been napping on the deck, decided that naptime was over and started meandering towards the garage - in the direction of one of the barn kittens, Tink. At the same time, one of Minnow's kits discovered 'I'm small and fuzzy enough to squeeze through the gap between the grazing ark's door and its frame!' - and bounced off towards the pond. The farmer was left scrambling to get the sable rabbit into a cleaned ark and dashing after the escaped baby bunny, leaving Wimsey and Tink to settle any scores unsupervised.
Fortunately, the baby bunny was fairly cooperative once it reached the pond. Either it decided 'oh please mighty predator, just make it quick' or 'oh nice farmer who feeds me, save me from the great outdoors'; either way, it made little attempt to escape at that stage and was safely carried back to the ark as a temporary measure. The farmer quickly dragged one of the cages over, and after some fast preparations and scattering of straw, the baby bunnies were transferred.
During this, Wimsey informed Tink in no uncertain but distinctly growling terms who exactly is dominant around here, chasing her off; he was summarily grabbed and put inside, just in time for Minnow to make a break for freedom. It took both farmers to get her back under wraps.It's been decided that if we are to continue raising rabbits, the arks are not a winning solution. We are testing out crocks for their feed as well as water, and are considering moving to a meat-only, cage-only method of raising them. Pricing will take place for a while, because we are too stubborn to give up without a solid fight.
Meanwhile, Wimsey had earlier (prior to naps) met Nibs on the porch; Nibs did not receive the same treatment Tink had later on received, probably because he very quickly acknowledged who was in charge. With the air of a benign old don, Wimsey permitted Nibs to run off without a growl.
Minnow's new cage habitat has an old duvet cover for the time being as a cover for the cage, to help them feel less exposed to the elements. This shall be replaced in due course with something more waterproof.
Due to the heat, the animals' watering troughs needed refilling quite badly today. The trough in the pasture with the pregnant ewes, lambs, rams, and now most of the ducks was bone dry this morning, and the trough for the other sheep not only was close to dry, it needed refilling by sundown. The ducks have the sandbox/wading pool to themselves now (although the lambs like to drink from it, it being just their height) as the geese are permitted to wander during the day and have access to the pond. The ducks are loving it, although don't seem interested in the ants in the pasture so far; the geese are enjoying access to the pond and the lack of sheep bowling them over. More goose mating has been occurring, fairly steadily, but if the ducks don't show interest in the ants soon, we'll likely move them back to the other pasture or to roam during the day as well; it isn't as if they don't get out with great frequency anyway.
Tomorrow more holes will be dug; soon we expect more lambs as well. We are discussing mating Minnow again in another month or two if we keep the rabbits, as while we don't want angoras particularly, she is an excellent mother and her personality is very good; when she isn't deciding to go runabout, at least.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Sharp Knives and Dull Sheep
9:48 PM, 5 March 2010Temperature: 41 F, calm & clear
Today was another bright and sunny day, albeit not punctuated by any more lambs than the four which have arrived so far. The two black lambs are at the point of being quite energetic, bouncing and dancing all over the place when the mood strikes them; however, they and their younger half-siblings quite enjoyed the sun while their elders partook of freshly delivered alfalfa.
We decided to doublecheck that the sheep mineral does indeed contain selenium (decidedly lacking, according to our vets, in local forage and hay grown within the state) and that the copper levels weren't too high; while goats require a great deal of copper, sheep are much more sensitive to it, and levels which are minimal for goats end up being toxic for sheep. This is one of the reasons why sheep and goat mineral are not interchangeable.
The farm store's chicks have begun to arrive! They are somewhat cute in a peeping interminable mass. We've decided to hold off for the moment, as our hands are already full with tasks other than building chicken coops, and they cost about $400-500 (or more) if you don't build it yourself.
Today we acquired a decent knife for general farm use, and a set of family use 2-way radios, although not the batteries for them. We also did some work around the farm, chivvying the ducks in with the still-pregnant sheep (and rams, and lambs) in order to try to get them to tackle the insect mound in that pasture. We had intended to give the pond back to the geese, but in the process of attempting it we discovered that one of the females has very carefully created a nest for herself by digging a hollow in the earth and lining it with straw and feathers. In this she has deposited somewhere close to a dozen eggs, which she has then covered with a sort of 'blanket' excavated skillfully of sod and grass. We're hoping our finding it won't cause her to abandon them; still, live and learn, and with any luck, we may soon have a quantity of goslings. The plan now is to shift the sheep pasture so that the geese are open to the pond, but the nest area is on the outside of the fenceline.
Tomorrow we pick up the first batch of our trees. Digging and planting shall commence.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Birth and Rock and Roll
10:09 PM, 4 March 2010Temperature: 34 F, clear
Today was an eventful day on the farm. The ewe we affectionately call 13 (due to only tracking down her other ID last night) gave birth this morning around 10:30 am. She gave birth to twin lambs who look quite a bit like her; she recovered quickly, and the farmer found it interesting, although most of the rest of the farm present for it were disinterested.
The ducks were busy doing their Elvis: the greaser years imitations...
But Mitey, at least, wanted to put his best smile on to commemorate the occasion, even if he's not the daddy.
The older lambs were curious, and eventually ventured from their mama's side to meet their new half-siblings after an already busy day of playing, drinking milk, and chewing on grass.
And the newborns did not disappoint, coming occasionally quite close to the fence for their closeups, although they're still somewhat stumbly. They're cautious of their half-siblings, but friendly enough.
They definitely stick close to mama, but show a quicker willingness to wander a little away from her than the older lambs did at their age.
All in all, a nice sunny day for a newborn to arrive. Two ewes down, four to go, and no escapees today.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Of Sheep and Buns and Things Which Go Bump
9:32 PM Wednesday, 3 March 2010Temperature: 41 F, calm
Today was cool but sunny, a fact much enjoyed by all of the animals on the farm. Wimsey seems to be taking fairly well to his new diet, although as usual he still sleeps a lot.
The barn cats appear to have killed something in the workshop. Unfortunately, whatever it is, it's been very well hidden, and the aroma of decaying something or other is quite pervasive.
Mitey and 13 (who we believe strongly to actually be Blue Mountain Double Nickel) both got out while a farmer was shifting pasture again. Mitey actually ran over to the other pasture when the other farmer went to feed the poultry, then followed the farmer with the wheelbarrow over to the hay stacks. He then followed all the way around the house like a big dog at heel hoping for a treat, and he and 13 went meekly into the opened gate once the food was tossed in.
A relatively quiet day, punctuated by a great deal of frog noise. We've seen four deer (does) on the property recently, and we'll be planting water plants and fruit trees soon now that the days are getting longer.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Rams on the Rampage
Tuesday, 8:48 PM, 2 March 2010
Temperature: 44 F, raining
A fairly quiet day all in all. Still no new lambs; the boy and girl lamb are quite rambunctious, with the ram lamb (marked with the white blaze on his forehead) and his sister both enjoying trying to play king of the hill on top of their mother, who is far more patient with them than anyone might imagine. One of the geese shows signs of nesting, but if she's laid eggs she's hidden them quite well.
Came home this afternoon from errands and found Hercules had jumped the fence. It was raining quite hard and he was standing out there staring intently at the shelter but clearly at a loss for how to get back into his pasture; fortunately, once the gate was pegged open with the rain pinning the rest of the sheep in that pasture under the shelter, it was easy to nudge him in the right direction by just walking after him. He spotted the open gate and trotted in to the shelter of his own accord with no harm done except for a soaked farmer and ram.
We got the special prescription diet food for Wimsey today, and so far he shows signs of willingly eating it, with relish, even. A thorough plus. Little else was done of a farming nature today as the weather really didn't let up.
This weekend at the farm store it is 'chick weekend'; they will have over 1500 chicks on sale for that weekend only. As we will be picking up our first batch of trees we won't be planless, but we do intend to try to get there and take a look at what they've got.
Temperature: 44 F, raining
A fairly quiet day all in all. Still no new lambs; the boy and girl lamb are quite rambunctious, with the ram lamb (marked with the white blaze on his forehead) and his sister both enjoying trying to play king of the hill on top of their mother, who is far more patient with them than anyone might imagine. One of the geese shows signs of nesting, but if she's laid eggs she's hidden them quite well.
Came home this afternoon from errands and found Hercules had jumped the fence. It was raining quite hard and he was standing out there staring intently at the shelter but clearly at a loss for how to get back into his pasture; fortunately, once the gate was pegged open with the rain pinning the rest of the sheep in that pasture under the shelter, it was easy to nudge him in the right direction by just walking after him. He spotted the open gate and trotted in to the shelter of his own accord with no harm done except for a soaked farmer and ram.
We got the special prescription diet food for Wimsey today, and so far he shows signs of willingly eating it, with relish, even. A thorough plus. Little else was done of a farming nature today as the weather really didn't let up.
This weekend at the farm store it is 'chick weekend'; they will have over 1500 chicks on sale for that weekend only. As we will be picking up our first batch of trees we won't be planless, but we do intend to try to get there and take a look at what they've got.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Vet Checkups and Imminence of Spring
4:46 PM, Monday, 1 March 2010Temperature: 53 F, overcast
Yesterday was fairly quiet, aside from Wimsey going for a wheelbarrow ride around the house while we fed the animals. He didn't hold still for picture taking, unfortunately, but did companionably sit next to one of us while the other took care of the ducks and geese.
Today we had a veterinarian come to inspect him and the lambs. Wimsey's showing his age; he may have partial renal failure and they've recommended a prescription diet for the kidneys. It could also be either diabetes or his thyroid he wouldn't hold still for a blood sample.
The lambs are very healthy, in the picture of 'rude health' as the saying goes. We had taken the time and trouble to pen the mother and her lambs in a small corral of mesh fencing so that it would be simple to reach in and grab the lambs, which the vet's assistant did with the greatest of ease; pro football players would envy her snatch and grab tactics.
We got some useful advice and praise for making sure the sheep have plenty of sheep mineral, as it turns out that 'white muscle' disease is common in this area due to the lack of certain key trace nutrients in the forage. In lambs it's often known to show up as they suddenly keel over at about eight weeks to three months of age, and autopsy shows white streaking in the heart muscles due to the lack of nutrients creating insufficiencies in the blood, leading to their hearts just stopping.
We tried to have them look at Slightly, but Slightly was not feeling at all cooperative. He escaped and hid under the IBCs under the overhang for quite some time. They left an edible gel for us to try giving him which may help with his sniffles as it shortens the durations of such outbreaks.
Despite it only being the first of March, the apple tree is convinced it is spring, as witnessed by the blossoms all over it. If it should prove to be productive this year, we'll likely give crushing a go and see how it works out. All in all, a useful day.
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