Post Election Day Update

We've been doing well the past couple of months.  Ashley is busy with school and clinicals, I just keep telling myself she'll be finished in May.  Alex finished up soccer where he made vast improvements in his defense, I hope he gives high school soccer a try nest year - yikes, next year :( .  Kennedy is playing basketball as well as gymnastics.


I chipped away at some other projects I've been wanting to tackle.  I managed to get power to the garage and barn and moved Ashley's granddad's non working tractor off premises.  We sold our ewe lambs to a family just starting out like we did several years ago, so that was better than the sale barn.  It reminded me of all we've learned since owning sheep and goats.  I wanted to tell them as much as possible but there is so much that all I could do was shake my head and wish them the best.  We've experimented with feeding round bales, yes feeding hay in November, since its been so dry.  I made a feeder modeled after a more expensive version I found online and, surprisingly, it works pretty well.  Halloween was fun this year even though Alex chose not to dress up.




She's going to kill me, but here is Ashley "studying" with the weenies.

High speed, super effective (so far) round bale feeder. Cameo:  Cheescake

100 amp aluminum 2-2-4 direct bury wire used to go from garage to barn.

100 amp panel coming from disconnect at house meter.

 

Kennedy and her friend (a dragon, not a dinosaur or lizard!).



Goof ball!

Kennedy caught minnows off and on throughout the summer. Our metal trap got bent so she made her own without any assistance from me, I didn't even know it was happening until she requested this picture.  Needless to say it worked very well.  Holes at top of bag near stick allow minnows to enter.  Stick doubles as anchor when lodged in bank.  #Engineer in training

September Already...

Man, this summer has flown by.  I wish we could have had a couple more camping trips and I could have crossed a few more farm projects off the list, but we are where we are.  I did wrap up a couple projects I have been meaning to do around the barn and sheds. 


No pictures of this one, but due to the initial quality with which it was built, I had to create adequate slope for the gutters on the run in shed to drain properly.  I had to support the roof with temporary jacks, cut the top of the supporting 4x4 posts to create a drop in slope and then sit the roof back on each post and secure with brackets to prevent the wind from ripping off the roof.


Over Labor Day, when we were not partying at family cookouts, I replaced some posts on the front of the barn.  The old ones had been rotted since we bought the place which made the gutter sag and leak.  I used some 6x6 posts left over from when we built the house porch, supported the roof with temporary jacks, removed old posts and fence, set new posts and replaced some siding.  I just need to install gates and few fence boards this coming weekend and it'll be complete.

Posts are set.  I used a string and level to ensure I got enough slope for gutter to drain. I'll hang a gate on the front and side and put up boards across the front (near burn barrel).

 

You can see the siding in the upper left of picture that I had to replace.  I was able to reuse most of the original.

 

Siding replaced.

We've been picking up spent grains from a local brewery at no cost and feeding to the sheep and goats.  This stuff is high in protein and helps the lambs pack on weight for market.  We also purchased a Cheviot ram, which is a wool breed, and will turn him out with our ewes in a couple weeks.  The resulting hybrid lambs will grow faster than pure bred lambs.

Lambs munching on some spent brewers grain.  The ram is the fuzzy one on the left.

On a sad note, at only 9 years old we had to bury our first family dog, Mater.  He had diabetes and was developing renal failure.  RIP good buddy.

Even though he was blind and weak, he fetched his toy until the end.  You don't get many as good as him.

Chief and Phoebe's Hair Cut

I was tired of seeing the pup's long matted hair in this heat so I took them to get shaved.  Phoebe got a poodle like tail due to so many mats.  They seem to be feeling better.

Weekend Camping Trip

We decided to forgo our planned weekend chores and take a trip to our favorite camping spot this past weekend for some relaxation.  The kids got the hang of casting a spinning reel and were taking the fish off themselves.  Just need to work on baiting the hook.  The patches on our air mattresses gave out over night and we all woke up on the ground, so we decided to cut the trip a bit short.

Got the fire going.

Roasting hot dogs for dinner.

Mom in the kitchen.

From our spot on top of the mountain you can see the lights of Rural Retreat (I think).

Nice sunset.

They're not babies anymore...

Relaxing at the fire.

 

Alex with a nice bluegill.

 

Unfortunately, Mom had to do some studying.

 

 

Alex caught a fish almost every cast from this log.

 

Kennedy did well at her spot too.

Rocky couldn't wait until the kids pulled in the next fish. He tried to bite the fish when the kids released them.

 

Dixie got in on the fish biting action too.  

Lula fetched a stick or ball the ENTIRE time.  She was wiped out all day Sunday after we returned and barely left the couch.

We have ducks! May UPDATE!!!

UPDATE!!!


Duck coop and run complete.  If we could just tell the boys from the girls, we could keep 3-4 girls and 1 boy.  10 is just too many.  We let them out on the weekends to play in the creek.  They are beginning to remember how to get back into the run.

The ducks are enjoying their new home, but they don't use the coop.  They just lay under it at night.  Oh well, it looks good at least.  FYI, the exposed wire on the right is now buried.

So, I have been getting repeated requests that we get some ducks, especially since we have the creek for them to enjoy.  After reading up in the topic we're almost finished with their house and we picked up 10 Indian Runner babies last weekend.  Still have to stain the house and build a 10'x16' enclosed run for them to hang out in while we're not at home.  The kids have named about half of the ducklings already.

Framed in and roof installed.

 

Front siding on. I had some old rough cut lumber that I planed down. Had to pre-drill each screw hole so it wouldn't split.

 

Siding complete. Have to install egg door, side clean out door, front door and ramp.

Here are the babies. They are a heck of a lot more messy than chicks but easily more animated. They'll let you know if they're out of food or water or if they're cold.

April Update

We have 11 chicks almost ready to go outside, 12 more brand new chicks I just bought today (when only intending on buying 4-5), and we're going to set 40 more bantams tomorrow.  I got some lumber to build a new duck coop and enclosure, we are going to get 8-10 ducklings in a couple weeks as well.  Lambs and goats are doing well.  I just wish the pasture grass would grow faster.


We had some friends and family come for a visit this past weekend.  It was good to see everyone and share the farm with them.  Thanks Dennis' and Personowski's (sorry for the spelling)!

Cleaning up another waste hay pile from this past winter.

This is Junior, he's a nut.  I didn't realize he was in there until I finished feeding.  He didn't make a sound and didn't want to get out either.

Lambs - about 2 months old.

Mommas are shedding their winter coats.

March Madness

We started lambing a week early, the last week of February, and finished up around mid March.  All lambs are doing well and over half of the ewes had twins.  This was all of the ewe's second lambing.  Cheesecake, our biggest pet goat, finally had a set of twins.  This was her first kidding and we never thought she would have them.  My egg hatch was not that great of a success.  I only  had 8 chicks survive out of 28 incubated, better than nothing right.

Some of the lambs.

Finally got Ashley to work.

The great 8.

Cheesecake with her babies.  They're four days old here.  The white one is a girl and we're keeping her.

Here's our other pet goat Olive and her baby Coco, who we are keeping.

Alex's friend, Nathan, came over and helped out a couple weekends ago.  We cleaned out the barn and a waste hay pile from the winter.  It took us two days but we had fun and I was impressed that my kids actually worked hard.

Happy 2016

Happy 2016!  A bit late but here is what has been going on.  We also bottle raised three calves and only have one nanny goat left to kid.  We are going to set some eggs in a day or two in order to get some blue lace red Wyandotte hens.

Momas to be chowing down. A set of twins on the left.

 

 

 

First lambs of 2016.  It's two sets of twins but one is off looking for mom.

 

Here's Bumpy with her single billy.

 

This is Cookie's baby girl, Shinguards.

New tires for the CR-V!!!