Critters...

Summer has gone by too fast. Much to fast. I realize I have been neglectful when it comes to my blog. I like to tell myself that not much as been happening to write about, but that's not entirely true.

 

This post is dedicated to sharing all the new critters that have come to live at our house over the summer months.

 

 

First was Gus.

 

What little girl doesn't dream of having a horse? I certainly did. I am forty-two years old and I finally got myself a horse. I have so much to learn about horses and so much to learn from him. Thankfully, Gus is patient with me. He is a pasture buddy to Anna's pony Maximus and my two rams, Neptune and Gunnar. They all get along very well.

 

 

Next came Hermione

 

and Alexandria

 

Then came this little guy...

Who, by the way, is growing fast and not so little anymore. We call him "Jack" because Anna loves Little House On The Prairie and that was one of Laura's dog's name. Jack is a mutt - but we are guessing he maybe he has a little bit of border collie in him from his coloring and markings.  He cried constantly the first 5 days we had him, but gradually he stopped crying. He seems eager to please, but has a lot to learn. Jack has quickly captured my heart. I pray he has enough sense to stay away from tires and moving vehicles.

 

 

And my last purchase, could possibly be the one that causes me to lose all my hair!

Trixie

 

I brought Trixie home last Friday. I built a small pen for her in the barn right next to the other sheep. Trixie, apparently did not like her pen and jumped over the fence, not once, not twice, but three times. I finally gave up and put her in with the other sheep. Who, by the way, were not as happy as I was to have another ewe in the barn. They chased her away and head butted her when-ever they got the chance.

Sunday morning,  I was outside bright and early, thinking I was going to go to church at 8, so I wanted to get my chores done. I like walking out in the pasture among my sheep and scratching their chins. Even though I wasn't anywhere near her, Trixie freaked out. She ran into the barn, cleared the fence to the pen with no problem and jumped out the  walk-in door. I spent the next hour trying to "catch" her. She just wanted to circle the house. Finally, the farmer came out and together we managed to corral her into one of the sheds. I was able catch her with no problem after that. Honestly, I was ready to put her into a trailer and haul her to the sale barn. But, I didn't. I took her into the barn and sheared her ( she had managed to get her fleece full of burrs). She was well behaved during her shearing, probably cause she wore herself out. Then, I put her back in with the rest of the flock. I'm happy to say, she has since calmed down quite a bit and doesn't run every time I go out there, however, we have a long way to go before she is eating out of my hands.

 

 

It's been a hot, dry summer and I welcome the coming of Fall.

 

 

~Blessings

Kathy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Everyday Farming Problems

It has been a busy week here. The planting is done.. The garden is in. But we haven't had any rain. Things are dry. So I've been watering like crazy. The new fruit trees, the garden, the animals.

Moon Gold Apricot Tree

Yellow Transparent Apple Tree

If you have been following my blog you might remember that a few weeks ago (or maybe longer) we lost a few chickens and ducks. I was confused because it didnt' seem like  coyote behavior. Well, we caught the predator red handed. Our neighbor's dog. We really like our neighbors and the dog has visited before and we speculated the loss of a few other birds might have been him but for some reason it never occured to me that he was the cause this time. But then a few days later, I caught him red handed. Our neighbors have cooperated in efforts to keep this from happening again and  reimbursed me for the  loss. Its good to have wonderful neighbors.

This is what I woke up too yesterday morning. "Georgy Porgy pudding and pie, kissed the girls and made them cry when the boys came out to play Georgy Porgy ran away."

You should have run away Georgy.

 Poor Georgy. He fared better then I did. Things like this stress me out. I have such a small flock of sheep I dont' keep a lot of medications on hand. After I panicked, I made a trip to the vet and after I got him doctored up, I felt much better. It was just the shell he broke off. He was so good letting me take care of him.

Last night we finally caught our nightly visitor, or at least one of them. The cat food was disappearing at an alarming rate and duck eggs were being eaten by the dozen. I found this in the barn when I got up this morning.

I set the trap, and now I am trying to play the girl card and get the farmer to take it from here. Poor thing looks terrified.

He will be relocated.

Our son got his ATV this week so we took a ride through the pasture and around the farm the other night. It was really windy and if you didn't keep your mouth closed you ended up with a mouth full of insects.

We saw deer, coyotes and a pair of pheasants. All running to fast for me to get any pictures.

These are new food plots for the wild life.

black raspberry plant, but they need rain

So happy to see he always wears his safety goggles and helmet.

Fishing pond #1.

These were everywhere. Any idea what kind of flower they are?

Old barn which houses the rams and ponies.

Pond #2. It had lots of catfish in it at one time. Not sure if they are still there or not.

But there are dozen and dozens of frogs.

Hoping all of you have a blessed weekend and please pray for rain.

Its Lambing time at Smith Farms

Brei Holmes started off this lambing season by having two stunning ram lambs on Tuesday.

These two are quite lovely and I am excited to see if they will have the same stunning, crimpy fleece their father has.

Today I was surprised when I found Shillelagh with a little lamb by her side. I thought for sure she was a week or two off yet as she wasn't very big at all.

This was Shillelagh when she was born 3/17/2011

This is Shillelagh today -with her lamb

She has always been the kids favorite and you can see why- she is extremely laid back and friendly..she loves the kids.

Somewhere through the course of the year she lost all her lovely black!!

Shillelagh's Ram lamb - I would love for him to stay black- he is gorgeous!

So the count today is 3 lambs - 3 boys! Only 2 girls to go.

 

Farm Friday

Happy Farm Friday

New Khaki Campbells

Delilah & her lamb Stratus

 

Busy Beavers

 camera shy?

 Rhode Island Reds looking for lunch

Knock Out Rose Bush

 Garden Angel



Truly a Fabulous Farm Friday

Spring is finally here and the rain has finally stopped long enough to get outside and start planting. - except for my garden of course, we will talk more about that later.

There is a lot going on at the farm right now. I think for the sake of time, I will combine everything into one post.

The fields were at last dry enough on Monday to start planting. We have managed to plant some 700 acres of corn so far this week and several hundred acres of soybeans.

But what really makes my mouth water is the first draft of sweet corn was put in the ground yesterday!

My two oldest boys filling the planter with sweet corn.

That's Maggie my son's border collie "hiding and waiting" for the next car that should come down the road.

Show off!

So, I've been dealing with trying to keep my sheep in their fence. (hence the reason we have no garden-what I did have planted, the sheep have eaten) We had existing barbwire fence already and was trying to make it work. It won't work. We have been Rigging it trying to keep sheep in till it rains and we have time to re-fence it with proper fencing.

Still Priscilla insists on getting out. That's me, trying to rig the fence to keep her in. Her black wool is all over the barb wire. 

Its hard to get a shearer to come to your farm for just 4 sheep. After Priscilla made her latest escape I noticed how badly she was rooing. I'd heard and read about other shepherds who rooed their sheep. Hmm...I could try that. So, after lunch I decided to give it a try. My husband was rather skeptical when I told him what I was planning to do and he found his way out to the barn to laugh see if I was having any success. It was working but I was more then thankful when he stepped in to lend me a hand. It was quite a job.

Priscilla after being rooed- I missed a few tuffs of wool on her underside but I have to say she looks better then she did after the shearer got done with her last year. I was really disappointed to see all the white hairs in her pretty black wool. Almost like an old lady going grey, but she is only 2 years old. She was solid black last year. 

One of my darling little helpers.

My other helper and one of Brie's ewe lambs - Sunkiss.

Aren't they cute?

Caleb and Shillelagh

I need a nap!

I've been getting an abudance of eggs lately. Anyone who stops for a visit has been known to be given

a dozen eggs.

Give a little - Get a little!!!

One Friend I gave eggs too, wanted to return the favor and delivered to my door step, just in time for desert this beautiful pavlova. It was every bit as good as it looks.

It has been a very blessed week and truly, truly a fabulous farm Friday.

~Kathy