Hammy was trying to dispell the myth of pigs as dirty creatures. What do you think?
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Abraham the Free Range Pig
I have given up trying to keep Abraham (the pig) in his pen. Every day he pushes his way out of his pen under the fence. Every day I put him back at least half a dozen times. Until we can put a hot wire around the base of his pen, I have resigned myself to the fact that I have a free range pig.
What does that mean? It means that I must take steps to protect all items within his reach on the farm. It means that the chicken coop needs to be barracaded or he will go in, eat the chicken food, overturn their nesting boxes, and root up the ground in their pen. It means that the entrances to the shed must be blocked with gates or he will go in, knock the milking stand over, rip open the feed bags, and eat his fill of the grain. It means that the hot wire fence surrounding the garden must always be on or he will go in and root the whole thing up. It means that every morning there will be some sort of new destruction for me to clean up outside.
I would just put the hot wire up myself, but the fence posts are galvanized pipe and we need to drill the insulators onto the pipes...something that I need to use J's tools for and he's working. So until this weekend, I have a free range pig.
What does that mean? It means that I must take steps to protect all items within his reach on the farm. It means that the chicken coop needs to be barracaded or he will go in, eat the chicken food, overturn their nesting boxes, and root up the ground in their pen. It means that the entrances to the shed must be blocked with gates or he will go in, knock the milking stand over, rip open the feed bags, and eat his fill of the grain. It means that the hot wire fence surrounding the garden must always be on or he will go in and root the whole thing up. It means that every morning there will be some sort of new destruction for me to clean up outside.
I would just put the hot wire up myself, but the fence posts are galvanized pipe and we need to drill the insulators onto the pipes...something that I need to use J's tools for and he's working. So until this weekend, I have a free range pig.
Hilling Potatoes
I have begun the process of hilling the potato plants. I'm not sure if I am doing it right, but I've read lots of descriptions and think we'll be ok. It is just so counter-intuitive for a gardener to cover half of a growing plant with dirt. I feel like I'm smothering it.
I started this process a couple of days ago. Remember, I have over 100 potato plants...not a project for a single afternoon. In addition to hilling, I have to do some weeding to prepare for the hilling. Until now, I have been weeding around the potatoes, but not weeding the entire row. Since I need to loosen the soil around the potato in order to gather it over the plant, I needed to remove the weeds first.
I've gotten to the point now where I start weeding on my hands and knees, I don't pretend that I can do it bent over anymore. I have also learned that while it is a bit muddier, it is a lot easier to pull weeds just after the pivot has watered the garden. So, by the end of a session, I have to strip out of my jeans and jump into a shower. While weeding, I started wondering if there would be a way you could protect the potato plants from goats, but allow them to come in and just eat the weeds. It wouldn't work on the row vegetables very much and you would still have to weed right around the base of the plant, but it would be cool if the goats could weed for you. Maybe if you put buckets over the tops of the plants while they ate...but then you'd have to weight them down or they'd knock over the buckets. And knowing goats, potato plants would end up being their favorite plant (even though they are considered toxic).
After weeding the entire row of potatoes, I gathered the soil around the base of each potato plant. I covered the lower branches of the plant as well as just the "trunk." I wonder if cutting the limbs off of the trunk would be an acceptable alternative. I made sure to clump dirt over each branch to keep it pressed down, but I was careful not to break any of them.
The potato plants are about 10 inches tall, so I covered all but about 4 inches of the inner leaves/limbs. It was hard to get the mounds to stay where they are and not slip down off of the limbs.
I remember seeing someone who used tires for their potato plants and wonder if that might be the right way to do it. The planted the potato and when it was about 15 inches tall, they set a tire over the plant and filled it with dirt. When the potato had grown another 15 inches, they stacked a second tire on the first and filled it with dirt. Then when they were ready to harvest, they just pulled the tires off and were able to access the spuds.
A couple of other quick notes...
I weeded the carrots. The ones that were completely overgrown with weeds seemed to be growing stronger and bigger than the carrots that were exposed on the tops of the hills. I'm wondering if carrots might like some sort of cover crop planted along with them...maybe a creeping plant so that the root structure wouldn't invade the carrot's root space? I may have to try that next year.
The spinach is getting much bigger and it is becoming obvious that the thinned spinach is thriving more than the unthinned spinach. While it may be a pain to go in and thin, the spinach likes to have a bit of space.
The radishes are getting HUGE. I have two orders to deliver to Central Oregon Locavore on Thursday and I'm just hoping that the radishes aren't too woody by the time I pick them. It seems like they wilt so quickly after picking that I don't want to pick them much before Thursday morning. I pulled one out today that was the size of a plum. It was spicy, but good.
The corn is almost 5 inches tall and bright green. I think I'm going to have to weed the entire row for the corn, as the weeds on the sides and in the middle are getting tall enough that they are shading the sprouts.
Still haven't gotten the beans in the ground yet. If I don't get them done this weekend, I think we'll be too late to get any harvest. We need to disc the far end of the garden again as it is so full of grass and weeds that we cannot effectively plant. I need J to help me with that.
I started this process a couple of days ago. Remember, I have over 100 potato plants...not a project for a single afternoon. In addition to hilling, I have to do some weeding to prepare for the hilling. Until now, I have been weeding around the potatoes, but not weeding the entire row. Since I need to loosen the soil around the potato in order to gather it over the plant, I needed to remove the weeds first.
I've gotten to the point now where I start weeding on my hands and knees, I don't pretend that I can do it bent over anymore. I have also learned that while it is a bit muddier, it is a lot easier to pull weeds just after the pivot has watered the garden. So, by the end of a session, I have to strip out of my jeans and jump into a shower. While weeding, I started wondering if there would be a way you could protect the potato plants from goats, but allow them to come in and just eat the weeds. It wouldn't work on the row vegetables very much and you would still have to weed right around the base of the plant, but it would be cool if the goats could weed for you. Maybe if you put buckets over the tops of the plants while they ate...but then you'd have to weight them down or they'd knock over the buckets. And knowing goats, potato plants would end up being their favorite plant (even though they are considered toxic).
After weeding the entire row of potatoes, I gathered the soil around the base of each potato plant. I covered the lower branches of the plant as well as just the "trunk." I wonder if cutting the limbs off of the trunk would be an acceptable alternative. I made sure to clump dirt over each branch to keep it pressed down, but I was careful not to break any of them.
The potato plants are about 10 inches tall, so I covered all but about 4 inches of the inner leaves/limbs. It was hard to get the mounds to stay where they are and not slip down off of the limbs.
I remember seeing someone who used tires for their potato plants and wonder if that might be the right way to do it. The planted the potato and when it was about 15 inches tall, they set a tire over the plant and filled it with dirt. When the potato had grown another 15 inches, they stacked a second tire on the first and filled it with dirt. Then when they were ready to harvest, they just pulled the tires off and were able to access the spuds.
A couple of other quick notes...
I weeded the carrots. The ones that were completely overgrown with weeds seemed to be growing stronger and bigger than the carrots that were exposed on the tops of the hills. I'm wondering if carrots might like some sort of cover crop planted along with them...maybe a creeping plant so that the root structure wouldn't invade the carrot's root space? I may have to try that next year.
The spinach is getting much bigger and it is becoming obvious that the thinned spinach is thriving more than the unthinned spinach. While it may be a pain to go in and thin, the spinach likes to have a bit of space.
The radishes are getting HUGE. I have two orders to deliver to Central Oregon Locavore on Thursday and I'm just hoping that the radishes aren't too woody by the time I pick them. It seems like they wilt so quickly after picking that I don't want to pick them much before Thursday morning. I pulled one out today that was the size of a plum. It was spicy, but good.
The corn is almost 5 inches tall and bright green. I think I'm going to have to weed the entire row for the corn, as the weeds on the sides and in the middle are getting tall enough that they are shading the sprouts.
Still haven't gotten the beans in the ground yet. If I don't get them done this weekend, I think we'll be too late to get any harvest. We need to disc the far end of the garden again as it is so full of grass and weeds that we cannot effectively plant. I need J to help me with that.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Vaccinations and Hoof Trimming
I had a friend come over this morning to help me with vaccinations and hoof trimming. She had never done either before, but really enjoys working on the farm.
We started with vaccinations. I gave all of the goats their first shot of Covexin 8 - a combination of several vaccines including Clostridium chauvoei, Cl. septicum, Cl. novyi Type B, Cl. haemolyticum (known elsewhere as Cl. novyi Type D), Cl. tetani and Cl. perfringens Types C and D. It's made for sheep and cattle, but works just fine for goats. My friend even did a few of the injections.
We used a 20 gauge 1/2 inch needle. Each injection was 5 ml. We gave the injections just behind the front elbow...a place that is accepted by dairy goat owners. Sometimes the vaccine will leave a lump, so if you make sure to give it in this location, everyone knows that it is probably from your vaccinations and not from an abcess.
After each goat had been given their vaccine, I trimmed their hooves. I like to make sure that all of my goats have their hooves trimmed BEFORE there is a problem...so for most, I trimmed only a quarter inch off the sides. The only goat that we didn't do was Asha. She doesn't have a collar and J was busy replacing the brake pads on the car at the time, so we'll just catch her tomorrow.
In about three weeks, we will give everyone a booster (except Lilo who has already had Covexin 8 before and only needed an annual shot). This will protect them for an entire year.
When our new Nubian buckling gets here in July, I will give him his vaccine as well as a booster. He is just over three months old, but has not yet been given any vaccines. It's a slight chance to bring an outsider in without vaccinating beforehand, but the herd he is coming from is very well cared for - she just doesn't believe in vaccinating.
We have vaccines for the pigs, but we will wait until Hammy Fae and Ruby are closer to farrowing.
We started with vaccinations. I gave all of the goats their first shot of Covexin 8 - a combination of several vaccines including Clostridium chauvoei, Cl. septicum, Cl. novyi Type B, Cl. haemolyticum (known elsewhere as Cl. novyi Type D), Cl. tetani and Cl. perfringens Types C and D. It's made for sheep and cattle, but works just fine for goats. My friend even did a few of the injections.
We used a 20 gauge 1/2 inch needle. Each injection was 5 ml. We gave the injections just behind the front elbow...a place that is accepted by dairy goat owners. Sometimes the vaccine will leave a lump, so if you make sure to give it in this location, everyone knows that it is probably from your vaccinations and not from an abcess.
After each goat had been given their vaccine, I trimmed their hooves. I like to make sure that all of my goats have their hooves trimmed BEFORE there is a problem...so for most, I trimmed only a quarter inch off the sides. The only goat that we didn't do was Asha. She doesn't have a collar and J was busy replacing the brake pads on the car at the time, so we'll just catch her tomorrow.
In about three weeks, we will give everyone a booster (except Lilo who has already had Covexin 8 before and only needed an annual shot). This will protect them for an entire year.
When our new Nubian buckling gets here in July, I will give him his vaccine as well as a booster. He is just over three months old, but has not yet been given any vaccines. It's a slight chance to bring an outsider in without vaccinating beforehand, but the herd he is coming from is very well cared for - she just doesn't believe in vaccinating.
We have vaccines for the pigs, but we will wait until Hammy Fae and Ruby are closer to farrowing.
Do or Die
We decided that it was time to take the proverbial plunge and get the plant starts outside. For a few days, we have kept the plants in the beginning of the cold frame. At this point, it is really just a two foot deep hole next to the cistern...but it provides some heat at night and some shelter from the wind during the day. In addition to these things, we used plywood boards to shade the plants in the middle of the day so that they could grow a bit more accustomed to the sunshine without having to trek them in and out of the house each day.
For three days, the system went like this...pull off the boards around eight in the morning, close the boards around noon, open the boards around four, close the boards around nine at night. Then we stopped closing the boards at night. When we had done this for a couple of nights, we decided to plant.
We started late in the afternoon so that the sun wasn't too hot and the pivot was close to coming around to the garden side. Everyone helped. I placed the plants where we needed to plant them. M and Z weeded around the spots. J hand tilled the spots and placed the plants. K picked up the empty cartons and kept them from blowing in the wind. By the end, we all were planting something. It was great.
We didn't get everything planted in one evening, so tonight I went back out and finished the job. The only things left in four inch pots are the herb starts and the flowers. We'll get those planted in a few days.
I do still need to get the pole beans in the ground. I'm not procrastinating, but I need to get the trellis set up before I plant. I may work on that tomorrow...although J and I may be ready to stretch fence for the new pasture that brings the horses closer to the house.
In addition to planting, I did a lot more weeding. I have all of the corn weeded. They are all about two inches tall now. It's neat to see the bright green sprouts. I have a hard time not singing that country song..."I'm gonna live where the green grass grows, watchin' our corn pop up in rows, every night be tucked in close to you. Raise our kids where the good Lord's blessed, point our rockin' chairs toward the west, and plant our dreams where the peaceful river flows, oh, where the green grass grows." That's Tim McGraw.
A couple of notes...
The lettuce seems to turn red after I thin. I think that the more exposure to sunlight, the more red the leaves get. It doesn't seem to hamper growth when I don't thin. But we'll wait a bit longer to see how they do as the plants mature. Oh, I sold two bags (gallon ziploc) of lettuce to an egg customer for $2 a bag. These were baby greens that I had thinned out.
The radishes are getting huge! I have already sold several bunches and still have lots left. Not sure how bad it is for them to be exposed to the sun. I've been trying to push dirt up over the tops a bit.
The spinach is growing great. The rows that I thinned are getting big and are taking on a dark green look. The experimental unthinned row is bright green, although it seems like it is growing just as well as the thinned rows. I may be able to start picking baby leaves soon.
The potatoes are about six inches tall now. I noticed tonight that many of them seem to have shot up in the last two days. It has been pretty hot (almost 90) so I wonder if that helped them sprout up. I think we will be ready to start the first round of hilling by this weekend.
For three days, the system went like this...pull off the boards around eight in the morning, close the boards around noon, open the boards around four, close the boards around nine at night. Then we stopped closing the boards at night. When we had done this for a couple of nights, we decided to plant.
We started late in the afternoon so that the sun wasn't too hot and the pivot was close to coming around to the garden side. Everyone helped. I placed the plants where we needed to plant them. M and Z weeded around the spots. J hand tilled the spots and placed the plants. K picked up the empty cartons and kept them from blowing in the wind. By the end, we all were planting something. It was great.
We didn't get everything planted in one evening, so tonight I went back out and finished the job. The only things left in four inch pots are the herb starts and the flowers. We'll get those planted in a few days.
I do still need to get the pole beans in the ground. I'm not procrastinating, but I need to get the trellis set up before I plant. I may work on that tomorrow...although J and I may be ready to stretch fence for the new pasture that brings the horses closer to the house.
In addition to planting, I did a lot more weeding. I have all of the corn weeded. They are all about two inches tall now. It's neat to see the bright green sprouts. I have a hard time not singing that country song..."I'm gonna live where the green grass grows, watchin' our corn pop up in rows, every night be tucked in close to you. Raise our kids where the good Lord's blessed, point our rockin' chairs toward the west, and plant our dreams where the peaceful river flows, oh, where the green grass grows." That's Tim McGraw.
A couple of notes...
The lettuce seems to turn red after I thin. I think that the more exposure to sunlight, the more red the leaves get. It doesn't seem to hamper growth when I don't thin. But we'll wait a bit longer to see how they do as the plants mature. Oh, I sold two bags (gallon ziploc) of lettuce to an egg customer for $2 a bag. These were baby greens that I had thinned out.
The radishes are getting huge! I have already sold several bunches and still have lots left. Not sure how bad it is for them to be exposed to the sun. I've been trying to push dirt up over the tops a bit.
The spinach is growing great. The rows that I thinned are getting big and are taking on a dark green look. The experimental unthinned row is bright green, although it seems like it is growing just as well as the thinned rows. I may be able to start picking baby leaves soon.
The potatoes are about six inches tall now. I noticed tonight that many of them seem to have shot up in the last two days. It has been pretty hot (almost 90) so I wonder if that helped them sprout up. I think we will be ready to start the first round of hilling by this weekend.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Feed for the Animals
We decided to do things a little bit different this month. Rather than scramble each week to find the cash to buy feed for the animals, we estimated how much feed we need for 30 days and bought it all today. We made the trek to Redmond for some locally grown and made feed from a company called Haystack. They buy grains as locally as possible and have a mill in Culver and sell out of the Oregon Feed and Irrigation store in Redmond. Great product and great prices. I love the idea that we can tell our customers that our animals eat locally grown grains and grasses.
So here's the breakdown...
For the pigs, we have three adults and two growers. Each adult gets 6 pounds of grain a day total. For cost effectiveness, I have been giving them 3 pounds of pig chow and 3 pounds of all breed (cheaper than pig chow). Each grower gets 5 pounds of grain a day total...3 pounds of pig chow and 2 pounds of all breed. In total, the pigs eat 15 pounds of pig chow and 13 pounds of all breed each day.
For the goats, we have one doe in milk, two adult does, and four kids. Lilo, our milker, gets 3 pounds of all breed per day. Each of the other adults get 1 pound of all breed per day. Each of the kids gets a half pound of all breed per day. In total, the goats eat 7 pounds of all breed each day.
For the chickens, ducks and geese, I feed a total of 6 pounds of layer pellets per day.
For the baby chickens, I feed free choice chick starter...we didn't buy any of this today.
We will have meat chickens starting next Tuesday, so we need to make sure we have enough meat bird pellets to feed 4 pounds a day.
The grand total is 15 pounds of pig chow, 20 pounds of all breed, and 3 pounds of layer pellets per day. For 30 days, we need 450 pounds of pig chow (nine 50lb bags), 600 pounds of all breed (twelve 50lb bags), 180 pounds of layer pellets (four 50lb bags), and 120 pounds of meat bird pellets (three 50lb bags).
The cost:
So here's the breakdown...
For the pigs, we have three adults and two growers. Each adult gets 6 pounds of grain a day total. For cost effectiveness, I have been giving them 3 pounds of pig chow and 3 pounds of all breed (cheaper than pig chow). Each grower gets 5 pounds of grain a day total...3 pounds of pig chow and 2 pounds of all breed. In total, the pigs eat 15 pounds of pig chow and 13 pounds of all breed each day.
For the goats, we have one doe in milk, two adult does, and four kids. Lilo, our milker, gets 3 pounds of all breed per day. Each of the other adults get 1 pound of all breed per day. Each of the kids gets a half pound of all breed per day. In total, the goats eat 7 pounds of all breed each day.
For the chickens, ducks and geese, I feed a total of 6 pounds of layer pellets per day.
For the baby chickens, I feed free choice chick starter...we didn't buy any of this today.
We will have meat chickens starting next Tuesday, so we need to make sure we have enough meat bird pellets to feed 4 pounds a day.
The grand total is 15 pounds of pig chow, 20 pounds of all breed, and 3 pounds of layer pellets per day. For 30 days, we need 450 pounds of pig chow (nine 50lb bags), 600 pounds of all breed (twelve 50lb bags), 180 pounds of layer pellets (four 50lb bags), and 120 pounds of meat bird pellets (three 50lb bags).
The cost:
- 9 Pig Chow x $11.95 = $107.55
- 12 All Breed x $11.95 = $143.40
- 4 Layer Pellets x $10.95 = $43.80
- 3 Meat Bird x $10.95 = $32.85
Radish Notes
It is DEFINITELY better to take the time to space the seeds out as you plant radishes. I thinned the row that I "hand-planted" today and had so many fewer to pull because they were well-spaced. When using the seed-popper thingy, the seeds were in bunches and while you want bunches of radishes when you pick them, they don't grow well that way.
So remember for next year, take the time to hand plant the radish seeds.
So remember for next year, take the time to hand plant the radish seeds.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Thinning the Plants Again
I spent this afternoon weeding and thinning again. The beets have grown large enough that I can really see which ones are thriving and which ones are struggling. I thinned them to where there is about 3 inches between plants...probably not as thinned as necessary, but they look good right now. And as an added bonus, the beet greens will go into a salad for dinner tonight.
I had never tasted beet greens before. They have a wonderful flavor, somewhere in between spinach and beets. I'm not sure if you are supposed to cook them like spinach, but I just tossed them together with some radishes and ate them raw.
In addition to thinning the beets, I made sure that the second lettuce rows and the spinach were thinned enough. As with the beets, these miniature versions of the desired plant went into the salad. Yum.
The radishes are large enough to harvest. I put them up on the Central Oregon Locavore website along with some of the broiler chickens we have in the freezer. We'll see if there are any takers.
I transplanted the peppers into the ground today. They seemed to be ok this evening when I checked on them, but we'll see how they do overnight. They tolerate the sunshine better than the tomatoes and squash have so far, but I'm not sure that they will like the cold wind in the evenings.
I had never tasted beet greens before. They have a wonderful flavor, somewhere in between spinach and beets. I'm not sure if you are supposed to cook them like spinach, but I just tossed them together with some radishes and ate them raw.
In addition to thinning the beets, I made sure that the second lettuce rows and the spinach were thinned enough. As with the beets, these miniature versions of the desired plant went into the salad. Yum.
The radishes are large enough to harvest. I put them up on the Central Oregon Locavore website along with some of the broiler chickens we have in the freezer. We'll see if there are any takers.
I transplanted the peppers into the ground today. They seemed to be ok this evening when I checked on them, but we'll see how they do overnight. They tolerate the sunshine better than the tomatoes and squash have so far, but I'm not sure that they will like the cold wind in the evenings.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Weeding Potatoes
I went outside this morning to find the potatoes. They have been swamped by grass and weeds and I wasn't sure that they were even sprouting yet. The grass is mainly from the field (we tilled under part of the hay field when we created the garden), and it is impossible to get rid of. So I decided that my approach would need to be more localized.
I began at one end of the first potato row, hunting through the weeds for any signs of what might be a baby potato. I had a vague recollection of what a potato plant looked like, but I was confident that I would see a few of them sprouting in an unnatural pattern and be able to determine which plants they were. After several minutes of hunting, I found one. I carefully pulled all of the weeds out from around it, creating a two foot diameter circle around the sprouting plant. I did all of this bent over in the typical weeding fashion.
I then began to search for the next plant. My back was already aching so I crouched down, searching through the weeds. Occasionally I would pull out a dandelion or thistle for good measure, but honestly, I was just interested in finding the potato. Slowly, I found myself crawling on my hands and knees down the trough along the row bed.
When you are weeding, you have a lot of time to think. Sometimes I sing, sometimes I think. Today, after I had exhausted all of the songs I wanted to sing, I began to think. And as I crawled through the trough, I began to imagine I was a soldier in a jungle, searching for lost men. Each time I found a small sprout, I would talk to it. "You're fine. Let's just get you cleaned up and set to go." I would attack the weeds as if they were enemies waiting to ambush my patient. Insect soldiers would scatter as I uprooted their shelters. There was even an invasion of black ants. The helicopters practicing touch and gos at the airport only added to the illusion of a battlefield. In the end, my potatoes were safe, open to the sun and the rain, ready to grow.
I began at one end of the first potato row, hunting through the weeds for any signs of what might be a baby potato. I had a vague recollection of what a potato plant looked like, but I was confident that I would see a few of them sprouting in an unnatural pattern and be able to determine which plants they were. After several minutes of hunting, I found one. I carefully pulled all of the weeds out from around it, creating a two foot diameter circle around the sprouting plant. I did all of this bent over in the typical weeding fashion.
I then began to search for the next plant. My back was already aching so I crouched down, searching through the weeds. Occasionally I would pull out a dandelion or thistle for good measure, but honestly, I was just interested in finding the potato. Slowly, I found myself crawling on my hands and knees down the trough along the row bed.
When you are weeding, you have a lot of time to think. Sometimes I sing, sometimes I think. Today, after I had exhausted all of the songs I wanted to sing, I began to think. And as I crawled through the trough, I began to imagine I was a soldier in a jungle, searching for lost men. Each time I found a small sprout, I would talk to it. "You're fine. Let's just get you cleaned up and set to go." I would attack the weeds as if they were enemies waiting to ambush my patient. Insect soldiers would scatter as I uprooted their shelters. There was even an invasion of black ants. The helicopters practicing touch and gos at the airport only added to the illusion of a battlefield. In the end, my potatoes were safe, open to the sun and the rain, ready to grow.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
First Grade Field Trip
Well, we survived the onslaught of first graders to the farm today. Z had just finished a unit about small farms in his classroom and I suggested that they come out to a real farm for some hands-on experience. I was a bit nervous, but mainly due to the numerous unpredictable factors in the trip (i.e. the animals).
As if to remind me of the unpredictable nature of animals, one of our younger pigs decided to break out of his pen right before the bus arrived. So as I tried to coax the pig back into his pen, one of the mothers who arrived early to help directed the bus to a parking spot. Luckily Abraham decided that he wanted to go back in (you CANNOT force a pig over 75 pounds to do anything...just coax). We tried to secure the spot where he escaped before, but it wasn't a permanent fix. About halfway through the field trip he escaped again. The kids didn't even notice he was out before I bribed him back into his pen with a bucket of grain. I fixed the hole with a door and some baling twine (thank God for baling twine). He didn't escape again.
As for the field trip, I set up the trip so that the kids rotated through several stations with their leader. Each station had a leader who was there to ask/answer questions and help the students to get in touch with the farm. There were five stations in all:
1. Pigs - with Hammy Fae
2. Chickens, Ducks and Geese
3. Goats - minus Tumbleweed who couldn't quit head-butting the kids
4. Horses - with JD, our friend's mini-horse (not a pony)
5. Field/Garden
With the animal stations, the kids looked for their food, water, shelter, and space, fed the animals, and pet them. With the field/garden station, the kids planted corn (free labor) and planted their own flower in a pot to take home. Everyone had a great time and nobody got hurt.
I sometimes forget how enraptured you can get with a farm full of animals. All of the kids were very engaged in their activities and nobody acted inappropriately. The animals were very good as well. Hammy let everyone rub her belly and feed her carrots - quite a sacrifice for her, I'm sure. The goats and the horses let the kids love on them, brush them, and feed them grain - so selfless. And the chickens, well, let the kids feed them. The chickens are not so interested in kid love...but Pecker was well-mannered which is unusual. He may have heard that I have become proficient at the butcher process. And while I'm not exactly sure where the kids planted the corn, I know that they did plant it. All in all, a great day!
As if to remind me of the unpredictable nature of animals, one of our younger pigs decided to break out of his pen right before the bus arrived. So as I tried to coax the pig back into his pen, one of the mothers who arrived early to help directed the bus to a parking spot. Luckily Abraham decided that he wanted to go back in (you CANNOT force a pig over 75 pounds to do anything...just coax). We tried to secure the spot where he escaped before, but it wasn't a permanent fix. About halfway through the field trip he escaped again. The kids didn't even notice he was out before I bribed him back into his pen with a bucket of grain. I fixed the hole with a door and some baling twine (thank God for baling twine). He didn't escape again.
As for the field trip, I set up the trip so that the kids rotated through several stations with their leader. Each station had a leader who was there to ask/answer questions and help the students to get in touch with the farm. There were five stations in all:
1. Pigs - with Hammy Fae
2. Chickens, Ducks and Geese
3. Goats - minus Tumbleweed who couldn't quit head-butting the kids
4. Horses - with JD, our friend's mini-horse (not a pony)
5. Field/Garden
With the animal stations, the kids looked for their food, water, shelter, and space, fed the animals, and pet them. With the field/garden station, the kids planted corn (free labor) and planted their own flower in a pot to take home. Everyone had a great time and nobody got hurt.
I sometimes forget how enraptured you can get with a farm full of animals. All of the kids were very engaged in their activities and nobody acted inappropriately. The animals were very good as well. Hammy let everyone rub her belly and feed her carrots - quite a sacrifice for her, I'm sure. The goats and the horses let the kids love on them, brush them, and feed them grain - so selfless. And the chickens, well, let the kids feed them. The chickens are not so interested in kid love...but Pecker was well-mannered which is unusual. He may have heard that I have become proficient at the butcher process. And while I'm not exactly sure where the kids planted the corn, I know that they did plant it. All in all, a great day!
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Thinning and Planting
Today was the first nice day in a long time. While the wind was still pretty strong, the day was sunny and warm. I took this opportunity to plant a few new rows and to thin some of the existing plants.
I was surprised how painful it was to thin seedlings in the garden - both physically and emotionally. It was a struggle to break little lettuce plants from their dirt nests. It was hard to make sure you didn't pull out all of the plants as you tried to thin. Did you know that with this variety of lettuce you are supposed to thin to 8 inches apart? It seems excessive. I thought I had chosen a leaf lettuce variety so that I would not have to thin, but apparently this leaf lettuce grows as a bunch. And while I used the seed popper thingy to plant, hoping that it would make the seeds drop in at a more regulated rate, they clumped together a lot. I think that I may take the time to seed by hand on the next go around just because it will save time in the thinning process.
So I thinned the lettuce and the radishes. The radishes were painful because I could see their young bulbs growing as I pulled them up. I know that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one (thanks Spock), but it was hard to destroy the potential radishes as I pulled them up and tossed them into the trough.
After thinning, I planted a long row of beets. The beets that I planted earlier have sprouted and will need to be thinned, but they are still not showing both true leaves so I will let them have more time. In addition to beets, I planted a double row of snow peas and a small row of sunflowers.
I decided to plant the snow peas on the very first row of the garden. We were going to leave this row as a buffer, but by planting with snow peas, we can use the eventual fence as a trellis for them to grow on. I followed the sewing instructions that said to plant a double row three inches apart. We'll see. I know that the peas didn't stay in the exact location I put them when I covered them, so it will probably end up a single row that bounces within a three inch width. Hopefully they will all be able to stretch over to the eventual fence.
While I worked on planting, J worked on drilling holes for the new fence. I think he wanted to start on a fence for the garden, but I suggested that we build the new pen so that we don't need to let the goats out at all. Like a good hubby, he agreed. I'm not sure we will get the fence in this weekend...J is leaving for a field trip on Monday and we have a bit to prepare for that. But at least we're started.
A couple of small notes...
No sign of the hawk for a few days. Hopefully it has found another place to hunt.
I beleive that Hammy Fae is pregnant. She passed through her scheduled heat cycle without any outward signs. If she is, she will be due the end of August.
I also believe that Ruby Rose in pregnant. We need to wait another two weeks to see if she comes back into heat, but she and Jaws had quite a bit of time together and they were consumating often for a few days. If she is, she will be due the middle of September.
We added two Indian Runner hens to our duck flock. They are nice looking girls and should make great layers.
I have been sticking a couple of hens in the "brooding box." Both Snowball and Salsa decided that rather than lay eggs, they would like to hatch eggs. I disagreed and they both have been put in brooding boxes to break them. I use a wire cage with no bedding to do this. They are given food and water, but that's it. After about three days, I let them out and they usually are fine. If they go back to brooding, I put them back in. Apparently, a broody hen's temperature rises and one of the best ways to stop their brood is by cooling them off. The wire bottom of the cage does just this. It allows air to circulate under the hen and cools them down. I've tried ice cubes and cool baths too, but the brooding box works the best.
I was surprised how painful it was to thin seedlings in the garden - both physically and emotionally. It was a struggle to break little lettuce plants from their dirt nests. It was hard to make sure you didn't pull out all of the plants as you tried to thin. Did you know that with this variety of lettuce you are supposed to thin to 8 inches apart? It seems excessive. I thought I had chosen a leaf lettuce variety so that I would not have to thin, but apparently this leaf lettuce grows as a bunch. And while I used the seed popper thingy to plant, hoping that it would make the seeds drop in at a more regulated rate, they clumped together a lot. I think that I may take the time to seed by hand on the next go around just because it will save time in the thinning process.
So I thinned the lettuce and the radishes. The radishes were painful because I could see their young bulbs growing as I pulled them up. I know that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one (thanks Spock), but it was hard to destroy the potential radishes as I pulled them up and tossed them into the trough.
After thinning, I planted a long row of beets. The beets that I planted earlier have sprouted and will need to be thinned, but they are still not showing both true leaves so I will let them have more time. In addition to beets, I planted a double row of snow peas and a small row of sunflowers.
I decided to plant the snow peas on the very first row of the garden. We were going to leave this row as a buffer, but by planting with snow peas, we can use the eventual fence as a trellis for them to grow on. I followed the sewing instructions that said to plant a double row three inches apart. We'll see. I know that the peas didn't stay in the exact location I put them when I covered them, so it will probably end up a single row that bounces within a three inch width. Hopefully they will all be able to stretch over to the eventual fence.
While I worked on planting, J worked on drilling holes for the new fence. I think he wanted to start on a fence for the garden, but I suggested that we build the new pen so that we don't need to let the goats out at all. Like a good hubby, he agreed. I'm not sure we will get the fence in this weekend...J is leaving for a field trip on Monday and we have a bit to prepare for that. But at least we're started.
A couple of small notes...
No sign of the hawk for a few days. Hopefully it has found another place to hunt.
I beleive that Hammy Fae is pregnant. She passed through her scheduled heat cycle without any outward signs. If she is, she will be due the end of August.
I also believe that Ruby Rose in pregnant. We need to wait another two weeks to see if she comes back into heat, but she and Jaws had quite a bit of time together and they were consumating often for a few days. If she is, she will be due the middle of September.
We added two Indian Runner hens to our duck flock. They are nice looking girls and should make great layers.
I have been sticking a couple of hens in the "brooding box." Both Snowball and Salsa decided that rather than lay eggs, they would like to hatch eggs. I disagreed and they both have been put in brooding boxes to break them. I use a wire cage with no bedding to do this. They are given food and water, but that's it. After about three days, I let them out and they usually are fine. If they go back to brooding, I put them back in. Apparently, a broody hen's temperature rises and one of the best ways to stop their brood is by cooling them off. The wire bottom of the cage does just this. It allows air to circulate under the hen and cools them down. I've tried ice cubes and cool baths too, but the brooding box works the best.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Bald Eagle
 |
| Bald eagle and red-tailed hawk. |
My thoughts as I watched this (I was stopped at an intersection but just sat there while this event unfolded) was that most people never get to see this type of thing, nevermind witnessing it on the "commute" to school. So often I look out the window in the office and admire the grass growing in the field. I watch the clouds in the sky. I study the mountains in the distance. And I forget to be thankful. I forget that I am extremely lucky to live in a place where a bald eagle is almost commonplace.
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