Friday, February 21
This past week we have seen some bitter cold temperatures here on the homestead. As you know a cold front moved across the country. Our location was on the southern border of the cold front, and while we didn't get the projected three to eight inches of snow, we did get an inch or so. The wind was horrible and the snow drifts were pretty cool as they swirled around the goat domes creating a circular bank a foot and a half away from the dome's exterior wall. I am glad we didn't get too much snow.
Around here, these freak storms come, but usually the temps warm up soon after, melting almost everything within a day or two. This week, we ended up with temperatures staying below freezing for a few days before we started seeing days in the low 30s, but lows in the teens. Wednesday morning, our low got down to 3 with wind-chill below zero. Those sort of temps make me thankful for my insulated farm coveralls and a heated milking parlor.
Happy to say, all the animals stayed warm and everyone was glad to see the sun and warmth return today: if you consider 35 to 40 warm enough to come out and play!
This is the time of year that homestead "seasonal" chores start piling up and prioritizing becomes difficult. But difficult doesn't mean impossible, and knowing my limits is important in order to know how to avoid the attitude that sees tasks as impossible.
Obviously, this is the time for starting seeds. Do I have to? No, but I found it helps at planting time to have that 6 week head start. I don't have anything fancy. Just a shelf in the milk room with LED lights over head. Since the room has a heater, it stays about 60 degrees. Other than direct sow seeds, everything else but leeks have been started. Today, I started some more greens and some onions (even though I ordered onion plants/sets). The cabbage is coming up, as is the spinach, and a few herbs.
I am also working on herd maintenance as I get hooves trimmed, famacha scores down (shows signs of anemia), copper boluses, and treating them for parasites if they need it. So far only one goat, my oldest girl Mocha, is at a level that could be an issue. Then again, I haven't even worked my way through half the herd yet.
Wide load Jersey!
More goats are nearing kidding time, with Stratton Creek Sally due the 20th of March. I have started bringing her to the milk stand for a bit of grain each morning, as well as to get my hands on her udder. She will be a first time momma, but she is doing pretty well already. Soon after she kids, Jersey and Maizie are due. Then at the end of the month of March, Serenade is due. Finally, in the middle of April, the last two, Bit O' Honey and Juniper, will kid.
Sugar Plum and Sugar Cookie
I have been milking our newest addition, Sugar Plum, every morning. She has done a really good job adjusting. She hadn't been milked for a while, so her milk production did drop from what the seller was getting. Then a week ago, I ran out of one brand of goat pellets and started using an organic feed, only to find out she would NOT eat it. So, she dropped about a cup in production until I was able to get a different brand. Then the cold temps hit and she started using extra energy to keep warm, rather than make milk. However, she has not dropped below one pint, and I am happy to have several jars in the refrigerator. I definitely look forward to more milk in a little over a month!
We have 25 chicks due to arrive in just a few weeks, and I need to get the basement garage cleaned up and prepped for them since that is the only place I have to put them in a brooder. We decided to go with Buff Orpingtons, which I probably said already in a previous post. However, we decided that with the stupidity that has come about because of the bird flu. We will keep all the adult birds we have on the homestead in order to have some eggs coming in.
my tour guides
We have yet to process our turkeys, but perhaps two of them will be processed this upcoming month as I work toward getting them into their own area in order to keep them out of my berry patch. My plan is to put them in the old sheep dry lot. It would give them PLENTY of space.
This Sunday, I will need to get out and prune my fruit trees since spring is around the corner and it should be done during dormancy (although, some say it doesn't matter when it is done.) I also need to get the black berry patch trellis taken down and put up properly since last year it wasn't done well. And...I need a raspberry trellis put up for the few I have.
compost pile
Al was able to turn the compost a few weeks back and it looks like there will be plenty for filling raised beds and buckets. I still need to assemble four more beds that I purchased several months ago. My only concern is what to put into my four grow towers. They require loose and absorbent soil with plenty of nutrition.
The garden lay out has been planned and it is just a matter of getting the buckets and rings into place, raised beds built and filled, and trellises put in place for beans, cucumbers, and a few other things.
We picked up the meat from two sheep and a goat earlier this week. I had asked the butcher if he could please take a look at the goat to see if anything was wrong with her female parts. He said he would and we found out she was a hermaphrodite. So three years of two people, the seller and me, trying to get her bred, and we finally know she could not get pregnant. Our choice to use her for another purpose sits so much better knowing. (Not that it didn't sit right to process her, but knowing she couldn't do what she was bought for makes it easier.) At any rate, Al thinks there was probably 70 pounds of meat altogether from the sheep and the goat. This came to approximately $3 per pound for grass-fed lamb and goat.
Sunday, February 23
Today has been a busy day, as Sundays usually are for us. The weather is unseasonably warm and we are relishing in it.
My milk room white board
After morning chores, I went out with Caleb and we did maintenance on the remaining does. A few goats were at a "keep watch" level for anemia, and i will be treating them for parasites. Only one of my does, Juniper, was very anemic and I immediately treated her with both Cydectin and Safeguard. She got iron and B complex vitamins, and a copper bolus. I hope I caught it in time. She is pregnant and due on April 12th. Now I have the four bucks to tend to, and we will be done for about two months.
I was able to plant some leek and flower seeds in a tray today. Oh, and yesterday I noticed a mouse had dug up several of my kale and greens seeds I had just planted. So I moved the tray to a different location to keep the mice away. So far they haven't returned. My lettuce seeds have germinated and most have emerged. If the Bronze beauty do not germinate, I will plant another type instead.
apple tree
pear tree
I was able to go out and get all my fruit trees pruned, including my giant pear tree and the big apple. After studying the trees a bit, I decided to remove a huge chunk from the apple. So Al came in and used a chainsaw to cut portions off. Caleb climbed the tree for me and helped pull down the tall suckers so they could be dead headed to promote lateral growth. Both the pear and apple trees were on the property when we moved here. The pear is a Bartlett and the apple is red delicious from what the previous owner said. I also have three apple trees that are about three years old, three peach trees about four years old, and two plum trees the same age. I am very happy with how they look and prayed a little prayer that these trees are able to bear some fruit without disease. If not, we have next year.
The next task is to tackle the blackberry patch. I hope to get it done this week some time. I also hope to get a trellis up for the raspberries. I also want to remove the trellises from last year's garden and put them off to the side while beds go in and clean up is done.
And that about wraps it up for this blog post. I hope you all are well.
