Just another Day on the Farm

Its all Mental..

Posted on March 14, 2014 by Just another day on the farm

I looked out this morning and standing in the one corner of my front pasture was my horse’s, sam was just hanging out but Brandy, well Brandy was staring at the house.. and she knew I was up and moving around.. I got the horse eye, and when I let the hounds out, she called to me, her soft nicker.. Hi Mom!, Hay please and her head bopped up and down.. and I said sorry girl, I have full new hay bales coming in this morning, and if it get here before X time, I want to hold the core from the last bale of hay back for other use

Now her, sam and Glenda all walked around the fence to the hay feeder area and the horse’s look out at the fresh green hay just out of their reach and looked at me and the house and flicked their ears..

I didn’t laugh at them openly, just called.. soon guys, soon..

and then I went in the house and started to laugh, you see its been a busy winter, when we fenced the pastures, we fenced for sheep and goats in mind, it’s a four and half-foot fence with sheep wire, with a top line of barbed wire that will slow be replaced so much per sections with a top rail each pay-day, but it was never fenced for horse’s in mind as they were just not on the table at that and place.

Now with the snow, with the hay around the hay feeder, the truth is my “fence” has gotten lower and lower all winter long, each time in the past two weeks that we have had even a hint of melt, we have been out with rakes, shovels, the wheel barrel or sled and we have been raking back, and moving the area by the fence.

BUT it’s about knee-high on the horse’s, it’s so low the adult sheep can just jump over it, now thankfully, only two of them make this choice, the rest are good about being behind the fence..

Which bring us to this morning, with the last storm, it’s barely at their knee’s, they could honestly step over the fence, they would not even need to hop or jump it.. just step over it, I have taken to putting the sheep flock and the horse’s in the barn with hay if I am leaving the farm “just” to be safe.

I know that if the horse’s were to get out, that they would head for the crossties as that is where their fat, protein, vit and mineral lick tub is, and its a major treat and draw, it also mean if I flip the lead over them and send them out in front yard (which I swear is going to be fenced this year), I know that is where they are heading.

But to date, they have never yet stepped over, if they even lean over a bit too much, I say.. “FENCE” and they back up and look at me sheepishly, Brandy came with the habit of loving to lean on a fence with her butt, so we have had lessons.. about NOT leaning on the fence, lean on a tree, lean on a building, but you will not use the sheep fencing like a hammock!

Now clearly its a combo of things, the first being that my horse’s and pasture critters are well feed, they know that if there is not free feed in the big round bale feeder, that x amount of times a day either farmgal or Mr. Farmgal will be out to give them hay.. On average, at 5 am, 10 am, 5pm and 10 pm, so really, they are not hungry, I would like to think if they were in fact not feed, that they would step over that rail and go to the bale sitting right there..

The second thing, is that they are used to seeing us many times a day, they are not off in a pasture where they might see a person x amount of time, they interact with us many times a day in all kinds of small ways, it’s not just about training sessions, they come up when we are just puttering, they knicker when we come in and out of the house, they follow us up and down the paths as we go to the barn, they hang with us where we are.

but it’s also about respect, both of them have a respect for fences, for gates, for the rules..

It is funny to me that they clearly have a set of rules that they do their very best to follow on a regular bases, respect the fence even if I could step over it, stay back so far from the gates when the people come though, beg but don’t touch the pails until given permission, follow so far back from the people on the trails, don’t touch the sled or wheel barrel when its moving, only when it’s stopped, get out-of-the-way when you see the person coming though, they get the right of way at all times.. be it outside, in the barns or in a stall.. Watch out for the babies..

I know I have told this story before but it still amazes me, I have seen their big old feet start to come down and the freeze as they grasp that a baby lamb is there, and they will inch it down giving the wee one time to get out from underneath, when the adult sheep really drive Brandy crazy, she never uses her teeth or kicks at them, she will give a gentle head swing but most of the time, she reaches out with her front foot, curves it, hooks it under the sheep’s whole underside, lifts them up and moved them over and out-of-the-way, I swear someday I will get it on video..

I consider myself very blessed indeed to share my world with two horse’s that despite the challenges they can offer at times, the bottom line is they are just amazing in so many ways!

Posted in Life moves on daily | 3 Comments

March 13- Wind is feeling playful..

Posted on March 13, 2014 by Just another day on the farm

Morning Folks, the house, the critters an myself are just a little curled in on ourselves as the wind play’s.

While the snow came, and boy did it come in last night..

I am not sure how much snow we got but the winds were drifting it and then some, on the lane drifts got thigh high on a lane that the day before was showing gravel and grass. all the paths were blown in and over from the barns, we had to shovel one out so that the sheep and lambs could leave the barn to come for the hay feeder. In the one area of my main garden, the drift is up and over my four and half feet with wind and snow still drifting up and over it.. Digging out the cloths line path again, with wind chills we are in the mid -30’s

Breakfast for hubby was omlet and blueberry loaf, I had a leftover breaded steak, lunch however was much better..

I cracked out a jar of salsa (onion, tomato’s peppers, a jar of canned pork, some freshly grown snipped green onions and garlic chives with a the last tiny piece of leftover store marble cheese on fresh milk bread. Despite the more wet salsa, because it was a nice thick puffy crust done on a pizza pan, it held up well but would not have worked with a thin crust, which it would have made soggy pretty fast.

Supper, well supper is getting its own post, its going to be a guinea fowl dish and I will link it back here and put on picture up.

The baby leeks are just starting to poke their heads up in their tray now..

Posted in Life moves on daily | Tagged March Challange 2014 | Leave a comment

March 12- Bla, Bla, Bla

Posted on March 13, 2014 by Just another day on the farm

Ah, sorry for the title but that is how I felt on this day, we were hunkering down for a incoming storm that gave us another blast of winter and drifting snow..

So today was the first day where my mood dipped and I was just fussy, I know, I know, I am aware that I was whiny, it got cold, it got dark and the storm was coming, and I have just had it with this winter, I want sunshine and warmth and spring, even if it means mud, and major poo cleanup and grooming, never ending grooming that comes with it.

I could tell myself all that, but it didn’t stop me from feeling out of sorts, and the wind just kept getting more and more strong and bitter and then my normally happy man, became a grumpy bear to and it just moved from being a fuss, to a full blown Bla, Bla, Bla day.

Breakfast was omlet with lots of onion, dried greens and mushrooms, Lunch was Leftovers, porgies for hubby and pasta with sauce for me, supper was Herbed Breaded steak with veggie rice and sweet with heat mashed carrots.

Snacks/desserts was apple cinnamon cookies, and blueberry muffins with water, tea (with honey) and hot chocolate..

Did some butchering yesterday, a total of six of the guinea fowl were done so that we have fresh meat in the house, so you can expect them to make a appearance on the blog soon.

My oldest hound boy was having a bit of a rough day, he was just off, he didn’t want his breakfast, he didn’t want warmed, wet kitten food, he didn’t want fresh raw meat or cooked warm scrambled eggs, at this point I was really getting worried, I got a little broth in him, rubbed a little corn syrup on his gums, checked his temp (normal), he was going to the bathroom normal both ways, but just was very tired, put him on a bed and heated a blanket and covered him up, and hoped that I could get him to take a pill in peanut butter, which after his warming nap, he was like glup.. and then he asked for his meal and eat it up..

Still seems a bit off, but given the storm coming in, I know that weather changes can bother them, and that wind was bad, so its very possible, he just got a chill when out for bathroom and need to recover from it. This morning with wind chill -32, and all the old hounds were in and out for morning jobs, the young hounds were all .. lets jump in the snow like bounding fox’s, and the old dogs were like no thanks!

My old bella, came to the door, went out, the wind hit her and she tried to come right back in.. I said, no way.. go pee, she went down the steps, peed and ran back in the house LOL

I hope if you got hit with this storm that you have come though with power and are in shovel out mode! If its coming your way, batten down the hatches, and if you are where its warm and green.. send me link to show me your spring!

Or put it up on my facebook page if you are on facebook..

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Just-another-Day-on-the-Farm/368072153244945

Its my understanding that you should be able to post on it or share photos to it.

Posted in Life moves on daily | Tagged March Challange 2014 | 1 Comment

March 11th

Posted on March 12, 2014 by Just another day on the farm

Well, it was a spring day yesterday, it was a just a touch of a warm breeze in the air, as can see from my post yesterday, line drying the cloths..

Everyone on the farm was leaping for joy at the great weather, I was choosing to putter around outside just to be outside, ever window was open..

The New Drakes is going to be called Pat and he was introduced to his new hen and they hit it off, the hen was flirting him right up and he seemed thrilled to see a girl of his own family duck tree. This will help greatly in settling the other drakes down as they didn’t him like even hinting at looking at their own mated females.

The hens were in a fine mood, 14 hens, 13 eggs yesterday, good girls! The young girls are now in full egg laying mode but they are still coming up in size on the eggs, we have small eggs, med eggs (new girls) and extra large and jumbo (old hens) but nothing in the middle yet.

Everyone is still shaggy but there are signs that they will start blowing coats soon.. Here is a new photo of Glenda, the wee horned babe..

So breakfast was omlet for both of us, Lunch was hubby was steak, rice and veggies, and I stirfry rice with egg, and for supper we have pasta with tomato based sauce with lots of veggies and burger.

Dessert was a half bowl of fresh popcorn with butter on it.

I am starting to crave fresh meat, I will need to do a bit of butcher to make that happen, I am starting to crave my good rye bread, (I have never yet been able to be make a bread at home that tastes like it) I am missing fresh apples, peppers, mushrooms.. even a banana would be good right now.

I am not lacking anything, but I want a meal off LOL, something that does not take planning and is not a soup or stew 🙂

O well, not going to happen, time to start getting more creative so that I can have different textures, flavours etc

Posted in Life moves on daily | Tagged March Challange 2014 | 2 Comments

Are you line drying yet?

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Just another day on the farm

we had to shovel paths three to four feet deep on each side to get to the line, and I have a snow storm coming in to dump another 15 cm tomorrow, but today, well, today is plus 3 with a good wind.. and I am stubbornly clinging to each baby hint of spring

Posted in Life moves on daily | Tagged line dryimg cloths in winter | 4 Comments

New Bird on the farm..

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Just another day on the farm

Its a year of bringing in new blood in certain breeding programs, so expect to see different small amount of very select birds, rabbits and sheep to be added in over the coming year.

While I am far more willing to line breed then most and even willingly choose to inbreed at times on new stock to get answers on genetics and or to lock in certain traits I want to see passed on.

I firmly believe in a combo of the above with a matched amount of outcrossing. For me at least, when I am speaking to fellow farmers, right or wrongly, this subject shows the old timers, vs the new farmers, homesteaders and the just learning.. or the sellers.

So lets give a example of the two version of this..

Hi, I am looking for a new male drake, what can you tell me about this boy you have for sale? All three birds are unrelated, so its a perfect breeding bird for you to bring in.. Hmm, so did you buy all the birds from a different breeders or ? a) ya I got them from different sources and have been breeding them for one or two years b) No I got them all from the same place but they told me all unrelated.

That phone call above tell me that they have read some books, that the odds are good that the birds are well cared for, well feed, and that they are total unknown, they are new blood but they are “unknown new blood”

Now lets have the second phone call,

Hi, I am looking for a new drake, so what can you tell me about that boy?

Well, I have been breeding this line for ten years now, the average weight on the females is nine pounds and the average dressed weight on the males is 13, the hens are good sitters and average two clutches a year at x amount of ducklings, the colors they are carry are this, now three gens back I double line breed in blue, so even if you get that black, it carries blue, Now if you want, I got a different line bred line that is a really nice black but its in breed to carry chocolate. When you come, I can show you, this drakes full brother from two years ago, he is a brute and I got a couple of his daughters you can look at as well if you want..

See the difference, now someone is going to say to me, but farmgal, not everyone wants or has the space to do a “breeding” program and you are not wrong on that, but right or wrongly, as a breeder myself, I will buy from both, but I have to treat them very differently, the ones from the breeders come in with backgrounds and I know how to breed them to pull the best out of them while blending them into my own goals.

The unknowns, well.. they are different, they need to be linebreed and inbreed to get to that point of finding out the information that didn’t come with them, and that means at least three to four years of inbreeding in some form before I have enough data to use them in the same way as the one bought from the breeder..

So here is my new drake..

Posted in Critters | Tagged Bringing in new blood for breeding, Inbreeding, Linebreeding, New duck drake, Outcrossing | 3 Comments

March 10th

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Just another day on the farm

Well, it was a busy day folks, Dh had his writers group in the evening, which meant that I was on double farm duty, while Dh had his latest story pulled apart and advice given, this story makes me laugh, he wrote a zombie story once and it was all about life in a new world that had found a way to create a working world, while still dealing with the zombie’s and that everyone who dies is infected and turns into a zombie, there is things like all family members must lock themselves in at night in case of heart attack, travel is wild and detailed and involves needing to shave everything off and getting naked for bite marks etc.

Despite how amazingly detailed and real he has made this world (it could have any number of spin offs stories come for it) he made the story about family and generation push and pull, the older gen having the scars from it happening and the younger gen grow up never knowing different but dreaming about the freedom they read about in books..

Anyway when he told me he was going to write a vampire story, I was like ya! I laughed my ass off, I will not give to much away, but my man loves to write in such a way that its not us but its got elements of us, so are you ready.. the vampire in the story…. its his favorite sheep and the sad “Renfield” type is the poor farm, and let me tell ya, its a good one.. There is a moment when the ewe demand he bring her lamb to her and its done so well, I am like.. NO! Don’t eat your baby Vampire sheep, and then you find out her love is still there and she in fact wants to make her into a vampire as well..

Where does that man come up with these idea’s?

Anyway Breakfast was a puffy egg and onion omlet, with tea and honey, Lunch was mushroom fried rice (with egg) and supper was steak.. and could you ever tell that hubby was not home, because the steak was huge (enough for both of us) and I seared a crust on both sides in a hot, hot pan, the middle was med-rare, enough to make the plate swim with pink and a huge spoon of sour cream was placed on it done with lots of montreal steak spice.. and that was it.. no sides in any way.. just a huge plate of meat! It was heavenly!

No dessert, I drank a lot of water, and I did a lot of walking yesterday afternoon, I hung clothes out on the line, it was mild and dry for the morning and then snow started in the late afternoon and now they are snow covered, but they will smell great when they are done.

Got a fair amount done but mostly things not on my list, so today I need to get more done.

Posted in Life moves on daily | Tagged March Challange 2014 | 3 Comments

Such a cute Project..

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Just another day on the farm

Hello to my readers, this post is very much not about homesteading, farming, cooking, critters or any of the musings I am known to do.. (I am currently working on a number of different posts so lots to come) Nope this one is about being a aunty..

So I got the coolest little package in the mail, its a laminated flat Hailey, who is traveling around Canada to different places, you get to do a travel journey for her and take her picture at different places she visits..

Now I am cool with the farm stuff, I got this, ride a horse, milk a sheep, collect a still warm egg from the hen, tap a maple tree, make maple taffy in the snow. I am going to a wool spinning event, so she can come for that one.

So here is my question for you folks.. Ottawa is the capital city of Canada, so what do you think would be of interest for the grade 3 kids from northern alberta?

I figure the worlds largest largest outdoor skating rink is one..

The capital hill should be another?

And then what? I am so not a city person, so I am open to idea’s of what would be a interesting place to take my little paper flat doll to get her picture taken at??

Posted in Life moves on daily | 8 Comments

March 9th- A bit of fresh..

Posted on March 9, 2014 by Just another day on the farm

I awoke with energy and well rested, breakfast was egg, onion and some canned mushrooms, with spices, it was yummy, Dh added in two toast with raspberry jam, I had apple cider vinegar/honey tea and hubby had hot chocolate.

Don’t the sprouts look wonderful, sweet, crunchy and fresh!

The morning was all about work, work and more work with the horse’s and the house, we shoveled out a pathway to my one big clothes line, I want to be able to start hanging more things out now a day’s, still will need to dry hubbies work cloths and my good cloths, but the rest of the house stuff, the critter bedding etc can all be line dried, it will save me another 50 plus to slow down using the dryer.

Lunch was the leftover stirfry, I put about two to three cups of light white broth into a pot, added in the leftover stirfry and then about a cup of whole milk, and heated it up till just simmering, then I thickened it with cornstarch.. and it was our lunch, yum..

The afternoon passed in a blur of warm sunshine, laundry, housework and farm work, we are working to pull back another inch or two of bedding/manure off the fence line by the feeder area, each pull back creates a pile, each pile gets loaded into the sled and hauled to a garden area, and dumped, each day that sun warms the area just enough that we can pull off another inch or so down the line.. we really need to do this because between the snow and the bedding/manure pack that poor fence is getting lower and lower, this will help the fence come back up in size, and its a good workout each day to get one more pile done and moved for garden use.

Supper is planned, we are having herbed and parm breaded steak with rice and purple cabbage salad.

Dessert is some canned peaches in their lovely juice.. Life is good.. Now if I could just climb over the eight to ten plus foot banks of snow to get in to look at getting some taps, but given its still so cold, I don’t think I am missing my run yet but I do want to get to it this week, is the sap running in your area yet or are you on “ice” like I am?