my life as a farmer
… but despite the colder, wetter weather and the forecast of snow, we’re having a grand time here on the farm! The baby goats continue to thrive, and Mama Pinto just amazes me with her outstanding maternal devotion. Our new ducks, whose names I’ve learned are Oreo (the Rouen), Sandy (the Campbell) and Gavin (the [...]
I don’t know how many times I’ve cringed at the jokes about how you should never send a woman shopping because she’ll come home with (1) something entirely different from what she set out for or (2) several times more of everything than she actually needs. You know, like the woman who went out for [...]
I’d been closely following the progress of my last 12 purebred eggs in the incubator. Not only were they the last eggs (till I separate the chickens again), but they were old (2 weeks of storage time prior to the ‘bator) and the chicks were promised to someone special. Everything was going great … until [...]
Since getting the goats (and learning that goats absolutely, positively can not eat chicken food at the risk of actual death), I now do two feedings a day instead of the previous food-on-demand method. The girls are under the impression this is cruel and unusual treatment and the chicks … well, the chicks act like [...]
Hobart, Priscilla and Pip are settling in wonderfully. Even Niek likes them now, and if you knew how he initially reacted, you’d know what big news this is. It also appears that the ‘knobs’ on their ‘elbow wings’ are the result of Priscilla’s nibbling. Yep, I’ve caught her at it repeatedly, but don’t know how [...]
We picked up our three Pilgrim geese on Friday afternoon. To my surprise, they were really – and I do mean really – dirty. Their feathers were actually hard, they were so foul. Hmmm. Not what I’d expected, based on our last (which was also our first) visit to this little farm. But hey, they’re [...]
Our flock grew substantially today when our long-awaited batch of mixed rare breed chicks arrived from Whitmore Farm. We know that of these 27 chicks the following breeds are represented: Welsummer, Marans (Black Copper and Blue Copper are possible), Ameraucana (both Blue and Black possible), Ancona, and Delaware. It’s easy enough to be sure we [...]
