Calfy Day

He got to feed our neighbors cows this week. Cows love their grain and hay.

We lure them into the corral with grain and shut the gate. Then put out the round bale with the tractor.

Open the corral and free the cows into the pasture again. Keeps us and the tractor safe. 

To the round bale they go.

This little one was very pretty in the sun.

Mama watches us watching her calf.

Winter Maple Ride

Here is Maple our 2 year old fox Trotter. My husband is cleaning her feet before he heads out.

Bean can't be ridden as he has thrown a shoe.

All saddled up

This was a short ride for young Maple. The stirrup bar came off and could not be fixed on the trail. So they walked back home. The modern plastic stirrups have a screw bold and a nut, the nut fell off. Good stirrups, poor design. Thankfully the saddle is vintage, made well and is comfortable for horse and rider.Maple looks like a small pony in her fuzzy winter coat.

Loving Horses Always

Here is my good friend and the orphan filly she raised when I couldn't.

You can see she loves her horses.

Happy team.

Here is a black mare that was in poor shape from over breeding. 

My friend saved her and got her away from stallions and got her weight back on again. 

Pinkey the blind mare still goes for trail rides and only trust her rider.

Unhappy Cat

I was visiting a friend's house this weekend. While we talked her cat started to howl and scratch its face. The cat had been treated for ear mites and now had some rash causing the cat to scratch its face and bleed. So I offered to make a collar for her cat to ease its pain. Using cardboard, foil tape and some gold lacing I made up a working collar. She was able to eat, sleep and use the littler box without any problems and was finally healing up.

There was a lot of cat drama for a few hours but by the next day she was adapted to her collar and was healing up.

UPDATE: She had a yeast infection causing her face itchiness. She did get the collar off after 3 days, but she had healed by then after seeing the vet.

Winter Hunk

Here is my husband outside in the freezing sleet herding my turkey hen back into the poultry yard. Maple, Bean and Luna look on as he closed the gates and leads the turkey back into the warm coop. He did this so I could stay inside the house all warm with the woodstove going.

Zilla leads him home.

Boys Club

 My neighbor's Boer goats are giving birth in the cold winter time. 

They are happy in their heated barn and dry straw beds. So far there has been three boys and one girl.

Nice little boy with a star.

Twin boys born this week.

Eating their straw bedding.

January Cull

The brown turkey I raised and my six extra roosters were culled this week. I now have six chickens and a 15 pound turkey in my freezer.

This heritage turkey was much slower to grow and almost half the weight of the commercial hen I culled in December. However, he was a hen killer and had to go. At least they all had a great life on my farm.

Here are the bad boys from summer hatch.

All were culled for being mean to me or my hens. One was culled for being too old and useless to his hens. And one was just plain mean to everything on the farm. Now I have 4 good healthy roosters and 1 old one that hid during the cull. All the remaining roosters are kind hard working boys of the yard.

I have to say that my turkeys noticed one of their kind was missing. The turkey hen tried to run away and join some wild turkeys. And the remaining Grey Jake was depressed all day and quit gobbling. Next time I will cull buddies at the same time. It will be less stressful for the survivors. 

Fridge Bread

I am trying to get confident making my own bread. So I chose an easy recipe called refrigerator bread. You mix it all and let it sit in the fridge overnight. Let it rise no kneading and it is ready to go. It is great for a busy person or forgetful one. I forgot I had these rising near the woodstove, again. But the recipe is forgiving.

ready for the oven.

nice looking loaf

This one is great for me. I seem to have problems with expired yeast and baking powder. Since we live far away from everything, these things expire quickly without my noticing. I am learning how to check for viable yeast. Now I just need a good rye recipe. Two loaves last us a while and we have enough to share with friends. Our poultry gets to eat the failures.

The Flock

You bring some bread out to our pond and call the ducks. 

Some guineas show up and some ducks and a rooster, timidly they approach.

Then the flock grows, more ducks quacking and a few gobbling turkey some pushy hens.

You check for more bread as the hungry flock grows even larger. 

The turkey put on a little dance for you and the bread, watching your hands. 

You are out of bread and they know it. You are surrounded.

Perhaps you should have brought out another loaf to the pond. Not a crumb

can be found after the feasting has stopped. You back away slowly, hoping 

they don't follow you back into the house. 

But they are watching you, they know where you live. They will be back.

Orchid up my Winter

Last weekend we saw these phalaenopsis orchids for sale at our local grocery store. They were so stunning we got three to try to grow. My husband has some experience with these from his Mom's house. She grew them all around her house. She had so many different kinds. She knew each and every one and the story about them. Unfortunately, Alzheimer's has taken her knowledge and skills away. 

I never have plants in the house since we have cats. 

They eat everything but have left these orchids alone, for now.

So I am going to try and give it a go and see if I can get them to survive in our house.

This one is my favorite.

If we get our greenhouse set up I can put them in there during the warmer months.

Our Chicken Farm

Alan, my husband, found these brackets at an antique store nearby. These are not antique but are made out of iron and look neat. He had an idea where to put them, on our mailbox.

My husband installing our chicken brackets.

Matched pair of roosters.

Close up of the iron rooster.

Here is a quick shot of my tiny Bantam rooster, Little King. He is the size of a softball 

and runs around all over the farm. Hard to get a good photo of him. He is the product of a Bantam hen and the Effie line of roosters we raise. Effie is the name of my friend who gave me my first rooster.

Here is King's grandfather Effie Senior our first rooster from two summers ago. He lost a battle with a visiting white rooster last year. But his genes carry to his son, Effie Junior and now to Little King. We raise kind roosters with beautiful plumage and farm smarts. We only keep the ones who are nice to the hens and us. Our farm is a happy farm.

Stones in Life

Last Sunday we went to the local nursing home to visit our former neighbors who are in their late eighty's.  I knew upon entering his room the husband was not going to be living much longer. He was aware but not eating nor drinking. He was having breathing difficulties, but not on any machines, thankfully. I can't stand to see any living thing suffer much less a friend. The husband was choosing to stop eating on his own. His wife at his side kissed him and talked to him. We sat around his hospital bed and visited. We talked about travels we have had, farm adventures and current events. I was tearing up and needing  lots of tissues; but still participating in the visit. I realized this would be our last visit. After a few hours we said our goodbyes and the husband did respond and waved. He knew we had been there. However, the next day he was taken to the ER then he died on his own the following day. 

Life has given me some stones in this new year. I could build a wall around me with these stones. But, instead, I move the stones into a pile on the side of the road. So I don't stumble upon them again. I know they are there and I remember each one. But I clear the road ahead of me. I keep it clear for others I come upon and meet in this life. I am looking forward to to where this road takes me, stones and all.

Still Gobblin'

Our grey turkey looking for food

The cold weather has calmed down the randy jakes and all they care about is food.