Hidden Meadow Farm

Wordless Wednesday

2012-02-01T06:36:00.000-08:00

One of those days.....It's snowing outside so what better way to spend it?

A new home

2012-01-25T17:57:00.000-08:00

Today was not a bad day weather wise..it was dry a bit chilly but overall nice.

We started the day getting Winchester ready to make a little journey to his new home.
Win was born here May 21 2010 to Jessie and Lucas.
He was a looker from day one and had a few unique qualities such as a white stripe on the top of his left shoulder...

Jessie & Lucas

Win, 6 days old

He became best friends with Stirling born only weeks before him...

Then the look..What Ma? we are good boys!

It was decided pretty quick both boys would remain intact with the hopes of one day becoming herd sires,at just under a year old Win was proving himself as quite the looker..

Win on the left,Heather on the right

At 19 months Win started taking on a more mature bull look...

Win loaded very easy, he has such a great personality,calm as a kitten,he was on the trailer in less then 10 minutes.

Win looking a bit scared,not sure if he liked the trailer..

In true form his best friend of 21 months was looking for him,he knew he was in the trailer so he thought if he climbed up really high he could still see him....

We headed out after lunch..

The drive was nice with different scenery then we are use to..

Win settled in his new home very quickly and he seemed to really like his new wife,Ruha..

Ruha was beautiful, a nice brindle girl!
Win was smaller but Ruha appears to be at least 3 years old maybe a bit older..Win didn't seem to mind the age difference...

He approved with the typical curled lip of a boy in love..

I'm very pleased to say that he went to a very good home with a wonderful new momma,Robin.

I cant wait to see what beautiful babies Win and Ruha produce!!

Ps- My darling Gertie may be joining these two in July...

Congratulations Robin,I hope you enjoy his company as much as we did, keep us updated!

Chilly mornings

2012-01-23T06:08:00.000-08:00

A bitter cold day on the farm, -15C this morning.
Three deer grazed the corn field across the road,there is lots to eat for the wildlife,we have only 2" of snow.
I had to make a quick trip to town and noticed lots of eagles around...

They were hovering in big oaks and old elm trees,some in fields, some over graveyards.
Eagles are pretty plentiful this time of year, always nice to see.

A day in pictures

2012-01-16T13:02:00.000-08:00

My ability to get to the barn safely has been compromised with all of the nasty ice around.
Hubby spread sand around for me so I could go check the critters,it made my day.
Edmund the gander has been quite grumpy as his goose is nearing the laying stage,I try to avoid them at all costs,being chased or beat by his wings would not be good!

After feeding the chickens,barn cats and treating the sheep to another scoop of oats I headed to see my cows.
Of course Gertie was the first stop...

I found her laying snug to the fence rails on a pile of hay.
She didn't take long to jump up and show me how fun running around is.
Gertie headed over to Ginger for kisses...

Then back to snug up with momma..

She's growing like a weed!

Ginger has started to bag up..

She still has a long way to go before its full.
We are getting the vet out to preg check some heifers and might get him to check her so we have a estimated due date.

I fill up the water bucket,it needs filling 1/2 dozen times a day even though they have another water source.
I love my frost free hydrants,they are so convenient. We hook a piece of waterline to the hydrant that runs in the bucket, no carting water and the hydrant stays on the outside of the feeders to prevent the temptation of horns being scratched on it..

Irene couldn't wait and got sprayed..

Well that's better..

Yeoman is munching away on hay along with a few of the girls,not much to see of them but horns..

Finn,one of the spring heifers, has been so friendly..

Finn is the granddaughter of Gertie's mom,Ginny, she also has the tell tale blue eyes..

After trying to clean me she heads over to her momma,Francis,1/2 sister to Gertie...

Guess if she couldn't clean me momma would do...

I love how affectionate the Highlands are,both towards people and each other.

Finn wondering if I want more kisses....not long before she decides I do and comes right over!!

A few chickens hang out in the sawdust shed sun and dust bathing today..

Well that's it for today,hope to update you again soon.

Wardrobe almost complete!!

2012-01-12T16:35:00.000-08:00

Just a quick update on the wardrobe we are having built.
We went over tonight to see the progress...it will be ready for pick up tomorrow!!!

I was scared of painting the beautiful hardwood but I really like it.

Here is what it looked like..

The handles we picked are on the right, G & K, I really wanted H for the drawers but thought they might be to big with four so G works nice.
They remind me of tooling on a saddle.. he was just putting them on as we left..

The wardrobe went from a idea I had on paper to reality...I just love it!!

What do you think?

Happenings

2012-01-09T17:31:00.000-08:00

Thank you everyone for your kind thoughts.
We are beyond thrilled and excitedly awaiting the arrival of our little one.
It was a hard secret to keep!
I have been taking it easy and just getting things ready in the house and finishing off the nursery, it was completely renovated,remember the new window we put in?
We have a beautiful wardrobe being built for the room by our Mennonite friends and it will be ready this week,I can't wait to get it home and share some pictures with you.
For now here is the sketch we designed..I just love it

The bottom drawers are double making two drawers with the look of four.
The right inside has 4 drawers and a shelf on top.
This is the door and drawer design we picked,he didn't have a name for it,just door panel #4...

I felt guilty wanting to paint it..it will be bright white.
He built it out of maple and the grain is beautiful but white will be very nice against the walnut hardwood floors.
It was all ready on Saturday just awaiting the paint.

I have been slack at taking pictures so I thought I would share a short 20 minute documentary on three of our local Annapolis Valley farmers.
It will give you a idea of the type of farming community we live in and a bit of local scenery.

Hope you enjoy!!

Young Farmers

Farm Update

2012-01-03T10:28:00.000-08:00

Just a quick update.

Gertie is growing like a weed.
I'm in love with her brilliant red coat, we have not had such a brilliant red since her mother.

Ginger is still bred,no baby yet..

Her face has darkened so much with the colder weather, you wouldn't recognize her in her summer coat if not for her tell tale crab claw ear.

I lost my most favorite hen of all time,Miss Tilly,my Russian Orloff, seems one of my ewes stepped on her...I found her crushed in the sheep's pen....I'm heart broken.

Miss Tilly center front,greeting me on the doorstep,she thought she was a cat and came running to "here kitty kitty", her antics will be missed greatly...

I will be cutting back on my posting for awhile,I will be doing some just not as much.
The reason being is I'm expecting....not a calf or lamb but a human baby...surprise !!
This is my first baby and due to arrive within weeks...
I'm getting pretty tired and DH has been doing most of the barn chores for me.

I will leave you with another cute picture of Gertie....

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-24T11:37:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone!!!
The snow is falling here,around 4" so far, so a nice white Christmas for us.
Hope you all enjoy your holidays!!

We will be watching closely for signs of a new addition or two...

Robin as a young heifer on her first day at the farm

Robin this fall

I will be taking a bit of a break...see you in the New Year!!

Rare Breed of sheep in need of help

2011-12-20T18:11:00.000-08:00

As a owner and conservationist to rare breed livestock including a small flock of critically rare sheep,I wanted to pass this info along and strongly encourage you to sign the petition to help save a rare breed flock of Shropshire sheep in Ontario.

This truly breaks my heart....

Dec 8, 2011—Hastings, Ontario—The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has elected to destroy a healthy flock of rare heritage breed Shropshire sheep at Wholearth Farmstudio, a Northumberland County farm that conserves heritage livestock genetics. If the 44 animals are killed, the breed will be several steps closer to extinction with only 107 registered breeding females, 38 ewe lambs and 16 rams remaining in Canada. At one time the Shropshire was the preferred sheep breed in North America, with over a half a million registered animals. The Wholearth flock bloodlines trace back to their 1882 descendants by way of the first Shropshire sheep imported here from England at the turn of the century.

Heritage breed farmer/shepherd Montana Jones has spent the last 12 years preserving their rare genetics and is alarmed that despite lab results proving her entire flock tested negative for scrapie, CFIA officials have decided to ‘depopulate’ all of her beloved QQ genotyped sheep. Sheep that have a QQ genotype are considered less resistant to scrapie, however that does not necessarily mean those animals would ever acquire it.

You can read more about them here or at the blog here

There is also a facebook page Save Our Shrops- ShropshireSheep.org that I recommend you join if you have facebook.

Wordless Friday...

2011-12-16T12:34:00.000-08:00

This big guy has been munching away for the past few days on a unfortunate raccoon...hoping he decides to not bug my chickens....

Calf update

2011-12-15T12:31:00.000-08:00

Thanks everyone for your input and help naming this little girl.

So here is Gertie, she is enjoying a nice day outside with her momma and Ginger.

Our week has been very busy around here.
Gertie was having some trouble nursing...Ginny had so much milk it made her teats so enlarged and sore that Gertie had trouble getting a latch on them.
Ginny would get fussy and stomp her back feet when Gertie did get on,thus knocking her off.
After a few days of assistance from DH Gertie now has teats that are a good size for her to get on all by herself and Ginny is much happier to have no swelling and a release of milk.

Gertie is special and has inherited a very special trait from her momma, she has blue eyes...
Ginny does don't have blue eyes but all of her calves have them and so far her oldest calf Francis has also passed on the blue eye gene.
I don't know much about cattle with blue eyes and it seems quite rare...does anyone know about this? have you seen it before?
They are quite stunning...some are a azure blue but Gertie has a almost sapphire blue..I will try to get a good picture of them .

I have to say I love all of my calves born on this farm but once in awhile a real special one tugs your heart strings.
Gertie has been tugging away, She is so in love with people.
If she see's you she will jump up and run right over to lick your hand or nudge you for a scratch.
I have big plans for this girl,I think she needs to start halter training in a few months and stay right here with us on the farm,I can't see her going up for sale next year,she's just to sweet.

I will try to update you with more happenings around the farm in the next day or two,things are just starting to get very busy around here.

All dry...

2011-12-09T19:14:00.000-08:00

Now to pick a name...
some that have came up..two hubby picked,two I picked.
What do you think?
Any suggestions?

*Hamish, pronounced Hay- mish, traditional Scottish name, it is a boy name but I think it's cute.
*Pricilla
*Gertrude/ Gertie - meaning spear of strength
*Maeve,pronounced may-v, Gaelic name meaning intoxicating.

Introducing...

2011-12-09T05:51:00.000-08:00

Last night we moved Ginny in th barn,this was not without her putting up a fuss.
After searching for her we finally found her,her keeping away from the group was a good sign that the calf was coming soon.
We called all the cows down from the Oak field to the barn yard and tried to seperate Ginny.
Usually her stomach will cause her to be first in line for the grain bucket so we bribbed her into the corral behind the barn.
Irene followed but that was ok because it kept Ginny calm.
Our new door came in very handy as we lured her through and into a box stall.
She was not happy and showed it with a big kick to the stall door.
We gave her a bale of second cut,this interested her for all of 5 minutes.

Ginny jumped and tried to go through the gap between her and the sheep...I was terrified of her getting stuck or landing on my sheep.
Hubby got in with the sheep and pushed her legs back through to the box stall.
We then had to add additional boards for height so she couldn't try that again.
After chores where done we checked her a final time before closing the barn for the night.

The morning was very crisp,the ground was frozen solid.

At 7:50am Ginny started labor.
It was progressing quickly.
By 8am she had half the calf out but appeared to be having trouble.
I realized only one leg was out,the head and shoulder.
I called for hubby's help and he confirmed one leg was still in, a normal birth will present both feet first,then nose,head and shoulders.
Hubby gently manipulated the leg and just like that Ginny gave one big push and the calf was out.

I was shocked at how big the calf was!!
The calf weighed 10-15 lbs more then what we usually see for a Highland.
I thought Yeoman would have smaller calves then Lucas.

After momma starting cleaning her baby and it tried to stand I discovered it was a big red heifer when she fell over.
So here she is,minutes old....

I'm off to the barn to see hows everyone is doing...I will update you later with dry pictures.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-07T04:55:00.000-08:00

Why oh why?

2011-12-06T08:43:00.000-08:00

We have been having a terrible week with the return of coyotes.
Last night may have been the worst as there were so many of them!!

I awoke out of bed at 3:39am to the sound of my dogs barking.
We jumped up each opening a window....the sound was terrible.
A huge pack of coyotes were going wild in the horse fence.

I wanted to put this up so you get the idea,add way more barking and double the amount of coyotes,put them 200 feet from your house,barn and livestock....worst feeling ever.

coyotes howling

There had to be 10 maybe more.
One big one was barking aggressively like a rabid dog,one smaller,younger one sounded to be whimpering like it was hurt,the rest were howling and chattering.
I have not ever heard so many different calls and noises come all at once!

Once the coyotes would quiet for a moment a creepy noise that sounded like a whistle was blowing was coming from the back field behind the barn.
When this whistle noise would sound the coyotes would go wild.
My husband thinks it was a bird...I checked today for night birds that could sound like that,the closet was a red tailed hawk but I'm not convinced it wasn't my neighbor who has traps set for them trying to call them in.

With cows due it is nerve racking to say the least.

Sunday night around 2am, several were here.
One behind the house by the horse fence,one by the barn and one behind the barn in with the cows.
They were barking.
The one in with the cows whimpered as if it were hurt,I heard cow horns clanking together...I assume two tried to pin the coyote or at least hit it and were successful but hit horns in the process.
That was the last sound Sunday and they moved on.

They have been here nightly for over a week.
I suspect the fact that my neighbor is baiting them to traps is the main reason.
I'm not happy about it.

I will try to take a video tonight if they are back, of the howling.
Why oh why do they even exist??
Such a terrible creature.....

Does anyone know of a coyote call that sounds like a whistle being blown or is it a red tailed hawk??

I hope they move on but I know that is not likely.
I just pray my cows and barn cats continue to be safe......

Bulls and Breeding

2011-12-05T07:27:00.000-08:00

Here at the farm we currently have two bulls.
Our current herd sire Yeoman and our up and coming herd sire, Stirling.

The difference is night and day,not only color wise but size wise as well.
Black Highlands,known as Kyloe, are from a harsher climate in Scotland producing a smaller,compact more hardy animal over the generations.

Yeoman

Stirling was born here at the farm,his dam is Robin,in our header picture, and his sire is our old bull Lucas.
I was immediately smitten with Stirling from the moment he was born.
He was such a spectacular shade of silver,nothing like we have ever had before or since born on our farm.

One day old.

As Stirling grew I knew he would make a fantastic breeder.

Stirling posses strong, powerful, correct conformation, easy temperament and comes from a long history of superb calf production including Gille Buidhe of Benmore, who is recognized as one of the foundation sires of the breed..

Two months old and already showing his correctness and fleshing.

His superb correctness and excellent fleshing would greatly benefit our breeding program allowing us to produce animals that could be used for the show ring as well as steers for the table.

In the future we will use him to breed any heifers produced by Yeoman,the combination of the pedigrees will produce some amazing offspring and I'm excited to see the outcome.

At 20 months old I'm very proud of my boy...

In other exciting news involving our herd sire we have another calf(s) due very,very soon.
By January Ginger our Jersey will bless us with another calf.
I hope it is a little black heifer and she is as stunning as her sister Sugar!!

Ginger is getting wider by the day.
Sugar has been turned in with the other cows for now,I don't think she is nursing but she could be sneaking a drink every now and again, Ginger needs to keep all that for her new baby.
I've been waiting to see udder enlargement to go with that belly!

Ginny is getting very close as well,her udder has filled with twice as much milk as last week.
As you can see from the picture she is very "loose". It's not a great picture of the udder but you can see it's below the knees.

Another cow in question is Robin,Stirlings dam....
The question is when?
We will have them preg checked at the end of the week to determine calf size and a approximate due date.

Yeoman has been a busy boy!

How time fly's

2011-12-03T19:06:00.000-08:00

Well one year ago on November 30th we welcomed the birth of a sweet faced Jersey x Highland, Sugar, to our farm.

I'm so impressed at what a big beautiful girl she turned into.

At twelve months old she stands only 2" shorter then her mother and weighs in at nearly 800lbs.
She has taken on allot of the Jersey character, long legs,long face and the tell tale white band around the muzzle.

Who would have thought a year would pass so quickly....so many days spent teaching her to be a good cow with manners..

They payed off ..

Sugar will be bred to our bull Yeoman next summer and have a calf of her own...one can only hope it will be as spectacular as Sugar is.

Happy birthday my beautiful girl!!!

Loss

2011-12-01T05:23:00.000-08:00

What we have once enjoyed we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.

~ Helen Keller

Wellington....

Be at rest my boy.

Upgrades to the Barn and New Additions

2011-11-28T17:20:00.000-08:00

After the snow storm we had a visitor come crying at our door.
I was convinced it was our barn cat James and was puzzled to see him run away when I called him.
I kept calling his name and to my surprise James and what appeared to be his twin came running!!

From the top...Toby,New kitty,James

I was glad to see it was a male and not the mother of the kitten we found a couple weeks ago, I was scared of finding more kittens.
I have made him comfortable in the barn with lots of food and attention,he is a big baby loving to be held while he's purring away.
The other boys don't seem to mind him and he is quite pleased to have a place to call home.
Having a full grown tom cat show up and not want to leave is a bit strange, hubby is convinced he's been around for quite sometime and we just thought it was James...I'm not convinced.

I need a good name for this guy,any suggestions??

Well the snow is starting to melt...what a muddy,wet mess around.
I would much rather snow then this.
It is even hard going to get the wheelbarrow to the sawdust shed let alone wheel it back full.
It was so warm today I cleaned stalls with my t-shirt on!

We have been working on a few things in and for the barn the past few days.

Now that Ginger and Sugar are in hubby built a new door leading to their corral.

This door makes things so much easier!
We no longer need to go out the big door and walk 3/4 of the way around the barn through the snow and ice to turn out the cows on nice days.
Ginger and Sugar caught on pretty quick, we just open the stall door and out they go.

There used to be a door there at one point but was covered in...a nice cement ramp was still in place so that was helpful.

The cattle where moved to the "winter pasture" today.
It still allows access to the cow barn and woods and has a fresh water source that they drink from.

We may end up with a additional cow in the barn in a few weeks.
It looks like Ginny is very close to expecting a calf...
This is our first calf to be born this late in the year and of course it wasn't planned.
She will need to be in the main barn to make sure the little one stays warm enough and thrives.

Lucas our old herd sire left in November of last year,we expected he would have successfully bred all the cows by then....turns out he missed Ginny and Yeoman filled the position in late February or March.

We will be keeping a close eye on her, as her vulva is starting to "spring," becoming very loose and her udder is filling with milk.
Ginny is such a hard cow to determine how close to calving she is,I have never been right yet..only time will tell.

Ginny with her last calf,so big and still one month to go.

Well that's all for today,hope you had a successful start to your week.

Winter came in like a Lion!

2011-11-24T05:04:00.000-08:00

We had our first major snow fall of the year yesterday.
With 38cm, just about 15 inches falling in less then 24 hours!
The storm came in fast and hard.

We spent the morning making sure the barn was ready for Ginger and Sugar to come in from the weather.

For a Jersey who was covered in snow you think she would have been slightly more cooperative in going to the barn.
She did not want to leave her friends and Sugar really didn't want to leave them but in the end decided being with her momma was the better choice.

Hubby headed over to the group to get her...

Blue kept a close eye on everyone..

With Ginger in hand he calls for Sugar..

Sugar just ran around playing in the snow so I took Ginger and led her towards the barn.
Soon Sugar cried and came running.
All the cows cried for them not wanting them to leave.

After getting them to the barn we dropped the big door down until we got them situated....that's when we heard, "MOOOOO...MOOOOO" outside the barn door!!
Uh-oh!
Hubby forgot to close the gate and all the girls were now by the barn!
I grabbed a bucket of oats and banged the side with the feed scoop,I was actually surprised at how quick they turned towards me so I passed the bucket to hubby and told him to run towards the gate.
They were excited to play in the snow to!
I caught the last few seconds of it on tape, sorry for the shakiness.

All back and happy to have a taste of oats..

It didn't take long for them to ask for more..

I love how this breed of cow would much rather stand in the snow then go in their barn or to the woods,both are available options.
They are such a cold hardy breed with all the double coat hair.

Well it was quite a snow fall that left everything beautiful today.

Wordless Wednesday...The past

2011-11-23T06:27:00.000-08:00

The farm from 1920...

From Endangered to Critical

2011-11-20T17:04:00.000-08:00

There are just a few thousand tigers left in the wild, and mountain gorillas are down to a few hundred. With figures like these, it's easy to overlook those less exotic animals closer to home that are facing extinction.

An over-reliance on just a few breeds of a handful of farm animal species, such as high-milk-yielding Holstein-Friesian cows, egg-laying White Leghorn chickens, and fast-growing Large White pigs, is causing the loss of an average of one livestock breed every month.

When a breed is so rare it is listed as endangered there is only between 31 and 100 registered animals of that breed.
Endangered species are at risk of becoming extinct because there are so few of that breed left.
My Cotswold sheep have fell in that category for the past few years.

I received a newsletter from our Rare breed conservation group with a update on breed conservation status.
With a very heavy heart I read the Cotswold have now fallen into the critical category....there are now less then 30 registered purebred Cotswold's in Canada...seven living right here at Hidden Meadow Farm.

I was devastated to read on and find the majestic Highland I have come to love so much, have also dropped in numbers.
Last year they were at risk, 251-750 this year vulnerable at 76-250.

There are so many breeds of farm animals at risk of leaving us forever.

I urge you to support your local rare breed group, so many breeds of farm animals are being lost, they need your help.
What a great Christmas gift to give, you could help save a rare breed.

Rare Breeds Canada

American Livestock Breeds Conservation

Rare Breeds Survival Trust

Rare Breeds Survival Trust Australia

SVF foundation

I would also like to thank my fellow rare breed farmers for all your hard work and determination to save these farm animals.
And thank you to my followers who have read along about our farm journey and conservation efforts.

Wordless Friday...

2011-11-18T05:54:00.000-08:00

The Mountain and the Valley,

Milking cows

2011-11-12T09:01:00.000-08:00

I could not ever see our farm with out the big eyed beauty that roams our pastures from Spring through Fall and then graces us with her happy face every time we go to the barn during the cold months.

Having a milk cow on our farm has been a great investment,both food wise and companion wise.

Are you thinking of a homestead milk cow for your farm?
If so there are a few considerations to think about.

The first and biggest is are you willing to commit to a schedule?
Milking needs to happen twice a day,everyday, yes even on those to cold to go outside and spend time milking a cow days.
Having a source for fresh milk,cheese,butter,yogurt and cream appeals to us.

A family milk cow is easy to take care of.
She will require a warm shelter,good hay,grain,pasture,water,regular stall cleaning and lots of love.
In return she with give you a calf and a supply of oh so yummy milk.

We went this am to help a friend milk her Jerseys.

Before you start make sure your milking area is clean and free of manure.
I prefer a separate area for milking used solely for that purpose.
Our Jersey is in a box stall and most dairy cows are in stanchions like these ones.

1- Dipping the teats in iodine, this cleans the teats.

2- wipe off the iodine to dry them but do not rub or irritate the teats.

3- Hook up the milker. This is a surge bucket milker.

We have a bucket milker and two belly milkers at the farm. The difference is the size of the can and that the belly milker has a strap that warps around the belly to hold the milker in place.

4- As the cows munches away on breakfast the surge milker pulls the milk through to the can.
The can holds around 20 liters and takes two cows to fill per milking.
The milk is vacuumed out of the cow in to the bucket by a compressor.

5- cleaning the milking machine takes just as long as it does to milk the cow and it is extremely important that you do a through job to make sure everything is sanitized.

Choosing a breed can be difficult but depending on your milk needs your choice should be able to narrow it down.

Our cow is a Jersey.
They are a great family cow,they are small,gentle and easy keepers and don't eat as much a larger breeds.
The butterfat is much higher in Jersey then other breeds and the cream is yellow.

We are so happy with our Jersey that while visiting the dairy yesterday where we purchased her, I was looking at all the young heifers...
I have decided that in the Spring we will be purchasing our second dairy breed heifer.

This time it will be a Brown Swiss.
Although a bigger cow who will eat more I'm a sucker for those massive ears and docile personalities.
The Swiss are slightly bigger then the Jersey and will produce a bit more milk but the butterfat is not as high,the cram is cream colored.
I have heard the Swiss produce a sweeter milk.

She will just be a calf when she comes, that way we can halter train her and raise her up to be the type of cow that is used to being handeled.
Breeding age was recommended at 15 months -two years, so it will be awhile before we milk her.

If you have any experience with the Swiss I would love to hear your opinion on the breed.

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!

Every November...

2011-11-07T05:49:00.000-08:00

This time of year we always find a little gift or two left in our barn...

There are many feral cats living in the area.
It would seem they decide the weather is cold and its time to leave the kittens behind for us to care for.
This little girl is about 5 weeks old, she was in the box stall in the corner hiding.
I reached down to pick her up and she immediately bit me,hard.
I wrapped her up in a fleece dog coat and took her to the house to warm some milk and fed her with a syringe,she was so hungry and eagerly drank.

Today she will go to her forever home.
A friend has agreed to nurse her back to health and take good care of her.

I looked for possible siblings but have not found any.

Do you get strays on your farm?

Oh how sweet it is

2011-11-02T17:18:00.000-07:00

"If a queen bee were crossed with a Friesian bull, would not the land flow with milk and honey?"

Oliver St.John

Today was a sweet day.
I had a surprise visit from the bee guy.
He came bearing gifts, oh such sweet, amber goodness.

This gift was a case of the finest amber honey that was produced right here from the bees on Hidden Meadow Farm.
I was beyond thrilled to receive such a magnificent gift.
This is my very first taste of honey produced from our wildflowers,orchards,blueberries and cranberries.

A sovereign remedy given freely by God to Man,delivered through the humble bee.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-02T06:23:00.000-07:00

Moving Cattle

2011-11-01T06:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we all got dressed in our hunter's orange and walked the front field behind the horses to insure no trees were on the electric line.

We were planning on moving the cattle to the Oak field but this field still had a nice feeding of grass, enough for a week or so.
We have been feeding out hay for over a month, that's one 4x5 round bale a day, it's expensive ....grass is good.

Frankie is in need of hunters orange,usually we try flagging tape around her neck but I think I will sew her a coat.

I love how cows make trails in the fields,they are never straight, always curved, as you can see some parts are quite wet after a month of rain.

The dogs have a great time playing....Blue even play's leap dog with Frankie..note that his eyes are on me making sure he's not going to get in trouble..Frankie completely unsuspecting.

I have a little video,it is super blurry,not sure why, but you can still get the idea of how well socialized and willing the Highlands are...Hubby calls them to be moved, "Come on cows"....I love how near the end when there is a traffic jam Robin gets so upset.
Look at the back by the tree line you can see them running up from the meadow pasture.

The cattle are so easy to move,they are such a great breed.

Fancy is a bit big eyed at the 21 cows that are running behind their fence, she wonders if she should run to..

She figures it's safe and goes back to munching away..

The cows don't get to far,just through the woods when they stop and start testing the quality of grass.

The only problem with moving them here is damage to the pastures from being so wet..

I will take pasture damage any day to one of my critters being hurt by a senseless hunter!

This and that...

2011-10-31T09:12:00.000-07:00

October has come and gone.
We have had a spectacular amount of rain this month, nearly 15 inches has fallen.
along with the rain we now have had two snow falls this month...this is from yesterday afternoon..

Everything has had a hard time drying out.
Pastures are soggy, main road ways are muddy, especially with the bee guy traveling one nearly every rain fall to feed the bees.

Two of the farm critters that love this wet weather is Edmund and Margaret, they can be found wondering around outside in the pouring rain and snow...

We have moved the sheep to the electric net fence system.
I'm not a huge fan of it but it does the job and they get to clean up the last of this years grass.
My main issue with the fence is the instability of it,it always seems to lean in or out....

Regardless they still enjoy the tasty grass.

In the main sheep fence there is a apple tree that has all the critters interested in it....

Especially Ginger.
The only cow tall enough to jump the page wire and create hysteria among the other cows, while she gorges on apples.
These are not just any apple but Newton Pippin's .

We have three of these trees right in the yard.
They are fantastic producers even if they are over 150 years old.
We are so desperately needing to prune and dormant spray our trees.
Hopefully we can achieve that with a few this year.

The horses even love their Pippin tree....not many drops left there....

All of this chilly weather has me thinking of Christmas...
Yup Christmas.
I spent a hour yesterday folding a old magazine in to a neat little Christmas tree project from Martha Stewart.

I quite like them and plan to make a few more, such a great way to recycle.

Wising everyone a great Halloween and a snow free entry into November ...

Today's weather.....

2011-10-30T13:12:00.000-07:00

Add some snow and that about sum's things up....

The dreaded time of year...

2011-10-28T12:43:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again.
One of the most dreaded times of year to own livestock.
Yup today was the first day of deer hunting season in NS.

This terrifies me !!
Every year we make sure the barbwire gates are secure and we post signs, no hunting,no trespassing, and the big yellow POSTED signs.

Every year these signs are removed the gates cut.
Every year we see new trails made by four wheelers through our property, this year they started a month ago in a new spot,I suspect they thought we wouldn't know.
Every year we catch someone in there hunting,building tree stands you name it.

Last year was the final straw.
After repeated warning's to a particular hunter who was asked not to return or he would be charged.
The same hunter who built a stand over looking my orchard, the same orchard that has the meadow directly behind with my happy cows grazing in it.
I called the police to give him a written warning under the protection of property act, if he is caught there again he will be charged.

We are going tonight at dusk to sit and wait for any hunters that might come out of our woods,my camera will be in hand.

It is hard to monitor the back half of our land being 1.5 kms from the house.

Why are people so disrespectful?

The cows will be moved first thing in the am to the oak field. It is near the house and away from the meadow.
I really hate this time of year....

Early Morning Mist

2011-10-24T06:35:00.000-07:00

There is nothing more spectacular and majestic then a Highland Bullock in the early morning mist....

I'm in love.

Farmers Breakfast

2011-10-21T17:51:00.000-07:00

When most people think of a farmers breakfast they probably picture a huge meal full of fatty foods like bacon,sausage,fried eggs etc.
Well I start my day in a whole other way...a healthy breakfast of homemade granola.

I thought I would share as I just got done making a fresh batch.

So first off it's not cheap.
The more you like in it the pricier it can get, if you are fortunate to have a bulk barn you are in luck.

I always start with a big roasting pan and fill the bottom with a layer of oats, you can use any amount of the following ingredients but oats are necessary.

Next I add

You can add any mix of any nuts and grains you like,I change it every time, but wheat germ is also a must,it grabs the sugar and honey mixture making sweet crunchy bits.
I also add about three cups of sweetened flake coconut.

Give everything a good mix.

Next mix about one cup of honey,one cup of brown sugar and 1/4 cup of oil together

Pour over grain and nut mixture.
I prefer to mix by hand to get it coated well,you can also heat the mixture so it is thinner before adding to the mix.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes,stirring every ten minutes.

When golden take out of oven and add your fruit mixture,again any dried fruit you prefer.
I like golden and Sultana raisins,dried cherries and dried cranberries.

Stir every once in awhile until cool.

Store in mason jars or zip lock bags.

Enjoy with yogurt,in cookies,as bars,dry or my favorite with milk.

October Cows

2011-10-20T04:35:00.000-07:00

Another rainy day...up to 60mm through the day and more overnight and again tomorrow..Yuck!!

I took a few pictures yesterday while it was dry so I could share today...

Here is Blackie,the heifer visiting Yeoman, she has been a good girl and I will be sad to see her go next month..
Her owners where here last week to see her and couldn't get over how great she looks,they said she was so clean and even her horns where shiny.
I think living with other cows has helped,do you see a difference?

This is Foxy, she was born this spring..

Foxy's number one tag along Finn .. Finn and her mom Francis are the only two cows we own that have blue eyes!

This is Yeoman our herd sire..

This is one of my most favorite girls, Stormy she is just such a amazing and beautiful girl who will one day become a breeder for us.

And this is Lysa. She is one of my favorite cows...you can lead her,milk her and if you want just sit on her back.
She has the best personality of all my cows.

Cranberries and beef...

2011-10-19T05:31:00.000-07:00

The week has been mostly rainy.
The sun managed to show itself for a bit yesterday even though the air was still plenty crisp.
I took the opportunity to pick more cranberries,so far both myself and my friend have each picked 18 liters.

The picking was great with dry conditions.
The six liters picked yesterday was not from my bog but from a organic farm not to far away.

You see one of my bogs,my main bog, had hardly any fruit in it this year .
This boggled my mind as it was so full last year we could not pick everything in it.
I don't know to much about cranberry production but yesterday I learned from this farmer why no fruit was produced.
Our season has been filled with rain...allot of rain..so much rain that when the blossoms came so did the rain.
The blossoms where then covered by water not allowing pollination to take place.
The fix is simple,we need to install a culvert with a dam,this will allow the water to drain from spring through fall and then we dam it in the winter when the frost comes to keep the plants under water thus protecting them.

I was grateful for his help in fixing the problem.

Well if you are a Vegetarian or sensitive you may want to stop reading here.

Last chance to turn back...

Ok, well I thought I would post about something that I have not discussed on here before.
Last night was a first for me.
I went to the butcher and participated in the process of cutting and packing a steer.
This is something I have never done but felt it was necessary to see and know about.
There was no killing etc.
The steer had already hung for 14 days, I want no part of seeing that.

I surprised myself when I got there with how well I handled this.
You see my steers are all born here,most I've watched be born and all would come see me for treats and scratches,they were treated with as much love as any other critter here.

The facility was very clean and the butcher was a master at his craft,this was our first time using his service but I was so impressed he will be our butcher for years to come.

The whole process took four hours, about a hour for every 100lbs.
The steer weighed around 1100lbs live and we got back 400lbs of beef after boning etc.
I helped pack and label the beef while he cut it.
Two quarters were sold and we will keep a half for our self's.

I think it was important to involve myself in this process to know just how things went and that my steer was treated with respect.

Although this may be offensive to some, I take pride in how my animals are raised and how well loved they are for every moment of their lives.
I eat meat,I enjoy it,I feel better knowing that what I'm eating was humanly raised and treated with the up most respect.

Do you know where your meat comes from and how it's raised?
Everyone has the ability to make change in the way animals are raised,you can vote with your fork.

Weekend in pictures

2011-10-16T16:20:00.000-07:00

Just a bit of the weekend..

Some relaxed next to the wood stove..

Some learned more from momma..

Some thought they were King of the poo pile...

Some were scared of the big hens...

Some tried to show their beauty one last time...

Some were past their prime..

Some looked like they had four horns..

And some were ripe for the picking..

Hope you had a wonderful weekend!!

Awards..for me??

2011-10-13T08:15:00.000-07:00

I have received some blog awards and need to play catch up in fulfilling my duty.

I'm completely humbled that all of you wonderful ladies thought of me and continue to stop by and read what's going on around the farm, thank you!!

So lets start with the first..

This is quite the award to receive...who would have thought I could write a blog that inspires??
I'm honored to think K Koira from My Life With Flyball Dogs would think of me.

The rules are..

1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded this to you.

2. Link posts by you and ten fellow bloggers that you find inspirational.

3. Forward the award to those ten fellow bloggers

The Second award

This award comes from Annette over at News From Aspen Meadows
Thank you Annette!!!

I need to pass the award on to 15 blogs I recently discovered and then add seven things about myself.

The third award

The third Award was gifted from Tina over at What we keep
Thank you for thinking of me!!!

Rules
*Thank and link back to the person who gave you the award

*list seven things about yourself

* pass along to 15 other bloggers and let them know you awarded them

First I will ad a few things about myself you may not know.

1- My house is filled with pictures.
Some of them are big...like 3'x4'...they are mostly prints,some photographs but the only people pictures I display are black and whites of relatives from generations back. I don't have any recent pictures on display...is that strange?

2- I just turned the big 30..not as bad as I expected it would be.

3- When one of my animals gets sick or injured my first instinct is to throw up..yup kinda gross but my nerves take over for the first moments.
I then turn into super women and do everything I can to make them better.
I even had 7 month old calf in my porch for 3 days one February.
She got pushed by a big cow,fell and got trapped in the water troff over night..it was -20 that night...I spent a entire day blow drying her and wrapping her in warm blankets continuously rotated in the dryer, with a heat lamp on her.
I couldn't hardly stand up or move my arms the next day but she now is a happy momma!!

4- I still hate taking steer's to the abattoir...I just hate it...

5- I tend to paint the inside of my house every year but have a hard time picking colors.
We just renovated a room and it took days to decide on the color...I ended up with a nice pearl like color called seashell.

6- I only drink water or milk with the occasional glass of orange juice or lemonade.

7- our little cross Canada farm women quilt project just won the CBC Aurthur award,
The Arthur Awards recognize folks whose contributions, though small, make the world a better place.

For my blog nominations....there are far to many to mention so if you read this blog and would like any of the above awards please feel free to take them.

Thanks again for the nominations ladies!!!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-12T07:11:00.000-07:00

Someone's hiding something..

Happy Thanksgiving .

2011-10-09T16:24:00.000-07:00

Wishing all of my Canadian reader's a happy Thanksgiving....

Give thanks for unknown blessings already on their way.

The four letter word...

2011-10-06T11:06:00.000-07:00

SNOW!!
Yes that's right SNOW!

It should be far to early for snow but mother nature let it fall overnight and through the day over parts of Nova Scotia.
It has been very chilly the last two days.
The weather man called for rain and lots of it..he did not mention snow but here it is.
Guess it's time to really step things up for winters cold grip....

photo credit CBC.

What do you think of that???

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-05T07:19:00.000-07:00

A little something that all of us farmers can relate to in one way or another...just click the link below ...hope you enjoy!

God made a farmer

The Big Barn Clean Out!!!

2011-10-02T16:22:00.000-07:00

Today was the day for our big clean out in the barn.
It was a all day project.
Of course it rained all day and not just a bit but heavy down pours by times.
This was to be expected with hurricane Ophelia heading by Nova Scotia,the rain is supposed to continue until Saturday.

My barn was built in 1810,it is old and kinda crooked but built timber strong.
It makes a nice barn for my sheep,horses,milk cows and chickens,the half level holds horse sleighs, bobsleds and odds & ins, not to mention the hay mow holds over 500 square bales of hay and straw.

Back side of the barn,a little different now with another window for Gingers stall.

The sheep will spend the night in the horse stalls, the floor was disinfected and still needed to dry before we rebuilt the new pens.

The manure pack from the sheep was thick and heavy with a earthy smell.
This is what came out...

and..

and finally this...

That's one big pile of poo!!!
It always seems like so much more then when it's in the barn because its packed so tight in there.
I'm glad we have the equipment to move it easy, forking sheep manure by hand sucks to say the least,it is heavy and lifts in sheets, excavators make easy work.

This is what the inside looked like before sweeping and disinfecting...including dig marks in the cement from the teeth on the bucket..

Looking straight in from the big roll up door, note the dark stain on the beam to the left,this is stained with lanolin from the sheep scratching on it .

The sheep side looking out, Blue checking things out wondering where the girls went.

No worry's Blue they are just on the other side in the horse stalls.

Ginger's the Jersey's stall, Sugar still needs hers built. Just need to dust before she moves back in!

Now if only I could reach those nasty big cobwebs way up there..

I would need one big ladder for those 18' ceilings.

Tomorrow we will finish the job.
The good thing is it's the time of year for hoof trimming and worming so the new pens will be fresh for fresh girls making a cozy winter.

Despite the rain the cows loved getting a bath.

Lily thought a close up was in order..

A greatly productive day!!
How did you spend your Sunday??

Linking to Barn Charm and

A Visitor to the farm

2011-09-28T07:08:00.000-07:00

Let me introduce Blackie.

Blackie is a three year old Highland who is visiting the farm for the next two months.
She is here for Yeoman our bull,you see she is of age to be bred and we are the farm with a unrelated bull.
I have not ever done this before.
We have run a closed heard for over three years.
The reason I decided to do this was Blackie's owner is a eight year old little boy who is in 4H and wanting his pet cow to give him a calf.
He loves the breed and how could I say no?

One of the other reason's is she is the only cow at her farm and has been since seven months of age,this cuts the risk of disease hugely.

To be honest she doesn't much look like a Highland right now despite her short legs.
Blackie found a pile of burdock in her pasture the day before arrival and her owner shaved her ears,face and neck.

Blackie was supposed to arrive early on a Sunday morning so if we turned her out to pasture and trouble arose we had all day to deal with it.
Instead she arrived at 8pm Monday night,it was already dark.
Blackie was led by halter into the barn where she enjoyed a freshly bedded box stall and yummy hay for the night.

Early Monday morning hubby walked her to the meadow to introduce her to the other cattle.
I was fully expecting a battle over dominance to show who was boss cow but to my surprise this was not the case!
The girls were interested in her but had no want to be anything but curious and friendly.

Here's where the problem arises.
Because the Highland's are such a social breed always wanting attention and to be talked to a petted,they followed hubby back up the meadow lane despite his trying to quietly sneak away.

Once up by the house Blackie discovered we had horses.
You see to most cow's no biggie but Blackie thinks she is a horse and not a cow!

At her farm she has been living with horses since seven months old,she goes to pasture with them and then goes in a box stall every night next to them.
She had no idea why we put her to pasture with these long haired horned creatures,she was no cow.

Blackie went through the fence and headed straight for the horses where she felt she belonged.

My girls did not think much of this,probably nor did my neighbors at that time of day, and all started mooing hysterically to try and call her back.

Hubby got the halter and we moved her back with the cows.
We headed for the meadow yet again.

If you look all the way to the left you can see Blackie hiding in the woods looking terrified of the cows.

Everyone followed hubby while me and the dogs followed the cows.
We left quietly and hoped for the best.

Later in the day I walked back and was pleased to find her standing in the trees and she had found a friend.

All is well now and she had settled quite nice!
I think she now remembers she truly is a cow!!!

Early Morning photos

2011-09-27T04:45:00.000-07:00

While up early this am rounding up cattle I managed to take advantage of the rising sun.

You see rounding up cattle has never been a part of my morning routine.
Last night we had a guest arrive at the farm,her name is Blackie.
Blackie is a three year old Highland who I will tell you more about tomorrow...

I hope your morning routine was less eventful then mine...
until tomorrow..

We hired a new tractor driver...

2011-09-26T06:48:00.000-07:00

But he tends to sleep on the job!

Orloff Rooster and his hens

2011-09-22T13:01:00.000-07:00

The big Orloff wandered over by the house so I threw them a few zucchini and a cuke to munch on,he wasn't long finding it and inviting his girls to join in, even if they where a little grabby.

He is loving being able to run with the girls now that the big Cuckoo Maran has a new home.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-21T06:01:00.000-07:00

"If Nothing ever Changed, there would be no Butterflies."

There here...

2011-09-19T18:32:00.000-07:00

The long wait was worth it.
To say I'm excited is a understatement!

Saturday night just before midnight we had two trucks,a 3/4 tonne and a five tonne with a trailer, roll through the yard heading towards the meadow.
We followed them to watch what was about to happen.

You see these trucks were scheduled to arrive at midnight.
They were loaded with bees!!!
Not just a few bee's but a huge amount of bees, 74 over flowing hives, that 3,700,000 bees!!!

They were unloaded with a forklift and placed along the tree line on pallets.
Eight hives to a pallet.
We stood back and watched the 5 men work their bee charming magic with nothing but jeans and t-shirts on! And yes they got stung,many times although they seemed to be immune to the pain.

Blue with the long line of bee hives in the back ground.

These are a new addition to the 500 hives the farmer already owns.
He bought out a older farmer.
He was worried about moving them so late in the year and thinks he will loose 20% over the winter.

The bee guy will now be farming bees full time.
He will start making honey again for the first time in two years,I hope we get to sample..

Someone being a brave boy!!

Typical of his Livestock Guardian instincts he checks out the new additions to know if he needs to protect them.

But I'm sure they have all the protection they need attached to their bum!

The bees were still very active and defensive today so getting to close was not going to happen.
When they calm down I will get better pictures.

Farm filled Sunday

2011-09-18T18:19:00.000-07:00

The morning started as usual,barn chores then breakfast.
We had a busy day ahead of us starting with the second cut hay that was in need of finishing.

This required the hay tedder.
A tedder fluffs the hay up to allow it to dry better.

We had our friend tedder while we attended a special farm day together.

Today was also Open Farm Day in NS.
Province wide 62 farms participated allowing the public to visit these farms for free.

Usually we would be on that list but have taken a bit of a break as it is allot of work to plan such a day.
Planning begins in May as your schedule has to be in by June,to the Ag awareness dept., in order to participate in September.
So instead I decided to take the day and show my support for my fellow farmers.

The first stop had me reminiscing the day I first stepped foot on this particular farm and fell in love with my darling Highland cattle.
It was the farm my first two cows came from.
His cows are just as beautiful as ever..

A older cow,you can tell by how large her horns are, and her calf.

We had a great visit with the farmer and his beautiful cattle.

I returned hubby to the hay fields to rake the hay in to rows and start baling while my friend,also our farm hand, continued on the farm tours with me.
Here are a few pictures from some of those farms..

These Alpacas were fantastic! Absolutely gorgeous! I left wanting to own one.
Isn't the color just beautiful? and they are sheared so perfectly all by the owner himself pictured below.

After the Alpaca farm I headed back to the field just in time for baling to begin.

The rest of the hay will be finished tomorrow.

We had a wonderful farm filled Sunday!

How was your Sunday?

It's Time!!!

2011-09-16T13:31:00.000-07:00

Today was the day we cut the second cut!!
It might seem so strange to be so excited about hay but this has been a long time coming.
The weather is 16C but the wind is blowing so hard it makes for a good drying day.

Four of the six field's were cut, we left two standing because the grass was so thick we will have more then enough with what we did cut,roughly 850, 60-70lb squares. We will end up storing a few hundred bales off property at another barn,we just don't have the room.

In order to produce quality hay suitable for feeding to horses—free of dust, mold and weeds—it must be cut at the right age and when the weather is dry and warm. After being cut, the hay dries in the field before it is baled.

Next to pasture, good quality hay is the ideal feed and this is why having second cut makes me so happy.
It is excellent feed, as it is cut in a shorter period of time making it higher in protein and being a finer hay.

The horses,sheep and milk cows will have a lovely winter with beautiful hay to eat!

Straw was also a challenge to get this year.
Most oat and wheat crops did not do so well, there was nobody cutting straw because the plants were to short to bother.
We were lucky enough to track down a farmer with enough extra square bales to get us through the winter for sheep bedding. They are going in the barn this evening!

This is oat straw.
It is prized as bedding, due to its soft, relatively dust-free, and absorbent nature.
We only use it for sheep,the horses and milk cows have sawdust bedding as it is much nicer for mucking out daily.

Winter manure is stomped into what is called a “manure pack” in the barn by the sheep as straw is spread on it regularly for bedding.
It slowly composts anaerobically, that is without oxygen, so there is very little leaching or fermentation.
Most of the manure odor is gone too, replaced by a pungent earthy smell. The whole problem of odor which so plagues the animal confinement industry is avoided.
The straw makes for a nice manure pack.
We like this for lambing time to as it is warm and the use of heat lamps has not been necessary so far.

Once the hay and straw is in the barn clean out time begins!

ps- for all you gals in dry country needing hay who are paying dear I wish you were closer....we would have cut the extra fields for you!!!

This week

2011-09-15T06:11:00.000-07:00

This week has been another busy one.
The bee guy was here to check out the road leading to the meadow and upper field where he over winters the bees.
He has not been back yet to bring them,I expect he's waiting on a rainy day,that seems to be when he comes.

The weather has been nice but the temperature has dropped low enough at night we had our first killing frost,the tomatoes fell victim.

The frost burned most of the leaves turning them brown, but the tomatoes them self seem fine.
This makes the threat of winter seem more real and being prepared more of a rush.

The cattle have been doing great on our new pasture rotation schedule this year.
We have four separate pastures so we move them often with a quick "come on girls" they all come running to the tender grass that awaits them.
The pasture has lasted far better then any year yet,even though I'm sure the amount of rain we received has allot to do with that.
The cattle will be moved again tomorrow,back to the meadow and upper field.

This will be that last rotation for that pasture as hunting season is soon coming upon us.
Regardless of our no trespassing/ no hunting signs and gate someone continues to remove them and tries to hunt over looking our orchard which is only separated from our meadow and field by the brook.
I'm scared they will hit a cow!
Do you have issues with hunters?

The cattle next to the horses,trees starting to turn color.

We will be saying goodbye to two of our cows in the spring.
Bindi,a two year old heifer

and Benjamin a yearling steer.

There new home will be with Hillcroft Heritage Farm a local farm dedicated to raising heritage breeds. Pop over and check them out!

Hope you are enjoying your week!

Adding to the farm book collection

2011-09-11T16:25:00.000-07:00

Today was not to bad weather wise although I find the night to be far to chilly at only 6+, minus another two degrees and we are facing frost!
Everyone is scrambling to get hay and straw finished before more rain hits.

A straw field through rain.

Tonight is the first night to require a fire in the wood stove to take the chill off..

Guess I will just have to sit back and start reading the new collection of farm books I acquired today!!
If you have any of these please let me know what you think of them.

Not to bad a haul for .50c a book!!!

Ram shopping

2011-09-08T15:08:00.000-07:00

The week has been rainy off and on.

I have been thinking more about my breeding plan for my ewe's this fall.
I will be turning them to breed a month later then usual so the lambs arrive for May,it will work much better for me.
The weather in May is nice so lambs can go out to pasture sooner.

I'm shopping for a second Cotswold ram.
I have contacted a few sources and will start to view my options hopefully this weekend.

There are two sire's of the possible ram lambs to choose from, both from Tennessee,that were brought in to NS for new blood lines.
I have seen one and he is a looker for sure.

He has a beautiful straight line and I prefer a white ram. His offspring are white although both ram lambs from him carry the colored gene as do all of my sheep.

He is also stocky and broad, as he should be.
A mature Cotswold ram's will tip the scales at 300lbs,ewe's upwards of 220lbs.
This is why exceptional temperament is a must in choosing stock,you do not want a grumpy 300lb ram bunting you.

And look at that face!! Isn't he handsome?!

I'm excited to see the offspring from this big guy and check out the dam's as well.

I hope to visit with the other Tennessee ram on the weekend,maybe tomorrow,as long as the weather stays nice.
I'm sure he is equally stunning as will his offspring be.

I'm still waiting on my barn to be cleaned....
We are waiting for second cut hay and straw to go in the mow first as the hay elevator is difficult to put up, it takes 4 people due to the height of the mow.
Wish us a good streak of sun to get it all done!!

Until next time...

Bitter Sweet

2011-09-03T09:15:00.000-07:00

It has been a sad day around here.
The barnyard just doesn't have as much energy today as it has over the past few months.

Mo (and I) has been mourning the loss of her lambs as they left yesterday for their new home.
I'm thrilled to know they will have the best home two lambs could ever want,being used for what they truly where bred for,fiber sheep.

I had the pleasure of meeting the wonderful Claire and her partner from Wispering Acres , what a great lady!
Claire also took home a pair of Cuckoo Maran chickens,the hen is broody so hopefully she will lay another clutch for Claire to hatch out.
The neat thing about the Marans is they lay a darker brown egg and the chicks can be sexed from day one by the color,the males are lighter.
This is a picture of the first egg she ever layed

They say they get lighter over time.
The hen was a free ranger so I have only found her eggs when they where probably quite old,stashed in
places like in the sheep's hay feeder and behind the stairs or in the corner of the sheep pen.
The rooster is a character and a good protector to his hens.

I hope Claire gets as much joy from these wonderful critters as we did !!

Fall Is In The Air

2011-09-01T11:28:00.000-07:00

Now that September has arrived, it's time to get prepared before old man winter comes knocking on the door with his cold hands.
Just a few things we are doing....

We will be bringing more hay home this weekend,both square and round bales.
The second cut will be made next week and I'm hoping for 400+ squares again this year,I much prefer to feed it over first cut for the horses and sheep during the coldest months.

The cattle get a boost with haylage through the winter as we do not feed grain,we much prefer them to be on a natural diet of grass and hay.

We have started to get wood in for the winter,we burn a huge amount at 12+ cord,depending on how cold it gets.

The barn is due for the fall clean out.
Sheep pens will be dismantled and hubby will pull the manure pack out of the barn with his equipment. We will disinfect and scrub everything,rebuild new pens,add fresh bedding,worm the sheep and and do it all again in the spring...
This will take two days,so the sheep will be split up between the horse stalls overnight,the horse's will sleep on pasture for the night.

We are also in the process of replacing the horse fencing.
The horses were spooked a month ago by the neighbors irrigation system,it was air locked and sounded like a gun firing,when the water did decide to shoot out it did so right across the road and hit my horses spooking them through the fence and up the road.
One horse suffered a bloody nose and some bad cuts to the hock and legs,we were lucky they were not any deeper!
The fencing we had up was high tensile electric....we now have electric ribbon to replace it, with the hopes that if they spook again the ribbon will break and not cut.

The sheep fence will also need repair as two spoiled cow's think it's appropriate to jump the page wire for apples...even though they have apples on their side of the fence...

Dottie and Coal were not sure what to think....I don't think when they get to their new home tomorrow at Wispering Acres they will have crazy apple stealing cows in the pasture!

The gardens are out of control,desperately needing weeding. Soon it will be time to put them all to bed for the winter removing all the dead plant material and sowing winter rye as a cover crop.

Next week we will be getting four windows replaced upstairs.
I'm glad to have new ones but at the same time I hate to see the 200 year old wooden ones go,try to make sense of that,lol
Our bedroom will be much warmer along with the rest of the bedrooms,and no fighting to open sticky,crooked windows.

It amazes me but we have one broody hen in the barn still,she is sitting on eggs. I don't think she will hatch any but last time I thought that we ended up with chicks.
Here is the first two hatched out of a broody Cochin this year,they are barnyard mix but both are pretty and both are hens,despite the large Langshan comb on one!

The greenhouse plastic was shredded by tropical storm Irene. Time to cut it off and wait for spring to replace it with new.

So that's a few things we are up to,just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to getting prepared for winter but none the less a good start.

What are you doing to prepare??

Zucchini!!

2011-08-29T09:56:00.000-07:00

This is one of my all time favorite cake recipes,it is so delicious.
This is the perfect time of year to make some with all the zucchini around.
I'm making a few today!

Pineapple Zucchini sheet cake with Cream cheese frosting!

350,33-35 min

Cake
1 1/2 cup All-purpose Flour
1-¼ cup Granulated Sugar
½ cups Sweetened, Flaked Coconut
2 teaspoons Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
¼ teaspoons Freshly Grated Nutmeg, Or More To To Taste (optional)
1 pinch Ginger (optional)
3 Tablespoons Canola Oil
2 whole Large Eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla
2 cups Grated (unpeeled) Zucchini (drained on paper towel)
1 can (20 Oz. Size) Crushed Pineapple In Juice, Drained (Reserve Juice In Case You Need It For The Cake Batter Or The Frosting)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Combine flours, sugar, coconut, baking soda, salt, and spices in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk.

Combine oil, eggs, and vanilla; stir well. Stir egg mixture, grated zucchini, and pineapple into the flour mixture. Batter will be stiff and dry but keep folding it and it will all come together. If it still seems too dry, just add a little splash of the pineapple juice.

Spoon batter into a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350°F for about 33–35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs and cake is pulling away from sides of pan. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Frosting

2 Tablespoons Butter, Softened
1 package (8 Oz. Size) Low-fat Cream Cheese, Softened (You Can Use Full-fat Cream Cheese)
2 cups Powdered Sugar, More Or Less As Needed
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Splash Of Pineapple Juice, If Necessary
Chopped Walnuts Or Pecans (optional)

Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla just until smooth. Add a splash of milk or pineapple juice if necessary. Spread frosting over top of cake. You can garnish with chopped pecans or walnuts, if desired.

Notes : If your zucchini are huge, scrape the seeds out of the center before you shred it so it’s not too watery. Also, I spread it all out on layers of paper towel to drain it and dry it off a bit. Then I measure out 2 cups. I’m not sure if this is critical, though. Nuts can also be added to the cake batter if desired. This recipe makes a very generous amount of frosting.

This recipe can be turned into a Carrot Cake just by substituting shredded carrots for the zucchini.

Enjoy!!!!

A weekend adventure before the storm

2011-08-28T15:47:00.000-07:00

Our Saturday was spent with a group of 30 like minded young Nova Scotia farmers.

We all met at a local farm at noon,the same farm I buy my small fruit plants from.
Everyone piled into a van,with a few of us taking our own transportation,and headed to Luckett Vineyard for a tour and talk with farm manager,Marcel and Winemaker,Mike.

The winery was beautiful but the views from the vineyard were phenomenal!!

We learned about growing grapes in our Valley climate and what was needed for a successful harvest,this was most interesting.

When the tour ended we headed to Blueberry Acres.
A high bush blueberry farm abundant with over 250 acres of blueberries alone,not to mention the cherry tomatoes and raspberries.

The crop this year is massive..

The tour was great and we agreed that Jersey was our favorite variety tasting very similar to wild blueberries.

We are planning to add blueberries to our farm production in large quantities over the next year,a few hundred plants.
Our soil was assessed by our local agriculture specialists and consultants and determined our Oak field was prime blueberry land so this makes things easier.

Everyone met back at the fruit farm for a tour followed by a tasty local BBQ.
The day was fun and we enjoyed meeting new connections and the future of NS agriculture.

Today we spent the day getting ready for tropical storm Irene.
She is expected to hit overnight with high winds and lots of rain.
The rain has already started along with wind,since noon,it would be nice if it gets no worse...

I think of all those blueberries,apples and vegetables that will surly be severly damaged if things get worse.
Sending thoughts to all who have been and will be effected by Irene..
Until next time.

A new breed of milk cow that's not so new....

2011-08-25T17:40:00.000-07:00

When we bred our Purebred Jersey,Ginger,to our majestic Highland bull,Lucas, we were not sure of what we would end up with for a calf.
Both breeds being phenomenal in their own way.

The result was Sugar,a sweet faced heifer calf.
Sugar is now 9 months old and proving to be one of the best cross calf's I have ever seen.

I was re-reading my vintage Harrowsmith book last week when I came across the article that got me interested in the Highland breed.
Yon Bonnie Canny Kine,by Donalda Badone.

In this article I came across a section titled ," Lazy Man's Jersey".
I was shocked!
I have searched the web high and low for any info on crossing a Highland with a Jersey to no avail.
All this time it was right here on my book shelf!

The article describes the cross as follows,

"In addition, the Peases crossed a straightbred Jersey cow with "Leodhas", to produce what Nancy describes as "the lazy man's Jersey", a cow that produces creamy milk in slightly less quantity than a jersey but, from a health view-point, is more resilient than a Jersey and does not suffer from milk fever an ailment common among heavy milk producers. "She has no problem with calving, either, and has been bred every year to a Hereford bull," says Nancy. "She's a small cow, about 900 pounds, Highland red, smooth-furred in summer with hair about three inches long in winter."

To me Sugar is a superb calf, she is friendly as can be like both breeds,she is big,thick and sturdy,her growth rate has been far quicker then the pure Highland,as to expected.
Next year we will breed her and see what her milk production and calving are like,hopefully as great as the article describes.

The "Jerseyland" is not such a new breed as I thought with them being bred for well over 30 years with success.
The "breed" would make the perfect family milk cow with the excess bull calves proving to be beefier then the straight Jersey for freezer beef.
I have bred Ginger to our new bull Yeoman with hopes of a black "Jerseyland" next season...time will tell.

If you are looking for that perfect homestead milk cow I think the "Jerseyland" is worth a second look.

You can read the Harrowsmith article Here !
Enjoy!

Around the farm with pictures for Claire...

2011-08-22T07:29:00.000-07:00

The year is flying by fast.
Fall is nearing with its crisp air and crop abundance evident.

Hay is getting scarce as the weather has been unpredictable,and even though they call for sun we hardly get threes days in a row without rain.
The price has been driven up triple.
We have all of our hay except second cut. The second cut looks great because of the rain so lets hope when September rolls around we have enough nice days to get it cut and bailed.

The calves are growing and looking great.
Remember Stormy?

She is starting to shed her light bleached summer coat and grow her nice double coat for winter.
This calf is spectacular and I can't wait until she is three to see what she matures into.

Yeoman should have us a new crop of calves in the spring..

The addition of a black bull we should see lots of silver duns and blacks added to our fold.

We will be sending our steer Yorick,to the abattoir soon for processing. We will keep half for our self's and the other half will be sold in box lots worth anywhere from $100-250.

Ginger and Sugar will be moving back in the barn come November.

Sugar in the back,Half Highland Half Jersey,9mths.
Benjamen on the left,2 year old steer, Bindi on the right,2 year old heifer,both pure Highland.

The sheep pasture has lasted for many more months then normal for our sandy soil due to the large amounts of rain.

They are liking the area around the tree eating all the apple drops.

Until next time....

Joining the Homestead barn hop...

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-03T08:56:00.000-07:00

Ram edition....

Rainy Weekend plans

2011-07-31T16:16:00.000-07:00

A weekend adventure and where do I go?
Well to see other animals of course.
We spent the weekend at the cottage because all the events we planned on partaking in where near by.

The rain started Friday night as we drove down,it was cold and miserable but I was determined the weather had to change for the exhibition,it just had to...

We had friends who stayed with us.
The evening began with a yummy supper of prime rib steak,fresh garden salad,broccoli slaw and new potatoes.
The rain made the brook run aggressively past the deck making a nice calming sleep.

In the morning we cooked bacon and eggs /BLT bagels for some, for breakfast.
The rain was not letting up....the exhibition plans were not looking great.

Lunch was fresh local scallops cooked in lemon butter sauce with homemade rolls and more garden salad.
We sat around reading and a few games of crib were played.
At 3pm we decided to go anyways and hope for the best.

We stopped in Lunenburg ,a beautiful tall ship,the Picton Castle was a spectacular sight against the dark,rough waters.

Farther up the road we all took a tour of the restoration of the Bluenose II

There was a artist set up painting the ship and the crew...

Another group of paintings,"builders of the Bluenose II" hung on the wall..

What a amazing project to witness.

Traveling up the shore to the quaint town of Bridgewater the rain had finally slowed down.
It looked promising for a enjoyable time at The big X.

The poultry barn had some nice birds and bunny's..

Oxen are always sharp looking..

Amateur steer riding is always good for a laugh,unfortunately no more good pictures were taken as it was getting dark.

Visiting a favorite museum is always a must..and a great way to end the rainy weekend...

The Berkshire pigs sure enjoyed the gift the rain left,when the mud got to thick the knew how to rub of the extra..

South Down Baby Doll sheep...

A Shorthorn Jersey cross cow gets milked to feed her awaiting calf..

While a new French Canadian colt was exploring his new world..

Over at Rose Cottage to have a look....bulit only six years after our house in 1816...they are very similar in design..

As you walk in, the overwhelming heat of the wood cook stove in the summer kitchen takes your breath away,

once in the main house it is rather cool and you are greeted by a tray of fresh baked cookies and biscuits for sampling..

The house is all original...
The kitchen...

Dining room...note the table built from the first tree cut on the farm by the owner...

Livingroom...

And upstairs...

Outside the barns are stunning..

Now that's what I call making the most of a rainy weekend!!!!

Lambs have moved...

2011-07-19T18:17:00.000-07:00

Jet and Cricket have moved to their new home.
They have a wonderful new mother who will become another breeder committed to the conservation of these rare sheep.
You can read about them on this blog, moon meadow croft and see all about their first day and new home.

Dottie and Cole still need a new home and are soon ready to be weaned.
If your interested in a brother sister pair of 3/4 Cotswold 1/4 Shetland, drop me a note.

This week will be full as we start with square bales of hay tomorrow....

Busy!! Busy!!

2011-07-14T17:52:00.000-07:00

I have a few minutes so thought I would give a quick update.
My "break" has been insane to say the least,busy does not describe how fast paced life has been.

As you know we have family visiting from Nebraska,this has added lots of busy days with the addition of four nieces and nephews under the age of 7. It has been wonderful to see everyone and how fast they have grown since last years visit.

We have spent some much needed time at the cottage.

We made some major changes that have made our cottage living so much better.
Until two weeks we had no kitchen sink,no kitchen water,no kitchen cupboard.
That was not going to do for another year so we had our neighbor build us a beautiful kitchen cupboard with a nice deep sink.
The plumber hooked it up the day after we installed the cupboard and we have now had two weekends with a kitchen!!!

I just need to add some handles and it will be perfect.

On another note as you can see in the header photo Robin is nearing her due date but only time will tell when she will calf until then we keep checking her.
Ginny is also nearing her date,she wont be far behind Robin.

Haying season is here. We have some hay in although the weather has not been cooperating with us to get our own fields cut,it looks like more rain in the forecast...

We had 70 bales delivered so far.

So my biggest news is saved for last.

We bought a tractor in PEI today. Yep that's right we now own a tractor!!
It is huge,a 90hp Case with a front end loader and a nice cab with air conditioning and a heater for the colder months.

This is our first tractor so we are very excited to say the least!

So that's it for now,a little update on this busy little farm.

Taking a break...

2011-07-07T19:10:00.000-07:00

I will be taking a two week blogging break while I enjoy our company from Nebraska.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-05T19:05:00.000-07:00

Truly Nova Scotia....

Celebrating by the Bay

2011-07-01T14:50:00.000-07:00

Happy Canada Day!!

We spent our day celebrating down by the Bay.
Here are some pictures of the day.

We had supper put on by the local community and fire department

finished off with a big piece of homemade chocolate cake!

Fireworks are on the beach at dusk!

Hoping you are all enjoying your day!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-29T09:22:00.000-07:00

Ginger is looking stunning as usual,

Still producing lots of milk

For Miss Sugar,her Highland cross heifer,who is looking more like big daddy Lucas with all those curls and Highland horns coming!

The Fruits of my Labor

2011-06-27T17:41:00.000-07:00

Tonight I gathered a large amount of strawberries,enough to fill my extra large bowl,probably well over 15 cups .
They have been producing exceptionally well.
I have enough to make a batch of jam with the promise of half as many to be ripe again tomorrow.

They are so tasty and juicy,so red and shiny!
Jewel is a fantastic June berry.

Here is a video of one of my favorite strawberry jam recipes,it is so simple and it has the added twist of candied ginger!

I hope you enjoy!!

Why not join the homestead barn hop?

The tale of a little "white" dog

2011-06-24T18:42:00.000-07:00

Frankie is my darling 8 year old rough coat Jack Russell.
She is a good girl,so pleasant and cute with all that hair...
She loves to go check the cows..

On the way back from checking the cows she thought swimming would be fun....but what came after was just gross!

You see,Frankie loves the mud,she loves cramming herself into dirty,disgusting things and rolling...

Just look at her belly...

I think she is part hippo!

A quick video on Rare Breeds

2011-06-15T12:08:00.000-07:00

Just a quick video on rare breeds to show the importance of conservation.
Note the Belted Galloway cattle,another hardy Scottish breed that lived on Hidden Meadow Farm for four years before we decided to strictly concentrate our efforts on the Scottish Highland.
Belties are also a phenomenal breed!

Sheep and chickens

2011-06-13T18:06:00.000-07:00

What's that?
Is it a big rock in the pasture?

Nope.
That's Wellington,our big daddy sheep.
The grass has been growing great in the sheep fence this year.

But despite all that green,lush grass, they still think Virgina creeper and roses taste delicious.

Not to mention any apple leaves that are low enough for a snack.

The lambs are growing so big.
Soon Cricket will be leaving to go to her new home,but not until she is weaned naturally from her mom.
She will leave with our little ram and they will live with a mini donkey,her new mom is going to become a breeder of registered Cotswold's like us,that makes me happy.

Pippin will be staying,I will use her as a breeder in my flock,I think she is perfect.

They are best friends so it will be hard to separate them.

Our broody barred Cochin has something...

Isn't it cute?

Well there are 30 of them...and until Saturday they had no momma because they are our meat chicks!!!
We brought them home and set them up in the brooder room,momma hen took the opportunity to raise them up,Cochins are such good broodies!!

She still makes room for her original two chicks...

It amazes me how many she can fit under her....last count was 17!!! notice all the little legs peaking out?

Snuggle in little one and enjoy your wonderful momma!

Hope you all had a great weekend!!

About the breed

2011-06-10T18:59:00.000-07:00

If you like the idea of impressive, docile, low maintenance,handsome cattle that have several potential income streams, then you need look no further.

Whether it is the nearly prehistoric, majestic appearance of a mature cow or bull or the incredibly adorable calves, the most common reason that people get started with Highland cattle is their visual appeal.

They are an ancient breed from that originated in the Highlands and West Coastal Islands of Scotland.

The first herd book of Highland cattle was issued in 1885,the breed has changed very little over time.

Throughout the long history of Highlands,the breeders have taken great care to preserve the original characteristics of these remarkable cattle.

Originally,the breed was divided into two classes,the West Highlands or Kyloe,and the Highlander.

The Kyloes,raised on the Western Islands of Scotland,tended to be smaller sized and had a very high percentage of black or brindle cattle then the mainland Highlanders.
The Kyloes are more difficult to find and we are very proud to have our new breeding bull,Yeoman,who boast a stunning black coat.

The size difference between the two were due to the more severe climate and limited rations that the Island cattle were subjected to rather then genetic variation.

Highlanders live for a very long time,much longer then most breeds and with correct care,they can breed into their early twenties.

Economically, this means at least double the number of calves per breeding female over their life span, compared with other commercial breeds.

This makes up for the slow start, as a heifer will not "take" or breed until 2 1/2-3 years old.

Birthing problems are very minimal compared to mainstream breeds,this is due to the wide pelvic structure and the calves slim bone confirmation.
Birth weights are around 60-75lbs,small compared to larger breeds.
Calving requires little to no assistance,in all my years of raising them only one birth presented with the need for help.

The mothering instinct of these cattle is phenomenal and highly developed.

They have proven to be fantastic mothers making abandoned calves,even for first time heifers,extremely rare.

Watching the strong protection inclination of my cattle is impressive.

The calves are exceptionally hardy and grow rapidly up to weaning.

Highlands unlike other breeds use hair for warmth instead of the thick layer of fat most breeds put on.

The duel coat is long on top and short underneath,with the longer hair being coarser so the animals are protected from the cold weather.

The coat is shed in the warmer months to expose the shorter undercoat,this allows them to adapt to the summers heat.

The temperament is docile making them very easy to handle,this is the reason they are a great breed for experienced and novice farmers.

Highland's have a herd order and this become very obvious when anytime is spent with the fold.

The breed is a heavy horned animal,this usually brings up lots of questions about the safety of the breed.

When you have the pleasure of taking the time to observe them you will notice that the horns are mainly used to forage,scratch and as a defense tool,not for aggression.

Highland cattle give value for money,not only in their ability to thrive and survive in harsh conditions,not only because of the lowered heath issues and maintenance cost,but in addition to the income generated from the sale of the carcass there is also the option to tan the hides as rug,which are in high demand,and can sell for as much as the carcass its self.

Highland Cattle are generally accepted to mature into high quality carcasses, and the Highland meat is fine grained and well marbled with little surface fat and high amounts of fine marbling through the meat.
The meat is succulent and tender and this may be due to Highland Cattle being slower maturing than other breeds. Traditionally in their homeland Highland cattle are regarded as producing the finest cut of beef and attracts a healthy premium in the market place.

Highlands and their crosses have the ability to produce a quality meat product without the excessive external fat of other breeds. Producers who wish to utilize pastures to produce the lean, healthy beef that is presently in such high demand by consumers, should consider Highlands.
The breed also can be used for milk,with a butterfat content running around 10%.

With all this to offer, why would you choose any other breed!

The To Do List

2011-06-06T17:18:00.000-07:00

As the sweet smell of daylilies,wild roses and honeysuckle fill the cool air
I make a list of work to get done around here.
And it just keeps growing....

The garden is still requiring mulch
transplanting and reseeding are in order
lamb tails need to be docked
clostridial vaccines are due for the lambs
chicken pens need cleaned out
chickens are due for their delousing and mineral oil foot dip
hay mow needs to get cleaned and ready for this years crop
horse vaccines and teeth floating time
riding ring needs dragged
fences need mending
cattle need moved
fence posts need cutting
young bulls need to be steers
chicken tractors need building, meat birds are coming soon

Lots to due!!

Tomorrow I have a viewing on my ewe lamb,Cricket, for a possible new home....if I decide to sell her this will be the first time I have sold a ewe lamb.
This is bitter sweet.
I have had only ram lambs to part with before,it will be sad to see my babies go but I'm glad there is interest for a new potential breeder!

The coyotes are thick around here.
Five am,while driving just moments from my house we had a good size,taller then, but same body size as a border collie,coyote cross the road in front of us.
I immediately grabbed my camera but the pictures turned out to dark to share...disappointing as it was fascinating to see another one so close in the past few weeks.
I would guess it was female as it was no where near the size of the one in our field a few weeks ago.

We have some new additions....nine Mille Fleur booted Bantams!
They are so tiny,like timbits with legs!

Miss Mille is a great mom,she will let me hold her chick and still hold her with out getting grumpy.

Tucking under

Just one tiny bum sticking out!

Baby chipmunk?

Daddy standing guard of his family.

For me??

2011-06-05T16:33:00.000-07:00

Seems while my computer was down I missed out on a whole lot of good reading on my favourite blogs.
One of those blogs written by Debbie , and one by Buttons , had a surprise ...they were so kind as to award me with this...

What a great honour ladies!
I'm blushing!

The rules seems very simple,7 things you do not know about me and to pass the award along to those who I think deserve it.

1- Most of my friends are 20+ years older then me,some even have children my age.
One of my friends has 30 years on me,she is a great friend and mentor, I truly enjoy her company.

2- Twelve years ago I started my first flower garden with my best friend. That garden is what made me want to farm.

3- When I watch TV it is the food network....I love the show Chopped!

4- I'm deathly allergic to tea,yup tea,strange one I know!

5- I love buffalo and can't wait to get back to Nebraska so I can see them up close again.
They are magnificent creatures. I would love to own one...

6- Something about snow makes me happy. It is so clean and fresh,I guess it makes everyone slow down and enjoy life.

7-I love the smell of freesia, line dried linens,fresh bread and my hubby....

First you must check out both the wonderful ladies who gave me this award.

Debbie at SwampBilly Ranch a great blog about a wonderful lady and her grandson's adventure living on a farm in the Florida Swamps. This blog is a must follow, so different from day to day, you will enjoy it!

Buttons at Buttons Thoughts one of my first followers.
Buttons Thoughts takes you on a daily journey of farm life with Buttons, from exploring the bush,checking the cows and the history of her journey in farming.
Stop over and you will be finding yourself going back.

Now to pass this along...

Chai Chai over at Hometead from Scratch has a wonderful blog.
I see so much of me and my early years of farming in her blog.
Follow her on her wonderful journey of Homesteading with her Goats,and unique Cascade sheep.

Mandy over at Homestead Rules is a entertaining journey and real look at starting a homestead farm.
Read about her journey with a milk cow,pigs,bees, chickens and so much more.
Just a all around great read!!

Leontien over at Four Leaf Clover Tales tells about life on a dairy farm mixed with the hardships along the way.
She is a beautiful writer and tells a tale like no other.

Jane over at Hard Work Homestead writes about daily life on a 75 acre sustainable farm.
Her stories of raising weaned milk calves,horses including a mischievous one,growing veggies and going off grid are fascinating to read.

Annette over at News From Aspen Meadows has a great blog full of horses,donkeys,chickens and gardens. Go check out the ever so stunning Jackson!!!

Mr.H. over at Subsistence Pattern has one of the most amazing gardens I have ever seen! So much to learn,you must go now to read all about it!!!

Lori Skoog over at The Skoog farm Journal has a unique blog,she write about her daily adventures with her beautiful horses,dogs and cats,art classes,drumming and singing and then leaves you with a glimpse of the mouth watering suppers she prepares.

Texwisgirl over at Run*A*Round Ranch Report has some of the most stunning photography out there. A mix of everything beautiful!!

And Finally last but not least..

Sharon at Quilting The Farm Writes about her new move and adventures in becoming a homesteader and farmer.

I hope you enjoy these blogs and I hope to read a few things about you blogger we don't know!!
Thank you again ladies!!

Catching up

2011-06-04T14:47:00.000-07:00

My week has been EXTREMELY busy.
My computer was down and I'm just getting it back
Here are as few pictures of whats been going on.

Twins!!!

2011-05-26T15:04:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post to introduce the newest additions who arrived safe and sound at 11:30am.
Mo Mo did not want to go outside and I knew today was the day.
I checked her milk and one teat was full.
She went off eating as usual and I went in the house to eat breakfast.
When I came out this is what I seen..

A proud momma and twins!
Both are doing awesome..they drank very well and have been bouncing around the stall.
This is Coal,he is pure black and the biggest.He is beautiful!

This is Dottie,she is tiny,tiny and oh so sweet.She has quite a few polka dots!

Together...

These two are precious.
I'm heading back to the barn to play with them!!

All in a days work..

2011-05-25T18:11:00.000-07:00

Today was productive and busy, even though the rain fell until noon and continued to threaten us with more until this evening.

The dark clouds hung around while the tiny bit of blue sky tried so hard to break through.
The apple blossoms are going strong,the Pippins are in full bloom as the McIntosh and Ben Davis are just starting with the pink blossoms.

The honeysuckle's are getting ready to burst with color and love for the bees and hummingbirds who adore the taste.

I worked in the garden while the soil was moist and planted my cabbage,red and green, along with some broccoli. Tomorrow I will fill in with sage and plant the rest of the broccoli and cauliflower.

Mulch will need to be added to this garden and the strawberries that were planted the other day. I have decided to mulch all but my main garden section, seen in the back, as mulch holds in the much needed moisture in my sandy loam soil and keeps weeds back.

I had my Barred Cochin hen, who was hatched April 30th last year, hatch her own chicks tonight,it was to dark to get a decent picture but they are sooo adorable!
They are just a barn yard mix.

The horses have been enjoying pasture and spent their first full day out there.

It was time to move the cattle to a new fence,the oak field had been eaten down and they needed to be rotated to keep up with our plans of pasture management.
It was getting near dark and I hated to move them with only two hours of light but it was the only time hubby had that he could help before Sunday, so off they went...

A few went through the fence in one section but we got them all back to the right side and I think the electric shock taught them that touching the fence is not a good thing.
Soon all they cared about was the lush buffet of pasture before them.
Even Foxy was interested..

A day in Pictures

2011-05-24T11:28:00.000-07:00

First strawberry blossoms opened today..

Horses are on pasture for 1/2 the day..

Calves are growing..

Chickens are hiding in the rose bushes waiting for the rain...

The cows are playful...

The yearling heifers are more curious, friendly and beautiful..

Over for a scratch and returning the favour with a lick.

The apple blossoms continue to burst...

The rhubarb has been picked 4 times now..

Now off to turn all that rhubarb into 1/2 a dozen crisps for the freezer!

Hope your enjoying your day!

Happenings

2011-05-23T11:45:00.000-07:00

My lambs are getting so big. They are out enjoying pasture with their mommas...

Pippin and Jet

Pippin loves me just as much as I love her,she comes running to see me every time!

Mo Mo, 3ed in from the right, is HUGE! Still no baby(s)...

The gardens are tilled and ready..

I'm loving the curve,it will be filled with zinnias,cosmos,borage and marigolds,it will be a wave of beauty!

A blossoming time..

2011-05-21T16:42:00.000-07:00

The apple trees are loaded with blossoms and oh how sweet they smell.
They seem fuller then usual,I think they are one of the most beautiful flowers.

Friday my apprentice came to help out.
It was calling for rain so I planned on teaching him to transplant in the greenhouse.
The weather man was way off, it got hot enough I my first sunburn of the season.

As I did the chore run through I decided against the greenhouse,we would have cooked in there,and went to the garden instead.
We weeded the small fruit bed and added more topsoil and cow manure to a section.
I picked up fifty Jewel strawberries that we planted in that area,mulching still needs to be done.

Today I took it easy,I can feel my long days starting to catch up to me.
I attended a few plant sales and unlike myself only came home with a single plant,a plume poppy.
They are a nice plant reaching 8 ft tall with a pink plume,nothing like a poppy.

Tomorrow morning my garden will be tilled and I hope the weather will cooperate enough to get in my broccoli,cauliflower,cabbage,onions,carrots,beets and spinach ....I think I have high hopes...

until tomorrow...

Cows that swim

2011-05-19T17:54:00.000-07:00

Today was very warm,I wore a tank top all day.
The cows even found it warm enough to go swimming...

They spent most of the day wading in the water or laying in the trees.

Irene was especially enjoying it.

Stormy watched from the edge..

Little bits of red are showing through her grey,she will be a dun like Robin . She is still to precious for words.

Did you know Highlands were sometimes called kyloe cattle, for they swam across the straits (or kyloes) on their way to market on the mainland?
Not hard to imagine as they love the water.

Poppy and Jessie.

To many...

2011-05-19T03:25:00.000-07:00

Roosters!

My wake up call starts around 4am with the crowing of 9 roosters.
They are not harmonious but incompatible and off key...
Some morning's I wish my barn was farther from the house then it is...

How many rooster do you have?

A bit of everything

2011-05-18T16:51:00.000-07:00

We had a nice drive to the shore tonight ,this post will be filled with those pictures instead of farm pictures.

The rain has finally let up after raining hard for what seemed forever.
I will try not to complain as others pray for rain.
I wish the rain would have made it to Slave Lake Alberta where they are lost over 40% of their town this week,all of those people are in our hearts and on our minds.

Today the sheep were pleased to have a chance to get on pasture.
I do not put my sheep out on wet pasture or pasture with dew on it,I try to protect them from any foot conditions like scald or rot that are caused by those moist conditions.
The dew burns off quickly and it gives them a chance to fill up on some hay before eating lush pasture,this preventing bloat.

All the cows, but especially the yearlings, were very interested in what these fuzzy things sharing the fence line with them were,it was quite cute.

The black flies were very thick and bothering them,Wellington had swollen eyelids and all but Mo were waiting by the gate to get back in the barn out of the flies,she was standing under a apple tree threatening to go into labour.

Mo is HUGE,I expected to see a lamb or two from her today, hoping she waits until Friday so Jeff our apprentice has a chance to assist with the birth.
I put her by herself in the free box stall encase she does go.
Time will only tell..

I had to take the truck in for a brake line today,on the way there I had a bee fly in my window and leave his stinger in my neck,its been awhile since I was stung.
I pulled over on the side of the road and pulled the good size stinger out.
My neck immediately swelled and turned red.
It is sore, but I remember it hurting worse then what it did today, I felt bad it died..

Last night hubby took the spring tooth's to my garden,he made it bigger,not because I requested.
I think my gardens were plenty big considering I'm the #1 weeder...oh well I'm sure I will fill the space.

Hubby wants me to mulch this year.
I mulched one bed last year and I do like the results,the conditions are great,nice moist soil,no weeds...it is hard work the first year though.
I want to go see if the tiller can come tomorrow and go through it,if not I will see who else is available, I need it done so I can get planting, wish we had our own tiller.

I plan to get a few things planted Friday if the tilling gets done.

For supper we are trying a new fresh, handmade, local Pasta, it is Basil spaghetti.
We will use our own organic tomato basil sauce, I will let you know how it is.
I have heard lots of rave reviews and I love to support other local food vendors .

Until tomorrow..

To pasture they go

2011-05-15T18:06:00.000-07:00

Saturday started hectic.
We had a plan for the day,it included the start for our apprentice around 10:30am that morning.

I received a phone call from a old friend in a panic.
He was broke down on the side of the hwy with 12 boxes of birds and bunnies headed for the cattle sale.
I ended up going to get him,hubby waited home to meet Jeff.

He was about a 40 minute drive away,when I got there we loaded all the critters on my truck and I drove him to the auction,another 25 minutes, where I was to leave him to sell his goods and he would catch a ride home with another friend.
That is not what happened.
He was 20mins to late to enter his critters in the sale!
We headed back towards home when he thought new gas might help, he put fuel conditioner in the tank and he thought it might have been to rich and caused it to break down.
Back to the truck we went,he added the fuel and on the second try the truck went.
We loaded the critters back on his truck and off we both went.

When I got back home I pulled on a pair of rubbers and went to see hubby and Jeff.
They had already started fencing.
We all worked on the fence and Jeff got to learn how to drive the bobcat,and how not to drive the bobcat...lol
We were both very pleased with Jeff's work ethic and commitment to finish the job, he worked very hard even through rain showers and learned fast.

We ran two strands of barbwire and one electric along the road,and two electic back by the barn.
Hubby hooked up the power and we moved four of the cows,the Jersey and her calf and a Highland and her calf.
It was getting late and we were loosing light quickly, Jeff went home and we decided to move only the ones in the small corral,three cows and two calf's.
It felt best to leave the rest until today and I'm glad we did...

Lily and Foxy in the oak field

We moved Jessie and Poppy first,then let all the rest go except the bulls who will go in with the horses until August.
Jessie was always our boss cow,today that position was threatened and it is looking like Irene may be taking that job over.
It was quite a morning with the two fighting for the position,this video is the first fight, right after all were put together,I'm glad they stopped after 20 minutes of pushing each other and glad they didn't get hurt!!!

As you can see they run Jessie off..

All was fine shortly when they discovered that the grass was better then fighting

Sugar, our Jersey x Highland heifer had her first taste of grass,being a calf born the end of November..

She is a beautiful girl,making me prouder everyday.

All the cows are settled in for the night and we are grateful to Jeff for all his help in getting them to pasture!! Thank you!

Hidden Meadow Farm

Wordless Wednesday

A new home

Chilly mornings

A day in pictures

Wardrobe almost complete!!

The handles we picked are on the right, G & K, I really wanted H for the drawers but thought they might be to big with four so G works nice.They remind me of tooling on a saddle.. he was just putting them on as we left..

The wardrobe went from a idea I had on paper to reality...I just love it!!

What do you think?

Happenings

Farm Update

Happy Holidays!

Rare Breed of sheep in need of help

Wordless Friday...

Calf update

All dry...

Introducing...

Wordless Wednesday

Why oh why?

Bulls and Breeding

How time fly's

Loss

Upgrades to the Barn and New Additions

Winter came in like a Lion!

Wordless Wednesday...The past

From Endangered to Critical

Wordless Friday...

Milking cows

Every November...

Oh how sweet it is

Wordless Wednesday

Moving Cattle

This and that...

Today's weather.....

The dreaded time of year...

Early Morning Mist

Farmers Breakfast

October Cows

Cranberries and beef...

Weekend in pictures

Awards..for me??

Wordless Wednesday

Happy Thanksgiving .

The four letter word...

Wordless Wednesday

The Big Barn Clean Out!!!

A Visitor to the farm

Early Morning photos

We hired a new tractor driver...

Orloff Rooster and his hens

Wordless Wednesday

There here...

Farm filled Sunday

It's Time!!!

This week

Adding to the farm book collection

Ram shopping

Bitter Sweet

Fall Is In The Air

Zucchini!!

A weekend adventure before the storm

A new breed of milk cow that's not so new....

Around the farm with pictures for Claire...

Wordless Wednesday

Rainy Weekend plans

Lambs have moved...

Busy!! Busy!!

Taking a break...

Wordless Wednesday

Celebrating by the Bay

Wordless Wednesday

The Fruits of my Labor

The tale of a little "white" dog

A quick video on Rare Breeds

Sheep and chickens

About the breed

The To Do List

For me??

Catching up

Twins!!!

The handles we picked are on the right, G & K, I really wanted H for the drawers but thought they might be to big with four so G works nice.
They remind me of tooling on a saddle.. he was just putting them on as we left..