Getting Closer

My goat, Jolene, hit 125 days in her pregnancy today. That means she is just 20 or so days from delivering her kids. I am excited and nervous, but I've been reading up and prepping myself to help. I've gotten all the necessary supplies and some completely unnecessary ones (like whiskey, not sure if it's for me or the goat).

This goat was made for milkin'

Her first freshening resulted in quadruplets and everyone who has seen her think four kids are on the way again. Personally, I am hoping for triplets. I don't think I can manage 4 youngsters all at once.

As exciting as that is, and believe me, it is exciting, Jolene's babies will not even be the first babies born on the farm. That inglorious distinction belongs to some eggs we've been incubating for the last couple of weeks. They are due to hatch February 17th and are a test hatch in preparation for our serious chicken breeding operation. And by "serious", I mean our plan to breed the ultimate small farm dual purpose flock. But more about that in another post...

What I like to call "My Bucket O' Wings"

For now, think healthy baby thoughts and wish Jolene a safe and prosperous kidding!

You Can Fill A Book, A Lot of Books, With Things I Don't Know

First, the good things. I got eight eggs from my lovely hens today. That's a big deal because it means that one of my young Australorp pullets is laying. The Australorps, all three of them, were younger than the Rhode Island Reds by a month. So if one of them is coming online, it means the other two are not far behind and then all ten of the hens will be in production. And not a moment too soon.

I have started phasing some of my more sensitive dogs off of store-bought poultry. My Pharaoh Hound was just not the same after the possible bleach incident. So now she gets cooked eggs, rice, egg shells and vitamins. And the Dachshund who just had surgery and is on antibiotics is also on cooked eggs right now. Remind me sometime to rant about how vets don't understand the role of diets in overall health.

But anyway, I need all the eggs I can get so I am happy that the younger hens are finally maturing.

Also, the tractor was reserved today. I am refinancing the farm on Friday (yay for low low rates!), so I am loathe to put money down, but they are holding it for me on their word (I love small towns). Which means that President's Day is also going to be.... TRACTOR MONDAY!!!!

Finally, I've been reading all the gardening books I ordered and, it turns out, there's lots of good information in them. Good information that I wish I knew before I ordered seeds. Like there's cold weather and warm weather strains of veggies and you can have a succession harvest if you plant the right one at the appropriate time. D'uh, it seems so obvious, except if you're a complete neophyte such as myself.

But no matter, I can order more seeds. I am particularly interested in the information in Eliot Coleman's Four Season Harvest. Mr. Coleman lives in Maine which just might be colder than where I am, and he has fresh greens for salad every day of the year. There is a man to emulate. So I am much inspired.

I am also pouring over this great chicken website Funder provided. It has some fascinating information about growing your own chicken feed, which fits in well with the sustainable theme I am working on here. It also has information about breeding your sustainable flock. So I think I am adding "chicken food harvest" to my five year goals sometime in phase 3.

Things are picking up. In four short weeks I will have a tractor, a green house erected, and seeds started. I will be finalizing my garden plan and rotation log and when that is done, I will post it for all the smart people who read my blog to critique and enhance. I am counting on the collective here to get me through this year!

First Eggs

Today, I took a small step for chicken-kind, but a huge leap forward towards a sustainable food source.

It happened.

Eggs.

Not one, but two!!

Two of my 25 week old Rhode Island Red pullets left two eggs, perfect and clean, in the nest box/bucket like old pros.

These eggs are the first protein source derived and consumed on the farm. Step one in my global domination plan. Or maybe just in my sustainable harvest plan. Regardless, I am very pleased (and full).