I love coming home to these guys

Doing the rounds in the evening is a lot of fun since I get to spend time with Justin and see all the farmlife bathed in the beautiful rays of a golden sun. The birds all came out for a last scratch in the dirt and bit of grain. Even Twister came out to join them.

The pigs were having a little bedtime feast from the "slops" bucket, topped off with some eggs.

Farming can be tough

For those of you who never had the chance to meet her, this was Lindsay. She was a pygmy goat who had been purchased by the original owner for a live nativity scene. They didn't realize when they got her that she was pregnant and she soon gave birth to little Twister. When we purchased her they were trying to get rid of the goats, a sheep and a miniature donkey. We brought her and Twister home and quickly learned that goats will do whatever it is that you do not want them to do, particularly when it comes to eating things like plants and trees that you are trying to grow.

Unfortunately that also includes  going into the street to eat on the other side. Yesterday Twister darted out into the road causing an oncoming truck to swerve and hit Lindsay who came out right after her kid. It was not a big hit but it broke her back just above her tail and fractured her hips. This brought to bare the full weight of living on a farm and having a hand in the circle of life. With Lindsay panting in pain and struggling every once in awhile to stand without success, letting out a pain filled bleat, it was up to me to end her sufffering.

It is awesome to be part of a farm as you watch animals grow and have their own babies but every once in awhile it can be tougher than imagined when the reality of what we are doing hits home and its time to put an end to a life. This is made even harder when the end is sooner than you had expected. 

Night time can be the right time

The sun is setting and its 9 PM. You have to love the summer for that. And what a beatiful sunset... It makes it all worthwhile :)

As usual, Amber tried to sleep in the garage instead of the barn... And now i have become The Chickener!

And we cannot forget to say goodnight to our smallest "no mum" turkey poults who are brooding in the summer kitchen for the next few weeks before going out to the barn :)

Garden

Garden is getting there!!! All is done, we only need to wait. Because I hurt my lower back pretty bad, I'm 2-3 weeks behind schedule so, while my good friend -let's call her A- (who gave me tomatoes, kale, onion, cabbage and potatoes by the way!) is posting pics of her wonderful garden, showing what she harvested, well... I'm waiting!

I added beans, cucumbers, melons and squash!!!

Can't wait to harvest my veggies!!! 

Chickens delight

It is now day two that the Partridge Chanteclers and the oldest turkey poults are free range and although the chickens are still nervous about the big, open sky, the poults are capitalizing on the opportunity to rustle up some fresh grubs and insects as well as choice pieces of grass and clover.

The four little pigs are already pooped out at 9 AM after gorging themselves on some leftover pancakes and spaghetti.

New pics!!!

Tim added 50 pics of our guys, us and stuff we do around here on our Facebook page. Go check it out!!!

https://www.facebook.com/ballycanoelowelandfarm?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

Mama turkey and her 9 babies.

Our bearded lady made her nest in the middle of the woods in nettles. She sat on her eggs for about 28 days visiting us to eat and drink every 3-4 days and she avoided predators that lives in the area. Needless to say that Tim got hurt pretty bad when her went to catch the poults to take them in the barn.

Now, they are all safe in the barn where she continues to be a very good mother. She's on the run for the "mom of the year" award!