Jay's sheep

Jay's sheep

Jaybird

Here's Jay loving the sunny weather. The orphan lambs are out and about with the rest of the flock so she has even more sheep to look after.

Domestic Turkeys Gone Wild - Day 16

There are currently four nests built and tended by the hens themselves (they have eschewed the nests we built for them in favor of downed trees and natural rock formations). We have not gotten close enough to the nests to count the eggs, so not to disturb the sitting hens, but based on the date we first saw hens sitting, we estimate the first eggs to hatch somewhere in the third to fourth week of May.
It's fascinating to us that after centuries of domestication, these birds have maintained the instinct to build and tend their own nests, forage for over 50% of their food, and as we witnessed last fall, raise their own young.

What We've Been Doing. . .

Hey folks!
So sorry this blog has gone dark for some time now. We don't have much of an excuse except that things are busy as always, oh, and we had a baby! Isla Hope joined us on January 19th and has brought so much joy to our lives! But you readers have missed out on so many things! So, here is the reader's digest version of life on the farm for the last, oh, 10 months or so!
Thanks to Gretchen for taking these great pictures!
We grazed the sheep until it was too snowy to graze the sheep,

Then we let them come on into the barn yard,


Silas & Jay moved up into the hayloft,

The pigs moved inside too

as did the chickens

the sheep got shorn


and made friends with the turkeys

Then we all just settled in for the long, cold, snowy winter.



and then, the babies came!
First, Isla Hope

and then the lambs



Quadruplets even!

And next, the piglets!





And now, things are starting to green up, and spring is finally arriving! The turkeys got shipped off into the back woods to live as turkeys do, and we hope to have some baby turkeys in a few weeks!

And most recently, we were given two bull Holstein calves that we plan to raise up for. . .well we aren't sure yet! Veal, baby beef, beef or perhaps as a team of oxen. In the mean time though, the sheep aren't thrilled about their new roommate!


So, it's been a busy few months but we hope to be able to keep you all more in the loop from now on!

Think Spring Everybody!

Pigs & Turkeys

Have you hugged a pig today?


The wiggies have been outside this spring digging up last year's garden and feasting on the left overs. Now, they are getting set to begin their work tilling up the straw pack in the sheep barn and making it into a fine compost to spread onto the fields. This move indoors is a bit of an adjustment to the little guys, who were used to having lots of room to run. Now, they must resign themselved to playing "Ring Around the Piggie", check it out :)


In other news, our flock of Bourbon Reds - 11 hens and on lucky Tom Turkey, are going to be breeding, laying eggs and raising their own little ones this year. At least that's the plan! Here, we had a turkey parade where Todd (the biggest turkey of them all!) left the group up onto the wooded "island" in the field. Our hopes are that they will make a comfortable home for themselves here, and we will come back in a month or so and find many little turkeys running around.