A Productive Day

Leading Max, Opie, Bea and Biddy back up to the house

This is what hogs will do to the ground...I think I'll do a garden!
For the first time in what seems like such a long time, it was a very productive day with the pigs. We finally were able to move the older piglet group from behind the shop to a nice area with green grass(believe it or not), lots of trees and great places to explore. But before we moved them, we had to ring and tag all 15 and give them a shot of Dectomax. We made a chute system so it is easier to handle the little guys and gals. Tony's job is to get them in the chute and hold them once they are in. Scott will then use a hog snare(a device that slips around the nose and tightens to hold them still) and my job is to give the shot, put in the ear tag and apply the nose ring. The system ran smoothly and the pigs were so happy to be moved to a new home. Scott and I always went back and forth on whether or not we should ring. Sure, they love to get head deep into the ground but they really can wreak havoc on pastures. Rotating pastures is so important but this winter led us to decide to ring the hogs. If we know we will have a pork group that will stay in the woods then we won't ring them. The hogs can still get in the ground to get the good stuff, but they won't ruin pastures. Some people think it is cruel to ring hogs. But I have to say, I am a witness to very happy and healthy creatures with nose rings. They act no differently than my hogs without rings.

Today's Special......Stewing Hen

Today started out like any other day. I made my rounds with the hogs. The last hogs I usually feed are Big Daddy and Darla. They are located in the field next to the egg layers. These chickens have access to anywhere on the farm but a bunch will make a bee line right to their hog neighbors at feeding time. They all huddle around, carefully attempting to grab a bite of corn or hog pellets from the feeder pan. I just put the feed in the two pans and started examining Darla. She is due to farrow in about three to four weeks. I looked around for a second and then happened to notice a rooster chasing one of the Black Star hens down the hill.

"Oh for Pete's sake! Can you just leave her alone!!"

There was still some snow and ice on the ground. Maybe that is why the black hen was having a hard time getting away from the rooster. She was trying to get up but still having a hard time. I ran down to see if I could assist and what do I see? A headless chicken. She got too close to Darla's mouth! Chickens still move after they are killed. That's why I thought she was just having a difficult time with the snow.

I grabbed her by the legs and proceeded back up the hill to Darla. Sure enough, right by her bowl, there was the head. How strange. Now here I have this newly killed chicken, but what do I do? I didn't want to waste good meat. Scott was in Fairfax. I definitely could scald and pluck feathers but I didn't know how to eviscerate. My job with the chickens is quality control, bagging and weighing. Tony(our farm partner and champion eviscerator) was at work as well so it looked like it was just going to be me. I did call Tony to get instructions but I needed a visual "how-to". So I checked out You Tube...How to Eviscerate a Chicken. By the way...those of you who do not know what eviscerate means, it is gutting a chicken. Taking out all of the innards(intestines, gizzard, heart, etc.). Joel Salatin had good step by step instructions.

I got a big stock pot filled with water and set it on the stove. When the water temp for scalding was correct(147 degrees is what Scott likes) I started dunking the bird up and down for about a minute. Then I put the chicken in a bucket and went outside to pluck feathers. Back inside to the kitchen sink to attempt eviscerating. Too cold and windy outside. The crop was the size of a baseball. That was easy to get out. I start cutting...eeww it stinks. Back outside where it is cold and windy so the smell can be whisked away. I finish cutting, put my hand inside and everything comes out at once. Hmmm...not so bad. I completed the task at the kitchen sink, washing and doing my famous quality control.

This chicken is what is called a stewing hen. Egg layers only lay efficiently for about two years. Ater that, they are processed for stewing. If you roasted one of these birds in the oven, it would be very tough. An older hen needs to be stewed all day, like in a crockpot. Chicken and dumplings would be great with a stewing hen. A friend of mine said he puts in a crockpot a can of mushroom soup with about a half a can of white wine along with the chicken. It goes great with broccoli and rice. You can't go wrong. The key is slow cooking for a LONG time.

Bon Appetit!

It's Been a Week.......

The snow has been melting. Of course everyone is ready for that, but it is making things more difficult than it did when we first got all of this snow. I have been getting stuck everyday now...sometimes twice a day. Scott needs to pull me out with the tractor. I've been late picking up kids, had to orchestrate who could pick up kids because "mom is stuck in a snow bank again", and missed practices altogether.

We could once walk on top of the snow and had very nice trails. Now everything is getting soft so it has been like walking in 2-3 ft of fresh snow. I know the animals are very ready for the snow to completely melt. They need to venture out again.

Frances and Friends(My Tamworth sow and three Large Black Hogs) have been getting out of their paddock the last couple of days. We knew that would happen but we couldn't do anything about it until this weekend when all the wire will be dug out and restrung. So, Frances and Friends found the piglet group(4-6 months old) behind the shop and claimed their hut. The confused young ones were all standing outside staring at what should be their warm bed. It's funny how they all ran up to me, tattletaling on the bullies who stole their hut. There wasn't anything I could do. Scott checked on them a bit later to see if any settled. He had to put down some extra straw for the pigs that couldn't fit.

We're exhausted. It will be fantastic to use the four-wheeler again to feed and water everyone and to get caught up on projects that we were supposed to have completed by spring.

Clementine took a moment to pose for this picture. She found the only dry, grassy spot under a cedar tree. She so enjoyed the warm sun and a good massage from me!

Not Much Going On Here!

Not much has really happened these past few days. We feel it has been all about maintaining. Feeding and watering is still difficult. The snow is melting a little but there is still so much out there to walk through. I think everyone is going to be cranky until spring.

Yesterday, I definitely felt like a hibernating bear. I wanted to do the least amount of work and then crawl into a cave and wake up when it's 75 degrees! I woke up this morning with lots of energy, ready to tackle the day. The hogs had the same idea...only they were ready to tackle me! We have been getting out there a bit later than usual. We need extra time to warm up and get started. So I can understand that they are really hungry. There isn't much to forage.

The little pigs are easy. But the 300, 400, 600 pound guys and girls are difficult with all of this snow on the ground. They are hanging out in limited space. They don't want to trudge through the drifts either! The front pasture group has three-board fencing with a single strand of wire running at the bottom. There is an area by the large gate where they are held back by the usual two strands. That way we can open the gate and get vehicles in and out and have an area to work in without the hogs getting in the way. But they have been able to walk over or through the electric fencing. The current is grounded out. So now they are all greeting me right there where I climb over the fence with feed buckets. Hungry, open mouths are abundant! Climbing over is a challenge, but once I make it over I have to plow my way through very large hogs. Some will get in front of me and just stop. Then Ollie the Boar doesn't think I'm moving fast enough so he bites me on the backside.

Okay, so I made it out alive from the front pasture.....now I have to face the Woods Hogs. There are ten of them and they are getting big. Close to butchering size. I walked out there with 50 pounds of feed divided into two buckets. They're waiting for me but I'm faced with the same dilemma. As soon as I walked over the wire they surrounded me. I can't move quickly because of the snow and ice. They won't let me move anywhere. Five hogs in front of me blocking my way and five hogs were behind me biting my legs. I felt like I was inside a pinball machine. I felt beaten. My energy was zapped by the time I got back to the house. The rumor is... the Farmer's Almanac predicts that we still have two more big snow storms. I don't think anybody will be complaining about a hot summer!

The picture above shows some of our turkeys from last season (I don't have any pictures from the past few days). Three Bourbon Red Toms appear to be checking out a Midget White Hen. What us girls have to go through!

....But Not The Wind!

Jonah with Hoover the Lab and Gil the Boxer
At 13 years old, Hoover still loves the snow!
Frances...My Bottle Fed Baby
It's the wind I can do without. This latest storm is supposed to be 7-14 inches. It's hard to tell how deep it is out there this morning. The winds already are starting to pick up(at 7:00am). This wasn't supposed to happen until noon. Feeding time is going to be cold! But just think...it's almost March which means almost spring!

We spent yesterday filling just about every bucket we own with water. With the high winds, there could be a good chance we lose electricity again. This time I made sure I washed and dried MY clothes. I took the Indian chicken out of the crockpot and made a soup out of it. I also made a pasta salad and Kielbasa with browned cabbage. We'll be prepared with food.

Scott bought a much needed chainsaw and went into the woods to cut up some downed trees or limbs so Jonah could split them. I feel like everything we have done this winter is prepping for weather or fixing the aftermath. I pushed back our chick order another two weeks. I don't see us getting the brooder room ready by next week.

I did decide to deworm all of the hogs yesterday. We wanted to make a chute system for the smaller pigs so it would be easier to snare and inject them.....wanted to a month ago that is. Snow hasn't helped with that! I normally give an injection of Dectomax. Works great for all internal and external parasites. There is a dewormer that I can mix with feed, but with the chickens getting over to the pigs, I can't use it. However, since the chickens haven't been able to dig through the snow to get to the pigs, I found it to be the perfect opportunity to use this method. It's easier to inject the larger hogs. While they are eating I pet them and inject in the neck area. All hogs are done except Ramona's piglets. We'll do them when they are weaned. Which should have been two weeks ago! Lucky for them, the snow is letting them stay with their mom.

All of the nice walking trails we made are now covered with drifts and we are now discovering new leaks in the house. I can't imagine what thawing out is going to be like!

Yes...I Still Like Winter

A Snowy Winter
A snow covered mulberry tree
Emma and Jake
The Red Dalmatians
"Mom, play in the snow with us!"
Hungry pigs lined up in a row!
Max giving me a kiss
A beautiful morning out front
The Farm House
Deer tracks in the back field
Curious Cats
With another snowstorm behind us, I have to say...yes, I still like winter. I woke up to a beautiful morning. Before I grabbed my first cup of coffee, I went out to the shop to let Trixie, our Great Pyrenees, back outside. The scenery was breathtaking. I rushed right back in to get my camera so I could take advantage of the morning sun bouncing off the snow. I guess I should apologize to Scott. I told him I'd be right back with coffee. I was surprised to see that it was 17 degrees. I was only out with flannel jammy pants, a fleece pull-over and snow boots. No hat, no gloves. It felt invigorating to be outside. The only sound I could hear in the peacefulness was my roosters.

Let's take this back to Friday morning...

All week the weather guys were preparing us for an "epic" snowstorm. The prepping began with chopping wood. We had to make sure we had enough for a few days just in case the electricity went out. Next was to make sure we had enough hog and chicken feed and while I was at the co-op I got more bales of straw to make sure the young guys and gals would be warm. Fortunately, it didn't really start snowing until later in the morning. Once it started it didn't lay on the roads for some time. I was able to go out one last time to purchase anything we may need. I enjoyed being out with everyone getting ready. The lines were long, however that made for great conversations. The number one item I noticed being bought was wild bird food. How kind it is to think of our wild feathered friends!

So...another bag of dog food, more chips and salsa, candles and two oil lamps finished out my shopping. Scott was able to go into Fairfax for work and be home in time to get the farm and farm house ready. We checked things off the list that Scott had written the night before. By the time we retired for the evening, the snow was in full force.

It's funny the order of thoughts that goes through one's sleepy mind when told the electricity has been out since midnight.

"What? No coffee?!!!"

"Oh no! I forgot to put MY clothes in the dryer. I don't have any jeans!"

"Hope we have enough water for the animals."

and lastly...

"The kids have plenty of snow pants. How come WE don't own any?!"

After making the fires and assessing the situation, I put a pot of water on top of the woodstove. Thank goodness I had Celestial Seasonings "Morning Thunder" tea. With caffeine! We put on our gear and headed outside in the "still snowing" morning. Chickens get so irritated when they can't leave the coop. They won't go outside in any bad weather. The hogs didn't do too badly. They were able to make trails around their huts or they just decided to stay inside. It took a good part of the day to feed and water. We wound up needing to melt snow in big stock pots on the woodstove all day long so we could have enough water for them. We weren't sure how long it would take to get our power back.

The snow finally stopped just before dark. As Scott and I were walking towards the chickens to close them up for the night, we noticed deer out in the back field. The snow was totally covering their legs. They were so beautiful. It was dark when we made it inside so we all got the candles and oil lamps and made our light. The kids found some old games in the attic. I was greeted by the familiar popping sound of "Trouble". Scott and I each had a pot of hot melted snow for washing up with a washcloth. That was very much appreciated! Food wasn't an issue. We were able to heat up leftover spaghetti and some homemade chicken soup. Scott, Jonah, Emma and I played a card game and finally we were ready for bed. Everyone layered up and grabbed extra blankets because we knew it would be frigid by morning if we didn't have electricity yet. Sometime during the night Scott woke me up and said the lights were on. So it wound up being 24 hours without electricity. We felt lucky because we didn't think we would get it back so soon. Many others still don't have it. We have a generator but we really didn't need to set it up.

I really didn't mind it for the day. I actually think we need to use the oil lamps more and the light switches less. And now....getting ready for yet another snowstorm!

A Winter The Way It Should Be

Like I said before...I do like winter. I like all seasons. Summer just happens to be my favorite. I guess what it boils down to is the appreciation for each season. The last three years we have had fairly mild winters with very little snow. Sure there has been some cold spells but nothing the way winter should be.

We just passed our five year anniversary of our moving here to Pleasant Hill Farm(January 26th). I remember that winter being cold, windy and snowy. There were curtains left on the many windows of the "Moon Porch" at the back of the house. We would watch these curtains move as the bitter wind would pound against the house. The kids also did a great deal of sledding those first two winters. We live on top of a hill which makes slope and ramp building extra fun(just be careful of the pig manure!). The last two winters we hoped for snow and really didn't get any. If it is winter... it should snow... right?

RIGHT!!

Well, thus far our 2009-10 winter is giving us what we hoped for. December gave us 20 inches. It was challenging but I have to admit I enjoyed the experience. The other night we had a decent amount. Tonight they are calling for six inches. But I am really curious about this weekend. Apparently we will witness another major snowstorm this Friday and Saturday. Someone at the feed store said they heard 40 inches! That means the rest of our week will be getting ready and prepping. Scott and Jonah will be busy splitting wood. We only have enough for tomorrow. We are almost out of oil and the oil company says they will come out sometime this week. When we wake up in the morning, it's not uncommon for our house to be 50 degrees. Believe it or not, our bodies get used to it. Our bodies also get used to the 100 degree days in the summer. Pleasant Hill does not have air-conditioning. More blogging about that come August!!

I don't know why, but for some reason I enjoy experiencing the challenge of finding heat. After all, wasn't it like this long, long ago?