Friday, August 22, 2014

August just isnt August this year!

Well, this year the weather has been so off.  August has been hot and dry, until now, mid August.  It is cool and almost frost at night.  The crops are ready to harvest a whole month early, which is not normal and we were not prepared for that.  We are now shuffling through the steps faster then normal.  No biggie, we will get it done. 

Remember that new goat from the last post?  Well, she isnt lonely anymore.  She still doesnt get along well with my other two, but they have all settled into an agreement of sharing a pasture during the day and separate stalls at night.  She is eating well and giving almost three liters of milk a day.  All the animals are benefiting from her gift.  Angel is now being weaned so the other animals are getting more of Amber's milk daily.  We got our clover field cut and they are loving the hay from that.  So we will be good.  Oh yes, and the other two never did kid.  So, we will try again for a December breeding to have May baby's!

Our rabbits have been producing like crazy.  I had two more large liters born and we just butchered 4 yesterday of the older ones.  We sell our Rex's as pets or breeding stock depending on their quality.  What doesnt sell and I cant breed we eat.  We sell some for pets mostly to pay for the pellets to feed the breeding stock so that all the meat we get from them is free.  It is rare that I have to buy pellets without being able to pull it from the rabbit fund.

Our Whipcream gave birth finally too!  To another bull calf.  UGH!  We cant seem to get a heifer out of her!  Oh well.  Her bag this time is huge and we are getting great milk from her.

We have butcher dates set for the cows and pigs we do not want to over winter for the end of October.  That will be great to get them out of here.  It will help on our work load for the winter.  Dan is going to be stuck doing the winter chores this year as I will not be able to help him outside this year.  

All our gardening was a failure this year.  I got sick shortly after my last post and was down for a couple weeks.  When I finally was able to move around again I found that no one had watered anything and everything except my chives and onion is dead.  No more herbs this year to last us over winter.  No more cucumbers or squash.  Sad deal for me as I love my fresh stuff.  I replanted peas and beans as those can still grow in enough time though.  

We have also decided (more I did) to thin out the chickens.  Anyone that I do not want I am having butchered in two months.  I decided I am done with those hatchery jersey giants.  They did not get anything close to what they were supposed to.  I am enjoying my other breeds very much and will keep them.  

On the other hand.  It is even better having Dan home now.  He isnt trying to shuffle work with harvesting and he is able to start teaching the girls things I simply dont know or cant do.  They have become a great help and I am so blessed to have them as my family.