So tempted ...

It is that time of year again, when our local Blue Seal feed shop gets in all manner of cute baby farm animals for sale. And every year, I buy someone. This year, I simply can't. I must not give in to temptation. BUT they are so cuuuuute!

From my iphone ...

Anyone out there getting some sweet babies for their farm this year?

Love,

Jodi

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Simple Easter.

As always (or at least usually), we keep our holidays simple. This Easter began with some fun gifts from the Easter Bunny, an egg hunt around the farm, and some delicious Grandma-made cake. The rest of the day was spent hanging out with farm animals, playing soccer, cleaning up the yard, napping, playing video games and reading. (I finished this book today and then began reading this one immediately after and am almost finished - love them both).

Here was our morning, in pictures ...

It was a laid-back, but lovely holiday. I hope your holiday (however you choose to spend it) was wonderful and love-filled.

Happy Easter! Happy Spring!

Love,

Jodi

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RIP to RJ: the best Mom a chick could have.

This morning, my husband ran into the house to ask me why there were feathers all over the yard --- and had I seen the Mama hen. (Instant pit in my stomach). I followed him outside to find that our best Mama hen --- the one who adopted the chicks that all the other hens left behind --- the one who fights off all potential predators to her babes including the harmless farm dog --- the best Mom a chick could have --- well, she was taken. And very much dead. No doubt. And oh so sad.

She left behind 7 chicks --- all of whom were running around the yard today --- a bit unsure of what they were supposed to do now. By the end of the day, they had all worked out a routine --p based on everything they had learned from Mom. They went to all the eating spots that Mom had shown them. They rolled in the dirt where Mom had brought them daily. They hid out in secure spots around the yard where Mom had taught them to hide. I think they will be fine. But I am very sorry to have lost RJ. She was the very first chick that had hatched on my very first farm. She was an accidental --- but most welcome --- birth. She was an egg that I had left behind in the coop (from my daily egg rounds) --- having no idea that a hen was in the process of hatching her out until the day I saw little RJ running around with her Mom and Dad in the yard. She got her name from her Rooster Daddy, whose name was Roosty Roo. And since she was his only offspring, we named her Roosty Jr = RJ.

RJ will be missed. And please believe, we have made every attempt tonight to secure the hen house to thwart whatever predator took our girl! For sure it will be back --- and sadly, we may have to end it's life in order to secure the lives of our flock. Such is life on a farm. But life does go on --- as her 7 chicks will continue to frolic and grow. I will be sure to post pics soon.

Love,
Jodi

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Chicky See, Chicky Do.

Yes, the little chicky made it through the door ... following after Mom on Day 2 of life. Those little wings somehow got him/her over the wooden obstacle. So cool, really. They walk within about 2 hours of hatching ... and immediately start mimicking Mom. I just love to watch them. They are fast as lightning ... and cute as can possibly be.

More pics to come, I am certain.

ENJOY!

Love,

Jodi

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Peep. x8

My goodness ... July seems to be the month of "new life" around this farm. Yes, usually one would think that spring season is when farm babies are born. But something wonky has happened around here. Seems that Mr. Rooster and all his hens got a bit randy and broody this past June. Check out what (or who) has been popping up around these parts ...

It all started when this nameless hen came out of the woods one day with 3 chicks stumbling behind her. Forgive me for not even noticing that she was gone (she had to have been laying on these eggs somewhere for 21 days) but we have several hens and her absence went unnoticed. So, when she came back home as a Mama, we were all shocked and bemused by her little chicken nuggets. So cute. Sadly, on of them past away ... but the other two are doing just great and living with Mom in and out of the goat barn.

Meanwhile, our always broody hen - RJ - had been laying on eggs for what seemed like forever. Several times we had to remove her from unfertilized eggs gone bad ... but she would just find more eggs to sit on and we didn't have the heart to take her off of her most recent clutch no matter how disbelieving we were that anything would ever hatch from underneath her. But ... she proved us wrong ... and only two days after we noticed the first set of summer chicks (shown above) ... we noticed that RJ had some special surprises of her own.

It all started with one ...

Which then lead to five ... all hearty survivors ...

And perhaps RJ would have hatched out more, but she abandoned the rest of the clutch in order to care for her 5 new babes. Soooo ...

our friend Tree decided to take over for her ...

And Tree's efforts paid off ... as she hatched out her very own chick the next day. And if I am right, I believe she will hatch a couple more out by the end of the week.

There you have it. Eight little peeps so far. Totally unexpected. Heck, I didn't even know our rooster was getting busy ... as he is as old and as tired as can be. But alas, we have several new members of our flock ... and some VERY doting and protective Mamas. And not just the feathered kind ... I find that I am out by the coop at all hours of the day ... making sure that the chicks are thriving, warm, fed, safe, etc ... and also enjoying all of their antics :)

I am sure there will be plenty more chick pics to come. They are so darn cute. ENJOY!

Love,

Jodi

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New Garden Buddy.

So, here is our new garden buddy ... discovered by Isaac ... and 'man-handled' by me whenever I get the chance ...

Even though I do get a bit jumpy when I watch a snake slither though the grass (is that a natural human instinct?) ... I still love the thrill of the chase ... and the feel of their skin once I grab him/her. Garden snakes are just so totally interesting (they move with lightning speed and can open their small little mouths to take in an entire frog - whole). And this one is pretty predictable ... always sunning him/herself on the rocks by the birch trees ... letting me get close ... flicking his/her tongue to "smell" me ... and fleeing down into the rock bed once we lose eye contact.

I love that Isaac and I periodically visit "our snake" while outdoors. I love that he is learning respect for all animals (I've only chased the little guy once, I swear). And I love that there is such a diversity of wild creatures here on our little farm.

So, any new friends your way?

Love,
Jodi

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Farm Updates.

Blossoms everywhere! Gosh I love spring ... and this spring in Maine has been wonderful. So early ... so warm ... and so much sunshine. Good stuff.

I recently found this colossal (yes, I think it is safe to use that adjective here without exaggeration) apple tree on our property. It must be 30+ years old, though I have no idea how to tell these things. I have read that we will need to significantly trim this tree up in order to get it to bear a good quantity and quality of edible fruit. So, we are currently in the process of learning about this. Anyone care to offer some tips?

I also just discovered that we have a broody hen sitting on about 8 eggs right now. I was so hoping that one of the girls would try to hatch out a clutch this year ... and I got my wish. The expectant Mom is our only Rhode Island Red. I am a bit surprised, as they tend not to be broody at all ... but she has been sitting on the eggs for at least 3 days, so we shall find out in less than 3 weeks whether any of them are fertile. Very exciting! (My fave chicken, Teeko the Red-Sex Link, is shown above).

As for Emily and Me, well ... they are not so in love with me these days. They seem to blame me for inviting 2 more goats to our farm. They used to nuzzle me and play with me. Now, they just stare.

Good news is that I believe Me went into her first "heat" ... so will be searching for a buck to invite over asap. I have a new connection and am looking forward to getting these 2 ladies "in the family way" when the timing is right.

The kids, You and Sweetie, are doing very well. Sadly, the kid that we purchased at the same time as You ... the one we named Mini-Me ... died about 28 hours after we purchased her. It was horrible. We called in a wonderful local vet and tried everything we could to heal her ... but she had no fight in her and passed away in my arms. A few days later we picked up Sweetie ... as our "replacement" for the deceased kid. She is an absolute treat. I think she is going to be our most friendly goat. She loves, loves, loves people.

You (pictured above) is also very sweet, but has an independent streak that tells me she may try to gain some dominance over Emily and Me as soon as she is physically able. Right now, she enjoys racing Isaac to the barn ... and watching it is a hoot!

The kids are down to 2 bottle feedings a day, and are currently eating greenery, so their timeline is healthy ... and I look forward to less feedings so that we can take some day long trips around Maine.

Halis has finished turning over the food garden plot. (Chase helped). We are almost to the point of planting some tomatoes and peppers in there. Just a bit skittish that we will see another frost. But I am thinking we will plant this week. Have any of you planted yet?

Today we will finish painting the goat barn ... and readying it for an extension to effectively house the new kids.

So - what is happening on your little piece of earth?

Love,

Jodi

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Learning to Milk my Goats ... via web videos.

* Milking a goat without any stands, stools or other equipment:

More likely the way we are going to do it:

Someone else learning too:

Any other suggestions from my fellow goat farmers?

Love,
Jodi

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You. The Goat.

You is such a little sweetie. Yes, her name is You. Aren't we ridiculous? Since we have a goat named "Me", it seemed all too right to name one "You" ... so I could call them into the barn by yelling, "Hey You, Me & Emily!"

Sadly, we did have another little sweetie named "Mini-Me" that we purchased at the same time ... but she passed away in my arms only 30 hours after I brought her home. After a midnight visit from our local farm vet, we discovered that she was suffering from Shipping Fever and the Scours. The vet did his best ... but she passed away just hours after he left. Isaac and I cuddled her before she passed ... and we tried to heal her with love ... but she left ... and Isaac took it very well. Better than I.


Anyway ... now little Miss You is a spoiled goat. Because she is missing a fellow kid to grow-up with (the older goats don't count, as they are not liking her quite yet) ... we have allowed her the occassional run of our house ... and some bed snuggles. She is fond of all of us ... and is just an all around sweetie. She wags her tail quite a bit and enjoys a good romp outside.

The farm we bought both kids from is going to replace the goat we lost sometime next week. So You will have a new friend soon. But until then, we are enjoying her company as she follows us around the house. Hopefully soon the older goats will take to her too.

As the old-time Maine famers say, "Ain't she cunning?"

Love,

Jodi

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Getting Serious About the Farm.

Moving to the "city" has been wonderful! I am only sorry that I didn't move to Bangor sooner. I love the parks, the pools, the restaurants, the museums, the people, the shopping, the fact that I am within a 10 mile radius of anything I need or want (including an amazing hospital - something we sorely lacked in the "country"). But perhaps the reason I enjoy the city so much is because - on our 16 acres - we are still able to enjoy a country life as well. We have 16 chickens, 2 Nubian does, 2 Australian Shepherds, a pond, lots of land ... and plenty of ambition.

We have lived here for 2 years this May ... we have thoroughly enjoyed the fruits of living in the city (including opening my own photography studio in downtown) ... and now we think it is about time to get serious about the farm. So, we are making plans, making lists, and dreaming of what can be. And here is a small sampling of our "to-do" list ...

* Create a kick-ass veggie garden.

We just had some rich loam delivered. Halis is currently digging up some good soil in the backyard for our vegetable garden. We have dabbled in gardening before, but never on the scale we are about to try.

We participated in a CSA last year (Community Supported Agriculture) and thus received a weekly share of yummy veggies throughout the summer. It cost us $400 for the season ... and we highly recommend it to all our local friends (see here). But because we have the resources to create our own garden ... and likely at the same price or less ... we are going to give it a shot. We also live on a very busy road and thus it would be quite easy for us to sell some extra produce to recoup our expenses (bonus!).

Our plans are for sowing the veggies that we love best: tomatoes, red peppers, squash, cucumbers, lettuces, and cantaloupe (a fruit). We are set on only sowing non-hybrid seeds so that we can re-sow the seeds from our produce year after year. For more info on why this is important, read this.

We have recently found moose tracks up and down our driveway ... so keeping the wildlife away may become a challenge ... but we at least plan to keep the chickens closed in for part of the summer (this is unusual for us) so that our garden has a chance to grow. Which leads me to the next plan ...

* Maximize our egg production

We currently have 16 hens and a one-eyed rooster. 8 of our girls were chicks last summer and thus are laying almost daily now. The other half of our girls are fairly old and are laying when they can. Unlike many others, I don't cull the hens when their production wanes ... so our feed vs. output ratio will not be economical ... but I am okay with that. I have found, after 5+ years of keeping chickens, that their life spans are shorter than I had previously expected (about 4-5 years), so keeping them that long is my way of saying "thanks" for jobs well done.

We are currently yielding about 3/4 dozen eggs a day. We consume about 1/2 dozen a week. So, we have plenty of leftovers. Because we live on the aforementioned busy road ... I know we can begin to sell these eggs as well. Yet, we don't have enough overage to sell to the public in any kind of meaningful way. The offerings would likely be too sporadic. So, in order to up the overage a bit, we are going to add a few more hens. We have placed an order through our local Blue Seal feed store for the following: Buff Orpingtons, Black-Sex Links, Red-Sex Links and Ameraucanas. We are adding 6 more to the flock ... so next year our yield will be about a dozen and a half a day. We may add even more.

I have found that the hens are laying eggs in places other than their nesting boxes ... and by the time I find them ... they are too old for consumption. Which leads to another project ... closing in their coop with a larger run so that they may have more comfortable outdoor accommodations without letting them destroy the garden or allowing them to lay their eggs where I can't find them. We have extra fencing, so we will use it to give them a bit of a "backyard" ... and then close them in till further notice. (Sorry girls!)

* Grow the Goat Herd

Well, two goats is not exactly a "herd"... but we are looking to change that. Our original intent in raising Nubian goats was to raise them for their milk. We got our two does last year and bottle fed them to adulthood. They are now more like pets than working livestock. But, as we believe everyone on this farm needs to earn their keep (all except for Isaac that is), it is time for these girls to give us some kids and some milk.

The problem is ... do we buy a buck and keep him? Bucks are known to be stinky, mean, and hard to handle unless they are wethered. So, deciding to keep a buck is not easy. Some alternatives to keeping a herd sire is to rent a buck to impregnate your does (can be expensive), purchase sperm to inject (no thanks), or drive your does to a stud buck (requiring a horse trailer - which I do not yet own). So, I am leaning toward keeping an ornery buck ... and studding him out myself in order to recoup my expenses. I have been shopping for bucks on Uncle Henry's and throughout the internet. I have an appointment to check some out this weekend and am so looking forward to it.

Now we need to expand yet another livestock building. And so, while we are at it, I am thinking of getting more bang for my buck (pun totally intended!) and may purchase some more does for Mr. Buck to impregnate. More does = more kids & more milk.

* Stock the Pond

We have a pond in the front yard that contains some fish. What kind of fish? No idea. But, I recently found out that we could apply for a permit to stock the pond with native Maine species. I am not sure whether we will get permission or not, but for a $10 application fee, I am willing to give it a shot. Why stock the pond? Well, so we can fish for our own food, silly! Fresh fish = yum.

* Pimp the Dog Out

Jack is a stud. Truly. I mean, look at those eyes. He is a lady's man. And it is time he earns his keep. He fathered a gorgeous litter two years ago ... and we kept one of his "sons" as a pet. And although Jack is wonderful pet (Isaac's fave), he is also a working dog ... a purebred Aussie capable of producing gorgeous offspring with the instincts to work livestock. And I am sure he wouldn't mind seeing a little action with a lovely lady.

Here is his personal ad. Interested?

* Add Some Sheep

Okay, so this is a big step. And I am not quite settled on it (nor have I seriously discussed it with Halis ... oops). But we have plenty of land for grazing and plenty of need for it to be grazed. And heck, good wool is in very high demand. However, I know NOTHING about sheep. I have been too busy studying goats over the past year. So, I am checking out sites such as this, this, and this.

Any advice?

* ETC.

Oh there are so many other wonderful things that we want to try. Halis is becoming very interested in creating an apple orchard on the acreage in Lagrange that he shares with his brother. He is trying to grow them on his own ... which may require that we build a greenhouse (hooray!).

I, as may be obvious at this point, want to build a small produce stand at the end of the driveway in order to sell our leftover wares ... as well as some of Isaac's pumpkins (a future post).

And I am sure that I could come up with loads of other projects for us to get into over our heads (just ask my husband :)

Meanwhile, our day jobs keep us busy ... and we are looking forward to our May vacation so that we can spend the bulk of it working on getting serious about the farm.

Love,

Jodi

Love,

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Looking for Love.

It seems that the lovely, sweet, little girl goats that I just bottle fed this spring are now all grown up and 'looking for love' ... in order to start 'families' of their own. I knew this day would come soon ... as all my goat books told me so ... but I was a bit caught of guard when I let them out to play yesterday and they began 'mounting' each other. My goat books tell me that when this happens (and after they reach 100 lbs) ... that it is time to find them a mate (usually in the fall) ... in order to have spring kids.

So, it is now time to search for a handsome Nubian buck for my sweet Emily & Me. I have never done such a thing before. I have a few ideas ... but this is totally new territory. I plan to 'rent' said buck for as long as needed ... but have no intention of keeping one. Male goats are far too much work for me. But what a concept eh? To rent a male for the purposes of breeding? Gives me a chuckle really!

I am thinking that I will plan a trip today to a local Nubian farmer and see if I can rent a buck. And not just any buck ... he will have to be the Prince Charming of goats for my sweet girls.

And here is their honeymoon suite ...

Wish me luck!

Love,
Jodi

P.S. If you happen to know some Nubian Farms in the Bangor, Maine area ... please pass their names along. Thank you!

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Around the Farm.

It is a small farm - no doubt. Just 16 acres ... littered with all manner of wild fauna ... 2 goats, 16 chickens, some dogs and some cats. But we get our eggs and milk in this way. And the future may hold other farming ventures here on this fertile land ... just 2 miles from the city's shopping center. Till then, we are more than content with the life we have here. Simple ... yet just minutes from the chaos and entertainments of the city. A strange set of circumstances brought us here ... but now we can't imagine being anywhere else.

I recently met a guy up here from my hometown area of Nashua, NH. He was just passing through and asked me "So, what are you doing up here?" I replied, "Loving every minute of it." And I do ... at least most of the time.

I thought for today I'd share some of the pictures that I took around our place this weekend. Enjoy:

Love,

Jodi

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This Morning.

I stepped outside at sunrise this morning --- for the first time in years (I am not a morning person) --- and here is the beauty I encountered:

One-Eyed Jack crowed to the morning sunshine.

I greeted my sweet goat "Me" --- and when I went to feed her --- I noticed ---

--- that the newest batch of chicks has taken up residence in the goat barn ---

and --- a mouse has taken up residence in the feed bin.

I took a little walk and enjoyed seeing the morning dew sprinkled along all the wildflowers.

And I spied a spider grabbing its first meal of the day.

As I ended my morning exploration of our small farm --- making my way to the front door --- this creature (my Mom's cat) came underfoot --- trying to get friendly with me. (Keep dreaming kitty.)

Aside from the unwanted kitty (though she did make for a great photo op) --- it was a pleasure to explore a simple morning on our simple farm.

I will try to do it again --- at least for the photo opportunites that such a venture provides.

Enjoy your day!

Love,

Jodi

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