He was born Tuesday night.
Clean, up and nursing.
He's almost as big as Patrick, Nelly's calf. Not that Patrick hasn't grown a lot, just that he was a tiny calf.
Dorie's doing well, as usual. She just can't hide him very well.
Farm life in Northern Ontario. Farm Life in Northern Ontario.
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Parker
He was born Tuesday night.
Clean, up and nursing.
He's almost as big as Patrick, Nelly's calf. Not that Patrick hasn't grown a lot, just that he was a tiny calf.
Dorie's doing well, as usual. She just can't hide him very well.
Monday, March 31, 2014
2014 - brought to you by the letter "P"
We left Nelly in the barn this year, and found this wet wee beasty yesterday morning. #1 did the morning check and figured he missed all the action by about 10 minutes.
He was clean, but wet, when I got out to the barn. He was having trouble getting up on his feet, and shivering terribly. I rubbed him down to dry him off and get the circulation going, but he was still shivering and stumbling.
#1 scooped him up (if only I had muscles like that! He must be a
hundred pounder!) and took him outside to the sun. I rubbed him down
again, and then he got up on his feet.
It took almost an hour to get him nursing. Nelly wasn't cooperative at
first. We sat and watched for about twenty minutes while he tried to
get under her and she kept shying away from him.
#1 decided to try milking her, and after a couple of minutes she stood
good as gold. I guess she needed to know that her sore teats from last
year had recovered.
Once the milk was flowing, Nelly relaxed, and we got him aimed in the right direction, he took to nursing like a pro. The two of them laid down beside the hay bale and napped in the sunshine.
The weather was beautiful. We hit +4!! So we left them in the pasture for the day.
Late in the afternoon we got ready to make the move to the milk room. The nights are still too cold to leave him outside.
Moving him was a breeze. He followed Nelly out of the pasture, and then followed #2 along the path we use to get to the milk room. #2 has dubbed him Patrick.
Not so easy for Nelly. Our path was too narrow for her and she sunk in the snow to her belly.
#2 started shovelling a new path (easier than shovelling the hard pack we've been walking on). #1 shovelled Nelly out of the snow and got her onto the new path. Husband went down to the other end to shovel, and they met in the middle. Then Nelly walked across to reunite with her baby.
After checking to make sure he was ok- already napping in the manger, she went about eating her dinner.
And all was well in the world. Until the wee noise maker came out to see what was going on.
What was that?
Oh! Where did that come from? Nelly met her new nephew. (Nelly was raised in part by Mama goat). Life was good.
Until Sheila came charging in, climbing over top of Patrick (I don't think she even saw him), through the manger to her boy. There was a mild scuffle between Nelly and Sheila, but then they took to opposite sides of the room and both settled down. I suppose if my sister had climbed over top of my baby, I'd have tried to t-bone her too.
The wee billy looks just like his daddy, with just a touch of colour to him- almost like he's just a little dirty. He's a week old and has no name! Suggestions for the letter "P"?
He was clean, but wet, when I got out to the barn. He was having trouble getting up on his feet, and shivering terribly. I rubbed him down to dry him off and get the circulation going, but he was still shivering and stumbling.
The weather was beautiful. We hit +4!! So we left them in the pasture for the day.
Late in the afternoon we got ready to make the move to the milk room. The nights are still too cold to leave him outside.
Moving him was a breeze. He followed Nelly out of the pasture, and then followed #2 along the path we use to get to the milk room. #2 has dubbed him Patrick.
Not so easy for Nelly. Our path was too narrow for her and she sunk in the snow to her belly.
#2 started shovelling a new path (easier than shovelling the hard pack we've been walking on). #1 shovelled Nelly out of the snow and got her onto the new path. Husband went down to the other end to shovel, and they met in the middle. Then Nelly walked across to reunite with her baby.
After checking to make sure he was ok- already napping in the manger, she went about eating her dinner.
And all was well in the world. Until the wee noise maker came out to see what was going on.
What was that?
Oh! Where did that come from? Nelly met her new nephew. (Nelly was raised in part by Mama goat). Life was good.
Until Sheila came charging in, climbing over top of Patrick (I don't think she even saw him), through the manger to her boy. There was a mild scuffle between Nelly and Sheila, but then they took to opposite sides of the room and both settled down. I suppose if my sister had climbed over top of my baby, I'd have tried to t-bone her too.
The wee billy looks just like his daddy, with just a touch of colour to him- almost like he's just a little dirty. He's a week old and has no name! Suggestions for the letter "P"?
Monday, March 3, 2014
Firewood
I mentioned before that there's a logging company working on the crown land behind our property. We're low on firewood. The weather wasn't too bad- only -20°C, sunny, tiny snowflakes, so we decided to go check out where they were cutting. The last time they cut, it was way back into the bush and they had to put a bridge in to get their trucks across. We couldn't get to the scrap piles in the spring.
Check it out- brand new road. It's in better shape than the road we live on- wider, too. It's not too far in, just past the first turn off down the trail.
They're leaving big scrap piles off to the sides, mostly pine, and a fair bit of birch.
It's a lot of waste. Easy cutting for us, and we should still be able to get to most of it in the spring.
We filled our trailer twice in less than two hours.
Husband decided to climb up on top and cut off logs to toss down.
Mom came out with us on the second trip.
We barely made a dent in the first pile we tackled.
Husband talked to some of the loggers. They expect to be finished by next weekend. They say the new trail goes back to a small lake.
If we're lucky and don't get a ton of snow dumped on us for awhile, we might be able to keep working on it until spring melt. We should definitely be able to get enough wood to get us through the rest of the winter between yesterday and next weekend.
They're leaving big scrap piles off to the sides, mostly pine, and a fair bit of birch.
It's a lot of waste. Easy cutting for us, and we should still be able to get to most of it in the spring.
Husband decided to climb up on top and cut off logs to toss down.
We barely made a dent in the first pile we tackled.
Husband talked to some of the loggers. They expect to be finished by next weekend. They say the new trail goes back to a small lake.
If we're lucky and don't get a ton of snow dumped on us for awhile, we might be able to keep working on it until spring melt. We should definitely be able to get enough wood to get us through the rest of the winter between yesterday and next weekend.
Friday, February 28, 2014
Incubating
Let the count down begin.
Just eight eggs in the incubator this round. I put a towel over it to stabilize the temperature somewhat.
With the nights still so cold, I couldn't get the temperature to stabilize without it. The towel is helping substantially, however, it's also covering the vents, so I'm not sure what that will do to the humidity level.
I decided to keep enough eggs for breakfast, and give it a go with the remaining eight. Not too much to risk. With a little luck, we could have chicks for the first day of spring.
With the nights still so cold, I couldn't get the temperature to stabilize without it. The towel is helping substantially, however, it's also covering the vents, so I'm not sure what that will do to the humidity level.
I decided to keep enough eggs for breakfast, and give it a go with the remaining eight. Not too much to risk. With a little luck, we could have chicks for the first day of spring.
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Harvest 2013
Medicine Chest
I'm not wiping the medicine chest off the side bar, just continuing to add to it as I create/harvest/prepare additions. I'm just posting it here in case I should wonder when I added something at some point in the future.
- Salve- Plantain-Comfrey
- Tea- mint leaves- quarts- 2
- Tea- raspberry leaves- quart- 1
- Tea- Yarrow- quart 1
- Tincture- Pennyroyal
- Tincture- Speedwell
- Tincture- Thyme
- Tincture- Yarrow
Friday, February 21, 2014
Chickens in the Basement
When the chickens started started dieing, we built a temporary home for them in the basement.
It's just the space under the stairs, about three feet wide and 10 feet long. There was a pole conveniently located from ceiling to floor in the corner, which made sectioning the space off very simple. We put in a little door way and wrapped the whole thing in plastic. Plastic of course, is not the best for ventilation, however it does protect the birds from the smoke that escapes the fire box.
Normally this space is reserved for overnighters- large pieces of firewood that we don't split, used to keep the fire from going out over night. They had to be moved before we could bring the chickens in.
The plastic is held in place by firewood at the bottom, and stapled to the top of the stairs and wall at the top.
Surprisingly, with just the four of them, it really doesn't smell. I give them a coffee can of fresh shavings every two or three days, and that seems to be plenty to keep the smell down.
They made an escape a couple of times, the door wasn't closed properly and they were roaming loose in the morning. That was messy. They seem to have gotten into everything.
They don't currently have proper nesting boxes, just a cardboard box on the floor.
They'll stay inside now until the grass starts growing in the spring, or the temps at least stabilize over night.
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| Temporary chicken coop |
Normally this space is reserved for overnighters- large pieces of firewood that we don't split, used to keep the fire from going out over night. They had to be moved before we could bring the chickens in.
The plastic is held in place by firewood at the bottom, and stapled to the top of the stairs and wall at the top.
 |
| Rooster with three remaining hens |
They made an escape a couple of times, the door wasn't closed properly and they were roaming loose in the morning. That was messy. They seem to have gotten into everything.
They don't currently have proper nesting boxes, just a cardboard box on the floor.
They'll stay inside now until the grass starts growing in the spring, or the temps at least stabilize over night.
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Furry Critters
As I mentioned in the comments the other day, Tori, coming from the south, took two years living in the north to grow a proper winter coat. We were lucky that those winters were milder than this one.
It's hard to see, but her fur is just as thick and long now as Knightmare and Shiloh's, who were born and raised in the north.
Toothless, lean and sleek through the summer, becomes a furry beast in the winter.
He's a holstein cross, bottle baby from the auction. Again, we were lucky. His first winter was much milder. Last winter was harsh, but not as bad as this year. He has adjusted to life outside in the great white north.
Nelly was born furry, and keeps a fairly thick coat even through the summer.
And then there's Dorie. She's another furry beast, although she loses her thick fur coat in the spring.
The funny thing about Dorie- we don't really know what she is. We know she's a beef cow, a crossbreed, probably Limousin, but those horns just don't match up with any of the common beef breeds in the neighbourhood.
Cranberry, my sister-in-law, has a cousin who lives in my area, and they raise Scottish Highlands. When I added her to facebook, she looked through my pictures and commented about Dorie being part highland. Hmmm... Well, then... If the horn fits...
Highland cows are well suited to northern winters and poor pastures. They eat more scruff and browse than typical cattle. So you'd think I'd want to jump in with both feet, right?
Their meat also has a taste of it's own. I can't really explain it. Some people say it's more gamey. It doesn't taste like any deer or moose I've ever eaten though. Slightly lamby? Maybe goat-like? I've never eaten goat myself. At any rate, not my preference.
Mind you- the most delicious beef I've ever tasted, was Dorie's calf, Casper. His Daddy was angus.
This furry little beast is the future. She looks little in the picture, but Nelly's a good 50 feet or so behind her. She's a big little girl. Her fur is long and thick. She's at least 1/4 holstein and 1/2 beef. (Toothless' and Dorie's daughter).
My only explanation for Sheila surviving this winter is her age. Her fur is a little thicker, but not very long. She looks great, just about ready to kid.
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| Knightmare, Tori, Shiloh, winter 2014 |
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| Toothless, summer 2013 |
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| Toothless, winter 2014 |
Nelly was born furry, and keeps a fairly thick coat even through the summer.
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| Nelly, winter 2014 |
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| Dorie, winter 2013 |
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| Scottish highland cows (picture stolen from facebook friend) |
Highland cows are well suited to northern winters and poor pastures. They eat more scruff and browse than typical cattle. So you'd think I'd want to jump in with both feet, right?
Their meat also has a taste of it's own. I can't really explain it. Some people say it's more gamey. It doesn't taste like any deer or moose I've ever eaten though. Slightly lamby? Maybe goat-like? I've never eaten goat myself. At any rate, not my preference.
Mind you- the most delicious beef I've ever tasted, was Dorie's calf, Casper. His Daddy was angus.
 |
| Majesty, winter 2014 |
This furry little beast is the future. She looks little in the picture, but Nelly's a good 50 feet or so behind her. She's a big little girl. Her fur is long and thick. She's at least 1/4 holstein and 1/2 beef. (Toothless' and Dorie's daughter).
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| Sheila, winter 2014 |
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