Tag Archives: Homesteading

Winter Farm Update

Bees, Chickens, Dogs, garlic, Hoop House, Reflections, The Farm, Winter,

Perhaps this post should be sub-titled “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly” because we have seen a bit of each this winter.

Chickens

The chickens mostly fall in good category. Egg production slowed down in late November as usual and we were only getting 2-4 eggs a day, but as the hours of daylight have been getting longer egg production has been gradually increasing. We are now gathering between 7-10 eggs a day. We had more than enough eggs for us, so we didn’t have to buy any this winter. The lack of snow this winter has made the chickens happy because they tend to stay inside when there is snow on the ground.

The bad, or at least sad, part is that our rooster died on Thanksgiving. He was one of three birds left from our first batch of chicks we got in 2013. Toward the end of summer we noticed that old age seemed to be catching up to him, so we were not surprised by his death. So far the flock seems to be doing well without him. I was never especially close to Cocky because he seemed to feel that he had to protect his flock from me. I did learn, after being spurred in the leg by him a couple times, not to turn my back on him. We sparred many times over the years, but I did respect him as protector of our flock. While I don’t miss having to look over my should when I’m in or around the chicken yard, I do miss hearing his Cock-a-doodle-do’s.

IMG_3918 (2)
Cocky and Honey

Bees

Bees fall into the UGLY category. At the end of summer we had eight hives most of which seemed to be thriving. Over fall and winter we have lost all of them. We are baffled as to why the bees are dying. Every hive has had lots of honey in it, the hives have top ventilation to prevent moisture build up and our winter temps haven’t even been that cold so it doesn’t make sense that they are freezing to death. Some even died before temperatures got cold.

It is sad and it is frustrating to have so many losses, but we have decided not to give up yet. We have ordered three more packages of bees to arrive in May so we can try, try again.

Garlic 

At this time it seems that the garlic falls into the good category. The new location seems to be good since despite lots of rain and snow melt we have not had any flooding in that area.

The main reason that I am including garlic in this update is because several readers were interested in knowing how the weed guard that we used when planting the garlic worked out. (You can read about it here.)  Unfortunately it did not work out as we hoped it would. All was well until after the first big snow storm in early November. We then had a warm up, and as the snow melted, the weed guard became saturated. Then we began seeing rips in it. It seems the wind was getting under the exposed edges and ripping the wet paper. It became so tore up that we ended up removing it completely and mulching the garlic with straw before the ground froze.

If we use this product in the future we now understand it is important to make sure all of the edges are secured – perhaps by burying them in the soil.

Hoop House

This is another one for the good column. This new addition is currently under construction. It has come a lot farther since this photo was taken last week. Our plan is to have it ready so we can start our garden plants in it this spring. I plan to write a post on it’s design and construction once it is complete and will likely write about it’s uses in the future as well.

IMG_6225

The Boys

The boy’s also fall into the good category. Most of our time at the farm this winter has been spent with the boys, more specifically training Ranger.  This pup has so much energy that it is important that he get out and use it up. We have found that he requires a minimum of two hours a day outside, but on most day it’s three or more hours of walking, running and hunting.

We have been using a training collar that has three settings – a beep, a vibrate, and a shock. The collar, along with voice commands, is working well with training him to stay on our property, but it is going to take a lot more training and time before he can be trusted not to leave the farm. Beagles have a strong hunting instinct and if they pick up the scent of a rabbit or other small animal (there are many on our farm) it is difficult to call them off.

We are not hunters so we will not be training to hunt rabbits or squirrels.

IMG_6208

He and Trooper do enjoy hunting for field mice together. This is something that Scout and Trooper would do for hours at a time and we are happy that Ranger has become Trooper’s new hunting buddy.

IMG_6215

Watching the boys hunt mice can get a bit boring, but it is interesting to observe how they work together.

Trooper who is mostly a watch dog uses both his nose and eyes for hunting.

IMG_6222Ranger, who is a hunting dog, primarily uses his nose.

IMG_6223

So while Ranger has his nose buried in the dirt trying to sniff out his prey Trooper might capture it as he sees it trying to escape.

IMG_6218
Now what do I do with it?

After consulting with our vet we did have the boys immunized against diseases that they could catch from mice.

I think it is largely as a result of all this outdoor activity that Ranger has become such a great house dog. While at home is is content to settle into his or our bed for a nap, or he might seek out a little cuddle time from one of us. If he does get bored he will find a rawhide to chew on or bring his ball for a game of catch. He does however let us know when it’s time to get out a expend some of the built up energy.

A couple of weeks ago we decided to put him to the test. We needed to go grocery shopping so thought we would see how well he would behave if we left him out of his crate for a couple hours while we were away. Our strategy was to make sure he was tired out first, so my husband took the boys to the farm for about an hour before we went shopping. Before we left for shopping we also made sure that some of the things that might be tempting to a puppy (shoes, slippers, books) were out of his reach.

We were so happy when we returned home and found the house in the same condition that we left it in. The Boy’s, especially Ranger, were rewarded with lot’s of “good boy’s” and another nice long walk (run, play, hunt) at the farm. We have since left him  on three more occasions and have come returned home each time to find that he was a “Good Boy”. 🙂 It may be time to get rid of the crate.

Thanks for reading.

How has your winter been so far?

 

 

55 Things #6 – A Sweet Treat

55 Things, Candy, homemade, Recipe, Reflections

Click here to learn more about my “55 Things” series and here to view previous posts in this series.

With Valentines Day just around the corner I thought I would share my secret candy recipe with you. Up until this point it is only a secret because I have not told it to anyone so now my secret will be out.

If you are a chocolate lover like me then you probably get excited when you hear or read reports about the health benefits of chocolate (cocoa) – right up to the point that they add something like “but all that sugar (and potentially other ingredients) in that candy bar are still bad for you so be sure not to eat too much”. 😦  What a let down!

So I decided to make my own chocolates using what I believed to be better ingredients.

Here’s my recipe:

1/2 cup dark cocoa

1/2 cup raw honey

1/2 cup cold processed coconut oil

Since coconut oil has a melting point of 76 degrees F (24 C) I put the whole jar in a bowl of hot tap water to melt. I then measure the amount of liquid oil I need and pour it into a bowl. I add the cocoa and honey and stir until they are combined. The mixture will be smooth and as the coconut oil cools it will become firmer. I line a pan or plate with wax paper and drop by teaspoon on the wax paper. I then pop them in the frig or freezer for a while. Once they are set I remove them from the wax paper and store them in a dish with a lid in the frig (because coconut oil melts at 76 degrees room temperature might be too warm for them).

To change it up a bit raisins, dried cranberries, coconut or chopped nut can be mixed in.

IMG_6205 (2)

I won’t make any claims about these being healthy but if you research the ingredients you can draw your own conclusions. I will tell you that they are rich in flavor and have a creamy texture that melts in your mouth. Yum!!! I also find that just one is enough to give me my chocolate fix.

I haven’t really given them a name but the first time I made them my husband told me they looked like turds so I told him they would be “the best s**t he ever ate”. 🙂

Are you a chocolate lover?

 

 

There Was A Farmer Had A Dog…

Dogs, Reflections,

And Bingo Ranger was his name-er.

While Ranger is the name we gave him, it seems The Pup has already acquired a few nick names.

Maybe you already guessed the first one is The Pup or Pup. This one just seemed to come natural. He looks like a puppy and acts like a puppy and I often find myself referring to him as The Pup. Sometimes when talking to him I call him Pup as well.

More often when addressing him I find myself calling him Mister. I’ve noticed my husband does this as well. I think I began calling this because when he sits down and looks at me he looks like a little gentleman.

IMG_6202 (2)

 

As we know looks can be deceiving, hence another nick name. It was pretty early on when I began calling him Dennis, as in Dennis the Menace. He has that type of personality. Young, cute, innocent, always wanting to be right where we are and finding ways to get into trouble. He can be lovable and annoying at the same time. If Ranger is Dennis I think Trooper is his Mr. Wilson. LOL!

IMG_6167 (2)

The other nick name he has is Zippy. This is what my husband calls him, which refers to both his energy level and his speed. This one may get a little confusing because my husband had called Trooper Zippy since he was young. As a young dog Trooper had the same type of energy and speed that we now see in Ranger.

IMG_6189 (2)

So it seems Ranger has become Zippy too or should I say Zippy Two. 🙂

Do you use nick names for family members or pets?

Ranger Danger

Dogs, Reflections

It’s been nearly four weeks since Ranger became part of our family, so I thought I would share a little about how that is going.

I’ll start by addressing the title of this post – it may be a little misleading and make you wonder what the heck kind of animal did we adopt. The truth is that there is one real danger in Ranger and that is that he will steal your heart and make you fall hopelessly in love with him.

IMG_6086 (2)

Here is how it happened to us.

He started by looking at us with those captivating puppy dog eyes that are framed by his adorable floppy ears, and when we look at and/or speak to him he wags his tail in sheer joy. Then, as if he hadn’t already won us over, once we sit down to relax he bounds up in a lap and insists on some cuddle time.  At  times he will even bring his tennis ball and ask to play a game of fetch. Is there anyone who could resist such love?

IMG_6113

His approach with Trooper is different of course. Instead of using their eyes to get to know each other dogs use their noses. Ranger will sniff Trooper then stand nicely and let Trooper sniff him as if proving to Trooper that he really is a good boy. He will also sometimes walk up to Trooper and begin licking his face – that is just so cute. Ranger likes to engage Trooper in play so he will jump toward Trooper and bark then jump back or begin sprinting from one end of the house to the other trying to get Trooper to chase him. Trooper plays along by trying to tag Ranger and huffing or barking at him as he runs past. Although Trooper doesn’t have nearly the energy that he use to, and is not able to keep up with the pup, it is good to see him playing along. The barking during playtime can make it sound like they are fighting, but as long as their tails are wagging we know it is all in fun.

IMG_6116

Ranger really has come along way since that first day we brought him home, when he didn’t know that he had to go outside to go to the bathroom; he continually put his feet up on the counter when I was working in the kitchen; he begged for our food when we were eating; and my husband found himself making a 4:30 a.m. trip to the store to buy him a raw hide bone.

I think it’s been a couple of weeks now since he has had any “accidents” in the house and as long as we make sure he gets out at regular intervals I don’t feel like I have to be watching his every move. He has learned that he gets fed at his dish, so begging for our food does him no good. He will still put his paws on the edge of the counter sometimes but I get the feeling it’s because he just wants to know what I am doing and perhaps he even wants to help. LOL!

I think it’s been about a week now since we stopped putting him in his crate over night. He now sleeps in his own bed right next to my husbands side of our bed. He settles into his bed when we go to bed or sometimes even earlier, and he sleeps through the night. Even when we are up earlier Ranger has been sleeping until at least 6:00 a.m. If he does get up around 6:00 it is just to go outside to go potty and then he will go back to bed until it is almost time to go to the farm to open up the chicken coop and go for his morning walk. GOOD BOY RANGER! 🙂

While there is much more to tell I decided to keep this short so I could get it published.  You see it seems that each day Ranger is displaying new behaviors that we are happy with, and since there is still a lot for him to learn you can look forward to more puppy tails tales in the future.

Thanks for reading.

Hairpin Lace and Bonus Photos

crochet, homemade, Reflections

It seems so long ago that I wrote about buying a loom to make hairpin lace. It was certainly before all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season and it wasn’t until after Christmas that I figured out how to use the loom.

For my first project I chose this infinity scarf. The link to the pattern has a detailed video which includes both making the hairpin lace and constructing the scarf. I used a different type of yarn so my results are different from the one created in the video.  I took a few photos during the process to give you an idea of how this works.

IMG_6095

To create hairpin lace the yarn is looped around the pegs of the loom and each loop is secured in place by a crochet stitch. On this loom both the top and bottom cross bars are removable and there are holes at various distances so the hairpin lace can be made different widths.

At first I found it quite awkward using both the loom and the crochet hook but after a while I was able to get into a rhythm and it went quite quickly from there.

IMG_6096

To remove the lace from the loom I only had to remove the bottom cross bar then slide the lace off of the pegs. While this piece has about 30 loops on each side, the scarf I made had four strips like this each with 240 loops on each side.

After I had all four strips made, I joined them together by slipping five loops of one strip though five loops of a second strip then slipping the next five loops of the first strip though those five loops. This process was repeated though the entire length of the strips and created the braided or rope-like appearance. I didn’t get any photos of that process but it can be viewed in the above video. The edges were finished by slipping five loops of the strip over the next five loops of the same strip and repeating the process along the entire edge.

IMG_6097 (2)

This is the finished scarf. I like the braided effect and can see this process being used to make an afghan, poncho or ear warmer. In fact I have decided to make an ear warmer using this design.

IMG_6099 (2)

This design is one of many ways that hairpin lace can be used, and from the beautiful, intricate items I am seeing made with it, I would guess this is probably one the easier method of using it.

Now for a couple of bonus photos.

My sister KC, the one that has been teaching me how to sew, made me this really cute hat for my birthday.

IMG_6108 (2)

She also made matching bandanas for the dogs. LOL. Her fabric choices were perfect.

IMG_6109 (2)

If you look closely you can see the white fabric has red barns, windmills, chickens and  sunflowers – it’s like this fabric was made for me. The yellow print is filled with honey bees. She knows me well!

What do you think of pets dressed to match their people?