Thursday, May 23, 2013

Meet Rusty the Rustbucket


Well we finally did it. We sold the Jetta.
I always said that I'd run that car into the ground, but things change.
As usual.

We bought Rusty the Rustbucket instead.
A farm with two cars is not feasible. We needed a truck.
Mind you, the Jetta has more than carried it's share of goats, pigs, dogs, cats, feed, chickens, hay etc...
You get the picture.
In my opinion, the Jetta was a farm vehicle. So I wanted to put farm plates on it.
(In NS, farm plates are a lot cheaper than regular plates)
But, alas, the government's opinion differs from my opinion on what constitutes a farm vehicle.

Meet Rusty!
Cars are not farm vehicles. Which is kinda funny. Not funny ha ha, but funny strange.
I know a lot of farmer/ranchers that have farm plates on their trucks but would never consider putting feed or anything of the sort in them. Yet, it's a farm vehicle.
So to please the government,  we got rid of the car and got a farm vehicle.
Rusty needs a bit of work and at the moment he's getting some body work done at the backyard mechanic that lives not far from here.

But hey, what can you expect for $800.


                    
                                   Our very own farm plates. And yes, that jacket makes me look fat! But it's comfy.





I just realized that I never updated you on the incubator episode.
Out of 42 eggs, four hatched.  I was not a happy camper! I was ready to set the incubator on a
one way voyage to the dump!

But one of our mink rancher friends wanted it. To them as long as it heats, that's all they care for.
They use it as a mini mink brooder. For when the kits get cold.
So he bought it from me.

I was just ready to give up on the chick hatching idea (remember don't count your chickens before they hatch), when Dave suggested we buy a new one. A fancier one, with a fan.
So I figured why not?!

Well our first hatch we got 15 out of 30 eggs!!All nice and robust chicks to.
So I've fired it up again with 42 eggs. We'll have to wait and see.

The chicks are all cross breeds. Some are red comet and the rooster is Americauna.
Some others will be pure Americauna, since the hens are Americauna and so is the rooster.
I just find that it'll make pretty hens. We already have 3 grey ones (hopefully hens) and I love grey chickens. Why? Dunno.

And hopefully crossing them with the comets will make hens that are prettier and that will lay more than the Americauna, especially in the winter.

I don't find they lay when it's cold. Yet, the comets lay all the time, but are butt ugly.
So maybe a bit of both. Ya never know.

Chicks from the second hatch.



Have a blessed evening
Lisa





Monday, May 13, 2013

Bunnies Galore!


It was only a matter of time till Jamie wanted to raise and sell animals for himself.

So he's started a few months ago with meat rabbits.

He actually loves the taste of rabbit so we figured what's the worse that can happen? If they don't sell we can put them in the freezer!

I know, I know...that sounds mean, but we do live on a farm and we are
trying to become more self sufficient.

So we started with one male and two females.
We bred the females (or rather the male rabbit did) and about 2 weeks Voila! 20 baby bunnies!!
We lost 5 because that is alot for two mothers to take care of, but the rest are nice and fat and cute as buttons! They've just started opening their eyes to.

We've since acquired a few more females and a male. Soon we will have to decide what females we are keeping and what males we're keeping, because we only have room for so many.

Already, Jamie is having issues with selling the overstock!
I knew this would happen. One is a rescued female and is definitely not a meat rabbit. She's small and cute. She's been named Snuffles. See where I'm going with this?

Yea, I'm still not too convinced about this rabbit venture.

We'll have to wait and see. In the meantime. They're fun to cuddle. 





5 day old kits.

Jamie and 10 day old kit.

Isn't she/he fat?!


Have a Blessed Day!
Lisa

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Our us day.

Last Saturday Dave and I took an us day. We had some business to do on the South Shore and Jamie didn't want to come so he stayed with my mom and off we went.

We had a beautiful day together and since we were in the vicinity we decided to go
 visit some new friends.
Welcome to Sweetwood Farm! The owners are Neil and Heather.
They're a great couple.
Heather also makes cheese and she's planning  a cheese making weekend one of these days.
If possible I SHALL BE THERE!

I'm getting deep into cheesemaking.

Well, I mean come on! I've got milk coming out of the ying yang so I've got to do something with it.

While Heather was showing the house, Dave was in the barn with Neil.
Neil buzzed us in the house to say that one of the does was in labour.
So we went to see.

By the time we left that day, Sweetwood Farm  had three more goats! The doe gave birth to triplets!
So here's a few photos of our little day trip.

They had three Maremmas. Dave was in love since they all looked like Tundra.

Three newly born kids!

Our hosts, Heather and Neil.
Sweet wood Farm. I love their house. It dates back to the 1700's. I told Neil, all it needs is a thatched roof!

Imagine the goats you could put on that land!! Whoa.




And of course what trip to the South Shore isn't complete without a picture of my favourite house. I keep telling Dave I'm going to stop one day and ask to tour the house!



A few weeks ago we got wonderful news. Dave was scheduled for surgery!

They called on the Thursday and he had to go in for the Monday.

So we went in for the pre op on Monday and Tuesday morning they took out a rib!

He's got what's call Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. He had it on the other side 11 years ago and now it's on this side. It's from the type of work he does.

I've been trying to upload a picture of him in the recovery but blogger won't let me. Bugger.
Because it really is funny!

Anyway now it's a long recovery process. Around 8 weeks. But he's already feeling so much better.

Well that's it for this time.

Have a Blessed Day
Lisa