After the sorting.
J loading the trailer.
Emma excited to be helping.We kept 50 head including a billy we bought recently and a kid a coyote injured a couple of weeks ago. I guess we will be expecting the next crop to start arriving in March.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Sale Day
We sorted and sold the goats today. We culled 4 nannies and sold 34 kids. The kids' weight averaged 72 pounds.After the sorting.
J loading the trailer.
Emma excited to be helping.
We kept 50 head including a billy we bought recently and a kid a coyote injured a couple of weeks ago. I guess we will be expecting the next crop to start arriving in March.
After the sorting. J loading the trailer. Emma excited to be helping.We kept 50 head including a billy we bought recently and a kid a coyote injured a couple of weeks ago. I guess we will be expecting the next crop to start arriving in March.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Weaning
J attended the Sarah Palin rally Monday night. He is still researching who he might vote for (ha!). I think there was a record crowd of 16,000. J said he really liked Todd Palin's sport's coat. Why aren't we hearing more about where he gets his wardrobe?
On a different topic, we weaned a group of calves today. We originally were going to sell them off the cows this year but then cattle prices tanked and corn came down, so I guess these are going out west in December.
Cows after we separated the calves.
A few calves grazing their new pasture.
There will be plenty of bawling for the next few days. (Hopefully not after next Tuesday.)
On a different topic, we weaned a group of calves today. We originally were going to sell them off the cows this year but then cattle prices tanked and corn came down, so I guess these are going out west in December.
Cows after we separated the calves.
A few calves grazing their new pasture. There will be plenty of bawling for the next few days. (Hopefully not after next Tuesday.)
Monday, October 27, 2008
CE Meeting
I attended a continuing education meeting in North Carolina over the weekend. V and E got to go with me. We left after dark on Thursday, it rained all day Friday, and I was in meetings all Saturday, so I never got to enjoy the Fall colors until coming home Sunday.
We drove on the Blue Ridge parkway for a little bit.
We stayed with C. She took the girls shopping everywhere, the Thrift stores, Goodwill, yard sales, she even took them to the mall. She has now found out how difficult it is to shop with a teenager and a tweenager.
We drove on the Blue Ridge parkway for a little bit. I didn't stop at any of the scenic overlooks, just took picture through the windshield while I was driving.
We stayed with C. She took the girls shopping everywhere, the Thrift stores, Goodwill, yard sales, she even took them to the mall. She has now found out how difficult it is to shop with a teenager and a tweenager.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Apples
J gave me a compliment the other day, he said I was like Grandma scavenging apples and using my 5 gallon buckets for everything. I'm not sure he necessarily meant it as a complement but I took it as one.
I've been making a lot of applesauce this fall. I started out freezing it but soon filled the freezer. So I broke down and started canning. Goodness knows I have plenty of jars from Grandma. I hope it tastes as good coming out of the jar as it did going in. My preservation techniques always worry me a little.
I've been making a lot of applesauce this fall. I started out freezing it but soon filled the freezer. So I broke down and started canning. Goodness knows I have plenty of jars from Grandma. I hope it tastes as good coming out of the jar as it did going in. My preservation techniques always worry me a little.Monday, October 20, 2008
New Plantings
The appearance of the outdoor wood stove never really bothered me, but I decided to somewhat play it down.
I had several ideas, brick planter with trellis, arborvitaes, small fence.
I settled on these Japanese pencil hollies. The label said hardy to -10 to -20. I hope they survive.
I had several ideas, brick planter with trellis, arborvitaes, small fence.
I settled on these Japanese pencil hollies. The label said hardy to -10 to -20. I hope they survive.Saturday, October 18, 2008
Harvest
I ran out of apples from the little dwarf trees in the yard. J then told me about an apple tree on our new farm that was loaded with apples. The only problem was this tree was much taller than the one in the yard and the cattle have eaten the branches off as high as they could reach.
E helped out on the ladder. We picked about a bushel.
While we were over there we picked up a few walnuts.
The views on this farm are spectacular.
E helped out on the ladder. We picked about a bushel. 
While we were over there we picked up a few walnuts.
The views on this farm are spectacular.Tuesday, October 14, 2008
1st Hereford
J took pictures of the first purebred Hereford born on our farm.
It's a heifer, she was born last week.
I hear the going price is about $10,000 (or best offer). Any takers?
It's a heifer, she was born last week.
I hear the going price is about $10,000 (or best offer). Any takers?Saturday, October 11, 2008
Water Gap
J worked on a little project yesterday. A post holding up a water gap had broken.
So J had to put in a new one.
Even though this is half a mile from the house, Oreo had to come help out.
He got tired of helping pretty quickly however, and went to bother V instead.
J finished the project anyway, and stood back to survey his work.
So J had to put in a new one.
Even though this is half a mile from the house, Oreo had to come help out.
He got tired of helping pretty quickly however, and went to bother V instead.
J finished the project anyway, and stood back to survey his work.Thursday, October 9, 2008
Twins
Our fall cows are almost done calving now.
A few days ago these twins were born.
The cow has been doing a good job keeping up with them. One is a bull calf the other is a heifer.
A few days ago these twins were born.
The cow has been doing a good job keeping up with them. One is a bull calf the other is a heifer.Monday, October 6, 2008
Heat
J has been working on getting wood cut for winter.
It looks like here he has enough for about 3 weeks of heat depending on the weather. The outdoor wood stove has really been an excellent way to heat the house.
It looks like here he has enough for about 3 weeks of heat depending on the weather. The outdoor wood stove has really been an excellent way to heat the house.Sunday, October 5, 2008
Mooving Day
It was cattle moving day again today.
They start to get spoiled to moving and most every time they see J in the field, they start bawling. They are always anxious to get to new grass.
The grass has greened up well after last week's rain. If it continues to stay warm, J may not have to start feeding hay for awhile.
They start to get spoiled to moving and most every time they see J in the field, they start bawling. They are always anxious to get to new grass. The grass has greened up well after last week's rain. If it continues to stay warm, J may not have to start feeding hay for awhile.Friday, October 3, 2008
Herefords
J watched a cattle auction on RFD TV the other day where they sold Hereford heifers for $6,000-15,000 each. Of course this was a premiere breeder, but we thought, man if we could come near that we could sell the other 180 cows and just have 10 of 15 of those. 
Wouldn't that be a dream.
Wouldn't that be a dream.