Around The Farm In December

Much of my focus is on hay these days, and it's fair to say that ALL of the herd's attention is on hay. How fresh it is (or is not), how much ice coats the bales, how much is left, when we will run out, is every animal getting what they need - plus storing it, moving it, unwrapping it - it's an all consuming subject these days (pun intended):

The sheep farmers up the road have been hauling the hay stems which their sheep ignored out to their field and dumping it, so this time they brought me a load to see if my animals would eat it:

The cows and Blue were afraid of the big, noisy truck and unknown people, but Remy got right in the way of everything:

The hay stuck in the bed and we had to move it with a pitch fork, but it turned out to be a considerable quantity. The next morning I went out to fork it into the bale feeder, only to discover it had mostly been consumed during the night. I guess my animals liked it:

I go out to do the chores when it is light out, but the sun is not yet risen over the horizon. The skies are beautiful and the sun is up by the time I'm finished:

The little hens seem happy and healthy:

They don't have much room, but they do have roosts and nest boxes - plus two screened windows which I open on mild days:

One of the elderly pigeons died yesterday, one of only three which have died since I began my flock years ago. I'd say they are long lived, healthy birds:

They eat the same layer pellets as the chickens. Now, if I could just keep the English Sparrows from getting in and eating it too:

I worry that the English Sparrows will spread diseases and parasites to my fantail pigeons, but so far they are looking healthy - and I am working hard to block the sparrows' entrances and to chase them out when I find the inside:

One day was devoted to spreading liquid manure on the corn field across the road from me. A giant tanker brought a big load and transferred it to two smaller tank trailers, pulled by tractors. It took many loads and all day to finish. You can see the darker colored swath which the first tanker load spread. Curiously, it didn't stink - probably because it was so cold:

Each new snow reveals fox tracks, so I know they come visit every night and circle my car, climb the stairs up to my porch, enter the barn and check out the hay bales. I think they are after the Cottontail Rabbits, whose tracks I also see each morning:

Around The Farm In March

We had several brief thaws, during which the cows and horses got to lounge around in comfort. You can see that Gracie's two ringworm spots have not cleared up. They're only white, though, because the spray I'm using on them is white:

The bird feeders continue to draw a crowd, including this Hairy Woodpecker:

And many Chickadees:


Inside the barn, the white fantail pigeons are safe and protected from the weather:


And some have been nesting, though only two eggs have so far been laid (and then abandoned):

But our early March thaws were soon replaced by cold snaps. I saw these icicles leaning in so far that they were pressing against the house windows. I broke them off with a snow shovel, but the whole ice jam slid off while I was doing it. It was massive, so I was lucky it didn't hit me:

The bantam hens have begun laying a few eggs, though not yet many:

The Barred Rock bantams are getting kind of old now for egg laying, but I imagine they'll still lay when it warms up:

Every morning we have new snow, I can see fox tracks coming from the field across the road, up my driveway, around the barn and inside. The fox explores the barn, even going inside the old milk room:

The herd's appetite has increased and I usually have to bring out a new hay bale every other day now:

They are wrapped in plastic mesh, and it must be removed before giving the bale to the animals. If it's not locked in ice, that's a simple job. If, however, it's all iced up, it becomes a difficult and frustrating, even infuriating, task:


We've had Snow Buntings in the wintry corn and hay fields all winter, but they are skittish and nearly impossible to photograph. This was the only shot I got. They look like  a flock of white parakeets when they flit around the fields. They won't hold still and they won't allow me to get close:

Around The Farm

The icicles hanging off the house addition were smaller this year, perhaps because it has been so cold that there have been fewer melts, perhaps because the heat is turned down inside the addition:

 The white fantail pigeons are getting restless, pairing up and choosing nest sites. I have cleaned up the manure buildup since I took this photo. They are pigeons, after all. Imagine what it would be like to be a statue:

 I also cleaned the main floor of the barn, a major job:

 But the biggest job was cleaning the chicken room. I began by letting the little hens outside, the first time since I last cleaned their room:

 They hurried excitedly toward the house:

 They knew there would be spilled seed beneath the bird feeders. They are overjoyed to be outside and it is a shame that our large and ravenous fox population makes it impossible for me to let them out anymore:

 When their room was clean, I used the leaf rake to herd them back inside. They remembered the routine. They're not as dumb as people like to say they are. I did notice, however, that their lack of time outdoors has allowed their toenails to grow overly long. I may have to trim them:

 Newly fallen snow means a morning of examining the tracks to see what wildlife passed through in the night. There was at least one Cottontail rabbit, and perhaps two;

 And a fox comes to visit every night, walking around the barn and then exploring inside:

 Over by the milk room, I saw this and interpreted it as evidence that a Least Weasel had killed something:

 One day I saw Remy and Gracie lying together and nuzzling. They are friends:

F-F-F-F-F-F-F-Frozen F-F-F-F-F-Farm

As I wrote yesterday, our winter has been rugged thus far, both frigid and snowy. The animals seem to handle it well, or at least better than I do:

I snapped this picture through my window one brutally cold day, showing the view outside and across the county road. I didn't want to go out there:

Doing the morning chores, I saw these fox tracks leading from the barn. I've also seen fox tracks inside the barn. I'm not happy about that but haven't been able to stop it. I've tried live traps but they are not fooled by them:

The fantail pigeons are well and protected from the worst of winter:

The same is true for the bantam hens, though their room is smaller and is building up a lot of poop:

One of these two brown Easter Egger bantams is laying a pinkish egg every few days, just right for my needs:


But one day our temperatures dropped to nearly -20 and we received 2 to 3 feet of snow:

I'd intended to stop feeding the birds, but they were obviously so hungry that I relented. The small birds cluster in the nearby Lilac bush and wait for a moment when the bully birds, Cowbirds and Bluejays, are not at the feeders. In this picture are a Chickadee (top right), a Chipping Sparrow (bottom right) and an unknown bird (left), most likely a House Sparrow. I finally got a pair of Cardinals, but they are afraid of the Bluejays so I don't see them often:


The apple grove during the blizzard:

About 30" of snow atop the trash bins:

My car, with snow piled to within about 8" of the door handles. Our last few winters have been relatively mild and I came to expect that. This winter has been a trial, and I often wonder why I'm not sipping a mint julep in Florida somewhere like so many retired people:

Around The Farm In January

I brought out a new hay bale and set it inside the bale feeder. Then I removed the frozen outer layer and tossed it, good side up, on the ground to provide bedding and snacking:

The bale feeder has remained on the east side of the barn for most of the winter because it shelters the herd from harsh westerly winds. Alas, it can't help them if the winds come from other directions:

The cows and horses are like family now, and all get along well:

Each morning after a light snow, I check for footprints. This fox and bird, likely a Bluejay, crossed paths in front of my car during the night or early morning - at different times, as there was no blood:

The fox walked toward the barn and, I believe, went inside. I've chased them out of there on a few mornings. I don't like that but there seems to be little I can do about it:

The farm house has stood for over a century against brutal cold temperatures and harsh winds. It continues to provide warmth and shelter, though I have to crank the heat up when it's both cold and windy:

I move the bale feeder with each new hay bale and the animals love to clean up what is left of the old bale. Or sometimes they just sleep on it:

These two Easter Egger bantams are part of my little flock. One of the darker brown hens lays a surprisingly large egg every other day. All the other hens have quit for the winter:

The white fantail pigeons remain in pairs but they too have quit laying eggs for the winter:

Large flocks of wild turkeys frequent the corn fields on my road, and I often stop to watch them even though it makes them nervous:

I go out to do the morning chores just as the sun is coming up. I do the evening chores before it becomes too dark. There are lights in the barn, but I like to be able to see what I'm doing outside:

If I stop the tractor with a hay bale on the spear, Remy runs over to grab a mouthful. It's been stored outdoors, so the outer layer must not taste very good, but as it says in Proverbs, "Stolen water is sweet" Remy delights in grabbing something he thinks he isn't supposed to have: