There seems to be a theme running through Occidental Acres this spring, but I can't quite put my finger on it...
Well, it's been a busy month here at Occidental Acres, Nova Scotia, my homestead, out there on Fundy Bay. OA has a new rooster for our girls as Flink was WAY too hard
on them. The new roo is a Buff Orpington (we
have three BO hens and they are far and away Laur's favourites), a
bit more mature and has been really good for the girls. They all LOVE
him - particularly our two small Golden Comets who were getting picked
on by the other hens. He has restored the pecking order and those two Comets will not venture far from his side. The three BO hens we have also adore him and together, those five
snuggle at night. It's quite funny actually. He is a big dood, and
we call him Big Chicken - he has an amazing vocabulary and the hens hang on every word he says. Except when a duck flies by, then they tell him that he's over-reacting.
He's missing a few tail feathers from altercations at his previous home, but they are growing out nicely and he'll present a rather majestic picture once he's all back together again!
We've noticed a marked drop in ticks this year, probably owing to the
chickens and
particularly the Guinea hens. They seem to have really eaten a lot! Of
course, I had three crawling up my neck saying Happy Mother's Day on
Sunday, but that was because I was waaaaay out in the field finishing up
my fencing and the birds don't go that far from home.
The most exciting news is that we've brought a giant Percheron home. I'm super excited
and a bit scared as this is my first horse! I love the big breeds and
have been jonesing for a Percheron but never in a million years thought
one would come my way. He's 18hh and his name is Dick As you can imagine, ribald jokes abound. I'm pretty sure we'll be changing it! We're thinking Little Dan, but we'll see what
sticks.
We've also been fencing like
crazy for the two little piggies that came home last week (yeah man, weaners. Say
it with me now! Weaners!), Berkshire/Tamworth crosses. One is red with big ears,
the other is black with smaller ears - they are cute, but they are also
food and so far I've managed to keep an emotional distance from them.
So, we put an electric fence energizer out in the field which required
approx 500' of hand trenching to bury the wire... then we strung the
wire (three strands because I just copied my friend Gerard's set-up, not
realizing his was originally fenced for lambs. Pigs only really
require one strand... but live and learn!).
Two weanling pigs (weaners) - both Berkshire/Tamworth crosses, both female. I call them Pigger Dhu and Pigger Roo
The top portion of my pasture has now been completely fenced. I divided it
in two because the top dries before the bottom and it makes sense to
rotate the fields, particularly with a big guy eating all the fresh
grasses. I now have 2 three-acre pastures for Little Dan. Next big
project is a run-in shelter/barn for him for the winter. Once that is
completed I'm sure there is a cow on the horizon. I'd love to see a
miniature Belted Galloway, but that's just me. They are so gorgeous.
Highland might also be a decent choice for us.
The third project requiring hard work has been a new coop for the chickens. We will be getting
some meat birds at the end of the month and want to keep them in the
current coop and run. Our laying hens will then be moved to the new coop. The new coop will have a winter-proof run for the girls so they can
go out during the winter and not have to face 17 feet of snow.
We
currently have seven laying hens and get a half dozen eggs (on average)
per day. We sell two dozen a week for $3/doz, paying for their own feed, specially since they don't eat much during the summer as they are
free-ranging for bugs and seeds. We're trying a different meat bird
this year (Meat Kings were last year's bird) as the genetic mutants we
had last year freaked us out. They grew like monsters and could barely
walk by the time they reached a good processing weight. This year's
birds are called Sasso and they are originally from France.
They are a meat bird, but grow a bit slower and can actually walk
around and free-range for a good portion of their diet (rather than
laying down, panting with their heads in the feeder).
My understanding and appreciation of farming continues to deepen - lots of work for little money, but
you do it because it's what you like to do. It's also often quite
dangerous (yes, we've done some stupid YouTube moment-type things). We've been running since the weather turned
(only a couple weeks ago.... sheesh what a hideous winter!) and there
will be no break until the weather turns again late fall. Lots of
landscaping to do, run-in/barn building, more fencing (the bottom
pasture and along the brook), then moving the pigs to new pasture a few
times during the summer, of course haying and gathering this winter's
wood (Little Dan will help me get to the places I can't reach with the
tractor) and a whole slew of things I can't yet imagine!
Aaaaaand of course there will be lots of horseback riding!
... and that's the news from Occidental Acres, where all the women are strong, the male things are good-looking and the
child is above average.
