So sorry. It has been a while since I got the opportunity to sit and write. What has happened? A Slate Turkey Hen who was sitting on a few eggs, sat for long enough, and hatched her own babies. They are a few weeks old now, and extremely healthy and happy. We are very pleased that she is a fabulous mommy. We have a chicken who is broody, and sitting on a few of her own eggs, plus some turkey eggs that we threw under her. We’ll see if she is as good a mommy as the turkey!
I had a baby two months ago, and he is growing like a weed as well. Speaking of weeds, I think that we found the tomatoes in the weed garden the other day. The heirloom plants that we threw into the ground actually survived being taken over by weeds and have tiny little green tomatoes hanging on the vines. All of the water and winds of late haven;t destroyed the fruits of our non-labor! I love it when that happens. We had to sacrifice something — and it wasn’t going to be our new baby, our three and a half year old, or the animals — so it was, the tomatoes.
We are still selling eggs at the coop market in Shelburne Falls (McCusker’s). Two of the GOS pigs are nearing their final days — they will be traveling to a slaughterhouse and coming back in USDA inspected packages at the end of the month. The two female GOS’s will be somewhat happy to have their two brothers gone– the males are pretty dominant near the food bucket.
Our ducks have layed a couple of eggs — on no particular schedule — we can’t wait to get a consistent number — at which time we will offer them for sale.
Our three year old was attacked by a rooster the other day — and since we had about a dozen of them roaming around — it was getting to be too many extra mouths to feed and it was getting to be too dangerous for the kids to be outside — never knowing when the rooster would strut near and decide to demonstrate his dominance. So, yesterday was spent dispatching roosters. All in all there were eight carcasses that we saved and one whose crop burst as it was being removed from the carcass. We supposed that it probably could have been full of bacteria and such, so we decided to err on the side of caution. So we offed nine roosters, and saved the meat from eight.
I am not going to get all political on our farm blog, but I do have to just say that I spent many hours at work listening to the Democratic and then Republican Conventions over the last two weeks. What a privilege — I have heard all that I need to hear. There, I said all that I need to say. 🙂
Alternative energy is fascinating. I would LOVE to be able to power our farm through solar or wind energy. Someday… Check out this alternative energy wiki that I found!
Quick reminder that we have fresh heritage turkey for Thanksgiving. Do you?
Wells Tavern Farm's Weblog 