When we worked outside last weekend, Ted brought up several loads of composted manure from the barn. Some went into my raised beds, but a bunch went into the chicken run. They are LOVING IT! They packed and scratched in it to find all the tasty bugs until it was dark. Here's a little video … Continue reading Putting the chickens to work
GMO free
Getting ready for spring
It was 60F here this past Saturday! Ted and I spent four hours outside on yard work. I cleaned out the raised beds to get them ready for planting soon, and Ted brought me up several loads of composted manure (black gold!) from the barn. Starting point for the raised beds I found that eleven … Continue reading Getting ready for spring
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It’s a kitchen day today!
I love what I call my "kitchen days". Those are the times when I spend an entire day in the kitchen, cleaning and cooking/canning/freezing recipes, etc. My happy places are my kitchen, the barn, the local library, any beach by the ocean/sea, Christmas Eve/Morning (wherever the festivities take place), and Disneyworld. And today is a … Continue reading It’s a kitchen day today!
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Aloe vera plants
Gramma Izzie could grow anything. If she got a start, a root, a flower, or a twig, it grew where she planted it. Unfortunately, that green thumb gene passed me over; my gardening is a hit and miss and do it by the feels type of gardening (it's worked for the animals so far so … Continue reading Aloe vera plants
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Cheap & easy loaded potato soup
This is DA BOMB! It's also cheap to make and very filling which can be a plus if your budget is a little tight. It's also a "dump it in" slow cooker recipe which is awesome for busy days. Last, it makes the whole house smell fantastic! Ingredients 1 bag frozen hashbrown potatoes 1 onion … Continue reading Cheap & easy loaded potato soup
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Next to last load
Last year because of the weather, hay became hard to find around here. We were sweating during January, worried we wouldn't be able to feed our herd. We have just a hair under 50 acres, but it's almost all wooded so not good for hay making (perfect for pigs though!).This year, we are bound and … Continue reading Next to last load
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Beautiful boy
Well, Bessie is nothing if not dramatic this time around at the end of her pregnancy! After all of that worry on Friday evening and all of the treatment for the milk fever, guess what we found on Sunday morning??? This beautiful boy was born! The vet even checked her Friday night while she was … Continue reading Beautiful boy
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Milk fever!!!
We just walked in the door (11pm). We've been at the barn since 5:30. Bessie is down. We called for an emergency vet visit - she has milk fever. She seems like she will pull through: she's alert, eating, and drinking. She just can't get up. If Ted hadn't caught it though...she'd have been gone … Continue reading Milk fever!!!
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Feeding the pigs is a whole process
We brought home 1800 pounds of pig feed, and then Ted had to fill the big gravity feeder with it all. It's not as simple as you'd think. First, the bags go into the tractor bucket (as many as will fit without spilling). Then Ted drives the tractor down the path through the woods to … Continue reading Feeding the pigs is a whole process
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Fluffy butts on parade
The chickens love free ranging. They love pecking and scratching through the yard, driveway, and woods for tasty buggy treats. This young rooster is just gorgeous. His tail feathers have that green sheen to them that game birds have. He struts his stuff around the hens like crazy, but they just ignore him for the … Continue reading Fluffy butts on parade
Striving Acres 