Should we castrate our pigs? Ah, such a deceptively simple question. Castrating baby pigs sounds like not much fun. Especially since I would be the one wielding the knife. Unlike calves, lambs and goat kids, which can be castrated bloodlessly, pigs require surgical castration. All…
This week the number of pigs on the farm nearly doubled from 12 to 23. Our gilts Caitlan and Bon Bon had their piglets! Three weeks ago we moved them to their own farrowing pasture with a roomy house built out of straw bales. We…
With all the winter weather making gardening impossible this week we have been snuggled up warm in the house sipping hot chocolate, playing scrabble and watching movies. No wait, that is my fantasy life. In reality we’ve been scrambling in the wet and the…
Kidding season is complete with four baby goats on the ground. Our four moms had one baby each, we have two baby boys (bucklings) and two baby girls (doelings). The whole affair was pleasantly unremarkable, which was quite a relief for first timers. And by…
Should we castrate our pigs? Ah, such a deceptively simple question. Castrating baby pigs sounds like not much fun. Especially since I would be the one wielding the knife. Unlike calves, lambs and goat kids, which can be castrated bloodlessly, pigs require surgical castration. All…
We have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of baby goats. We have been reading up on everything that can go wrong with momma and baby. A baby goat is 90% legs so there are lots of ways for it to get tangled up on its…
Today I am scouring the seed catalogs, looking for a replacement for our Fairy Tale Eggplant. Fairy Tale has been a fantastic variety for us. The cute little compact plants produce loads of small, beautifully striped fruit. The eating quality is fantastic. They have thin…
Life on the farm has been as busy as ever! Two weeks ago 100 Freedom Ranger chicks arrived and we have just moved them out onto pasture in the safety of the chicken tractor where they are already happily eating clover, weed seeds and any…