The Raccoon and the River

After weeks of chicken disappearances, we finally determined to set a trap. We had seen a raccoon late one evening, but we knew it was eating some old corn left in the barn, so we weren't convinced that it was also eating chickens. We were leaning towards a fox. And I halfway figured all we'd catch was one of our cats.

The first night we set the trap we didn't catch anything. The next night, we caught the coon!  Brandon had a dentist appointment early in the morning, so who do you think found the trapped rascal? Me, of course!

Don't be fooled by those eyes!

He was dreadfully adorable, so I had to get my neighbor to do the dirty work. (I did dispose of the body and clean out the trap, however...if that makes me any less of a sissy.)

Later that evening, we took PawPaw's boat to the river, and had a great time. 

Actually, we had a great adventure when a storm popped up on us. We had to "abandon ship" as Brady said due to lightning. Luckily, we weren't too far from Point Mallard golf course and walking trail, which runs right next to the river. We tied off to a tree, ran across the golf course, and took shelter at the bathroom on the 9th hole.

Taking shelter during the storm.

Even with the storm, not catching any fish, and melted ice cream sandwiches, we still had a blast and can't wait to do it again.

Pea Shelling and a Bad Homestead Day

The title may be a bit misleading because these are not actually events of the same day, but I'm cramming them into one post.

On Sunday, we picked several gallons of purple hull peas. Since the boys had a dentist appointment early Monday (we LOVE Alabama Pediatric Dental Associates by the way...post for another day), I decided I would just swing by the Farmers' Market and pay the small fee to have them shelled.

Long story short, the shelling machine was down, so I put the farmhands to work that evening (ie, the slave labor I call my children).

They're thrilled on the inside I'm sure!  Being boys, they turned it into a major competition.  They spent most of the hour adding new rules and a whole point system and then trying to steal each other's beans.  It really was a fun evening.  And we ended up with about 18 cups of now-frozen peas for the winter.

So fast-forward to today.  I got out to the garden early to pick green beans with plans to can up some quarts in the evening.  I picked a two-gallon bucketful (about half the beans), and then got called into the house to referee a quickly-escalating WWE match.  Another long story short: I got distracted (details following momentarily), determined to pick the rest of the beans in the afternoon, left the house for the day, and never thought about the already-picked beans again.  Well, that is until Brandon came home and discovered I had left them outside and they had shriveled up and ruined.  I despise hardwork for the sake of hardwork (ie, for nothing!). Thus, Part 1 of Bad Homestead Day.

Part 2? you ask.  Well that was the distraction that caused Part 1 to occur.  I went to get a bucket from the barn and noticed the barn gate was swinging wide open.  I wasn't too concerned initially; we leave it open often during the day to encourage the chickens to free range.  But when I went in, I saw a pile of feathers and feared for the worst.  After a quick chicken count, I discovered FIVE chickens were missing (one later showed up for an actual loss of four chickens, but still...not good.)

Not much later, as I was getting ready to get us all out the door, the boys ran to me in a frenzy because a chicken leg had been discovered on the back patio.  The discussions this leg caused were quite comical and the story of the poor slaughtered chicken continued getting more and more dramatic.  By the end, Mason had "heard" screeching and "seen" blood every where.  Ewww!  Boys and their imaginations!

All-in-all, a bad homesteading day, but at least I got some good blog material.

The Farm in Winter: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

For most people winter is exciting for about a month or so (snuggling up by the fire, Christmas, the first big snow), but after that, it just gets old and cold.  Winter can be especially challenging on a farm.  Here's a glimpse of the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to farm life in winter.

The Good
The farm is really pretty at Christmas with all the lights.  (Unfortunately, I can't seem to get a good picture of that.)  It's also pretty when there's a big snow.

The snow-covered farm.

Animals in the snow.

The Bad
Last year, we lost a calf.  The boys wanted a bottle baby for a pet, so we bought a miniature Zebu calf.  He was tiny and adorable!

The boys' bottle baby calf.

His delivery was delayed (and almost didn't happen) because he got "down" for a short spell.  He seemed to recover, but after we got him, he never could maintain a body temperature.  To make a long story short: It was a disaster!  We struggled to keep him alive for two months, even keeping him in our laundry room for a few days.  Eventually, it was clear he wasn't going to make it.

Had he been born in the spring or summer, would he have made it?  Who knows.  But the single-digit temperatures certainly didn't make it easier on the little guy!

A lot of farmers experience loss in the winter, usually with babies.  It's not only an emotional loss but a financial loss as well.

The Ugly
The farm overall is just ugly during the winter months.  The ground is sopping wet, the animals look like wild beasts with all their thick scraggly hair, and everything is brown and gray.  It can be down-right depressing!

Here's an example of the ugly.  (Okay, the hideous really...)

A temporary pig shelter.

Since we moved the pigs to the garden spot to prepare it for spring planting, they were left without access to the barn.  In a pinch, the hubs constructed a temporary shelter for them.  It was super nice looking at first, but within two days, the pigs had knocked some of it down and torn it up.  It was fixed several times, but they kept doing the same thing, so we left them to suffer at their own devices.  (Disclaimer to PETA members: The pigs seem to love it; they're all huddled up in there together enjoying the good life.)

So there it is, a look at farm life in the winter.  I can't wait to post some pretty pictures this spring and summer!

This Little Piggy: Five Reasons to Raise Porkers

If you are thinking about raising your own meat, but aren't sure where to start, let me suggest a pig...well actually two pigs.  Most people I know who want to try their hand at raising meat start with either goats or chickens...probably because they are small.  But personally, I don't eat goat meat, and chickens are...well...let's just say, it's complicated (and that's a post for another day).  So if you eat pork, start with pigs.  Here's why:

1. You can't really mess up pig feeding.  Pigs eat just about anything.  However particular you are with your food determines how particular you will be with your pigs' food.  Since we try to eat clean and organic, the scraps our pigs get are also clean and organic.  We supplement scraps with high quality feed: we use Calf Manna (good stuff!) and corn.  We also feed our pigs lots of eggs since we have those in plenty around here.

Young pigs eating scraps.

2. Housing for two pigs is super easy as well.  All you need for two pigs is a small pasture (really just a paddock) and a 3-sided shelter.  Some may argue you don't even need a shelter, but I feel better knowing my animals have shade in the summer and shelter from the harsh elements in winter.

3. Birth to slaughter is extremely short for a pig.  Pigs farrow twice a year, so a spring litter is ready for slaughter in the fall, and a fall litter is ready for slaughter in the spring.  (Poor momma, right?)  The fast turn-around is great because the return on your investment is quick, and if you decide meat-raising is not for you, you're not stuck for long.  About the time I'm fed up with the pigs, it's time for them to go to slaughter anyway!

4. Speaking of slaughter, that's another benefit.  Slaughterhouses process pork.  For several reasons, I prefer letting someone else "do the dirty work."  One of those reasons is that you need to know what you're doing to correctly process an animal, and I don't.

7-month old Tamworth pig ready for slaughter.

5. Finally, it's hard to fall in love with a pig.  I know Hollywood would have you believe otherwise, but pigs are NOT cutesy, adorable pets...at least not the type of pig you'll be eating.  Not only are they nasty, pigs are mean and aggressive!  I am terrified of pigs!  Yes, the babies are cute, but that only lasts a couple of months.  After that, they would just as quickly bowl you over and bite your leg in two for some feed as look at you!  The pigs are the one barnyard animal we don't let the boys pet or play with.

If you're not already convinced that pigs are the way to go, just think about those juicy pork chops and sausage biscuits you could be eating.  Beef is alright, but pork is where it's at!  Sure there's more to it than what's mentioned above, but pigs really are super easy and great for a beginning homesteader!