So we bought a Jersey bull calve back in October. A week ago we brought home 2 more which need some tender nursing care. Not learning my lesson, I brought home 4 more Jersey bull calves yesterday. There is a lot of bottle feeding going on.
(This is my secret plan to convince Mrs. Curley we need a milk cow again!)
We weaned 2 litters of pigs yesterday and moved the sows into a new breeding pen, which Mrs. Curley helped put together.
Tomorrow we put in the strawberries.
Oremus pro invicem!
Lots going on at the homestead this week.
On the plus side, we brought home a couple bull calves, we put in 10 blueberry bushes and 2 fig trees; we continued to hack away at the overgrown muscadines; and we worked on a new area for the breed stock (pigs.) Finally our neighbor loaned us his electric chain saw chain sharpener on a semi-permanent basis. Now I just have to learn how to use it.
On the down side, we discovered my livestock trailer needs important work before I take it out again. Also the truck is needing something electrical - it could be the battery, but most likely something else is draining the system.
I have a start on next year's wood, and several people approached me this week about wood on their property which needs taking. Now I just need the time.
Oremus pro invicem!
Big Red has not given birth yet.
We put in broccoli and lettuce today. We have been working on fencing new pig pens, trimming back long overgrown muscadines, and figuring out how to get new bull calves home with a broken trailer and an iffy pick up truck.
Oh well....
Oremus pro invicem!
Mrs. Curley and I processed a hog this week - not too big - maybe 200 pounds. We think that this is the first time Mrs. Curley participated actively. She sawed the pig in half after evisceration and butchered with me on Thursday morning.
Red is ready to bust! I would be very surprised if we didnt' wake up to a litter in the morning. This will be her 3rd litter. She has been a good mother.
And, here are 4 really good looking girls from our litter born 3 weeks ago or so.
The kids came home and then left. We've had 2 litters of pigs, 2 snow storms, 1 ice storm, and lots of other things. We have another litter due this week.
We are in the midst of Spring garden planning - some things should go in the ground VERY soon.
We have finally finished collecting wood for this winter and are working on next winter. I won't be caught so short again.
We have been working on pruning muscadine vines which have been over grown since the day we moved in here - finally getting them under control.
I hope to document more progress this spring - but who knows?
I finished a few books recently: Anthony Esolen's "Defending Boyhood", a book (can't recall the name) about hunting and fishing in SC-a personal memoir. Now reading RJ Snell's "Acedia".
Last year was sort of a homestead disaster, between my work schedule and my weekend commitments away from home on pig business. We are trying to regroup and refocus on why we are here. (We are also thinking again of getting a milk cow????)
Stay tuned.
Oremus pro invicem!
