Back at it...

Well it's been a long time since the blog has been updated. We lost our webmaster and she's moved on to bigger and better things, and I haven't had much time to be online and update anything. Now that it's cold out (19 degrees Fahrenheit as I write this), I can spend some time getting everything up to date. :)

There have been a lot of changes and upgrades to the property and animals since the last post. The old barn has been completely dismantled and the area cleaned up. I saved a lot of the wood from the barn to be used on other projects.

We acquired several new to us (used) pieces of equipment to help around the farm. The largest is a MASSIVE Ford 750 Tractor Loader Backhoe. This machine is big. If I can't get a job done with this machine, then I shouldn't be doing it. It is the excavator of backhoes weighing in around 18,000 lbs with a max digging depth of around 17 1/2 feet. The four cylinder turbo diesel still has a ton of power.

We also acquired a dump truck, which has proven to be priceless. From mulch to firewood to topsoil to debris, the truck has hauled it all and then some. Even though I've had to do quite a bit of work to the truck, it is well worth it. I recently rebuilt the entire plow (controls, motor frame, hydraulics) and have been making repair panels by hand for the bed and welding them in place.

The chicken coop area has changed dramatically. We've had quite a few chickens arrive and leave the farm since we started. Right now, we have a nice assortment of chickens and guinea hens. The chickens are producing eggs at a high rate. I've fenced off the entire chicken coop area and installed netting over the top to keep them in. Tartan used to love to herd the chickens, but I grew tired of chasing hens every day to get them back in the coop. I used as many materials as possible from the property to create the coop area. I cut down several cedar trees and used them to create a one of kind chicken enclosure. The main expense was the netting for the top.

I am forever indebted to the people that have helped me accomplish so much this year. As I get time, I will elaborate on everything that's been accomplished and future goals including a new champion disc dog in training. :)

Take care..

Even More Additions!

Picked up some new, 5 week old chicks yesterday, and two Roosters! Undecided on which rooster is going to stay for now.

The chicks are all females (yay!) and are 1 Production Red (lots of eggs!) and 2 White Leghorns or White Rocks. They are very docile.


The roosters are Phoenix mixes....the white one is a Columbian Wyandotte mix and the red/brown one is a Brown Leghorn mix. They were hatched and raised together.

Chicks

The five chicks are very active and seem to be growing bigger everyday. Because they are still light and aren't full grown, they are good at flying and like to perch on top of the dog houses! I think I finally figured out that they are....3 Gold Laced Wyandottes and 2 Easter Eggers/Americaunas. At least two of the Wyandottes are roosters, and the two Easter Eggers are pullets (girls). Hopefully they will grow up and lay blue/green eggs like Violet!

Updates!

Spring has been very busy so far!

The new piece of heavy machinery is....a backhoe! It has been used several times so far and has helped a lot with completely taking down the broken barn and some dead trees and their stumps. What will go in the barn's place is yet to be determined, but a vegetable garden will be going nearby.

There are also more animal additions to the farm! 5 baby chicks, over a month old! We aren't sure what they are, or what sex they are, but they sure are cute and busy! I think we have 3 Gold Laced Wyandottes and 2 Buttercups or Easter Eggers. Will post pics of them soon!

We also bought our first guinea hens! They are unfortunately as obnoxious as everyone has said, but they are still kind of cool. The guineas are about 6 months old, and have been held "captive" in the upstairs aviary to give them a sort of homing instinct to come back to the poultry area. They will probably be let go in a couple of weeks to start free ranging and getting rid of ticks!!

First Egg!

Everyone mark your calendars! BC Farms' first egg was laid yesterday! Ian found it after he came home from work in one of the nest boxes. Good job ladies!

Basic Instinct

If there was a doubt in anyone's mind that Tartan was a border collie, that doubt should no longer be there. Tartan is now enjoying his days on the farm trying to stare down chickens, and has assumed the typical herding poses to move them around. Unfortunately for Tartan, one of the Lunches is a little more stubborn than the rest, and decide to stare him down.