April 2008 Archives
Do you remember back in February when I brought this little 12 week old blue orpington cockeral home?
He started filling out real nice by 19 weeks.
Just 2 weeks ago I thought he was awesome.
But look at him now at 25 weeks.
Isn't he a knockout?
Can you figure out how big you think he is? He is HUGE!
Just another little tidbit - He won't be fully grown to his adult size until he is 18 months to 2 years old.
:)
I have hatched 2 small clutches of goose eggs.
Three goslings hatched on 3/28. They were supposed to be pure embdens but turned out to be unidentifiable mutts right now.
Two goslings hatched on 4/8 and they too were susposed to be embdens but due to an egg collecting error they are a brown chinese cross. I like them anyway.
They have grown very fast and are no longer in need of a brooder or their tiny pen.
They have graduated to a chain link kennel until they get some size on them and can defend themselves to wander the pasture.
I move this kennel one kennel width daily so they have fresh grass to graze. The water in their pool (Goose Tea) is poured around the plants in my garden. Excellent fertilizer.
I love the way Steven interacts with them. Don't they look like they are talking to him? He is developing such a good relationship with all of the animals we have here. He will grow up knowing where his food comes from, respecting the life given for the food on the table and having good animal husbandry skills. He also wants to climb in the pool with them.
They are so entertaining to watch. If you have pasture to raise geese you will love having them around. Just remember they get aggressive during egg season and are best for your Christmas dinner table.
Goose Facts: Geese graze apasture like cattle. They don't feed on insects or fish. They eat vegetation only. If you have a corn or cotton feild they will keep it weeded for you. They won't eat the corn or cotton plants. Just the grass and weeds.
We eased out into the pastured then called to the goats who for some reason where in the barn on a beautiful warm day.
It took a few times calling their names but we finally got their attn.
It was feeding time for the new bucklings we brought home Monday. Lilah, my lead doe, leaned down as if to say to the baby it was okay to go.
Immediately they both came running.
I have a good crew to help feed these growing babies.
Hey, Mary, send your brother over here to look at my baby I got from him with Lilah. She is all grown up and gorgeous! Lilah is on the left and her baby we renamed Violet is on the right.
Last fall I did not breed the goats we got last summer from Miz S's baby brother. I spent alot of time looking for the perfect mates for the girls and did not like anything I saw.
Until today.
Here are Beau and Luke - my two new bucklings. I hope they sire me some really beautiful kids!
Steven keeps calling them a 'buppy!' Everything is a puppy to him except for the chickdies and the "ooses!" (my goslings).
They are both 1 week old and bottle fed. I find them to be absolutely adorable!
*Kidding - get it?
My cold/cool weather vegetables are coming along nicely this year.
What are you planting?
My second batch of goose eggs hatched Monday/Tuesday.
How cute are they?
I have orpington eggs hatching next week!
I found what I was looking for last year! We will be raising 2 tamworth piglet barrows* for fall harvest. They are not ready to be weaned yet. So it will be mid may before I go to pick them up from a heritage breeder south of me. They should be weighing at about 40lbs each when I get them.
Tamworth's are a heritage breed of pig. I am told they are some of the better tasting of porcine breeds.
To be properly fed out these little pigs should gain about 1lb a day every day until butcher. That is a lot of eating! Depending on how we do with these we may consider a gilt next year and raise her for breeding our own piglets.
Have I ever told you all that we live on a little farm? We do!
* barrow - castrated male pig for growing out for eating purposes.
*gilt - young female pigs.
