In The Good Ole Summer Time

All in all it has been a good summer despite the heat. We did a few family things, a few fiber things and a few farm things. Though where ever we went, whom ever we saw, the heat was the topic of many conversations.

It has been a real scorcher here at the farm. Everyone outside is miserable. The heat is taking it's toll on all of us. Milk production is down, chickens backed off laying, sheep, goats, dogs, cats...all panting and hiding in whatever shady, dark, cool spot they can find. I have been getting up at daybreak to do the milking, feeding and other chores. Go back out 2 or 3 times a day to refill and cool down water troughs, plus take a head count to make sure all are surviving. At sunset I go back out, refill troughs and check on everyone once again.

The garden basically burnt up. A few veggies here and there were all we could manage to keep alive this year, even though I watered. The blackberries and wild plums barely made it past the blooming stage, what did fruit burnt up if the birds didn't get to them first. Then there was the issue with a wild animal of some sort, the lettuce, spinach, kale, arugala... all the summer greens were wiped out in one evening. Oh and how could I forget... the tomato-sheep incident due to my total absent-mindedness. We sold this year's wether ramling for a pet to a very nice family. The day he was to be picked up I brought him, his mom and sister into the front yard. So they could see his family as well as not have to walk a mile down to and up from the pasture to load when they were ready to leave. Three of the other ewes wanted to join in the adventure so I let them in also. Oh yeah, not even giving a thought to the few tomato plants we had planted in those upside down tomato planters or the variety of peppers plants I planted in decorative pots. The sheep basically left the plants alone though ate all the veggies. The roses however did not fair as well. Have hopes for the pumpkin they seem to be hanging on.

I just couldn't tolerate the heat to accomplish many summer projects. I managed to paint one out building before the 100 degree temps set in. Oh, can't forget managed to paint half the propane tank. You do not know how annoying it is to me for it to be setting there half painted. I plan on finishing it first, as soon as the heat breaks. Did work outside a couple of hours each morning mowing, weeding, cleaning feed troughs, sweeping out milk room and stalls, trimming a hoof here and there, etc. until I could no longer bear the heat of the day. Have to say it was not a productive farm work summer.

The weekends the better half was home we ventured out in the mornings to the nearby farmers markets, produce stands and feed stores. At the Lebanon Farmers Market ran across a very nice farmer who had the most reasonable prices we had found all summer. Plus like us he uses no pesticides on his produce. Win, win in my opinion. We bought some of all his produce he had available. Will definitely be returning.

Speaking of the better half he has been sending a few photos of sunsets...he has been driving mainly at night lately. The first is in Texas, the second Kansas.

Happy to report the "Lamb Warmers" are finished and listed on the new website. Have it up and running though no online store for the moment. It maybe a few weeks.

Models and photos courtesy of Robin from Buffalo Creek Farm

I did say Lamb Warmers :-) though they also work well on kids too. For lambs & kids 15 lbs and under. Will have lambs modeling the warmers soon. www.southardfarm.com

Hope everyone enjoys the remainder of the summer, stay cool!

Foul Fowl

It started a couple of months ago, this fowls play… one of our older peacocks seemed to think he should have the ewes and lambs feed. He would attempt to chase them from their feeder each morning. I also noticed his occasional jump at the girls, though it was nothing I didn’t think they could handle. Each day he was becoming more aggressive with them trying to get to their food. He would peck at their faces and legs. The girls finally would just back away and let the peacock have at it. Nope, not going to have this behavior from a darn bird! I began standing beside the feeder, shooing the peacock away while the ewes & lambs ate.

You might think that this peafowl was hungry, it is not. The peafowl are fed daily, fed well, they also free range around the farm to their hearts content. They eat bugs and such along side the chickens. Not one of our other 14 peafowl displays this type of behavior.

Shortly after this began we were planning on rotating the ewes and lamb out to pasture from the pen so I didn’t think much more about the foul behavior and just watched over the sheep as they ate each day.

You see the peafowl are territorial; the males of our group have established sections of the farm that they watch over. One wanders the front yard and cul-de-sac, another guards the top paddock, another covers the dairy girls’ pen, another the east pasture and so on. This guy’s place is up by the well house and he hangs out around what we call the back yard. I knew he would not follow the girls to the pasture (and he didn’t).

A couple of days before we were to shear we penned the two Angora bucks where the ewes previously where. The boys were to be sheared first and it was the closest pen to the shearing table. Sundance and Jacob being macho manly bucks are not afraid of anything or anyone. Jacob actually gets a bit overly frisky and bucky at times, has even chased me out of the pen once or twice. I am not afraid of him, just know when he gets “bucky” it’s best to stay away. It is a rule of thumb for me, never to turn my back on any of the boys (rams or bucks) and not to place myself in harms way so I don’t.

I raised both the bucks as bottle babies so they have no fear of me. In their world they rule and know no danger from dogs, humans or other animals on the farm. They have large sets of horns and they do use them. It’s a frequent everyday occurrence for Sundance to drop his head and lock horns with Jacob. Sorry I am rambling… the point I was making is that Sundance and Jacob shouldn’t have any problems protecting themselves from the peacock so I left them in the pen.

No problems until yesterday that is, that darn peafowl was actually flogging the boys’ hind quarters in attempt to run them off from the feeder. I am guessing its previous attempts at running the boys off had not worked so flogging was his next plan of attack. The boys ignored the flogging and continued to eat. I on the other hand would have liked to have plucked every single tail feather from his hide at that moment.

This morning I find the peacock hot footing it after Jacob around the fence line, Sundance standing inside the shelter watching the activities. Getting up close and in the pen I see blood on the peacock leg and specks of blood on Jacobs fleece. Jacob is fine, peacock is breathing rather rapidly. Leg is not broken. Wonder what tomorrow will bring in this fowl story?

I reminded the peafowl of the farm rules - Farm Rule #1 - You make Mom mad, hurt her or another animal you are outta here!

When this foul play began, we began looking for a new home for the fowl. We have found a farm willing to take him; it will just be a few days before the new owners are prepared for his arrival. I hope he lives long enough to see his new home.