Newest Additions to the Farm Family

The number of critters around here keeps growing!  While these are the newest additions, they've all been around for about a month now.  It's hard to believe it's been that long already!

 

These little chicks hatched on Father's Day and was a neat surprise for Rich when he went to the barn in the morning.  They hatched about a month later than we expected them to since the hen started nesting a long time before that.  Actually, a second hen started nesting in the time the first one was and I really don't know which of the two hatched them out since they both became their moms.

 

 Within about two days of them hatching, one of them didn't make it, but the other has been thriving with the help of the two hens.  It's been so neat watching them look after the one little chick.  I've seen them attack the cattle for getting too close.  I've seen them find a piece of food and call the chick over to eat it. And the neatest thing of all is how they roost at night together...see the white hen's wing over the other hen?  That picture was taken on one of the last nights that the three of them roosted in the straw together.  The chick is now old enough that it roosts on it's own.

 

Four days after the chicks hatched, two newborn TWIN calves came to live with us.  We don't typically take twins because they just don't usually do well and these calves were no exception to that!  (Cattle prices are super high right now and these two were much more reasonable...but we've paid for it in time spent on them!!)  We fought to keep the white one alive from the very beginning, but with several doses of antibiotics, vitamins and electrolytes I think we're finally on the right track with him.

 

Now, I'd say his brother was no trouble at all...but he has been the exact opposite from the white one and has been very annoying!  I think he took all the black from the white one and, while he was at it, stole all his energy too.  You can even tell from the picture he didn't even hold still long enough for me to get a decent shot!  LOL!

Despite the troubles each of them have given us, we have grown to really care for them.  I think they'll be the hardest, of all the cattle that we've had, to send to the meat processor in 18 (or so) months.

Wordless Wednesday: Can You See Me?

The chickens give me away, don't they?

 

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Wordful Wednesday: A Whole Lot of New!

A new lawnmower...

...that came with new hats. 

 New valences for the kitchen...that were actually my parents' old ones.

 New hay...

 ...to go along with the new calves.

 And even MORE new chicks/chickens!

(These lost their home, or barn, to a fire.)

Side note: Could this post look any more 'country'?

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Wordless Wednesday: Kings of the Hill

There is something about this hill (or mound) that they love...they hang out up there all the time.

 

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St. Patrick's Day 2013

We didn't do as much for St. Patrick's Day this year as we've done in the past, but the kids still had a fun time celebrating.

My mom and Morgan made this shamrock barrette together.  Morgan was so proud of it, she wore it every day last week!

 

The kids also made it to our local St. Patrick's Day parade with my in-laws.  Rich and I had a prior commitment during that time and were unable watch it this year.  It's strange the difference in temperatures from year to year.  Last year the kids went with their grandma to get ice cream after the parade because it was 70 degrees...this year they went for hot cocoa because it was snowing!  LOL!

 

On St. Patrick's Day the kids woke up to Leprechaun being in our house.  Blake set his trap and caught him this year!  He cleaned up the trap before I could get a picture of it, but it was cute...basically we set out "gold" and a sign that said "Leprechauns a loud" (yes 'a' and 'loud' were two separate words).  Then he set up a little pit that he covered for the leprechaun to fall into.  Unfortunately the leprechaun got caught in the trap before he could set out the clues to find his pot of gold, but the kids were still able to find it on their own. (It was in the media cabinet on top of the TV.)

 

We ALWAYS have at least one craft for each of the holidays, so thankfully I had seen one that looked like fun that we could throw together after church.  It's called Swinging Shamrocks from the FamilyFun Magazine.

 

All you need to do is flatten a 4 inch toilet paper roll, cut it in 1/2 inch strips, then cut on one of the folds on each strip.

 

Next, start forming the shamrock by gluing (or stapling with a small stapler like I did.)  Make three heart shapes and one triangle shape for the stem.

 

Then, just glue, or staple, them together.

 

Put the kids to work painting their shamrocks.

 

Isn't this fun!?

 

And these are the cute shamrocks you'll end up with!  Since they're suppose to be swinging, I think you just hang them from some fishing line, but we didn't do that.

 

We also made Corned Beef and Cabbage (with potatoes, carrots and onions) for the first time ever!  Rich had one of our last steers' brisket made into a corned beef (for only $5!) and it was the perfect time to cook it.  I know it isn't pretty, but it was DELICIOUS!!!  (I can't emphasize the DELICIOUS enough...Rich said it was one of the best meals I made in a long time...of course he meant that in a good way-lol!)

How was your St. Patrick's Day this year?

(Please take a moment to visit some of our past St. Patrick's Days: 2012, 2011...and more!)

Wordless Wednesday: Spring Calves

Our other cattle ended up in the freezer (and freezers of friends and family), so we replaced them a few weeks ago. These guys are probably at least 2 to 3 months old now.

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