Saturday, June 25, 2011
Livestock Camp
Last weekend the family attended the Wisconsin Livestock Camp in Milwaukee on the State Fair Grounds. We learned how to brace, wash and clip sheep, and also some tips on feeding and keeping them healthy. Here are a couple of pictures:
Here's the setup we made to bring the sheep to the camp. When we bought them, we put them in dog kennels, but now they're twice the size, we had to do something different. We arced a piece of cattle panel in the trailer, and put the canvas on top. The gates were made out of 2 by 4s.
"Hullo!"
"Now we've stopped again, what's going on!?" On the road, we blew a tire on the trailer, so we had to stop into Walmart to get another spare.
Here are the sheep in the pen that they supplied.
Bracing the sheep. The point is to get the sheep to push up against your leg and tense up its muscles. However, at the same time, their backs have to stay straight, preferably at a downhill angle. That way, when the judge feels the sheep, he/she feels more muscle than if the sheep was relaxed.
Here we're doing the same thing. Our sheep had never been through this before, so it was more difficult for both the sheep and us.
I'm showing this ewe as an ewe lamb, so she doesn't need to be braced as much like the market lambs. However, it will still be preferable to brace her when the judge comes by.
Cool sheep.
Here's the setup we made to bring the sheep to the camp. When we bought them, we put them in dog kennels, but now they're twice the size, we had to do something different. We arced a piece of cattle panel in the trailer, and put the canvas on top. The gates were made out of 2 by 4s.
"Hullo!"
"Now we've stopped again, what's going on!?" On the road, we blew a tire on the trailer, so we had to stop into Walmart to get another spare.
Here are the sheep in the pen that they supplied.
Bracing the sheep. The point is to get the sheep to push up against your leg and tense up its muscles. However, at the same time, their backs have to stay straight, preferably at a downhill angle. That way, when the judge feels the sheep, he/she feels more muscle than if the sheep was relaxed.
Here we're doing the same thing. Our sheep had never been through this before, so it was more difficult for both the sheep and us.
I'm showing this ewe as an ewe lamb, so she doesn't need to be braced as much like the market lambs. However, it will still be preferable to brace her when the judge comes by.
Cool sheep.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Animals - 6-12-11
Here are the ducks and broilers!
Our broiler chicks are growing fast! We have 10 of them for the Jackpot Broiler show in early July. Last year we got 20 through this program, but this year we also ordered 20 through 4-H, which will arrive in early July. We did less for the Jackpot show this year because there would be too many to butcher. 40 chickens are a lot to butcher, but they could be eaten no problem. Out of 18 last year, we finished them in early spring. So now we are back to store chicken, but not for long!
Another view.
Here are the ducks. They are meat ducks, but they also will lay eggs next year, so we are thinking of keeping them.
Our broiler chicks are growing fast! We have 10 of them for the Jackpot Broiler show in early July. Last year we got 20 through this program, but this year we also ordered 20 through 4-H, which will arrive in early July. We did less for the Jackpot show this year because there would be too many to butcher. 40 chickens are a lot to butcher, but they could be eaten no problem. Out of 18 last year, we finished them in early spring. So now we are back to store chicken, but not for long!
Another view.
Here are the ducks. They are meat ducks, but they also will lay eggs next year, so we are thinking of keeping them.
Update 06-12-11
The spring flowers have pretty much all finished and now the summer flowers are slowly being coaxed into life. We also have plenty of vegetables and fruit growing -- zucchini, lettuce, more lettuce, some more lettuce, and even more lettuce, peas, brown beans, green beens, beets, baby bok-choi, raspberries, corn, blackberries, strawberries, spinach, radish, onions, asparagus, potatoes, watermelon, peppers, brussels sprouts, tomatoes, leeks and a whole pile of herbs. We also have some flowers. There aren't pictures of everything but there are quite a few. Sadly, we will have no tomato on the first day of summer this year.
Mama's columbine is blooming now.
So are the lilacs. They smell wonderful.
Our irises are also blooming.
Daddy's rhododendron is blooming, too. Here's a bud,
and here are some flowers!
Our lillies are also budding. (Last year they were blooming by now.) Everything's so late this year.
My corn has come up!
Here's a small blackberry shoot. This blackberry has a little story behind it. We planted it last year, but it didn't grow anything, so we sent for a replacement. They sent us one, which is the one below, and that one grew well. Then, after we planted the second one, the first one put out a tiny shoot. This year, the second blackberry started budding in April. However, this one, that was replaced, didn't grow anything at all. We thought it was done for good. I still didn't dig it up, though. Then, suddenly, at the end of May, it put out this shoot. I wonder if it will do this for the rest of its life. :D
The replacement blackberry. It had 5 berries last year, but they never ripened.
This is one of Ambrose's watermelon seedlings. He's hoping for two watermelons for each plant.
The strawberries are growing well.
These are Daddy's brown beans.
And here is a zucchini seedling. They have huge primary leaves.
Mama's columbine is blooming now.
So are the lilacs. They smell wonderful.
Our irises are also blooming.
Daddy's rhododendron is blooming, too. Here's a bud,
and here are some flowers!
Our lillies are also budding. (Last year they were blooming by now.) Everything's so late this year.
My corn has come up!
Here's a small blackberry shoot. This blackberry has a little story behind it. We planted it last year, but it didn't grow anything, so we sent for a replacement. They sent us one, which is the one below, and that one grew well. Then, after we planted the second one, the first one put out a tiny shoot. This year, the second blackberry started budding in April. However, this one, that was replaced, didn't grow anything at all. We thought it was done for good. I still didn't dig it up, though. Then, suddenly, at the end of May, it put out this shoot. I wonder if it will do this for the rest of its life. :D
The replacement blackberry. It had 5 berries last year, but they never ripened.
This is one of Ambrose's watermelon seedlings. He's hoping for two watermelons for each plant.
The strawberries are growing well.
These are Daddy's brown beans.
And here is a zucchini seedling. They have huge primary leaves.
The Weather
June 14, 2010
"We finally have been getting some warmer weather this month and the flowers have started blooming." That was on June 14, 2010. Today, it's even cooler! Yesterday we had a low of 46 and have had to run the heat in June! The weather can be so bothersome sometimes.
We also had a storm blow through last week -- 60-80 mph winds and lashing rain. It lasted 5 minutes (a second one for 10, but less damage), and here are the results:
A little bit of storm damage. Nothing to be excited about.
Here's a bit more.
And more.
And this one Daddy saw come down. It's rather sad. There's a big hole in the tree now. :(
"We finally have been getting some warmer weather this month and the flowers have started blooming." That was on June 14, 2010. Today, it's even cooler! Yesterday we had a low of 46 and have had to run the heat in June! The weather can be so bothersome sometimes.
We also had a storm blow through last week -- 60-80 mph winds and lashing rain. It lasted 5 minutes (a second one for 10, but less damage), and here are the results:
A little bit of storm damage. Nothing to be excited about.
Here's a bit more.
And more.
And this one Daddy saw come down. It's rather sad. There's a big hole in the tree now. :(
Monday, May 23, 2011
Update 05-23-11
May showers bringing more May flowers! I hope to get some animal pictures posted soon.
Here's a lettuce seedling that I planted last week
Kale seedlings from the same time.
Here's the kale I started inside.
We have wild strawberries,
and domestic ones, too!
A flowering pear tree that we planted last year is now blooming.
Lettuce in the cold frame.
Spinach in the cold frame.
Our tulips finally bloomed!
Here's another one.
Daddy's bleeding heart is also blooming.
Dewy tulip.
Creeping Phlox blooming. It grew through compost -- probably helping it bloom.
Here's a bloom from the flowering cherry that was here when we got the property.
And a narcissus,
Forsythia,
Grape Hyacinths,
and the John Deere!!
Here's a lettuce seedling that I planted last week
Kale seedlings from the same time.
Here's the kale I started inside.
We have wild strawberries,
and domestic ones, too!
A flowering pear tree that we planted last year is now blooming.
Lettuce in the cold frame.
Spinach in the cold frame.
Our tulips finally bloomed!
Here's another one.
Daddy's bleeding heart is also blooming.
Dewy tulip.
Creeping Phlox blooming. It grew through compost -- probably helping it bloom.
Here's a bloom from the flowering cherry that was here when we got the property.
And a narcissus,
Forsythia,
Grape Hyacinths,
and the John Deere!!
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Update 05-10-11
"April showers bring May flowers!" Here are some pictures:
The willows are starting to weep!
Our jasmine is flowering inside.
Daddy planted potatoes in trenches this year.
He also planted peas.
While I was uncovering our strawberries, I ran into this Northern Red-bellied snake. Apparently they eat slugs and bugs, and there were a lot around it, so it must've been feasting.
New raspberry shoots are coming up!
I uncovered the strawberries and they're coming up as well!
Spinach in the cold frame.
Sweet William has come back.
Mama planted these two years ago. They came up around the trees like fairy rings.
There are also some scilia from before we moved here.
Radish in the cold frame!
Hopefully I'll get more pictures of the animals later.
The willows are starting to weep!
Our jasmine is flowering inside.
Daddy planted potatoes in trenches this year.
He also planted peas.
While I was uncovering our strawberries, I ran into this Northern Red-bellied snake. Apparently they eat slugs and bugs, and there were a lot around it, so it must've been feasting.
New raspberry shoots are coming up!
I uncovered the strawberries and they're coming up as well!
Spinach in the cold frame.
Sweet William has come back.
Mama planted these two years ago. They came up around the trees like fairy rings.
There are also some scilia from before we moved here.
Radish in the cold frame!Hopefully I'll get more pictures of the animals later.
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