Monday, January 2, 2012

Good day - Interesting day

Lots happened today but it still seemed like I had lots of down time.  I don't know how that happened.  It was a normal morning until I looked over toward our field and saw Roxie, our red hog, running loose outside her electric ribbon but inside the woven wire fence.  She looked to be having a good time.  I wondered what Velma was thinking.  It's amazing how much ground can be tilled in the short time a pig is loose.

Some folks showed up this morning to buy Clarice (now Claire) and Harlie.  These were my last 2 goats to cry over before kidding season begins.  I didn't cry long because I know they are going to a good home and also they had each other for company.  That always helps.  Their new owners have very similar interests in homesteading as James and I so that made it even easier. 

After they left I took food over to the hogs and it didn't take Roxie more than a blink to cross under the electric ribbon when I held it up.  Funny after the way she reacted the other day when I took the fence down to extend their play area.  They sure have become friendly which makes it harder to think about butchering them.

A neighbor of ours is going out of the meat rabbit business so in the past 2 days I've purchased 21 rabbits from him, half we put in the freezer and the other half we're raising till they're big enough to butcher or we'll breed them.  I wonder how many rabbits we'll have next spring.  Many of them are living in the green house. 

Before dinner I took James out to see the new rabbits and then across the street to see what damage the hogs had done.  I wanted to disconnect hoses over there too because it's going to be very cold tonight.  Next we visited the mammoth donkeys.  Sometimes I'm stupid and tonight was one of those times.  I asked James to lift me on to Jaz's back without haltering her or anything.  Ummm, she walked off and I ended up on the ground on my tailbone.  Surprisingly I didn't get hurt.  Ok, I won't do that again, maybe. 

We had snow flurries off and on today.  I'm glad that's all we got.  I'm not ready for this cold weather.  I tucked the goats in with extra hay tonight and closed one  of the doors to keep it a bit warmer in there. 

Is it too soon to start dreaming of spring?

3 comments:

  1. From your pig-tilling experience, would you recommend them as a way of plowing up a garden area? I'm trying to think of a no-effort way to break new ground for a garden. I'd rent a pig if it was worth it! :O)

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  2. Maybe these rabbits will actually know how to breed :-)

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  3. Laura, Pigs do a great job of tilling but they also dig some pretty deep holes and things won't be very smooth. They do a great job of eating all the grass, that's for sure.

    Shelley, surely out of 11 or so rabbits I'll get a baby or two right?

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