Strawberry Hunters

Please join Emma and Lucy as they search through fresh cut hay looking for wild strawberries.




These pups love to eat everything. They like vegetables, fruit, (except grapes) meat.  They love when the apple trees drop fruit. When we have veggies the pups get their share too.  I love to take frozen peas and toss a couple of handfuls onto the floor and watch the pups find every pea. Oh, corn and green beans the same thing.   I can't help but laugh in the video as they search and sneeze.

These berries are small but have a powerful taste.  I have to admit that I helped them find berries and ate a few myself.  The joys of summer.
Much Love and Prayers from Mainely Ewes Farm.

Oh No! Another Hay Post

Oh no! Another haying post.  If it's summer it must be hay season.  Sunshine, cool breeze and we're off to the upper meadow.  Otherwise known as the upper hayfield. Beautiful trip through a thick forest of trees.

The views are breathtaking.  The beauty of a corn field is so Americana.  This corn field is destined as silage.  Silage is fed at most dairy's here.  Basically it is corn.  However, they don't just pick the ears to make feed out of.  A machine comes down the rows and cuts the stalk off about 6 inches from the ground and grinds the stalk and ears.  Nothing wasted. The silage ferments and provides a great source of feed for dairy cattle.  Not for goats. The fermentation can be dangerous and may contain a bacteria called Listeria. Listeria can be deadly to goats. Therefore, we use sweet feed specifically designed  for goats. Safer.

Hay all mown. Tedded by Ted of course.  Nice and dry.   Ready to be raked and baled.

 
Ted on the blue tractor raking, Fred on the baler.

Emma and Lucy helping keep any bugs or mice away.  They did find a dead snake. Oh joy!

New Holland .  Great dependable baler.  This is Freds' baler. Good news we are now the proud owners of a very rusty New Holland 66 baler. Old. Very old. It works and that is the best thing about it.

Plop...plop out comes the bales in neat little well...bales.

We are expecting showers tonight so we will wait till Wednesday to mow the lower pasture.  At that time I will yell that we have completed the first cut.  Today  is one of the hottest and most humid of this summer.  I keep reminding myself that it will be cold weather soon enough. I am trying to convince myself that this feels good.  No luck so far. Blah.....too hot.
Hope you all are having a wonderful summer. Keep in mind that it will be cold soon enough. Just try it and see if it works for you. I sincerely hope so.
Much Love and Prayers from Mainely Ewes Farm.

A Tedder!

One more piece of equipment. It is a used  new Tedder.  Let's just say it is new to us.  It doesn't look like much but it is so necessary to "fluff" up the hay after it is cut so it can dry nice like before it is baled.

Now Ted has a Tedder

When the arms are out it covers about 18ft.  Go forth and do your thing.

So far we have broken off 2 of these coil finger things. I know they probably have a name. I'm sure when I call to get more the man on the phone will educate me. But for now they are coil finger things.

Baled hay for some greedy goats.  They have been enjoying some fruits of our labor.  Hay bales that break or fall apart are fed out.  Like candy and babies.  Our spoiled, greedy babies. Goat kisses to all.

The sheep have lush summer pastures right now.  We put a bale of fresh green hay out for them and it was exciting for about 3 minutes.  Then back to grass and weeds. We want to fence in a wooded area for the goats to graze.  In time, in time.  Patience is not one of my stronger characteristics.  Nope. I want it all now.

We are still haying and baling.  My back and hip hurt from throwing bales and climbing up and down the tractor.  I still have to say I find it enjoyable.  Ibuprofen is my friend.

Much Love and Prayers from Mainely Ewes Farm

Happy Birthday USA

Here we are again. Another year older.  Another year of uncertainty. What will the coming days bring?

Here is wishing America another birthday.

May you grow old with dignity.

May you realize your dreams.

May God bless you and yours.

Happy Birthday sweet lady!

Cheers!

Much Love and Prayers from Mainely Ewes Farm

Our New Kuhn Drum Mower PZ170

Yes, we finally have a mower for our hay.  Piece by piece we are acquiring farm equipment.  This is the first "new" one.  There is a darn good reason for that. New=expensive.  Kuhn has developed a drum mower.  It works differently than the regular mower/conditioner.  The drum mower just cuts the hay down. It doesn't crush it.  It may take a bit longer to dry but for less money we are willing to wait a bit longer.

It is light weight and easy for the tractor to run.

Here is a peek of the "drum" part.

Those little square tabs on the bottom of the drums are blades.

It cuts the hay cleanly.

This belt runs off of the PTO and rotates the two drums

We are so excited.  We can now cut our own hay. Little by little we are getting there. 

See us in action!

 I hope we will be independent with our hay season next summer. 
Much Love and Prayers from Mainely Ewes Farm.

Finally Big Enough to Come Outside

Finally the Cornish Rock X birds are big enough to come outside.  Until now we have kept the doorway covered with a wire mesh to protect the boys.  They may be big but inside they are still only 6 weeks old.  They are just big for their age.  After a bit of hesitancy they came out to the fresh air and sunshine.

A little bit of cracked corn and fresh water and they are so happy.

Every time we go near their pen they come running expecting a treat.  That is usually cracked corn. 

They may not be able to free range with the other chickens but they have plenty of room.  No one can pick on them.  They rule their roost.  We will keep them for about 3 more weeks.  While they are here they will be happy. I went out last evening to shoo the stragglers inside and close the door for the evening. I was wearing flip flops.  I heard a yell from across the pen and they all came running to eat the 10 little worms. Ouch.  Darn chickens. Barn boots from now on.

Much Love and Prayers from Mainely Ewes Farm

Incubator Surprise

About two weeks ago this incubator arrived.  It is the GQF 1502 complete with thermostat, humidity and egg turning capability.  The funny thing is, I didn't order it. SURPRISE!

 The incubator accompanied this crate of egg trays. SURPRISE!

Evidently Ted and my Mom had a phone conversation.  When those two get together on the phone there is no telling what will happen next.  Mom now has internet and has discovered shopping online.  Years ago she had an incubator and hatched off chickens and guineas.  She loves hearing the guineas while we are on the phone.  I was so excited to get everything set up in the craft room.  Perfect temperature and humidity was reached in about 12 hrs.  Now we needed eggs.

We noticed that the guineas had stopped laying eggs in the hen house.  They are able to fly and free range all over our farm.  Well, to be honest, the neighbors farm, down the road, in the woods, in the road.  Truthfully, guineas are not the brightest of the fowl world.  We have lost a few to cars.  Once in a while we will hear beeps and have to go call the birds out of the road.  So if you see a guinea in the road, please don't assume that they will fly away. Nope, they will try to stare you down.  Hence, guinea loss.

Ted found this nest in the hayfield.  There were 32 eggs being set on by 3 guineas. 

These guineas were very angry that we were robbing their nest.  They aren't aggressive birds but very vocal. It broke my heart to take the eggs away.  If we didn't then Emma and Lucy would find the nest and have a feast.  Yes, they are egg lovers.

All set up and ready to go into the incubator.

Okay little keets. Do your thing.

Temp 100deg, humidity 55%, turning on.

Now we wait and watch up to 28 days.  We don't know how long the guineas had been setting on the nest so we aren't sure of a hatch date.  The excitement builds. 

Thanks Mom!

Much Love and Prayers from Mainely Ewes Farm

Guinea Egg Update

Ted was in the upper pasture and noticed guineas acting strange.  "I'm not doing anything.  Who me?"

He found another 40 guinea eggs.

Now we have a whopping 72 eggs in our new incubator.

And some very, very angry and yelling guineas on our farm.

Help, I think there is a plot underfoot to take us out.