We have finally decided to breed the French Angoras. Sire is a REW with chocolate, blue, lilac and tort in his pedigree. The dam is a chocolate tort with all the same colors. We hope to have some chocolates as well as some lilacs and blues. But being the first mating of this pair it is unknown what we will get. However, we will be offering them for sale for a very reasonable price.
They will come with papers if desired. They will be looking for fiber/pet/show homes. if you are intereested in 1 or more, let me know what you are looking for. they are due in about 24 days, and they will be available 6-8 weeks after birth.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Garlic
Our garlic did fantastic this year. We ended up with nearly 100# of cured garlic! Lucky for us, we had already arranged a buyer, and the East Lansing Food Co-Op purchased all that we could muster. they took 42# the balance was kept for 2011 seed, and for eating, of course shared with friends and family.
We are adding in soft neck garlic for 2011, and will be offering garlic braids as well as our hard neck varieties.
Doubling the area to put in garlic this year we hope to have another great harvest for 2011.
We are adding in soft neck garlic for 2011, and will be offering garlic braids as well as our hard neck varieties.
Doubling the area to put in garlic this year we hope to have another great harvest for 2011.
Chickens
This has been a BAD year for the chickens. Both the layers and the fryers took a beating.
Raccoons just destroyed us this year. we lost several fryers from out first batch. this really killed us. we also lost 19 of 21 of our hatched chicks and 9 of our 18 layers. We finally cought, trapped and poisened them. I hate to do this, and I dont mind sharing, but the costs have been huge. We have lost most of our egg sales, and the price per # went up on the broiler/fryers.
We also were hit with another problem with the first batch of chicks we got.
While we ordered the Vantress X chicks we got the cornish game X. Our normal weights with the Vantress DRESSED averaged 6-8# each. these averaged 4# dressed. OUCH..
we do have another batch going, and they are about 3 weeks out from slaughter and are looking much better.
Not a whole lot more to say here.
Raccoons just destroyed us this year. we lost several fryers from out first batch. this really killed us. we also lost 19 of 21 of our hatched chicks and 9 of our 18 layers. We finally cought, trapped and poisened them. I hate to do this, and I dont mind sharing, but the costs have been huge. We have lost most of our egg sales, and the price per # went up on the broiler/fryers.
We also were hit with another problem with the first batch of chicks we got.
While we ordered the Vantress X chicks we got the cornish game X. Our normal weights with the Vantress DRESSED averaged 6-8# each. these averaged 4# dressed. OUCH..
we do have another batch going, and they are about 3 weeks out from slaughter and are looking much better.
Not a whole lot more to say here.
Pigs
Well now on to the piggies..
We purchased 3 pigs this year. Went to the same farmer we purchased from last year, as we liked the results. They were bigger this year when we got them, seems like they have grown so fast.
However they are 3 different sizes. One has a hernia, testicular. So we have to really watch him. he is the smallest and likely NOT to make a big weight. One of them is very large and will be by far the biggest for the long haul.
Lucky for us, when we bought the feed the prices were down. YEA..
Initially the cost of the pigs $100 for all three
500# of feed $74
500# more feed $82 (both feeds we decided to keep at 18% protein to get them bigger faster.
this batch as learned EARLY to drink from the barrel nipple drinker. they drink about 50 gallons of water 2 times a week.
They have received whole cow milk, along with veggie left overs from the garden. we dont feed them trash or rotten food. But pea shucks, corn cobs and husks, tomato cores from fresh tomatoes and the occasional fractured chicken egg. this all goes into the trough and they love it.
My mom decided to sort thru her old canned peaches. WOW.. that was pig candy. sounds horriable but they seem to really love it.
We are still not ready for slaughter, are expecting september time.
I will update later with more information.
We purchased 3 pigs this year. Went to the same farmer we purchased from last year, as we liked the results. They were bigger this year when we got them, seems like they have grown so fast.
However they are 3 different sizes. One has a hernia, testicular. So we have to really watch him. he is the smallest and likely NOT to make a big weight. One of them is very large and will be by far the biggest for the long haul.
Lucky for us, when we bought the feed the prices were down. YEA..
Initially the cost of the pigs $100 for all three
500# of feed $74
500# more feed $82 (both feeds we decided to keep at 18% protein to get them bigger faster.
this batch as learned EARLY to drink from the barrel nipple drinker. they drink about 50 gallons of water 2 times a week.
They have received whole cow milk, along with veggie left overs from the garden. we dont feed them trash or rotten food. But pea shucks, corn cobs and husks, tomato cores from fresh tomatoes and the occasional fractured chicken egg. this all goes into the trough and they love it.
My mom decided to sort thru her old canned peaches. WOW.. that was pig candy. sounds horriable but they seem to really love it.
We are still not ready for slaughter, are expecting september time.
I will update later with more information.
the GreenHouse..
Well here it is the end of July. I have not had alot of time to keep updates on here the way I should. But will see if I can catch everyone up.
First.. the greenhouse...
We did not have tomatoes the first week of June this year. But the first week of July we did. Our tomato trees are growing quickly and are heavily producing. Many of our plants we started from seed in the aero garden. This worked very well for us, and actually our plants started from seed have been more productive than the bought plants.
Our red peppers, also housed in the greenhouse are HUGE. averaging 1# each. And the tomatillos have THOUSANDS of fruit per bush. We have already made salsa, and in actuality, I should be doing tomatos instead of sitting here typing. But.... I will get to it in a few.
Out side the greenhouse has been pretty productive as well.
We decided to try broccoli, cauliflower and brussel sprouts this year.
Initially, I was very disappointed with the broccoli. the heads were not huge like we get in the store. But of course were quite tasty. I didnt pull the plants, and they have continued to HEAVILY produce. They dont make MAIN heads again, but put up hundreds of stalks of tender and flavorful sprouts. harvested a couple times a week, I am putting ALLOT of broccoli in the freezer. I highly recommend this plant if you like broccoli. some soils dont do well with it, but ours seems to be doing great. Our brussels are just taking off, and the cauliflower plants are huge but still no heads. Im told that doesnt happen till more toward fall.
Cabbage.. HOLY WOW.. we have 12# cabbage. They really seem to enjoy the dirt.
Our first batch of lettuce bolted in the recent heat. But luckily I had already planned ahead and replanted for the next batch. How could be enjoy BLT's without our own fresh lettuce.
Our beans came and went fast, for the most part. We do still get small amounts but we already canned the majority. Our peas also did quite well. I am not so sure I will mess with them again tho. even tho I have frozen up several batchs, they are just SOOO time consuming to shell.
Bumper crops of swiss chard.. has lots of vitamin packed greens in the freezer for winter.
First.. the greenhouse...
We did not have tomatoes the first week of June this year. But the first week of July we did. Our tomato trees are growing quickly and are heavily producing. Many of our plants we started from seed in the aero garden. This worked very well for us, and actually our plants started from seed have been more productive than the bought plants.
Our red peppers, also housed in the greenhouse are HUGE. averaging 1# each. And the tomatillos have THOUSANDS of fruit per bush. We have already made salsa, and in actuality, I should be doing tomatos instead of sitting here typing. But.... I will get to it in a few.
Out side the greenhouse has been pretty productive as well.
We decided to try broccoli, cauliflower and brussel sprouts this year.
Initially, I was very disappointed with the broccoli. the heads were not huge like we get in the store. But of course were quite tasty. I didnt pull the plants, and they have continued to HEAVILY produce. They dont make MAIN heads again, but put up hundreds of stalks of tender and flavorful sprouts. harvested a couple times a week, I am putting ALLOT of broccoli in the freezer. I highly recommend this plant if you like broccoli. some soils dont do well with it, but ours seems to be doing great. Our brussels are just taking off, and the cauliflower plants are huge but still no heads. Im told that doesnt happen till more toward fall.
Cabbage.. HOLY WOW.. we have 12# cabbage. They really seem to enjoy the dirt.
Our first batch of lettuce bolted in the recent heat. But luckily I had already planned ahead and replanted for the next batch. How could be enjoy BLT's without our own fresh lettuce.
Our beans came and went fast, for the most part. We do still get small amounts but we already canned the majority. Our peas also did quite well. I am not so sure I will mess with them again tho. even tho I have frozen up several batchs, they are just SOOO time consuming to shell.
Bumper crops of swiss chard.. has lots of vitamin packed greens in the freezer for winter.
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