Monday, May 2, 2011

things are buzzing around here



The weather was beautiful this weekend we got the cows moved up to the very top of the hill for one more week of grazing then they will come down to eat around the house and hopefully have there babies!! (except for mr freddie who came early)



We also moved the laying hens to there next spot ... I thought you might want to see a little play by play of moving the bus!

1- lock up the birds the night before after one too many glasses of wine it's always a draw to see who get's that job

2 - hook the bus up to the tractor and move to new spot


3 - level bus with handy adjustable legs
4 - put up fence (always a discussion here about exactly where the fence goes)


5- give them back there ramp to get in and out


6 - the BEST part is opening the door and watching them run out 'en masse' they are so excited to be in a new spot






gotta love that sight!

In the mean time the meat birds are growing fast and LOVING the sunshine too...




hubs is happy about that!



I also took advantage of the super nice weather to try out my 'new' plow which I just got from a great guy who is my draft horse club .. it's a beautiful old John Deere plow that he restored and then duane fitted with some more bits for me. So Sunday was it's first trial run I worked up the spot the pigs were in last year that still hadn't recovered so it was a perfect application - I'm gonna plant something fun here not sure what yet some kind of feed / root crop for pigs I think just to bring it full circle... plowing on big table land with my own team ... man a pretty great day that was!!


before plowing


after plowing - next harrow and seed !!


the boys just before we started


the boys after plowing - they got some grass as a treat!


my new plow!!

And last but NOT at all least our original bee hive divided and swarmed and landed only about 10 or so feet away from that original hive.... I called Laura (abotu 5 times) and she instructed me to place the new box close and see if they go in on there own... let's just say they didn't' get the memo - so she graciously offered to come on out and catch the swarm and put them in the box .. they are in there tonight .. there not coming and going yet so the jury is still out but I'm hoping they decide it's a good home!


1 - the swarm


2 - clare trying to make the box easy to see!


3 - brave Laura getting the first 'group' into the bucket to then be 'dumped' into the hive


4 - she is making this look easier than it is...


5 - a few stragglers



getting some 'encouragement'


a close up of last years hive still thriving!!

Laura and Davey before the swarm catching - thanks guys!!

(farm note to self first blooms right around april 20th plum then pear the 23rd - the latest year yet)

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow! LOVE catching up with BT!Haven't talked to you - and it's obvious why - you have been buzzzzzzy! Exhilerating & thriving in NEW LIFE is all I can think of right now. xoxo Bee

Cecelia (CC) said...

love the oxford shirt on a tractor...

Cecelia (CC) said...

oh wait, that's just VERY well worn
denim...farmer.

Kathleen Bauer said...

Love the swarm photos…so fascinating! Thanks, Clare…