Working full time and dealing with feet of snow and cold, not to mention having to bundle up like the Michlen tire guy every time chores get done. Doesn't leave much energy for blogging or picture taking. The last few days have been warmer, highs in the upper 20's and sometimes 30's, you can almost start to feel like spring might be around the corner. I however am skeptical as March in Northern North Dakota tends to get nasty with wet, snow, wind, sleet and sometimes rain, oh and the occasional blizzard.
Currently they are predicting a 90% chance of precipitation starting with sleet, then wind and blowing snow. Yay us. The current temperature is 31 degrees F. It is these kind of storms that I worry about my livestock and animals. We only have a hoop structure built with cattle panels plywood, and tarps as a shelter that is protected by 6 large round bales of flax straw (solid old bales of flax straw that doesn't decompose like oat or wheat straw). This hoop structure I call our 'Redneck shelter' it functions all the livestock can go in and get out of the wet, even the pony. It started the winter at 5 1/2 feet at the center of the hoop, since the winter and goats have helped it has fallen to one side like an airplane wing, thankfully the pony can still get inside. I worry in this winter/spring weather if it will be enough shelter, yet it is all we have and it will have to do.
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| Here you can see the Redneck shelter, it has fallen over a bit, but the pony can still get in and out. The goats love it. |
Speaking of goats. Aren't they looking huge. Cake our bossy mean mamma goat is front and center in the above picture. She is as big around as she is long - And still has a month to go, aprrox. We just ran a billy with our girls in October due to busy life and don't know exact due dates. Here are some other pictures of the other girls. They got an extra straw bale in the Redneck shelter to prepare for the storm.
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| Sprinkles is the black one and Streusel is the multi colored one. Both are yearlings and hopefully bred. |
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| fat tummy |
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| Two babies? Three or Four is my guess. |
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| Muffin is the white shy but very sweet goat in the back there. I am thinking twins for sure. |
The newest additions to Wienhold Farm arrived by car at Christmas time. My in-laws brought us two weaned baby pigs for Christmas presents.
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| cute and lived inside the barn for a week or two |
Then they grew, and grew and discovered their pen wasn't very strong and getting out was much more exciting then staying in. What trouble did they cause, just digging holes to trip in (inside the barn) chasing chickens and such. So we moved them outside where they have continued to grow and be pigs. It is so nice to clean out the fridge and know they will be getting a special treat. Bacon and Sausage are their names, helps us remember how tasty they will be. I dislike the smell of pigs and just find them kinda gross animals, but love pork, sausage and bacon. We'll probably always have a couple.
Next up on our tour of Winter at the Wienhold Farm. Is the barn (chicken coop). To prepare for spring cleaning I have been trying to clean, shovel out a few scoops of manure every warm day. Not adding anymore straw or shavings to the deep litter in the barn. My hope is to make this tedious task easier by doing a little a time. Today however with sprig storm coming I broke open two bales of straw for the chickens to play in. They hate going outside in the snow during the winter. We have very happy chickens.
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| The weird looking thing with a cat door is the cat house. There is a blue feed scoop on top of it. |
I should explain the 'Cat House' that you can see in the pictures. Louis our resident barn kitten is afraid of the chickens, he wouldn't eat his food if there was a chicken sitting next to him or if a chicken was looking at him. Richard designed this place we could feed him where he would be safe from the chickens. It took a while for him to learn to use the cat door but once he figured it out it has been golden. There is a hinged lid on the back that we can lift out the food dish for filling. Sometimes I think he sleeps in there too. Louis is grown since last fall when we got him. He likes to help us around the yard and barn yard, chasing and pouncing on this or that.
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| playing in the hay |
That's all for now folks. Big news and more posts coming soon.
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