Baby Boy!

Well, one of our doe goats surprised us yesterday with a new little baby boy!


This female, the same one who had the twin girls last year, apparently never really looks pregnant until about delivery time. We had given up on the idea that she might have been bred by the buck (which we sold the first part of November) some time ago.

Then over just the past few weeks, we started noticing she looked a bit larger than the normal rumen "bump" - so we were hopeful, but figured it would be the end of March.

So yesterday's full-term baby buck was a pleasant surprise. And it was great that it happened on a very warm day (unlike usual Kansas February days). Steven noticed she was in labor about 1:30 in the afternoon. So he moved the other goats away into an adjoining pasture, and stayed with her while she gave birth. Later, he moved her to the smaller holding pen, so she and baby could have their own sheltered area.

The baby seems to have the slightly darker red coloring that was a trait of his father, rather than the lighter head his mother has. But he does also have a white blaze on his face.

Mama and baby seem to be doing just fine!

How NOT to spend a winter weekend...

So two weekends ago (or so), I ended up having to take an extra three days off work from my "city" job in order to take care of a crisis at home. Backed-up plumbing.

We're a one-bathroom house. So things not draining as they should can become a major deal. We decided to address this issue one day when it was particularly nice -- about 50 degrees and sunny. We thought we could get it all done in one day, but as with most projects that involve older homes, it snowballed into something much larger, and four days longer.

We already knew we had serious troubles in the toilet area - the floor was rotting through - water was backing up somewhere, and had been for some time. But we had hoped to delay that project until spring. When things quit flowing all together, however, we were compelled to action.

First thing we did was rip out our one and only toilet. This created a whole new problem, of course, involving discrete trips to the woods for my son and I, and a make-shift commode for my elderly mother. We also discovered the trouble was not within the toilet or immediate piping there, either.

Steven is the only one in the family skinny enough to fit in the tiny crawl space under a portion of the bathroom. So we dug that all out and he slipped under to inspect. Not good. The bathroom floor is rotted through including floor joists, as well as our sewer not draining anywhere. So this is now two separate but connected projects — one to repair the bathroom floor and toilet; and a one to clear out the septic system.

Steven starts on digging up the sewer pipe -- I knew there was a make-shift cleanout there somewhere, but took awhile for him to locate it. (sadly, I don't have any photos of his hard work on this for 5 days). The cleanout showed the bottleneck was definitely further downstream, so that meant more digging. It also meant both of us digging up the septic tank lid and prying it open (heavy concrete!) to see if that was backed up. On a positive note, the septic tank looked fine (although smelly) so the problem was somewhere between the two points we had uncovered.

While Steven continued digging up sewer line to check for breaks, collapses and clogs, I began working on the flooring. (I guess that was the easier job, since it was now into the next day and long past nice weather).

I have no carpentry experience, really, other than what I've learned watching others in times past, and a few minor projects of my own. So I was terrified of trying to do this on my own, but knew there was no way I could afford it any other way.

First photo (below) - of how bad the damage was once I got all the old four layers of floorboards ripped up (including the original 1 x 8s, which I think were there from the original construction of the house in 1880)

Then, (below) we started by reinforcing the existing floor joist by bolting new floor joists in line with them.

Then I had to cut new 1x8 boards at the diagonal angle that the old ones were. This was the first layer:



After that, we started on the second layer of flooring (which still wouldn't get us up to the level of the existing floor). These could go straight across (MUCH easier to cut) and gave it more reinforcement.




Steven (below) helped me cut the masonry board underlay I bought (all we had to work with for all this is a circular saw and a jig saw. How I wish I had a table saw!). And then we put that piece in place, and began filling in sheet rock where needed.



After mud/taping the sheetrock and filling in some areas, we placed adhesive tiles on the rebuilt area. (No redneck jokes about using a CoolWhip container over the opening to keep it covered!)



The last photo I took was after we got the toilet in place. We've done more work on the walls, etc. that I don't show here. But at least it works great and is sturdy!.


While I was doing all of this, Steven had finished digging up the entire sewer line (in 20 degrees or less) and we had rented a sewer auger, but had no luck getting anything to move. I finally gave in and on a Sunday called out Reddi Rooter, who came with their big truck and a really nice worker (about my son's age, in fact - they hit it off very well) and working together they got things flowing again! (Never use Charmin with a septic system, we found out).

So after beginning this on a Thursday morning, finally at 1 AM the following Monday we had "a place to go!" again.

Happy Kansas Day!

Today is Kansas Day here - marking the anniversary of our state entering into statehood.

It has always been very easy for me to remember how old the State of Kansas is, as it entered the Union as a Free State on January 29, 1861. I was born 100 years later in 1961. So I always know our state is [my age this year] + 100 years! Today, Kansas is 148 years old!

(which, I should add, is not far off from the age of my house!)

The name Kansas is from the Native American tribe Kansa and we were always taught in grade school that this meant "people of the south wind." You can truly understand that designation if you have lived in Kansas for very long! We are known for our gusty winds!

In the next few days I may post about our huge project last weekend (which turned my weekend into a five-day work weekend!) We had to do some major reconstruction of our sewer system and bathroom -- which was actually a project we planned for this coming spring, but not for this freezing time of year!

The Cage Contest

Back in November, I promised you this post, and you will see shortly why it took so long.

Steven and I have known for some time that we are wanting to sometimes take some poultry to auction, or buy some from auction. However, the poultry auction in our local small Amish town of Yoder is a "bring your own cage" event. Meaning, if you have any you wish to buy, or any you want to sell, you must bring something to carry them in.

Now, we had some old cages - a rabbit cage, a dog crate, etc. But (having some background in marketing), I knew we have nothing that would really show a beautiful rooster at full height and beauty -- an important point when selling! And we didn't think there would be a need to spend funds to purchase a commercially made cage. I had in mind exactly the type of cage I thought I could whip together quickly that would work and do what is needed (allow for full height, allow the bird to be seen from all sides and allow plenty of light). Steven had his own idea of how a cage should be built (multi-purpose, made to last, unique).


So rather than debate on how to build a cage, I proposed a "cage contest" on Veterans Day (November 11) because that was my day off. We would each build a cage (because at the time we planned to take birds to the auction in late November).

Steven came up with all sorts of new rules for this contest: No power tools; Must not buy anything to build it, but use only what we can find around the farm already, etc. A real challenge!

Nothing shows our personality differences more than this cage contest does. I am a real "time equals money" type of person. If I can make it efficiently and effectively in a short period of time, aesthetics have little value to me. Steven is as amazing perfectionist/engineering type that treats every new challenge as a way to broaden his skills and make a statement about his own ideology and values. Make it different than everyone else - make it to last - make it with your own hands, etc.

My cage of chicken wire was done in four hours on that day -- using scrap lumber, stray nails/screws and chicken wire. It will hold a bird.

Steven's is an engineering marvel. He began by creating square frame of stripped hackberry wood for the base. Interwoven on top of this were willow stalks he trekked down to the river to cut. He bent cedar branches for days around steel barrels in order to curve them for the arched top. He made hole-n-peg intersections to join saplings together. He used wood glue (his one modern allowance) and bindings to tie everything together sturdily. Then, when faced with how to create a fencing that was not metal; but not woven like the bottom either (needs to let light in and let people see the birds), he came up with this beautiful design using old-style baling twine (which we happen to have plenty of around). He worked for hours on getting the design right and tight to make it both functional and aesthetically beautiful. And he finally finished his cage this past week! ;)

So you can decide the contest winner. If I was wanting a cage -- surely I would prefer to own Steven's. However, mine does what it was designed to do - be functional for a farm auction. I think a rooster will look fine in mine. I think Steven is likely to get more people interested in his cage, than in the beautiful bird inside it.

We will see. The auction is at the end of the month.

(you can click on the photos to see them larger and in more detail)

Project List #1

This past weekend, our oldest female goat, Bobbie Sue (the only one that is named, as well) lost the set of twins she was carrying. A miscarriage about halfway through term, it appears. Although this loss was not nearly as hard on her (and us) as the lost of her triplets at full birth last February.

We really did not plan to have any kid goats this winter -- we wanted the young does to get older, and we don't like kidding in the cold of winter -- it is hard to get a survival rate. However, apparently our buck Jeffy got Bobbie Sue bred before we sold him in early November. It is somewhat of a relief, however, to not have to worry about baby goats in February, now. At least for this year. The other adult doe does not appear to be pregnant.

Steven wondered if she miscarried because we had them out the day before, shepherding them to a new place to eat, and the other doe spooked and took off at a dead run, which made all the others run after her. While the running probably was not good on Bobbie Sue, I doubt it alone caused the miscarriage.

Okay, I'm going to start trying to keep track of some of our projects here, just so I can get organized and feel a sense of accomplishment as we get them done. I'm going to break the list down into shorter sections, for "small victories." :)

This first list is items I would like to get done before spring arrives at the farm:

1. Finish outhouse project


2. Repair bathroom floor/toilet


3. Begin the myriad of wood cutting we need done - mostly along the hedge rows
4. Get the now-completed beehive set outside and ready for bees for spring


5. Get electrical wiring moved so we can remove huge dead tree in backyard
6. Begin tear-out and re-install of south fence; west corral


7. Maintenance on mowers


8. Cut out old pear tree


9. Burn off garden perimeter


10. Cut down trees along garden fence


11. Burn off north pasture/orchard area (as we did last year)(partially done)


12. Try to get my own bedroom organized/cleaned/sorted and compressed


13. Begin starter seeds indoors


14. Study more about converting house to wood heat; begin plans


15. Finish the farm website

Well, that's enough to get me started. If I get too long of a list, I will get discouraged.

2009

I was hoping to be able to soon post a farm project list like my friend MEL has done on her blog, but I don't appear to be organized yet enough this year to have that all written out. Although Steven and I did talk about many goals we have for the coming year.

However, I haven't updated in so long that I at least wanted to pop in here with a short post wishing you all a productive and blessed New Year. I hope to find more time to post updates in the future.

Chickens

Looking back through my blog, I see that I have hardly any photos at all of our chickens! So just because I think they deserve a little spotlight, this post is going to be nothing but photos of our wonderful flock that provides so much of our food (eggs).


Our Rooster there was crowned Best of Breed New Hampshire the year we first saw him at the Kansas State Fair. I contacted the man who had brought him up from Oklahoma to show at our Fair, and bought him to service our flock of Rhode Island Red hens. He is king of the hill around here - but a very good rooster. He really looks after and nurtures his hens, and most every egg is fertile.

This past spring, we let a broody hen set on several eggs that were produced by the cross with that rooster and our RIRs, and here are some of the beautiful young cockerels that came out of that match-up. (The pullets produced are nice too, but basically just look like any RIRs).








We actually have not yet decide while one of these three boys we want to keep, and which two should be sold or butchered. There are breeding points we like about each. We have decided to hold off until spring to make that decision for sure, to allow them to finish maturing.