Boy did I tick my bees off today. My goal today was to do a final inspection, feed the brood box if I needed to, apply Apiguard and install entrance reducers in both hives. I opened the hives to make sure all was well and they really got angry. Both hives were buzzing. They looked like they had plenty of honey. The honey box on the first hive had two empty frames. I switched the empty frames on the left side for two full frames toward the middle. Upon a quick inspection of the brood box I didn't see any brood. The honey there was much darker than the honey in the top box. I treated the brood box with Apiguard and closed it up.
I knew that the second hive was busier than the first so I got Rob's help to lift the honey box out of the way. It wasn't a good introduction to the bees. With Rob's help, I slid the bottom board under the hive then went to open the hive. The bees were not happy to see either of us. By the time we got the honey box off the brood box, they were more than ticked. Rob and I had both been stung several times and there was no way I could move the honey box by myself so I just put the brood food in, treated with Apiguard and Rob helped me closed the hive again.
Hopefully the bees will be in a better mood in the spring.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Preparing for Fall
Now that the chicken harvest is over chores at the farm seem to take almost no time at all. The cow is out to pasture and only needs to have his water checked. He often comes into the barn to have his nose and head scratched when I'm there. The hens only take a few minutes twice a day. The cats are fed while I'm waiting for the cow's bucket to fill with water. The dogs take much more time and energy than anything else.
We took straightened up around the farm and got things ready for cooler weather. We put the chicken tractors away in the barn. We cleaned up the feeders and waterers and stored those. The chicken processing equipment was all put away. The hammock and lawn toys were stored.
After straightening everything we took a walk down to the garden. It's been several weeks since I'd checked on things there. My attention for gardening waned as the summer turned into fall. I let my broccoli flower and my lettuce bolt. I didn't expect that I'd find anything but rotten tomatoes. Instead, I was pleased to find five good sized bell peppers, several pounds of almost ripe tomatoes and a bunch of jalapenos. The chickens were pleased to receive a dozen or so tomatoes that weren't fit for us to use in the house. We even enjoyed several end of season raspberries as we stood at the garden and talked.
The corn behind the house is drying out. Our rainy weather lately hasn't helped the process. Right now the ground is much too soggy to bring the combines in to harvest. I don't know that I ever paid attention to the different colors that corn can be. Ours has gone from bright green to a light khaki. At each stage of the growing process it also has a unique sound. Now it's almost a percussion instrument like the brushes on a snare drum.
The bees were also getting ready for winter. The last time I checked them the top box was about 70% full of honey. I need to do the final winterizing for them this week. That will require a trip to the bee supply store.
It was good to have this weekend to do some straightening. The sun was beautiful, the temperature was mild, and the work was light.
We took straightened up around the farm and got things ready for cooler weather. We put the chicken tractors away in the barn. We cleaned up the feeders and waterers and stored those. The chicken processing equipment was all put away. The hammock and lawn toys were stored.
After straightening everything we took a walk down to the garden. It's been several weeks since I'd checked on things there. My attention for gardening waned as the summer turned into fall. I let my broccoli flower and my lettuce bolt. I didn't expect that I'd find anything but rotten tomatoes. Instead, I was pleased to find five good sized bell peppers, several pounds of almost ripe tomatoes and a bunch of jalapenos. The chickens were pleased to receive a dozen or so tomatoes that weren't fit for us to use in the house. We even enjoyed several end of season raspberries as we stood at the garden and talked.
The corn behind the house is drying out. Our rainy weather lately hasn't helped the process. Right now the ground is much too soggy to bring the combines in to harvest. I don't know that I ever paid attention to the different colors that corn can be. Ours has gone from bright green to a light khaki. At each stage of the growing process it also has a unique sound. Now it's almost a percussion instrument like the brushes on a snare drum.
The bees were also getting ready for winter. The last time I checked them the top box was about 70% full of honey. I need to do the final winterizing for them this week. That will require a trip to the bee supply store.
It was good to have this weekend to do some straightening. The sun was beautiful, the temperature was mild, and the work was light.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Counting Them Down
Beginning April 1, 2011
0 chickens + 18 chickens (day old chicks) = 18 chickens + 6 chickens (day old chicks) = 24 chickens - 20 chickens (thanks to the neighbors dog) = 4 chickens + 100 chickens (day old chicks) = 104 chickens + 6 chickens (rooster and 5 hens) = 110 chickens - 1 chicken (cause of death unknown) = 109 chickens - 2 chickens (trial run) = 107 chickens - 17 chickens (harvest) = 90 chickens - 32 chickens (harvest) = 58 chickens - 4 chickens (sold live) = 54 chickens - 1 chicken (pecked to death) = 53 chickens - 22 chickens (harvest) = 31 chickens - 19 chickens (harvest) = 12 chickens (2 roosters, 10 hens)
0 chickens + 18 chickens (day old chicks) = 18 chickens + 6 chickens (day old chicks) = 24 chickens - 20 chickens (thanks to the neighbors dog) = 4 chickens + 100 chickens (day old chicks) = 104 chickens + 6 chickens (rooster and 5 hens) = 110 chickens - 1 chicken (cause of death unknown) = 109 chickens - 2 chickens (trial run) = 107 chickens - 17 chickens (harvest) = 90 chickens - 32 chickens (harvest) = 58 chickens - 4 chickens (sold live) = 54 chickens - 1 chicken (pecked to death) = 53 chickens - 22 chickens (harvest) = 31 chickens - 19 chickens (harvest) = 12 chickens (2 roosters, 10 hens)
Saturday, October 8, 2011
The Chicken Harvest Continues
We have now successfully harvested half of our chickens. It's taken our trial run plus two harvesting sessions. We are getting more efficient but we are liking it less each time. Killing chickens is messy business. I suppose the killing isn't really the messy part. The feathers and the insides are the messy parts. We find ourselves wishing for chickens with zippers.
We are extremely thankful for the chicken plucker. I'm not sure how we'd manage without it. It cuts the processing time and effort down considerably. However, each time we use it I feel bad for the chicken, even though it's dead and doesn't feel a thing. There's just something about the sound of the rubber "fingers" slapping against the chicken and seeing the feathers fly that seems disrespectful to the bird.
I even learned to process the chicken myself. I never cut up a chicken before. Until the farm, I only bought frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Yesterday, I divided three of the birds into their parts. Breasts, thighs, legs and wings neatly placed in a pan. For someone that hates touching raw meat, this is huge. Bravery is something I can add as a useful tool for farming.
After this experience of harvesting chickens, I think it's safe to say that we will not be full-time chicken farmers.
We are extremely thankful for the chicken plucker. I'm not sure how we'd manage without it. It cuts the processing time and effort down considerably. However, each time we use it I feel bad for the chicken, even though it's dead and doesn't feel a thing. There's just something about the sound of the rubber "fingers" slapping against the chicken and seeing the feathers fly that seems disrespectful to the bird.
I even learned to process the chicken myself. I never cut up a chicken before. Until the farm, I only bought frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Yesterday, I divided three of the birds into their parts. Breasts, thighs, legs and wings neatly placed in a pan. For someone that hates touching raw meat, this is huge. Bravery is something I can add as a useful tool for farming.
After this experience of harvesting chickens, I think it's safe to say that we will not be full-time chicken farmers.
Bee Keeping: Getting Ready for Winter
Today was one of those beautiful fall days that makes you forget the cold weather coming. The sun was shining and the air was clear. In celebration I put on my bee jacket and went out to take a look at the hives. Rainy, overcast weather of the past few weeks prevented working with the bees. To my delight, the bees were doing fine without my supervision.
I pulled the outer cover off the first hive without difficulty. The inner cover required prying on two corners before the layer of propylis broke free with a popping sound. The bees knew what they were doing when they worked so diligently to fill all those nooks and crannies. I was amazed at the changes in my hive. What had been an almost vacant top box was now a bustling center of industry.
As I checked each frame I was thrilled to feel the weight and see the evidence of honey production. Eight of the ten frames were being filled with honey. Some of the honey was already capped for future use. Both sides were filled equally. The bees were working from left to right when facing the front of the hive. The two last frames on the right were just beginning to see activity.
Rather than trying to pry the top box off the bottom box, I chose to check the top box of my second hive. Prior to this visit my first hive had been smaller and less active than the second. With the new burst of energy that the first hive was showing I wanted to see what was happening in hive #2. Upon opening hive #2 I found a situation very similar to the first hive. Much of the top box was full of honey. In fact, some of the frames were overflowing and the bees had begun to add honey comb to the bottom of the frames. These bees also worked from left to right , facing the hive. The frames on the far right were somewhat built out but not nearly as full as the center frames.
After lifting out twenty frames and checking both sides my arms were too tired to attempt lifting the entire top box to check the box beneath. Both top boxes were free of any brood and I'd like to make sure that the box beneath showed that the queen was working as hard as her bees. I estimated that the box with the frames full of honey weighed about 80 lbs. Lifting that would require a fresh start on a new day.
If the weather holds checking the bottom boxes will be my first priority.
I pulled the outer cover off the first hive without difficulty. The inner cover required prying on two corners before the layer of propylis broke free with a popping sound. The bees knew what they were doing when they worked so diligently to fill all those nooks and crannies. I was amazed at the changes in my hive. What had been an almost vacant top box was now a bustling center of industry.
As I checked each frame I was thrilled to feel the weight and see the evidence of honey production. Eight of the ten frames were being filled with honey. Some of the honey was already capped for future use. Both sides were filled equally. The bees were working from left to right when facing the front of the hive. The two last frames on the right were just beginning to see activity.
Rather than trying to pry the top box off the bottom box, I chose to check the top box of my second hive. Prior to this visit my first hive had been smaller and less active than the second. With the new burst of energy that the first hive was showing I wanted to see what was happening in hive #2. Upon opening hive #2 I found a situation very similar to the first hive. Much of the top box was full of honey. In fact, some of the frames were overflowing and the bees had begun to add honey comb to the bottom of the frames. These bees also worked from left to right , facing the hive. The frames on the far right were somewhat built out but not nearly as full as the center frames.
After lifting out twenty frames and checking both sides my arms were too tired to attempt lifting the entire top box to check the box beneath. Both top boxes were free of any brood and I'd like to make sure that the box beneath showed that the queen was working as hard as her bees. I estimated that the box with the frames full of honey weighed about 80 lbs. Lifting that would require a fresh start on a new day.
If the weather holds checking the bottom boxes will be my first priority.
Friday, September 30, 2011
The Chicken Harvest: A Trial Run
This week we spent much of our time planning and gathering equipment for the chicken harvest. Our local feed store had a chicken plucker that they loan to clients. No one in our area had killing cones so we had to improvise concerning cutting and bleeding the chickens. We bought a turkey fryer because it had a propane burner and a pot big enough for scalding the chicken. We created a processing area in the barn, complete with utility sink, table, garbage cans and cooler.
After dinner this evening we went to the barn to get the harvest underway. My job was to catch the chicken and hold it while Rob tied the feet and slit the throat. We hung the chicken over a garbage can and waited while it bled out. After the chicken stopped bleeding we dipped it in the water to loosen the feathers for plucking.
Using the chicken plucker was a little different than expected. Holding a dead chicken while it's pummeled by flexible plastic rods designed to remove the feathers was a little disturbing. As with so many things around the farm, I'm sure it will get easier with practice. The company website boasted that the plucker could clean a chicken in 30 seconds. Obviously, the person operating the plucker had more experience than we did. The website didn't mention how long it took an inexperienced operator to pluck a chicken using the chicken plucker. I'm guessing it was still quicker than we could have done by hand.
Rob handled the evisceration of the birds while I waited to rinse and put them on ice. I was so thankful that he was willing to do the gutting because I'm really pretty certain that the chicken harvest would have stopped never to be resumed if I had been given this responsibility. I'm not sure what I would have done with ninety-three roosters but I wouldn't have been eating them.
We got two birds done before it got too dark to work effectively. In the process we learned that we need a sharper knife. We also learned that, despite the issues with the chicken plucker, we prefer plucked chicken to skinned chicken.
Tomorrow we'll spend some more time harvesting our chickens. It would be great to get half of them done. We'll see how quickly we increase our skill. Though the job was difficult and messy, we were able to do it. There is a sense of accomplishment in that. I think it's safe to say that we've done something that most our generation in this country has never done and will never do.
Two chickens down, ninety-two to go.
After dinner this evening we went to the barn to get the harvest underway. My job was to catch the chicken and hold it while Rob tied the feet and slit the throat. We hung the chicken over a garbage can and waited while it bled out. After the chicken stopped bleeding we dipped it in the water to loosen the feathers for plucking.
Using the chicken plucker was a little different than expected. Holding a dead chicken while it's pummeled by flexible plastic rods designed to remove the feathers was a little disturbing. As with so many things around the farm, I'm sure it will get easier with practice. The company website boasted that the plucker could clean a chicken in 30 seconds. Obviously, the person operating the plucker had more experience than we did. The website didn't mention how long it took an inexperienced operator to pluck a chicken using the chicken plucker. I'm guessing it was still quicker than we could have done by hand.
Rob handled the evisceration of the birds while I waited to rinse and put them on ice. I was so thankful that he was willing to do the gutting because I'm really pretty certain that the chicken harvest would have stopped never to be resumed if I had been given this responsibility. I'm not sure what I would have done with ninety-three roosters but I wouldn't have been eating them.
We got two birds done before it got too dark to work effectively. In the process we learned that we need a sharper knife. We also learned that, despite the issues with the chicken plucker, we prefer plucked chicken to skinned chicken.
Tomorrow we'll spend some more time harvesting our chickens. It would be great to get half of them done. We'll see how quickly we increase our skill. Though the job was difficult and messy, we were able to do it. There is a sense of accomplishment in that. I think it's safe to say that we've done something that most our generation in this country has never done and will never do.
Two chickens down, ninety-two to go.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Houdini Cow: Contained at Last
Last weekend we put up an electric fence in an effort to contain the cow. We were both amazed at how easy it was to set up the electric fence. Due to the ease of installation we really didn't expect the fence to work. There was no way that something so simple could be effective. As predicted, the cow blew right through the single strand without blinking an eye. We weren't surprised and were glad that we had more wire. We quickly added a second strand of wire to the electric fence. The second strand caused him to slow down and protest the first time he came in contact with the new fence. After an afternoon of fence training and two escapes, he seems resigned to life inside the fence. This was a better result than we've had training any dog we've ever had.
Throughout the week, T-Bone even seemed to be enjoying his new found, if limited, freedom. He moved around the yard, into and out of the barn. Every now and then, I've had to look for him only to find him laying under a tree or grazing in the back of his field. What a relief it's been to have the cow where he belongs rather than standing on the front porch. It's been almost a week with no wandering cow.
I wonder what will keep things exciting around here now.
Throughout the week, T-Bone even seemed to be enjoying his new found, if limited, freedom. He moved around the yard, into and out of the barn. Every now and then, I've had to look for him only to find him laying under a tree or grazing in the back of his field. What a relief it's been to have the cow where he belongs rather than standing on the front porch. It's been almost a week with no wandering cow.
I wonder what will keep things exciting around here now.
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