tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1815383803696373882024-03-12T20:13:25.488-05:00Bluestem FarmBluestem Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428992456981805354noreply@blogger.comBlogger85125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-181538380369637388.post-61591975274546807222012-03-14T16:29:00.000-05:002012-03-14T16:29:45.777-05:00Mason bees<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">Mason bees are one of the 40,000+ native species of bees in North America. Their specialty is early spring pollination, especially of fruit trees, which gives them their other name- Orchard bee. They are small, blue-black in color and rarely sting. Mason bees are "solitary bees," so while they nest near one another, they do not form colonies and therefor have little to defend.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy6nUqHPnJgTdW4H5hC4-S-5kKG9WXxidiOBChzehO7yGtgL-2CI2IiQn84PKKgsFbp-xEYRipxHwS97EScK1u0-i1FHSTcP85ct7AVozE2PAkDLe30C0muiX7KwEKQ1AAFE1huSrZQ1w/s1600/IMG_3200.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy6nUqHPnJgTdW4H5hC4-S-5kKG9WXxidiOBChzehO7yGtgL-2CI2IiQn84PKKgsFbp-xEYRipxHwS97EScK1u0-i1FHSTcP85ct7AVozE2PAkDLe30C0muiX7KwEKQ1AAFE1huSrZQ1w/s400/IMG_3200.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
These and other native bees will gladly nest in tree cavities, but they are also attracted by mason bee houses that consist of deep holes 5/16th inches in diameter. Katherine and I lined the holes with parchment paper so that the bee cocoons can be removed and stored in the refrigerator over the winter. <br />
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I suppose a patient person would just put out the houses and wait for the bees to find them, but that is not one of my traits. I ordered 20 cocoons from Oregon, some of which broke dormancy during shipping, and put the rest in the crisper drawer until today! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF1F_JNUnN1RKmD3uMmePSkNy6R3ruhA7J9qse9OSZe7Az10tO0NRDBuhCvTTIGxkwJ139VNMh0zIW0s3QtH21MELiNcV4F3UFDcDq0gZ67fbzC0fIbpZ4Btt0kYxtXMGs7EJo5tXOw0o/s1600/IMG_3199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF1F_JNUnN1RKmD3uMmePSkNy6R3ruhA7J9qse9OSZe7Az10tO0NRDBuhCvTTIGxkwJ139VNMh0zIW0s3QtH21MELiNcV4F3UFDcDq0gZ67fbzC0fIbpZ4Btt0kYxtXMGs7EJo5tXOw0o/s1600/IMG_3199.JPG" /></a></div>Katherine showed no fear with our new neighbors.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaT_QLUWjKHZU92BZwMdofFRKKfj78WhPIHuH46a25np_hyh2lrql190KzGSj1EYeiWZJTNQcO5ec6gv1GxKa3fPzpsAzUMhR0idbTDpLva-yKzINztXyfK9rZXesvFpkYoIR_6vg3s6E/s1600/IMG_3225.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaT_QLUWjKHZU92BZwMdofFRKKfj78WhPIHuH46a25np_hyh2lrql190KzGSj1EYeiWZJTNQcO5ec6gv1GxKa3fPzpsAzUMhR0idbTDpLva-yKzINztXyfK9rZXesvFpkYoIR_6vg3s6E/s1600/IMG_3225.JPG" /></a></div>I mounted the two bee houses in the shelter of the chicken house roof near the orchard.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmZWAOHH1unpM_mPXl1oaoEUp19Z_FW1CfyPZgzlnQ_t6hB0JoWJjwGpgLMLuAdGw-43jN_Bxir3ZNoReW-6FFdQnbxDTJO4ggWiTrw_dIVG8kJOrKrxYOx-ie407jPdLVWSPm9VCbSBI/s1600/IMG_3231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmZWAOHH1unpM_mPXl1oaoEUp19Z_FW1CfyPZgzlnQ_t6hB0JoWJjwGpgLMLuAdGw-43jN_Bxir3ZNoReW-6FFdQnbxDTJO4ggWiTrw_dIVG8kJOrKrxYOx-ie407jPdLVWSPm9VCbSBI/s1600/IMG_3231.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Here is the first bee to emerge from the box of cocoons! We have warm weather, flowering trees, and shelter so the rest is up to them. Good luck guys!Bluestem Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428992456981805354noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-181538380369637388.post-21832164803629678282012-03-14T13:37:00.000-05:002012-03-14T13:37:23.138-05:00Last year's calves<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh80Wjj8XDCVgz02vmbvMrwj5gAJ1rB8aL1MLWapKEt_oFEjCrEhknR9gCF0qPtyYcCNTqBAwmTWmGqYjJHFW2JAaFgnI26rKkzTVJKWHALcMdsPLW5K75_j_b7aMY3NIjJrD4cWCOjmfc/s1600/IMG_3127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh80Wjj8XDCVgz02vmbvMrwj5gAJ1rB8aL1MLWapKEt_oFEjCrEhknR9gCF0qPtyYcCNTqBAwmTWmGqYjJHFW2JAaFgnI26rKkzTVJKWHALcMdsPLW5K75_j_b7aMY3NIjJrD4cWCOjmfc/s1600/IMG_3127.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Abby (front) and Asher, growing up.Bluestem Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428992456981805354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-181538380369637388.post-29993498426972178772012-03-14T12:49:00.000-05:002012-03-14T12:49:31.840-05:00Butter trials<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>This winter I visited the new natural foods store in Lawrence and found Super-Natural grass-fed dairy cream. Katherine and I put it to the test by making butter (on right) and comparing it to butter made from standard store cream (circle on left) and a pat of store butter (square). For color and flavor, the grass-fed cream made a far better product. The yellow color corresponds to the amount of beta carotene (vitamin A).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8A1uYdLZYsQXAOW2QJnA1MH_S7Y2TK0ZootSP_V4O1sahMUWe-VVam7FuyEdzjUa0S6V4DaPJYjgUk3jIuinZRWcj3q9N4mtNpxfAB3I_R6P_kVx-STqA3Wt-8ZUj6keRcMreRZYFltc/s1600/IMG_3100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8A1uYdLZYsQXAOW2QJnA1MH_S7Y2TK0ZootSP_V4O1sahMUWe-VVam7FuyEdzjUa0S6V4DaPJYjgUk3jIuinZRWcj3q9N4mtNpxfAB3I_R6P_kVx-STqA3Wt-8ZUj6keRcMreRZYFltc/s320/IMG_3100.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
In late February, after my first calf arrived, I milked out a half-gallon of our own Bluestem milk to see how it compared to the store-bought grass-fed cream. The Super-Natural cream made the butter on the right, and the small bowl on the left contains Bluestem butter. Ours was a little more yellow-orange than pasteurized cream, but the difference was not nearly so stark as between the grass-fed and standard store cream butters. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg13u3bcaGLR397mhYs4vSbZYUHY-DS7p8RIEdOSCU-I00-Eh6jiowkYxF1_FWKqXaGQFEJIu5gpOlbgTfUkRRJmsmfUod3Bsxg1bFki4D8y_9vpG7LHVhW3OFJRFv8ypSQRePNjW_Q_BM/s1600/IMG_3210.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg13u3bcaGLR397mhYs4vSbZYUHY-DS7p8RIEdOSCU-I00-Eh6jiowkYxF1_FWKqXaGQFEJIu5gpOlbgTfUkRRJmsmfUod3Bsxg1bFki4D8y_9vpG7LHVhW3OFJRFv8ypSQRePNjW_Q_BM/s320/IMG_3210.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
So, if you don't have a cow of your own, I'd suggest the grass-fed cream/milk/butter. It may just be worth the money!Bluestem Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428992456981805354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-181538380369637388.post-34845335446844782682012-03-14T12:29:00.000-05:002012-03-14T12:29:15.532-05:00Oops!I'm not always good about sharing my mistakes, but this one was pretty public in my neighborhood so here you have it! <br />
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In February, I was so excited from talking to a woman at a grazing conference about patch burning, I thought, "I know it's been a little dry (deep drought) but I'll just try this one little match..."<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Ip9ZZ6F_0Xgpb3vg0araw6uRXjkeij02b6ZIcXjX4gAHOxkdbZMZU3fE8TU-Hw5-hT4qY6G-jjbwwc0ueLUUf2nMppyMdWqh5MWee9b7HwNz7E8I8M0G_W9-rTB4Zo1a_juEGzlzFp8/s1600/IMG_3196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Ip9ZZ6F_0Xgpb3vg0araw6uRXjkeij02b6ZIcXjX4gAHOxkdbZMZU3fE8TU-Hw5-hT4qY6G-jjbwwc0ueLUUf2nMppyMdWqh5MWee9b7HwNz7E8I8M0G_W9-rTB4Zo1a_juEGzlzFp8/s1600/IMG_3196.JPG" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvi66KbbNXbMZiMxDF08WlWK8B-mbFt45ZDOctV18I99vSNIjD5FiaVLZk1IfhiZ4bMJzLHhaLnBomN82m-bKDCn8qdO1fJdfeV8dNwmqde11bsKYn4yP3LL4ABahBpvgMJ_XQ2dbJmKQ/s1600/IMG_3193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvi66KbbNXbMZiMxDF08WlWK8B-mbFt45ZDOctV18I99vSNIjD5FiaVLZk1IfhiZ4bMJzLHhaLnBomN82m-bKDCn8qdO1fJdfeV8dNwmqde11bsKYn4yP3LL4ABahBpvgMJ_XQ2dbJmKQ/s1600/IMG_3193.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> 30 acres and a visit from my friendly neighborhood fire department later...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiklP-ET41XRAyHAmt6pcokIRIkT3fKzSWi8yFV0iNq8mcDy1G8rq0KNFLjEM-ZFBRFcIgZxQjVyI2q7DDCk5OrFrgp5MrvfODfUBO9rcPb4_oElmqgPWK-lCKMEoRBUXeHSsu1ewtOS_s/s1600/IMG_3202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiklP-ET41XRAyHAmt6pcokIRIkT3fKzSWi8yFV0iNq8mcDy1G8rq0KNFLjEM-ZFBRFcIgZxQjVyI2q7DDCk5OrFrgp5MrvfODfUBO9rcPb4_oElmqgPWK-lCKMEoRBUXeHSsu1ewtOS_s/s1600/IMG_3202.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">... and no more grass.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It probably serves me right since I've been getting cocky about my spring burning. In the end, with the diligent intervention of our (free) township fire department, nothing burned but grass. It could have been much, much worse with several neighborhood houses and barns in the path. Thanks guys!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Bluestem Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428992456981805354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-181538380369637388.post-90154351644055224512011-12-18T09:52:00.001-06:002011-12-20T12:55:46.913-06:00Scott's secret woodshed project<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2FZMJVOVVmq3Fv1VPbGdr5qbDmT10TsNsegs9aZwK4MCFSUV2T06rX-e1SlmGWMB6zgPVIYIOBMIba-IWPvhrxGbxzKxU8nPRcGvXnm1_fxYZctSfICk-IbX4xSUvGmoF2VcmMubIlZs/s1600/IMG_3071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2FZMJVOVVmq3Fv1VPbGdr5qbDmT10TsNsegs9aZwK4MCFSUV2T06rX-e1SlmGWMB6zgPVIYIOBMIba-IWPvhrxGbxzKxU8nPRcGvXnm1_fxYZctSfICk-IbX4xSUvGmoF2VcmMubIlZs/s320/IMG_3071.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Scott has been wanting a woodshed. I thought the project could wait, so he built it in the shop one day while I was distracted by baby pigs. It was a great use of the last bits and bobs of scrap metal now that all our serious projects are done. Much of the structural steel had to be spliced from two- and three foot pieces, but it is certainly adequate for the job of keeping our wood dry without storing it underfoot in the metal shop. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo8_O446wM-sLAph2gjaRlUTZKqnTf9QW8_9FxCDmLiqaElWBZyIsf1C3SWWGv1qFhVAwz5VrMp56GD73TBfSwudNlkuFaVq8dcXEQyfvoGTpHoSc9DvCoVJsUTKtDc0aYC4KPnbC0LLc/s1600/IMG_3073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo8_O446wM-sLAph2gjaRlUTZKqnTf9QW8_9FxCDmLiqaElWBZyIsf1C3SWWGv1qFhVAwz5VrMp56GD73TBfSwudNlkuFaVq8dcXEQyfvoGTpHoSc9DvCoVJsUTKtDc0aYC4KPnbC0LLc/s320/IMG_3073.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>At 11 and a half feet wide the trick was to get it out of a 12 foot door. Not to fear- grasshopper to the rescue! Scott rigged the building to the frame of the grasshopper like a turtle and inched it out the door,<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEI8wmHdSR6QfxLIGIPDVUYWPtegfxBRcVVMVX9h68WeR6DXy64MUY5f8_UHNtJaHBL-sDpAPD2dAdo5erbIJ7y7u_Ww-wU6rvVIvYhXEo7_EEf8UxoYH-DYyuhc35N5etBM8sF3XE1IQ/s1600/IMG_3080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEI8wmHdSR6QfxLIGIPDVUYWPtegfxBRcVVMVX9h68WeR6DXy64MUY5f8_UHNtJaHBL-sDpAPD2dAdo5erbIJ7y7u_Ww-wU6rvVIvYhXEo7_EEf8UxoYH-DYyuhc35N5etBM8sF3XE1IQ/s320/IMG_3080.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>through the yard, up the hill, and<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVC6IHe5dkApy32RMUs9EuBP-zwByRPwiXyC7XQG7mSHrnK1Zx_OhWYNrH2sGj3fg_hLUkhfUzYjoAXgIcxyM2Irdm6Qyn3FZwesaWKaRqZdIH2sAn3LOBqr079dIO-AfhVKfvwi3DA_s/s1600/IMG_3082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVC6IHe5dkApy32RMUs9EuBP-zwByRPwiXyC7XQG7mSHrnK1Zx_OhWYNrH2sGj3fg_hLUkhfUzYjoAXgIcxyM2Irdm6Qyn3FZwesaWKaRqZdIH2sAn3LOBqr079dIO-AfhVKfvwi3DA_s/s320/IMG_3082.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>into place. He poured concrete around the footings and loaded in our wood before nightfall and the next day it rained. Way to go Scott!Bluestem Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428992456981805354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-181538380369637388.post-36429901390856894212011-12-18T09:47:00.000-06:002011-12-18T09:47:50.069-06:00An other reason to eat grass-fedDrought-weakened corn crops in our neighborhood are turning out to also be infected with aflatoxins this year. This group of chemicals are a product of fungal infections on the drying ears. <br />
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The problem is wide-spread enough that our local elevator is testing every load. If the aflotoxin levels are too high, the infected corn is blended with less-infected corn to meet the FDA standard. At $25 per test, a single 5 kernel sample is used to determine the fate of a whole semi-truck load of grain, meaning that the results could easily over- or under represent the real threat. <br />
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The FDA limits aflatoxin contamination to 0.5 parts per million (ppm) in milk and 20 ppm in human food and animal feed. Feedlot cattle, on the other hand, can be fed corn with up to 300 ppm as a sole ration with the idea that they will be hamburger before the cancer takes them down. <br />
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What will become of all the infected corn? The federal regulations won't allow it in the food supply for either people or livestock, but the ethanol plants won't take it either since their byproducts are marketed as animal feed. Bluestem Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428992456981805354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-181538380369637388.post-82907208838849785112011-12-18T09:23:00.001-06:002011-12-18T09:24:41.132-06:00The saga of Trudy's second Bluestem litter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5j9fgqf-gnSH_YMHmIf8HqXA1LoNbo2_tCULdoWhRpxxSooPs09LyY230SvIQRGJIpCC-jGQ5DheelhMAqLXlSZDI7FyT3NBn1oYkEY7YKqAD75kK1TZRH-rPeEfRiu78LgN2V62UJeU/s1600/IMG_3006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5j9fgqf-gnSH_YMHmIf8HqXA1LoNbo2_tCULdoWhRpxxSooPs09LyY230SvIQRGJIpCC-jGQ5DheelhMAqLXlSZDI7FyT3NBn1oYkEY7YKqAD75kK1TZRH-rPeEfRiu78LgN2V62UJeU/s1600/IMG_3006.JPG" /></a></div>Trudy delivered 9 lovely babies on a chilly Tuesday, November 22. The smallest was only interested in keeping warm and never tried for a teat so we didn't expect him to make it. Another pig (#8) had some trouble breathing at first, but pepped up after an hour. In all I was hoping to see her raise 7 or 8 nice pigs like the last bunch!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia5r_dR45tOYZ6xbVHEbZPNgq4FijLmnDWYB-Z6MRbr80EReUbCP0-UkCsa3UpHmGvttA8CQc_owDaP0YHYqYKyJY9RHvqpsWI3otIUA0oieR2jqEFZcMQ6KoKNRfQO5x40hmS2A0lj5w/s1600/IMG_3011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia5r_dR45tOYZ6xbVHEbZPNgq4FijLmnDWYB-Z6MRbr80EReUbCP0-UkCsa3UpHmGvttA8CQc_owDaP0YHYqYKyJY9RHvqpsWI3otIUA0oieR2jqEFZcMQ6KoKNRfQO5x40hmS2A0lj5w/s1600/IMG_3011.JPG" /></a></div>But with the Thanksgiving holiday and an over abundance of trust in the process, I did not spend my usual obsessive amount of time with the new family and after a few days things were not progressing as they should have. Somehow by Friday one pig (a gilt we named "Bertha") was gaining steadily on a productive teat, and the other remaining pigs were still scrabbling over a few minimally productive teats at the milk bar. They did not seem to have grown much and Trudy seemed to only have substantial milk in a single teat! I don't know if the babies somehow didn't learn to suck well and the milk dried up, or if the milk dried up first and it hampered their learning to suck... All I can say is that I should have been there. By the first night each pig should have established ownership over a teat. Trudy did seem reluctant to stay on her side long enough for even Bertha to drink her fill, so it's possible that her mothering abilities were not kicking in this time, but she seemed in all other ways to be attentive to her brood. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoyibkZP0KtuYUL3h_kEqjhiWyCbuXN8FJTcdyP8qnCzpLmS8Q9aqwec7Zx5qUV7mMIFy0Y5_6wTCl1n7usm2NYZ4e1aRlgPxBfRsgFFNMFAChElV8dTYiXTGLV8IDCw_XiVGDF1TfkHA/s1600/IMG_3014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoyibkZP0KtuYUL3h_kEqjhiWyCbuXN8FJTcdyP8qnCzpLmS8Q9aqwec7Zx5qUV7mMIFy0Y5_6wTCl1n7usm2NYZ4e1aRlgPxBfRsgFFNMFAChElV8dTYiXTGLV8IDCw_XiVGDF1TfkHA/s400/IMG_3014.JPG" width="332" /></a></div>My folks were visiting for the holiday, so Mom helped with the first few days of, what we hoped would be, supplemental feedings of pig milk replacer. Our goal was to keep the piglets' strength up while they figured things out with their mom. Several of the litter had been crushed by Trudy as she laid with them. The is common with hogs, but not supposed to be a problem with Guinea hogs. I think they little ones were too weak from not eating enough to get out of the way. We hoped to save the remaining 5 by giving them their own heated sleeping area away from Trudy.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_GltLktc8PxY47aM2mOti5ZvL03QprtEDs2DshRXWWYCVjSsoX4qLBxCufafkNkEg0Urnom6tTHNAhK3TRjSSJLfzE23glav23M_Xby5LqH9PKavWkq8giHYKraQRc6e2TymfT6Dm9VY/s1600/IMG_3016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_GltLktc8PxY47aM2mOti5ZvL03QprtEDs2DshRXWWYCVjSsoX4qLBxCufafkNkEg0Urnom6tTHNAhK3TRjSSJLfzE23glav23M_Xby5LqH9PKavWkq8giHYKraQRc6e2TymfT6Dm9VY/s400/IMG_3016.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>But as the situation did not improve, we went to plan "raise the pigs in the bathtub." This was Scott's idea, but he assures me that he was completely joking! Still when you have to get up every three hours to feed, proximity is key! Two of the pigs were adept at the bottle from the start, but three were still unproductive after few days. After reading tips online, I switched everyone over to drinking milk from a dish and that did the trick. The littlest two had trouble with scours (diarrhea) and needed two rounds of antibiotics to clear them up, but all five are healthy and living in the barn now! Of the biggest three, Bertha will likely stay here as a breeder, and Wilbur or Nigel will be traveling to a new home in Gardener, KS to grow up to be a herd boar. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjcWHfkKvyQ4a4B-vchXKKzOMOs2GHQuuFHu1qAMq5XTgr-w7zPJfoL4K-qlEhrfz1tQz45WTCN8Xc3Deou1Ea1SIQ8jgqQ0RRR3xzrtktFEOS0hDE4deBjUuBLqGgLTcVoUN3seFrVAU/s1600/IMG_3095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjcWHfkKvyQ4a4B-vchXKKzOMOs2GHQuuFHu1qAMq5XTgr-w7zPJfoL4K-qlEhrfz1tQz45WTCN8Xc3Deou1Ea1SIQ8jgqQ0RRR3xzrtktFEOS0hDE4deBjUuBLqGgLTcVoUN3seFrVAU/s1600/IMG_3095.JPG" /></a></div>Here is Nigel at his first day of preschool at age 2 weeks and 2 days. He and Wilbur were a hit and "hammed" it up for the crowd. For photo credit, Katherine took this picture.<br />
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At present the 5 piglets: Bertha, Wilbur, Nigel, Annie, and Pip are 3 weeks and 5 days old, spending their days in a protected area outside, and sleeping under their heater in the barn at night. They've been reunited with their mother and have been getting to know their older siblings.Bluestem Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428992456981805354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-181538380369637388.post-34926359056610873242011-12-17T19:53:00.000-06:002011-12-17T19:53:11.291-06:00Lessons learnedI should start back into my blogging season by following up with all the trouble caused by our friend Dan. First, I ignored my better judgement and did NOT quarantine Dan before adding him to my herd. He was so young and friendless after leaving his family and enduring the trauma of the sale barn... I just wanted him to have the safety of the group. I may have had good intentions, but it was the wrong call. Though fit and strong when he left his home farm (2 miles from here), he contracted a "shipping pneumonia" from his companions at the auction. Within the week he had spread the disease to both of my other precious calves! My first indication that something was wrong was when Abby, a normally vivacious heifer was spending a little more time laying down with her ears drooping. I spend a bizarre amount of time watching my animals, so I noticed that Abby was not quite herself one Sunday evening. A sheepish call to a neighbor with these non-specific symptoms turned out to be just what was needed. He took me seriously, and by the time he came over with a bottle of penicillin, she was starting to cough. Calves can succumb quickly and Abby had the worst case between Dan, her brother and herself. I would hate to have lost her. All three were treated by the vet the next morning and Abby again the day after. I never use any sub-therapeutic antibiotics in my animals, but I'm also not shy about making them well as fast as I can with (nearly) any method at my disposal. Everyone recovered and is none the worse, but all of this could have been avoided by better management decisions. Most health problems are due at least in part to management problems, but the trick is to know what those are before hindsight makes them clear.Bluestem Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428992456981805354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-181538380369637388.post-5516156057153083212011-08-13T21:01:00.000-05:002011-08-13T21:01:43.846-05:00Welcome, Dan!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqsQm4CMb-uDP-yDgGaaW7F_X83O6JDcgAKpuKtL2Pj08DaTQ4c20ntL7VOeSDfZS_p0F9QrNBgHGoPjTn4nytYhTLyOOzEObugr4A8Pt7D3Q3LoR8LqI7NW3AZ74l5l5L-PrFBQWpT-s/s1600/IMG_2730.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqsQm4CMb-uDP-yDgGaaW7F_X83O6JDcgAKpuKtL2Pj08DaTQ4c20ntL7VOeSDfZS_p0F9QrNBgHGoPjTn4nytYhTLyOOzEObugr4A8Pt7D3Q3LoR8LqI7NW3AZ74l5l5L-PrFBQWpT-s/s1600/IMG_2730.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dan, our newest addition</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I wasn't planning to add any more critters, but when I visited a neighbor that has a few White Park cows, he had a little steer that he was willing to sell. I put my name on him, but my neighbor and I got our signals crossed and he took the steer to the sale barn! Didn't I just say I would not buy any animals there? Anyway, I didn't want this boy to go to waste on someone who wouldn't appreciate him. With the general bias towards black cows in our region, I bought Dan for a bargain. Still, I would gladly have paid more to avoid subjecting him to the stress and disease of the sale barn. Bluestem Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428992456981805354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-181538380369637388.post-41498032270573938492011-08-13T20:59:00.000-05:002011-08-13T20:59:15.227-05:00Spontaneous combustion......It's not just in Dickens.<br />
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We always say that fresh manure is "hot" and the the compost piles are "cooking down," so I shouldn't have been so surprised when I went out to turn the piles tonight and found smoldering ash in the middle. Even on a 90 degree evening, I could feel the heat from the tractor seat with every scoop.Bluestem Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428992456981805354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-181538380369637388.post-23470034134511166442011-08-13T16:41:00.001-05:002011-08-13T20:58:17.957-05:00Pasture in the drought<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEhZnk9mkMXwV9ChMHBUldVab6D2Phojx1o2PpyxHMfoIvnKkeVHj1hsJVBCjnBTP1dFkbyd0FxVe1gxMwLQvqFsya36wsu1NA4odcaVIIydrlABkns-PALmtPsORmNjJPK1Rs4MTesH0/s1600/IMG_2670.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEhZnk9mkMXwV9ChMHBUldVab6D2Phojx1o2PpyxHMfoIvnKkeVHj1hsJVBCjnBTP1dFkbyd0FxVe1gxMwLQvqFsya36wsu1NA4odcaVIIydrlABkns-PALmtPsORmNjJPK1Rs4MTesH0/s1600/IMG_2670.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our native grass pasture, 8/2/2011</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_YE8kyA3MjyUQek-fiAe9KHViTIqrPWXT83s49SBrQB0dW4b8QgV6WxTISoHLrcBY6M4K1S4x5NUFUwBpPHyjcU84VXF-oMSJosN-rqmdfoZXCAqBsr_1uSXp0pW0UECZTqYVgvEAl0Y/s1600/IMG_2671.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_YE8kyA3MjyUQek-fiAe9KHViTIqrPWXT83s49SBrQB0dW4b8QgV6WxTISoHLrcBY6M4K1S4x5NUFUwBpPHyjcU84VXF-oMSJosN-rqmdfoZXCAqBsr_1uSXp0pW0UECZTqYVgvEAl0Y/s1600/IMG_2671.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our neighbor's non-native pasture, 8/2/2011</td></tr>
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I've been so pleased with the way our grass has weathered the last month of high temperatures. That's no real credit to us; the native grasses grow deep roots and are "warm-season" growers. Most of the grazing land in eastern Kansas and surroundings is managed for "cool-season" grasses that can out-perform my natives in the early spring.Bluestem Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428992456981805354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-181538380369637388.post-63648359419393433752011-08-02T19:17:00.000-05:002011-08-02T19:17:26.964-05:00Lasagna garden in July<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizlStHwHD0ZJKvDTQiYwWnz04biOUv22Vj-EVFGpkZQVVCl5i-FuC5G6fj66ohW4-nmQjEHVZDZBKeylh235Pqdm8_6P2FSagMjcZsx7hse1Xn3ilqFwnHL2I9FPHutHw9A5ILHVbJKOQ/s1600/120+deg.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizlStHwHD0ZJKvDTQiYwWnz04biOUv22Vj-EVFGpkZQVVCl5i-FuC5G6fj66ohW4-nmQjEHVZDZBKeylh235Pqdm8_6P2FSagMjcZsx7hse1Xn3ilqFwnHL2I9FPHutHw9A5ILHVbJKOQ/s1600/120+deg.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Too hot for chores!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Can you blame me if weeding has fallen off of my priority list? The tomato plants are keeping us well stocked, though the canning crop is yet to come. My late planted corn is doing well. I expect a great crop of corn ear worms for the chickens, and the pigs and cows have been fighting over the green leaf corn plants that I have been thinning out. These must be a great snack since the pigs leave not a morsel when they get an armful of corn stalks. I've harvested a marginal crop of onions due to the chicken destruction they endured early on, but I'm overflowing with garlic with plenty to use and replant in October. The biggest disappointment so far has been my green beans. The first planting yielded well until the hot weather put a stop to blossom production, and my first try at succession planting shriveled in the sun. Now should be the time to start my fall plantings, but maybe a week or two will give us a break in the weather...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZaWZfuy3evR5mvVRfQc_NLu45YNJ7HUnDWHNO-4UstTbyNiUqGTp-zL_ZxMge3uDN2FU3Zr-kmmGgAP7nspZxWRfDuD22TcfTpECoNO8iIpQW7NpGtQXy3Atqa4udn96s5I_QzHqZ09k/s1600/garden+in+july.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZaWZfuy3evR5mvVRfQc_NLu45YNJ7HUnDWHNO-4UstTbyNiUqGTp-zL_ZxMge3uDN2FU3Zr-kmmGgAP7nspZxWRfDuD22TcfTpECoNO8iIpQW7NpGtQXy3Atqa4udn96s5I_QzHqZ09k/s1600/garden+in+july.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Garden after one month of 100 degree days</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Bluestem Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428992456981805354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-181538380369637388.post-18792686302157797352011-08-02T17:46:00.001-05:002011-08-13T21:05:23.796-05:002011 Calf photos<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitDBna6AdaGYORSw_prUgQY6OOswIn2Xzb0DlE4dNpyDq6_7CRJuCLpWi2SP5CdMe-YMewD2rwCGg6qbZD8rBp1MXVffnF2AIJ8udp0h5Z0T0O2xRdJj-e860ua4qxs4LFQuHX2-6obBo/s1600/a+and+a+hill.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitDBna6AdaGYORSw_prUgQY6OOswIn2Xzb0DlE4dNpyDq6_7CRJuCLpWi2SP5CdMe-YMewD2rwCGg6qbZD8rBp1MXVffnF2AIJ8udp0h5Z0T0O2xRdJj-e860ua4qxs4LFQuHX2-6obBo/s1600/a+and+a+hill.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abby (left) and Asher playing King of the Hill</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC5e9GTTg2ma6_JroIa3M2e6CsS92OhYPaHMh5YayuUanI41cUdTJXrPMLPRzi2KHsw34QzNiy7DogjOJXLv-8deiHbFAUinnyn8tqeH0iK0vXJDG_Lwzh3a0imd1w66bE4ouLBMSPBP8/s1600/Asher+calf.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC5e9GTTg2ma6_JroIa3M2e6CsS92OhYPaHMh5YayuUanI41cUdTJXrPMLPRzi2KHsw34QzNiy7DogjOJXLv-8deiHbFAUinnyn8tqeH0iK0vXJDG_Lwzh3a0imd1w66bE4ouLBMSPBP8/s1600/Asher+calf.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Asher, 2 months old</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Our herd is now down to Mary and her heifer calf, Abby, Martha, and her steer calf, Asher, and yearling steers, Abe and Jake. Agnes is now in the freezer and Catalina went to a new home where she will live out her life as a pet. The irony of our new smaller herd is that we may have the best grass in the neighborhood this year with the intense heat. (Asher is standing in a patch of weeds above, though.) We've had a month of 100 degree days now and the main staples for cattle grazing, brome and fescue, are nearly devoid of nutrition as a result. Our native grasses are thriving in spite of the heat and my biggest pasture management problem is that I don't have enough mouths to eat the grass down to keep its quality through the fall and winter! My neighbor is thinking of feeding hay soon, but I have offered to host his herd of 20 cow/calf pairs here until we get some rain. This same neighbor keeps me supplied with good hay, so I'll be happy if he takes me up on it.Bluestem Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428992456981805354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-181538380369637388.post-13511969785721987322011-07-21T11:19:00.000-05:002011-07-21T11:19:06.480-05:00Solar oven confessionsNow I remember why the solar oven lives in the attic. We fired up the house oven after all to finish baking our brownies. I think to give solar cooking a real chance I need to restrict my experiments to between 11am and 3pm (daylight savings time which is 10am-2pm solar time). If I have successes in the future you'll hear them here. Failures may or may not be reported...Bluestem Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428992456981805354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-181538380369637388.post-82475670608989523242011-07-19T17:23:00.000-05:002011-07-19T17:23:22.229-05:00Heat-wave baking<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN4y0MAjlgPGUk1ojybFTQUg97MVDwN1PRhmV45X01hN1_jJMWHv5IFOWG2PAcnNlWV8f7ACFjsaXbwwdA22HaomojcSshPbthbLIdxcMNRBoufP_IYlgw4N7arNsfLMdLw6R_ELDbOtg/s1600/solar+oven.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN4y0MAjlgPGUk1ojybFTQUg97MVDwN1PRhmV45X01hN1_jJMWHv5IFOWG2PAcnNlWV8f7ACFjsaXbwwdA22HaomojcSshPbthbLIdxcMNRBoufP_IYlgw4N7arNsfLMdLw6R_ELDbOtg/s400/solar+oven.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Katherine wanted to make brownies today, but we are in the middle of a two or three week heat wave with temperatures over 100. We're finicky about using the indoor oven even in an average summer, so it was time to retrieve this little box from the attic. The is my much-upgraded second solar oven. (The first was cardboard.) This one was meant to be built from plywood, but about that time I met Scott (and his sheet-metal leaf-brake) and the rest is history...Bluestem Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428992456981805354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-181538380369637388.post-30622120221727335432011-06-29T11:37:00.000-05:002011-06-29T11:37:31.619-05:00Lasagna garden in June<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIN6y98wL-MPe3ABH9j-N0Q3HhrRMNp2LghYdr_vRm5fa-0Oat7AVS1wf0sq5vn8LDwqSS4j89VxcX-qUP_Ey22ge_CTPQEyX00nBXyfxSwrlQJ0nMCp38QXW-o6txGYBgeRoXsB94I4E/s1600/IMG_2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIN6y98wL-MPe3ABH9j-N0Q3HhrRMNp2LghYdr_vRm5fa-0Oat7AVS1wf0sq5vn8LDwqSS4j89VxcX-qUP_Ey22ge_CTPQEyX00nBXyfxSwrlQJ0nMCp38QXW-o6txGYBgeRoXsB94I4E/s1600/IMG_2529.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Scott and Katherine built me this garden fence, not for rabbits, but to keep my own livestock out! First, the ducks spent the winter pecking holes in the mulch and underlying newspaper to get at the grubs. The grass in the expanded portions of the garden that was meant to be smothered, grew through with abandon. Then, the chickens found their way into the yard and flattened all my carefully raised planting beds with their excavating and uprooted most of my early onion crop. By the time the baby pigs started escaping into the yard, it was time to build a fence for the garden. <br />
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Now that I have most of the weeds under control, the garden is growing well. I had enough potatoes come back from last year's bed that I didn't plant any additional seed potatoes. It looks like I'll have about 1/3 of last year's crop which should be just fine since we couldn't eat them all last year before they put out shoots. <br />
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The strawberry patch that I planted in December had about a 75% survival rate, but the plants that made it are putting out plenty of daughters to fill in the bed for next year.<br />
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I also have sweet corn, beans, garlic, lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and a bunch of berry bushes that will be moved to a permanent home this fall.Bluestem Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428992456981805354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-181538380369637388.post-29824248202447206432011-06-28T23:37:00.000-05:002011-06-28T23:37:30.691-05:00Censored: Cow calving photosScott wasn't sure I needed to put these front and center, so for those of you who want to see, you can open a separate page from the tab above...Bluestem Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428992456981805354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-181538380369637388.post-21430586514237495342011-06-27T21:35:00.000-05:002011-06-27T21:35:51.528-05:00Grasshopper view of Bluestem Farm<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbPLdo4SKYghGTFEQOqzWVvrsuYMx3XMALZq_VrUgHdjhj7-0Sie0CMNZNwS0VGPi9HM-R0rvsaakJvDjIzeAZvQVL2DJTbzaMBDuWkZLFhP3PnXXR68vgGzCZk9eyS9uKatGBzAAzesc/s1600/IMG_2507.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbPLdo4SKYghGTFEQOqzWVvrsuYMx3XMALZq_VrUgHdjhj7-0Sie0CMNZNwS0VGPi9HM-R0rvsaakJvDjIzeAZvQVL2DJTbzaMBDuWkZLFhP3PnXXR68vgGzCZk9eyS9uKatGBzAAzesc/s1600/IMG_2507.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Southwest</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbHfyJUbLO39GD60u6y0q8kJaDg5hNeJhE7ELOe3FGzSu_8kj6eXKXD2SB9wzNEfCnLDf70shGWCP2xr3IEinacGkLb69DdjTGe2O-C7Ry4ZtJqeexcSJg73ZGuY0t1nQ756LNTkJHLHk/s1600/IMG_2508.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbHfyJUbLO39GD60u6y0q8kJaDg5hNeJhE7ELOe3FGzSu_8kj6eXKXD2SB9wzNEfCnLDf70shGWCP2xr3IEinacGkLb69DdjTGe2O-C7Ry4ZtJqeexcSJg73ZGuY0t1nQ756LNTkJHLHk/s1600/IMG_2508.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">West</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Bluestem Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428992456981805354noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-181538380369637388.post-33262398241991021982011-06-27T21:28:00.004-05:002011-06-30T08:17:17.672-05:00Two new experiences for me, one for AgnesWell, today was the day I loaded up Agnes in my neighbors' trailer for a one-way ride to Santa Fe Trail Meats. After reading and rereading everything I had on grass finishing cattle, I concluded that, in spite of being a big-framed girl, at 26 months Agnes looked as good as any grain finished heifer would. She was full in the brisket, round in the hips, and flat as a board across her broad back. By my estimation, she'd register a frame score of 8 (out of 9 for beef cattle): too fat to breed well, but perfect for the butcher. I asked the USDA inspector at the abattoir to grade her for me, to see where she ranks (prime, choice, select, standard). I'm expecting choice, as the rules for prime are biased against the yellow (high beta-carotene) fat of grass fed animals. <br />
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I've taken hogs to this butcher for the last two years. We back the trailer up to the chute and in they go through the blue door and out they come in frozen packages. This time, when I called to schedule Agnes, I asked if it was permitted to watch the process. They agreed to let me in, but with their tight schedule, the beeves I watched were not my own. This was more than OK by me. Mostly, I wanted to see how the animals were treated behind the blue door, and how they were converted from walking animal to hanging halves. This little facility is just 14 miles down the road from Bluestem Farm. The owner and head butcher answered my questions while he and two others did the bulk of the work. What impressed me was the cleanliness of the operation. Not to say it was without gore, but every stage was rinsed down with copious amounts of water. Everything was calm, "clean" and efficient. An on site USDA inspector checked the livers, hearts, lungs, teeth, and glands for health and age before the newly hanging halves went to the cooler.<br />
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I was still in a cow mood that afternoon, so I came back into Overbrook, KS for the cattle auction next door to my butcher. I didn't intend to buy anything from this or any sale barn, but thought it would be good for my education to see what animals were available and what the buyers were looking for in their stock. There were about 30 men, a few kids, and fewer women in the audience when I got there. The first thing you notice is the stink. Now I had just come from the butcher which smelled like cold meat, and when I clean my barn it smells like manure, but this was something more foul. Cattle of all ages, sexes, sizes, and conditions are herded through a maze of gates out onto large pen built over a livestock scale that rocked a little as they skittered around looking for an exit. Animals were presented in ones or groups for bidding by the "hundred weight." All of the employees seemed to have the same work ethic; if they could clang it, bang it, or beat it with a stick, they did. For reasons that I can't fathom, cattle that were too calm in the ring were shooed, swatted and scared until they were sufficiently wild for their two minutes of show time. It's spring time in Kansas. We've had plenty of rain. There is grass everywhere. How then, could some of these cows have become so emaciated? Were they sick or abused? There were plenty of good looking animals that fetched prices between $130 and $140 per hundred weight. The sick cows brought $44 per hundred weight. Everything sold. Who do you suppose is eating those poor cows?Bluestem Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428992456981805354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-181538380369637388.post-38975739902117383152011-06-23T10:39:00.000-05:002011-06-23T10:39:02.489-05:00Abby and Asher<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBrWt8kW-7sr4thQr7_SpSZm6K0m-lQhwJkMUle2kU-vszYyNPrpFjxukwXH7s7EoEPQKQMwSDMTcI0I58LMFNWAwLubbIRvaEwigt74HHRNeiEpzKgJCPtv0rFLMy0Tdk4EHmkRo4tvM/s1600/asher+and+abby.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBrWt8kW-7sr4thQr7_SpSZm6K0m-lQhwJkMUle2kU-vszYyNPrpFjxukwXH7s7EoEPQKQMwSDMTcI0I58LMFNWAwLubbIRvaEwigt74HHRNeiEpzKgJCPtv0rFLMy0Tdk4EHmkRo4tvM/s1600/asher+and+abby.JPG" /></a></div>Mary and Martha had a lovely matched pair of calves on the 27th and 28th of May. Abby, behind, is Mary's second calf and a definate keeper. She has nice black points and four well-spaced teats, traits that we can attribute to her sire. Asher, Martha's first born, is a real live-wire with a great personality. Unfortunatly, he has six teats like his mother which, in my mind, disqualifies him as a future herd sire to sell. He's been banded and will stay with the herd until he's ready to butcher. Bluestem Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428992456981805354noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-181538380369637388.post-71038079095897709802011-05-26T12:44:00.000-05:002011-05-26T12:44:44.328-05:00What's next? Giraffes?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB5MwvEcZ_xbVkkZtUy_ywWPwSIU-08rkJhrEh-JCsI3uOjTxAsUlJ6iS3MoZgN4l-8BxsRjBVyeqTHeYXBBmNP6GMMxjSy0lUpwFpcGTyTO_453Av5-k0e4NXVxrD29sWr70BhJ-svMk/s1600/k+outside.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB5MwvEcZ_xbVkkZtUy_ywWPwSIU-08rkJhrEh-JCsI3uOjTxAsUlJ6iS3MoZgN4l-8BxsRjBVyeqTHeYXBBmNP6GMMxjSy0lUpwFpcGTyTO_453Av5-k0e4NXVxrD29sWr70BhJ-svMk/s400/k+outside.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Katherine outside</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Katherine tells me that Giraffe has a baby in her belly, just like our two expectant cows. Bluestem Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428992456981805354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-181538380369637388.post-38538344021178634242011-05-26T12:38:00.000-05:002011-05-26T12:38:41.460-05:00Good neighbors<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA4Jvx7kcN5w3Ob6VZj3jHmPyqXPYwo8KZQVnDmXfjgMVCqALXWKIBJTo6Ic087ziydZHx5PFiVXAdIOa_UkEPauhvjfGlbYpPFwtjb38EOX6jtuvg2UzXITDnd3U_l4pHlUjs14I2suA/s1600/pigs+in+chickenhouse.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA4Jvx7kcN5w3Ob6VZj3jHmPyqXPYwo8KZQVnDmXfjgMVCqALXWKIBJTo6Ic087ziydZHx5PFiVXAdIOa_UkEPauhvjfGlbYpPFwtjb38EOX6jtuvg2UzXITDnd3U_l4pHlUjs14I2suA/s400/pigs+in+chickenhouse.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>I'm always surprised how well our species interact. <br />
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Here several of the piglets are cleaning up the spilled chicken feed. This was actually a convinient way for the little ones to access feed withouth their parents fighting them for it. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTkQGIkGTZon3jZAaDH6SBvSXQkWsHVyPM6vJn0P2QBZVnktB0WSAn_ikt9rpGUvTMBCVaAH14dMkag59od1PhOUny_iHbxzYKnVqmQgnIw1U6GaqOj55CJWcCrv3wz-Nzd-639ayc8UQ/s1600/IMG_2421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTkQGIkGTZon3jZAaDH6SBvSXQkWsHVyPM6vJn0P2QBZVnktB0WSAn_ikt9rpGUvTMBCVaAH14dMkag59od1PhOUny_iHbxzYKnVqmQgnIw1U6GaqOj55CJWcCrv3wz-Nzd-639ayc8UQ/s400/IMG_2421.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Now that the sow and boar are moved out of the barn, the piglets just pop through the gate and sleep with the two pregnant cows in the fresh straw of the stalls. I feed them there with the cows and the parents get their grain out in the pasture. Bluestem Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428992456981805354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-181538380369637388.post-41309626779752319792011-05-26T12:18:00.001-05:002011-05-26T12:19:28.374-05:00Appartment living, country style<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhej5XKxjJ8mrfiZ6x3LiXtIF1eddOu-st9dHnpFqc2XzCp8xM2z93pjfWPu8xFhOdtlLbFL44nxO9gREm0MwY7TtcmoMBS71Jku282G-fBBRMdZEd_VSsOA18Dzi43cIsnbsxKp5rHv88/s1600/crowded.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhej5XKxjJ8mrfiZ6x3LiXtIF1eddOu-st9dHnpFqc2XzCp8xM2z93pjfWPu8xFhOdtlLbFL44nxO9gREm0MwY7TtcmoMBS71Jku282G-fBBRMdZEd_VSsOA18Dzi43cIsnbsxKp5rHv88/s400/crowded.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buff Orpingtons and their cousins, Black Australorps are the usual culprits</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Scott built a few more nest boxes for my hens, but the old ones are still the most popular. Out of my small (less than a dozen) flocks, I've usually tolerated a single broody hen who refuses to leave the nest in the vane hope of hatching eggs. <br />
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This spring I have at least five with the same aspirations. These ladies are so intent that they never leave the house to forage. In fact, I think they eat very little at all and their egg production suffers.<br />
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When the first of this batch to go broody, a Buff Orpington, started, I took eight eggs and set her on them in an empty rabbit hutch. The point of separating her is to keep her focused on her job (not really a problem) and to keep other hens from bothering her or adding fresh eggs to her clutch. After the required 21 days of confinement, she had not hatched a single one. I gave her a few extra days for good measure, but nothing.<br />
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Out of curiosity, I cracked all the eggs open. Several may have been unfertilized, or had just not gotten started properly, but a few had chicks in various stages of development. Two where nearly mature. I don't know exactly what went wrong, but I can think of a few things to change if I try again. For one, the cage was too big. She had to leave the nest to reach food and water. The extra space also allowed her to move the nest around when she turned her eggs, sometimes leaving one or two behind. For another, we tried this in early spring and the cold snaps may have been too much for the eggs.<br />
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Now the question is what to do with the five freeloading hens that are taking up valuable real estate that my layers need...Bluestem Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428992456981805354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-181538380369637388.post-42597683496055492512011-05-24T14:24:00.000-05:002011-05-24T14:24:16.022-05:00Ouch!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg79nNqVAWW_v9zJTy_mOV7MWzAkayPfHxefHiPElfk-kdAz05dcHujzc9bfM9l-uOD0EGOEFJ0SU96CNDll49TFxegfJoS0D5xw3XxoTG7neDgxWwAeXpGIxfX2HWGpYXGv4zyeRfTZBU/s1600/IMG_2422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg79nNqVAWW_v9zJTy_mOV7MWzAkayPfHxefHiPElfk-kdAz05dcHujzc9bfM9l-uOD0EGOEFJ0SU96CNDll49TFxegfJoS0D5xw3XxoTG7neDgxWwAeXpGIxfX2HWGpYXGv4zyeRfTZBU/s320/IMG_2422.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Twin chicken egg and an abandoned bird egg</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Someone in our flock keeps laying these monster double-yolk eggs, this one is the biggest yet.<br />
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Sadly, we're getting ready to down-size the flock. I thought I could find a good venue for selling my surplus eggs, but that's turning out to be more trouble than I want. Scott and I agreed that a dozen hens would be enough to supply our family, pigs, neighbors, and friends with a few left for the food pantry. Fewer hens would also allow the grass to recover near the chicken house door. Bluestem Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428992456981805354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-181538380369637388.post-57387269874276293192011-05-24T14:15:00.003-05:002011-05-26T12:22:39.934-05:00Getting ready for baby<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOxU_FFjWGqur7DkKMTAvQXxd2Xv8w48-tvqyzruEUpC4oZ1Xwfkc6xeIKbQbT0B_RRpkLzPdPNijpvISaPEEM_IvGXfLZuHCIRy6o81nV0hJlS5S2GNq_iUw8SZXX5RziRAGo1EgZrVw/s1600/tomSawyer408.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOxU_FFjWGqur7DkKMTAvQXxd2Xv8w48-tvqyzruEUpC4oZ1Xwfkc6xeIKbQbT0B_RRpkLzPdPNijpvISaPEEM_IvGXfLZuHCIRy6o81nV0hJlS5S2GNq_iUw8SZXX5RziRAGo1EgZrVw/s320/tomSawyer408.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">JWest's Tom Sawyer, the dad</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Mary's normally discrete backside is now bulging with the imminent arrival of her new calf. With this sign, called "springing" in farmer lingo, I'm checking her every several hours for further signs of labor. Her bag is full and the teats are getting tight with new milk. Her due date is tomorrow, and I expect she'll be right on time.<br />
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All this vigilance is to make up for missing both calvings last year. The only thing keeping me from spending tonight in the barn is that we will likely have rough weather and we may all be sleeping in the basement instead. <br />
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Martha, my heifer, is due to calve on June 3.<br />
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(P.S. Scott found my photo of Mary's pregnant butt too offensive for general audiences, so I deleted it. I will include it with any birth photos on a separate page.) <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Bluestem Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08428992456981805354noreply@blogger.com0