Muddy around the barn

Almost 3 inches of rain coupled with overcast, cold weather has created a very muddy barnyard.  The cows come slogging through the muck to be milked in the morning and get mud all over the milking parlor.  To top it off, I discovered that my boots have a leak in them.

We all go marching through the mud and the muck

It just won't dry and we have to walk through it numerous times a day.  In the Spring I'll have to get a load of dirt delivered and try to spread it out to raise the level of the ground around the barn.

The chickens don't seem to let it bother them.

One of the reasons the mud hole is created right in from of the barn door is that we don't have gutters on the barn to re-direct the rainwater coming off of the roof of the barn.  The water then collects in a large mud hole that all the animals must trudge through.  Lots of the mud stays on the animal's hooves and is tracked off and re-deposited elsewhere.  This contributes to the mud hole getting larger and larger.

So I got the idea to put up gutters on the south side of the barn to help redirect some of that water.  I enlisted the help of my wife and in no time at all, we had 1/3 of it done.

Putting up gutters on the south side of the barn

The photo below shows how each end is capped off.  My plan is to run piping off of this and direct all the rainwater into water troughs for the cows, goats, and chickens.  

The end of the gutter

In no time at all our work was done and everything is installed.  I think these gutters are going to be a positive on several facets, namely, keeping water from pooling right in front of the barn door and two, collecting rainwater of of the barn roof will save us money.

We're done!

The photo above gives a good 'downstream' view of the new gutters on the south side of the barn.  The reason they are so muddy is that I used them as feeders when we raise our meat birds.  They work great as feed troughs for chickens if you are raising a bunch of birds.  I guess I'll have to purchase some more when our batch of meat birds arrive.

Jack Frost Nipping at your Nose

The morning following Thanksgiving was ushered in with roosters crowing and cows mooing.  Nothing out of the ordinary there - except for the fact that it was cold.  It got down to the lower 20's last night.  You can see that the pasture has a nice coating of frost that shimmers and sparkles in the morning sun.

Maggie Mae is cold and hungry for breakfast

Chickens are scratching

After looking at the effects of the frost on the pasture, I wanted to check out the garden.  The basil did not do so well with the frost.  The leaves are burnt.  I'm glad that we made lots of pesto that we froze and dried lots of basil and froze basil leaves as well.  I wanted to make some basil infused olive oil, but it looks like I missed that opportunity.

The frost did a number on our basil

Fortunately, the cole crops (brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, bok choy, and kale laugh at the frost.  It doesn't seem to bother them at all.

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They aren't close to being ripe yet, but they've shaded out the rows, which is nice as I don't have to weed any more.

The cole crops unfazed by the frost

One of the items in the garden I was quite concerned about was the lettuce.  We made a real nice salad mixture for Thanksgiving using the various varieties of lettuce we have growing right now.  I really like the way this one looks.  It is one of several varieties in a Rocky Mountain salad mix.  It is green with maroon freckles and tastes as good as it looks.

Beautiful lettuce

The second variety in the Rocky mountain mix is shown below.  It looks like your normal leaf lettuce except it looks like it is blushing with light maroon to pink shades on the outer tips of the leaves.

We have numerous rows of Black Seeded Simpson lettuce.  This is a tasty lettuce that is superb for salads, garnishing or simply snacking on right out of the garden.

Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce

And finally I have a row of Oak Leaf Lettuce.

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Why is it called Oak Leaf Lettuce, you ask?  Well, look at the leaf below.  It looks very similar to a leaf off of an oak tree.

Oak Leaf Lettuce

I enjoy eating a nice salad and after we clean up some Thanksgiving Day leftovers for a few days, we'll have salad on our menu.  Thankfully the frost didn't damage it.

Thanksgiving 2013

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  I can't quite put my finger on why.  I'll take a stab at it though.  I think I like it because there's not the pressure and stress and hustle and bustle that some other holidays have associated with them.  No, Thanksgiving is the antithesis of Christmas.  It is a time to pause and reflect.  A time to really be grateful for things in our lives that we often take for granted.  We don't live extravagant lives.  We live very simple lives, but we're happy.  God is so good to us!

Laura Lee and Russ came in from college.  Benjamin was so happy to see them.  They removed all of the blankets from the linen closet and built a big tent in the den with the blankets and climbed inside.

Big Tent Revival

We all cuddled under the tent and watched a movie.  We had a big fire in the fireplace and it was nice and cozy.

Laura and Benjamin ended up sleeping in the tent on their indoor camping trip. Funny thing is I remember doing this as a kid.  Did you do this, too?  Family get-togethers don't have to be fancy.  They can be simple.

We pitched in and got the Thanksgiving meal prepared.  Most of it was done the night before.  The morning of Thanksgiving was just a matter of pulling the loose ends together.  We tried a new thing with our turkey this year in that we brined the bird. Old Tom, our turkey that we butchered and talked about in an earlier post, was brined in a solution overnight.  We were sort of concerned about old Tom.  We didn't want to have everything riding on the turkey and then have him disappoint, so my parents agreed to bring a Cajun Turkey Roll as well.  

We pulled Old Tom out of the oven.  Here's the moment of truth...

Nice bird.  (and nice butterfly apron)

That is our homegrown turkey.  No hormones.  No antibiotics.  No medicine or high protein feed.  He just roamed around on pasture eating grass, bugs, acorns and whatever he found appetizing.  His breast was not huge like the hormone-enhanced ones from Butterball.  Time to start slicing and take a taste.  Would it be okay? Would he taste too 'gamey?'  If you're wondering, the butterfly apron was one that Laura made when she was in Junior High School when she participated in a 4-H Sew with cotton contest.  

Carving up Old Tom

Finally, everything was out and ready to eat.  Prior to eating, we circled the island, holding hands and prayed, asking a blessing on the food we were about to eat, but also thanking the Almighty first for the Blood of His Son Jesus who provided salvation for us.  We thanked Him for the food, but we also thanked him for family. We thanked Him for always being there for us through thick and thin and giving us a family who also stands by us through hell or high water.  We are blessed beyond measure.  We then served buffet style.  

Thanksgiving 2013

This is the table where the boys sit - a card table.  My Mom and Dad, Julee, and my sister, Jenny, her husband and their six boys joined us this year to feast and give thanks.  Some of the cousins sat at the boys' table.  I remember sitting at a table like this growing up.  Things weren't quite as formal at the boys' table. They ate, cut up and laughed and did other things that cousins do when they get together.

The boys' table

The feast began and you know what?  Old Tom was good!  And so was everything else.  I've never been so full in my life.  It was good food and we spent good time visiting.  We built a roaring fire in the fireplace and enjoyed each others' company.

Feasting

What a great day!  We want to take this opportunity to wish YOU a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving from the Sonnier's!

Psalm 107:1  Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever.

Dinner on the Grounds

We attend a small church in rural Jefferson Davis Parish that could never be confused with a mega-church (and that is a good thing).  We're not the perfect church and like every church, we have our 'warts' and imperfections.  But the Bible is preached at our church and when you are having difficulties, brothers and sisters in Christ don't tell you that they're going to pray for you - they stop you right there and pray for you.

We're small enough that if you miss a service, people call you to check on you.  We list prayer concerns by name in the bulletin so that members can pray for one another during the week or bring over a loaf of banana nut bread or pot of soup to ailing members.  We have a concrete parking lot on one side of the church - (the city side!) and an all grass lot on the other (the country side).  Right before Sunday school, you can go in the kitchen and help yourself to some homemade biscuits or sweet dough pies on your way to class.  When people have fresh produce from their gardens, they'll bring bags of turnips, mustard greens, cucumbers, lettuce, satsumas, etc. to bless other congregants. A couple of Sundays ago, our preacher stood in the pulpit and uttered the words that made everyone smile:

"The Sunday night service prior to Thanksgiving we'll be having "Dinner on the Grounds" in the fellowship hall at 5 pm.  The church will provide the meat dish.  Everyone else bring a side dish (and bring a lot)."

I pulled off the road the other day to take this photo of our church

If you've ever attended a small church, you know what I mean by Dinner on the Grounds.  Others might call it a pot luck, although there is no luck involved here - just some good, southern, home-cookin'.  These meals require good paper plates, not those flimsy ones.  The plates must be structurally sound in order to support large quantities of good food.  We had turkey, smoked pork roast, vegetables, jambalaya, rice dressing, and a myriad of delicious casseroles that everyone's mommas are famous for making.  Then there is a dessert table with homemade pies, cakes, brownies, cookies, puddings in sufficient quantities to put everyone's blood glucose serum levels into the High parameter.

The tables are set up and we give Thanks to God for the food.  We get in line, sit down, and visit and feast. Then we make sure everyone has been served and we'll go back for the second round as we might have missed Mrs. So and So's butterbeans or the fried pies that Mrs. So and So is famous for.  Or we might go back through the line because the Chinet plates were too small to hold a little bit of everything during the first trip (or whatever other rationalization we've made ourselves comfortable with).  Kids with 'red pop' mustaches from the Strawberry soda are finished and are running around and laughter echoes through the building.  Our bellies are tight.  The fellowship is sweeter, though, than anything on the dessert table.  One might be tempted to think this FEAST was just temporal pleasure for the flesh, but it is a feast for the soul as well.

Acts 2:42

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

It is a good time, but it is not over.  The Pastor stands and gets everyone's attention. He opens the floor to anyone to 'Count their Blessings.'  There is very little shyness. One after one almost everyone stands and tells what they are thankful for. Testimonies of God's goodness are poured out, tears are shed.  There are saints who recount the goodness of God who you know are struggling with sickness, trials, or heartache - and yet their gratitude is not conditional upon health, prosperity or ease. They trust God and are thankful for the blessings in their lives.  This goes on for a long time.

When the final words have been spoken, everyone gets up and helps clean up. Leftovers are packed up to be brought home and handshakes and hugs are liberally distributed.  In a few short days we'll meet again to worship the King of Kings, to encourage one another, and to pray for one another.  In summary, our church is great for growth - growth in both your spiritual life and your waistline.

A Solemn Farewell to 2 little Quail

The other morning after milking, I went about my normal morning chores.  It was still dark as I walked out to the chicken tractor that houses our new chickens and quail.  I carry a lantern with me in one hand to light my way.  In the other hand I carry a bucket of Chick Grower ration.  I pour in a generous portion for the birds to eat on and then I refill their water containers with fresh water.  I peeked through the chicken wire at a couple of little fat quail.

Plump little quail

As I stood up something caught my eye.  Oh no!  I saw two quail carcasses.  That is not good.  If you look very closely, you can see that the chicken wire has been pulled away from the bottom 2 x 4 frame of the chicken tractor.  Something from the outside reached through the chicken wire, grabbed a couple of birds and pulled them through the holes of the wire eating off the heads and most of the meat in the process. That was a smart, strong critter that ate my birds.  It sounds like a raccoon to me.

Rest in Peace, Quail

The predator pulled the poor quail's head right off last night while we were sleeping.  I can't let this continue.

Carnage

The first order of business is to get the staple gun and fasten the chicken wire back to the tractor.  I don't understand how the raccoon was able to lure the quail close enough to the fence to grab them.  Maybe the quail were sleeping right next to the frame, I don't know?  Regardless, as a defensive measure, I repaired the damage.

Mending fences

I also went on the offensive and pulled out our cage trap and placed it right next to where the killer struck last night. 

Cage trap

I baited it with the remainder of the birds that the predator didn't eat.  Maybe he'd come back for leftovers.

Baiting the trap

To sweeten the pot, I also poured a scoopful of tuna flavored cat food on top of the quail carcasses for additional bait.

Fish flavored Cat food to attract Mr. Raccoon

Now we'll just wait to see if the raccoon will return to the quail buffet line tonight and meander into our trap. Tick tock...

An update:  After a couple of nights with nothing in the trap and no additional quail dead, I wondered what had happened.  On our way to church, though, I looked and saw this guy on the side of the road right next to our house, evidently recently hit by a car.

The Culprit?

Although my trap was unsuccessful in killing our quail killer, the front right tire of a Buick did the job for us. Neat how things work out sometime.

A fishy method of cleaning the water trough

The water trough that the cows drink out of has to be cleaned periodically.  Algae growth builds up on the sides and bottom of the trough and sometimes the algae will float on the top.  Water troughs are also notorious habitats for mosquitoes to lay their eggs.  If you look closely, you can see thousands of little mosquito larvae swimming in the trough, biding their time until they can come feast on our blood and the blood of our livestock.  To clean the trough, I generally let the water level go down to a low level.  Then I use an old rag to scrub the sides and bottom until it is sparkling clean and then I dump the dirty water remaining in the garden and then refill it with fresh, clean water.

Farmers, being a group with inventiveness and ingenuity, developed an easier way of doing that task and I figured it was high time I incorporated the practice at Our Maker's Acres Family Farm.  Benjamin went to my Mom and Dad's house and came back with some of the goldfish out of their goldfish pond.  In the photo below, Benjamin is getting the fish acclimated to the temperature of their new 'aquarium.'

How's the water temperature?

He's got three fish.  Two are gold colored and there is a black one in there as well.

The new cleaning crew

Like a catch-and-release angler, Benjamin released the Carassius auratus auratus into the water trough. Calling them goldfish just seems so commonplace.  Their scientific name is much more erudite although I don't know why their middle and last names are the same.

Welcome to your new home

The three fish scoped out their new living arrangements and I think they were quite pleased.

Like fish in a barrel

According to what I've read on the Internet, you don't even need to feed them. They'll feast on algae and mosquito larvae.  Benjamin does have a shaker full of some left over Hermit Crab Food from an unsuccessful venture in raising a hermit crab that he'll sprinkle on top of the water for the fish to eat as well. Time will tell if the goldfish fare better than the hermit crab did.

De-horning Little Amy

We de-horn all of the calves born on Our Maker's Acres Family Farm for safety.  I don't relish the idea of being gored.  Horns are dangerous around eyes, too.  We wait until they are a few weeks old and you can feel the little horn 'bud' growing to begin the process.

Lili, Amy, and Annie in the nursery stall

Lili has already been de-horned.  Tonight we've got the halter on Amy.  We'll tie her to a post in the stall while we work on her.

Securing Amy

I get out the clippers to trim away the hair from around her little horns.  Trimming the hair ensures that you will be able to get close contact with the horns with the dehorning paste and kill their growth.  There are a couple of processes to remove horns that we've done.  The first is to burn the horns.  This method is done with a tool that you plug in and it heats up cherry red.  Once hot, you hold the animal down and burn the horns until you have cauterized them, so they won't grow.

We switched over to another method that doesn't seem as painful although I'm sure it is uncomfortable.  Dr. Naylor's DeHorning Paste is a paste made with calcium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide.  I'm no chemist, but I'm assuming that this is some sort of acid that burns the horns so they don't grow.

Shaving Amy's hair around her horns

I shave about a two inch circle around each horn.

Then I take some Vaseline and make a circular Vaseline dam around each horn.  This is important to do this as the Vaseline acts as a dam to contain the de-horning paste to keep it from running away from the horn buds and perhaps on other areas of her head or perhaps her eyes.

Applying a vaseline barrier

We use a popsicle stick to spoon out a small amount of the de-horning paste.

Dehorning Paste

I apply a thin coating directly on top of the horn about the size of a dime.  Amy shook and got some of the paste on her neck as you can see.  I quickly wiped this up. Vinegar is an antidote if you get any of this where it doesn't belong.

Dr. Naylor's de-horning paste.  A little dab'll do ya.

So that she doesn't rub the paste on herself or anyone else, I make a little 'shower cap' for her using, (what else?).. duct tape.

Duct tape shower cap for Amy

Amy isn't real happy about getting dehorned or about having the duct tape cap over her head.

We keep her tied and try to comfort her for about 30 minutes

After being visibly unhappy for a little bit, she settles down for the night.

And I in my kerchief and Ma in her cap had just settled down for a long winter's nap.

The next morning when we go out to milk the 3 cows, I bring some scissors and cut Amy's cap off.  I use a rag or two to remove the remainder of the dehorning paste from her head.  The Vaseline leaves a greasy mess, but you can see where her horn buds are.  The paste will stop the horns from growing.

Look ma, no horns.

In a week or two the scabs will be healed, the hair will grow back and you'll be unable to see any signs of horns.  This isn't a fun job for the calf or us, but one that makes it a lot safer for us and the other animals.