Mountain Dale Farm

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First Load of Barley Sold

Yesterday, we loaded barley into bags to sell to a local farmer.  We worked hard to load because the truck bed the barley was housed on failed to lift.  So, the Toms family, Bryan, Sandy, Seth and Brynna pitched in and filled some bags while Isaac and Yost Speicher worked on the truck to get it to lift.  Brynna has helped her mother measure flour in smaller units but has never used a bushel measure before.  We appreciated their help and the truck problem did not defeat our team it just gave us a late night.

130 bushels of barley ready for delivery

130 bushels of barley ready for delivery.  See the bushel measure in the foreground.

There is a Porcupine in the Pig Pasture

There is routine in farming but it is often not routine.  The other day during the evening feeding,  we discovered two piglets with quills in their snout and one momma pig with quills in her leg.  I forgot my phone but Brad Schlegel came to the rescue and loaned his phone to call  Isaac and Ken, our field medics.  Pigs use their noses to find their food so it was a serious problem for the piglets.  Isaac scooped them up, one at a time, in his strong arms and held him firmly to his chest then leaned them on the hood of the pick-up.  Ken used a needle nose pliers and removed the quills.  The piglets never like being held so they squealed loudly even when the quills were not being removed.  The Kline family was a big help. The kids stepped into action. Cameron retrieved a barrel that we thought we might use and Kani threw corn to the momma Pig to keep her distracted while Isaac pulled the quills from her leg.  Carly  did not like the pig squeals but she was much happier when the pigs were released to their pasture with noses that did not hurt.

Once the piglets were relieved of their quills, we fed the momma pig who did not seem bothered by the quills. While she was eating, Isaac deftly removed all the quills from her leg.  We are hoping the porcupine did not feel welcome in the pasture and has moved on to a new location.

Quill-nosed-teary-eyed piglet

Quill-nosed-teary-eyed piglet

 

 

Mother’s Day/Father’s Day

What a gorgeous day and what a beautiful Mother’s Day gift-a lovely walk on top of the ridge with my two delightful adult children.  On the way back, as we crossed the hay field, Ashley’s sharp eyes spotted a four-leaf clover.  Till the walk across the field was complete we had six four-leaf clovers and one five-leaf clover.

Isaac with a fist full of four-leaf clovers

Isaac with a fist full of four-leaf clovers

 

Five Leaf Clover

Five Leaf Clover

 

If you need some good luck, just come and take a stroll through the hay field.

 

The evening before Father’s Day one of Isaac’s cows had some trouble birthing.  He called Ken and I to help.  She must have been in labor awhile and the calf was breach.  They usually dive out front hooves and head first but this one was jumping out hind legs first.  The hips were stuck.  We pulled the calf out and found one tuckered out bull calf.  His Mom was tired and sore too.  They had a tough beginning and we have been extra cautious about their care but five days later he is still alive and well and drinking milk from his mother.

Mom checking out her five minute old calf.

Mom checking out her five minute old calf.

 

 

Trauma Team to the Rescue

During the evening feeding, one of the young ducklings that we are keeping in a pen because they lost their mother, was found with its tongue entangled in a frayed fiber from the curtain that separates their enclosed box from the enclosed “porch” part of their pen.  This is the first time we encountered this problem. But fortunately, there was a nurse in the barnyard and the trauma team went into action under nurse Tara’s direction.

Spellman-Bilotta Trauma Team

Spellman-Bilotta Trauma Team

The ducklings tongue was so entangled that the front half of the tongue was black, swollen and dry.  Sally held the duck on it’s side with the bill open while nurse Tara tried to used a dull pocket knife to cut the string, Bob Spellman was sent for the trauma shears that Tara keeps in her vehicle, while the boys went to the house to summon Levi to bring a sharp knife.  The team succeeded.  Levi worked to cut the string while Tara held it away from the duck’s tongue and they  accomplished the task before the trauma shears arrived.  Kudos to the team for quick work.

The Calm after the Trauma

The Calm after the Trauma

Till the next morning the tongue was returned to normal and a week later the duckling is growing and happy.

 

 

Protecting the piglets

Momma nursing piglets under new canopy.

Momma nursing piglets under new canopy.

Well…l we had to return the piglets to their momma or bottle 7 little piglets about every 2 hours. Besides, there is nothing like pig milk for piglets and milking momma was out of the question!  So with the brave help of Georgia and Laura we returned the pigs about 24 hours after delivery.  Momma was nestled down with a piglet that had been stillborn so we thought she would be calm but several steps from her with a piglet under each arm, one squealed, she rolled me and the piglets. There is nothing meaner than an momma pig protecting her little ones. Laura and Georgia dropped their piglets and ran.  I am not sure when I left go of the piglets but then I got out of her way too and observed, as they reunited through the tall grass.  They were happy at last! As she lay in her nest, we carefully and quietly set up a canopy over the content gathering.   In the photo, you will notice the slender metal legs supporting the blue canopy.  Well … that didn’t last long.  The boar was feeling amorous and during a visit killed two piglets and broke all the canopy legs.  Momma and the 5 remaining piglets were content under the collapsed canopy.    We rounded up 4 garbage cans, threw rocks and poured water into them for stability and set the canopy just high enough that they could enter and exit.  The Frickleton family worked hard to give the swine family proper cover.  We also closed the fence to keep the boar out.  All are well and the canopy has weathered rain, boar, wind and a mad momma pig who bit it and ripped at it when I pounded the stakes in to make it wind worthy.  Today, the remaining 5 siblings are two weeks old.

Altered canopy