Lambing surprises

For me, every lambing season brings the unexpected. I’m often faced with something I’ve only read about and I need to come up with a solution that works on our farm.

This ewe has no milk; she has a large udder, but it doesn’t give milk. Fortunately for the lambs, I caught the condition right away and tube fed them colostrum.

At my first lambing workshop, I learned to “dip” the lamb’s umbilical cord in an iodine solution, “strip” out any plug to the ewe’s udder and I listen for the lamb’s “sip” of colostrum.

Luckily I not only knew I had to intervene because she had no milk, but I had the supplies to do so. Until a couple of years ago I had never tube fed a lamb. A YouTube video reminded me of the details of the skills learned in that 1st lambing workshop.

The bucket teat feeder was added to my supplies a few years ago after a season of many triplets in need of supplemental formula.

My shepherding experiences expand every lambing season, it is exciting and humbling.

BTW, even though she has no milk, this ewe will mother the lambs until they are weaned.

Barn drama

Beautiful ram lamb twins from this first lambing ewe. All wonderful except… barn drama.

A very maternal older ewe attempted to “steal” one of the twins. While the lambing ewe was delivering the 2nd lamb, the older ewe started licking the 1st born dry. Fortunately I had a pen for the ewe and twins and a pen for the “thief”.

The thief was large and close to term (she delivered triplets within 24 hours). Safely moving her into a pen took all my strength. Her cries for “her” lamb were pitiful.

The new mother tried to reject the lamb licked by the thief so I climbed into the pen and rubbed the damp twins over each other and made sure both took those essential sips of colostrum.

From my very maternal Mauve line, this first timer knew just how to care for her twins.

Barn drama managed; 1st time ewe successful; shepherd bruised and contented “thief” mothering her own triplets this morning.

Prolapse retainer and hair sheep

With hair, not wool, Katahdins are at a disadvantage when holding a prolapse retainer in place. Instead of getting the support strings to felt to a wooly fleece, I’m attaching the strings to small metal hair clips. Hoping this adjustment gives the ewe some relief.

Watching the ewes

Ours is a small flock, it fits our 25 acres and my attentive shepherding style at lambing. Some of the ewes are wide, very wide and if they need help with large lambs or triplets, I want to assist. So we all wait.

Pre-lambing flock

in these days close to lambing the ewes seem to “settle”. Filling udders, quickly growing lambs and full rumens are a load for those four thin legs to support. Eating, ruminating, standing up and lying down all takes such effort that the ewes move at a measured pace. Some ewes choose privacy, turning their backs to the flock, gazing out as they rest while others nuzzle up to their favorite flock friends.

As the ewes settle, I’m on alert, watching for signs of labor and good health. Even with a barn camera monitoring the flock, I was out twice last night only to discover, that to her discomfort, one ewe’s lambs were very active and and another didn’t actually have a leg wedged in a fencing panel but I had a distorted camera view.

Ewes in the extra care pen

The ewe on the right has experienced a prolapse. I was able to correct it but she needs antibiotics for a few days, limited activity and a higher quality hay so she can get the proper nutritional benefit with out as much roughage. The two ewes on the right are perfect company for the older ewe. As first timers they will benefit from extra, high quality feed that would make the older ewes overweight. With a little more than 2 weeks to go, I’m glad I can finesse the set up.

Shifting gears

The Pilgrim geese have left the farm. I enjoyed managing the Pilgrims, selecting breeders that met the standard and thrived on our farm. As much as I enjoyed the project of incubating, hatching and raising multiple breeding groups and multiple hatch dates, it took a lot of time.

Murphy has also left the farm. As the neighborhood has changed, sheep predation by dogs is less of a concern. Murphy now lives at a stable where there are children and equine enthusiasts. I am sure he will enjoy his field companions more than the sheep flock.

These changes are bittersweet. I enjoyed the geese, ducks and Murphy but I want to have time for some new projects.

As Lilac Hill moves forward, I would like to spend more time with the Katahdin flock, my first farm-love. With the purchase of a second cistern this past year, I’ll be able to do a bit more vegetable and berry growing. I’ve already ordered some rootstock for grafting and some of the willow may be ready for weaving. I’ve got lots of ideas and I continue to be grateful for such a wonderful place to pursue them.

Goose breeding season 2023.1

PREPARING FOR LAYING SEASON

No matter the size or the expectations you have for your flock of geese, I believe preparing in the weeks leading up to egg laying, sets a flock up for success.

I start preparing the Pilgrim geese for breeding season 3-4 weeks before I expect the first goose eggs, usually the third week of February here in central Pennsylvania. Those 3-4 weeks, allow the geese and ganders time to get accustomed to their new mini-flock and breeding pens. By sorting the geese into different breeding groups, I have upset the social structure of the flock and the geese need time to settle down from the disruption. In the weeks preceding egg laying my daily chores of feeding and refilling water troughs becomes routine and not a cause for agitation.

In the lead up to egg laying, I switch to a waterfowl feed. I am fortunate to have a local mill that grinds and bags a waterfowl ration, formulated by Fertrells, especially for breeding birds. The smallest quantity I can have custom ground is three hundred pounds. Even though I like my feed as fresh as possible, I am willing to make the trade off between freshness and a high quality ration. It is my hope that winter temperatures keep the feed palatable. This feed is more expensive but my goal is to hatch as many healthy goslings as I can, and I believe this ration optimizes the size and quality of the eggs. Finding a balance between cost, quality and convenience is the dance I need to manage.

Although not necessary for breeding medium sized birds, like the Pilgrims, I offer swimming water in 15 gallon troughs. When temps are low and I cannot dump out the ice, I use deep, rubber feed pans . After bathing, waterfowl preen, arranging their feathers and coating each feather with oil. Preened feathers are a layer of insulation and waterproofing which also keeps my birds healthy.

Like last year my breeding groups are separated by livestock panels. Even though they are in their own breeding pens, they can see the other geese in the flock. Unlike last year, the pens are in a concrete floored barn with outside access. Half of each breeding pen is roofed, protecting the deep straw bedding. I’m thinking this is an improvement over last year, cutting down on my labor of cleaning and rebedding straw degraded by snow and rain. I am already appreciating a less physically demanding routine, but I am curious to see how the breeding pens will disrupt our springtime projects.

With about ten days until I expect eggs the geese are making rudimentary nests and hissing at my approach, both signs that the flock is ready to get down to the business of laying eggs.

Goose breeding pen set uP 2022

Each year since sorting my Pilgrim goose flock into separate breeding groups, I’ve changed my set up to address the previous year’s shortcomings and the new challenges at Lilac Hill. Lilac Hill is located in central PA in USDA hardiness zone 6b. In the cold months I focus on protecting the animals from sleet coupled with wind. Some years we can have snow on the ground for months and other years we barely get any.
We use mobile poultry pasture pens, built with some modifications to accommodate geese rather than a dedicated building for breeding. Our Pilgrims seem to thrive on the pasture set up with protection from the wind and shelter from precipitation. I use a snowblower to remove excess snow and straw for bedding to keep the geese comfortable. The pens and goose yards are set up in a fenced field and after the breeding season, the bedding is set aside for composting and the area seeded to a pasture mix.

Here’s some of the thoughts I had when I set up the breeding pens in the North Field this year:

• The goose breeding area needs to be situated away from other livestock and regular human traffic from winter until late spring so the geese in breeding season aren’t disturbed and forced to behave defensively. The North Field greens up later than the Barn Field so I can delay rotating the sheep through in spring.

• The water hydrant near the geese has to be reliable and the driveway hydrant hasn’t frozen since I adjusted it, yet.

• Last year was the first year all the breeding groups were next to each other. I found that after the initial period of disruption caused by sorting and separating the Pilgrims into breeding groups, the geese settled quickly when they could see eachother rather than only being able to call across the farm to eachother. The field fence and gate between last year’s pens complicated chores, especially snow removal so this year the breeding pens are next to each other in one field.

• Like last year, the access gates open out so after snow removal, I can get into the goose yards.

• To improve on last year’s convoluted set up, the path from the yard gates to the pen doors is a straight shot to simplify snow removal.

• This year we set the pens on sheets of roofing metal to prevent attacks by digging predators. Each night I lock the Pilgrims in their own pens and release them in the morning. I also added an electric fence around the pens.

• To give the Pilgrims more yard space and to make refilling easier for me , the feeders are set up outside the yards and along the fence line. The Pilgrims have no trouble popping their heads through the 4” square fence openings.

• As in previous years, I use deeper feed bowls for water and troughs for swimming. I dump the water every night and invert the troughs and bowls so they don’t freeze to the ground.

• The North Field where the geese are located is within sight of my bedroom and on moonlight nights, the flock can be “chatty”. I like hearing the flock but neighbors and housemates might not so adjusting location when possible might be a good idea.

Not sure what issues I am not addressing, but I am sure that this breeding season will teach me plenty.

November, beginning of the goose & duck flocks’ year

I culled the Saxonies and Pilgrims. In the fall, I am culling birds that won’t join the breeding flocks.

Our duck and goose breeds are listed in the American Poultry Association’s Standard of Perfection, so we have lists of physical attributes that they should conform to.

Saxony ducks and Pilgrim geese are also listed on the Livestock Conservancy’s conservation priority list. The Conservancy’s descriptions of each breed focus not only on physical characteristics, but on the goals of their original breeders , especially with an eye towards usefulness.

For both the ducks and geese I am looking for good sized birds that have done well in our farm setting under our management practices. I compare weights, body width between legs, wide heads and for the geese, stout necks.

Next I check for correct feather coloring. Pilgrims have sex-linked coloration, so removing birds with off coloring is important. Because I’ll be creating multiple breeding lines, I want some light and dark Saxony ducks/drakes .

In an effort to keep some genetic diversity, I try to keep my breeding groups stable which works especially well with the long lived geese.

Taking orders For Pilgrim Goslings

Lilac Hill is taking orders for Pilgrim goslings. Available for pick up on our central PA farm. If you would like to get on our list or would like to discuss adding Pilgrim geese to your property, please contact me.

Because Pilgrims are an auto-sexing breed, I can offer unrelated goslings for your breeding flock.

• $22 gander gosling

• $33 goose gosling

Later in the season, I will be offering grown adult breeding stock. Prices will depend on the quality of the geese.

Keepng track of poultry

Lilac HIll Farm raises Pilgrim geese, Dominique chickens and Saxony ducks. At this point, we have three well established breeding lines of Pilgrims -11 geese, 3 ganders and 4 extra ganders; a beginner flock of Dominiques - 6 roosters and 12 hens; and a new flock of Saxony ducks - 2 drakes and 4 hens.

Almost all of our birds are hatched in an incubator so I can toe punch and zip tie the hatchlings easily.

Zip ties are affordable, available in many colors and with their high visibility, I can evaluate birds as I move through daily chores. As young birds grow, they need new bands regularly, so I handle potential breeding stock often when I replace zip ties. Every time I handle a bird, I evaluate for size and conformation.

By the time a bird reaches adulthood, they will have at least two zip ties on each leg. I zip tie both legs in case one tie is lost.

• One zip tie signals the year of hatch: YELLOW = 2020; WHITE = 2021; PINK=2022

• BLUE, RED, ORANGE or GREEN zip ties indicate breeding group. Each of these breeding groups also has a coordinating toe punch.

• I add a PURPLE zip tie at any time in the year to note a bird that has exemplary vigor, size, conformation or behavior. Purple banded birds get extra attention when I am choosing breeding stock.

• Since my foundation Pilgrims were acquired over the course of a few years they have only breeding group zip ties.

• Because we raise multiple hatches of goslings, goslings have their breeding group tie and a unique colored tie to indicate which hatch they belong so I don’t unfairly compare a first hatched gosling to one hatched two months later. Eventually geese that join the breeding flock wear only their hatch year and group tags.

• Chicks, ducklings and goslings don’t get banded with their “year” band until they near adulthood since they are distinguishable from the adults in the flocks.

Because I breed with a goal of improving the utility of these heritage birds, observing and comparing the breeding groups as part of their whole flock is easier out in the field when I can see the colored zip ties.

Stuffed puMpkin

MEAT MIXTURE FOR PUMPKIN OR MEAT PIE. A family recipe from my Mom

2 pounds ground meat My mom used beef, my my aunt used a combination of ground pork and beef and I use ground lamb.

1 small onion I dice the onion very small

When cooked add salt, pepper, celery salt (1/2 tsp), small amount allspice, very small amount of ground clove, 2 Tbsp tapioca, 1/2 cup water. Mix and cook for a few minutes. May add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. Depending on the pan I use, I may add a little oil to the bottom of the pan before I cook the meat and onion. I cook the meat and onion at the same time. After cooking, I drain off any fat that has accumulated. I then add the spices~this time I used 1/4tsp of allspice and half the amount of clove. After tasting, I added a bit more of each. Once the spices are fragrant, just a few minutes, I add the tapioca and water. I don’t use walnuts and don’t remember my Mom using them either.

Pumpkin for stuffing My mom liked a darker pumpkin, she said they were “sweeter”, with a nice stem that will fit in the oven. To prep the pumpkin cut the lid, angling the cut a bit so the lid sits on top without falling in. Scrape out the seeds and stringy stuff. I usually lightly salt the inside of the cavity before filling with meat.

There are no directions for baking on the recipe, it isn’t a very modern recipe, just a card in my box, written by my mom. What the recipe doesn’t say, is that you need to wrap the stem with a collar of foil so it doesn’t burn. I use a pie dish, foil lined for easy clean up and a splash of water in the bottom. I bake it around 375’ until the pumpkin flesh is tender to the touch.

Enjoy.

Drought, grazing poor ground and lambing

Managing a small farm, like most other projects with many interlocking parts, is like balancing a scale where the weights on each side of the fulcrum are constantly changing.

A few ideas guide my decision making:

• Use composting, poultry pens and rotational grazing to improve the fertility and quality of our ground

• Breed flocks of geese, ducks, chickens and sheep that are well suited to our methods and location

• Fit the farm into the other parts of my life

Change one of the weights on the scale and I scramble to make it work; the weather and the ewes have me scrambling.

• We’ve had about 1/2” of rain in the last month and high temperatures. My improving-thanks-to-rotational grazing pastures are brown and crunchy.

• Lambing season begins in 7 weeks so I need to manage the increased nutritional needs of the flock to set them up for success, especially in the month before lambing.

So, to make sure the ewes get enough food, I will start feeding them some grain to supplement the round bale I’ve put in their paddock. Making sure they don’t get too much grain is tricky; get it wrong and I am dealing with oversized or undersized lambs, low milk production and ewes that struggle to stay healthy.

To make sure that we have some soil improvement, I’ve fenced off the poorest section of the North Field. Once we get some rain, the manure will help this poor pasture and the rested pastures will have time to recover.

As far as making my life easier? The hose can reach the troughs, the poultry tractors share the same field so I can be efficient when doing chores and with its proximity to the house, I can keep a close eye on the flock.

Lilac Hill Farm isn’t picture perfect but I do realize it is a process. Since we’ve started the carrying capacity of the pastures is improved, the flocks of animals are better suited to the farm and I have more experience so I can adjust my goals with my reality. Without losing too much sleep.

Pilgrim goose Breeding Season 2020 is complete.

Breeding season officially ended in the middle of May for our three trios and one pair of Pilgrims. I marked the breeding groups and put all the geese together in a large field.

For marking I used colorful zip ties, one on each leg: blue-North Field, red-orchard, orange-terraces and green-garden. No matter where I place the breeding groups next breeding season, they will be identified by those names. The zip ties are rather small so I will keep an eye on them, and exchange them as needed with larger ones.

Because they have been separated since last December for breeding, the geese have been reestablishing the flock’s social order. Two ganders have been battling out for top position in the flock. I placed all the geese in a large field so there is space for the squabbling, space for the loser to move away from the flock and space for the rest of the flock to avoid the strong wings and bills of the fighting ganders. This arrangement is opposite of what I do when moving rams back together after breeding season. When joining rams, I put them in a very small paddock, one small enough to prevent a running start to the “ramming” that rams engage in when they reestablish the social order of the flock.

Pilgrims 2020: Breeding our own

Pilgrim gander protecting his geese as we move closer to breeding season.

North Field Pilgrim goose and gander, situated near the driveway, announce every visitor.

The characteristics that I admire in Pilgrim geese make them an ideal bird to keep and breed on a small farm homestead.

Is it necessary to breed my own birds? No, but with the impact of avian disease on the hatchery industry, limiting the transportation of birds and the destruction of flocks, I have concerns about the availability, cost and quality of birds.

I’ve shifted from a mindset and practice of flock matings for my geese to one of managing the breeding flock more carefully. I want to improve my flock and avoid inbreeding depression. According to A Conservation Breeding Handbook by D. Phillip Sponenberg and Carolyn J. Christman , inbreeding depression results in “the decline in reproductive fitness and in the vigor of the young produced.” Pilgrim geese are listed a “threatened” on the Livestock Conservancy’s website.

• Threatened: Fewer than 1,000 breeding birds in the United States, with seven or fewer primary breeding flocks, and estimated global population less than 5,000.

My goal is to raise hardy “farm” stock, not show birds, that meet the American Poultry Association’s description in the Standard of Perfection.

Because the birds I have to use as breeders have similar appearances, my group assignments were somewhat random. The younger birds were matched with more experienced partners, the most experienced trio has the paddock closest to the driveway and the trio with the youngest gander shares the Barn Field with the sheep flock and more interaction with me. A gander with an extra grey mark on his head, although not to the standard, is well shaped, so he has been kept to see if his offspring display his shape but not his “freckle”.

The plan is to mark and maintain these breeding groups as long as they are productive. My goal is to select the best offspring to build my flock and to sell as breeding stock.

To increase genetic diversity in the flock, I hope to buy some breeding birds that are from carefully managed breeding lines. Until I find such geese, I will work with the geese and ganders already at Lilac Hill.

Pilgrim geese: great livestock for a farmstead

I believe that geese, especially the Pilgrim goose breed, are a valuable asset on a farm or homestead.

Geese:

• As small herbivores they can be sustained on smaller properties.

• Because of their smaller size, they can be contained in a livestock panel paddock or moveable pasture pen as well as a large field.

• With their strong flocking behavior, they are easily moved from paddock to paddock.

• As long as they are protected from predators, winter shelter needs are minimal.

• When pasture alone does not meet nutritional needs, whole grains or pelleted rations are easy to buy and store.

• Adult geese readily adopt and raise incubator hatched goslings that have been slowly introduced to the flock.

• For the table, they produce rich meat, high quality rendered fat and large eggs; eggs, feathers and down for home crafts; and manure for farmstead fertility.

PIlgrim Geese, in particular:

• As an autosexing breed, from the time they are hatched the ganders and geese have different colored feathers and markings. There are no mysteries when selecting and managing grey geese and mostly white ganders for breeding groups.

• PIlgrims are medium sized birds and do not require deep water for breeding. Although they do appreciate a trough of water for swimming, it is not essential for fertilization.

I have raised only Pilgrims, a few Toulouse and Embdens, and didn’t find one breed more vocal, aggressive or active than the other.

I have raised our birds as livestock, not pets. Brooding goslings in the barn, within sight of the adult goose flock, has bonded the goslings to the flock. My geese live behind fence, mostly, in an effort to protect the areas around the house from their manure, the landscaping and gardens from their appetites, the vehicle and trailer wiring from their incessant curiousity, and our visitors who are not experienced in moving around geese.

Pilgrim goose and gander

Filling in the cutting order

When you order a half or whole lamb, the meat is cut up at a custom butcher shop. You, the customer, get to fill in your own cutting order so your freezer will be filled with the cuts and package sizes that most meet your needs.

To plan my cutting order I think about what happens at our own table.

• What are we already eating? Chances are you can use lamb in any recipe you already enjoy.

• How do we already cook? Lamb adapts to grilling, quick sautéing, slow cooking and roasting.

• Who is sharing our table? Meat cuts can be sized to serve the small household or a large group celebration.

A few preliminary thoughts:

• Every part of a lamb can be ground and left plain or mixed with spices and turned into sausage. At the butcher shops I have worked with, the sausage can be packaged loose or stuffed into a sausage casing. Even if you have most of the lamb cut into roasts, chops and cubes, the trimmings will be packaged as ground.

• If you order your roasts with the “bone-in”, you can use the bones for flavorful broth. If you wish, the butcher will save the removed bones for you too.

Shanks - Bottom of the legs.

• Because of the work the legs have done, this cut is best if slow cooked. I usually order 4 shanks to a package so we have leftovers.

Leg of lamb

• These roasts are the centerpiece of a meal, they can be left whole or split, depending on the size of the occasion. Like beef, I season, quick sear and roast in a low oven. I usually keep the legs whole so we have leftovers for sandwiches, salads, and stir fries.

• I also had a leg of lamb brined and smoked, like pork, to give us “lamb ham”.

• With a youtube video as a guide, I have boned the leg, rolled it with spices and tied it for roasting. The butcher can bone it for you.

• Sliced leg of lamb cooks a lot like a ham steak and can be quickly seared.

Loin

• The loin can be left whole as a roast or cut up into chops. I usually have the loin cut into chops so we grill or sauté them.

Tenderloin and Backstrap

• These cuts are very tender will work like the tenderloin from a beef, but they will be significantly smaller.

Breast

• Although I have never ordered this cut, the butcher can offer it boned and rolled.

Rib

• This is where you find the chops or rib roast. If you select chops, you will to choose your thickness; we order a heavy 1.25”. Although I never have had the ribs “Frenched”, the butcher can trim and clean the ends of the ribs for this presentation.

Shoulder

• Portioned into roasts (bone-in or boned) or cubed, the shoulder meat becomes very tender with slow cooking.

Neck

• Steaks or left whole, the neck is flavorful and tender with slow cooking.

Organ meat

• I have not cooked the organs for our consumption, but our dogs, cats and chickens have enjoyed them

Don’t let filling in the cutting order deter you from ordering and enjoying lamb from Lilac Hill Farm. I love talking about food, especially our lamb and mutton, so I will be more than happy to walk you though the cutting order.

Please contact Lilac Hill Farm to preorder your fall lamb.

Registered Katahdin Ram for sale

Registered Katahdin ram, born as a twin and raised as a twin on 4/5/2017. Cormac has sired mostly twins. Certified RR on codon 171. Muncy, PA. $325.

Spring 2019 Updates

Growing tasty food and increasing the productivity and the quality of our land continues to be the focus at Lilac Hill Farm. We have a bit of wanderlust and a desire to visit with family and friends, so to manage all of our goals, our farm schedules have tightened up and our management systems have evolved to make it easier for our farm caretakers when we are away.

This is a transition year for the sheep. Eight of our Katahdins lambed in January/February. Some of the 14 lambs have been set aside to add to our flock, the rest are available for sale as meat, pets or breeding stock. Six more lambs were born in May, one more ewe may lamb at the beginning of June and we anticipate more lambs in September. Starting in 2020, we will only lamb in the fall. I believe the fall-lambing ewes will benefit from the regrowth of the cool season plants in the pastures and I know I won’t miss lambing in the cold barn.

The Pilgrim geese had a good laying season; we hatched goslings in the incubator and in the barn under geese.The flock has readily adopted the incubator- hatched goslings. Some of the goslings will go to other farms and if all goes well we will have grass-fed goose for sale in late fall.

To limit congestion in the moveable pasture pen, we decided to raise meat chickens in the spring and fall. The first group will go to the butcher at the end of June and the other in October. We continue to raise a bird that is bred for a longer grow out on pasture. The flavor is terrific so we aren’t going to change what works here.

Our two bee hives survived the winter. One of the hives is very strong and I hope for a honey harvest this year. This week the strong hive swarmed. I hived the swarm so now have 3 hives on the terraces.

In the early spring I incubated and hatched eggs from a flock of lovely Dominique chickens. Right now we have two groups of Dominique chickens, some old layers and four unattractive (at least when compared to the standard) Dominique roosters. The old hens and roosters are available as soup birds and we are still taking orders for broilers. Until our flock grows we will only have Dominique roosters for sale.

As always, contact me with your questions about our farm and our farm products. I will be happy to walk you though a cutting order and to share some of our go to recipes.

Viv