Flocking Behavior

Our sheep are content the the company of other sheep. Each sheep is aware of the actions of their flock mates.

Some ewes stay closest to their pasture buddies.

I use the natural flocking behavior of our sheep to move them around the farm. With only 26 ewes I can move the flock into the barnyard, across the road to the Hill Field and between pastures without the assistance of a herding dog. 

Once a sheep, usually one that is most curious and friendly, starts moving towards me in the field, the others follow. To complete the move I circle around the back of the flock, forcing the stragglers towards the rest of the group.

Jamaican Jerk Lamb Chops w/ Sweet Yam Mash

From Kate Krukowski Gooding's SIMPLE GOURMET LAMB

I needed a cold day meal with spicing that did not resemble holiday fare and could be assembled with ingredients in the house. Of course, we didn't have everything in the ingredients list so I made the following changes-

• the 2 yams were replaced with 3 sweet potatoes
• we didn't have Scotch bonnet peppers so I opened a can of jalapeno peppers instead
• after scraping the marinade off the chops (I used shoulder chops) and searing the chops, I added the marinade to the cast iron skillet, covered the pan and put it into a 300' oven for about 45 minutes 

The combination of warm spices, ginger and hot peppers was perfect. 

Setting the calendar w/ A Pipestone Sheep Management Wheel

For me, now is the time of year for blocking out the calendar. 2016 will be the first year we try an accelerated, three times in two years, breeding schedule for the Katahdin flock. With a turn of the Pipestone wheel I can discover if my list of "wants" is even possible.

So as I combine family and farm, what's on the list of "wants"?

• no lambing in Jan/Feb
• November lambing to catch the 2017 Easter (4/16) market
• flexible blocks of family time in June and late fall

I am not sure how the flock will respond to an accelerated schedule, but using the wheel, I will set dates for moving the rams in and out of the breeding flock to keep the bitterest months lamb-free and our family time intact.

New Year's Pork and Sauerkraut

On low heat, I rendered a bit of the trimmed fat in a cast iron Dutch oven.

After removing the trimmed pieces, I turned up the heat and browned all sides of the pork roast.

After browning, I covered the pot and put it into a 250' oven for about 2 hours; added the sauerkraut and covered the pot for another hour and a half; and pulled apart the meat for serving.

We served the pork with mashed potatoes, a spinach (from the hoop house garden) salad, a bottle of red wine and the last of the Holiday sangria.

Notes to self: when loading the pork into the freezer from the butcher shop-label a pork roast to reserve it for New Year's dinner. Ask friends with the pork and sauerkraut New Year's tradition what kind of farm-made sausage could be added to our first of the year feast. When the cabbage comes into the root cellar, make sauerkraut.

Slow cooked pork roast

Yesterday morning we took the chickens to the butcher shop. Because we like to have some of the whole birds vacuum bagged, pick up is delayed until late afternoon. After a day of errand running, returning to a delicious meal, not chicken, is soothing.

I have slow cooked pork roast in the past; yesterday I followed Shannon Hayes' recommendations for a slow cook pork roast. I rubbed the thawed roast with a slurry of olive oil, half a head of garlic, salt and pepper. I placed the roast into the slow cooker , topped it with a sprig of rosemary and set the cooker on low. I did not add any liquid to the pot. During the cooking process, some of the fats melted and mixed with juices of the roast. At the table yesterday evening, I served the sliced roast with a small bowl of the strained liquid from the bottom of the crockpot. Without my usual tomato puree, wine or cider added as a braising liquid, the flavor of our pork was the star. Delicious.

Mid-August Pig Tractor update

The good news--  The moveable pig pen is effective, the pigs are ripping apart the briars. Everyday I move the pen forward 16' and leave behind tilled ground. Depending on the weather, I refill the water tote from our cistern and move it uphill from the pen. The feeder holds 350# of feed but at this point I only add 150#s at a time.

The not so good news--  The pen is on a slope so those pigs can take a running start and jump out of the pen. The pigs do not wander far and they come to me, especially when I shake the scoop with corn. Last night we set a swine panel over the top of the pen to prevent jumping.

The figuring it out news-- The rooting action of the pigs leaves craters in the field. I need to smooth out the rutted swath left by the pigs. Whatever method I come up with, I want it to follow closely behind the pigs so I can plant soon after the porcine disturbance; I need to manage it with my small skidsteer or Farmall Cub tractor; and I should not add considerably to the time spent managing the pigs and pasture.

Moveable pig pen, AKA the pig tractor

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All the animals on the farm must do more than fill our freezer and grace our table. Beyond eggs,meat and broth,the chickens turn table scraps and pulled weeds in the compost pile, tend the next generation of poultry, and scratch and fertilize sparse pastures. The ewes and lambs repeated rotations through fields and orchard improve the quality of our pastures while filling freezers with delicious grass fed meat. Like the birds and sheep,the pigs must work for the farm. Last year's pigs lived behind two strands of electric fence in the woods that border the orchard. I increased the size of the paddock over the course of the summer and this spring sowed a pasture grass mix into the almost bare ground. Later this summer the sheep will graze in the improved woodland pasture thanks to those busy pigs' snouts.

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In addition to providing meat and lard for the table,this year's pigs have a formidable task: to renovate the Hill Field,a worn briar patch of a pasture,across the road from a plug for a fence energizer and a yard hydrant for water. With profit margins close for small farm raised meat,the pigs management system must be efficient as well as effective.

Applying the knowledge we have gleaned from our moveable chicken pens,outfitting with built in feeders and improved water systems,a pig tractor seemed the sensible choice.

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When planning our pig tractor,we knew the pen would have to be heavy to keep the pigs from lifting it,yet light enough for an old Subaru or small skidsteer to pull it across uneven ground;provide shelter;support our feeder (which holds 300lbs of feed) and  the gravity fed nipple waterers;and have a gate for easy access. Since we like pork and plan on raising pigs for years to come,the pen must be durable and house pigs of all sizes.

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Our pig tractor is 8'x 16',set on 16' skids,with a metal roofed,rough-cut lumber sided shelter at one end. The short side, opposite the shelter, has two gates. Adding two heavy 4' x4' posts across the pen, supports the feeder we built last year and braces the frame to limit racking when we pull the pig tractor. Metal cables on each short side permits pulling from both directions

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This is the gate end. The shelter end cables attach on the top of the cross piece.

The pigs are happy this first 48 hours of the pig tractor "experiment". We have successfully moved the pen three feet and will add the two nipple water founts on the weekend.

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Field mowing

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With the help of our 1947 Farmall Cub, I mowed the tall grasses in the North Field.

In the spring, the growing pasture grasses outpace the appetites of the grazing sheep flock. The stems of are tough and unpalatable to the sheep.

Mowing with the Cub is slow work,but just the right speed to observe the ground below. The density and variety of the plants in this field has improved since we started rotationally grazing; frost seeding and just mowing,not taking off the hay. From my tractor high perch, I can see that the best pasture is on the south end of the field, where poultry pens have left behind increased fertility. The grazeable vegetation at the north end of the field is sparser and covered in an understory of wild strawberry.

To speed the rejuvenation of this pasture I believe I should add more poultry. The hens in the eggmobile, protected by electric net fencing, would add fertility and scratch in the mowed stems of grass. Adding a batch of Ranger broiler chickens would also benefit the field and fill our freezer with more meat.

Discovering the sweet spot of livestock numbers and improving ground is my challenge, The seat of the Cub was a perfect place for concocting a plan.

Roasting a whole lamb, without a spit or a deep hole.

In an effort to expand my repertoire of lamb recipes, we roasted a whole lamb for Easter.

With a wether lamb in the barn, a houseful of easy to please guests, roasters locally available and an experienced pig roasting friend, I was ready to attempt this new venture.

Honestly, the recipes I read on the internet were a bit daunting. The ground is still partially frozen, so digging a big hole for a fire was out of the question and an expensive spit did not seem like a good investment, for our first try.  So we decided to apply the “low and slow” method of roasting meat to create a tender, evenly cooked product.

Here’s what we did:

I brought the lamb in from the cooler an hour before roasting.

We started the charcoal with two chimney starters in the belly of the roaster. Once the coals in the chimneys were hot, they were poured  out and 50 more pounds of briquets and a few pieces of apple wood were piled on top. Our roasting expert ( friends with skills are this cook’s blessing)  used a shop vac to blow air on the briquets, to get the coals burning quickly.

While the fired was building, I blended a rub for the lamb: olive oil,chopped garlic and parsley, and homemade basil, lemon and chili salts. We covered the whole lamb with the seasoned olive oil and added a few heads of garlic and quartered oranges to the abdominal cavity and stitched it up.

Once the coals were hot, the drip pan was set in the roaster then the grate to heat.

We placed the lamb, belly side toward the fire, legs splayed and inserted  digital thermometers into the leg and shoulder.

Thanks to the wise advice and watchful eye of our friend, the grill was kept at 225’.

Although I would have preferred to take the lamb off the grill at around 145’, it cooked much quicker than expected, and we pulled it off the grill when the leg thermometer read 166’. (This took about 2 1/2 hours of roasting.) The shoulder, which takes longer to cook was about 145’.

We set the lamb on a clean tablecloth on the picnic table and covered it with pieces of foil.

After half an hour of rest, I sliced the lamb.

The meat was moist and slightly smokey.

Perfect for our celebration.

Next time, to protect the bottom of the legs from over roasting, I’ll wrap them with foil.

And, I will remember to take pictures.

Dinner over a year in the making

"I had delicious fried chicken at work. Can we make fried chicken?'.......
"How many chicks should we order from Joe?"....
"What are dimensions of this portable coop? When can we pick up the metal roofing? What size welded wire should we buy?"......
"Are the chicks feathered out yet?"....
"Did you already move the chicks ?"
"Did you already move the meat birds?"
"Do they need more water?".....
"Can you pick up another bag of feed?"...
"Do you want any birds cut up?"...
"What issue of Cook's Illustrated had the recipe?"....
"Is it ready yet?".....
"Yes it is!"
The results of this yearlong quest for a delicious plate of fried chicken was totally worth it.

Murphy's ears

Early winter water

Nights can get cold enough to add a layer of ice in the troughs now. Even though I can still break this layer, I have decided to add the tank heater to the larger trough. When the water is warmed a bit, the sheep and cows drink more which has to be better for the newly pregnant ewes and Blair, the still-nursing Beltie.

Settling in for winter

With the wind starting to blow, the water tote near empty and the North Field grazed down, it was time to move the cows into the Barn Field with the sheep. The two shelters, hay ring, unfinished hay from the ram pen and troughs were also dragged into the field. After a bit of jostling for position, the sheep, donkey and cows are content. The Barn Field is protected from the wind and quite lovely, especially on this sunny day.

Barn pedicures

 We wormed the flock earlier this week and today we trimmed hooves.

Usually trimming is physically challenging: herd the sheep into a corral, catch one, turn it over and restrain the moving leg and trim hooves as the sheep sits back on your legs.

Fortunately I borrowed a sling chair from Caroline at Owen's Farm in Sunbury, PA earlier this week. Instead of flipping and resting the sheep on our legs, we backed the sheep into the chair. Secure within the sling seat, the sheep were relatively still.

In addition to trimming I made sure the gland between the toes (sheep are cloven hoofed, the hoof is split into two toes) was clear. 

The new ewes we purchased earlier this summer were ear tagged too.

Ear tags are a mostly permanent way of identifying sheep. Record keeping is an important tool in building a healthy flock. Armed with data I can select the most successful sheep on our farm with an eye towards reducing worming medications and birthing complications and increasing butcher weights and overall vigor.

I say mostly permanent because my oldest ewes have lost their Lilac Hill tags. Their original farm tags are still intact. I may purchase the more secure tags in the future.

 On Lilac HIll Farm, I ear tag the ewes on the left ear and the rams and wethers on the right.  With the left/right tagging, I can identify the girls and boys from afar. Why left=girls/right=boys? I am the only leftie in the house so it makes sense to me.

Because well trimmed hooves are so important to the well being of our pasture raised and bred sheep, I view this as the beginning of our lambing year.

Chicken tractor dolly

With tutoring and shared welding equipment, thank you Steve and Pat, the dolly to lift the end of the chicken tractor and roll it is complete. Unfortunately the pen is still too heavy for me to lift. Until we make design modifications I will remove the tops to reduce weight.

Square water tote project completed

Last year I purchased a 275 gallon tote off Craigslist with a vague plan of moving water to the furthest reaches of our pasture. The weight of 275 gallons of water is not vague, but a definite 2293.5 pounds, so my plan needed refining. Our small skidsteer can lift and carry around 650#. Instead we needed a sturdy running gear that the skidsteer or Subaru could pull to the paddocks and we needed a downspout diverter to catch the water coming off the boat barn roof. In a friend's treeline, under a fallen tree, there was a running gear that had carried luggage at an airport which he was willing to loan us. The weight of the tree had done some damage so we trailered the gear to a local machine shop. The repaired gear has a hinged tongue and a receiver for towing.

As with so many farm projects, the short description of a project hardly portrays the actual time, equipment and skils involved.

Here is this project's equipment list of tools that we owned, bought and borrowed: trailer for towing the tote home; round downspout diverter; chainsaw for removing the fallen tree from the running gear; large skidsteer for pulling the gear from the treeline and loading onto the equipment trailer; truck with the appropriate brake and light set up for pulling the equipment trailer; our truck with the correct hitch for towing the repaired running gear home (hitch balls come in multiple sizes and at our place are spread across three vehicles);assorted straps for securing totes and the running gear to the trailers;drillpress and bits for drilling a hole in the skidsteer fork for a hitch ball to move the running gear;and our skid steer.

Living in this community we found a slowmoving vechicle reflector triangle at the farm store and the machine shop was less than five miles away so we did not have to fiddle with our own and borrowed welding equipment.

Without our friend's generous gift of time and equipment we could have completed this project, but its cost and effort would have pushed its completion into another grazing season or two.

Barnyard management

This spring we lambed earlier and had more ewes than last year.  Deep bedding in the barn and barnyard kept the the Katahdins healthy and clean but resulted in new management issues for me. After scraping up the manure/straw/hay layer and piling it for composting, the barnyard was bare.Bare ground is anathema to a farmer on thin ground so I visited Norm's farm store in search of cover cropping seed.Sudangrass is a good choice for summer seeding; it can tolerate heat and drought and can be harvested for feed. After cutting in the fall I may sow rye into the space.The old wheel hoe/plow, that was in the barn when we move here did a good job scratching up the rocky, compacted soil.I broadcast the seed with our yard spreader.Raked the seed in.I used the last of the bedding straw to mulch the seed and waited for the falling rain to do its work.

June 2, 2013

Despite late frosts alternating with 80'+ heat, the pastures grew, even the Hill Pasture, rife with multiflora rose and other invasive undesirables. The Belites ate the tasty forage and left the overgrown, unpalatable stems. With time at a premium, I did not rotationally graze this pasture. The girls ate what they wished, supplemented with green chop from the North Pasture. Our Farmall Cub mowed all but the steepest of the pasture, knocking down the overgrowth and pruning the multiflora before they went to seed. Later this season the cows and maybe the sheep will return to graze. 

New bachelor

The "Wedding sheep" have left the farm and Burgess was left alone in the Bachelor Field.  With an eye to lambing in April next year, Burgess' services are not needed until winter so he must remain behind the sturdy fence. As a herd creature, he cannot live alone so I selected a wethered lamb from this year to keep him company.  Initially I moved one of Maude's twins in with Burgess but Paxton managed to squeeze through the gate.  Mab's lamb is larger and cannot escape so he was my second choice. 

The weaning process is unsettling for the flock so I moved the ewes and lambs within the confines of the barnyard. Last night, the second night of separation, I did not hear the sad bleating across the farm. I believe the ewes will go back onto pasture, and behind two strands of electric twine tomorrow.

Burgess likes his pasture companion; his gentle nature is apparent. When I had observed this lamb in the field, he seemed to inherit his ewe's calm nature which will be a welcome addition to the flock during breeding season.

Since the little guy will be on the farm until next year, he will need a name.  Since the ewe lambs from this year are Shakespearian, Portia, Beatrice and Hero, maybe Claudio or Antonio would suit.

Not our first year on the farm observation

On this week's Chicken Thistle Farm's podcast, Kelli and Andy spoke of their second year of farrowing which had me thinking about farming disappointment. I am not talking about the "don't count your chickens before they're hatched" failures, which happen early on in a rural life.  I am talking about disappointing results in spite of the careful implementation of  sound farming practices. On Wednesday I culled #003, born here at Lilac Hill from my friendliest ewe. On paper, she had hardy parents, a gentle nature and respected our strands of electric twine fencing through the summer grazing season. In reality she always looked lousy: her coat was often dirty, her nose was crusty (the other sheep did not have these probems), and she did not breed this year. (Her twin sister did not breed either but, I decided, because of her genetics, temperment and health that she has another breeding season to prove herself.) My study of sheep health, careful feeding, acquisition of quality parent stock and daily observation did not prevent this unthrifty ewe. With my farm goals in mind, I decided "it was time to put on my big farmer boots," and she was culled. Hopefully as we continue on Lilac Hill I will develop the widsom of a veteran shepherd and the the disappointments will not be felt as sharply.