Rhythm

T

his morning as I went out to do the morning chores I noticed that there was beginning to develop a sort of rhythm to the jobs. 

This felt very good!

We’ve had some changes since I last posted about the morning chores mostly because Bey has his own run now.  We don’t need to run him in the chicken yard any longer.  I also added a chore or two to the routine.  Here is how my rhythm has shaped up to be lately.

I start my day by walking Bey down the lane a bit.  I then take him to his new run and go to the house to grab 2 containers of water.
 

I fill 2 jars with warm water, one for Bey’s food and one for the pigs food.  Bey only gets about a cup or so but we read that solely feeding dry foods to dogs actually isn’t very good for them.  He enjoys the “gravy” that is created by adding warm water to his food.  

Bey is first with warm water. I feed him his warm gravy and food.  I then head to the pig yard.  I add 1 capful of Apple Cider Vinegar to their warm water (if you want to know why ACV go here).  I put 1/3 cup of alfalfa pellets in the warm water to dissolve ( lots of nutrients in alfalfa).  I fill their slop bucket with various grains along with “pig grower” which is a variety of grain and nutrients to, well, grow pigs.  I add the water to the slop bucket making their “hot cereal breakfast” and put in their feeder. 

I then head to the chickens, open up their coop, fill their feeder and throw down a little cedar shavings. 

About every 3 days I refresh the water containers for the pigs and the chickens. I put ACV in the chicken water.

I then go back to the pig yard with a bucket and pitchfork or shovel and clean up a bucket full of manure.  I’m determined not to let it get out of control because pig manure does stink!  I haul this down into the woods far from the house to where I’ve created a compost pile.  The last few times I gathered up some big maple leaves to add to the bucket to add variety to the compost.  Hopefully this will become a wonderful addition to the garden next year.

So far that’s it for the morning routine.  I got to thinking though how freeing it felt to feel this rhythm to my day.  And reminds me of  this…

“A habit is what we wear: A habit is the way we wear our days.

Wear new habits and your life gets a makeover.

Consistently do things at the same time everyday and find yourself a new person.” –Ann Voskamp of A Holy Experience

Bey's Free

We’ve been working hard to get an outdoor run built for Bey so he doesn’t have to be attached to that zipline any longer. It is actually a dangerous way for him to live.  We found that out the hard way when we found him with the line tangled around his neck 3 times and he was strangling.  A VERY scary moment that was.

Here we are about 1/2 done. 

This run is about 35 feet long and 16 feet wide. We built it next to the little duck house Kelsey built out of pallets.  We fixed that with solid walls and put a pallet and board inside for the floor.  James kept telling me that he didn’t think he’d ever use that house, but he is in it all the time!

When we first let him in their after completion he went crazy with the happy dance!  So glad he likes his new home!

Morning Chores

As I begin to develop new habits I’ve begun making “morning chores” part of the plan.  There are animals that all need attention first thing in the morning.  Pigs interestingly sleep in.  They are in no rush to get out of their warm beds to forage around until I get there.  This has allowed me to at least wait till it’s light and bright out.  

I remember when I was growing up we’d visit my uncle’s dairy farm and there was “chore time” twice a day.  They’d head out to the barn at 5am whether it was bright out or not.  I’m thankful pigs aren’t calling so early.

 

Bey needs to be walked and we take him to the chicken yard to run free before the chickens are let out.  

Pigs are fed warm water mixed in with their grain.  It’s been chilly in the mornings now so I think it’s nice to give them a warm mush for breakfast.  Today I headed to the garden and dug up one row of bean plant to give them as well.  They love it!

Chickens are let out, fed and watered.  Lately I’ve noticed that there is one lone chicken who likes to roost in the rafters.

 

I’ve been enjoying this morning routine.  It only takes 20-30 minutes but with so much garden clean up to do this fall I’ve decided to make that time slot a full hour.  It is a really great way to be outside first thing in the morning taking in the fresh air, enjoying God’s creation and get the work done.  

 

I’m very grateful for this October sun we’re having right now, giving me an opportunity to get some extra work done outside.  

 Hopefully today we will get Bey’s permanent run finished.  Stay tuned.

Loss

We’ve had a rash of loss on the farm this past year I’ve been off on my detour.  It’s been challenging at times.  Loss teaches us how temporal life can be. There is always a lesson in loss, even if it is just “farm animals”.

We lost all our ducks to what we think was an owl; they disappeared one by one without a single sign of a predator.  Perhaps they were carried off?

Our flock of chickens dwindled down little by little.  The first few without a trace but then we started seeing the signs loud and clear.  Mangy raccoons!

But the worst of our loss came this past July when our amazing, one-of-a-kind farm dog, Killick, disappeared.  

 

Good-bye Sweet Killick.

It was the saddest weekend ever.  Killick was at least 10 years old but very well could have been older.  He had been having a lot of health problems and the most recent were hip and joint issues with quite a bit of pain.  We are pretty convinced he went off to die in peace.   

We’ve had to move on.  Moving on can be hard, not so much with chickens and ducks as we’ve been through many flocks and they often become food for us.  But with a dog, he’s family.  He’s your friend and for the kids who grew up with him, it was particularly hard.  But a farm can’t go long without a guardian. 

After some research FDJ decided he wanted to find an Anatolian Shepherd. So the search began and he found a youngish male in Moscow, Idaho. 

A road trip was in order!  The girls accompanied their father all the way to Idaho.  They fell in love with this stray Anatolian who now goes by the name Bey. Bey comes from Beyefendi which means gentleman or sir. 

Bey has a lot to learn about being a livestock guardian as it seems he had been a stray and on his own for quite some time.  But we are hopeful he will learn his role.

For his own good he better.  

 

Keep checking in on Bey to see how he is doing.