Shearing Day

We've got another job done for the year. It seems that the shearer always comes on a hot sticky day and this was no exception.  The sheep run up our chute into his chute with special pull through doors.

Each ewe is pulled through the door and shorn by Cliff.  Someone takes the fleeces and puts them in the wool press to be bagged.

Very tired push help!

Most of the course wool will be shipped for sale.  This bag has the fleeces of about 40 ewes and weighs 300-400 pounds. 

Fleeces waiting to be washed, cleaned, carded and spun or felted.  I'll keep these to process myself for slippers and mitts.

Hay Crop 2011

For the first time ever while farming in Saskatchewan - We put up hay that has neither been rained on nor raked!!!  It is picture perfect. The yield was good too, over 2 ton/acre.  There was a lot of hay field that didn't get cut because the ground is so wet.  We also had Tony come in with his round baler to give us a hand to get done before the rain came.  We ended up with 2600 square bales and 122 rounds. There were relatively few breakdowns as well, so it was a good harvest.

Hannah ran the square baler and got very efficient at changing shear pins and changing twine on her own.

She just needs to remember to look behind the baler more often.  This is what happens when you run out of twine.

                                               Lyle and Zac did the picking with the bale picker.

That's a lot of loads back to the yard!

The barn loft and quonset are full to the brim.

Tired haying crew.

This is good hay!  <happy man>

Poor picture - but you can see the hawk sitting on the round bale.  Even the hawks like haying time.  They can see the mice.

Greenhouse Warming

It is so hot in the greenhouse that when you go outside in the 30 deg temperatures it feels cool and you want a jacket.  This silly cat slept all day in the greenhouse, just loving it. I could only stand a half hour at a time with sweat burning my eyes!   Ah, the easy life of a cat.

Haying

Haying is well under way.  We had the neighbor cut for us.  He did the first 40 acres with his 18ft cutter in 3 hours. It's incredible how fast that is. The swath is huge. I don't know if our square baler will be able to pick it all up. The second 40 acres is also cut now so we have to get going with baling.

The hot dry weather has helped with drying the hay.  It's been over 30 deg. for the last couple days.  Today promises to be the same.  It's 9 am and already 25 deg out.  I worked at the market garden this morning.  Went out at first light and worked until 8am.  It was already too hot then to be comfortable.

Achievement Day

Horse 4H is done for another year.  We didn't get enough riding in this year because of the wet ground but it was still a fun year.  Our sincere thanks to Tara who took on the job of Project Leader this year.  Hannah rode Chick this year, her 3 yr old buckskin filly, and they both did very well.  Hannah is looking so grown up. 

  

Showmanship class

Trail Class

Tim Taylor in the Garden

Why rototill the garden with the small tractor and 4 ft rototiller when you can do this.... with a 14 ft cultivator  < grrr! >

I guess I didn't want that strawberry patch   < sobbing >



Domination

Who do you think rules the hen house at the farm?

Is it this leghorn rooster?

Or this chantecler rooster?

  Or this large dual purpose?

Or this big bad boy?

Or this Jersey giant?

Or this banty?

That's right.  This little banty has the hens herded and the boys on the run!  In his mind he doesn't weigh less than 2 pounds.  With that attitude I'm glad he isn't any bigger.  He spends his day strutting and crowing.


On reflection, me thinks that I have too many roosters.