Canadian Acres
Farming in the North
Game Cam Whodunnit
A few weeks back Clay checked on our furthest game cam, about 1/2 mile down from our house. As he approached, he realized that something was wrong, it was facing a different angle. Upon further inspection it appeared as if someone had vandalized our camera! But how, oh how could we figure out this mystery?
Now to figure out how to fix the broken strap holder… damn bears.
~Katy
Farm Happenings and Catch Up
Hello all,
Sorry for the recent absence, I was off in Alaska land enjoying time with friends and the beauty that is the North. I thought I’d share a catch up post as we have been very busy on the farm.
Before I left for Alaska, my parents came for a visit. They genuinely worked their butts off and for that I am grateful. I also feel kind of bad because I don’t want people to think they have to work on their vacations on the farm, but alas, there is an unending amount of things to do. One of the most helpful acts was when my father taught Clay and I how to butcher a chicken. Many of you have read my compelling post about our rooster invasion, and it was definitely time to send five of them packing… to my freezer.
An animal lover at heart, I struggled with this idea, but as a homesteader I knew that I needed to be apart of my foods journey to my stomach. When I was little, I remember butchering time at my grandparents farm and found it to be great fun. My job was to sit on the box the headless chickens ran about in to make sure they didn’t run into the woods… every now and then one would “accidentally” get out and I had to chase it. In retrospect this was a weird game for a little girl to enjoy, but hey, it made me who I am today.
We had five roosters lined up for the slaughter. I carefully caught each one and spent a minute with each thanking them for their service. I didn’t stay for the actual slaughter part (I’m a wuss) but got down and dirty with the plucking and the packaging. And the wine drinking.
So five fresh chickens made it into our freezer!
When I returned from Alaska, I found fall had arrived at Canadian Acres.
All five of my laying hens have started to lay, and I have an over abundance of eggs. How lucky are we.
I am amazed by how much I truly enjoy keeping chickens and love them. The dogs have been wonderful during free range time and the littles are growing up so fast!
But then it happened… SNOW. Wait, what?! Snow? On September 7th? Oh god… I am not ready for this.
On Clay and I’s 2nd wedding anniversary it snowed. Ugh.
No one at our house was impressed. I hurried to save my two ginormous tomato plants and my three pumpkins. Not sure if I got them inside in time, but I strung up the tomato’s to encourage them to ripen and am curing my pumpkins with hope. The weather is supposed to turn nice again on Saturday and we should have a few more weeks of fall before it begins. Winter is most definitely coming.
At least it doesn’t look like it will stay. Happy fall everyone!
~Katy
The Mountains are Calling and I Must Go
This past week my parents came from Texas to spend some time on the farm and although the trip was short, my heart is filled with family love once again. Living so far away isn’t easy, but it makes the time we have together a little sweeter.
And by sweeter I mean we killed chickens…
We also picked chokecherries, did farm work, laughed, cried, collected eggs, wrangled pitbulls, cooked delicious food and fought hawks with our bare hands (okay, that was only my Dad).
All in all a fabulous week, don’t you think?
Saying goodbye is never easy, but as I fly closer to my mountains and friends in Alaska for the next ten days, I am grateful to be such a lucky farm girl.
Adventure bound and loving it.
~Katy
Bear Butts – Game Cam Update August 2014
After checking one of our game cams after only a few days yesterday, it’s become apparent that we aren’t the only busy beings on the farm. We set up the camera in a new location, on a huge game trail that I use to ski on in the wintertime.
I should note that most of these critters are heading in the direction of the house… don’t tell Wyatt.
Lot’s of action in a few days but no huge racks to be found, so we’re hoping to see some big game as fall approaches.
Happy Monday to you!
~Katy
Goodbye Gerty
Yesterday was a rough day on the farm full of mixed emotions. I got my first egg and I lost my first hen.
Gerty had started nesting a few days ago and I started to anticipate the arrival of the first egg on Canadian Acres. My very first egg! All the hard work would soon payoff.
At 18 weeks and 6 days my dinosaur chicken gave me my first egg. I noticed her squatting multiple times around the yard and looking rather uncomfortable. Upon further inspection I realized her egg was stuck. By the time I got the egg out of her, it was too late. Her uterus prolapsed. I did everything I could do with my limited knowledge of chicken healing, even scoured the internet for an answer. I called a vet clinic in town only to be laughed at and to have no doctor return to me with any type of advice or news. I know she’s just a chicken… but she was my chicken. After reading everything I could find, I found out that a prolapsed uterus is a pretty rare thing to happen and could have been caused by a number of things. I think that she just maybe wasn’t built right.
I made her comfortable last night and tried to figure out what to do next. She wasn’t suffering, she was calm and seemed to like the extra attention.
I knew I couldn’t kill her myself. I’m sure that makes me a crappy farmer but I just couldn’t do it. I backed up some reinforcements and had a team ready (I have some pretty great girl friends). But this morning as I approached the kennel I had her in, I realized she was gone. She looked peaceful and that’s all I could have asked for.
I am burying her today in the horse pasture with a nice view of the fields and plenty of grasshoppers to chase. I filled her burial box with herbs and flowers and laid her to rest. This is emotional for me, and it should be. I love my animals and care for them to my best ability. I will cry over the loss of this brave hen. She gave me one beautiful pastel green egg. I will bury it with her.
So, my first egg story won’t be exciting or joyful. It will be one that holds sadness and loss, but I am so grateful that the funny looking chicken graced me with her presence for the short time we had. And her one egg will be the most beautiful of all my future eggs.
Farm life is hard, but I know that she lived a great one. I came into this adventure knowing that I would experience loss at a new level and I shall always meet each one with respect, gratitude and emotion. All life is precious and Gerty deserved to be loved and remembered.
Goodbye Gerty, thank you my friend.
~Katy
Canadian Acres 