Facebook beats out Blogger

We have decided that because most of our fans and interactions are on facebook we are going to put our time and effort into that page and let the blog go.  If you have not done so please "like" us on facebook and keep in touch that way. 
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Hermity-Farmer-Women
 We may have the occasional blog post and if and when we do we will make sure to link from facebook.  We just have too many places to try and keep updated and we have found most of our fans prefer facebook to blogger.  Thanks for understanding,
Hermity Christine

Pansy and the Duck Eggs!

Hermity Christine's ducks have proven to be prolific layers. Hermity Katherine's friend and spiritual advisor, Pansy Bradshaw, has developed a passion for them.  He has concluded that a 9 minute duck egg, at 5100 ft. elevation, is indeed the most perfect boiled egg -- with a good solid white, firm outer yolk and soft center.  
Yum. 
Here are photos that Pansy took this morning as he was fixing his fried egg breakfast.

Le Prep  

Duck Versus Chicken

 Delicious!

Hermity Christine Says Goodbye to Her Gallbladder

Hermity Christine has been in the hospital the past few days, feeling quite ill and having a fair bit of pain from an infected gallbladder.  The good news is, our local surgeon, the great and wonderful Dr. Shafaieh removed the offending organ and now Hermity Christine is on the mend. She should be able to come home from the hospital tomorrow.  It will be a while, though, before she is slinging hay to the goats or digging in the dirt. Hermity Katherine is going to feel very sad about that.

Spinach Tub

Here are the photos of the spinach tub, planted; along with the spider that ran out from behind the basket of rocks that I used for drainage.  He is still there. I will capture him and remove him to the outdoors if Spot doesn't get him first.
I am not sure what I will do once the spinach germinates.  Spot is pretty sure I fixed him up a grand new potty.  He actually farted in anticipation as I was planting it.  Fortunately, until it germs, it is covered.  After that, I will have to enclose it or move it or something.

 Somehow this spider looks scarier in the photo.

 Soil in the plastic tub, rocks in the bottom for drainage.

Planted and waiting to germinate.

Spinach in Containers

We have run out of summer squash (what we didn't eat, the chickens enjoyed).... and sick of green beans....  and getting sort of antsy for some greens, but summer is a long time away and store-bought greens are too expensive.  So, I am going to grow some spinach and lettuce in big containers in my south-facing windows. Hermity Christine used to do this in her greenhouse, but we don't have a greenhouse any more.
I'm not going to mess around with pretty flower pots -- just some big square plastic containers.  Photos to follow!

Cow drama and trusting your instincts.(a tad graphic)

As I write this story, it is a bit graphic.  I do not type this to offend anyone but it is part of life on a farm.  It is not all about sitting in our rocking chairs enjoying the view.  Life and death happens, we learn what we can and continue to move forward.

The swamp!

As calving season approaches I go on high alert for any issues among the cows. It is the time of year where in the rush to get ready for calving, we always have cows take us by surprise.  I started feeding the cows again for dad.  We have a large bunch of them down in a rough swampy area, where we feed right up until calving begins.  This keeps the pastures close to the house clean for calving.  A couple days ago when I went out to feed there was a cow that didn't come to the feeding ground right away and she was agitated and chasing a golden eagle and some crows away.  Her behavior was abnormal but by the time I was able to get across the rough ground in the tractor she had joined the herd, I inspected the area she was standing and didn't find anything suspicious.  The next day there didn't seem to be anyone out of place so I didn't worry about it.  Today when I brought the first 2 bales I noticed that there was a cow clear out away from everyone else, hunched up and tail kinked.  She was in a location where I couldn't get to her from a vehicle so I left and went for the next 2 bales. By the time I got back down she was headed to the feeding ground.  She was obviously calving, but the odds of a live calf at this early stage are not good.  When she made it to the feed I could tell that she had the feet pushed out.  I talked with dad about what to do and we decided it was best to just let her be and check on her later.  My gut instinct said that something more was wrong and I couldn't shake the feeling all day.  Late afternoon I decided to try and take the pickup down to see what her status was.  Its rough going and she had gone back to her middle of nowhere location, where I could see she was still hunched.  Standing up then laying down.  Something was wrong, very wrong.  With a calf this early she shouldn't had trouble getting him out.  So I baja'd back out of the swamp and called my hubby for help.  We would have to take a 4-wheeler down to where she was to get a better look and dad was in town taking care of business so he couldn't help.  It is bitterly cold and not a pleasant 4wheeler ride, but we managed to get down to her.  Sure enough she had the calfs head and feet out, the calf was dead and she was in distress.  Of course at that point she didn't want messed with and was nearly impossible to get moved with one 4wheeler in a rough area.  I called mom to watch the kids as we were going to be a while.We were finally able to get her headed up towards the house with a small group of other cows.  In order to get the gate I had my husband drop me off to keep pushing her towards the gate while he opened it.  She was certainly not in a good mood and at one point I feared for my life as the only thing between us was sagebrush and it seemed at one point she would chase me.  Thankfully she kept moving forward.  By the time we got her through the first gate and out of the swamp my uncle arrived to help, but the hard part was already done.  We brought her into the barn and put her in the head catch, in order to pull the calf. Dad was home to help with this part and my hubby could go back to his homework. During the process of getting her in the barn,she ran my uncle up the fence, poor girl has had quite a day I can't say as I blame her for being cranky.  For being so early he was a pretty large calf, although not impossible to get pulled out.  Some of the issues were easily visible when the calf came out though, his intestines were on the outside of his body and he had been dead long enough to start smelling.  Its always hard to lose a calf no matter how many you have or what the reason is.  Our main concern was now focused on the cow, infection was very likely at this stage and she was given shots of antibiotics and will be kept in and monitored closely.  Hopefully at least she will be saved. 
Lesson learned, keep trusting my instincts!
I can't help but wonder if she was the same cow that I had seen 2 days ago acting funny, and thinking maybe I should have worked harder to find her again and check on her.  But I have to be happy with the fact that I found her this evening and we were able to save the cow.  Here is a pic of the swamp from last winter, there is no snow there this year, it's been a terribly dry winter!

This is why its slow rough driving!

Towards the top right of this picture is the trail to the gate where the cow thought she might have a piece of me.

Nest Box Antics

Today I was fixing up the main nest boxes in the chicken coop.  Everyone was out free ranging and the box I was working on is the favorite.  Doesn't matter that there are lots of other boxes they all like this one... So in comes Miss Snowbell telling me how unhappy she is that I am in the road, I shoo'd her away and told her to use another nest box.  She left the coop unhappily,  but not more than 30 seconds later she comes back in with War Chicken our rooster.  He comes in to investigate what I was doing, when he realized I was ignoring his request to relinquish the nest box then he immediately went around the corner to the other nest boxes and had words with Miss Snowbell.  She expressed her frustration to him,so he jumped up and tested all 4 nest boxes, then hopped down and had words with her.  Something along the lines of "what is your problem woman there are 4 perfectly fine next boxes right here and I just tested them all".  Exit War Chicken, then Miss Snowbell hopped up in one of the just tested nest boxes and laid an egg.  I wish I had my video camera, it was so hilarious!  So if anyone was wondering what the purpose of a rooster is; apparently it is to test nest boxes for safety and comfort in case of emergency!

Snowbell, a tad younger in this pic but I don't have a recent one.
(columbian wyandotte)

War Chicken (Mottled Bantam Cochin Rooster)