The madness of spring work has arrived! A good kind of madness. Vaccinations, wormers, hoof trimming. Adding new bells to all of the does' collars. New coats for the sheep - just in time for their scheduled shearing. Bees exiting the hive and hens already getting broody. Tree triming and garden bed preparation. Loving this time of year. :)
Yesterday we pruned the two big apple trees out back. Our arms scratched and achy - signs of major accomplishment. The peach trees will have to be done this week. We unloaded a pile of plywood for the (former) tack room, to line the walls of the (now) milking room. An "indoor" project I can work on, even if the much-needed rain arrives. We gave booster vaccinations to the expectant does. Every morning we "bet" whether we'll find new kids when we open up in the morning. Rapidly rounding udders confirm the time is near. I'm planning to milk two of them by hand this year. So the two are ready for me, we've been putting them on the milk stand and "handling" them, in preparation. This week we shaved their backsides and udders, so they'll be easier to clean and milk.
We fed the bees - twice - yesterday because they ate all of the syrup up within hours. Once the hive boxes are rotated we'll give each hive their own quart jarful. Hive boxes are stacked two per variety - for the winter months. As the bees work their way through their honey supply - bottom to top, they ultimately end up huddled in the center of the top hive. Because bees fill the combs bottom to top - the boxes are rotated so they, again, fill from the bottom up. The "honey super" is added so they can "store" their extra food. The bottom two are where the queen lays eggs and broods are reared. A special guard is placed between the hive boxes and the honey supers to prevent the laying of eggs in the combs we want to harvest.
A week from today, the sheep will all be sheared. Theory (proven) has it that if they're sheared a few weeks before they're due, their gestation period will go longer - resulting in larger and healthier lambs. Their body's reaction to the "chill" of no wool, kicks in to instinctively hold on to that lamb a little longer. Plus, the wool doesn't get ruined from the mess of birthing and its easier for the lambs exit.
I've always read that bantam hens make the best setters. I believe it. From years of Beauty setting a brood each year (in some corner of the barn) two of the new hens from last year are so stuck in their nestbox position, that you'd think we glued them there. So anyone with eggs that need hatching, bring them on over. Each hen can handle around 5 or 6 full-sized eggs.
Daylight savings time went into effect at 2:00 a.m. today. Since I'm awake between 4 and 5 a.m. anyway, its perfect for me. Getting to have that extra hour of daylight each evening will be wonderful. Because I have a short window of opportunity to get certain tasks completed - every moment of daylight is valued. Yes, there will be muddy messes from the rains of spring and weeds that will have to be removed from pastures and lawn, and branches that need to be pruned and achy muscles at the end of the day. There will be moments when I'm cursing the farm and wondering if I shouldn't be living in the city after all. But, with the arrival of each new morning and season - I know that where I am, Sunny Silver Maple Farm, is exactly where I'm supposed to be - no matter what the season brings.
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