Hello everyone. We are glad you stopped by, whether the first time or more.March certainly came in like a lion this year. That is not all bad! We need the cold and snow now not in May. Also the snow provides much needed moisture for our fields and ponds I’m told it also provides minerals the soil need to be healthy so we have good pastures for our grass fed livestock and poultry. Anyway God knows best and besides man hasn’t yet figured out a way to change what God ordains weather wise.
The first 100 baby chicks are scheduled to arrive this Wednesday. I haven’t quite got the brooder house set up but will by then. For sure heat lights will be essential for awhile this year.
The hens have gone on strike! Was getting 17 to 20 eggs per day, even through the short days and cold. Now they think they need a break and we are lucky to get 2 eggs per day. Hope they change their minds pretty soon. We need the eggs for those of you who get hen fruit from us.
Our lambs are nice and fat. They will soon be ready for people’s freezers. Also the two billy goats. Our baby goat is funny to watch. He has his head in the feed pan just as quick as the big goats and he thinks he rules the roost most days. He is so plump and active. His mama is the only one who seems to correct him–the billies do not.
Had to process a couple of ducks who got hurt the other day. They were both hens and full of eggs which would likely have been laid in a couple of weeks. I hate it when things like that happen but on the farm it does.
The young men of the family are getting my dairy barn finished and none too soon as the cow will calve the first of April and I am ready for some fresh milk and cream. She is a first time mom and will have to be taught to behave in the barn for milking. Always look forward to see what the calf will look like. Our beef cows will start calving about the same time so hope the weather is a little warmer.
Like most of the farmers in this area we are concerned about having enough hay. It takes more in cold weather and also toward the last part of the cows’ pregnancy. To be sure they are well nourished for calving we are feeding some grain this winter—something we don’t usually do. Not as certain our hay is as good quality as we generally have.
Have been looking at the catalogs about ordering my turkeys. Think I will try some different ones this year. Also looking for some Muscovey ducks. They are supposed to be hardy and eat lots of flies and other bugs. And we have plenty of those pests!
Wishing you all a fun St Patrick’s Day, first day of Spring and a holy Lent , if you keep Lent in preparation for Easter. May God watch over you and bless you. Virginia from Missouri Gems-Toole Farms
February 2019
Hello and welcome to our farm. We are glad to have you visit. I try to write a short letter each month to tell you what we are doing. January saw us working in the cold to be sure our animals and fowl had good food and open water. I have heaters in the waterers for the sheep, chickens and ducks/geese. The goats share the hens drinker–as long as it is kept rigorously clean. Goats are the pickiest animals about their food of any I care for. The boys have kept the cattle well fed and they remain in good flesh. Some are getting big with babies to be born in late March. Our calves will go to market in March and have done well–all but a couple. One died from gut complications and one got in the pond so was really wet and cold. We got her out and warmed up and she is doing quite well now. Things happen even when we try to be so careful. Always hurts me to know they are not feeling as good as they should. My little nanny goat had her baby just before the snowstorm here in KC hit. He is doing so well–fat as a butterball and playful. Surely gives the two billy goat a hard time as he loves to jump and climb on them. He is black with a little white and long droopy ears. So fun to watch. I have ordered my baby chicks for the year. I get 100 per month starting in March and ending in August. I raise them for sale beginning in May. Email me if interested. souscon4@gmail.com. Have been perusing the seed catalogs to decide what to plant. We Will over plant our pastures with grasses and legumes to make them thicker and so we will have more hay. I will, of course, plant the usual common vegetables and tomatoes plus some less usual things. Maybe eggplants. Melons, pumpkins and flowers are on my order as well. Checked my dahlia tubers the other day and they have stayed plump in their sand bed. I think they are my favorite flower. My husband is taking his mower in to be made ready for the summer work load. He does all the yard work. As long as he is able I will not mow! We are working on finishing the inside of the dairy barn to be ready to milk by the end of March when one of my Guernseys has her calf. I do miss the fresh milk and cream. My whole barn has heated floors and that has been great this winter when I work in there. We also have family get together and dinners in it as that is what it was built to be. Someplace big enough and with a large parking lot so we can safely get in–not like at our house which sits close to the highway. Enough for now. See you next month. Virginia
January 2019
Hello. Glad you are with us. It is a new year and plans are underway to make it fun and successful. Not too much to do outside except feed the animals and gather the eggs. Water is generally not a problem for them even when it gets really cold as their water containers are heated. That really helps. I like to get out and do chores even if I get cold. Makes me feel better too.
Inside I keep house–not too much there either as there are only two of us and both adults. ( Husband has his chores to do inside too.) So I have set out to embroider a set of seven dishtowels for each of the grand boys. Several of them were married this fall and I didn’t know what else besides money to get them. My needlework can be a nice usable gift or something to keep for their kids, I guess. The girls will all get needlework too but not dishtowels. Then there are the great grand children and some of them are mid teen years, so expect they will need wedding gifts eventually. The ones who don’t get married will get something hand made as well. Keeps me out of trouble.
Have gotten lots of seed catalogs so have been making my lists for what I think I want and what we need. Will order several pounds of wild flower seeds to sow in my pasture. They help to amend the soil and the livestock thrive with them in the pasture, not to mention the bees and butterflies.
Am awaiting the catalogs from the hatcheries so I can order my baby chicks and turkeys. They will need to arrive the first week in March for processing for our customers the second Saturday in May. I get baby turkeys in June so they will be ready for people by Thanksgiving.
My one little nanny goat will kid the end of January so hope the weather that week isn’t too cold. She is so wide I bet she has twins, maybe even triplets. She had twins last year The two billies will be ready to process for meat by the first of April—same as my three lambs. They make great traditional Easter dinners.
The cows are staying fat. We give them hay each day and grain occasionally so they remember to come when we want them to come into the corral. They will begin to have their calves about the first of April. One of my Guernseys will calve then too, and I will begin milking. Can hardly wait for fresh milk and cream. Have two others and a Jersey who will calve a bit later so we should have milk year round from now on.
I will attempt to have a new article about the first of each month so hope you tune in then. Until then Thanks for visiting and stay well. Virginia
November 2018
Pigs for processing weigh 250 to 300 pounds on the hoof so will yield 125 to 225 pound of hanging weight meat— a little less meat if you subtract the bones. Hanging weight is the animal after it is killed and gutted. We ask $2.00 per pound on the hoof and the buyer pays the locker fees so he can have the pig processed as he wishes. Steaks, roasts, cured meat like hams, bacon and sausage. We request a $100.00 non refundable deposit.
November 2018
July 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
With limited space and time I have to choose the best things for our farm so am narrowing down my choices.
Will let you know what wins.