Springing New Life

We're going to be expecting new arrivals at The Compound in the next 4-6 weeks.  We have two pigs ready to deliver in early May.  Our best mom from last year, Pepper and a new mom to be, Queenie (my absolute favorite).  Can you believe I don't have a readily available picture of Queenie!  It must be because I don't take the time to get one, I'm too busy scratching her ears or her belly!

This was Pepper last year, a few days before delivering.

 



Since we're only a few weeks out, we separated them to the farrowing area, got their wallow filled up and fresh straw laid down.  Now they won't have to share food with 10 very hungry teenage pigs.  It leads to a lot of squabbling.  Getting these two girls to the farrowing pen was easy work.  They love to be loved, so they just followed us in to see what we were up to.  They both get along very well, and we're eagerly waiting to see the new brood.

We did have two turkeys hatch in the past week, and 3 more hens sitting.  We never did see the Toms covering the hens, but obviously they did at some point.  Again, I didn't get any pictures.  Although, the hens wouldn't let me get very close, or they'd start puffing up.  Even the Tom's would get between me and the little chicks.  Since this is my first foray into Turkey raising, it's all been interesting to watch.

We did catch a very large rat snake trying to make it's way into the Turkey pen.  I'm sure after those little chicks.  That immediate problem has been resolved.

We bred our Holland Lop Ear rabbits this past weekend, so we'll be looking for kits in early May. What have you used for nesting boxes?  Anything extra I should be thinking about for the new moms?

Pickles on the left and Cupcake on the right.

We're debating on whether or not we start raising Quail.  Anyone want to let me know the good, bad and ugly of raising them?  Is it worth the endeavor?  I'd like to get fertilized eggs and hatch my own.

We also have an incubator full of chicken eggs.  We didn't raise any new chicks last year on our own, and some of our girls are getting up there in age.  Although you'd hardly know it, we still get 4 dozen or so eggs each week out of about 30 hens. Too many for us to eat anyway, so we give them away.  After the new chicks reach laying age, we'll need to cull the flock.  Not something we look forward to, but the more animals we have, the more money it costs and the harder it will be to sustain them and us.

Well, that's it for now.  Have a great week!