Merry Christmas Everyone!

Farm Update

I was at my neighbor, Doug's house at 7:00 this morning. He lives a mile further up the road from us. We were loading his 4 goats into the car to bring to my house. His place is under attack by bears - a mother and 3 cubs. Luckily they only got his 4 turkeys and 12 laying hens, not any goats. But they have been there a couple of times and tore off the roof to his chicken pen and broke through a window. His remaining layers and a hen turkey are now also residing here as well.
The damage the bears did are making me rethink the security of my barns. The main difference is that Doug's property is in the trees and backs up against a mountain park. So he is at the interface with bear country. This is where we are luck, being in a meadow.
Hope the bears go into hibernation soon!

Garlic

Not a bad garlic harvest considering it was all volunteer. Had too much happening last fall when I should have planted my garlic.

Catching up with the farm

As always there are about a hundred projects to work on during the summer on the farm. I pretty much spend the summer working on things to get ready for winter. It is the goal to have everything more efficiently setup, so that winter chores are easier.
Here are some of the projects completed.

  Real gate to the 3 stall chicken house.

 

Real gate to another chicken house.

 Remodeled chicken house to make it a two story condo. Roosts are up above. Food, water and nesting boxes are on the lower level. Still need to add better hinges to the door.

Real gate to the goat pen. Previously I've just had pieces of fencing panels wired to a post. These gates are on hinges, with a kick plate on the bottom to keep them at least sort of above the snow.

Inside of the new goat barn. It needs some cracks filled in and paint on the outside, but otherwise it is ready fro winter.

More walls

Accomplished a lot on the barn the last couple of days, even in the rain!
If all goes smoothly today, it will be totally closed in.

 Not real pretty, as we are using up all the scraps. Trying to make this as cheaply as possible. It will look better with some paint.

 Large double doors for easy clean out. I'm getting smarter about this!

Dutch door, allows for opening just the bottom half for the goats. Helps keep the weather out.

The roof is on!

Slow progress with the new goat barn, but yesterday we got the roof on and the windows and doors framed in.

Another barn raising

Needing to build another barn this summer. With the help of my community of women, it is getting done.
We put up the last rafter just as the thunderstorm rolled in.

I'm not a conventional builder. My barns are eclectic and funky, but they are sturdy and weather -proof.

After the storm rolled through, we were able to put up some wall boards.

Open Barn still on for today

May be some rain showers during the Open Barn Event today. So come prepared, most of the activity is at least partially outside.
And remember there will be mud!

Dawn over Westfarm

Wet weather is over for a few days

We had 32" of very wet snow 10 days ago and then another 3 or so inches of rain/snow over the weekend. This is an incredible amount of moisture for us even in April. It is so wet now that our occasional spring that hasn't had any water for a couple years, is now running down the hillside. In 13 years living here, I've never seen it run more than about 10 feet.Now it's a small creek.

Open Barn Event on Sunday

The Open Barn Event is still scheduled for Sunday May 3 from 1-4pm. There is a chance for light rain showers, so come prepared!
Hopefully some of the mud has dried up by them, but wear boots.

Rescheduled Open Barn Event

OPEN BARN EVENT RESCHEDULED

Goat Kids have arrived!

If you’d like to visit the goat farm this spring here’s your opportunity.

When: Sunday May 3 from 1-4pm

In case of questionable weather check my blog that morning for confirmation of the event. www.westfarmgoats.blogspot.com

For directions send me a private message on FB

https://www.facebook.com/westfarmgoatsmilksoap

Wear: old clothes (you will get hoof prints on them) old closed-toe shoes (no sandals) or boots (it could be icky mud), long pants (I don’t recommend shorts). Goats like to chew on dangly strings, long hair and zipper pulls

Children are welcome, but no dogs

Westfarm Goats’ Milk Soap will be available for purchase at a sale price of $5 each that day only. Try my new Full Moon soaps.

A limited quantity of  pasture-raised eggs and other goodies will be available for purchase.

Stalactites?

April snows

The wet April snows are much appreciated. They bring lots of good moisture to keep the wildfires at bay. However, they can also cause lots of damage.

Rescheduling Open Barn

Considering there is about 14" of heavy wet snow and it's still snowing...The chicken flight netting is on the ground and some of the fences have collapsed - all animals are safe in their houses but it's going to take some cleanup. The Open Barn Event on Saturday April 18 is being rescheduled.
New date is Sunday May 3 from 1-4pm.

Open Barn Event

Just realized I haven't posted this event here yet. If you need the address send me a private message on Facebook (Lori Tigner or Westfarm Goats Milk Soap).
If the snow quits we will have the event, even if it is wet and muddy.

 OPEN BARN EVENT

Goat Kids are arriving!

If you’d like to visit the goat farm this spring here’s your opportunity.

When: Saturday April 18 from 1-4pm

In case of questionable weather check my blog that morning for confirmation of the event. www.westfarmgoats.blogspot.com

Where: Lori Tigner and Westfarm Goats

           Morrison 80465

          303-697-1755

Wear: old clothes (you will get hoof prints on them) old closed-toe shoes (no sandals) or boots (it could be icky mud), long pants (I don’t recommend shorts). Goats like to chew on dangly strings, long hair and zipper pulls

Children are welcome, but no dogs

Westfarm Goats’ Milk Soap will be available for purchase at a sale price of $5 each that day only. Try my new Full Moon soaps.

A limited quantity of raw goat cheese, raw cow cheese and pasture-raised eggs and other goodies will be available.

Light snacks and drinks will be served.

Sitting turkey

My White Holland turkey hen, Emily, has decided that it's ok to sit on her 9 eggs. She is very protective, if you go near she hisses. Di you know turkeys hiss?? I didn't. Maybe they've been around the geese too much.

More kids today in the freezing cold

Baby Belle had twins today. A doe is named Birch and her brother.

Spring is truely here when babies start to arrive

These triplets are the first for this year.

They were born about 2:30 am on Wed morning. The spotted one is Jasmine. The brown one is Amber. She looks just like her mother, Shannon. And the one in the back is a buck.We don't name the bucks as they are sold.

Three more does are due to kid by Sunday.

Raised bed compost garden

 With the help from lots of gardeners, some friends and a borrow tractor we spread part of the manure compost on the pasture on the first day of spring. The gardeners were very happy to get well-aged goat compost. I saved some of the best and had it put in this raised bed. I have planted oats and rye. And will add sunflowers when it is warmer. We are still getting moisture (snow) at a good rate, so hope it will germinate soon.
The seeds are covered with old straw and then some flight netting to hopefully keep the crows and chickens from eating all of them. So far no one has discovered them. The bamboo screening is to discourage the chickens. Most of them don't fly that high.

Happy Spring!

It actually looks like spring around the far today. Usually it's more like winter. EVEN the green grass is coming up and the Grape Hyacinth are blooming.

 Hamish the mix breed rooster that hatched here last summer. I think he is Black Australorp, Ameracana and Polish.

The elk are out in force tonight. There has been a herd of about 30 hanging out for about a month, but tonight there are over 100. We haven't seen that many elk here at once in several years. Guess they are having a spring fling!

First turkey egg!

We had the first turkey egg (actually 2) this week. Turkeys are seasonal layers unlike chickens who lay all year round.

Can you find the turkey egg in this photo?

New Adventure

Visit my new blog http://fullmoonoverwestfarm.blogspot.com/ for my new adventure in magically and spiritually inspired soaps.
Don't worry I'll still be posting here concerning life about the farm.

Who made these???

Anyone want to guess what animal makes these tracks?

And Happy New Year!