Farm Update Nov, Dec, Jan

Sorry for the missed updates, y’all! We took some time off to enjoy the holidays, and between that and the whole family being sick, we got a little behind. But now that we’re back on track, we’re excited to share what’s been happening and get back to more regular updates!

November & December Recap

Chickens

We had a few more successful hatches, and our fertility rate has been improving with each batch—our hens hit 90%! With daylight savings, they slowed down production, so we tested a solar chicken coop light. It helped a bit, but the cold front dropped production again. We may try a heat lamp, but for now, we’re letting them take a break. (Can’t blame them—I don’t feel like doing much in the cold either!)

We also got some pictures from a past customer—just look at their beautiful chickens!

Sheep

Livestock sure keeps us on our toes. We lost four more sheep to coyotes, which was a tough blow, but after stepping up security, we finally have a system that works! We were even able to take two trips without losing any.

Here’s what we did:

Added two strands of barbed wire around the small enclosure in the horse pen.

• Put up temporary shade cloths along the pen perimeter.

• Installed motion sensor lights near the chicken coop and fence line where coyotes were lurking.

• Set up a moving Halloween decoration for extra deterrence.

• Installed security cameras to monitor at night and when we leave town.

Not sure which change made the biggest difference, but together, they’ve worked!

We also started welding pipe in December for a permanent shelter in the sheep winter pen. We’ll be putting on tin and a gate to make it a three-sided and roofed shelter that we can lock up as needed. This will help provide more security and protection during lambing and the colder months.

Side Project: Fire Pit Fun

January Update

January wasn’t too exciting—we spent most of it sick, moved the shelter and minerals for the sheep, and made it through a cold snap. But on the bright side, our three ewes are thriving, and one of them—Candle—is due to lamb any day now!

This will be our first lambing, and while we have experience delivering other livestock and have done plenty of research, we’re praying God gives her a smooth delivery and a healthy lamb (or lambs!). We’re keeping her in a more sheltered pen with hay until spring and will update everyone as soon as she delivers.

We’ll be sharing the big news with our newsletter subscribers first, so if you’re not on our email list yet, now’s the time to sign up!

Farming isn’t for the faint of heart, but we love what we do and are grateful for every lesson along the way.

Hope y’all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year’s—can’t wait to see what this year brings to our little patch of sand!

Bible Verse:

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures." — Psalm 23:1-2