Mis-Adventures of the Year

Ok, so I sometimes like to think and pretend that weird wacky things just don't happen to me. Well that of course is not reality and weird and wacky things DO happen to me. What follows is a short list of the mis-adventures from the past year that make me smile now...now that I am well past them.

Transporting rabbit on bike.

Simple right? Put rabbit cage on back of bike pedal bike home. Well it would've gone just like the except for the fact that while biking from the ferry terminal along my chosen route there is this thing in the way. It's actually called a bollard but why it is where it is makes me call it a thing. I believe it's intended use is to stop cars and trucks from crossing a pedestrian bridge that likely can't take that kind of loading. Well this bollard is on the opposite side of the bridge where pedestrian and bike traffic comes from and the direction the cars come from is completely open. Anyway this thing makes you slow down and thread your bike through it usually leaving about 6-8 inches on either side of the bike and panniers. Or so. Well with a rabbit cage mounted on back of bike there is actually negative space available, so that when traveling along and trying to thread bike + rabbit cage it doesn't fit. I, blissfully unaware, thinking about the great rabbit from Abundant Acres Farm that is going to fit right into my rabbitry, am not thinking about any of this bollard/trail blocking thing up ahead. Of course I did think about it maybe a nanosecond before I tried...

Thank You Turkeys

The turkeys were processed the weekend of November 20th at the Day Road Farm with Lauren and Garth of Dropstone Farms. It was a full day of hard work and it was cold too. 

What I learned is that turkeys are strong, resilient creatures, that have huge wings that whip you in the face when you get close. Also learned that if they are given the chance to escape they will, sorry G, but as they are social creatures they might come back looking for their cohorts, which gives you a chance to hunt for the now wild turkeys.

Our Bourbon Red turkeys came from Bay Hay on May 15th as day old chicks. After a spring, summer, and part of the fall season they got really big! The Tom's after processing weighed in at 17-18lbs. The hen's weighed in at 13-15lbs. 

The "pasture" the turkeys were tractored in also raised 25 chickens this year. Turns out that the pasture is tired and needs a good rest period. Not sure if it will be ready by May for another batch of turkeys. The cover crop is growing ok. I will over seed in late winter early spring. I'd really like to see some good grass growing there before adding birds again. Also another thing I learned about tractoring chickens and turkeys is that the tractor should be well constructed with the ability to be moved daily if necessary. The tractor I had this year was poor to good and will not be used for chickens or turkeys again. Nope it will likely become the frame work for two new Hare Raisers, ala Natures Harmony Farm, sometime this winter. 

Hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving Holiday! There is so much to be thankful for this year. One thing that I am thankful this year, which I have never been so thankful for is turkeys!