We tried something a little different on the farm this summer! We put guinea hen eggs in the incubator, which is nothing new, but once we hatched 7 of the little keets, we put them in with some chickens who wanted to be Mamas! Those three Mamas are now raising the guinea keets! Being able to do this doesn’t always work out; we’ve only been able to have a chicken mama … [Read more...]
Farm News – Late Spring 2023
Farm dog Max, our Pyrador, gave us quite a scare recently! He spent a night at the emergency vet, where he was sent by our own vet’s office. Our vet had just gone out of town, and they have no overnight coverage, so thankfully the local emergency hospital could take him. His official diagnosis was gastroenteritis. He was lethargic and vomiting, and we were on watch (because of … [Read more...]
Farm Dog Duty
Can you see what I am watching? My first birthday was on April 10th! Some very nice Twitter friends of ours (Luna, Zip, Zoe & Mom) made this graphic for me: Happy (almost) Wordless Wednesday! Love, Max … [Read more...]
Winter Lingers on the Farm
A relatively mild January and early February had many of us dreaming of an early Spring in New England. We had a couple of short spells of frigid weather, but each only lasted a day or two. We were looking at bare ground by mid-February. Some of us, myself included, even began to believe our wish for an early spring might come true! Lifelong New Englanders should know better. … [Read more...]
Puppy Love – Wordless Wednesday
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!! … [Read more...]
A Good Year on the Farm
2022 was a good farm year for us! The barn cats have completely settled in and have established routines. They do not mind the snow, they seem to enjoy being out and about in it. Max and Copper Sue are growing like weeds and settling down just a tiny bit. Both are up to around 60 pounds but we'll get exact weights at their next vet visits. Copper will be turning 1 year … [Read more...]
Autumn on the Farm (2022)
There’s been so much going on here on the farm, I don’t even know where to start! I guess first with a remembrance of our sweet angel Luke. I bought these lovely chimes to put in our memorial garden for him. I wanted to do something a little different than what I have for his angel sisters and was happy when I found these. We still miss him so much; his spirit is with us … [Read more...]
A Love/Hate Relationship with Mother Nature
Nothing makes me happier than being outdoors. I crave it when I am stuck inside for any length of time. I love the fresh air and the beauty of nature more than I can adequately express. I love the changing of the seasons and the unique artistry of each one. It’s something I’m thankful for every morning I wake up. I love the sunshine, the rain, and even the beauty of snow … [Read more...]
Summer Farm News!
Losing our Lab mix Luke left a huge hole in our lives. The house was too quiet. We pulled up all the throw rugs, moved the pet stairs away from our bed, cleared out and put away dog dishes, and gave the floors a good cleaning. I finally went through all the old dog toys and threw away the rattiest ones and washed the ones still in good shape. It was nice to have the house a bit … [Read more...]
Silence on the Farm
For the first time since it’s inception, Barking Dog Organic Farm is without a barking dog. We lost our precious Luke this week, after a short illness. He was just 8 years old. Luke took his job as Chief Barking Dog quite seriously, but he took his job of loving us even more seriously. He had his quirks, fears and phobias, but he was the most loving dog with us ever. … [Read more...]
Welcome to the Farm! Chicks 2022
We've been anticipating this day for weeks now, and finally the chicks arrived, right on schedule! We're excited to be trying some new breeds this year: New Hampshire Red, Light Brahma, Speckled Sussex, Barred Rock, Isa Brown, and Olive Egger. Then we also chose some of our favorites that we've had before, or still have: White Leghorn, Golden Comet, Buff Orpington, and Black … [Read more...]
A Time to Plan
Now that the busy holidays are behind us (it was a very successful Christmas shopping season at my shop!), and my hubby is officially “semi”-retired (he’s still working at his job two days/week), it’s time to sit back and look at what’s ahead for the farm! The Flocks The winter so far has been a bit crazy. All our chickens stopped laying eggs completely, which has never … [Read more...]
Autumn – and the Flocks – All Settle In
The Flocks of Guinea Hens The new guineas born this year are completely integrated with the older birds, so finally things will get easier for a while! It’s been interesting to watch the dynamics to see how guineas and chickens would group together. Mostly it seems those that were hatched and started out together stick together. The four hens from early spring, which came from … [Read more...]
It’s All in the Call – Identifying the Sex of Young Chickens & Guinea Fowl
In this post: It’s All in the Call - Cockerel or Pullet? - The Same Goes for Guinea Fowl What’s Farm Dog Luke Been Up To Lately? Around the Farm News & Photos There is so much discussion in various groups on Facebook and on other websites about how you can identify the sex of your farm birds. It’s been a learning process for us, but after a few years of … [Read more...]
Farm Fresh Yellow Beans – Air Fried!
It’s been a challenging year with our vegetable garden. All our summer rain has the weeds growing completely out of control, and as often happens, I simply gave up trying to keep up with them. There just weren’t enough dry hours to get out into the garden, and it felt like a losing battle when I did get out there. Therefore, I did what I could and hoped for the best. Now we'll … [Read more...]
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