Gratuitous pony pictures

I spent the afternoon and evening tonight after work digging ditches in the pasture next door so the irrigation water will go where it needs to, and switching gates opened and closed. I didn't take any pics of that, so enjoy this one pic of Scott, Pat, and Larry fixing the Tee in the pipe when it blew out last time we had water.

Holy giant egg, steers at the butcher, finally had some snow

This winter has been especially dry. Last winter we didn't have to have our driveway plowed once. We managed to get snow on days we didn't have to work. This winter there just wasn't any snow. We had some flurries here and there. Nothing I couldn't drive the little green truck through to get out of the driveway. I had to drive the dodge a few times because of ice or slick roads from fog. Last week we finally got some snow. About 6-7+ inches of the white stuff. Still didn't have to plow the driveway, but we need the moisture so desperately.

Yay, finally snow.

Foxy snow pony

Foxy and Ben

The chickens got fed in the calf pen. They like to hang under there out of the snow and the wind.

I know the first eggs a chicken lays start small and they get bigger
the older a hen gets, but this was a little extreme.  I feel sorry for the hen who spit this out.

Easter Egger , Banty, and Holy Giant Egg

 And some pics of the rainbow of colors the girls are laying.

Two weeks ago, Scott and Andrea took the steers to Nate's house for him to slaughter for us. They've been hanging out in his shop in the cold to age for two weeks. We went over Saturday, late afternoon to help him cut and wrap our steer. Mostly he cut, Scott did all the grinding into burger, and I packaged. We brought home a fourth of the finished product Saturday night and we'll get the rest of it tomorrow. I think he weighed just under 400 pounds hanging weight. That means hide, head and innards removed.

This was a big 1000 pound bull that was hanging to age and waiting it's turn to be cut up.

Our little guy was not so big. 

Jersey T-Bone

We've made burgers from the ground beef, and man were they juicey. We're talking stand over the kitchen sink and scarf em down. So tasty. Last night we grilled ribeye steaks. Oh man oh man. They were so tender, and had so much flavor. Everything you hope you're going to get when you take that first bite of steak after smelling it grill. Scott seasoned them perfectly before grilling. I kept hearing people say that Jersey meat is so much better than beef cow. I don't ever want to raise anything else for the freezer again. Even if someone offered me a free angus steer, already on grass and just needs finishing. Jersey is the way to go. 

Chickens, Fencing, Steers and Horses

I was talking on the phone with my momma the other day and were were comparing chickens. I was trying to explain the breeds and the birds that I have, so I went out and snapped a few photos. The light was fading and I didn't get pics of everyone.

Einstein is bigger than I thought he was. He's turning into a very handsome rooster.

The White Plymouth Rock Rooster is Captain. I'm super happy with both the boys. Gentlemen, they both are. The White Rock behind him is a hen. 

This is the Red Ranger that I just couldn't butcher. She's so big and fluffy.

One of the Easter Eggers, the the Buffy Red Ranger in the background. This is the EE that will come over and eat of my hand. 

Two of the other Easter Eggers. 

This is Spur. One of the original hens we started with. She has spurs like a rooster. Her and the other other black hens are Black Australorps. I was told they were Jersey Giants, but the other birds are bigger than they are. Australorps we decided. All four of them are molting and look terrible right now.

This poor girl doesn't have any tail feathers left. Just some scraggly bits.

The fence has been working beautifully. Scott did a perfect job on it. None of the cows have gotten out, the horses are happily out on pasture and not eating the winter hay. 

Ben and Fox behind the new gate and fence braces.  

This is the corner brace that gave us such a hard time getting into the ground.

Bacon, the steer, is starting the grow in some woolly hair. He's looking like a fine tasting fellow. Soon we'll bring both the steers back up to the round pen and start feeding the crap outta them, getting them ready for the butcher. 

Norman was out stuffing himself on grass and didn't want to come out the the fence to get his picture taken. Give him a trunk though, and he's look like a baby Woolly Mammoth. 

I promised Heather pictures of the new mare. Here's one of her favorite boy, Ben, too. 

Ben

Hancocks Gaelic Fox. Her topline isn't really that funny looking, Ben is hiding behind her and you can just see a bit of him by her withers and neck. 

Hancocks Gaelic Fox and Benjamin Brown

Fox

Scott on Hancocks Gaelic Fox

Scott and Fox