Sunday, August 7, 2016

Goat Fencing, Compost, Coop Expansion, Trees Milled, and a Bear!

 There is so much going on lately on the farm I haven't had much time to write a blog post.
We had another load of logs milled and they were delivered the other day. Don had to unload the trailer alone in this heat. The green lumber is really heavy, way too heavy for me to help him with. We are expanding the chicken coop to add nesting boxes and we are finally getting to the goat fencing. Today we mapped out the fence line and cut down some of the trees that were in the way. I was limbing the small dry limbs with an ax and Don was working with the chainsaw. It was HOT out!!!! Happy to report the first paddock next to the barn is mapped out and ready for us to hang the insulators for the electric fence.

We also have had a bear visiting the chicken coop in the middle of the night. So far he has not caused any damage but we did catch photos of him or her on the trail cam.

 Looking back up towards the barn from the woods. 


 Don dropping trees to enlarge the goat paddock

 After he dropped them I was chopping off small limbs with an ax. Post Lyme I don't have the strength or stamina to keep up with him but he was happy to have me working in the woods with him. He said it reminded him of the old days when we had the farm in the Northeast Kingdom, before I got sick. 

 Lots of limbs and brush to pile up for just a few trees. The goats will eat a good deal of it. 

Using the electric fence stakes and surveyors ribbon to map out the fence line.

 Getting it cleared. Now that the sun is shinning on the forest floor stuff will grow up quickly for the goats. 

So here is the bear that has been visiting.

Don decided to put a more sturdy latch on the door to the barn because all we had was an eye and hook.
The bear visited our neighbor last night too and has been a frequent visitor to homes in our area. Our neighbor suggested we put a bear board (AKA unwelcome mat) at the door to the barn since it is a glass door.  So here is the bear board, a slab of wood with nails pointing upward out of it. 

The finished "Unwelcome matt"

 We had another load of logs milled. This photo was taken after about half of the logs were milled. Don was picking up some of the short boards with his trailer because he needed them to build the goat stall and ramp. 



 The latest truckload of lumber from our trees being delivered. 

Don ended up unloading all this very green, very wet, and very heavy lumber by himself in this heat. He amazes me!

 Our compost operation needed more "Brown" material so we asked the guy that milled our logs to bring us some sawdust when he delivered the logs.

 The tree different piles in this photo consist of "Brown" material, "Green" material and mixed materials finishing off after being dumped out of the composter.

The chicken coop is being expanded. We are going to cut through the wall from Don's workshop into the coop and put the nest boxes under the stairs. 



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