This past weekend our son saw the critter and attempted to skewer it with a pitch fork. But last night, it returned and killed one of our large, black austro-lorps.

This afternoon, the weasel got brave and attacked a large turkey tom in broad daylight. Nathan was going into the barn when he saw it on the turkey – he hit it with the blade of his machete (he had been hacking weeds with it) and it took off and ran straight into a metal trashcan (used for feed). he said it left blood on the trashcan, so it must be bleeding pretty badly.

Nathan and Marilyn butchered the turkey, since it was still alive, but mortally wounded. he said “it’s ok dad, it was Thanksgiving”.
YOU see, Nathan had named the 3 remaining toms – Thanksgiving, Christmas and Tom. Tom was to be the sire for the hens we have…

Our flock has been reduced from 75 layers to 44 in the course of 2 months, so we are down to about half the egg production we had in June. Instead of 6 dozen per day, we are getting between 2 and 3 dozen.
We ordered more hens, and have about 10 – 15 left of 50 we had been raising, that should start laying this next month.

By February, we should be back to 6 or 7 dozen eggs per day – but in the meantime, I have to put some 1/2″ hardware cloth all around the bottom of the barn walls – immersed in concrete, so the weasels, minks and other vermin couldn’t possibly dig under it. And I thought I was finished with that part of the barn addition…

New life is an awesome experience.  I have helped birth the goats, but this was the first time I got to assist our precious “Jessie”

She is truly one in a million. Never growled or snapped at me (as other dogs have been known to do), or anything. She willingly accepted my assistance and she actually cried for me to come close as she was having contractions.

This is her 3rd and final litter. We want to keep her healthy for years to come, and let her play and work hard here on the farm.

How does she “work hard”?

• She keeps the chickens and turkeys in their part of the “yard”
• She patrols and kills any varmint (like the weasel, skunk and rats that she has saved our chickens from).
• She keeps the birds out of our blueberries
• She keeps our boys safe (and entertained).
• She is a wonderful companion.

In return, she has our endless love and all the praise we can muster for her. If it hadn’t been for Jessie, we probably would have lost chickens, berries and other things growing on the farm to all types of critters.

And to see the babies come out and have to break the sac and watch them start breathing for the first time…

How incredibly rich our lives are -  here on this little farm of ours…

–Pat