It's great when you have a cool day in the summer time and you are able to get a lot done.  I cleaned 4 stalls today and moved everyone to their current stalls.  Edgar is home from his successful show season to rest, relax, and work on some endurance work.  He was lunged this morning and put in his temporary pen for some grazing time.  The two girl calves are in the barn to be worked with but Eloise will be put with Chucky soon to produce a 2011 calf, the first F2 generation calf we will have produced.  The barn ad the chicken coop have been shoveled out.  The meat chicks are going to the butcher next week. It's nice when the weather cooperates and you can get stuff done.  I hope your days are just as productive

I've heard the question posed - 'When is the best time to plant a fruit tree?'

The answer: The best time is 10 years ago, the second best time is today.  

So, in honor of the above time honored question, we purchased 36 fruit trees this weekend which has more than doubled the size of our orchard.  We have apples: red delicious, granny smith, golden delicious and gala, some red plums, several types of sweet cherries and a lone pear.  We also planted the pluot trees that I received as bare root trees earlier in the spring.  I recommend that everyone go by the nurseries and home improvement stores that sell plants.  Their seasonal trees are usually STEEPLY discounted.  On average we paid about $7 per 3-6 foot tree.  Some of them were a bit hard worn but we expect them bounce back with planting and tender loving care. 

We've put in the second garden thereby doubling the garden space.  I will not be able to fill the second garden this year but next year, watch out.  The plants I started from seeds will be going in this weekend.

On an animal note, the interest in the cows is spiking.  The economy is beginning to turn around a bit and people are looking to buy.  So get one now before they are sold out!  The Freedom Ranger meat chicks are growing up in their new chicken tractor where they can scratch around in the grass while eating large amounts of feed.  The layer chicks (mostly marans, but also blue orpingtons and blue Aracaunas)are also about a month old and I'm looking to move them outside.  I have several broody chicken hens that I have sitting on quail eggs so hopefully we have a good hatch there as well.  

The horses in training are doing well and we're looking forward to their first shows.  Buy them now before they start getting a lot of show experience and you will get quite the deal on a quality horse. 

So a busy season that I don't see ending anytime soon.  Remember we always accept farm visits.  Please feel free to come by and visit.

It was definitely a warm weekend and people are starting to get excited about acquiring animals for their farms.  The girls are spending time in the creek and the bulls are ready to go to new homes.  We've added a few temporary boarders to the back pasture to eat some of the grass  Hopefully we have another warm wet summer.  The chicks are growing well and we have more eggs in the incubator.  None of the quail are setting so I'm going to attempt to use a broody hen to sit on the quail eggs as we have people interested in quail.  The one foal of the year is growing well and she's going to be a liver chestnut.  We have sold the first calf of the season and are expecting 2 more calves this year.  We have had a lot of interest in the cows and we're hoping they all go to great homes where people will enjoy them as much as we do.  Feel free to come by and visit at any time.

So, the last few days have been BEAUTIFUL.  I come home from work (the job that supports the farm), change, eat a quick dinner, then I'm outside until bedtime.  It's a little cold today so that gives me time to catch up on all of the inside chores that I have not been doing because I've been outside.  Some spring planning has been going on.  We have our only foal of the season on the ground (see her pics on the website) and our first calf of the season.  We still have a lot of bulls for sale and now 3 heifers, 2 of which are breeding age this summer.  Plans for the spring include:

1.  Breed Lami to a different stallion this year

2.  Acquire a new mare and breed to another stallion (no Shahn babies this year)

3.  Show Edgar in dressage and endurance

4.  Sending ND to TX for training

5.  Disco in reining?

6.  Expose Eloise to Charles for a spring '11 calf

7. start seeds

8. hatch chick eggs

9. Get bees going again

anyting else???  Gonna be a busy spring/summer.  I can't wait.  Please feel free to come by and visit our farm at anytime.  

Well,

  It's cold.  The snow is thick on the ground.  We're busting ice in the water troughs and trudging over the white stuff to make sure everyone is taken care of.  But spring is coming.  I've got chicken eggs and meat chicks on order.  I've received my seeds for my heirloom garden and the heirloom tomatoes are on the way.  The turkeys will be put up at the end of the month so that I can collect some eggs from them to put in the incubator.  And our foal is due soon.  If we can get through the next 6 weeks (per Phil) we'll be ok.  We're posting new calves for sale.  Make sure to check it out.  See you in a few weeks (once we can dig out).

Well,

  I can't say it's cooling down because it has been a relatively cool summer and moist.  We never had to turn on the A/C this summer.   Grass has been green all throughout the season and we really haven't had to rotate pastures at all.   We're hoping to add some pasture boarding for the winter.  Some of the young chickens are beginning to lay and we're still waiting for one belted calf.  The garden is about done for the year and we're trying our hand at canning.  Because the summer has been so wet, their are plenty of fall wildflowers around and we're hoping the bees perk up again and start to put up some honey for the winter.  We're hoping to harvest honey next year.  It has been an interesting experience.  We're about finished with putting up hay for the year. It has been an interesting summer season.

Or is it.  It's been such a cool, wet summer, I think we're still waiting for true summer to hit.  The pond is full, the creek is running and the grass is still growing.  I've been riding and watching critters grow.  We've had 2 calves this summer and we're still waiting for the third.  Chucky has stayed put in his paddock.  All of the horses are under saddle.  The chicks are almost old enough to start laying and the turkeys are now out on pasture.  The garden has done well and it's time to start thinking about preparing for fall. 

So,

  The great frigid north has receded.  It's been a while since I've posted because I've been phenomenally busy.  I got my horse back from the trainer and have been riding him.  I've also sent 2 young ones to be started (they are still for sale).  I've got my bee hives up and running.  There were some bumps in that road but now 3 out of 4 are doing well.  I might even have some honey available this year.  We had a calf 2 months earlier than we expected and she's on the sale page.  We should have 2 more calves this year.  No colts expected this year but we should have one next February (cross your fingers for a filly). The turkeys and the chicks are doing well.  We had a fox issue earlier in the spring, that we have since taken care of, and lost all of our female ducks including a wild duck.  Ron took 10 eggs out of the wild ducks nest, we put them in the incubator, and hatched 10 ducklings!  I gave the eggs from one of my muscovy hens to some broody chickens and they didn't do as well but we did get 2 muscovy ducklings from them.  The pheasants are in and we are waiting on quail.  I do believe that animal acquisition is done for the year!  I'm hoping to get all colors of eggs later this summer as well as preparing the turkeys for Thanksgiving.  I will attempt to be more diligent in  checking in.  Until next month!

So, on average, we are having more above freezing days then below freezing, the tulips are starting to emerge and the ground is no longer frozen..  Spring is in the air.  It's so hard not to start planting things in the garden but, I know, we are going to have a hard freeze sometime.  So, patience must rule the day.  I have had a lot of interest in the website.  Many people are concerned about the economy and the safety of their food supply. I encourage everyone to do a little something to take control of their own lives.  The chickens are laying well.  Next month we are getting more chickens, some turkeys, and the honey bees.  Keep coming back to see what more we have to offer!!!  Until next month....

I hate winter (still).  Everyone asks me if it is the snow or the cold.... my answer is 'yes!'.  I hate being cold...as a Texan I can handle high humidity and high heat but not so much cold temperatures.  There is nothing worse than not being able to feel your nose or toes or fingers (though all are appropriately covered).  I spend most winter evenings sitting on my couch with the electric blanket I received for Christmas (thanks MOM!!).  The snow just makes barn chores 5x's more difficult.  It's like working in sloppy sand.  Walking, pushing the wheelbarrows, trying to move the animals takes way too much energy.  We separated the calves last weekend.  It went very well.  So now they are all up in the barn and ready to load...first come, first pick :)....  I crave spring.  But until then, I stock up on hot cocoa and marshmallows and putter on.  

So, 

  The only thing keeping me going right now is spring planning.  Gardens, fruit trees, bees, eggs out the ear lobes and new calves.  No foals this year.   Not worrying about wiping out on icey roads.  The new endeavors for this year are we are adding honey to our product list.  We will be starting with 4 bee hives this year.  I will work hard to keep everyone posted on our progress on this or some other forum.  We are also going to extend the predator proof chicken coop to the other side of the lean to and begin raising pheasants and quail for breeding stock and release because.....

  We are adding a new puppy to the household.  A new brittany puppy named Benelli (he will be called Benny).  Hopefully he will become an awesome companion and hunting dog for Ron.   I will be working with Ripley (I promise!!) on his herding work.  So, I freeze and I dream and I look forward for winter to pass and a warm spring to arrive.  

 Karri

Summer recap:  First summer at the new Bruskotter Farms

It's been an interesting, busy summer.  It's hard to believe that the end is nigh.  We have run the A/C a total of 2 days this year.  Woke up this morning to 52.8 F on the digital thermometer (64 F inside).  It has been a while since I've had to wear a jacket in August. 

Constant planning and compromising between Ron and I on placement of pastures, gardens, hay fields, etc.  Next year should be an awesome year for fruit/veggie/hay production.  The orchard is well started and we are already planning additions for next year.  This year's big project (ok one of many big projects) has been the chicken coop and it came out pretty cool.  I've just got enough confidence to actually let my free range chickens be free rannge now.  They are pretty fun to watch.  The herding dog doesn't quite know what to do with them.  We might have to start formal herding training for him.

I'm hoping to have a few more additions to the farm before winter hits (and still hoping to sell alot of critters for anyone who's interested... check out the for sale page!!).  We are looking to add Muscovy ducks for future fly control and some cows to keep the racing bull Chucky passified.   Not that it hasn't been great to meet the new neighbors but I would prefer not to do it while chasing down a lonely bull.  We'll see how many striped calves we have in the neighborhood next year.