We’re fully into the spring rush now.
Last Tuesday Lisa took the boy hooligans to Westminster Meats and the girls to Hogwash Farm. We’re swapping gilts with them to expand both of our breeding herds. Albus is from there, and we think he’s great. They only had two unrelated gilts available, but have a couple suitable litters on the way, so we’ll be back up there again. We put the new girls by themselves for a day, then let them meet our herd. They both liked Albus (one was in heat so she really liked Albus), and Minnie was nice to them, but the other three sows were mean to them.
So the new girls busted out on Friday, in the rain, and went to visit the neighbors. The first time we went over, they ran farther into the woods and we lost them. Fish and Game said to please recapture them, NH already has a full time wild boar hunter. Well, they showed up at the neighbor’s again, and this time we herded them home through the woods, at dusk, in the rain, kicking their tails to get them past the scary bits. By the time we got them home and behind electronet, they were not happy campers. They’ve stayed there ever since, although I’d like to get them in with the others before they rip up where they are any worse. As of today, they’ve finally accepted that slop is food and quit demanding purchased pig pellets. The good news is that all of the other pigs are staying in the fence now that the juice is back on.
We took the sheep down to Bruce Clement to shear last Wednesday. We had hoped to have their sacrificial drylot ready for them then. We finally got them moved today. They’re off the hill, where the grass may finally get a chance to grow, onto a spot where they haven’t been for two years, so there should be few parasites. We’ll keep them there for a few weeks while greenup happens.
The horses are back in the back paddock, also off the hill. There is still some grass alive there, hopefully it can recover. We have seed waiting as well.
Lisa harvested the parsnips last week. We left them too long: They were well sprouted, and are doing so again even in a green bag in the fridge. The yumminess is not affected.
The garlic is up and thriving as is the asparagus. We could probably cut some this year, but we’re waiting one more year to be sure. The horseradish is doing well, but we’re down to a single rhubarb plant. We knew it wasn’t doing well and ordered six more plants this year.
Finally, Lisa planted tomatoes and peppers yesterday, 150 or so of each. We want to have enough, and figure we can sell any extras.