ANIMAL REPORTS 2011

A New Calf Arrived on 6/25/11

 Sassafras, one of our Milking Shorthorn cows, gave birth to a beautiful boy (bull) calf yesterday afternoon.

I understand that the calf is mostly brown with white spots on his back legs. One of our young visitors said he looks like he's wearing pants. He knows that we usually name our cows after plants like "Daisy...", "Sassafras", etc. He suggested we call the new calf "Dutchman's Breeches" which is a type of flower.

Everyone thought it was a great idea. So, if you get a chance to visit the farm this week, stop by the barn and say "hello" to our newest arrival, "Dutch" the bull calf.

Also, if any of you do get a chance to visit and take a photo of Dutch, please post it on our Facebook page so we can all enjoy it.

Channel 10 TV Farm video

WBNS 10TV AJ Smith visited Slate Run Farm Historical Farms and saw all the new livestock babies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgLXbJh2pAU

SPRING EXPECTATIONS

Spring brings birthing time on the farm.  We expect piglets in early April. Lambing begins somewhere in mid-March. Sassafras and Tulip are pregnant.  We expect April and June calves.

Monday, March 21st 

Our lambing season began last Thursday when our first pair of twins were born.  So far, another set of twins and a single lamb have arrived bringing our total to five.  At least half a dozen ewes (moms) are still expecting.

Our Milking Shorthorn cow, Tulip, gave birth to a healthy heifer (girl) calf Saturday night.  Mom and daughter are doing well.  Tulip was also born at the farm.  We don't have a photo of the new calf yet, But here's one of Tulip when she was a few months old.

ANIMAL REPORTS 2010 

New Calf

06/19/10

Chuck, our new calf

A new calf was born on the farm on Wednesday, June 16th.  The calf is a male (bull) calf and, like our other cattle, is a member of the milking shorthorn breed. 

Milking Shorthorns were a popular breed in Ohio in the 1880s.  For more infomation on Milking Shorthorns, click here.

A sign outside the barn announced the birth of a new calf.

Chicken Hatching Web Cam a Success

05/15/10

The incubation with the 24 hour web cam was a huge success.  Nine of the twelve eggs hatched.  Seven of the nine chicks are Silver Laced Wyandots and the other two are Buckeye Reds.  Both types of chickens are heritage breeds:  breeds of chickens common in the 1880s but rarely found today.

Folks logged in over 5000 times during the past week to watch the chicks hatching and to observe their first week of life.

The chicks are strong and healthy and have grown so quickly that in one week they outgrew their quarters in the classroom.

The chicks were returned to the farm this morning.  Farmer Mike will take them home to his brooder where they will be introduced to other chicks around the same age.  When they have grown a bit more, he will bring all of the chicks back to the farm where they will be placed in our large brooder in the small white building near the chicken house.

After a few weeks, the chicks will be released into the chicken yard where they will have free run during the day and a safe place to sleep at night. 

 
5/15  The chicks arrive at the farm.  They are now in a brooder with other chicks their same age.   
 5/15/10  The chicks in their classroom brooder right before their return trip to Slate Run.     

Live Chicken Hatching Web Cam

05/07/10

Every year some teachers make arrangements with farm staff to be able to take eggs back to their classroom to hatch. 

This year a teacher from Bexley and her ENL (English as a New Language) students are incubating a dozen eggs from Slate Run Farm  in their classroom. 

What makes this incubation different is that the class and school technology department have hooked up a live 24 hour "hatch" cam in their classroom.

Today is day 19 of the incubation.  Most eggs that are going to hatch will hatch between days 19 to 21.

Lamb Update

04/18/10

I was down on the farm yesterday and managed to get a photo of Farmer Mike's little lamb.  This is the lambI wrote about last week.  He's been following Mike all around the farm. 

I wasn't able to get a clear shot of Mike and the lamb together as both of them were never still at the same time.  I'll try again next time.

 

4/17/10  Farmer's Mike's shadow--the little lamb he's been bottlefeeding    

Our Babies Are Growing

04/10/10

It's been a couple of weeks since I've had the chance to update our Baby Animal Report.

The fourth and final pig delivered her piglets a day or two after my last piglet report.  They were squirming around too quickly when I was there yesterday for me to get an accurate account so if you want to know exactly how many piglets we've had this year, you'll have to ask one of the farmers.

So far, five ewes (mama) sheep have each delivered twins.  A sixth ewe had tripletts around March 25th.  She wouldn't have had enough milk for all three, so Farmer Mike took the smallest one home.  He and his family have been bottle feeding him and the lamb is growing.  Mike lives near the farm and brings the lamb to work with him everyday. 

When I was there yesterday, Mike was going about his business doing his chores and the little lamb was right on his heels the whole time.  Our visitors loved watching the little guy trot after Mike and the children were fascinated.  I was reminded of the lyrics of this old song (which I've changed to fit Mike and his lamb).

Farmer Mike had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb.

Farmer Mike had a little lamb, it's fleece as white as snow.

And everywhere that Farmer Mike went, Farmer Mike went, Farmer Mike went.

Everywhere that Farmer Mike went, the lamb was sure to go.

I forgot my camera yesterday but will try to get a photo of Mike and his little lamb and post it here.  In the meantime, if you see a man followed by a lamb next time you visit the farm, you'll know you've found Farmer Mike and his friend.

Farm Lady

Piglets are Here!

03/24/10

Hello again everyone.  I just got back from the farm late this afternoon. 

We now have 21 new piglets.  Two sows delivered six and five piglets on Monday and a third sow delivered ten piglets this morning.

The fourth sow was making a nest this afternoon so she'll probably have her litter sometime very soon.

Farm lady

   
3/24/10 A sleeping pile of day old piglets   

Lamb Update

03/20/10

Two more sets of twins have arrived in the past two days which brings out lamb total up to 10: 5 sets of twins. 

Three ewes are still waiting and should be delivering in the next week or so.

 Farm lady

     
3/20/10  A young volunteer holds a new lamb for visitors to pet

3/24/10 Lambs jump and play in the spring sunshine

New lambs have arrived!

03/17/10

Hi everyone.  I'm happy to announce the first installment of our 2010 Baby Animal Report.

Our first lambs, a pair or twins, arrived on Sunday, March 14th.  Since then, two more sets of twins have arrived bringing a total of 6 new lambs: 4 female and  2 male.

Several more ewes are due to deliver in the near future. 

Our China Poland piglets should begin arriving by the end of this month. 

The geese are making nests and we'll begin collecting chicken and turkey eggs by the end of this month to hatch in our incubator so that we'll have spring chicks in early May.

This is a great time of year to come by the farm and visit with all of our new additions.

Farm Lady