Smokey Hollow Farm

Bee hive destroyed by a bear!

Frank — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 23:00:32 +0000

A few weeks ago, after we harvested our honey for the year, a bear decided to pay a visit to our only remaining hive. We lost a hive to a bear a couple of years ago, and now this. I don’t know if it’s coincidence, or does our electric fence really work against the bears. The first time, the fence was not charged because we had had about 7 -10 days of mainly cloudy days and the solar charger ran out of juice, and this time, I had taken the fence down and was in the process of expanding the bee area in anticipation of splitting our hive, and adding more next spring. I had all the posts in and the platforms set, but had not gotten the fence back up, and, yep, here comes the bear. Kind of scary because it hit in the morning, Pat had seen the hive in the morning and all was fine, and then around noon she happened to notice the the hive was knocked over (maybe Pat needs to become a gun toten farmer chick!) Upon checking more closely, it was obvious a bear had happened by. When I got home, we set the main body back up to the right of where it had been, most of the bees were still in the main body, the bear had gone for the top super and dragged it to edge of the woods. We added sugar water in hopes the hive would be able to recover. I did not have time to do the fence still. Next day, the bear came back and pretty much finished destoying the hive body. Many of the bees hung around for about a day or two, and moved on to a new home somewhere. I guess we will have to start over AGAIN with bees next spring, and the electric fence will be up before we get them.

Our 1st Quail Eggs!

Frank — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 16:22:19 +0000

We got a couple of quail back in early May at the feed store we visit, and only one survived, they are apparently pretty hard to keep alive. A friend of ours that raises them to train his hunting dogs says that quail’s sole purpose in life is to die. Hmmm. Well, after a few weeks we still had the one, and we were able to talk Kim at the feed store into letting buy another of the few she has left. When we got the babies, they were so tiny and cute. You can make out one of them in the red picture (heat lamp), see how small they are compared to the several day old chick in the back! TINY! Anyhow, they have been named Peanut and Jam, and they have now started laying eggs, they are very small eggs as you can tell in the picture. Can’t wait to try them, they are supposed to be sooo good, and good for you as well!

Sunday was a Honey of a Day!

Frank — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 16:46:40 +0000

Sunday we spent the afternoon with the bees and extracting honey. Here are a few pics of the process. First, you have to suit up and light the smoker, then head to the hive. We had 2 supers to take frames from. Each super hold 10 frames, and out of those 20 we had about 16 full frames and a couple that were only half full. We replace the frames that we take with new frames for them to start building out. After getting the frames, and getting most of the bees off those frames, we close that box and carry it over to the little “honey house” we have. Inside, we use the hot knife to slice off the top caps of the wax that holds the honey, then we place them in the extractor, which is motorized and spins the frames and all the honey slings out of the frame. When all that’s done, we place the now empty frames outside away from the hive so that the bees will find them and clean all of the remaining honey off the frames. I also take the extractor outside and lay it on it’s side, again, the bees wwill find it and clean it out. I have not bottled all of it yet, we are draining all the caps to get that honey as well, but it’s looking like we will have close to 5 gallons when it’s all said and done!

Turtle Recipes Needed!

Frank — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 02:00:45 +0000

Ok, anyone have a turtle (yes turtle) recipe? We have (had) a snapping turtle in our pond, that MUNCHED Pat’s Mother’s Day present from the boys, a beautiful Lotus plant. He (she) chowed it to the bottom, so, I declared WAR!. Decided to bait a large hook with chicken heads (from previous poulty processing) and see if we could reel him in. 1st one in the pond, man we had him, but we we tried to pill him in, he apparently bit through the steel leader. Next two baitings, he stole the bait, last night he (she) somehow wrangled around enough to get the hook OFF the leader (leader was a bent up mess, still have it for evidence). Tonight, success, baited another hook before I started milking the goats, and by the time we were done, he (she) was on the hook again, so this time we were better prepared, two shovels, a steel rod, and a .22 rifle! Got him (her) up, used a little .22 action (twice actually), and he (she) was ours. Ok, now what?? Read you should be-head the beast and let them drain, ok, did that. Then it’s a matter of seperating the bottom of the shell from the top, gutting, and then getting the meat. Did that, took a little while since it’s not something I have ever done before. Bottom line, I am hoping the Lotus plant comes back, and I want to try something with Turtle meat. Please send me a recipe if you have one. (expect I will only hear from old timey country folks on this one (meaning Lousiana rednecks or cajuns)). Please hurry, I want to cook it up tomorrow night!

Anniversary!

Frank — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 23:45:47 +0000

Tomorrow is mine and Pat’s 28th Wedding Anniversary, and guess what we are doing for our Anniversary, PROCESSING CHICKENS! That is true LOVE! The royals ain’t got NUTHIN on us!!

Processing Day is Here!

Frank — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 23:44:04 +0000

Well, we have the pastured poultry processing area as ready as we know how to get it, and tomorrow is the 1st of many dates this year we will be using this area. Check it out under the Pat’s Pastured Poultry menu. Thanks to all who have ordered chickens! Wish us luck tomorrow for our 1st processing, and thanks to the helpers who are coming!

More Goat Kids!!

Frank — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 00:28:44 +0000

2 more cute Ober kids born this morning! Buck and a Doe, the score at Smokey Hollow is now 5 doelings and 2 bucklings! Good year so far. 1 Ober and 1 Nigie to go!

Web Site Picture Additions

Frank — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 23:32:55 +0000

We added a few pictures today of the chicken tractors with the Pasture Raised Chickens, under Pat’s Pastured Poultry, as well as a couple of Sky’s new doeling kids, under the Goats, 2011 Kids! We have 5 kids on the ground, 4 doelings, 1 buckling, all healthy and happy. We have 3 does to go, one was put in lockup tonight, she is due next Wednesday, the other 2 are over a month away.

Chickens, well, we have LOTS OF CHICKENS, close to 200 right now, 3 batches in tractors, and the new batch in the brood box. Wow, that’s a lot of chicken! We have sold out of the 1st batch of Freedom Rangers, and as of today we now have less than 50 of the 1st batch of Cornish Cross left to be processed on 4/30/11. The new batch that came 2 days ago are for the 5/14 processing date, and we will have a limited number available in this batch. They are all Cornish Cross for that batch.

Place your reservations soon!

Free Bird(s)

Frank — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 01:04:23 +0000

The first batch of freedom rangers were moved from the brooder to the tractor on pasture today, so they start foraging now on grass, bugs, whatever they can find. After a few days or so we will try opening the door of the tractor so they can start to free range, but they need to know where home is first. First batch of Cornish cross chicks are due in this Friday.

Farm Conference in Ashville

Frank — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 00:20:07 +0000

Only a farmer would take a free sample of “organic fertilizer” and hand it to a friend or spouse saying here doesn’t this smell great? Yep, it does happen, I just got back from a farmers conference and also accepted that free bag of fertilizer only I could only carry it around for so long before I ditched. I have to admit I was afraid people were thinking that smell was coming from me. Hummm does that mean I am not a “true” farmer?