Bees are back at Outback Farm!

Monday, my mom and I drove up to Arnold Apiary in Knoxville to get my bees. I had ordered 2 packages of Italian honeybees back in Jan. He said I could come up and get them Monday. I called and left a message on the way. He didn't call til we were almost there. He said he didn't have any packages ready. But that I could have 2 nucs instead. I said I'd take them.

I was using my husband's GPS. She was taking us to this big subdivision. Then said we were at our destination. There were houses everywhere. I mean close together houses. Then I saw 1 little bee hive in the front yard. So we got out to see if we were at the right place. We were. I saw a whole garage full of bee hives and wood for frames and more hives. Then Mr. Arnold came out. I said this was not what I expected at all. He took us around to his back yard. And there were all the bee hives, all lined up in rows. So we were at the right place.

I got my 2 nucs and came home. There were a few escapees on the way but they stayed in the back. Got home and took the heavier nuc to the garden. And the other lighter one out back. Glad I did it this way. A bee keeper friend was going to come Tuesday to help take the frames out and make sure all was well and the queens were in and working. He said to go ahead and open the little tiny doors in front. I did and bees poured out! It was amazing to see them all. Like clowns falling out of a little VW beetle. Cool.

So this is the garden hive. It was the heavier box. When Gary came to help get them out, we saw that the queen was small and young. No eggs in there yet. He said to check this hive in a week to see if there is anything going on. If not, call the apiary and get him to send a new queen. They just don't seem to be near as active as the outback hive on the hill. They stay pretty much in the hive.

This is the view from the garden hive. Lots of clover and dandelion flowers. And Pigeon Mt.

I open the top to check on them. You can see, they are in there.

This is the hive out back in the goat yard. Way back at the top of the hill. When we looked at this hive, the queen was huge and working at laying eggs! He also said these are a mix of Italians and Cerulian bees, He said that's a good thing! These were way more active. They went flying when we opened the nuc. I can see them flying around from the house, that's how many there are up there. So this hive should be a really good one.

If you enlarge this pic, you can see the queen. And you can see the difference in the 2 bees.

And some of the flowers in my "bee garden". I have lots of blue and purple flowers for the bees to enjoy. I love this garden. It's in the side yard, surrounded by 12 blueberry bushes. I have another bee garden in the garden up front.

I am SO happy to have bees again. I missed them so much. I feel better having them here.

In the milk room tonight.

 I took this picture tonight in the milk room. This is my bottle kid, Mary Piper. (I changed her name from Mirabelle.) She follows me all over. She was jumping up on stanchions while I was milking Jessie. Seeing which one she liked the best. She'll be a good milk goat in a few years, I do believe. Her mother, Zeeboo, is.

Mother's Day alpaca shearing

This is what I did ALL day mother's day. And it did take all day. I got there at 10 and left at 6. And there were 4 alpacas left to shear.

My friend Susan came Saturday afternoon and got Misha and Sugar to take them to her farm. This is them with the boys, waiting their turn.

                                                               Misha, being sheared.

                                            All done!I know he felt much better. And cooler.

                                                                        Here's Sugar King.

                                           He had some big fighting teeth that had to be cut off.

                                                 The boys, all done and back outside again! That light brown one on the left behind the white one, had the most beautiful wool ever. Like 3 different colors all over. So pretty and soft.

These are most of the girls, waiting their turn outside. Susan has some big girls! A few were rescues and hadn't been sheared in a few years. They had full bags when done.

 

                                   And here are my boys, back home again. Looking for their sheeps.

It was a very long busy day. I kept looking at the alpacas waiting to be sheared and it seemed like they kept adding more to the group! It was like a plate of spaghetti that never gets finished. I was the bagger. Susan had all the alpaca's names on baggies with 2 trash bags inside. One for the blanket, the good fiber, and another for 2nds. She had about 35 bags in a stall of hers. I wish I had gotten a picture of that. I brought home my 2 bags full.

I hope you all had a wonderful mother's day! And have a great week too!

I'll post about my new bees tomorrow.

Happy Friday, y'all!

Waiting...

My 4 does, patiently waiting to get into the milk room. To eat. And to be milked. I'm milking all 4 now once a day. I also have my friend's 2 does that I'm milking twice a day. Fun! And lots of milk again. I have enough to make cheese. And to give my daughter, who's dog Daisy, had 7 of the cutest puppies 3 weeks ago. And is now pretty tired of being a mom. So she's bottle feeding them with goat milk. Silly mothers. I guess if I had 7 babies at once, I'd be a bit overwhelmed too.

Much bette. Market. Bees.

Ada is much better already! After a few days away from those kids of here, her teat is getting smaller. I'm using my plantain salve on it and it's amazing! I love that stuff.

So now, I have so much milk, milking 6 goats. I made some feta Sunday that should be ready Friday. I'll cut it up and put it in jelly jars with olive oil and herbs to sell at the farmer's market Sat. IF I get to go. There's a lady coming from Atlanta to shear sheep sometime this weekend. We are hoping it's Sat. because Sunday, aside from it being Mother's Day and all, is alpaca shearing day at My Little Darlings Alpaca Farm. Susan, who I got my 2 alpacas from, is coming to get them Sat. evening to take to her farm for Sunday shearing. She has about 30 at her place and there are other people bringing their alpacas there too. So it's an all day thing. So I hope this sheep shearing lady comes on Sat.

Went to the market today. It was HOT! I had collards, kale, dandelion greens and flowers, radishes, mint and red and green mustard frills. Sold a lot but still brought home collards and some kale. Called a friend on the way home and she bought some stuff.

I'll work some in the garden tomorrow. I need to replant beans, squash, zucchini and corn. Plus cucumbers, okra and some butternut squash. I have 3 16' cattle panels that I'll use for the butternut squash and cucumbers. I want to make arches and let them climb up them. I might put a chair under it.

I've been working on a few bee gardens. I've gotten lots of blue and purple flowers and herbs for them. I'll go tomorrow and get some blue salvia. I'm going to Knoxville Monday to get my 2 packages of bees! He called and said I could come get them today, but I have market on Wed. Then he said these bees would be too old by Monday, so he'd have to get me more. That sounded kind of strange to me. I hope I get some good bees. And I hope it's not too late. My friend, who is getting Russian bees from him, has to wait til the end of May for hers. Something about the queen. So I need to get the hives set up where I want them and make sure everything is ready for them. Kind of nervous.

Off to bed. It's been a LONG day.

Ada Belle

Ada was born here on my farm 5 years ago, to my doe Ocho. Can't remember right now if she was a twin or not. Anyway, sold her to my friend at New Dawn farm up the road. She's been back and forth a few times. Right now, she's back, along with her friend, Jessie Belle. They both had twin kids about 2 1/2 months ago. For the past month or so, I've been going up there to milk them in the mornings.  But we decided the kids need to be weaned. And they were really not good on their udders. Jessie had some teeth marks from her kids, but on the left side only. I was putting bag balm on them and they are both ok now. But she does have a knot on the outside of the left teat. Not hard and small. Not too worried about that.

Right now, I am really concerned about Ada. This is the back view of her teats. You can see the left side is much bigger. I noticed yesterday, that side, on the inside, was hard. I was able to milk her and she did ok then. But this morning, it's much bigger and harder. And she raised her leg each time I tried to milk her. I know she hadn't let the kids nurse on that side at all. I had to use my left hand to milk this side and hold her leg with the other hand. I know it has to hurt bad.

Then, when I was finished, I decided to take a picture. Then noticed the blood. I didn't have blood on my hands. It's on the inside, not the back, where kid teeth would do this. So now I am wondering what it could be. I had put peppermint oil on the teat and udder a few times today. When I saw this, I just put bag balm on it.

What could this be? I have never dealt with this before. My friend seems to think it could be a clogged milk duct. I can get milk out and it looks fine, no blood or clumps. Could it be something serious, like CL? I have no idea. Just trying to see if anyone knows or has seen this before.

They are both here at my farm now. I'll be milking them twice a day. Kids are fine. Old enough to be weaned. When mine are old enough, they'll go down there.

Any thoughts? Suggestions? Help!