Cordray's Taxidermy delivering some gorgeous mounts!

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Long day yesterday...

As many of you know, we lease pasture from neighbors. Most of the pictures you see of our new calves are from this property about a mile away. There is, or was, a small wooden barn there where we stored hay and the tractor that we use to move the large round bales around in the field. Yesterday it burned to the ground. It was so quick that nothing could be saved. But thankfully, there were no people or animals endangered. One cow went on about the business of delivering her calf within sight of the smoke and flames!

No John Deere green left on this tractor!

And all this happened in less than an hour!

Michael and Kenneth spent the rest of the day, into the night tending the smoldering hay bales as the wind swirled around. The plan was to spread the bales so that the fire could burn itself out. Last night's storms stopped that plan, so now there's piles of wet burnt hay, but at least no danger of burning more pasture or surrounding homes.

5 little guys are actually 4 girls and a boy! Two brown girls are promised to new homes. The rest will be looking for homes in about 2 months.

If you go to pick up this box of parts, it will give you a fright. Two hens have decided it makes a good nest.

Cordray's Taxidermy!

Cordray's Taxidermy!

Just minutes old!

Two new calves today!

Mobile nest

Cordray's Taxidermy!

"Not All Eggs Are Created Equal" from Mary Jane's Farm Magazine

Interesting excerpt from this article on free range eggs-

"It comes as no surprise to learn that eggs from unhappy hens are not as healthy as those from hens who have room to roam. Mother Earth News (www.motherearthnews.com) conducted an experiment in 2007 which revealed that eggs from pastured hens are a heck of a lot better for us than those from their caged counterparts. Eggs were sampled from free-ranging hens across the country, and the results were undeniable. Compared to the USDA nutrient data for commercial eggs, free-range eggs had about half the cholesterol and twice as many omega-3 fatty acids which benefit circulation, heart health, and hormonal balance. Plus, they had significantly higher levels of vitamins A and E. But , again buyer beware: free-range claims on supermarket egg cartons aren't always all they're cracked up to be. "Allowed access to the outside" is the USDA's definition of free-range, even though many chickens that roam free in giant factory sheds never actually find their way outdoors, and bare dirt pens often pass as "pasture" according to government standards.

Truly fresh, free-range eggs come from hens that get to forage outdoors for bugs and greens, and the only way you can be sure you're getting bona fide free-range is to know exactly where your eggs come from."

With this in mind, I'm going to share with you some photos that help tell our farm story over the next few weeks. Funny, how simple things like "local beef" or "free range chickens" need defining... Local, to us, means you can see the cows grazing out of the window. Free range means watch where you're walking :)

Click on this title link to see more photos from Cordray's Taxidermy!

Cordray's Taxidermy