We had quite the eventful weekend. We attending our beekeeping school - something that we've both been looking so forward to, for a few reasons. We learned that we know more than we think we know, we learned more of what we didn't know and we feel more comfortable than we ever have about adding bees to the farm...and we picked up our hives! That's right - we picked up two full kits (with tops, inner covers, bases etc.), along with two additional brooder boxes and four honey supers - we should be all set in getting these bees settled in and producing honey. We've heard mixed opinions on a honey harvest - some people have said we can expect a small honey harvest this fall and others say we should leave the honey with the bees...I say, we let the bees guide us. No sense in stripping them of their food, just to spend the winter wondering if they have enough food - but if they go crazy gangbusters and have enough yummy goodness to share with us...then we will gladly take a bit of honey off the top. This past weekend, we were able to build the two main brooder boxes with all the necessary pieces to get our hives up and running - we'll build the additional pieces as we have time.
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| Drake, Master Carpenter |
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| Hammering in the frame foundation. |
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| Ratta tap tap... |
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| More frame building. |
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| Look at that beautiful completed frame - can't wait until these are covered with bee brood. |
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| Fancy beewear! |
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| Cora modeling my bee jacket lol. |
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| Oh, wow - the living room was quite the mess. |
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| Stuff was all over the place. |
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| Cora is helping hammer a brooder box together. |
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| Building our hives, lid and brooder boxes. |
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| Mark and Drake putting together the boxes. |
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| Proud father and son moment. |
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| Look at that awesome completed hive! We have two just like this and will be adding additional brooder boxes and honey supers. |
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| We are officially ready for our honey bees. We'll be getting two nucs in the middle of April. |
In addition to becoming bee hive owners this past weekend, we also were surprised by (yet another) new baby!!! This one is a buck Oberhasli/Angora cross. His name is Coffee and he is Itty Bitty's baby. He is absolutely adorable. He and his Mama have figure out the whole nursing thing, all by theirselves. He is just as sweet as can be.
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| Mama Itty and Baby Coffee...I love his smirk in this photo. |
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| Time to eat! |
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| Coffee |
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| Coffee!!! |
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| Coffee!!!!! |
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| Coffee!!!!!!! |
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| Coffeeeeeeee!!!!! |
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| Itty and apparently something I'm going to need more of around here...COFFEE!!! LOL |
I'm going to knock on wood while I write this, but we've had four mamas give birth to six babies and everyone has done amazing. I'm so proud of all of my girls and their beautiful babies. Soon we'll be milking Mabel and Flora (once we wean the babies) and we'll be able to have milk and cheese (and soap?!) from our backyard. We'll also be shearing the fiber animals in about a month or so - before the hot weather rolls in.
Milk, soap, cheese, honey, fiber...soon chickens will be here for meat and eggs...this place...it grows on ya'
How awesome it all is and coming together quickly (though for you it probably doesnt feel that way). Im liking Itty's babe, how cute. Not sure i am in to drinking goat milk but i love goat milk cheese and soap. I want a visual. Drive in from the road with the camera rolling so i can put it all together. I have the house and the barn but not where it all is. Got to remember im older than you and get a bit confused. Looks like a lovely family building time.
ReplyDeleteSome days it seems like it goes quickly and others I feel like we have SO many things to check off the list before the next step. We have so much going on - but we need Spring to finally break and knock this whole winter/snow/cold weather thing off. We are still a little bit in hibernation mode, moving slower...because we want to huddle up and snuggle under warm blankets when we know we need to build, build, build...plant, plant, plant. LOL
ReplyDeleteBTW Lynda - keep your blog going...I love reading it. I'll make a video of the property for you...in the spring though, when it looks pretty. :-)
The hives look great! This time of year is kind of tough. You wait and wait for it and then all of a sudden it starts getting a little warmer and then you realize you actually need to start doing instead of planning...and the planning part is way easier;). Oh and that Coffee is beyond cute.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kim! Coffee is a cutie...his personality matches his looks too.
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