A Very Busy Month

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I think it’s quite possible this has been the first and only time I’ve gone a month without creating a Post! 

Yes! It’s been that busy! 

To be honest, I really don’t even know where to start! 

Guess it’s also only been about twenty three days since our last Post! Let me see if I can bring you up-to-date…

Pete caught his first, and second, mouse! 

The Goats have mostly all moved from Woodland Pastures to Green Grass and are Foraging on Browse in old hay fields on a property we call “The Barn”. 

It’s also the first time Briden Farm Goats have actually had a Barn! 

We’ve been asked, and started, farming a friends property to help keep it from further reverting from farmland to scrub and forest, by using our Goats and Pigs to help enrich the old hay fields with rotational pastures and regenerative farming methods. 

We’ve started filling “The Barn” with Hay for Winter feed.

Our whole operation has expanded and we’re now managing and growing and have expanded our numbers of Goats, Pigs, Ducks, Chickens, and Rabbits! Doing so on two properties in two Counties!

Thankfully the two properties are only a mile apart! 

It’s also helped move us closer to a couple of our goals. Using our animals to help clear and improve other properties using regenerative farming practices. One of our friends refers to it as, “Goats On The Go”. However, we. Au have to change that name a bit, as the name has already been used, as that link shows. I do see They have affiliates so we may look at that. Although we are pretty independent and it’s as easy as using a different name! However, there may be benefits, to becoming their affiliate. The other goal is to become a place for Boarding other people’s animals. One of the challenges to boarding is space. The space situation has, at least in part, been at least partly solved.

So, time will tell as to our best path forward! 

If you really know me, You’ll know that I live my life, and therefore our homestead and farming practices, as we feel led. Recognizing a Higher Power, whom we choose to call God. We’ll continue to seek God’s direction in all areas of our Life. 

We will of course, continue to welcome friends, family. and others, to come embrace, the fun, at Briden Farm where the tea is always on, and the coffee is not far behind! 

To Book a Tour of Briden Farm, please call Brian at Briden Farm, 902-907-0770. 

It’s also now even more necessary for us to call on You for your support! Although we are, at least in part, a traditional  farm, we are also in part working to improve the lives of animals and fowl by giving them the best life possible for as long as possible while employing rotational pastures and regenerative farming measures. Thus we’re requesting you’re help with our ongoing efforts and asking you to Buy Me A Coffee (or Sponsor a Goat, or one of our other friends). Click Here for More Info

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Weed Tea

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Weed Tea

This Post features a Briden Farm Garden Tour done 11 August 2022. It’s of our main garden where we’ve pastured pigs, goats, and chickens. Goats and Pigs last year, and chickens in April of this year. We use no Commercial Chemical Fertilizer, and mainly Weed Tea!

No! No! Not that Weed! 

Here’s what I mean… 

See, when You weed your garden, you save the weeds! The weeds, while they’re growing, are sucking the micronutrients out of the soil. So, when you pull the weeds, don’t just toss them aside. Put them in a half bucket of water for a week or so. Then pour it off, or strain the weeds out of it. Then add water, so half weed tea and half fresh water. Then use that mix for watering the garden. It replaces the micronutrients.

I use half tea, half fresh water, to help insure it’s not to hot, or to strong, for the plants. I also do similar teas with the waste left over when we go flounder fishing. Thus creating our own liquid fish fertilizer. 

So, most all of our fertilizer in the garden is from Weed Tea and a bit of our own Liquid Fish Fertilizer, which we call Seafood Chowder! 

 

Categories: Gardening Natural Fertilizer Uncategorized

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Keeping Vigil at Briden Farm

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Woodland Pastured Goats

Ok, so, I’m tired, I’m stressed, and I finally have a better understanding of what my Dad, Vic Hurlburt Sr., used to experience when he had sheep! Although We don’t have Sheep…

We have Goats! Only four adult does at the moment. One had two kids on July 6th. The other three are due to freshen within the next couple weeks. 

Now, in fairness to my Daddy, who passed in 2013, but I think still keeps an eye on us, He had as many as 300 Sheep! So, my keeping vigil over three to four pregnant doe Goats… Certainly doesn’t compare! 

Although it’s basically the same process. Hurry up and wait! The three who are currently still pregnant, I think, are Eve Our Saanen Goat, Sophie, and Ella.

Ella is a little to young, not really, but under normal circumstances I would have waited a year or so before breeding her for the first time. As it is she got bred at 10 months. So, hopefully, will be freshening for the first time, this month at 15 months. She has been showing signs of late stage pregnancy for nearly a week now! Goop, Pawing, Bedding, and yesterday I am pretty sure she had a bout of early contractions. Yet, still no movement! 

Sophie is about 8-9 years old, she’s a complete sweetheart around people, and we even had her walk with us in the Bear River Cherry Carnival. She’s usually very friendly and almost wants to cuddle, and the past day or so she’s becoming more distant. Laying down, getting up, and while she still came to greet me this morning she just seems a little off. It’s funny how different goats act different when they’re getting close to giving birth. 

Eve, she’s my Sweetheart. We got her last March at supposed age of 11 years. Most only live till 11 or 12 years. Eve was still in milk after two years when we got her. I continued to milk her through November. She’s a gentle, loving lady, who loves to be milked. She’s actually older than we like to breed, but I’m really hoping to have a little doe to carry on her line. 

All in all it’s fun, but it’s also kind of nerve racking. With Ella being young, and Eve being old, it’s a concern. The kids are going to be born on Woodland pasture. So, even worried a bit about predators. 

The kidding season for us should be over by month end, thankfully, as the does were exposed to a young Buck for six weeks in February and March. 

With all this going on, we’re probably crazy to do Tours, but it’s really the best time of year! We have lots of Babies, Bunnies, Chicks, Ducklings, Goat Kids, Kittens, and more!

We actually enjoy doing Farm Tours, and we don’t charge at this point, but we are open to Donations which help pay for feed.

Book You Farm Tour … 

Call Brian at 902-907-0770

Categories: Bunnies Cats Chicken Chickens Goats Hatching Eggs and Baby Chicks Life at Briden Farm Muscovy Ducks Nigerian Dwarf Goats Saanen Goats Woodlands

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