The Braewick Project

28/06/2024

Cornish chicks have arrived!

24/06/2024

24/06/2024

I haven't posted for a while so I thought it was time. Things have been very busy on the farm but we are settling down to a routine. The crops are seeded, the garden is in and fenced and we have some new animals on the farm. We recently added jumbo coturnix quail, red golden pheasants and a new Kunekune boar. I hope to breed Candy Bacon to Abra-ham in the fall for spring piglets. 💗
The pheasants, Alexander the Great and Roxana are happily getting ready to raise a family. Roxana lays an egg a day now, so, when she feels there are a sufficient number, she'll start to set. Maybe we will get to have a luxurious pheasant Christmas dinner! We will add 30 meat chicks to the farm this week so I'm currently busy planning a new pen for them. I hope to do two batches of meat birds before winter.
The young goats went to my friend's place for summer camp 😆
She has a couple of pens with grass and weeds to clean up so they went to give her a hand. My does in milk are now getting milked twice a day. Sunday was the first day. All I can say is, it was a rodeo. I'm not sure if they were upset because the kids are gone or what, but we had a frank exchange of ideas. Lol, things are improving but this morning I just went ahead and ordered a milking machine. I can't wait until it gets here. Maybe one day I'll try to put Sunday's adventure into words. I just have to get over the trauma first! 😆

21/04/2024

The newest additions! Meet my new motley crew. They come from green, blue, brown and dark brown eggs. My goal is to develop birds that lay multi coloured eggs but have feathered shanks and rose combs.

04/04/2024

Well, life on a farm is never dull. Kids did, indeed, arrive on Monday, but there was no April Fool's joking. The first was a girl, still born and a bit under developed. The second was a very lovely cream girl. Sadly, she only lived a couple of hours. I don't know what went wrong. She seemed ok, but was never strong and just seemed to fade. I did everything I could. It was a very hard loss, I was so hoping for a cream doeling. The third kid was a very robust, beautiful red boy with blue eyes. He's such a doll! I will have all my bucklings evaluated by my mentor before I decide, but he will likely be staying here for breeding.
In light of the events, my plans for milking were advanced by a month and a half or so. I was planning on easing into milking with one session a day when the kids were about 4-6 weeks. Now I have to milk twice a day. The baby only nurses one side so I have to make sure both sides get emptied or she'll dry up on the side he's neglecting. So I have spent the last three days building and tweaking our milking stand and learning how to milk.
It's not as easy as it looks...
Yesterday morning was nothing short of a rodeo, last night we contained enough to please the dog, but technique was improved. This morning we might have had almost a full pail of Collette hadn't dumped it twice. Tonight, I'm pretty confident that we will be able to collect enough to have our first glasses of our own milk. 😆
This experience has been very sad, a little frustrating at times but, all in all, an adventure and I wouldn't trade it.
Homesteading is hard, but it's a good life.

01/04/2024

Collette's big day is here! Kids coming soon...

25/03/2024

Next week is going to be exciting! Collette is due to kid and we will be tapping the box elders for the first time! Home made syrup coming soon!

14/03/2024

They're HERE!
Sassy had three babes this morning, of course, when I went in for breakfast. I arrived back in the barn in time to dry everyone off, she must have rapid fire delivered them! There is a buckskin buckling, a chocolate buckskin buckling and a buckskin doeling. I can't believe how tiny they are.
I'm so in love!

02/02/2024

Garden seeds are ordered! I went with Eco Seed bank this year. 23 vegetable varieties and 11 herbs. I’ll be starting a lot of seeds indoors this year so this will be another new adventure. I’m adding some raised herb beds, ground cherries, asparagus and celery, as well as a big patch of sugar beets in the back garden. I’m exploring options for growing my own sugar, as well as tapping some maple trees. I’m so thankful for all the beautiful things we can grow, even though our season is short. I’m hoping and praying for a great harvest this year and definitely working hard to keep the chickens and dog out! Last year the dog pulled up the seed potatoes and the chickens ate almost everything else! Today I brought home nearly four full cords of mill slabs. There are some sturdy fences going up this spring!

10/01/2024

The temperature is -21 Celsius (-5.8 Fahrenheit) but feels like -31 C (-23.8 F)
It’s cold.
Probably a couple of months late, but winter is finally here. Thank you January, you seldom fail in delivering the bitter cold!
Temperatures are forecast to feel like -40 by Saturday night so everyone needed deep bedding to stay warm. That means someone has to deliver the straw, buckets and buckets of straw. That’s me, farm girl with a tractor, freezing her nose and toes, forking hay from the bales to the tractor and the tractor to the stalls. I still love my animals and am happy to work hard for their comfort, they’ll pay me back with affection, delicious food, soap and fertilizer.
The next time someone tells you farmers don’t love their animals, remember this image and know that, regardless of circumstances, the animals needs are taken care of.
Yeah, we love them. We even do stupid stuff to keep them safe.

09/01/2024

I’ve been remiss! I forgot to post about the Guinea fowl development…they are laying now! Every two or three days we get two teenie eggs. They have shells that practically have to be sawn open and taste exactly like chicken eggs. 😋

07/01/2024

Two babes💙

Two boys have come available. They are almost 6 weeks, ready to go after vaccinations, deworming and microchips on the 22nd. First two pics are Wayne, next two are Noel, last two are mom and dad. Parents are health tested champions, not just vet checked. Puppies come registered, microchipped and up....

01/01/2024

Happy New Year!
We brought in the new year sharing a fondue with two of our kids and two dear friends.
Fondue on new years eve is a treasured tradition in our family. It was always our family unit, we ate and watched movies all night. Precious times.

What a year it’s been, losses and gains, changes to adjust to and constant rocks to hold on to. I’m thankful for all and the way we have been molded and matured.
Now that the beautiful and busy Christmas season is over, I find my mind turning towards this year’s projects. My current plans are to build a lean-to next to the barn for hay and straw storage, a bachelor pad behind the barn for boars, barrows, bucks and bucklings and start our journey with bees, vermiculture and herbalism. We are taking this concept of self sufficiency and running with it! We are planning where to fence for the goats and Kune Kune pigs, and playing with the idea of a root cellar. Always, there is the garden to plan and this year, I’ll be starting a lot inside. We got a late start last year, plus the dog and chickens cleaned out the first garden I planted. Thanks friends.
I’m loving this journey. It’s hard work and busy sometimes, but so rewarding. It’s simple. Life has become about growing, harvesting and storing food. There is something so nostalgic, peaceful and powerful about it. For so many years I was caught up in the blinding speed of our society. Making the choice to slow down, be intentional and choose simplicity has been life altering. It’s a good life.

28/12/2023

Do I know anyone who got organic (or right from the bush) Christmas trees? We would take a couple for the goats to munch and save you a trip to the dump! 😁

22/12/2023

Colette and Sassy are hard to photograph. They are pretty certain I have treats in my pocket and are constantly trying to climb in and find them!
I’m so in love with my little goats, I can’t believe we’ve waited so long to get them!
Starting in March, we will have delicious raw milk and I’m so excited to make all the things. What a blessing animals are! We take care of them and they take care of us. ❤️

21/12/2023

I’d say we officially have a herd!
This is my crazy goat lady starter pack.
Please give a warm welcome to Colette and Sassy! They are from the same herd as Macy and Jazz. Sassy is actually Jazzy’s mom. It was fun to learn that Jazz inherited her deep hatred of cats from her mom. If kittens follow me to the goat pen, they are shortly avoiding head butts. Genetics are weird.
Watching these four is kind of like watching an episode of the Golden Girls. They are such characters and so funny. I love my ladies. ❤️I’ll photo spam over the next couple of days but here are a couple of snap shots.

15/12/2023

As promised, photo of the giant egg contents!

14/12/2023

Puppies are 2 1/2 weeks old and doing very well. They are fat and quiet, which is exactly what we want. They are just starting to toddle around their pen and starting to play. I love this stage!

14/12/2023

I’m the reason walls are necessary for bunnies.

This kitten is still kinda wild and yes, the reason we need walls. I found her in one of the rabbit stalls, cuddling with rabbit kits to keep warm. She could squeeze between the two inch chicken wire surrounding the stall.
It was fine for a couple of days. She’d get in, I’d chase her out. She’d get in, I’d chase her out. Then bunnies started disappearing. I put 1 inch chicken wire around the stall. She’d find a way in. More bunnies missing. Finally I tacked up all the holes she was wedging herself in. A litter and a half later, the remaining bunnies were safe.
This kitten has been aptly named “Ted.”
It’s a good thing she’s cute.

14/12/2023

Cecil and his girls haven’t produced any kits since late summer. Last year, they didn’t breed all winter so I didn’t know what to expect this year. While doing chores the other day, I told Stan that I thought we’d better erect some taller walls. The cats cohabitate peaceably with the the juveniles and adults but wee kits can be just too much temptation. We put up the new walls and installed gates just in time! I think there are 8 but they are very jumpy, hard to count and I don’t handle them much for the first 3-4 weeks.

13/12/2023

We are finally getting eggs after the fall moult and it looks like some of our spring pullets are starting to lay too! Usually the first eggs are pretty little, then there are some double yolkers before they settle into regular egg production. This one is enormous and I don’t envy the little lady that laid it!

02/12/2023

Hey everyone!
The name change:
Since we are changing the direction of our lives, this page will follow suit. I have always wanted to homestead, now here we are, doing it! I don’t know if anyone else cares to follow as we journey, but if you want to, this is where. You’ll still see dachshunds here, but you’ll also see garden news, rabbits, goats, pigs and birds, and all the excitement they bring to the farm. If you want to unfollow, no problem and thanks for your time while you followed the kennel!
To everyone who stays, buckle up, we are heading on a trip! ❤️

30/11/2023

Lots of new life on the farm this week. In the wee hours of Monday, we welcomed five new puppies. Sapphire did not have the easiest delivery and there were definitely some odd in the process, but mom and babies are all strong and well. Puppies are named after characters from one of my favourite Christmas movies, Prep and Landing. Meet Lanny, Wayne, Noel, Miss Molly and Magee! This is our last planned litter so it is a very bittersweet time for me. Our lives are moving in a different direction now, and showing dogs doesn’t fit as well. It’s very difficult to let go of something that was such a big part of my life for more than a decade. I’ll always have fond memories of the people and dogs that were a part of that journey. Some of those peeps will be a part of my life forever! We will still have wieners in our home for a long time, these dogs are little treasures.

Yesterday was an exciting day and marks the beginning of a new era! We brought home our first two Nigerian dwarf goat does! They are doing great and Macy is already eating out of my hands. ❤️
Jazz needs a little more convincing, “stranger danger” still applies. I’m determined that she’ll be snuggling in no time at all. I can hardly wait for spring and fresh milk! Soap, cheese, yogurt…there are all kinds of things im excited to make but honestly, until there are more does, we will likely just drink the milk.
apparently, because Nigerian dwarf goat milk is so high in butterfat, most people can’t distinguish between it and cows milk. I CAN’T WAIT!

Sometimes the future steps on the heels of the past. This week is a perfect example. For a while, my heart will hurt as I mourn the loss of a life I loved so much, but life continues to move forward and grief is softened by the ever newness of life. It’s never boring. There is always some new lesson, some new joy, some new thing to find, explore and appreciate. I can hardly wait to meet all the people who will benefit and be blessed by this new venture.
Self sufficiency, primitive skills and homesteading are long time hopes, now a reality. It’s not always easy, it’s not always fun but it’s always been my dream and now I’m living it.
Thanks Stan, for being so supportive of my crazy ideas. Love you Babe, 23 years and still going strong!

27/11/2023

Welcome to the Prep and Landing litter!
Wayne, Lanny, Noel are the boys, Miss Molly and Magee are the girls. No great pics yet, I have to pry mom away just to get a brief peek. Sapphire loves her babies!

25/11/2022

I think I had some scammers watching, looking for pics to steal. I’m going to change the group from public to private. I think I have removed all the suspicious accounts.

24/11/2022

I will be shutting this page down due to, well, reasons.
If you are interested in a puppy from my planned breeding in the new year, please contact me via pm within the next day or two.

09/11/2022

Friends of mine, BNB Dachshunds have 3 shaded cream girls looking for homes.

12/03/2021

Pretty Nova💓

09/03/2021

I love this boy so much ❤️
So willing. So kind.

08/03/2021

Sequin is pregnant! Babies due April 18.💓