Sebastin (registered Dorper Ram) and his buddy Bach are here to wish everyone a happy Hump Day! We’re big fans of our Nofence virtual fence system. It lets us safely graze our sheep without setting up an electric fence each time we move them to a new area. Sebastin insists all the cool sheep sport these high-tech collars.
Here’s hoping we see some much-needed rain in the next few days.
-Leo
Staples Farm is located East of Harrah, Oklahoma, on US Highway 62.
#nofence, #AGreenerWorld
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This evening, I captured this photo looking east from the sheep paddock. The moon is framed by a stand of giant reed (Arundo donax) growing along the drainage area and dam of the pond west of our house. The view was truly breathtaking and a reminder of the beauty that unfolds here each day.
This afternoon, I disked roughly three acres of pig pasture north of the house. The pig pasture is the only part of the farm we still till. We only till it because the pigs leave the ground there too rough for the tractor and planter.
We’re still waiting for rain, but the cooler nights and mornings are a welcome change for people and animals alike. The current forecasts call for an inch or two of rain this week. Not a drought buster, but maybe enough to kick off our fall cover crop planting.
-Leo
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Another full day is winding down at Staples Farm. We started by weighing, vaccinating, and weaning our August 14th litter—our very first from boar Buzz Lightyear. These piglets tipped the scales at an impressive 28.52-pound average, making them some of the finest we’ve ever raised. Their mother, Tiana, gave birth to and raised all seven piglets, a genuine tribute to her exceptional instincts and care.
Once the piglets settled down in their training paddock, we put Woody in the paddock with Tiana. His sheer size and presence are striking—long, tall, and broad-shouldered in a way that’s hard to capture in photos. We’ll keep trying to get a shot that shows just how impressive he is in person.
After that, we weighed the feeder pigs and swapped out our Osborne Wean-to-Finish Feeder for our Osborne Big Well, which can hold a hefty 1.2 tons of feed. We trust Osborne equipment for our own operation and are proud to be an authorized dealer. If you have questions or want to learn more, email us at info@staplesfarmok.com. We recently built a custom skid for the Big Wheel feeder (see second photo), which made relocating it far easier.
It rained for about 15 minutes this afternoon. While it didn’t do much more than settle the dust, we’re still grateful for every drop. We will begin accepting deposits for butcher pigs next month. Please let us know if you have any questions or if you'd like to reserve a pig.
-Leo
#OsborneLivestockEquipment
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Friday evening Bed Check, and all the pigs and sheep are enjoying the cooler weather. During the quiet time at the end of the day, animals are generally more settled, making it easier to catch health or injury issues before they get out of hand. As we moved into winter, we used this final check of the day to make sure the shelters were full of hay, and the animals had water.
Tonight, I snapped a photo of what I believe is a Spotted Orb-weaver spider, now making its home near one of the pig paddocks. These remarkable spiders are valuable allies on the farm by helping control mosquitoes, flies, and moths. Best of all, they pose no harm to humans and quietly contribute to the balance of our ecosystem.
-Leo
#agreenerworld, #ecdysisfoundation, #FACEAgNetwork
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