Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Goat Care (and General Farm)’ Category

Pigs

This week has included several “funnies.”

As some of you know I am raising a couple of pigs, Henrietta and her un-named sister.  The girls now average 90-125 pounds, much heftier than in the picture! 

They really have been good pigs.  I have had no problems with them escaping their pen…until this week.

Yesterday, my husband had taken the tractor further down the property, away from the barn.  At the same time I took advantage of the quiet.  I busied myself with wiping down the feed/milk room refrigerator.  As I stepped out of the barn to get away from the bleach smell I heard my husband shout something. 

Did I hear him correctly? Did he say something about the road?

I looked up at the road (above the steep barn driveway) and saw a couple of red blurs run past the guard rail. 

There was Henrietta and her sister working their way down the road! They were high-tailing!

I am not a fast runner, but somehow I got up the driveway like a sprinter.  All I could think of was, “Insurance, dead pigs.”  The liability!

A pick up truck had come up the road.  Thankfully it was a farmer.  He knew to stop in the middle of the road and sit.

I circled around, clear to the other side of the road, and quickly coaxed the pigs back down the driveway.  

One pig hurridly ran to the barn and found the gloriously large pan of cat food.  She was content. 

On the other hand, the huge rear-ended Henrietta had other plans.  And the comedy began.

Up the embankment she went.  Up I went as well.  Back down we went.  Up we returned.  Down we returned.  I am talking about some work here! And then I started giggling.  It became funny.  That darn pig!!!

I finally got the girls in the barn.  Henrietta sat down on her rear end  like a dog.  She looked tired.  No snorts.  Every once in a while she would stand up and walk a few feet, and then plop back down again.   

Who would have ever thought those short legs, and those fat rear ends could pick up such speed?

Truckin’ on down the road…there she goes!!!! All Henrietta needed was a knapsack.  Ha ha ha!

By the way, completion to the barn work should happen by sun-down today.  With running two businesses, and the farm, we get sidetracked easily…especially when…we chase pigs!

Have a beautiful day!

Read Full Post »

The barn and farm project continues. 

We expected to have everything reassembled by today, but, things do not always go as planned.

My best mechanism to things not falling into place is humor.

And humor it is!

When I knocked my noggin on the bucket of the tractor.  I laughed. 

When the tractor would not re-start I did not laugh.  Neither did the husband.  We didn’t scowl either.  But, when I attempted to back up his pick up, turn it around so we could jump-start the tractor, I headed straight into a pile of barn debris.  We laughed.

We laughed so hard we could barely walk.

The good times are when things are not going as planned.  When a person is tired and not seeing the end of the task at hand.  Yet smiling because life is good.

Why not laugh? Why not have a good time?

I hope you are enjoying life as well, regardless of what you are doing right now!

Read Full Post »

 

How about that heading? Warm weather? It is a LOT warmer than it was!

We are cleaning the barn this week.  A much neglected part of our farm this season. 

I am ignoring the aches and pains, and focusing on how much better it will be once things are back in order and kidding pens are set up. 

The boer girls are rather large.  Their bellies make me think of weighted down slings, heavy with something.  That something would be kids!

The dairy girls seem a bit less pregnant.  Some do not look pregnant.  They are though.

I have no expected due date calendar this year.  I actually had thought of only breeding 1/4 of the herd.  But the buck made his mind up for me.  So I check the ligaments, watch the behavior, and watch their udders. 

I hope to never go without a birthing calendar again.

Never say never? Well, I am definitely going to work on a major separation in boys and girls! Miles apart would be best (but impossible).   Until then, in high hopes that it never happens again.

If I seem missing in action…I might be, but rest assured I will be much happier once I see the much improved set up for the girls!

Read Full Post »

Lucy The Boer Goat

No, there are no kid goats on the ground.  But they are definitely growing from the looks of the does. 

Lucy (in the picture above) is my smallest boer goat.  She always has one nice sized kid.  We love Lucy.  She is a dandy, a sweet girl.  A little odd she is, with long hair that drapes from her hind legs.  From the looks of her right side, she has a nice sized kid blossoming again this year.

For those of you unfamiliar with goats.  A doe shows pregnancy in her right side, the left is the rumen.  Notice the difference between the left and right side of the doe in the photo below.

Peep - Boer Doe

Some of the girls are very much wide loads.  I will attempt good pictures later this week.  Each year I think, “They did not look that wide and heavy last year!” Annie, Valentine, Oreo and Sunday all look as if they could drop triplets tomorrow.  I do not expect kids until at least March.  I could be wrong.  We had planned a very small kidding season, but the buck made the decision for us.  He paid more than one romantic visit.  He made his rounds. 

Last but not least, I have another breed of animal that is pudging out (not due to pregnancy in this case), Henrietta (the largest pig), and her un-named sister.  I estimate Henrietta’s weight at 80 lbs.  I still know very little about pigs, but I know this pair have grown very well, very quickly.

Fast Growing Piglets...Henrietta to the Left

Read Full Post »

Yep, as many of us just experienced, the winter blast arrived, hasn’t quite left yet, and is leaving winter permanently in it’s tailwinds.

Frozen water buckets.  Slick slopes down to the barn.  Winds.  Static electricity in the clothes and hair.

The new Carhart is a joy.  No cold air penetrates.  The Muck boots that I ordered last season grip the ground and keep the toes and legs warm.

But there is a draw back.  Everything feels stiff, bundled up.

As I placed myself next to the doe on the milk stand, I didn’t bother to turn on the light.  I have a window.  It provides dim light in the early morning.  I was too cold to bother much today at all.  Feeling awkward in my arctic attire.  I began the milking steps.  Step one…wash teats.  Step two, place fingers around fully engorged teat.  Step three, squeeze in the proper manner.  Step four, squirt, squirt…but something went wrong.  No milk in bucket.

Wait a minute…did I say no milk in bucket?

Uh-huh…I was milking down my sleeve.  Nice aim. 

The joys of bundling up.  The joys of winter.  I bet my coat loved its refreshing milk bath.  But, yeah, it did a good job! I didn’t feel a thing.

I have been busy, almost too busy to notice.  I am still here, alive and kicking.  Doing the silly things I normally do. 

You don’t know the half of it.  And, boy would I love to hear your funny stories too. I bet you have some!

Read Full Post »

In most states the sale of raw milk is illegal.

Raw milk has been linked to certain illnesses over the course of history, however, raw milk, especially goat milk, has acted as a “wonder drug” according to those that drink it.  Many report lowered cholesterol, improved blood sugar, and children that thrive on the milk as well, with overall allergies tremendously lessened.

I read an article this morning, posted to the Wisconsin State Journal regarding the safety of raw milk.  All the while thinking, so many illnesses are blamed on certain types of food.  Take the big spinach scare – the problem was not the spinach, it was likely the water in one location that was contaminated.  One farm, one isolated problem…not the spinach itself! You might find this article in The Atlantic interesting as well, re:  Why Small Farms Are Safer, it touches on the food safety issue as well.

I make no bones about it.  I drink raw milk.  I am not a huge milk drinker, but I feel safe in knowing where my milk came from…what went into it…what did not go into it.  If I were to sell raw milk, I would definitely want it to be tested, for the peace of mind, safety for others. 

As the article from the Wisconsin State Journal mentioned, why can tobacco be sold? Tobacco has been tested.  It has no healthy benefits.  It has been proven to cause deadly health issues on a consistent basis, unlike raw milk, yet, it is one hot commodity.  Hmmm?

Read Full Post »

No matter who you are…a busy individual  running a business…a student cramming for exams…a parent caring for youngsters…no matter your degree of busyness, I hope you remember to stop and enjoy the simple things in life. 

The simple things are the abundance’s that have been given to us. 

My kitchen is full of windows, one nearly spans the back wall.   From it I can see my shop and a bird feeder.

This morning I noticed birds watching the feeder from afar…many beautiful hungry birds…intent on seeing when “the human” was going to fill their feeder with seed.

And then, I saw the red-headed woodpecker.  He was a big young man.  As if he knew I was trying to take a picture, he flew off each time I silently inched towards the window. 

He made several trips to the feeder.  With a mouth full of seed or corn, he would fly over to the electric pole.  He carefully climbed the pole and placed his harvest inside the pole’s crevices and splits.  Delightful…smart creature! He was happy.  He knew his abundances.

Most of the birds had flown each time I took a picture…but a few remained in the lilac bushes.

Have a beautiful day…please savor your abundances, the smallest of things in life!

“Whatever we are waiting for- peace of mind, contentment, grace, the inner awareness of simple abundance – it will surely come to us, but only when we are ready to receive it with an open and grateful heart.” – Sarah Ban Brethnach

Read Full Post »

Alpine Dairy Goat

Iris

As I filtered the ice cold milk this morning, and took my normal sip of the sweet liquid to ensure the collection meets the fresh taste test, I thought about the blessings of having the dairy does on the farm.

I am very appreciative of the single doe that I have in milk right now, Iris, an alpine dairy goat.

Iris has been in milk for nearly a year.  Her volume has decreased dramatically, but she lets down enough milk to allow a fresh supply for my goat milk lotion.  What I do not use for lotion, I freeze for soap. 

For those of you considering a dairy doe, you can keep your doe in milk indefinitely as long as she continues to produce  milk. 

My trick is to supplement the dairy does with a good concentrate (grain). 

Watch the doe to ensure she does not thin out.  You can increase the amount of concentrate to allow for the volume of milk, however, too much protein can thin a goat down.  Make sure the doe is allowed to graze (or browse), and in the winter, or during lean grazing months, a good alfalfa mix hay is necessary.

If you need to chemically worm a goat in milk, continue to milk her, but discard the milk for the recommended amount of time. 

If a dairy doe becomes sick, requiring antibiotics, I remove her from the milkstand for the season.  I have only had to do that once.  It seems the does in milk are generally full of health.

I will keep Iris in milk until her final 2 months of pregnancy.  She has not thinned out, she is still eager to milk, and Annie’s Goat Hill always needs fresh milk on hand!

I hope you enjoyed this article.  Let me know if you have any questions.

Read Full Post »

No, I cannot stake a claim to organic milk.  I cannot say the farmer’s field that contained the corn, or other grains in my feed, was never sprayed with anything other than natural fertilizer.

What I can tell you is this, my hay is raised by a local Mennonite neighbor that does use natural fertilizer.  The fertilizer comes from our local dairy barns, including mine.  There are no chemicals used on any of the dairy farms.

The feed that I use is a recipe that I developed.  It is mixed at a local mill, and the grain comes from local farms.  I know of no farms that use artificial pesticides or fertilizers in this area.  My farm is never sprayed with pesticides.

My dairy animals are not given growth hormones, nor do they receive antibiotics or chemical wormers while they are in milk.

I believe that is about as close to organic standards as you can get without the USDA stamp of organic.

Thank you for your questions, I hope to cover more here, to share with others!

Read Full Post »

Goat Milk

A few days ago I poured 2 ounces of whole cow milk into a cup, thinking it would be a quick refreshing drink. 

I took a sip…blech!!!!

Several thoughts crossed my mind.  The milk did not taste right.  It tasted metallic.  It seemed processed.

Then I realized I had not tasted store bought milk in several years.  I do not drink milk often, it mainly goes into soap and lotion.  When I do put goat milk up for myself, I filter and drink it raw, ice cold.   

What a difference!

It was like comparing the taste and texture of a fresh summer garden tomato to a store bought hot-house tomato purchased in the middle of January!

How I would love to be totally self-sustaining on the farm.  I would love to grow every ounce of our own food.

Can you imagine how much healthier we might be if we shrugged all processed foods?

I have been nibbling on protein bars here and there, helping me to fill in the gaps between meals.  Reading the labels on the boxes tells me, “You can do better than that, lady!” I would be better off drinking 4 oz. of fresh milk.  It would work the antibodies up in my blood, not to mention lower cholesterol, amongst other helpful things. 

What do you think, have you had dreams of being self-sufficient, or at least nearly so? 

Do you think we, as a whole, could be much healthier without the chemicals and processing of our food?

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »

Design a site like this with WordPress.com
Get started