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Barnyard Buddies:  All Things Dairy (Goats, Cows and Sheep)  |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
 Posted - Nov 09 2012 : 6:42:23 PM
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you have been busy michele. i am only milking once a day right now. belle is 3 months bred and 13 months into her lactation. so i will dry her off soon. she has a good fat layer from summer. i have sold and butchered a lot of stock lately too. i have a white park heifer going to idaho this next week. i am happy with where she is going they have low line and minis. i have a calf going to montana. we are going to butcher penny. it was a hard choice to make. she has been a good cow. we had a vet check since she would not breed back. she has scar tissue on a cervix ring. so she is sterile. we have 2 butcher pigs going too. then i am going to butcher my fryers. now that the flies are dead.so we will be down 3 cows. we have 2 that will calve in dec. i just hate the horn burning. our little jersey girl had hers done too. i am still waiting to see if any pigs are bred. boy what a big learning curve they have been. its good to hear from you michele where are the other girls these days? happy days to you sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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AliciaNak
True Blue Farmgirl
405 Posts
Alicia
Elko
Nevada
USA
405 Posts |
Posted - Nov 14 2012 : 08:00:41 AM
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HI ladies, nice to see this topic.
I have a 9 year old Jersey, Sunny Belle, and recently added a 4 year old registered Jersey, Cinnamon. Sunny delivered a broken colored (or painted) heifer calf April 28th, and thus her name is April. =) I'm looking at getting another Jersey heifer this weekend! It's soo nice to have fresh milk all the time, make cheeses and yogurt and sourcream, the list is just endless! I'm loving my Jersey Girls.
Alicia
Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.~Ralph Waldo Emmerson
www.blondenak.blogspot.com
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Nov 14 2012 : 3:58:29 PM
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I sure wish I could get milk all year from my goats. Maybe next year I can time it to where I'll always have milk. I have 2 does under a year old now so maybe in the spring, if they're big enough, I might breed them.
Sounds like everyone's busy. I'll be glad when this crazy weather gets regulated here. It's hot one day and freezing the next. Not liking this. And we got a new wood heater and it got to 85 the past several days. Way too hot.
Y'all have a great week!
Kris
Happiness is simple.
www.kris-outbackfarm.blogspot.com |
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windypines
True Blue Farmgirl
4263 Posts
Michele
Bruce
Wisconsin
USA
4263 Posts |
Posted - Nov 17 2012 : 04:27:17 AM
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Howdy all, welcome Alicia, your Jersey girls look nice. With 3 milkers you will be kept busy. I have a Jersey girl as well. Two, one 5 year old, and her heifer calf who is 6 months old now. Just had her dehorned. She is doing well, a bit head shy yet. My Connie was sick last weekend, I think it was dysentery, but the vet didn't think so. whatever, she had all the symptoms, and is better now. I had scheduled the vet visit to check Connie, as she has not shown heat since calving, dehorn, and castrate a bull calf. He said Connie had not been cycling, and maybe would in a day or two. Sure enough she came in with a full blown heat, the strongest she has ever had. Had her with my new bull calf, for heat detection, and he did a good job. Don't think he is old enough to breed, and not sure if he ever reached. Will see if she sticks, and then 9 months from now. ha
Hope all is going well with you Sherrye, and Kris.
michele |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Nov 17 2012 : 4:09:49 PM
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Hi y'all! It's been a beautiful warm day here. The new wood stove ran me outside most of the day. I've been crocheting wash clothes for the holiday market and made 4 while outside. It started getting cold about 4 so I came in.
My friend came and got the last 3 Freedom Ranger meat chickens. I have 1 left for us. I sold 46 of the 50. I am so glad they are all gone now. I'll get more in the spring and a few chicken tractors.
Another friend brought their Lamancha doe over from Alabama to be bred to John Henry. I guess shell have to stay awhile. She is quite fat, this doe. She may have to lose a little weight before she is bred. They sniffed each other right at first, then went their separate ways. I am charging a stud fee for her staying. I'll feed her my hay and that's all. Is $25.oo a good enough price? That's what's come to mind. If I can use him for a stud, I mighrt make a little money with him. Make him earn his hay! And someone else wants to use Arlo Guthrie, the little Boer buck. He is still small for being born in March.
Everything else is coming along pretty good around here. Gardens are slowing down. I'll go to the market a few more times with collards, kale and lettuce and Swiss Chard. Other than that, it's done. And turnips too. Forgot them.
How are all my doat and cow friends these days?
Kris
Happiness is simple.
www.kris-outbackfarm.blogspot.com |
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AliciaNak
True Blue Farmgirl
405 Posts
Alicia
Elko
Nevada
USA
405 Posts |
Posted - Nov 18 2012 : 9:09:59 PM
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Hi gals!
Michelle, Sunny's calf April has little horn buds. She's 7 months now, we never did dehorn her as a littler thing. I think we'll just leave her horns and tip them when they are big enough.
New Jersey girl #3 is Nellie, and Oh My she is gorgeous!! Taller than both Sunny (who is just a grade Jersey-supposedly register-able but it was never done-who cares, she's a great cow and milks like a dream), and Cinnamon (who is registered and out of good stock-a little knock kneed tho).
No winter coat to speak of yet,I wonder if the cows went into the barns at night. I wasn't paying enough attention when we picked her up and didn't think to ask then. Although, there *WAS* still little bugs flying around and lots of green grass. So it's lots warmer in Homedale, Idaho than it is in Northern Nevada!
Since we left here at 5 am to get up there in time I didn't milk Sunny or Cinnamon. Nellie is used to twice a day milkings, but I've got my girls down to once a day. Needless to say I milked everyone last night. Sunny and Cinnamon were full from no AM milking and Nellie was waiting on her evening milking. She was such a good girl! Didn't even flinch at all the *cow eating shadow monsters* that reside on my property. Checked them out fully this morning tho! Oh, and I brought in 7 1/2 gallons last night, and another 5 gallons this morning. =) I see lots of ice cream and cream cheese in my future before Turkey day arrives!
I'm going to post pics of Nellie in my other thread =)
Happy milking!
Alicia
Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.~Ralph Waldo Emmerson
www.blondenak.blogspot.com
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windypines
True Blue Farmgirl
4263 Posts
Michele
Bruce
Wisconsin
USA
4263 Posts |
Posted - Nov 20 2012 : 04:21:40 AM
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Milking 3 cows at the same time, wow. That will be lots of milk to use up. I hope your new cow settles in quickly.
enjoy
Michele |
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wooliespinner
True Blue Farmgirl
1311 Posts
Linda
Manchester
Ohio
1311 Posts |
Posted - Dec 18 2012 : 09:40:17 AM
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Thought I would bump this thread up.
How is everyone doing? Its almost christmas but doesn't quite seem like it. We have had unusually warm weather and now we have been getting the rain and I mean tons of it. We droughted all spring, summer and fall and now its a mud hole. Last night storms rolled threw and we had pea size hail. I was doing chores when it hit.I wish the ground would freeze and dump a big old load of snow. I really want to see some snow.My snow boots have dust on them its been so long.
I think I have 5 does bred. One of my does keeps cycling so I don't think she will ever have babies again. She is 8 years old but thats okay. My buck Blizzard that went down from Meingeal worm walks but not that great. He is unable to breed......he wants to but when he tries he just can't. He may never be able to again. Its ashame he is only 2 years old and I went to Kansas to get him. I had never paid that price before for a buck. I have 2 maybe 3 does bred to him. Hopefully one of them will have a buck that looks like him. He sure is a handsome buck. He black a night.
Well I need to get some laundry done and start getting present wrapped and stuff like that. I want to get things caught up so I can spend part of the weekend making my cardomon braid and celtic festival bread. I make it every year for christmas. Take care everyone.
Linda
Raspberry Run Farm
Nubian Dairy Goats |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Dec 18 2012 : 10:12:00 AM
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Hey Linda. I've been trying to claen this house all ady. Taking a break now and saw you'd posted.
It's been wet here too. It's a muddy mess. I guess some snow would be nice to cover up all this mud and poop all over. But it's way too hot for snow here. Good grief, like 50's at night. The grass is growing again, which is nice for the sheep and goats. I don't have to feed as much hay right now! But it's just strange.
My Nubian doe, Sandy, is probable not pregnant. I have her in the back yard now with Arlo and she will stay til I see something going on. I know she was acting like she was in heat a few weeks ago. And yesterday, all the does were head butting her. So she will stay with the buck for awhile. I hate it because her milk goes down. She's the only one I am milking now. But in about 2 months, Penelope should have a bunch of kids and I'll be milking her for the first time.
I missed out on another doe. I was looking through CL a few days ago and saw a cute little mini Lamancha about 10 months old for sale for only $100. And bred to a ND. But when I called, someone was coming to see her of course. And they got her. Why am I always so late?? I have missed out on a lot of nice does lately.
So Abby, Zarah and Penelope are bred. Also the borrowed doe, Adabelle is too. I may just keep her since her owner can't seem to find a buyer for her 2 buck kids. So she stays here til they are gone.
I finaly went out back and cut down a scrappy little pine tree and put it on top of Stella's dog crate. It's really cute. I am trying to get the dining room cleaned up and a little greenery laid around. And need to make candles for presents. And some jewelry too.
Hope y'all have a merry Christmas!
Kris
Happiness is simple.
www.kris-outbackfarm.blogspot.com |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Dec 19 2012 : 08:07:27 AM
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hey there girls, good to see some activity here. we too have been busy. linda i am so sorry about your girl. kris i love your web site. i think i might need one too. LOL i have no goats here right now. i have betty boop and ginger down the road with 45 rescue goats. helen is a wonderful friend. she lets my girls hang out there. i am still cutting back on stock. i still want time for a horse later in my life. my energy level is so darn imited these days. i am picking up the beef off penny. it is sad to say i had to put her down. she was not able to breed back. so we have one pig and a beef to pick up and sell. so in the last 9 months we are down about 10 head. i am milking 2 right now. we have one jersey (maudie- cripple cow rescue) and a white park due to calve. we brought maudie home to calve. she hangs out in the barn. what a mess poop everywhere. i can milk 2 cows at one time now. papa has me all set up. the cows are all calmed down now. what crazy girls they are. change one thing and POOP EVERYWHERE. so i had my head down under hazel checking the milk claw. she pooped everywhere runny poop. she got my shoulder. so here i have this nice clean milk room and hazels craps all over. so then she proceeds to do this every day. isabelle even had to pee allover. so now i think they are used to the new routine. it is butt cold here now. we are froze most of day. it does help with poop piles. well gotta do chores. its fun getting this thread going again. kris i am so proud of all you have done these past years. you are a real farmgirl doing the markets and milking and growing food. WOW my hats off to you. happy days to you all. a milking i will go sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Dec 19 2012 : 08:08:42 AM
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alicia i meant to say howdy. its good to have more girls here on this thread.
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Dec 19 2012 : 08:34:49 AM
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Sherrye, that's exactly why I have no milk cows! Yuck. I actually don't mind goat poop at all. My friend has 2 Jerseys and I know what you're talking about. She has mountains of it.
I am going to look at 2 does I just saw on CL. This guy has bought chickens and some goats from me before. He is a trader. But they sounded an awful lot like Faith and Sadie Mae that I used to have. Someone was trying to sell them several months back so I wonder if this is them. There's no picture, so I'll go see. He just lives up the road.
I am always missing out on goats. So I am checking CL a few times a day now.
I noticed a young unbred ewes jumping on each other last night. So put Abraham the Finn ram in with all the ewes except his mother. I had to get her out and put her in with the other 2 rams. She did not like that one bit. I cannot tell if she's pregnant or not because her wool is about 6" long and she's HUGE! I didn't know she was pregnant last spring either. But she will stay with those 2 til Jan' 8th when they go to the butcher. I'll be keeping Abraham though. And I'll be looking for a meat ram to keep for breeding later.
Have a great day, y'all! It's warm here. Going to hang out my sheets.
Kris
Happiness is simple.
www.kris-outbackfarm.blogspot.com |
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wooliespinner
True Blue Farmgirl
1311 Posts
Linda
Manchester
Ohio
1311 Posts |
Posted - Dec 19 2012 : 09:23:14 AM
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Oh Sherry sounds like a lot of poo at your farm. Sorry they got you in the process. I am not milking right now and really miss the milk. I am buying organic milk from the store. It will have to do for now.
Kris if those are the does Faith and Sadie are you gonna buy them back? I can't remember why you had sold them. Let me know what you do. I hope they are in good shape if they are them.
Well I need to get some work done. It actually is sunny today and muddy and starting later this evening more rain the next two days.........I don't want anymore rain I want snow. I know I am such a whiner.....lol.
Oh Kris I forgot to ask you about the freedom rangers. We have a hatchery in my state that carried a chicken called a red ranger I think thats what its called. I know in the beginning you were not that thrilled with these chickens and then somewhere on a post I think you said you ended up liking them. I was just curious what you liked and disliked about them.
I have found a place that will do the butchering as long as I have 30. My hands and wrist dont work to well anymore and if I can have someone butcher them for me it would be worth it. But I am thinking about ordering 30. I don't want to do cornish xrocks ever again. I just don't like how they sit and can hardly walk. I feel so sorry for them.
Linda
Raspberry Run Farm
Nubian Dairy Goats |
Edited by - wooliespinner on Dec 19 2012 09:52:23 AM |
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Betty J.
True Blue Farmgirl
1403 Posts
Betty
Pasco
WA
USA
1403 Posts |
Posted - Dec 19 2012 : 10:06:25 AM
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Sherry, a White Park cow. Those are the ones that are white with the really black nose? The folks back at Seed Savers in Decorah, IA raise a herd of them. They are beautiful.
Betty in Pasco |
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AliciaNak
True Blue Farmgirl
405 Posts
Alicia
Elko
Nevada
USA
405 Posts |
Posted - Dec 19 2012 : 10:08:44 AM
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Hi Sherrye.
I hear ya on the poo in the milk room! My personal schedule has been crazy lately, so my milking schedule has suffered a bit and Cinnamon doesn't like that AT ALL. And she has the worst poops!
Looks like poor little Cinnamon still has a bit of infection. I'm finding "snot" again on her tail. I've started her on a 5 day round of Oxytocin, to help get that uterus contracting and pushing it out.
If she doesn't clear up soon and start cycling normally I'm gonna have to let her go. Tears me up, she is such a personable little thing. Has tamed down and learning her manners quite well. Fingers and hooves crossed!
Have to get Sunny and Nellie preg checked soon. Sunny was hopefully covered in late August, early Sept. Nellie was AI'd on Halloween at the Dairy I got her from.
I'm looking for some leppy calves (bottle babies/orphans) to put on Sunny. She is sooo motherly I'm sure she'll make a wonderful nurse cow. Raise up some beef cows for us, some to sell, some to put in the freezer.
Plus,it will help with some of this milk overflow problem I'm having in the house! *IF* you can call it a problem, haha. Just seems that from milking to cheese/butter/milk crafting I've become over run with milk! *Maybe* 3 girls in milk is too much, but don't tell Hubby! Hahaha
We've been cold cold cold here lately. Thankfully we did get a few inches of snow instead of rain.
Kris, I hope the goats turn out well for you. Hope you don't miss out on any more good goat deals!
Linda, hope you get a little buckling to fill the hooves of Blizzard. Will he continue to recover, given more time? Or is this damage permanent?
Hi Michelle (windypines)! I've fallen in love with my Jersey girls.
Ok, off to finish my morning, and refill my coffee mug.
Merry Christmas ladies!
Alicia
Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.~Ralph Waldo Emmerson
www.blondenak.blogspot.com
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wooliespinner
True Blue Farmgirl
1311 Posts
Linda
Manchester
Ohio
1311 Posts |
Posted - Dec 19 2012 : 10:23:46 AM
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Alecia I don't know if its permanent or not. I will give him till next fall to see how he comes along. I have dealt with this before but never had them go down in the backend like Blizzard did and so fast. Patience and time will tell.
Wish I lived close to you.I would gladly buy some of your excess milk.
Did Cinnamon get a round of antibiotics and she still has a problem? I wonder if a different med would help straighten her out.Good luck with her and I hope she gets better for you. She sounds like a super nice cow. Love her name.
Linda
Raspberry Run Farm
Nubian Dairy Goats |
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windypines
True Blue Farmgirl
4263 Posts
Michele
Bruce
Wisconsin
USA
4263 Posts |
Posted - Dec 19 2012 : 2:36:47 PM
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Hi Everyone, I have been missing these old threads! We have snow, and frozen ground. It was 20 today, so not too cold. We did have a day of rain, which made everything icey. Oh goody for that. At least we still have snow cover. It is such fun reading what you all are busy doing! Kris hope you have had some luck finding more goats. Alicia, you got to be over whelmed with 3 cows milking. I get that way with one sometimes. :) Linda I hope you get some freezing weather for Christmas! I hate mud too. Sherrye sounds like you have life a bit easier, to milk 2 at once. Merry Christmas everyone.
Michele |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Dec 19 2012 : 3:24:51 PM
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Alicia, you'll have to remind me why Cinnamon is having trouble. Did she just calve? Are you milking her now? It's been awhile so I can't remember what everyone's doing. I have seen some nice Jersey girls for sale on CL lately. Saw 3 the other day not too far from here I might go look at. I think they are 8-9 months old for $600 each. I've been thinking of getting a few calves for meat and that would be nice to have a good milk nurse cow to raise them instead of me!
I didn't get over to see those goats today. My daughter had surgery Monday and I went to help her out today. She's not supposed to be bending or lifting anything. So I did some laundry, filled up the dish washer, vaccummed the floors, shook rugs and picked stuff up for her. Husbands are kind of useless when it comes to house cleaning. Hers has done nothing but had a few days vacation. So I hope to go tomorrow and see them if he still has them.
I am having a time with the electric fence out back. I had turned it off about a month ago so the goats could get through to the other side where it was all overgrown and snakey looking. Lots of good goat food. So they were good for a few days and cleaned it up really good. BUT, as goats will do, they started going a little farther and farther, til they were out in the field, where they are not supposed to be. AND they had almost torn the fence up. So had to get it rigged back to keep them all in. It is hot on the 2 top wires and kinda sorta on the bottom, where it needs to be hot. Stinkin' goats. Just can't keep a goat in.
Wanted to say it's just about too hot here. It was in the 60's today but then will get cooler. I have a wood stove now so it's extremely hot inside. I have windows open! But I don't want the fire to go out because tomorrow night it's supposed to be 28 and I hate trying to get fires going. And rain tomorrow. Yeah, more mud holes!
Kris
Happiness is simple.
www.kris-outbackfarm.blogspot.com |
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wooliespinner
True Blue Farmgirl
1311 Posts
Linda
Manchester
Ohio
1311 Posts |
Posted - Dec 19 2012 : 4:53:03 PM
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Hey Kristin I don't know if you missed my question above but I was wondering about the freedom ranger chickens. I will paste it here so you can read it. If you read it already then sorry for repeating myself. Anyway here is what I wrote above....I copied and pasted it here. Thanks .
Oh Kris I forgot to ask you about the freedom rangers. We have a hatchery in my state that carried a chicken called a red ranger I think thats what its called. I know in the beginning you were not that thrilled with these chickens and then somewhere on a post I think you said you ended up liking them. I was just curious what you liked and disliked about them.
I have found a place that will do the butchering as long as I have 30. My hands and wrist dont work to well anymore and if I can have someone butcher them for me it would be worth it. But I am thinking about ordering 30. I don't want to do cornish xrocks ever again. I just don't like how they sit and can hardly walk. I feel so sorry for them.Linda
Raspberry Run Farm
Nubian Dairy Goats |
Edited by - wooliespinner on Dec 19 2012 4:54:04 PM |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Dec 19 2012 : 8:09:50 PM
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Linda, I'm so sorry. I was going to say something, then forgot. Anyway, everyone who has gotten the chickens loved them and want more. So next spring, I will get more BUT I'll also be keeping them in a chicken tractor so they can't run around so much and take longer to grow. I think that's why mine took too long. This way they'll be contained but I can move them around for grass and other goodies. I did end up butchering all of them myself. There's only one place that does it and it's in Kentucky. Way too far to go for as few as I have. I also need to build a butchering station with walls to keep flies out. That's more legal. But as far as the FR birds, I will be getting more. I got them from Freedom Ranger Hatcheries in Penn. It's a Mennonite family that's been raising these birds for years. No antibiotics unless requested. They reccomend the vitamins and electrlytes in a packet mixed in water when they arrive. Then that's it. I fed only unmedicated feed too.
I hope that helps. And if you have anymore questions, just ask.
Kris
Happiness is simple.
www.kris-outbackfarm.blogspot.com |
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AliciaNak
True Blue Farmgirl
405 Posts
Alicia
Elko
Nevada
USA
405 Posts |
Posted - Dec 20 2012 : 07:57:56 AM
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Kris,
Cinnamon got an infection in her uterus, pyrometria, I believe from a faulty AI attempt. She calved in May, at the little dairy she was born and raised at. He had her AI'd in early August. My AI tech friend thinks perhaps she wasn't quite all the way ready and her cervix got punctured.
That old man loved his cows, a small herd of about 35 milking and maybe another 40 young stock. I don't think he would have let her go on with an infection untreated if he had known. The infection presented itself about a month after I got her.
She is still in milk.
I think the Oxytocin is doing its job, snot/slime on her tail is almost nonexistent. Two more shots and then lots of watching and inspecting!
And YES, 3 in milk keeps me very busy!! Not only with milking and chores for the cows (man do they drink a lot of water right now!! about 300 gallons in 3 days!), but in the house with milk related activities.
Butter, ice cream, mozzarella, a few pressed cheeses. Pretty much anything that uses up a fair amount of milk! I only milk once a day, so I'm only getting a fraction of what they are capable of, but we're not after maximum quantity here. I want longevity in my cows, a good 10+ years of milking!
Cinnamon's dairy in Buhl, Idaho is known for his longevity in his girls. He had one still milking at 17!!
The whole point in getting a 2nd cow (which turned into 3, hehehe) was to stagger calving times, stagger drying off times, and never be out of fresh milk/cream. It's just a matter of getting that schedule arranged! 
Alicia
Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.~Ralph Waldo Emmerson
www.blondenak.blogspot.com
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YakLady
True Blue Farmgirl
652 Posts
Natalie
Montana
USA
652 Posts |
Posted - Dec 20 2012 : 09:25:13 AM
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Do any of you milk Icelandic or Shetland sheep?
I have an Icelandic ram, two Icelandic ewes, and a Shetland ewe... Just wondering if I should start drawing up milk stand plans :)
~Hen 4316~ Just a farmgirl in Western Montana.
Starting a family and raising up a small ranch using natural resources.
www.mydoterra.com/thurman |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Dec 20 2012 : 10:44:32 AM
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Alicia, I hope you get the poor girl straightened out soon. If she's pregnant, will the Oxy affect that? Have y'all thought about a few pigs to help with the milk consumption? When I had pigs and extra milk, they loved it!
Natalie, I would LOVE to have some Icelandic sheep for milk and wool. They are a very all-purpose breed. Also for meat. Yes, I think you should make a few stanchions for them and get to milking! I know that sheep milk cheese is a very sought after cheese. And very expensive. Don't really know much about the Shetlands. Teri has them. Are yours bred?
Well, this morning, Sandy is in standing heat. I have her in with the little boer buck. The poor little thing is trying and trying but I think he's just too short for her. Darn! And this is the middle of Dec. and she's still not pregnant. Darn goat. I had put the does with the bucks way back Sept. 1st. All the others are pregnant as far as I can tell. I put Sandy and Arlo in the barn in the back stall. So please say a little goat breeding prayer for them! They need all the help they can get, apparently.
It's wet and nasty and raining and cold here today. Supposed to get down to 28 tonight. I am loving my new wood heater. It's nice and toasty in here. I don't like it when it's in the 50-60's though. But it sure is keeping this whole house warm now.
Natalie, I saw you ducky post. They are so cute! I had ducks before but will not have any more. They are sute though.
Kris
Happiness is simple.
www.kris-outbackfarm.blogspot.com |
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wooliespinner
True Blue Farmgirl
1311 Posts
Linda
Manchester
Ohio
1311 Posts |
Posted - Jan 02 2013 : 4:47:57 PM
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Hope everyone had a good X-mas and New Year.
Well we finally got some snow. About 5 days or so ago we ended up with almost 6 inches but it was a wet snow. Our power went off and on all night setting the freezer alarms off. Then our power was browning all the next day. We had cedar trees laying over so low from the snow they were laying on the line. At night I could see the sparks arcing off the trees.......it was kinda neat in a way but sorta scary too. A few days later we got a little more snow.I was glad to see the snow and not the mud.....I was a happy camper.
The girls have not been up the hill for many many days. They would just go outside the barn and stand.....they have cabin fever for sure. Yesterday alot of the snow melted and yes once again yucky mud. Overnight we froze and tonight its suppose to go down to the lower teens. At least it won't be muddy in the morning.We took the cedars my husband cut down and put it on the hill behind the house and the girls(goats) had themselves a nice treat. They just love cedar and later when I fed them for the night I could smell the cedar on their breath. I consider cedar to be their winter tonic. Its full of good stuff.It also got them out and moving again today. They finally went up the hill to the back pasture to pick through the snow and we finally had sun today.
My girls are starting to show. Several of them are now 3 months along. They have their winter coats and this morning looks like fluffy fat heads. I think they are cute when they are like this. My first kids are due the first of March and the others in April.....a little late but they didn't seem to want to cycle with the heat and the drought. I think it messed them up. My buck Blizzard is still getting around okay but still unable to do his job. Believe me he wants too but he just can't. I am still hoping he will recover that way. Otherwise he is doing pretty good.
I am dreading my electric bill this month because I have been running the heated buckets and the little greenhouse heater. I am keeping the greenhouse around 45 degrees at night but its still pricey at that and its only a 7 by 9 greenhouse. We belong to a rural coop electric co. and have one of the highest rates in Ohio. We heat with wood but our bill still runs between $225 to $295 a month in winter. I dry half my clothes on the line or in the house on racks. We have all florencent lighting and I am pretty frugal. The only downside to the woodstove is that its an insert and needs a blower to get the heat out and that thing really pulls the watts when it runs but its way cheaper then electric heat. That would cost well over $485 a month. Sometimes when its super cold we put heatlamps over 2 of the stalls to help keep the girls warm.
Hope everyone is getting off to a new and great start to the New Year.I know I always feel like its a new beginning and new hope and ideas always flood my head. I know we want to build a 2 stalled small barn so I have more room for mamas and babies. We also want to build a new chicken house to raise Red Ranger chickens this year. Have to wait and see if the weather cooperates and build when extra money comes in. This week when hubby gets paid we are going to go and get some treated post so we can get started with those and go from there. I can't wait to have more room for the girls. Well take care everyone.I had better quit before this becomes a book.
Linda
Raspberry Run Farm
Nubian Dairy Goats |
Edited by - wooliespinner on Jan 02 2013 4:50:41 PM |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Jan 03 2013 : 3:40:19 PM
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Hey Linda. We have only had a few snow showers here the day after Christmas. It's not been too cold yet. We're burning wood here now. I bought a brand new Wonderlux heater. It sure keeps the house warm and toasty. So far all our wood has been free. I will have to buy some though soon. This heater doesn't burn as much as an open fireplace. I have one of those yellow garden wagons that I fill up twice and that lasts about 4 days. So not too bad. I haven't gotten an electric bill yet for last month. It should not be too much. I can not believe how much your electric is. I would have to go off grid, I think. That's horrible.
I'm going to have to get our little greenhouse put back up so I can start my own seeds and save lots of money. I just need to find a thicker mil plastic. Do you know where the best place to get that is?
I did the same thing with our little pine tree. The goats tore it up! There isn't a whole lot out there for them to eat right now so they take anything they can get. I go cut privet and maple brances and honeysuckle and they love it.
Penelope is huge now. Her udder is amazing. I cannot wait to start milking her. She should drop some kids around the 1st part od Feb. The new doe that is pregnant should go soon after. I'm still milking Sandy and getting almost a quart a day. She was acting like she was in heat again so I put her and Alro in the back stall yesterday. Let her out this morning. I am just so upset that she's not bred. She could be, just not showing it. I hope she is. But I'll keep milking her til I see some evidence. Abby and her daughter Zarah are showing a lot more now. They's probably kid in March or April. It's all messed up with my goats this year. I wanted them all to kid at the same time. But they had other plans.
We are so muddy here it's awful. I have been putting down old hay wherever I can. I need a hay fork.
Kris
Happiness is simple.
www.kris-outbackfarm.blogspot.com |
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Barnyard Buddies: All Things Dairy (Goats, Cows and Sheep) |
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All Things Dairy (Goats, Cows and Sheep)
