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Barnyard Buddies:  I'm getting Jersey #3!  |
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AliciaNak
True Blue Farmgirl
405 Posts
Alicia
Elko
Nevada
USA
405 Posts |
 Posted - Nov 16 2012 : 09:03:31 AM
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I've had Sunny Belle for a little over a year. Hand milked exclusively until recently. Although I still prefer to hand milk her.
Added Cinnamon 2 months ago. She came from a little Jersey dairy in Idaho. High, tight udder, little teats, sooo glad I got the machine milker as hand milking her would take a while.
Tomorrow I head back to Idaho to pick up Cow #3!! Perhaps I've gone a little crazy! hahahaha
The plan is to alternate calving times/drying up times so I'm never out of fresh milk/cream and all the lovely things we make with it. I'm looking into share milking with a few other families so I'm never drowning in milk either.
I'll update with pictures next week!
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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Annika
True Blue Farmgirl
5602 Posts
Annika
USA
5602 Posts |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Nov 16 2012 : 12:48:01 PM
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oh what an exciting time for you. hard work and loads of fun for sure. i am currently milking 2 jersey girls. we have a cow freshening in about 30 days. we also have a white park heifer calving soon. i absolutely love cow milk. i am a cream drinker.LOL have you been doing any cheese? i just got starter for sour cream and buttermilk. i usually make a lot of mozzarella. we use a wine fridge for aging cheddars. i am sitting here now waiting for some folks from idaho coming to buy one of my white park heifers i am sad to sell her but i am still lightening my work load. it also will help on the hay bill through winter. i sure would love to see pics of your jersey girls. 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 16 2012 : 4:20:10 PM
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Sherry,
Yes, lots of hard work, but lots of fun. I never thought I'd like a cow so much! I've drank more milk in the last year than I have in my entire adult life!
I've done lots of sour cream, yogurt, ricotta and mozzarella. (of course butter and whipped cream are a given)
I've only done two batches of pressed curd cheeses, one cheddar and one Gouda. The gouda made awesome grilled cheese sandwiches! The cheddar is ok..seems a bit dry. BUT it was my first try. I'll be doing LOTS more =) I love the wine fridge idea, almost a used got one for a good price, but it slipped through the cracks. I'm keeping my eye out tho!
Pics will be coming for sure! Enjoy your weekend!
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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AliciaNak
True Blue Farmgirl
405 Posts
Alicia
Elko
Nevada
USA
405 Posts |
Posted - Nov 16 2012 : 4:22:49 PM
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This is Sunny Belle, April 28th 2012, and her calf April Star, at 3 hours old.
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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AliciaNak
True Blue Farmgirl
405 Posts
Alicia
Elko
Nevada
USA
405 Posts |
Posted - Nov 16 2012 : 4:26:49 PM
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This is April in August. We are trading for a large butcher steer. Works out nicely for both families. They want a milk cow and we didn't raise a freezer steer this year.
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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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Nov 16 2012 : 6:07:19 PM
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they are absolutely beautiful. i just love the jersey girls.
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 - Nov 16 2012 : 6:09:02 PM
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i meant to say i found when i pressed the cheese if the press was too heavy it made a dry curd. just a thought. 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 18 2012 : 08:19:31 AM
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Well, we got Nellie home a bit before the rain showers started. I milked her after about an hour and got a solid 2 gallons. She is beautiful! Pictures coming in a bit..
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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AliciaNak
True Blue Farmgirl
405 Posts
Alicia
Elko
Nevada
USA
405 Posts |
Posted - Nov 18 2012 : 11:00:46 PM
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Here's my little herd (well, most of it. April is in a pasture nearby)
Nellie is on the left, Cinnamon is middle, and Sunny Belle is on the right.
No shortage of Whipped cream for pies, cream cheese, or butter around here this Thanksgiving day! And I'm very thankful for that!
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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AliciaNak
True Blue Farmgirl
405 Posts
Alicia
Elko
Nevada
USA
405 Posts |
Posted - Nov 18 2012 : 11:03:19 PM
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Nellie has the daintiest face! Makes Sunny Belle look like a owl head!
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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Bonnie Ellis
True Blue Farmgirl
2474 Posts
Bonnie
Minneapolis
Minnesota
USA
2474 Posts |
Posted - Nov 19 2012 : 05:54:13 AM
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Your Jerseys are wonderful! They're a great breed. Congrats.
grandmother and orphan farmgirl |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Nov 19 2012 : 11:49:51 AM
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She sure is a pretty cow, Alicia. You did good with her. I would love to have a cow too but keep thinking of all that poop. Ugh! How do you handle it with 3? And when did Nellie have a calf?
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 19 2012 : 12:32:06 PM
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Thankx ladies, I'm pretty smitten with them all! Never thought I'd *Love* a cow this much, now it's 3!
Kris, we have a small-ish 1945 Ford tractor and blade all the poo, horse and cow, every so often. It needs a new wire at the moment tho, so the boys and I head out with pitchforks, for flinging dry cow-pie Frisbees, and shovels and pile it all up. The chickens help out too, they dig through it all to clean up bugs/stray pieces of grain, lol.
It certainly was easier with just one cow and her calf. Now I'd like to work on a feed bunk and bigger shelter.
Nellie calved in August and was bred back on Halloween.
Cinnamon calved in May, and Sunny Belle calved April 28th.
Looks like we will be keeping April, as we bought the steer we were going to trade her for. I *WAS* feeling a little guilty about it. We were going to be able to have a fully belly long before they would be milking April! Plus, they aren't set up yet at the ranch for a milking cow. So we'll see what happens next year =)
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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crittergranny
True Blue Farmgirl
1096 Posts
Laura
Lindrith
NM
USA
1096 Posts |
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Barnyard Buddies: I'm getting Jersey #3! |
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I'm getting Jersey #3!
