Rose had twins on Friday, and boy and a girl. These are Licquorices' grand-lambs :). On Friday, Rose wasn't feeding Miss Lee, and then yesterday, she wouldn't feed Stan. She was butting him into the wall, hard. The poor little fellow sort of just stood there, dazed, then tried to nurse again, only to be butted into the wall again. She was letting Miss Lee nurse, and was hovering over her, but acted like the boy wasn't hers. Weird, as she cleaned them both after the birth, and they were both curled up next to her when I saw them for the first time. So we have a new house lamb, or rather, a garage lamb. He's learning that I have milk, and is drinking well. Scrapie tagged them this morning, and took Rose and Miss Lee back to the others. Once there, Ruthie started head-butting Rose. It was as if she was jealous that Rose had a lamb while she didn't. She sniffed Miss Lee, so I had the brainwave to put Stan in with them, and maybe Ruthie would adopt him. Her udder still looks large, although I couldn't cop a feel :). Stan rushed over to his mum, who promptly sent him sprawling. He landed next to Ruthie, and started nuzzling between her front legs. He eventually made it to the correct position, and seemed to get a mouthful, as his tail went crazy and he was licking his lips. But Ruthie was more interested in fighting Rose. Stan found himself next to Hershey, his dad, who wasn't amused by his testicles being routed about :). But the 200 lb ram was more gentle with his son than his baby mama. We tried to catch Ruthie to take her down to the jug where Stan was baa-ing his head off, but she's a wiley one. Suppose the last time I caught her, I hurt her pulling her dead lamb, and then took her baby away, so it's not surprising she wasn't trusting.
Both Herbie and I had a bit of sun today. He plowed, disc-ed and raked my veggie garden, after raking the ditches out of the back yard from the truck and tractor, while I fixed fences to allow the girls to go down the back pasture, and the boys into the barbed wire pasture. Opened the gate into the channel, and shoo'd the girls down towards the back. Heard a thwack, turned around and saw 5 cattle in the barbed wire pasture. Damn, Saffron had burst through the electric fence, zinging both top and bottom electric strands around the centre strand of barbed wire ! Had to shout for Herbie to switch the fence off, and then realised that I needed a replacement post tack she broke, and tools to fix it. So after spending about 2 hours fixing the fence, had to put another hour in to it. Then couldn't get her back in with the girls. She was having a dandy time, racing around the pasture. I had to wait a few hours until she was milk-hungry, before chasing her back to the frantic Seasaidh. Had 3 companies come quote for a replacement water pressure tank, water softener and whole house water filter. Wow !! It was shockingly expensive. Ranged from $2,500 to $3,975. Herbie doesn't want to do any installing, but my dad suggested I look on the internet for the items, and he'll help me install them when they come up early June. After all, it's not brain surgery. But looking on the internet gives sooo many options, I can't tell my arse from my elbow. Oy vey !! Went to the other side of the State for Easter with Herbies' mum last weekend. She was lucky. She had her 3 remaining kids, all 5 grandkids and all 6 great grandkids visiting, plus various spouses and significant others. Unfortunately, I picked up a dreaded lurgey there so have been a little under the weather this past week. The weather has been gorgeous. Nearly 70 today, and it's only April. The fruit trees are flowering, but we have don't have any bees again. They were there in February, I put honey out for them as March and April are hard months before the nectar starts flowing, and although the honey is gone, seems so are the bees. I'll open the hive tomorrow to figure out if they just left, or had a problem. The soil in the veggie garden is turning black and gorgeous in places. 7 years of cattle Wintering in the garden, with added chicken, horse, alpaca, sheep, duck and goose manure, leaves, sticks, plant matter, hay and straw is working ! Hopefully I find a fence solution to keep Maddie, as well as the poultry, out of the garden and we can have a fabulous 2017 garden. A few years ago today, we had lots of snow on the ground. 2017 is already Spring. The forsythia is beautiful, the grass is greening in the pastures and the asparagus is starting to pop up. Should be tall enough to pick our first spears tomorrow :).
I have the cows trapped in the main pasture, and the bulls in the veggie garden, waiting for the pastures to grow enough to let them eat sustainably without destroying the pasture. Gabriel keeps breaking through the gate into the barbed wire pasture, and I've had to chase the bulls out of it twice already. Herbie did a great stopgap fix - he pulled the broken gate through to the barb wired side, and rested the plastic gate handle on top of the broken gate. So Gabriel can't scratch himself on the it and pull down the electric fence gate with his horns at the same time. It's amazing at how quickly cattle can turn lush pasture into a mud bath - even quicker than the ducks and geese turned our back lawn from green grass to mud holes ! So far there haven't been any more lambs born, just expecting Rose to deliver. She was later than the others last year too. With only 2 lambs so far, and possibly one, or twins, still to come, I won't have to sell lambs at a loss at auction later this year. I'm beginning to wonder if Eleanor is actually pregnant. When I started drying her up when she was about 7-months pregnant, she was huge. Then she shrank, so I thought the calf had moved into the birthing position. But now I'm not so sure. Her udder is still small and soft, and she doesn't look pregnant. But she hasn't come on-heat for the last 8-months or so either, so I should be hopeful. Having gone through the loss of a vet-confirmed pregnancy with Dolly, also after I started drying her up, I'm just not sure. Suppose cows are like women. If you don't actually see a baby being birthed, don't assume she's pregnant. Daisy May, on the other hand, is hugely pregnant. I suppose part of my panic is being unable to possibly service our herdshare owners if she isn't pregnant. Been there, done that and it isn't fun. We're being overrun with eggs !! Chicken, duck and goose eggs. It seems to always be so slow starting the egg season here. Then once it's going strong and the eggs start dwindling in the late Summer heat, then I have more demand than eggs. Life. Such a fascinating journey, isn't it ? Caught up with my sister today :). 2 hours on the phone. She's been putting 2 businesses up, and the 3-hour time difference makes co-ordinating time to chat difficult. With me being tied to the farm, we won't get to see each other in the foreseeable future. But I'm so pleased she's starting to do well, it's about time after all the work she's put in. Sheila has been an on-going experience. She broke the 60ft wire lead the other day, and went missing for 10 1/2 hours. Lisa arrived back after about 5 hours sans Sheila, so we went looking for her as she was trailing 20 ft of lead. Thought she'd got caught somewhere. When she arrived home she was wet, so she had made it to the river. I went and bought 2 new leads, 30 ft each, and keep her on them when she's not physically with me. We went Morel mushroom hunting this past weekend as well. Far too early, the May Pops were just starting to peep out the ground, but found 2 of Maddies lost bandannas. From their locations, picked up a better idea on how much she roams. Still 3 missing though. I had Sheilas' lead tied to my waist, my revolver, carrying my phone (for photos), a bag to collect the Morels, my gloves to protect my hands and a water bottle. Maddie was a trooper, followed me everywhere, Anni and Lisa kept close-ish, and Rosco was spotted every now and again. Was something walking over downed trees and branches with a deer bumping into my back and a dog tugging on my front, wrapping herself around all the trees. It's been a while since I wrote about the farm. Sad today because Dolly died. She had been fighting a mastitis infection since her last calf was born in May 2016, and was near death twice before, but I managed to pull her through. Not this time. She stopped eating, and I couldn't tempt her with anything. On Friday after I took Daisy May back to the pasture after milking, Dolly walked back and I opened the gate for her. On Friday night she lay down, and never got back up. I went out to her a few times, trying to tempt her to eat some tidbit, but her ears were drooped, and her eyes dull, but she perked up a little when I scratched the sides of her face, but she wasn't interested in the pumpkin seeds I took out. Her mouth was cold, so I wasn't hopeful that she'd recover. Then just before in got dark last night, I saw all the Scottish Highlands around her, saying goodbye.
This morning, I could see the lump of her in the pasture and told Herbie I thought she'd died. He confirmed it while I was feeding the sheep. He took her out back with the tractor while I milked Daisy May. I was sad that Daisy May and Eleanor didn't get to say goodbye, nor did her boy calf and the other bulls. So now we only have 1 cow that wasn't born on our farm, the Scottish Highland, Little Red. Dolly would have been pregnant, probably about 7-months, so we lost her calf too. Last week the first 2017 Spring lamb was born. A single girl, to an unnamed mother. I now have 4 unnamed sheep, mum and lamb, and last Springs' lambs, a boy and a girl. Really need to give them names. The USDA sent me the Scrapie tags, plus the applicator, so I tagged mum and newborn. Plan on tagging all the mums' and newborns as the come this Spring, then will have to tackle the ram lamb. Not sure what to do with Hershey, as he came from Salles' farm, so should have her tag. I'll have to talk to her as he doesn't have anything in either ear. We have Sheila staying with us for a while, from Annis' last litter that I sold to Bert, Jackies' brother. But he's up North, and Jackie and Gary have gone to Florida to await the birth of their 5th grandchild, so I'm looking after her for a month or 3, until she goes back to their family farm when Jackies' grandson, Charlie, gets there. Sheila was used to spending her days playing in the Grand River, and she's been heading down to it, taking her sister, Lisa, with her. They have to cross 3 main roads with 55 mph speed limits, and go missing for hours. I knew they were playing in water as I could smell it on them when they returned, but thought it was the creek down in our woods, never in a million years thought they were playing down on the flats of the Grand River ! Naughty little bitches ! The storm that came through last week, knocked the power out to thousands, including us. No heat, lights, or worst of all, no water. Herbie and I took 6 milk buckets and lids and drove the buggy down to the creek for water to flush the loos'. Power out on Tuesday, back on Friday afternoon, about 30 hours sooner than the original forecast. The 2 dogs went missing, and I panicked as they were gone for hours. Herbie booked us into the local motel so we could shower, and after he fell asleep on Thursday afternoon I drove back home to find if the dogs were home yet. Nope. I'd put up a notice on the village FB page too. So I drove over to the dairy where Anni ended up last time (and all our cows when they went walk-about a few years ago). But nope, he hadn't seen them. I drove to the sub-division the butts up against the West side of our woods, picked a house and knocked on the door. Although there was a truck out front, a generator running and lights on, no answer. Back in the car, try another house. Guy opens the door. Yep, he'd caught both of them in his snares and had freed them about an hour earlier, DOWN ON THEIR PROPERTY ON THE GRAND RIVER !!!! What in the world !! But at least they'd been seen, so I had a place to start looking for them. It was dark now, and I'd stop and call and call, nothing. Brad, the guy I'd met, drove back to their other property and helped me look. I returned home, hoping they'd come home, nope. So out again looking for them. I texted Jackie to let her know Sheila was AWOL, worried because the telephone number on her tag was no longer in service, and Lisa had lost her tag a few days before. Info came back through the FB posting that many people had seen them down on the walking trail over the past week ! The one with more white, Lisa, was friendly, the smaller, darker one, Sheila, was not, she growled and barked at people. I drove East on David Hwy and then down Eddy road, a sand dead end road thinking that with them being snared for I don't know how long, maybe they'd been a little disoriented. Couldn't go all the way down as it was very muddy and I was driving Noddy, but no response to my shouting there either. I was hoarse from all the shouting. I have this horribly penetrating shriek, developed for Sheila as she doesn't listen to any other way of calling. Backed out of the mud until I could turn around and was now driving back West on David Hwy, when I spied this black streak run across the road right in front of a car going East. It was Sheila, all wet and happy to see me, with Lisa a little further up the driveway. Whew. Drove up with them running next to the car, and closed them up in the garage after pouring fresh water for them. Sheila drinks more than I've ever seen my dogs drink. Drove back to the river to let Brad know they were home. Sent a text to Jackie letting her know Sheila was safe. Back home, made sure they were in the closed garage, got Herbies' razor that he'd forgotten, and headed back to the motel 8 miles away close to the expressway. Once back, couldn't find the room key anywhere in Noddy ! Oy, was I having a night of it !! Went back in my mind. I'd showered and washed my hair in the motel, so hadn't put a jacket on but had tossed it on the passenger seat. On reaching home the first time, I'd gone inside, realised I was freezing, so had gone to the passenger door, which I couldn't open as it was locked. Walked around to the drivers' side, clicked the unlock button then walked back to the passenger side and pulled it out and put it on. The key must have fallen out at home. It was now already 8:20pm, 2 hours since I'd originally left the motel to find the dogs, and I was on my way back home. Dogs excited to see me, no key. Dammit, I was cold and tired but I didn't want to wake Herbie to get back into the motel room. Drove back to the motel, working the wording in my mind to the motel people, I know I haven't spent a night yet, but I'd already lost my key ! and as I turned in their parking lot, spied an object under the van next to me. The bay I was parked in earlier. Yep, the key. Lay down on my stomach and scooted under the van to catch the tag. Wow. Let myself back in to the room, Herbie snoring away. It was 8:56pm - I'd missed the new Grays Anatomy. But the dogs were found, I was in the warm room. Kept Sheila leashed for two days, until she took a gap on Sunday while I was watering the cows. This time she and Lisa were gone for 5 hours. I had the truck and went looking for them again. Brad and his mum, Marlene, helped again. I gave up at nightfall, and they arrived home about 11:30pm. Sheila hasn't been off leash since, except when she's in the house with me, or down milking cows with me. I ordered new tags for her and Lisa, with Jackies' cell number on Sheilas' one, all my contact details on Lisas'. I need to break this wanderlust in her. She and Herbie have at last come to an arrangement. She always barked and growled at him when he got home from work, which pissed him off. A few days ago he shouted at her and stamped his feet, and she cowered in the kitchen. Yesterday when he arrived home, she ran to me in the lounge and put her head in my lap, but she didn't bark. Then the door opened, and Herbie was home. She even came up to him for petting :). Herbie was was given an appreciation gift card to Applebee's by a contractor they do work for, so we went for lunch today and then did the weekly grocery shop. Back home I milked, he took Dolly out back, and then we went plinking in the back pasture with our .22 pistols he bought with some lottery winnings last week. I hit 1 smack in the middle, bullseye, with my left hand, right eye closed, and 3 other shots in the green ring. Herbie wasn't so lucky today. Sheila on leash in the back of the buggy. While we were shooting, Maddie arrived. Probably going to be a problem next hunting season. She'll be over a year old, fully grown, and she runs towards gunshots to be with me ! Last weekend, Brad, his wife Amber, their 2 sons, Cam and Kayden (methinks) and grandma, Marlene, came to see the farm. So the dogs going walk about, resulted in me making new friends :). Seems Maddie is the most popular deer in Saranac. She visits them regularly, and friends of theirs on the opposite side of David Hwy from us. So she also crosses that road. Everyone has photos of her. We've started putting videos on YouTube. Mainly of Maddie, eating grapes from me, Herbie and Teri, licking the lounge windows, chasing the chickens, meeting the bulls, playing with Marmalade the cat on my lap, nursing from the bottle, but also of Rosco snow bathing, and April the lamb in the house. This version of Weebly that I have the farm page on is their free one, so I can't put video on it, but maybe I can put the YouTube links up. Well, it's after midnight, so beauty sleep time for me. Hopefully it'll work :)) I was at school with Joan at Helderberg High School. She died of cancer today, after a few years fighting the disease. I haven't kept up with most of the people from my previous lives, and it's sad to know that she's gone.
She was our surprise calf, and if she has her way, will have her own little surprise in about 9 months.
For the past 3 days, I've had to chase her out of the veggie garden where she's been enjoying the company of the bulls. She just waltzes straight through the electric fences, the little miss. Then, after a few hours, she bawls because she's hungry but can't find her way back to mum. When I try steer her to the open gate, she heads straight to the fence, and pops through it, across the channel, and then pops through the next fence to meet her anxious mama. So I thought I'd be clever, and herded her to the lower barn. Struggled to get Seasaidh to follow her - mum didn't want to leave the pasture. I couldn't use a grain bucket to entice her, as all the cows would've mobbed me, so cut her from the group around the feeder and tried to angle her towards the open gate. Eventually got her out, closed the gate and then had to run around the back garden to close the gate into the chicken yard. They passed the chicken house and yard, through the gate and found the feeder and I closed and latched the lower barn gate. While lying with Herbie I could hear the dogs going crazy, and then the moo-ing started. Fetched the big torch and went calf hunting. She'd escaped the lower barn enclosure. I checked the whole fence but couldn't see where she'd climbed out. Thinking if it now, she may have pushed the bottom of the gate open as it was only latched at the top. I'll check that tomorrow in the daylight. I did find the gate across the side of the pasture pushed down, so presumably that's how she got to the back pasture. I opened the gate and let Seasaidh out of the lower barn enclosure, followed her to the pasture gate and let her back in with the other girls. Checked the bulls, Saffron wasn't in with them, but then spied her out back with the others. Mum was still bellowing, and I double checked that it was Saffron and not JuneBug, she was lying down, and then returned to the house. Just in time as the torch was fading. Need to mark the calendar about 18 days from now, and ensure she's far away from the boys. I really don't want another pregnant 5-month old. I really get grumpy doing the taxes. I do them every year, and gathering the information is so tedious. Every year I vow to keep the accounts up-to-date monthly, but by April they seem to run away from me. I do the egg sales daily, and milk herdshare money monthly, and the hay purchases, live animal sales and deaths regularly, but the other stuff seems to lag. I have drawn up spreadsheets where I input all the daily stuff, and it pulls up into a summary sheet. Have them for each year, which helps tremendously, IF I do the upkeep. Things like property taxes, utilities, feed bills, medications, store bills - some get done but mainly not. Doesn't help that I'm on a bit of a detox so not getting to eat anything yummy. Told Herbie last night my timing was totally off as 2 horrible things at the same time makes me doubly grumpy, but I was feeling so blaaagh that I had to do something.
Jackie came to get eggs from me this morning, so stayed for a mug of coffee and a chat. She's going to Costco tomorrow and wanted to know if I'd go. Nope, Cindy is not to galavant anywhere until those papers are filed. Sad face. But the visit was nice. Happy face. Made chili under Herbies directions 2 days ago. He said it had good flavour, but wasn't making him sweat. He chose 3 jalapeño peppers to go in, and he added the Mexican chili powder, so after he'd fallen asleep I added another pepper and more seasoning. Yesterday, he ate it again, nope, still not hot enough. Next time I'll try blow his socks off, now that this South African has been schooled on how to make Herbies' American Chili. He said his chili is famous in his family. It's back to freezing cold outside but the sun is shining. Eleanor bellowed at me this morning because there was ice on their water and she wanted to drink. I'm just a slave to all the beasties here on the farm. Everything iced over yesterday, there was a bit more snow last night so the ground is very treacherous. Who'd've thunk that I'd be pleased to have ridges from the tractor tyre tracks all over the back yard. I walk on them as they stick up out of the ice. Had 6 broken eggs yesterday. Knew the chickens had moved where they were laying, and checked the sheeps' hay as they sneak under the plastic to lay. Didn't see any eggs, so started lifting hay for the sheep when I found 5 that had slipped down the side next to the plastic. All frozen and cracked. Chucked them onto the path so the chickens could eat them, then found another frozen one in the chicken house. So, as soon as I hear the chicken "I've laid an egg" call, I go egg hunting. Well, my tea is nearly finished, so let me get back to tax paperwork. There was a bitterly cold wind today, although it was bright and sunny. Funny to see all the cows lined up, one behind the other, just soaking up the sun :).
Milked Daisy May and Eleanor, got about 4 1/2 gallons, enough for Manda, me, Maddie and a batch of yoghurt. Down to only 4 herdshare owners again, wonder if I should advertise our programme. But it's only the brave souls who venture out into the world of raw milk !! And I need to stay off any official radar. Don't want to be harassed. Hopefully taking Gabriel to auction this week. I'd hoped to take him last week, but we went to get another 3/4 ton of salt so there wasn't time to try and coax him into the trailer, plus the trailer has to be jacked up out of the ice, and Herbie worked Monday morning too. A quiet week on the farm, got some cleaning done, including the bathrooms and the mud room. Went galavanting with Jackie on Wednesday, which was fun. We struggled to get up her driveway at the lake, had to take about 4 runs at it, but thankfully Herbie had re-salted ours before we got back. Also started our taxes. Probably my most unenjoyable task. Ergo, the cleaned out mud room and toilets today :). Maddie is still around. Herbies work mates are amazed and they all remember her name and ask about her. She's wearing her new bright green bandanna ;). I took video of her licking the window yesterday. She usually just licks me. She prefers warm milk now, actually turns away if the milk is cold. Spoilt girl. She skarffs down the fridge-cold grapes, but giving her still warm milk straight from the cow has awakened a new need in her. I've always given her fridge cold milk, from when she was a day old and I melted the bottle in the pot trying to defrost some colostrum for her. But, I suppose, with the below freezing temperatures, a quick blast in the microwave is acceptable. The sheep have been mighty frisky the past few days. Jumping high and then doing that spectacular mid-air twist and landing back on all 4s. Running around the pasture on those pronking legs, boing, boing, sort of like Springboks, but not as high. The girls have been head-butting, running around each other - haven't seen Hershey join in any of the fun. They are looking rather bedraggled, I plan on shearing them in May this year, but that will depend on the weather and the lambing schedules. Have started selling a few eggs again. Finding around 5 every day, but need to go look fairly often as they freeze. Found another frozen one in the chicken house this morning. I'm all showered and smelling nice, sitting in bed letting my hair dry. Am trying to decide on how I should cut my hair. Herbie suggested shoulder length, but I wish I had confidence in any of the hair cutters here ! I so like a good cut but haven't had anyone in Michigan give me that. Oh well, good night all :))) Snowing again today after a week of relatively balmy weather. At least the mud has frozen again, so no more sloshing.
Tonight, Herbie was rather amused at Maddie and I trying to catch each other. She was on the North side of the lounge when I went to fetch her bottle of milk that was warming in the kitchen. I called her from the garage, but was wearing socks so I didn't step outside so she didn't see me. Back to the step where my boots were, pull them on and walk outside on the North side of the house, calling for her. No Maddie. Damnit, she's fast ! Once outside the lounge windows, Herbie pointed to the South side, so I made my way around there. No Maddie. Look in at Herbie, he's beckoning to the North windows. Called her and there she came around the West side of the house. Let her drink a litte, realised I was freezing, so walked back to the garage after detouring to the chicken house to switch off the light I'd forgotten. Back inside Herbie told me that she took off around the West side of the house after she perked up, so had probably heard me calling. When I wasn't on the South side, she took off again towards the garage while I was looking for her on the opposite side. He had front row seats of our little run-around :). Checked the beehives today. The one that had the bees that I bought about 2 years ago was empty, but the one that I'd prepared when the bees swarmed last year had bees. The 3rd one by the path down to the hunting blinds by the river had had mice in it. They make an awful mess, eating through the foundations. So I tipped that one over and pulled it apart so that they couldn't nest there again. Had to go get my hive tool to pry the original occupied hive open as they had glued it shut very tightly. Once open, I saw there weren't any bees, but it was full of honey. Loaded it onto the back of the buggy as I don't want mice and other vermin getting the honey. Thought about adding the deep box to the hive with the bees, but it already has 2 deeps and one shallow, so I brought it up to the garage. It's too cold to spin the honey, so am thinking about taking it to the basement for the rest if the Winter, wrapped in plastic so the mice won't get in, and then spinning it in the Spring. It was incredibly heavy with honey and I struggled to lift it, getting honey and wax all down my front. I wonder why they left the original hive. Was Pizza Friday on the farm. Wasn't sure what toppings I was going to use, found the grilled chicken strips from our own chickens in the chest freezer, so got the mozzarella, blue cheese and chicken out, added diced onion from the house freezer, chopped a green pepper, defrosted the 1/2 jar of pizza sauce, added sliced American black olives (think we're out of the Calamata ones) and whipped up lunch. The dough rose beautifully, the toppings were perfect. Daisy May has gotten over her distrust of the milk parlour and has come in by herself the last 2 milkings. Not sure what scared her, probably was the Gila monster, so I've turn it off before opening the lower door for them. Didn't see Manda collect her milk today. I wanted to tell her about the new co-op Jackie has started in Belding. Must remember for next week. I checked outside when I heard Rosco barking, but there wasn't a car in the driveway. Was probably downstairs washing the milk buckets when she came. Herbie talked about only keeping the 2 milk Jerseys and JuneBug, the Jersey heifer, and Oliver, the Jersey bull. Then butchering both Taxes and IRS when there is freezer space, and selling all the others in the Spring after all their babies are born. Then we'll be out of the Scottish Highland business. I thought about it, and want to take Gabriel to auction next week. Property taxes are due mid February, so the timing is right. We don't need him anymore as the girls are all pregnant, and he is wasting expensive hay every day and slowly destroying the metal bale feeder. Today it was chucked on top of the shit spreader. On top !!! Wish I'd seen him do that. Must have been pretty spectacular. Need to talk to Mike about taking him. People are cautious with his 4 ft plus horn span, but besides attacking the metal bale feeder rings, he's a sweetheart. Will miss them in the pastures, but I haven't managed to get a reliable outlet for their meat, so it makes sense. With only the 4 cows plus hopefully 2 Spring calves, we should be able to get through next Winter with our own hay, and not have to buy $1 or 2,000 worth from Mike. We will then have Jersey meat again like we did originally. Keep or sell the girl calves, eat the boys :). Today was misty, all day. Couldn't see the cows in the pastures. Girls gave more than enough milk today, I've started another batch of yoghurt, in a bucket, on the kitchen floor :). We had oats porridge for breakfast, the one I cooked with dates and we poured cream on top :)
We went grocery shopping this afternoon. Doing it together seems to be more enjoyable, but it's still a rather dreaded weekly chore. Herbie needed new work boots, and we needed cheese. I've been craving a toasted cheese, tomato and onion sandwich. Herbie packed the groceries away while I went to bring the cows up. Watered them too, and fixed the fence that Gabriel broke. Eleanor was silly, running down to the barbed wire pasture that Gabriel broke into yesterday, both bull calves running with her. I tried to chase her up, then realised I couldn't keep them out until I fixed the fence so trekked through the mud, switched the fence off and went fence-afixing. Fortunately I was wearing leather work gloves, as Gabriel broke the wire and I had to twist new loops to reattach the gate handle. Between moving the hosepipe to fill all the water troughs, fixing the fence, chasing Daisy May and Eleanor towards the gates, then having to pass them to open the gate. Not successful with Eleanor, and she charged down the fence line away from the gate. Daisy May just stood and watched me, and I had to maneuver Dolly out the way to open a path so Daisy May could reach the gate, then schlepp through the mud and chase her up to the gate. Dolly was keen to come up to the lower barn with the milk girls, but not today. She actually kicked up her feet and ran on Thursday when I did invite her to come with to the barn. She's doing so much better, she's put on weight, her feet seem much improved, her appetite is good. The only negatives are her non-working 3 quarters and that she's lost her queen-ship position in the herd. Didn't help that I couldn't leave the veggie garden gate open so Eleanor could leave, as Daisy May was standing just a little further up the channel and I didn't want her coming to join the boys, or the bull calves running out with Eleanor. Ah, the joys of the farm. Took some of my farm-made chicken nuggets out the freezer and popped them into the microwave while cutting some salad, dolloping chili mayonnaise on the plates to dip the nuggets - dinner is served. |
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March 2023
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