| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Feb 14 2010 : 5:15:29 PM
I thought we might need to have a dairy thread going here since there are so many of us that have goats and cows. And we are always needing advice and help on one thing or another. So why not start a dairy area.
Anyone interested? We can talk all we want about our favorite girls. I'll start.
I have 3 Lamanchas and 1 Nubian. They range in age from 3-7. They are all due to kid around the end of march. I am hoping for more girls this year. We had 13 kids last year and only 2 were does. So I keep rubbing their bellies and talking to the "girls".
I have been milking goats going on 5 years now. I love it. I milk by hand. I have 3 stanchions so that makes it easy. Last year I had 7 I was milking. 4 is still a lot and I may end up selling 1 more. One of the does is half Toggenburg and her milk last year was not that good.
So ya'll join in and lets talk dairy here.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| 15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| sherrye |
Posted - Jun 06 2013 : 11:08:04 AM
well lots of cheanges here again. LOL we are milking 3 cows now. 15 gallons a day. 6 gallons is waste. my cow belle had a calf sophia blue bell. she is a 3 years old now. her calf died in birth. the folks that own her had some challenges. sophie a first calf heifer got mastitis. so i have sophie here, plus a cow i bought that calved here and hazel. it has been very hard very rewarding and a learning event. with papas help we have them trained to lead off the car to come milk. we have to walk a loooong ways to get them. they did great. the mastitis is looking better too. so the calf and sophie will be going. then i have 2 in milk. which is legal in oregon. we butchered sweet potatoe she hung at 618. i sold the whole hog. we also sold jelly bean she is 500 pounds and minnie 200 pounds. we are looking at going into kune kune pigs. we bought 3 duroc weaners yesterday. it will be easier with 3000 pounds of animals gone. LOL all the goats are sooo good looking. we lost our betty boop. she was a boer doe. very sweet and loving to kids. sooo sad.
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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| wincrestnubians |
Posted - Jun 03 2013 : 1:58:09 PM
 
Linda, here is pics of Bebe and Pixie. We took them before milking this morning. Bebe is increasing her milk again for me, and Pixie is doing the same, but a bit more slowly. I am going to start uping her grain, as I think she is loosing condition to fast. Now, Bebe, well she can due to loose a few pounds! Hahha :)
Sherrye, thanks for the comments. Pixie is pretty and can be annoying at the same time.. :)
Hope everyone can get some thing accomplished this week. I need to!! :)
Only those with an open mind can learn from ones own mistakes. |
| wincrestnubians |
Posted - Jun 03 2013 : 1:50:58 PM
 
I just had to show off my two boys! Was taking pics of the goats for my daughters 4-H projects and just loved how they looked from a picture stand point. The brown and white one is, Snickerdoodle. I bought him from Linda last year. The solid guy with silver ears is, Sharif, from Saada Dairy goats. I also got him last year. Both these boys are 14 months old and each is a hand full! Sharif can be a butthead and onrey, while Snickers can be pushy and 'dont touch me' type. Both are good boys though, but they were being little snots today. Hopefully will get to see what these guys can do in my herd in the next few years. :)
Only those with an open mind can learn from ones own mistakes. |
| sherrye |
Posted - May 28 2013 : 09:44:54 AM
oh jennifer she is beautiful. wow she looks very sweet too. michele how is your hand this week? it sure does take a looooong time to heal. i just wanted to say howdy. i have pics now. so will post soon. i am sleepless and stupid from a new cow freshening. i am taking my sis to the dr. check up today. so far so good. my friend is here from arizona too. so i am brain dead now. so much fun. happy days to you all sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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| wincrestnubians |
Posted - May 27 2013 : 12:02:16 PM
This is Pixie, my yearling Nubina first freshener. I hant really planned on her having a kid this young, but sometimes them dang bucks dont ask permission. But anyways, she is 7 weeks fresh here. And I think she will be a very promising young doe.
I have been making cheese with all this extra milk I am getting now, since I am only doing 3 bottles a day now, I am so tired of bottling babies! Got one with one week left and one with five!
Made queso blanco yesterday, lots of banana bread and whole wheat, and then today have a gallon of yogurt in the oven to keep warm while it works, and getting ready for the next step for my cottage cheese. Next is either a chevre or a soft mold cheese havent decided yet. But I do love making this stuff. Get to use my milk instead of pouring it out. I can only drink so much, and my freezer is full. :)
And so far I have been lucky and have missed the heavy rains, got a small shower early this morning, but thats it. Havent been lucky with my garden either. I uually have tons of stuff in, but only tomatoes and carrots, it was to wet for to long...
Only those with an open mind can learn from ones own mistakes. |
| windypines |
Posted - May 27 2013 : 04:45:42 AM
We can always hope to be caught up for a while. I did finish the berry garden yesterday. Took 4 hours, but dug a ditch around the whole thing to try to keep the quack from sending its roots in. I hope something works anyways.
Ah Appleton, my husband has relatives in that area. We are about 4 hours away from there. Halfway between Eau Claire and Hayward.
Got milk sitting to make curds this morning. My sister is having a picnic, so cheese will be one of my contributions.
They are predicting a wet week for us. Wont' get the garden in, but hopefully will get caught up with house cleaning. I started washing walls, but only got one room done. I got to get up and fix fence too, so we can get the beef cows up on pasture. I checked it last night, and not too much to fix.
take care
Michele |
| wooliespinner |
Posted - May 26 2013 : 05:32:07 AM
He was from Appleton Wisconsin. He really misses living up there. His parents moved here due to his dad getting transfered to Ohio. He was a teenager and really didn't handle the move well. His parents still own a cottage up on a lake called Archibald Lake. His 2 sisters...one lives near there and the other near Madison.
I understand about taking a break. It really is nice and gives the hands time off.I forget you milk cows and you get way more milk than I do.If you milked 2 you would be drowning in milk for sure. But then after a time I miss the milk again too....lol.Yeah you get almost caught up and its time to start over. I still am trying to get caught up. I don't know if that ever happens but maybe someday.
Linda
Raspberry Run Farm
Nubian Dairy Goats |
| windypines |
Posted - May 26 2013 : 04:34:43 AM
Where is WI is your husband from? All your work sure doesn't help with the wrist.
I dry my cow up for 2 months. No I don't have anyone else to milk right now. Her heifer is a year old now. Not sure I want to milk two cows. Dealing with one cows milk is plenty sometimes. And as much as I miss the milk, it is nice to be able to take that break. I milk twice aday. I do share milk once the baby is big enough, and that is nice milking once a day.
Got my flower beds weeded yesterday. Now I need to do the rasp/blueberry garden. Then I would be caught up, and ready to start over! I do try to mulch everything so that helps alot.
Michele |
| wooliespinner |
Posted - May 25 2013 : 09:12:58 AM
We did not freeze but were only a couple of degrees away from it. I am down in a low area and it will freeze here but not in other areas that are close to me. Tonight it is not suppose to be as cold.So maybe I have dodged it this year.
Well Michele the hand and wrist are not that good but better than a month ago so I have hope it will slowly improve over time.
I have just started milking this past week and it does hurt. The doe I am milking is very easy to milk and I am only milking her once a day. Thats about all I can handle at this point. Her babies are with her the rest of the day. I need to have my other hand done its getting really bad and goes numb but am waiting to see if the other one will get better so I can get that one done.Then with all the other outdoor farm stuff and garden and yard work I am constantly overdueing it. But I want to get these things done and try to keep up.I have to trim hoooves again and I have 23 goats. OMG thats 92 hooves....I must be crazy. But I will do a few a day and it will get done.
Even tho I have the hand pain I am also happy to come in with fresh milk, eggs and hoping to have some things to can from the garden. It makes it all worth while.I was out taking all the covers off this morning and noticed my second planting of beets didn't all wash away from the last rain and I think I might even see carrots not sure but I think some of them made it too. I love beets they are one of my favorite veggies. I am going to try to plant more of them.
When your cow is dried up are you milking any other ones? How long before she freshens so you will have milk again?
Well its a good thing you didn't plant to soon because it would have froze anyway. My hubby is from Wisconsin and some of his family still lives up there. The weather there is so nice in the summer compared to hot, humid Ohio.We sometimes talk about moving there someday. Take care.
Linda
Raspberry Run Farm
Nubian Dairy Goats |
| windypines |
Posted - May 25 2013 : 03:59:05 AM
Morning Linda, hope you didn't freeze. Your garden sounds well protected! Even if it does look funny! I usually plant the cold weather stuff sooner, but with all the moisture we have had, just have not gotten it done. It sure does not take goat babies very long to grow up. How is the wrist doing, with the milking chores? I will have to dry up my cow something this month. I still have not looked up her due date! Maybe today I will take the time.
take care
Michele |
| wooliespinner |
Posted - May 24 2013 : 6:33:31 PM
Hi Michele doing okay and hope you are well too.... thats pretty cold but you are up north. You just have to get started later than us.We have had way to much rain at my place and it washed part of the garden away so replanted twice now. I still have some more to plant but now they are calling for frost. The last date for frost is suppose to be May 15th. Dangit this seems to happen every year. I guess I should wait until June to plant or maybe plant when you do and maybe we will be safe. Every year it seems to hit us later and later.
I just came in from trying to cover 36 tomato plants , 25 sweet potato, 9 sweet pepper plants and other stuff. I used every sheet, garbage can, pail you name it I covered the best I could. My garden looks really strange now for sure.I hope it works.
I seperated the 2 bucks from there mama, Snackcake about a week ago just at night and she still has her little doe Twinkie with her. The big babies sure don't like it but they are 12 weeks old.I am going to have to make it permanent because they will be doing what little bucks do and I don't want any unplanned breeding.
I am milking her once a day and am so happy to have goat milk again. Seems like its been forever. I made ricotta cheese and custurd. I love the custurd pudding with nutmeg on the top.
Nite all.
Linda
Raspberry Run Farm
Nubian Dairy Goats |
| windypines |
Posted - May 24 2013 : 5:04:43 PM
Hope your sister is doing well Sherrye. Glad you made it back to assist with the birth. I think cows are alot like people when giving birth. some are quiet and some hollar like crazy! Hope you dont' get no milk fever. Catching it early is the best.
Hi Linda, hope you are doing well. We ;had frost here this am. 29. I hope it didnt' hurt any of the blossums. Got the yard all mowed and trimmed up again. working on cleaning out flower beds. I hope to get some container plants tomorrow morning. No garden planted yet either. So plenty to do. But forecasting rain again. Not going to complain for moisture.
Michele |
| wooliespinner |
Posted - May 24 2013 : 4:30:47 PM
Oh Sherry glad you were there to help get her out.I hope she stay healthy and recovers well after the birth. Sounds like you could name that calf some cute names with a lightning bolt on her head. Do you have a name yet? I hope you can post pictures of her later.
Sorry to hear about your sister. I hope all went well for her. You need to get some rest too and take care of yourself. I can only imagine how tired you are.Will say a prayer for your sis. Hugs to you sweetie.
Linda
Raspberry Run Farm
Nubian Dairy Goats |
| sherrye |
Posted - May 23 2013 : 07:12:31 AM
yes the baby is here. the jersey was bred to a full size jersey bull. she is such a small cow. so the baby was hugs for her. she went down when it crowned. she cried out loud from the pain. i pulled the calf. its head was stuck. all turned out well. she is a light colored calf with a white lightening bolt on her forehead. mama is doing great. i am going to watch her for milk fever since she is 5 yrs. i spent the morning at hospita;l. my sis had surgery. then home for calf birthing. so i am a tired girl today. happy days here.
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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| windypines |
Posted - May 23 2013 : 04:16:44 AM
Has the baby arrived yet Sherrye? Waiting is hard! Good luck with calving.
Spring has sprung here finally. Well sort of. Possible frost tonight. Just as the buds on the fruit trees are starting to open. Keeping my fingers crossed it doesn't. Have had lots of rain, so grass is growing. Was able to spread fertilizer on the hay fields. We really need a good crop this year. Hoping to get the garden planted next week! Sheep got sheared last monday. It was nice to have it done, and well worth the money. 5 dollars a piece, and I gave the shearer a tip. My neighbor had called the shearer for her flock, and I trailed my two over to her house. This morning it is 37 with a cold breeze. Poor Jill is in the barn shivering! They are nice and fat, so should be fine.
Michele |
