Bee~ Journal of then...

[Farmfresh]

Icelandic sheep are another dairy breed.

I think sheep are just like goats ... some are bred for meat, some for hair (wool) (Angora goats are a wool breed) and some are bred for dairy.

It is just like Bee said ... dairy sheep are more a European thing. We are more used to the meat and wool breeds. While in goats - the Boer (which is a meat goat) is relatively new in the US and dairy or fiber goats are more common.

I understand that sheep can give as much milk as a goat too... but not nearly as much as a Jersey. (Especially a strong grass fed Jersey like Blossom!)

 

[Beekissed]

It would be kind of cool to cross Katahdins or St. Croix with Friesians to breed the wool off them and still get that massive milk production. Just think how good it would be to have a good meat and dairy sheep that doesn't have the strong flavor of a wooly and one you don't have to shear.....I'm sure someone is trying or has tried it before.

They say that sheep milk is very rich and wonderful for cheeses.

Blossom has eaten her way out of 2 paddocks since Sunday evening and is now into her third. She has 8-10 more paddocks to go before she is back to her original paddock, with some of them having a much thicker sward than others. This means she may spend two days in some paddocks and one in others. This gives her first paddock almost two weeks to recover to an appropriate growth.

When the grass growth slows down she will be doing a 6-7 paddock pasture with 2 days to each paddock, giving her paddocks more time to recover. By that time she will also be getting some excess garden surplus to munch on and the calf will be eating some graze to supplement her milk.

Learning how to do this MIG is going to be fun and such a learning experience! Its already kind of neat to see just how she grazes each paddock, to see her giving a wide berth to the "repugnance zones" that Salatin spoke of, of watching the chickens scratch out the patties.

I can't wait to add some "competition" to her grazing, in the form of a sheep, and see if she cleans up the paddock better or if the sheep will eat the items she doesn't like. I'd like to start seeing a real clean paddock. Right now she only leaves a few types of grass....saw grass being one of them. Surprisingly she will eat young bull thistle growth like its candy....which does my heart good, as I hate those things!

 

[Blackbird]

Yes, Boers are very popular up here in Minnesota.

If she was bossy I'd say you could go with Bossy Blossy, but thats all I can think of. I have a Blossum too, cept a goat, and she's not the least bit bossy, timid little thing.

 

[FarmerChick]

Hi Bee

hope all is going well!

Nice cow...she is older but can easily be brought up to better condition.

She surely has mange....no animals "shed" bald in patches like that usually. Some mange is catchy to humans.....I would try to fix that problem and be careful hugging on that mange area.

Just google "bovine hair loss/mange" and all mange comes up and you can find a fix.

Be sure to get the parasite load checked in her cause she must be wormy as heck.....most critters are..LOL

You can also buy that "worm block" for cows. It is a mineral block and wormer together...as she licks her minerals she is wormed also. Those are good blocks for cows.

But you know how to bring her up to better condition....good luck with her!!!!



see ya and hope she works well for you.

 

[Beekissed]

Hi Bee

hope all is going well!

Nice cow...she is older but can easily be brought up to better condition.

She surely has mange....no animals "shed" bald in patches like that usually. Some mange is catchy to humans.....I would try to fix that problem and be careful hugging on that mange area.

Just google "bovine hair loss/mange" and all mange comes up and you can find a fix.

Be sure to get the parasite load checked in her cause she must be wormy as heck.....most critters are..LOL

You can also buy that "worm block" for cows. It is a mineral block and wormer together...as she licks her minerals she is wormed also. Those are good blocks for cows.

But you know how to bring her up to better condition....good luck with her!!!!



see ya and hope she works well for you.

Well, FC, after reading your post, I started to wonder about this, so I did do a google and it certainly looks just like the pics of mange on there. So, referred the matter to the local vet and he was certain that it wasn't but gave me an injectible for any external parasites that she may have, said it wouldn't hurt the baby and said it would be out of her system in time for any nursing or milking. Cost me $5 and said it should show results in a week.

I now bow to the new science and see how it goes. He said it was very rare to have mange in cattle, especially in the states, so he was very doubtful about it being mange. We'll have to wait and see if he is right, won't we?

You are right, FC, I would never just let the cow go and hope for the best, but neither am I going to get all excited over a condition that is probably not new for her. I know its not really good business, but its one of the reasons I bought her.....she needed me. I'm not going to get all hastey and start dumping things down her throat and on her skin, but will try to bring her along gently and slowly. She's old and sweet and I don't care if someone sees this raggedy ol' cow in my yard...the rest of my animals are beautifully healthy and she will be too, in time.

Thanks for the vote of confidence, FC!

Side Note: And thank you, Morel, for your courage and for standing up for what is right....and for all the people who understand and have supported me in the past few days. Standing up for what is right is a hard thing to do and I'm glad there are others on this forum who have courage and wisdom....you guys are simply the greatest!

Our forum has grown steadily and is still growing, and its not because of clicks, groups or perceived bullies--- or anything of that nature....its because we truly care about each other and have formed a bond of friendship that spans cyberspace and geographical locations. I respect you and feel sad when you are sad, glad when you are glad.....and I know you are feeling the same thing for me on the other side of this screen. I salute you all, from our Mods/friends down to our newest members!

 

[lorihadams]

You are such a sweetheart, Bee! I'm glad Blossom is doing well and can't wait to see more pics as she gets better and better!

 

[FarmerChick]

Hi Bee

hope all is going well!

Nice cow...she is older but can easily be brought up to better condition.

She surely has mange....no animals "shed" bald in patches like that usually. Some mange is catchy to humans.....I would try to fix that problem and be careful hugging on that mange area.

Just google "bovine hair loss/mange" and all mange comes up and you can find a fix.

Be sure to get the parasite load checked in her cause she must be wormy as heck.....most critters are..LOL

You can also buy that "worm block" for cows. It is a mineral block and wormer together...as she licks her minerals she is wormed also. Those are good blocks for cows.

But you know how to bring her up to better condition....good luck with her!!!!



see ya and hope she works well for you.

Well, FC, after reading your post, I started to wonder about this, so I did do a google and it certainly looks just like the pics of mange on there. So, referred the matter to the local vet and he was certain that it wasn't but gave me an injectible for any external parasites that she may have, said it wouldn't hurt the baby and said it would be out of her system in time for any nursing or milking. Cost me $5 and said it should show results in a week.

I now bow to the new science and see how it goes. He said it was very rare to have mange in cattle, especially in the states, so he was very doubtful about it being mange. We'll have to wait and see if he is right, won't we?

You are right, FC, I would never just let the cow go and hope for the best, but neither am I going to get all excited over a condition that is probably not new for her. I know its not really good business, but its one of the reasons I bought her.....she needed me. I'm not going to get all hastey and start dumping things down her throat and on her skin, but will try to bring her along gently and slowly. She's old and sweet and I don't care if someone sees this raggedy ol' cow in my yard...the rest of my animals are beautifully healthy and she will be too, in time.

Thanks for the vote of confidence, FC!

Side Note: And thank you, Morel, for your courage and for standing up for what is right....and for all the people who understand and have supported me in the past few days. Standing up for what is right is a hard thing to do and I'm glad there are others on this forum who have courage and wisdom....you guys are simply the greatest!

Our forum has grown steadily and is still growing, and its not because of clicks, groups or perceived bullies--- or anything of that nature....its because we truly care about each other and have formed a bond of friendship that spans cyberspace and geographical locations. I respect you and feel sad when you are sad, glad when you are glad.....and I know you are feeling the same thing for me on the other side of this screen. I salute you all, from our Mods/friends down to our newest members!

Well, heck Bee I know you can bring an old cow up to decent condition....any of us SS people can do that...LOL-LOL

Yea you got one with a few problems....you will do what is needed.

Mange isn't usual of course, but bald patches could mean itching, she is scratching herself bald......NOW in people, when I was preggo, I was told by my doctor that if I got itchy, super itchy, it could easily mean liver problems......they are linked with pg in humans and if super itchy to tell her............just passing the info along. Same in cows?????...WHO KNOWS...not me. Just wondering myself...LOL-LOL

I got itchy and lived..HA HA HA

old is old in the critter world...just do right by her and I know you will and all will be fine. (heck I am old too...HA HA HA)

 

[MorelCabin]

Our forum has grown steadily and is still growing, and its not because of clicks, groups or perceived bullies--- or anything of that nature....its because we truly care about each other and have formed a bond of friendship that spans cyberspace and geographical locations. I respect you and feel sad when you are sad, glad when you are glad.....and I know you are feeling the same thing for me on the other side of this screen. I salute you all, from our Mods/friends down to our newest members!

And what a blessing you all really are! Bee is sooo right on these points!

 

[Beekissed]

Ya know, FC? She doesn't seem to be scratching herself on anything at all with these patches, but seems to like it when I brush her. I've seen cows scratching on fence posts and anything else that holds still...and some that don't! But she doesn't seem to be doing this, so you could be right...it could be metabolic due to poor conditioning and compromised health.

We will know in time, I'm sure! I can't wait to see if I can make her glossy and fat. That is one of my favorite things...to make the rough smooth, the dirty clean...I've been that way all my life. Its why I enjoy mowing the lawn and weed-eating, hilling up around plants, scouring out a porcelain sink....all those things that folks call work, I seem to enjoy. I know....I'm weird!

 

[FarmerChick]

I am the same....I like helping critters if possible. bringing back old to new is always a good feeling, especially if it is alive.

critters always get itchy whether pg or not, good condition or not.

I had a pony that would scratch his butt on a tree all the time to where his tailed was frayed and his butt was bald......got the vet to do a "real" worm count and he was perfect.................the bugger just had an itchy butt!!!!