Frustratedearthmother's Journaling Journey

[baymule]

A new pup! You will have your work cut out for you. I just got Trip to where I can trust him not to play with the sheep. He is an awesome dog and your pup will be an awesome dog too........someday. $2.00 a pound for blueberries is a good price and you didn't have to go pick them! I wash mine, drain them, spread them on cookie sheets and freeze them. Then I bag them up and vacuum seal them.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Can NOT kick this cough, but that's life.

I'm still putting blueberries in the freezer. I think I've got 16 pints so far. They'll go great in some smoothies for breakfast.

And... I have my first batch of cheese (for this milking season) hanging/dripping right now! Woo hoo... I do love some goat cheese. My favorite is roasted garlic and rosemary. so, I'll be roasting some garlic and picking/chopping some rosemary later today when the cheese has drained enough to start mixing in the flavorings.

DH has been a lifesaver while I've been sick. I usually do all the animal care, but he's been trying to help. I am the feed mixer - but he's been the feed carry-er lately. I routinely dish out probably 50 - 60 lbs of feed a day and it's quite a physical feat to balance two or three buckets at a time, dodge goats, chickens and pigs and get it distributed to all the critters twice a day. He's a keeper!

This morning he's been mounting solar lights on the barn. The new barn (not quite so new, lol) doesn't have electricity out to it, so solar lights are gonna make things nice. Hope they work well. They are motion activated so I hope they don't stay on all night. On the other hand, if they keep away predators at night, I don't care if they stay on a lot. If nothing else, they should help me when I'm out before daylight feeding before work.

I've seen a couple of snakes lately. One of them was swimming through some standing water and I wasn't able to get a good ID on him. Hoping it wasn't a moccasin. Also, this morning I could see 'snake tracks' through a muddy area. Yesterday, I saw a big ol' rat snake in the small barn. Since I also saw a big ol rat in there I'm gonna leave the snake alone and hope he does his job. But - if he gets lazy and decides eggs are an easier target than rats - he'll havta go.

Speaking of eggs - I need to boil up some for the pigs. Any eggs that are cracked or too dirty to sell go to the pigs and/or chickens. Extra protein ain't a bad thing!

 

[hqueen13]

I hear you on the cough. My cold has been hanging around with the dregs of a cough, too. very annoying! Hope you're still not feeling bad.
I hear you on hoofing feed. That is a big task!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Cowboy is home! We've been waiting weeks and weeks and he's finally here!

Meet Cowboy:

He is an AKC Anatolian Shepherd - from working parents. Born with and raised with goats and chickens. He's only been here a few hours and he is a little spitfire! He told his big sister that she better not mess with him....he's terrorized a broom.... and already found his way through the stock panels so he could follow me somewhere I wasn't ready for him to be. Yay - love him already!

 

[hqueen13]

EEEEEEEE!!!! THE CUTE!!!!!!!!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

This dog, this dog! Oh my - he is something else. His favorite place to be is right between my feet. He doesn't care if I'm walking or sitting - he's under my feet. So, yesterday I did the perfectly natural thing to do - I stepped right in the middle of him. ARGH! Right in the ribs....squished him good. Thankfully, I didn't put my whole weight on him, I was able to pull back right before I woulda broke all his ribs and perforated all his innards. Gee whiz! PUPPIES!!!! He wasn't too happy with me, but where was he a few minute later(?) Yep...right under my feet. So, (nobody call PETA) I've taken to gently 'nudging' him with every step.

Took the students on a field trip to Lamar University today. It wasn't a bad trip -but - with a heat index of 108, complete with a heat advisory, an hour long walking tour was NOT my idea of fun.

I'm trying to decide whether to keep a little buckling. He's not purebred anything. His mama is a Kinder goat (1/2 pygmy - 1/2 Nubian) and has the most correct udder on the place. His daddy is 100% Nigerian Dwarf. With his daddy being ND - this little guy should put some really nice udders on his kids. Do I need another buck...uh...NO! So, I'd have to sell a buck, or two, in order to keep a buck. ARGH - decisions, decisions.

I'm getting a nice handful of cherry tomatoes here and there. Nothing better than plucking one offa the bush and popping it in your mouth while it's warm from the sun and juicy... yum! Not even worried about washing it first. We've had enough rain to keep 'em clean, lol!

The pigs are getting big! I'm thinking that in another few weeks I'll be turning them out together. IF they're gonna do any breeding I don't want piglets until we're past this summer heat. But, how much fun will baby pigs be? They are so stinking cute when they're little!

Getting hungry - need to go scrounge.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Got Cowboy's vet visit in the rear view mirror. He weighs 18 lbs at 9wks 4 days. He got a shot and a clean bill of health - good boy! (except for the car ride there - he cried all the way) He was much better on the way home.

Soon as I change clothes and down a half-gallon of water or so I'll be heading out to do a little goat shifting. Gotta get the bucklings out of the doe pen! They're 3 months old and I've already let it go a few weeks longer than I should have. Haven't noticed any of the does cycling in this heat so I think we're ok. If not....argh!

And, when I do that I'll start milking a couple more mama does. There is about to be a huge milk glut around here. Yikes! Unfortunately, there's only so much cheese and kefir that two people can use. My DD loves goat cheese but she lives 3.5 hours away. My son who lives 10 minutes away - not so into goat products, lol. The pigs are about to get much happier. Chickens too.

I didn't know this, but apparently milk-fed chickens are considered a delicacy in some country. I can do that! I've got a bunch of young roos that need to be processed soon. I think I'll pen 'em and feed 'em clabber and see what happens. I might be on to something.

Time to get busy. Happy Friday, ya'll!

Going to lock up some young roo's too. They will be freezer fodder in a few weeks.

 

[Mini Horses]

You can put some of that milk in your new freezer to use when does are not milking. Freeze the cheese and DD can still get some later....or you.

Sell something? Yeah, that crosses my mind some days -- the hectic ones. But, older I get the more sense it makes. Then, how old is "too old"? Today I've had 4 goats get out and can't find where........out to put them in another field. SMACK ME!!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Yep, I'm sure some of it will go to the freezer. It's one of the things I was upset about when the other freezer thawed out...argh! I musta lost at least 20 gallons of frozen milk...sigh.

If it was 70 degree and sunny every day I would keep all the goats forever, lol. But, when I have to struggle with every single step to walk through the mud, it gets old! Thankfully, there's only one place that's still really sticky. Things are drying up nicely - at least until Sunday when rain is in the forecast again. I swear! (sometimes a lot, lol)

I'm not sure I'll admit it if I ever get to the 'too old' stage...and I'm sure it'll happen...someday, right? I've always said when I can't lift that 50 lb feed sack anymore that I'll have to give it up...ehhhhh. Mebbe...mebbe not! But, reduce the work load is sounding better and better in this heat!

@Mini Horses You asked for it, lol! Hope you find the fence breach. Goats!

 

[Mini Horses]

Said same thing about the feed. Still lifting it! Harder to lift the goats when 4 legs are in action. I'm not ready to quit just thinking I would be ok with fewer of everything. I'm thinking 5 does, 2 bucks, maybe 20 chickens. Horses -- well, here until. Pigs, can let them go - no biggie. Still need to take one to butcher.

We have rain again here....minimal yesterday, heavy today at times and high humidity both days. Just depressing when you want to be outside accomplishing something.