Bee~ Journal of then...

[Blackbird]

Your right Javamamma, they did often tie their tails up. I'm pretty sure alot of people tied the end of the tail up to the base of the tail, something similar to that.
But I think in Bee's case it would just piss Blossom off... but we'd have another funny story to read

Of course, one could also just ring a rubber band real tight or maybe a castration band up 4/5ths of her tail, eventually the rest will just fall off, but if you have alot of flies you might want a tail.

 

[justusnak]

Hey Bee, you should time your next milking for when your company is showing up!!! They'd be in for a real good time!!!

I agree....give that company some great memories...just remember tho...you have people watching..no name calling!

 

[Beekissed]

Okay, guys....get ready for a jolt. Now don't get disappointed in me and all but I've made a decision that I feel I must explain.

I'm not going to milk Blossom.

Not because she is a problem child or anything, even though she has been in heat and quite bulky.

Because I have too much on my plate right now and I had to eliminate one of the stressors or crack down the middle.

Among the stressors:

Youngest just left for basic training~first time away from home, my baby boy, trying to be tough but my heart won't listen to that at all.

Job is getting quite intense with more responsibilities and less staffing.

My herniated disc is getting worse, in pain all the time now.

Garden is not in yet, weather has not been cooperative at all, don't have my tiller yet, too tired when I come home from work to get much done....getting home very late.

Middle son will be leaving soon and he is my biggest help with outside construction projects, so must get them completed before he leaves in July.

Am going to barter for hay with labor....the boys and I will, hopefully, be helping someone get in hay in exchange for 200 bales of last year's second cutting.



Right now is not the time to be stressing over milking a cow so that other people can buy the milk, butter and cheese. A light bulb came on when I really LOOKED at my butter churn.....the beater is a third of the way off the bottom. Do you know how much cream I would have to have to fill a 2 1/2 gal. butter churn.....yep, like Grant's tomb, I know! I would have to have some serious milk production, milking twice a day and not giving any to the calf, in order to make all the butter people want.

Now....how much would I make for all this labor and time? Not enough to justify doing it. I don't drink milk, nor use much butter, if any.

Had a family meeting while my mom and my Aunt Betty were here (aged wisdom is helpful) and we all hashed it out.

Mom and Betty wanted me to sell both cow and calf in the fall. The boys want to sell the calf, keep the cow. I want to sell the calf, but I also want to try an old trick. I would like to put a second calf on her right now and see if she will accept it. Its worth a shot and I have a few tricks up my sleeve.

I know its iffy, but I can't bear all the milk going to waste on an already-butterball baby Shade.

In a nutshell, right cow, right place, wrong time. I will use her as first intended....as a good cow to place extra calves on for weaning and finishing, and for keeping down the grass.

As promised, a before and after series:

Before ~

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After~

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Am downloading pics of the sheep I got this weekend right now and will post in a minute!

 

[big brown horse]

She looks fabulous!! I can't believe my eyes!!!!!!

My stepson is in the army, it was soo hard to see him go. But at the same time, I was soo proud of him. Tell your boy thank you from my family and me.

Milking can wait. Do what is important NOW.

You are pretty darn good at fixin' things up!

 

[justusnak]

Oh Bee!! She is looking FANTASTIC!! GREAT job! I hear ya on the extra work, and I totally understand. Milking is a big responsibility. For THAT reason, we will not buy a milk cow. It would all fall on me to do the milking, and altho I dontr work outside the hjome, I have my plate pretty full as it is! We dont drink milk...or use alot of butter or cheese. So, it would be a lot of work for someone else to enjoy. I just cant justify it either. I would love to raise a little beef cow...if I could find one reasonable..and not 400$$ BUCKET calf! Oh well, another year..im sure. Cant waite to see the sheep! I bet they are just adorable! Too bad they couldn't benefit from all that milk!

 

[Beekissed]

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The mostly black one is Black Betty Lamb D'Lamb.

The spotted little runt is Kate Taloula, AKA, Ugly Betty.

I went after the one, Black Betty, and got the runt of triplets for a bargain, so took her home as well. The farmer felt they would do better together, as they have never been away from their mama. He was right! The little one is pretty ratty looking, having been nursing from a bottle and from the "back teat", so to speak. She acts like the bigger one is her mom and they are very good for each other. Hardly any bleating for their moms and they seem like they've put on 5 lbs since arriving. Won't be long until they are both sleek and happy, mark my words!

They will take some time to warm up to us but they are starting to relax and get a little more bold. Chased the cat the first day here, but seem very comfortable with the dogs sniffing their butts!

First time they've ever been on grass, so we are going slow and using feed and hay and an older paddock that has been grazed twice by the cow.

They have the sweetest faces! You can't really see that in this pic, nor the snow white tail on Black B, but I will try to get better pics later on.

 

[big brown horse]

What type are they? Jacobs?

 

[Beekissed]

What type are they? Jacobs?

They are Katahdin/St. Croix cross lambs. I wanted the black one, as his black ewes seem to have a larger and meatier build than the others. The spotted one was not one I would have chosen but she was a package deal, so I took her. Her mom throws triplets, so it may pan out as a good decision.

They are hair sheep, so they shed their wool in the spring, are very parasite and disease resistant, heat and cold tolerant and do well on browse or graze. They rarely have trouble with lambing and rarely ever deny their young.

This fellow says he worms each month for 6 mo. then never has to worm again. I don't know if I will follow his regimen exactly, but it seems pretty impressive compared to other breeds.

They can be bred at 7 mo. of age and can have 3 lambings in 2 years if one wants to keep up a big production.

I will breed these in December, when they are 10 months old. I will only breed once a year and see how they do. I may change that when I see how they do with lambing, how the lambs tolerate weather changes, how the ewes recover from birthing,etc.

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[TanksHill]

Oh Bee,

Blossom looks great and those two little ones are just adorable. You sure do have your hands full right now. I think your decision not to milk is great. Whatever works best for you.

I am sorry to see you youngest leaving but he is a great young man, tell him thank you for me!!

 

[Beekissed]

Get this, guys.....the fellow who sold me the sheep wants to be considered when I sell the calf in the fall! He drove by and saw her and was pretty impressed....I don't know exactly why, but she is putting on some good meat and seems to have done this quicker than the Angus calves in the field across the way. All that Jersey cream, no doubt!

If anything, she is even more beautiful now and gaining weight like crazy. She is going to be one very meaty girl but still have that little Jersey head. She is learning with her halter training and now no longer pulls when being tied out. She still bulks a little when being led but that will all come.