Frustratedearthmother's Journaling Journey

[frustratedearthmother]

LOL- depending on who it is you might send 'em right back! Lucy is a bonafide crazy goat….stubborn to a fault and a greedy, gluttonous pushy ho-ho. Which would explain why she got a plastic food scoop broken over her head today! It already had a crack in it so nobody call it in.

Got a couple things done today. Biggest accomplishment - a nice big goose egg on my head. I was working on a pen I'm thinking about moving Lucy and her girls into. It had pigs in it last so the fence was a bit "challenged" in a couple of places. I had a metal fence post leaning up against the fence waiting for me justsincase I needed it. I guess I was working too hard and jiggled the fence a little bit and that fence post fell over and cracked me on the noggin... That HURT! And, then to add insult to injury it bounced offa my head and cracked me on the wrist on the rebound. Stupid fence post. I swear I saw stars for a few minutes..and DH just told me it's starting to get really nicely colored. Guess I'll be wearing extra make-up to work Monday, lol.

Got the new hose today but haven't hooked it up yet. As soon as I get that done tomorrow I'll figure out how to move Lucy and her girls. Those girls are big and they don't lead (yet) so I'll probably end up carrying them. I can't carry both of 'em and lead Lucy at the same time so it promises to be a lot of fun.

We actually had every intention of butchering a pig this morning. We were SUPPOSED to get a cold front overnight - but that didn't happen. It was too warm. ARGH! Guess I needa call the processors if we don't get some more cool weather... ugh.

I have a headache. Maybe wine will help?

 

[NH Homesteader]

Ouch! Wine helps goose eggs, it's a known fact!

Yeah you can keep the stubborn glutton, we have little tolerance for that lol.

 

[sumi]

Ouch! I hope you're feeling o.k. today and it didn't bruise too badly.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Thanks ya'll...I'll survive, lol. It's not too bad...kinda greenish, but a lot of it is in my hairline with just a little showing, about the size of a quarter. It'll make for a good story. Got stuff to do but not through my first cup of coffee yet. Can't move until I get one (or two) cups down.

I discovered Chia seeds this week. Some of my students were using it and told me I should try it. Let's just say it has lots of fiber and, and, and.....well - it's got lots of fiber, lol. Been reading on 'em and seems they have some nice health benefits. Need to go find some recipes. Chia pudding recipes keep jumping up...

Been watching the pygmy doe pretty closely. She's not due for a few more weeks, but she's so big, fat and full it look like she's totally miserable. She also looks like she might be having a tendency to prolapse....she doesn't need that - argh. But, thankfully, she doesn't seem to be getting any bigger...I think she got her size early and is kinda holding steady now. This will be her last pregnancy so I really hope it has a positive outcome.

A little more coffee and then I gotta get started.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Ugh prolapse would be bad. Are pygmies more apt to have them? Hope all goes smoothly with her, Chester babies I presume?

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I probably should have clarified - a vaginal prolapse - not a uterine one. A vaginal isn't as bad unless the whole thing comes out - argh! I had one doe years ago that would prolapse. (I never bred her after the second time - in fact I gave her away - to my vet, lol) I kept it clean and lubricated and when labor starts the vaginal tissue thins out and recedes and isn't a problem during delivery. There's nothing coming out of this doe, lol. But when she lays down she really gapes open and I can see tissue there. But, that she makes it to delivery with no issues.

Hallelujah! There's one less mouth to feed at my house. Since it looks like these little goats might stay with me a while longer I decided to harvest a pig. So, I did! It wasn't a very big pig. I chose a smaller one since I was doing it mostly alone. DH always volunteers to do the deed - and this is the first time that it didn't go well. He went a little to the side instead of in the middle and the pig ran. I grabbed it's ear when it went by and I held on for dear life. He handed me the pistol and I shot it again while I was holding onto it's ear! I felt bad for the pig - but from firsts shot to second shot was probably less than a minute... So, the pig is in the ice chest now in nice meal sized pieces. I took the shoulders off whole, deboned (badly) one of the hams and got the other ham off with the bone in - dissected the loins out and decided to go in for the tenderloins. On a pig that size it wasn't worth the effort. Didn't take the ribs either - just not enough meat on 'em for the trouble.

I need more practice. I really did NOT do a good job on some parts of the pig. But, practice makes perfect? I told DH we should do one per weekend and work our way toward an emptier pasture and a fuller freezer!

I feel like a real bonafide red neck now - I've got a pig carcass hanging offa the tractor and DH brought me a beer when he went to get ice! Funny stuff huh?

Still need to put out the new hose and think about moving Lucy and her girls. It's really overcast and gloomy out - so not sure I'll get a whole lot more done. Besides, I'm basking in the feeling of accomplishment I get when I accomplish something self-sufficient!

 

[NH Homesteader]

Woohoo one less pig! Good job, even when it doesn't go perfectly it's nice that you got it shortly thereafter.

I was thinking uterine, glad you clarified. Still, not fun. Hope she doesn't!

No call from the goat guy? Ugh.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

The guy that has bought goats from me before said he'd come on Wednesday. I told him that if I still had what he wanted that Wednesday would be ok. Who knows - I might just not call him. He started out saying he wanted several and then later said just one. Well, the one he wants is one I thought might not be bred - but now I think she is. So, I might not want to sell him a pregnant doe for only $100. This doe is registered and from great lines. I could catch up on my registration paperwork and probably sell her for more. Most of the goats on craigslist are not registered. I've been really bad the last couple years about NOT doing paperwork. The folks who buy meat goats never ask for papers, lol.

I think I might band the younger buck (9 months old) and toss him out in the pasture for awhile and then harvest him. Goats are much easier to harvest than pig!

 

[Mini Horses]

I need more practice. I really did NOT do a good job on some parts of the pig. But, practice makes perfect? I told DH we should do one per weekend and work our way toward an emptier pasture and a fuller freezer!

I feel like a real bonafide red neck now - I've got a pig carcass hanging offa the tractor and DH brought me a beer when he went to get ice! Funny stuff huh?

Most of my pig parts were pretty decently cut but, larger animals & they had been hanging in the processor storage. Makes for a firmer meat to handle.

Then there was my goat. Well, that one was cut into chunks & roast or steak sized cuts. It's fine as most of the time you are cooking it in stews anyway. (I still have one hind qtr whole in freezer). But, with the Boers --that I do plan to buy this year, now or soon -- they are large enough to go to the processor and come back as "namable" cuts. Right now, no piggies here. Maybe never again & maybe next week. You know how "when the mood strikes -- or the bargain comes along" goes with us.


So...there ya are, knife in one hand and a beer in the other, hog hanging A vision of loveliness!! I hope DH got a picture!! You get bragging rights. I've never shot one.

 

[sumi]

Congrats on the pig harvest! Sorry to hear things didn't go perfectly But you know what? Sometimes it just happens. I used to have a man I know come shoot pigs for me when their time came. I had a lovely sow one day lift her head as he fired the shot... He finished her off quick enough with the second shot, but it was a bit unpleasant nonetheless. I never processed them though, so kudos to you for doing that!

I probably should have clarified - a vaginal prolapse - not a uterine one. A vaginal isn't as bad unless the whole thing comes out - argh! I had one doe years ago that would prolapse. (I never bred her after the second time - in fact I gave her away - to my vet, lol) I kept it clean and lubricated and when labor starts the vaginal tissue thins out and recedes and isn't a problem during delivery. There's nothing coming out of this doe, lol. But when she lays down she really gapes open and I can see tissue there. But, that she makes it to delivery with no issues.

This reminds me of the James Herriot books I read. When they got called out to cows prolapsing, the farmers would tell them "the calf bed came out" What a wonderful way to describe it! Hope your goat will hang onto her bits when the time comes.