Hello from the buckeye state

[Daisy]

Welcome Looking forward to your posts. Thanks for the blueberry tips!

 

[Sassafras II]

One of my rams has a bit of Finn in him. Otherwise they're commercial mix. I think Ile de France is the most predominant breed I have, but the most of mine are 1/4 that or less. Other ram is 1/2 Ile de France. They are white face with pretty dishes faces like Arabian horses.

Our 2 pasture pet goats are Nigerian Dwarf wethers. I raised French Angoras about a decade ago and my most recent rabbit experience was with Holland Lops and Netherland Dwarfs. I miss the buns, I gave them up due to health problems. The Silkie chicks are an experiment. If I am okay with their care through winter, I might get rabbits again!

Mini Nubian goats sound awesome! My goats are 7 years old, still going strong. But someday I'll need to find other goats. I have a hillside area for the goats - they keep the brush controlled and mow it for us.

I have a 8 year old Finn ewe who had triplets this year. I really like the finns because they are triple purpose, milk, meat and wool. I can sell their wool for $10/pound. I get 6-12 pounds per sheep per year.
This is the first year I've milked them..the milk tastes really good. And last year was the first we put some lambs in the freezer. Two lambs put 100 pounds of meat in the freezer.

 

[tortoise]

I have a 8 year old Finn ewe who had triplets this year. I really like the finns because they are triple purpose, milk, meat and wool. I can sell their wool for $10/pound. I get 6-12 pounds per sheep per year.
This is the first year I've milked them..the milk tastes really good. And last year was the first we put some lambs in the freezer. Two lambs put 100 pounds of meat in the freezer.

How are you training your sheep for milking? I've had to milk for colostrum and it's almost always a disaster.

 

[Sassafras II]

How are you training your sheep for milking? I've had to milk for colostrum and it's almost always a disaster.

Ha! It's a long road! First...don't give up. It took about a week for the really bad ones to start behaving :/ I let them eat grain the whole time I'm milking them. Some I had to tie their legs. It's usually a two person job at first, some will stand better if someone pets them wherever they like best. And if they're really bad I get her lamb on one side and I milk the other side. I still have some trouble with a ewe that's 3 weeks in milk I hoping that after her lambs sells she calmes down.

 

[flowerbug]

I've been watching this site for a while and decided I'd better register. I really like the wide range of topics here

welcome from mid-Michigan!

 

[flowerbug]

Welcome Looking forward to your posts. Thanks for the blueberry tips!

so much depends upon climate and soil conditions. it really helps if people put their general location in their profile so we can see it next to their posts.

for blueberries in a warmer climate with poor soil you need to address the climate issue by selecting plants with the right tolerance for your temperatures. for the soil condtions you can do a lot by just piling up a lot of organic materials, mixing in some elemental sulphur mixing that together with some of your subsoil and then use that pile as your planting from then on. which means you have to also keep topping off the organic materials to keep the pH low enough. the extra mulch helps with both weed control and moisture control. blueberries should not be allowed to dry out completely. they're bog neighbor plants.

if there are other issues please ask in a more general thread so more people will see the questions.

 

[Sassafras II]

Right, I give them a lot of water in the summer. results: HUGE blueberries!

 

[wyoDreamer]

My neighbor out in Wyoming planted her blueberries in a bag of peat. Just dug a hole, pokes some holes in the bottom of the bag of peat so the extra water can drain out and dropped it in the hole. cut a hole in the top and planted the blueberry bush straight into the peat. Her plants were healthy and produced well.

 

[Sassafras II]

My neighbor out in Wyoming planted her blueberries in a bag of peat. Just dug a hole, pokes some holes in the bottom of the bag of peat so the extra water can drain out and dropped it in the hole. cut a hole in the top and planted the blueberry bush straight into the peat. Her pants were healthy and produced well.

That's a really good idea. I may try that! Thanks!