NoobieChickenLady's Journal - SS Score and Mah Kitteh is HOME!! Yay!

[noobiechickenlady]

Thanks ofg, I guess I'm just doing the new mommy bit, obsessing over a non-issue.

I'll just keep on with what I'm doing unless the mastitis test comes back positive.

 

[noobiechickenlady]

I hung up a coarse push broom head in the goat shed. That was a great success! Dixie was "gettin' after it" as they say. She spent a good ten minutes just scratching her disbudding area. Her tail was wagging like a metronome. Umbra (Shadow) carefully watched mom, then took her own turn, but she wasn't nearly as enthusiastic as Dixie.

The mastitis test was negative, so I've been just working with Dixie, using warmer water than before & massaging well. Also gently scrubbing the orifice to get the last of the plug off before I milk. It got gradually easier & easier to milk the left side out, so I relaxed about it.

Then, this weekend I milked out a leathery patch of dried milk, I guess. It was freakish! The milk just stopped flowing and I could feel some resistance. I rubbed her teat between my fingers to see if I could feel anything and there seemed to be a knobby thing near the opening. Not hard, but like I said, leathery, pliable. Eventually I was able to work it out and man! did she let loose with a kick from around the world. There was a tiny streamer of blood afterwards, so I cleaned her especially well & put on some antibiotic cream.

The next morning, again a very thin streamer of blood, smaller than the previous. It came out in the strip cup & there were no more after that first bit. I discarded the milk, just to be safe. That evening, I got bright and decided to use a jar to milk, save the milk from the right teat and discard from the left. There was no streamer, clots or anything abnormal thank goodness.

So yeah, it looks like we're back on schedule, Dixie's mood is improving now that we've worked that out. She hasn't kicked since that leathery patch.

I got my wether back. He did a wonderful job of cleaning up the friend's fenceline but man was he happy to see his friends again.
When my friends brought him back, they stayed for a little while and M decided to check the beehive. He had gone to pick up a hive, so he still had all his equipment. They have built comb all through the box, only 1 frame was unfilled and they were finishing up the next to last one. He got stung once on the arm, since he wasn't wearing his suit, but no biggie. He did go and get the smoker after that though. Looks like lots of brood and honey yay!

On the rabbit front, Mommy 1 is still rocking along, her babies are now eating & drinking water, in addition to nursing. I think it won't be too much longer before they are weaned, but I'll leave them in with her until she starts kicking them off. They really enjoy moving into the tractor during the day, we rotate mom & babies, then does, then a buck. Mommy 1 has started hopping right to me when I open the door to put her out for the day. On the off days, the kids pull up grass & weeds & give them a bit of the kitchen trimmings.
Mommy 2 lost all of hers, we will give her another chance once the heat settles down. The others are separated from the two bucks, who both have their own cage. I can't decide which one to keep. I've thought about giving each doe a chance to breed, but good grief that would be a lot of bunnies, not to mention cages.

We culled #3 on Friday and let it sit in the fridge until Sunday, marinating in some lemon juice & seasonings. Then DH basically did a roast type thing in the crockpot. Lots of veggies, broth, cup of red wine and a ton of rosemary. Seriously, like 4 tablespoons. It was AWESOME!! Tender, juicy and very flavorful. And practically FREEEEEEE

What got DH was the smell of the meat. It was sweet. He had to demonstrate to everyone that showed up that weekend. "Here! Smell! This is NOT grocery store meat!"

I have sold 2 of the babies, and DH mentioned he might make a few cages since ours turned out so well.

I harvested our first garden bounty this weekend too. One big zuchini, 2 very nice yellow squash and potatoes. I planted some potatoes from the grocery store that had sprouted (yes, we still eat potatoes, just not as often or as many) Something had started eating one variety, I don't know what, but the sprouts died after several weeks. I dumped the buckets & rumaged through the basket & came up with enough potatoes for 2 meals for our family. Woohoo!
We enjoyed the squash & zuc sauted with butter, onions, mushroom & bacon. Mmmmmm
The potatoes were eaten with garlic, rosemary, butter & a little milk. They were fabulous!

 

[noobiechickenlady]

Well, over a week has gone by and life goes on. We have been busting tail at the homeplace to get everything straighten up for the company we'll be having over tomorrow. DD's birthday was Monday and we are having a pool party tomorrow afternoon.

The yard help that was promised in exchange for babysitting finally come through with the final 3 days and he didn't even get much grass in the pool when he mowed around it and he managed to avoid the leeks & onions this time

I skimmed cream for the first time this week! I'm so proud & happy. Everytime I open the fridge for something I pick up the jar & admire it. It was sooooo thick!

I knew we would be having the party this weekend, so I planned ahead and set a gallon of milk in the back of the fridge, just like free said. I left it there for about 7 days, undisturbed with strict orders to DON'T TOUCH it!

I carefully pulled it out Wednesday night and used a ladle to scoop off the 1" thick layer of cream. I'm sure I didn't get it all, but I did manage to get a little over half a pint woo hoo!

DH wrinkled his nose up and said, that's been in there a while is it still good. I just held the jar out and said Smell! Haha, it smells like... milk!

Not enough for butter, but plenty to mix with some cream cheese and a little sugar for frosting the black bean cake for DD's party. I'll top that with some crushed blackberries. Oh my goodness, yummy!!!

Then I made yogurt with what was left, after I stirred the remaining cream back into it. I'm eating some now for second breakfast with blackberries and chopped crispy almonds. *slurp, crunch, crunch!*

We must have plenty for the chickens to scrounge because I have been able to cut down on the amount of feed. They were leaving lots behind after they finished up what they wanted. They are ranging farther & farther into the field and not trying to hop the fence into the front yard any more. They get a cup of layer pellets, a half cup of corn, a half cup of soaked/semi-sprouted wheat and a cup of BOSS, for 46 chickens!

The goats are still happy and jumping around Lord forbid I walk out into the yard outside of the fence and let them see me. As soon as I get out of eyesight into the trees or the blackberry patch all I hear is Maaaaa! MAAAAAA! (I can almost here the "Where are youuuu? Where did you goooooo!?!?!"
They're worse than my kids about separation anxiety
Haven't had any problems with Dixie since we got that patchy worked out, she barely even kicked when I trimmed her feet this last time. I don't have any rocks or rough stuff for them to climb on, although I am scrounging old shingles to nail to all their perches. I have some on the ramp to the stand and on the stand itself, but haven't gotten many others installed. Anyways, there is nothing for their feet to get worn down on, so I'm trimming every two weeks on Dixie and every 3 or so on Lucky & Umbra (Shadow).

The kids decided they liked the name Umbra better than Shadow cause it was prettier, so Umbra she will be. It means shadow in Latin.

 

[dragonlaurel]

You might be able to get some concrete blocks and make a mini mountain for them. It might help the hooves.

 

[noobiechickenlady]

You know, I do have a few cinderblocks that aren't currently in use. I'll take them out back & see what they think

 

[dragonlaurel]

Enjoy the show. They're gonna be having some fun. Make sure the pile is way from the fence, so you don't get escapees.

 

[noobiechickenlady]

DL, the goats figured out pretty quick that the blocks were nice & rough & spent a little time rubbing on them. I swear Dixie filed her hooves like they were fingernails

I do have stuff for them to climb on, just nothing real rough. There are a couple of wire spools, a metal box that used to serve as steps to our backdoor, several rail road ties stacked up and a couple of rained on hay bales near the garden. Umbra will jump from bale to bale to box & then do a dramatic dismount and Lucky does too. Dixie is way more dignified and such kid-like antics are beyond her. She merely stands on them look superior

The BBC (black bean cake) was a super hit, nobody would believe it was made from beans. I did sweeten it up a bit more, as many of the people coming over are used to super sweet commercial cakes.

We had a mini petting zoo going on during the party. All the kids were just as interested in luring the goats near the fence with a handful of grass as they were in the swimming pool

The chickens, of course are never far behind. Where the goats go, so do they. Sometimes hitching a ride on Dixie's back. She doesn't mind, as long as they don't try to steal her food. There is one orange & white EE roo who has become attached to her & hops on for a ride anytime she passes by.

I didn't let any of the kids into the backyard where the rabbits are because we've had one more delivery since we got the rabbits into separate quarters. This mommy had 7 babies (I think I counted right, didn't want to upset her) and she acted like a pro! She made a nest, pulled fur & settled down. The babies are now 4 days old and all seem to be growing well. I will wait another 2 weeks, just to be sure there are no further deliveries and then we will cull down to 3 mommies. We are already down to 1 buck, but we still have 5 does. We won't be breeding any more until it cools off a bit, but even without new breeding, between Mommy 1 & 2, we have 13 babies.

This coming weekend we will process our 3 largest RIR roos, I want to get us down to 1-2 roos and maybe 15-20 hens. Just enough to sell a few dozen eggs per week & provide eggs for us.

My best guy friend's wife is talking trash to her kids about the food we eat. She says rabbits are pets and not food, and tells her kids that we eat nasty stuff. Fresh eggs are not good for you. This is the same woman who poured out the goat's milk I sent for my friend.
These kids used to eat anything I set in front of them and loved it, now they have started bringing their own food. Usually packaged mac & cheese. Dad doesn't know what to do, he drives a truck and isn't home a lot, so she has way more influence with them.
Any suggestions? I love these kids and their dad but the mom!!! And I'm just a friend, so they listen more to her than to me

 

[TanksHill]

I feel sorry for those kids. I would say make their food but give them the choice of having yours as well. That way if Mom asks if the had their Mac & Cheese they can say yes. It's a shame that they have such an ignorant mother.

 

[noobiechickenlady]

Tanks, that's just what I did and they said they didn't want to eat a pet and that I am mean for raising them to eat. They are turning their nose up at anything and I'm not going to lie to them and say it's chicken if I am serving rabbit.
But, at the same time, I don't want their mom to lie to them & convince them that goat's milk is nasty when she hasn't even tasted it, they won't even try it. Or that fresh eggs or backyard chicken is gross. Gotta make some ice cream. Every kid loves ice cream. Maybe a custard with the eggs...

I feel very bad for them, because they are being poisoned to real food...

ETA: Don't get me wrong, its not about whether she would eat rabbit or not, I don't fault her for that or for disliking the fact that we are raising them for food. That's her choice and I have to admit, I'm not up to the dirty deed on ours yet. But to tell a kid that his dad's best friend is a nasty person because we do that and to say that mac & cheese is healthy but backyard chickens & eggs are not is just flat out wrong!!!

 

[TanksHill]

I totally agree. It's just sad. Do your best that's all you can do.

gina