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October 31, 2010

Chicky, chicky, bok, bok! Farm chicks!

Yippee!!
Today we replaced the hens (all the previous ones were massacred by raccoons). We ended up with 12, all are laying now except for 3-4 of them which should start laying in a month or two. Dave completely rebuilt/recovered the outside enclosure last week, and sowed rye seed. In a few weeks, when it is not a dirt patch, we will let them out in their run area.


Several hours after bringing them home I went to take them some treats and found a treat for me--the first egg!
I puttered in the garden a little bit, mostly winterizing the veggies by bedding around them with spent hay. The tomatoes are growing so vigorously they are lifting up their cages out of the ground. The little green tomatoes and blooms are too numerous to count. Now we just have to be mindful of checking the weather forecast daily so we don't get surprised by a frost. That would really stink!

As you know our heifer Ginger is due to calve in May. I have been dying for more milk to be able to make cheese, yogurt, butter, etc. So, I have been on the hunt for a healthy, sweet cow in milk (and used to being milked). I am not sure how it will work if we end up having a heavy producer and fitting that into the job (traveling out of town every week). I don't know what the situation will end up being with the job (they have asked us all to reduce traveling) but I figure we can always get a foster calf or two to take care of extra milk, and still milk 3-4 times a week for the house. Despite search Craig's List and the KFC forum daily for weeks, I did not find one. Thankfully though providence brought one to us--the opportunity to buy back a cow we sold last spring: Vera! She is dry now and due Jan-Feb. She is bred to an Angus bull. We are picking her up the second week of November. I am thrilled! She is sweet, healthy, good at milking, has a bangs tag, etc, etc. The fact that she is not in milk is by far outweighed by the fact that we know her and love her.
Here are some recent pics from her current home:

The only other major happening this week was the A/C (furnace) compressor and the septic (pump) deciding to die on the same day. Thankfully they were both fixed the next day. These things run in three's don't they?......Should I wait for the other shoe to drop, or live in bliss that both are fixed. Hmmm, I am a "cup is half full" kinda girl so I'll just be thankful that all is well.
Here's hoping all is well with you too!

4 comments:

  1. Just milking three times a week works well for me. I use her calf and sometime two orphans to take care of the excess. I would buy Vera back too! She is a beauty.

    Like you, I would be waiting for the third disaster.........

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  2. Hey there! it is good to see your back. Hey we are strongly considering a milk cow. I do not know much at all, so ...where to start? Any suggestions let me know. I still enjoy your blog. Are you planning on getting more bees? I'm still considering these as well. Kinda slow about it all. :o)
    Take Care, Rachelle Bennett

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  3. Vera looks good! I'm glad she is coming home!

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  4. Hi Rachelle!
    Send me an email (lizardrn at gmail dot com)!
    I would love to talk to you about two of my favorite subjects! :-)

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