tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90792726007323554702024-03-12T17:19:18.760-07:00Applegarth FarmJewelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10612234598453063687noreply@blogger.comBlogger249125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9079272600732355470.post-40075055082402459882014-12-31T23:19:00.000-08:002015-01-22T23:30:37.135-08:00Goat Cheeses ~ Varieties I've Been Learning To Make<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TfRvrEBQrk8/VKCILW-EzmI/AAAAAAAACQM/RVN82HPHbMI/s1600/DSC_0006%2B(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TfRvrEBQrk8/VKCILW-EzmI/AAAAAAAACQM/RVN82HPHbMI/s1600/DSC_0006%2B(3).JPG" height="214" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>Goat's Milk Camembert</em></div>
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Learning to make good cheese from our goat's milk has been a pursuit of mine for the last couple of years. Chevre was the first cheese I made, it's quick, fresh, and delicious, a very rewarding cheese to make since everyone loves it. However, I dreamed of making Cheddars, Gouda's, Parmesan's, and the French style cheeses that I so wanted to try but could never justify buying from the store because they're so expensive, the Camembert's, French style Coulommier's Valencay's, Chaource's, St. Maure's, and on I could go. I wanted to try blue cheese as well, though I was warned it could contaminate the cheese cave with blue cheese spores. </div>
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The first year I aged several waxed cheddars in the refrigerator where the temperature is around 40 degrees. They turned out pretty good at 4-6 months old. This gave me the confidence to keep going, my dream was to turn out great cheeses so we never had to buy them from the store again. </div>
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The ideal temperature to age cheeses is around 50-58 degrees and they need high humidity. Waxing, I have found to be the most fool-proof way for me to turn out consistently good cheddars. This year I'm also aging 4 natural rind cheddars in tupperware in the wine cooler/cheese cave. I wash the rinds with a salt water brine, and the tupperware keeps the humidity high. I'm looking forward to tasting one soon. </div>
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<em>Zolena our Lamancha dairy goat, and Jersey our Nubian dairy goat.</em></div>
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These two girls have been our main milkers, they produce two or more gallons of milk per day during the prime Summer-time months, and through the Winter I still have been getting a gallon of milk every other day. Right now, in the middle of Winter as we are winding down our milking, I focus more on making yogurt and kefir. This is the time of year we have been enjoying pulling out our aged Cheddars, and Caephilly's, and are getting ready to try the Gouda's soon. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OTw2jn-v2sc/VKQnyCIWNGI/AAAAAAAACUY/RwCjlFuAOTI/s1600/goat's_milk_n_cheese_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OTw2jn-v2sc/VKQnyCIWNGI/AAAAAAAACUY/RwCjlFuAOTI/s1600/goat's_milk_n_cheese_1.jpg" height="232" width="320" /></a></div>
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I bought my cheese press from Hoegger goat supply and it has worked wonderfully for me. Every year I've also been adding to my collection of cheese molds, and good books. The Cheese Maker's Manual by Margaret Morris has been a great source for recipes and tips. I also checked out every book from the library on cheese making, and wanted to keep Gianclis Caldwell's, The Art of Artisan Cheesemaking. I will be buying that one soon. There's quite a learning curve to making cheese, and plenty of research and developement go into producing really good cheese. It take patience to age them, the part is fun part is pulling them out of the cheese cave after 6-12 months to cut open and see what we have. Sometime's I wish I had added more salt, or let it age longer. Once I made the saltiest Feta, it was completely unedible, by accidentally leaving it in the salt brine too long. I make notes on what I've made, and each hard cheese is numbered and labeled, so I can continue to grow by experience. </div>
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I have had many people want to buy my cheese, but alas I am not licensed. I've looked into getting licensed , but like so many things I truly enjoy doing, if I got too big and turned it into a business I wouldn't have time for all the other fun things I enjoy doing. So, for me cheesemaking is for our family and close friends to share with. </div>
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<em>Goat's Milk Blue Cheese with pears from our orchard</em></div>
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Raw goat's milk Blue Cheese timed to be ready exactly when the pears were ripe. In case you were wondering... yes, this was an absolutely divine combination and soooo delicious to eat. You may not know that Blue Cheese is actually very easy to make, and is much less time consuming that Cheddars.</div>
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We grow delicious figs, they are perfect for the cheese tray. I have stirred many a pot of curds and whey as the curds slowly heated to the right temperature. By the way, did you know that whey is a super healthy drink, after I make cheese and drain the whey, I refrigerate a quart of the whey to chill and drink while it's still fresh. This is one of the delights of being a cheese maker, fresh healthy whey, loaded with vitamins and minerals. Sometimes I also make ricotta with the whey, or I give the surplus whey to the dogs and chickens.</div>
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Fresh Cheeses air drying and cheddars drying after cream waxing. First I cream wax then wait a week to apply the final thick wax. The cream wax helps prevent mold and bacteria under the main cheese wax. I have found a window slightly open with a screen that's not in direct light will allow good fresh air flow around the cheeses. The fresh cheeses especially like to have air flow when they're drying before putting them in the cheese cave.</div>
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<em>The wine cooler/cheese cave</em></div>
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This wine cooler/cheese cave we found on craigslist has been the perfect solution for aging our cheeses, it maintains a temperature of around 54 degrees. It is large enough for me to grow into as a cheesemaker, I can produce more aged parmesan type cheeses that take a long time to age, and it gives me room for tupperware containers for the soft aged cheeses. Inside the containers are chevre and ricotta on the top, hard cheeses, camembert's, and feta's. I had to find balance with the fresh cheeses, you only want to make enough to eat within two weeks then make it fresh again. If I had Camemberts available everday I might eat way too much cheese, so I space them out, and sometimes let them run totally out. My children love the cheddar cheese in all things like omelets, grilled cheese, pizza etc. </div>
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<em>Goat's milk blueberry cheesecake</em></div>
Jewelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10612234598453063687noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9079272600732355470.post-9981270606760846102014-12-31T23:15:00.000-08:002015-01-23T13:24:51.950-08:00Garden Pictures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<em>David Austin Rose Munstead Wood</em></div>
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My daughter came out with the camera and snuck in a few pics of me watering the garden. This is one of my favorite Summertime rituals. Actually as I sit in the January rain and dark... I can hardly wait for the need to water again! The lovely mornings or evenings doing nothing but watering the vegetable garden with the light playing over the water and plants. We have so much rain here most of the year that there is rarely a need to take the hose anywhere to water. Water-logged is normal state for the plants around here!</div>
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<em>David Austin Climbing Rose "Shropshire Lad"</em></div>
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David Ausin Roses have become my latest addiction in the garden. Once you begin by getting their catalog, you fall in love and must have new varieties to add, I escpecially love the climbing roses.</div>
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This is what I talk of around Mother's Day. The one above Kaley got me for Mother's Day this past year.</div>
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My patio overlooks the vegetable garden, I have a small Bloodgood Japanese Maple in one corner. A couple years ago I bought eight of these trees for a super good deal.<br />
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I have one concrete raised bed, with the eventual plan of continueing to add them one by one. However, at the moment I'm happy with just my mounded raised beds. A greenhouse is what we need, that one element so important to grow food year-round in our climate. Last year my tomatoes that I started extra early, thrived all Summer long, then they got blight just as the huge crop of Roma Tomatoes were about ready to turn red and ripen. I had been looking forward to canning them all Summer, then they were destroyed by blight in an instant. It made me realize how important a green house is for our self sufficiency plan. To be able to garden year round is important to me, and to be able to grow tomatoes and peppers that need heat! Now, cherry tomatoes I can grow, this year I will focus on both red and yellow cherry tomatoes.</div>
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<em>Dahlias, Plums, and Roses from the garden</em></div>
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During the hot and dry time of the year I water frequently.</div>
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<br />Jewelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10612234598453063687noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9079272600732355470.post-10814353095805909312014-12-31T23:04:00.000-08:002015-01-23T13:31:29.713-08:00Homegrown Food <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<em> A snapshot of my counter at the end of last Summer. Cheeses freshly waxed in the back, vegetables </em><em>fresh from the garden, and our farm raised Chevon that is surprisingly delicious. Getting ready for slow cooking a goat stew.</em></div>
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<br />Jewelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10612234598453063687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9079272600732355470.post-81466098685032927532014-04-29T22:30:00.001-07:002014-04-30T08:12:18.436-07:00Late April Pictures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xQH2QtsFaM8/U2B_WpIz4DI/AAAAAAAACLs/VXnARmy-EDs/s1600/365_Project_Honey_bees.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xQH2QtsFaM8/U2B_WpIz4DI/AAAAAAAACLs/VXnARmy-EDs/s1600/365_Project_Honey_bees.jpg" height="290" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><i>The Honeybees Have Arrived!</i></b></div>
Yesterday I installed a package of honeybees that came in over the weekend. They arrived just in time to pollinate the apple blossoms over the next couple of weeks. Right now they're feasting on dandelion pollen, see how they're legs have pollen sac's that are full.<br />
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I've been keeping bees for about 7 years now and they're just part of my garden routine. They're tireless little workers that are fun to watch.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D_ek7XSoML8/U2B_oxn6QaI/AAAAAAAACL8/03xUcqO5b_k/s1600/365_Project_goats_in_pasture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D_ek7XSoML8/U2B_oxn6QaI/AAAAAAAACL8/03xUcqO5b_k/s1600/365_Project_goats_in_pasture.jpg" height="268" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><i>Grazing in the Sunshine and Dandelions</i></b></div>
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For years I dreamed of having dairy goats. I wanted to have our own raw goats milk to drink, as well as enough to make cheese, yogurt and ice cream. Three years ago I bought my first dairy goat and I have loved them ever since. Now, I think I will always have goats in my life. </div>
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On the right side you can see the gate to enter our 10 acre property, we live at the end of a dirt road in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. The barn was built by my husband many years ago when he was learning to timberframe. It is built from the trees off this land. We have giant Douglas Fir, Cedar, and Hemlock trees. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4KjE2ATeXlM/U2B_vbfGWCI/AAAAAAAACME/idswu4BQ0rc/s1600/365_project_Estella.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4KjE2ATeXlM/U2B_vbfGWCI/AAAAAAAACME/idswu4BQ0rc/s1600/365_project_Estella.jpg" height="400" width="383" /></a></div>
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<b><i>Estella</i></b></div>
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Our Mini Lamancha doeling greeting me at the gate.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oj1BJ3y3rcs/U2B_dCN2-QI/AAAAAAAACL0/KUjpGwCiffg/s1600/365_Project_Biscuits_and_gravy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oj1BJ3y3rcs/U2B_dCN2-QI/AAAAAAAACL0/KUjpGwCiffg/s1600/365_Project_Biscuits_and_gravy.jpg" height="292" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><i>Biscuits and Gravy</i></b></div>
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My husband was just fixing to take his first bite of breakfast, when I said, "Wait, let me take a picture first". So, I quickly got my camera and snapped a shot with him holding up the plate. </div>
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Homemade biscuits and gravy is a family favorite that I grew up with, and have many fond memories of watching my Grandma make them. She was from the South and grew up eating biscuits and gravy. We always had scrambled eggs, and bacon, along with several types of fruit. The gravy was always made out of the bacon drippings. I still love to make them when I have a little extra time.</div>
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ps. a note after the picture. Sure wish I had added a sprig of parsley from the garden to spruce up the color a bit. Oh well, impromptu.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3Z97T5JR3hg/U2B_30lkN_I/AAAAAAAACMM/L5jkrKkYOZk/s1600/365_Project_chickens_grooming.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3Z97T5JR3hg/U2B_30lkN_I/AAAAAAAACMM/L5jkrKkYOZk/s1600/365_Project_chickens_grooming.jpg" height="200" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><i>Preening</i></b></div>
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The definition of Preen - 1. To smooth or clean feathers with the bill. 2. To groom oneself with elaborate care or vanity. 3. To take pride or satisfaction in oneself. </div>
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My chickens like to be clean, they take dust baths daily, and make sure there's plenty of time for preening to look their best. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zaU04S-eJbs/U2CAHrvmPwI/AAAAAAAACMU/7e2XBFp73hM/s1600/365_Project_William's+Pride+Apple+Blossom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zaU04S-eJbs/U2CAHrvmPwI/AAAAAAAACMU/7e2XBFp73hM/s1600/365_Project_William's+Pride+Apple+Blossom.jpg" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i><b>William's Pride Apple Blossom</b></i></div>
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William's Pride is our first apple tree of the year to bloom. It is also the first of the year to ripen, around late August. "The best of the early season apples", Raintree catalog says. They are delicious fresh, but are not very good keepers. The later season apples are the good keepers. The virtue of a William's Pride apple is that it is first to ripen in my orchard, and after a long spell with no fresh apples they are eagerly anticipated.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pehTPht20AM/U2CAQPZeMiI/AAAAAAAACMc/uK5n7_tCnHc/s1600/365_Project_Rhododendron.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pehTPht20AM/U2CAQPZeMiI/AAAAAAAACMc/uK5n7_tCnHc/s1600/365_Project_Rhododendron.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i><b>Rhododendron Blossom in the Rain</b></i></div>
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From my kitchen window I can watch this giant old rhododendron blooming. </div>
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*All the pictures above and what I wrote for each caption came from the 365 Project I'm working on.<br />
My address for the 365 Project is here, <a href="http://365project.org/jewelofapplegarth/365" target="_blank">http://365project.org/jewelofapplegarth/365</a> I started on March 5th and am uploading a picture a day with a short description. It's been fun to look back and see what is happening with our family, the animals or what's blooming on a particular day. I'm enjoying seeing so many amazing photo's from around the world and connecting with people all over, it's been a great place to learn about photography. Jewelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10612234598453063687noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9079272600732355470.post-33579970261771292942014-04-20T00:26:00.003-07:002014-04-22T07:57:55.022-07:00Happy Easter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kYHJNKiF-1g/U1N2mKJ6f9I/AAAAAAAACJ8/5z6lpuHZRg8/s1600/Easter_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kYHJNKiF-1g/U1N2mKJ6f9I/AAAAAAAACJ8/5z6lpuHZRg8/s1600/Easter_4.jpg" height="302" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--0HKfxI3UJc/U1YHUigZB2I/AAAAAAAACLY/nHwdDEYqZhg/s1600/Kaley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--0HKfxI3UJc/U1YHUigZB2I/AAAAAAAACLY/nHwdDEYqZhg/s1600/Kaley.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
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Jewelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10612234598453063687noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9079272600732355470.post-15515910745384557132014-04-16T14:12:00.000-07:002014-04-16T14:44:33.132-07:00Early April in Pictures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
April began quietly with the Spring daffodils and Methley plum blooming, then along came the Salmonberries and currants. Now, we're in the middle of the month, and just two weeks later, everything has begun to burst forth, growing at top speed. I think the rhubarb grows a foot a week, it's ready for a bigger harvest than just pies, so, I'll be making my first preserves of the season soon. The orchard has new blossoms happening daily, and the vegetable garden is beginning to grow. The cold frame is full and the first beds of peas, greens, and herbs have been planted. The warm season crops are sitting inside under lights with heat from below, full of natural sunlight from a window, they're all toasty and will be ready to go out in another month. </div>
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With the moon now waning, I'll be focusing on planting below ground crops for the next couple of weeks, planting seeds of carrots, beets, and radishes, onions starts, and seed potatoes. The onions I started from seed back in Feb. along with the celeriac and cruciferous vegetables (all sitting comfortably in the cold frame). I'll begin to plant out the broccoli's, cabbages and cauliflower out over the next couple of weeks. April is the month I really begin to focus on the garden and orchard. </div>
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The following pictures are all from the last couple of weeks.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uRsHGmKVezA/U07jrNYNC1I/AAAAAAAACIM/tz1xLpYkrAg/s1600/365_photo_challenge_daffodil.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uRsHGmKVezA/U07jrNYNC1I/AAAAAAAACIM/tz1xLpYkrAg/s1600/365_photo_challenge_daffodil.JPG" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>The Trumpet of Spring</i></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kZiHbSAXMIE/U07jxjudLCI/AAAAAAAACIU/ywpFXTFsSic/s1600/365_Photo_Challenge_stew.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kZiHbSAXMIE/U07jxjudLCI/AAAAAAAACIU/ywpFXTFsSic/s1600/365_Photo_Challenge_stew.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i> Soup for breakfast</i></div>
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<i>I love eating soup or stew for breakfast on a cold rainy morning. </i></div>
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<i> This is goat and vegetable curry soup, </i></div>
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<i>it's one of my husbands favorites to take to work for lunch.</i></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QYguVCDwVV4/U07j5Isx_JI/AAAAAAAACIc/bpKvfnyfpCM/s1600/365_photo_challenge_Methley_Plum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QYguVCDwVV4/U07j5Isx_JI/AAAAAAAACIc/bpKvfnyfpCM/s1600/365_photo_challenge_Methley_Plum.jpg" height="282" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Methley Plum</i></div>
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<i>The Methley plum starts our season of blossom in the orchard. </i></div>
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<i>For the last 8 years I've been planting about 5 new fruit trees every year. </i></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OpQHxr_N0RU/U07kBnf1CCI/AAAAAAAACIk/TvjNqlUYQ3c/s1600/365_Photo_Challenge_Roman_and_baby_goat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OpQHxr_N0RU/U07kBnf1CCI/AAAAAAAACIk/TvjNqlUYQ3c/s1600/365_Photo_Challenge_Roman_and_baby_goat.JPG" height="271" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>"Hi"</i></div>
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<i>My grandson Roman saying Hi to one of the mini Nubian goat kids. </i></div>
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<i>Salmonberry Blossom</i></div>
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<i>The border of our property is edged naturally with Salmonberry bushes. This time of year they are filled with beautiful fuchsia colored blossoms. Salmonberries are the first berry of the year to ripen.</i></div>
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<i>Eye See You</i></div>
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<i>Sierra is our beautiful Great Pyrenees. </i></div>
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<i>She was laying under an Asian Pear tree in the orchard,</i></div>
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<i> just relaxing in the sun watching me. </i></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-drCnPiBYZIg/U07kKv6JQ3I/AAAAAAAACIs/deP0v3Fjv28/s1600/365_Photo_challenge_Ruby_Red_Rhubarb.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-drCnPiBYZIg/U07kKv6JQ3I/AAAAAAAACIs/deP0v3Fjv28/s1600/365_Photo_challenge_Ruby_Red_Rhubarb.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i> Ruby Red Rhubarb</i></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8uYav4gemPI/U07kQl5vSaI/AAAAAAAACI0/kHx4JSPGlSU/s1600/365_photo_challenge_Rhubarb_Pie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8uYav4gemPI/U07kQl5vSaI/AAAAAAAACI0/kHx4JSPGlSU/s1600/365_photo_challenge_Rhubarb_Pie.JPG" height="235" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i> Rhubarb Pie</i></div>
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<i>The season of rhubarb pie and ice cream is upon us! </i><br />
<i>I made this for dessert right after harvesting it. </i></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V4ZaCGIyEiI/U07qrv1utjI/AAAAAAAACJs/237f_zxGY_U/s1600/365_Project_Kalua_Jarin.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V4ZaCGIyEiI/U07qrv1utjI/AAAAAAAACJs/237f_zxGY_U/s1600/365_Project_Kalua_Jarin.JPG" height="313" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i> Purrrr.....</i></div>
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<i>Part of our morning ritual is Kalua joining us in front of the fire while we have our coffee. </i></div>
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<i> She's purring and content on Dad's lap this morning.</i></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9UQnylM4Gg8/U07kopT84iI/AAAAAAAACJM/bnBeVCJ0X6k/s1600/365_Photo_challenge_Spring_Break_Kaley_Hanna_camping_outside.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9UQnylM4Gg8/U07kopT84iI/AAAAAAAACJM/bnBeVCJ0X6k/s1600/365_Photo_challenge_Spring_Break_Kaley_Hanna_camping_outside.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Spring Break Sleep Over</i></div>
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<i>My daughter Kaley on the right and her friend Hannah camping in the back yard. We couldn't find the tent poles, and the girls worked so hard gathering sticks from the forest to set it up somehow. After watching them, my husband joined in to help make it sturdy enough, he used a tall ladder to hold it up in the middle and sticks tied to support the sides. Where there's a will, there's a way! They had fun and were lucky it didn't rain.</i></div>
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<i>Glowing Onion Starts</i></div>
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<i>The vegetable garden is well on it's way, with baby seedlings everywhere. The cold frame is filled with cool season seeds and the seed starting rack inside is full of warm season seedlings.</i></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Mo7TZBf-rOM/U07lO6aNmgI/AAAAAAAACJc/fEPBto_EPAg/s1600/365_Photo_challenge_April_14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Mo7TZBf-rOM/U07lO6aNmgI/AAAAAAAACJc/fEPBto_EPAg/s1600/365_Photo_challenge_April_14.JPG" height="333" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>April 14, Seed Sowing</i></div>
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<i>This white butterfly hung out with me while I was planting seeds a couple days ago.</i></div>
Jewelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10612234598453063687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9079272600732355470.post-55223959335671518192014-03-28T13:51:00.003-07:002014-04-21T01:02:37.776-07:00Late March in Pictures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DS32L3zTjOI/UzXghh7uRJI/AAAAAAAACH8/WdpFHxxhLO0/s1600/Snowdrop's_triplets_4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DS32L3zTjOI/UzXghh7uRJI/AAAAAAAACH8/WdpFHxxhLO0/s1600/Snowdrop's_triplets_4.JPG" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
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Little Eli</div>
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Snowdrop's little buckling Eli has lot's of spunk,</div>
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he likes to jump off the highest rocks and run the fastest.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sZD8Hv3PeFM/U1TIRrPVlyI/AAAAAAAACKM/L3i-lBClfeA/s1600/365_photo_challenge_Zolena_.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sZD8Hv3PeFM/U1TIRrPVlyI/AAAAAAAACKM/L3i-lBClfeA/s1600/365_photo_challenge_Zolena_.JPG" height="278" width="400" /></a></div>
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First Day Outside</div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">Our beautiful Lamancha goat Zolena gave birth to triplets a few nights ago, 2 bucklings and a doeling. Our kidding season is now complete. I've been having fun this March with 8 goat babies running around jumping, leaping and playing. Spring smiles!</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dVZRlHxL2qA/U1TIYkasBJI/AAAAAAAACKU/bFtsJMLg3mU/s1600/365_photo_challenge_Jarin_Ewok.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dVZRlHxL2qA/U1TIYkasBJI/AAAAAAAACKU/bFtsJMLg3mU/s1600/365_photo_challenge_Jarin_Ewok.JPG" height="286" width="400" /></a></div>
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Kisses Say, "I Love You"</div>
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Our little Golden Retriever puppy giving kisses to Dad.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qCvyNw6Pm6Y/U1TIhBlO6uI/AAAAAAAACKc/MR8EPVW77sE/s1600/365_photo_challenge_Rooster_.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qCvyNw6Pm6Y/U1TIhBlO6uI/AAAAAAAACKc/MR8EPVW77sE/s1600/365_photo_challenge_Rooster_.JPG" height="400" width="336" /></a></div>
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Good Morning Alarm Clock</div>
<span style="text-align: start;">We have 2 roosters born and raised here, they have 25 hens between them and each has their own faithful harem following. They're the early morning alarm clock around here, and when I say early, I'm talking around 4:30, the first crows happen slowly, then increase as the sun rises. Luckily we enjoy our roosters and their crowing. It helps that they're not too close to the house, so the sound is nice and lets us know the sun will be up soon.</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7iAt6dKxO9U/U1TIu-ActpI/AAAAAAAACKk/6YNztpBLHNI/s1600/365_photo_Challenge_Tessa_Summer_9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7iAt6dKxO9U/U1TIu-ActpI/AAAAAAAACKk/6YNztpBLHNI/s1600/365_photo_Challenge_Tessa_Summer_9.jpg" height="400" width="286" /></a></div>
"The Redheads"<br />
Our family has beautiful redhead girls, daughter Tessa and our little girl dog Summer.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZDBuyI9aW7I/U1TM0bQy9DI/AAAAAAAACLI/vswdjsbM9WU/s1600/Snowdrop's_triplets_3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZDBuyI9aW7I/U1TM0bQy9DI/AAAAAAAACLI/vswdjsbM9WU/s1600/Snowdrop's_triplets_3.JPG" height="313" width="400" /></a></div>
Playing in the Spring Sun<br />
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I'm enjoying life with all the goat kids this Spring. </div>
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This little Nigerian Doeling is adorable and loves to crawl in my lap for pets, I'm thinking of the name Elsie for her. I'm trying to have them all named with E names, since that's the letter for the year for the ADGA, the American Dairy Goat Association. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ovdo_dTBzQ4/U1TI7C73AFI/AAAAAAAACKs/pmjFE0dp2ec/s1600/365_Project_Evening_Sky.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ovdo_dTBzQ4/U1TI7C73AFI/AAAAAAAACKs/pmjFE0dp2ec/s1600/365_Project_Evening_Sky.JPG" height="242" width="400" /></a></div>
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Last night on my way home from town, I paused to admire the </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eY0fvVepUgw/U1TJFn3K6HI/AAAAAAAACK0/VpR9nqg6zMg/s1600/365_Photo_challenge_Ruby_Red_Rhubarb.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eY0fvVepUgw/U1TJFn3K6HI/AAAAAAAACK0/VpR9nqg6zMg/s1600/365_Photo_challenge_Ruby_Red_Rhubarb.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
Ruby Red Rhubarb<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5ndaQinqfF8/U1TJOwgQcqI/AAAAAAAACK8/2DkB7jH8OQk/s1600/365_photo_challenge_Rhubarb_Pie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5ndaQinqfF8/U1TJOwgQcqI/AAAAAAAACK8/2DkB7jH8OQk/s1600/365_photo_challenge_Rhubarb_Pie.JPG" height="235" width="400" /></a></div>
Rhubarb pie baking season has officially arrived</div>
Jewelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10612234598453063687noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9079272600732355470.post-75065500171890905342014-03-26T13:50:00.000-07:002014-03-28T13:54:48.732-07:00This Morning<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7p04Ik5e8_A/UzM4trxX5JI/AAAAAAAACGs/NUrUSrmgiOg/s1600/365_photo_challenge_farm_collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7p04Ik5e8_A/UzM4trxX5JI/AAAAAAAACGs/NUrUSrmgiOg/s1600/365_photo_challenge_farm_collage.jpg" height="290" width="400" /></a></div>
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I took my camera out this morning to capture a little of my daily routine. I am bottle feeding the 5 little doelings that are in the bottom right corner. They get fed first in the morning, I sit on a stool with them clamoring about with 2 bottles. They have to take turns, and that's easier said than done. As I'm feeding them, I watch the sun rise through the meadow. It lights up the house, highlighting the smoke coming from the chimney, then it lands on the goat feeder, which is where Jersey and Dahlia are laying and waiting for breakfast and milking. </div>
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I feed the babies first, then the goats and chickens, next I milk the three does. After that I feed the rabbits, the feeding order goes by who is the loudest and the goats win. Mornings are busy with roosters crowing, goats calling to be fed or milked, and kids jumping about playing all the while. The rabbits are quiet and always fun to say "hi" to when I feed them in the morning. After I got back inside this morning, I decided to sit down and put together a photo collage for my 365 project that I'm working on. I'll tell you more about that in another post. </div>
<br />Jewelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10612234598453063687noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9079272600732355470.post-6325014151544968162014-03-25T16:19:00.002-07:002014-03-26T16:01:58.741-07:00Kalua<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7m_d0j3pt5A/UzIQ6MqwVTI/AAAAAAAACGQ/M6-tFCW-hN8/s1600/cat_Kalua_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7m_d0j3pt5A/UzIQ6MqwVTI/AAAAAAAACGQ/M6-tFCW-hN8/s1600/cat_Kalua_1.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Our new cat Kalua came home from work with my husband as a kitten this last Fall. He had watched the mom raise her litter of kittens, and as they got older, he decided this beautiful, and extra friendly one, would be just perfect to join our animal family here at Applegarth. He was right, she purrs and hops up in our lap for pets, and she loves to hang out with me in the garden on sunny mornings, just like Dutchess used to do. Our oldest cat Dutchess passed away last Summer, she was almost 20 years old and we found her under the comfrey plants looking peaceful and asleep, her spirit had passed away... being comforted I imagine under the comfrey. I missed her so much, she was a daily part of my life since my oldest daughter was only four years old when we got her as a kitten. Now, I have another cat to love, both her wonderful spirit and her captivating blue eyes. </span></div>
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Jewelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10612234598453063687noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9079272600732355470.post-65447348800829357642014-03-17T12:32:00.001-07:002014-03-26T16:05:15.002-07:00Farm Fresh Eggs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-om5lVtKpC3U/UydGeR8H_OI/AAAAAAAACFc/h7QPpqVij_I/s1600/365_photo_challenge_fresh_eggs_6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_lm_181545="null" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-om5lVtKpC3U/UydGeR8H_OI/AAAAAAAACFc/h7QPpqVij_I/s1600/365_photo_challenge_fresh_eggs_6.JPG" height="214" tta="true" width="320" /></a></div>
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The girls are really beginning to lay well again by this time of the year. We're gathering around 18 eggs per day, now that we're in the middle of March. The meadow grass is beginning to grow, along with the dandelions. The chickens love to eat them, Spring eggs are extra special if the chickens can eat fresh greens.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P9-UfgtFaH4/UydMLajWr8I/AAAAAAAACFs/zYkHFCyqIj8/s1600/Chickens_2014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P9-UfgtFaH4/UydMLajWr8I/AAAAAAAACFs/zYkHFCyqIj8/s1600/Chickens_2014.JPG" height="222" width="320" /></a></div>
Jewelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10612234598453063687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9079272600732355470.post-46789389345495085702014-03-17T11:19:00.000-07:002014-03-17T11:22:34.051-07:00Spring Goat Kids <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MV7pJGvYNDo/Uyc0ZkT-pmI/AAAAAAAACFE/v4kJdWv_rJw/s1600/365_photo_challenge_Snowdrop's_doelings_8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MV7pJGvYNDo/Uyc0ZkT-pmI/AAAAAAAACFE/v4kJdWv_rJw/s1600/365_photo_challenge_Snowdrop's_doelings_8.jpg" height="253" width="320" /></a></div>
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Our little Nigerian Dwarf dairy goat Snowdrop had beautiful triplets one week ago. The next day was sunny and 60 degrees, so in the afternoon I brought them all outside for about 15 minutes to enjoy the sun, meet the other goats and take a few pic's, then I hurried them all back into their cozy nest in the barn. Snowdrop had twin doelings pictured above, and all three kids pictured below with the dark handsome buck on the left, we may keep him for the Fall breeding season. I love all of the colors and markings each kid this year. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N5DSVBXEZXA/Uyc0gx3AjnI/AAAAAAAACFM/BVkD_zw4AWE/s1600/365_photo_challenge_Snowdrop's_triplets_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N5DSVBXEZXA/Uyc0gx3AjnI/AAAAAAAACFM/BVkD_zw4AWE/s1600/365_photo_challenge_Snowdrop's_triplets_7.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></div>
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Our Nubian Jersey and I were up all night this past Thursday night as she delivered twin doelings pictured below, they are melt your heart cute, and are miniature replica's of Jersey. She was bred to a Nigerian, so these are miniature Nubians. We are lucky this year to have 4 doelings so far, now just our Lamancha Zolena is left and she's due this Friday, I hope she has at least one doeling too.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-29EVBAuLIyo/Uyc0P2OZjyI/AAAAAAAACE8/i5873v1x4gk/s1600/Goats_Jersey's_Doeliings_2014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-29EVBAuLIyo/Uyc0P2OZjyI/AAAAAAAACE8/i5873v1x4gk/s1600/Goats_Jersey's_Doeliings_2014.JPG" height="320" width="247" /></a></div>
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We've been loving all the Spring babies and new life everywhere we look! </div>
Jewelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10612234598453063687noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9079272600732355470.post-75590604641537841872014-03-01T15:45:00.003-08:002014-03-05T10:44:20.902-08:00 American Chinchilla and Cinnamon Rabbits<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NMIyaXUCxIk/UxJLHCHEDCI/AAAAAAAACEI/4919FLvLgXM/s1600/rabbits_Cinnamon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NMIyaXUCxIk/UxJLHCHEDCI/AAAAAAAACEI/4919FLvLgXM/s1600/rabbits_Cinnamon.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></div>
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We added a beautiful breeding pair of Cinnamon rabbits to our herd over the winter, they are the "spice" of the rabbit world and we are excited to have them join our rabbit family. Cinnamon's are a true American Heritage breed of rabbit, created in Montana in 1972. They're a larger breed and grow to between 9 and 11 pounds. With their unique coloring and wonderful temperament these rabbits are very attractive and useful as meat, fur, show, and pet. The Cinnamon coloring is a gorgeous dusty tan with a bright orange undercolor, dark shaded tips to the guard hair, with the shading gradually increasing down the sides and extremities of the rabbit until the belly of the rabbit is a stormy gray with pearl undercolor.</div>
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The mother of the doe in the bottom left picture is the National Champion Best of Breed Cinnamon Rabbit and the buck above and below on the right comes from the same breeder. I like to start with the best genetics I can find locally, and in this case we have a top breeder in the next town East towards the mountains. By the end of Summer when these rabbits are around 8 months old, they'll be ready for breeding.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4hfJKYu0n_M/UxJLA6-I9gI/AAAAAAAACEA/IxYmnCVYz6M/s1600/rabbitry_Cinnamon_doe_and_young_buck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4hfJKYu0n_M/UxJLA6-I9gI/AAAAAAAACEA/IxYmnCVYz6M/s1600/rabbitry_Cinnamon_doe_and_young_buck.jpg" height="247" width="400" /></a></div>
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A little history about the Cinnamon Rabbit breed.</div>
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During the Easter season of 1962 2 kids by the name of Belle and Fred Houseman of Missoula, Montana were given a young Chinchilla doe. Later they received a New Zealand buck. They crossbred these two for babies that their father, Ellis, believed should be used for meat, but young Belle begged her father to let her keep one of the crossbred bucks as a family pet. The children joined the 4-h group and used their crossbred meat rabbits as their project. They were then given an unwanted Checkered Giant and a crossed Californian doe which they mated with Belle’s pet buck and in this litter was a russet shaded </div>
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They again bred the Checkered to the same buck and another rusty colored rabbit appeared, then one day their doe produced two russet colored rabbits. Ellis Houseman told his kids that they needed to be keeping only purebred rabbits to show, but this time Fred, with tears in his eyes, begged his father to let him keep the pair of brownish rabbits from the last litter. Ellis agreed.They mated the pair together and 70 percent of the litter was this russet shaded color, which they began calling Cinnamon.</div>
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Dad then began taking notice of these unusual shaded colored rabbits, and also noticed the sheen in the coats. Ellis showed these experimental rabbits to J. Cyril Lowett, Oregon Judge and ARBA board member. He felt they had possibilities and said there was not another breed like them in the U.S. In 1972 the breed was approved. Cinnamon's are on the rare breeds rabbit list for the ALBC (American Livestock Breeds Conservancy). </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MJVBv9Xnja0/UxJLRHC2C4I/AAAAAAAACEQ/3wLrLt9dXYA/s1600/rabbitry_Cinnamon's.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MJVBv9Xnja0/UxJLRHC2C4I/AAAAAAAACEQ/3wLrLt9dXYA/s1600/rabbitry_Cinnamon's.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></div>
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Pictured below is a portion of our rabbitry, with another 3 smaller hutches not visible, we have 8 holes currently and are adding another 7, we plan to stay at 15 holes. Starting the season we have 5 American Chinchilla's for breeding, 3 does and 2 bucks, along with the Cinnamon breeding pair. We have found that by having breeding stock of both bucks and does out of non related stock we can double our sales, and often sell 2 or 3 rabbits at a time, rather than just one at a time.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c9a5IuS0JDA/UxJK34aFwRI/AAAAAAAACD4/aZxPv2VPRH0/s1600/rabbitry_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c9a5IuS0JDA/UxJK34aFwRI/AAAAAAAACD4/aZxPv2VPRH0/s1600/rabbitry_1.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Zk-J_RLZ85E/UxJKMHKy9RI/AAAAAAAACDI/voLaaXFH23I/s1600/American_Chinchilla_Diamond.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Zk-J_RLZ85E/UxJKMHKy9RI/AAAAAAAACDI/voLaaXFH23I/s1600/American_Chinchilla_Diamond.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></div>
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A young American Chinchilla doe I kept from a breeding last year out of Zelpha and Melvin, her name is Diamond and she was just bred to a young buck I kept from last year. Serendipity below was my first American Chinchilla and is my foundation doe, she has been a wonderful rabbit, and her son Sterling is the mate for the doe Diamond above.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XyNFuSwPJS8/UxJKTJJLmOI/AAAAAAAACDQ/4UCi5qvtEZI/s1600/American_Chinchilla_Serendipity_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XyNFuSwPJS8/UxJKTJJLmOI/AAAAAAAACDQ/4UCi5qvtEZI/s1600/American_Chinchilla_Serendipity_1.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></div>
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American Chinchilla's are an especially nice breed of rabbit to raise, they are one of the few breeds of rabbit that originated in the United States. Credit for developing this breed cannot be given to one breeder. Several American breeders wanted to produce a larger bodied rabbit than the Standard Chinchilla for larger pelts and more meat. Development began in the 1920’s and was originally known as the Heavyweight Chinchilla. In 1924 the breed was accepted by the ARBA and the name was changed to the American Chinchilla.</div>
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The American Chinchilla rabbits are large and hardy but gentle. Mature bucks weigh 9 to 11 lbs and mature does weigh 10 to 12 lbs. the does are known for producing large litters, averaging 7 to 10 kits per litter. They are known for having good mothering instincts and the kits reach market weight quickly. When you first see this rabbit it appears salt and peppered colored, but when the fur is blown into 4 distinct bands of color appears. They attract a lot of attention at shows because of their large size and their fur is so soft and beautiful.</div>
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One reason I raise this breed, aside from the fact that they're beautiful and productive, is that by raising them we're helping bring back a heritage breed that is on the critical list with the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy and on the “Rare Breed Rabbits” list. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OluCee7Erow/UxJKiIqePnI/AAAAAAAACDo/Ms_NqtpTSjg/s1600/American_Chinchilla_breeding_trio_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OluCee7Erow/UxJKiIqePnI/AAAAAAAACDo/Ms_NqtpTSjg/s1600/American_Chinchilla_breeding_trio_1.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a><br />
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A breeding trio I sold over the winter, 2 does and one buck, they're all so beautiful, aren't they? Below is Zelpha and one of her albino daughters. The first kindling Zelpha ever had last year I went out to peek in the nest box and was shocked to find an all pink kit, I was just thrilled, and ran inside to tell everyone what I found in the nest box! After researching it some more I realized that in the American Chinchilla breed if both the buck and doe that breed have the c- gene they will throw albino kits. Now, this is not ideal for some, but for me I was excited to know we could consistently get some white rabbits for their fur. She had one albino kit her first litter, 3 the second, and 4 albino kits the 3rd kindling. I have a buck now with the c+ gene and the two of them will not throw albino kits. For Spring and Summer kits that I want to sell, I'll breed those two and for the Fall and Winter kits that we mostly raise for meat and fur I'll breed her with Melvin for a few white ones.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gKIsO8bvGRQ/UxJKtR0v7EI/AAAAAAAACDw/njUANZAiy54/s1600/American_Chinchilla_Doe_Zelpha_and_daughter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gKIsO8bvGRQ/UxJKtR0v7EI/AAAAAAAACDw/njUANZAiy54/s1600/American_Chinchilla_Doe_Zelpha_and_daughter.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></div>
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American Chinchilla doe, Zelpha pictured above and below.</div>
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My husband is building a new set of hutches for me, now with the addition of the Cinnamon's we need more room. We're doing an entirely different design, rather than wood that is difficult to clean and sanitize, we're building it out of galvanized metal and wire with a strong roof and removable wood panels for siding. This is so we can pressure wash and clean thoroughly several times per year. We're also planning to fence the entire rabbitry to keep the dogs out, and allow the rabbits a nice big exercise paddock. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UXm0Uyk712U/UxJKcWppdVI/AAAAAAAACDg/JrVevzZaHkM/s1600/American_Chinchilla_Melvin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UXm0Uyk712U/UxJKcWppdVI/AAAAAAAACDg/JrVevzZaHkM/s1600/American_Chinchilla_Melvin.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></div>
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Melvin our senior buck above is a total sweetheart and loves attention, he will always give a good greeting and is a pleasure to tend to everyday, well, actually all of my rabbits bring me enjoyment, some are just more personable than others. If you're wondering what happened to our Champagne d' Argent rabbits, I sold them all to one lady last Summer. I decided I only needed one breed of silver and gray rabbit, rather than two breeds of the same color. The rabbits have truly been one of my favorite parts of homesteading, they're the perfect small scale permaculture farm animal. They've provided our family with a fun hobby, along with delicious meat, luxurious furs to make things with, and the best compost for our garden.<br />
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<br />Jewelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10612234598453063687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9079272600732355470.post-15740351514105055022014-02-28T20:59:00.000-08:002014-03-02T22:02:08.635-08:00The Goat Herd<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The grass is beginning to grow again, the robins are singing, and Spring kids are just around the corner! Jersey our Nubian, Zolena our Lamancha, and Snowdrop our little white Nigerian Dwarf are all pregnant and due to kid in 2-3 weeks. I milked up until the first of January and since then the goats and I have taken a nice break. We sure do miss the fresh milk though, and will be happy to start milking again in several weeks. We have an all girl herd now since we sold our buck Cowboy back in January. He went to be a herdsire at another farm with some nice Nigerian Dwarf does. We also sold Joon last Summer to a nice family who were just getting into goats for their family milk supply. The two young cute little Nigerian Dwarf does are from Snowdrop and Cowboy last year, their names are Destiny on the front right and Dahlia behind her. </div>
Jewelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10612234598453063687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9079272600732355470.post-78905158213308970872014-02-28T09:59:00.000-08:002014-03-02T10:49:57.512-08:00Making a Rabbit Fur Hat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My first attempt at making a rabbit fur hat turned out pretty good, but there was a lot of trial and error that went into making it. We raise American Chinchilla rabbits and last year I was excited to learn how to tan the exquisite furs. I used two furs to make the hat above, and I learned a few things along the way that will help me revise the next hat and make it better. Finding a good pattern online was difficult as there's not much out there with clear cut directions, patterns and pictures. There are several different patterns that seem to work just fine depending on what kind of hat you want to make. I wanted a Russian Ushanka type hat with ear flaps that could be pulled down when it's real cold and tied on top when not too cold. I'm planning to test out a couple of different patterns to see what I like best. This is the pattern I used below, I found it on a you tube video I watched and this is the basic design they used. Taking head measurements of circumference and height is important to get the fit just right, along with seam allowance of a quarter inch.<br />
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You need to cut out two of the head pieces and four of the ear flap side pieces, 2 of each side, plus two of the front pieces. On my next hat it will have longer ear flaps than this pattern. My first attempt to make a hat was made out of an old wool sweater that was accidentally shrunk in the wash, after cutting out the pattern and sewing it all up, the pieces worked and the hat fit. I also used the same wool sweater and cut a strip about the same size as the ear flap strip and sewed it inside the lining of the hat as a head band, it helps hold the shape of the hat and is comfortable on the head, you can also use any kind of batting for the head band. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rvQWtmGeKos/UxCzD9S2s-I/AAAAAAAACBc/9lkYkuiUT9Y/s1600/Rabbitry_fur_sewing_machine_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rvQWtmGeKos/UxCzD9S2s-I/AAAAAAAACBc/9lkYkuiUT9Y/s1600/Rabbitry_fur_sewing_machine_2.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></div>
When I'm working on a project it usually comes up in conversation with friends, one friend while talking with my husband heard I was working on rabbit fur hats and said he and his wife had bought an old Bonis fur machine several years back and had yet to use it. We went and picked it up and luckily there was an owners manual to study. After many hours of cleaning, oiling, reading instructions, and breaking several needles we mostly got it figured out. It is amazing how it works and the furs are sewn together with a very small seam. The hardest part of the machine was the thread that it requires to use kept breaking (it may be as old as the machine and is brittle) if we put in regular thread it bent the needle. It works perfect for several minutes and then the thread breaks, we are in the process of ordering more thread and needles from the company. I spent many hours working on piecing together the fur and figuring out my lining. In the end I pulled out my good old Bernina sewing machine to stitch everything together, and am still in the process of the final hand stitching. The front head piece had to be sewn on by hand, and I'm still looking for some nice dark thin leather strap material for my ear flap tie ups. On my second hat I'm working on I sewed the leather strap right into the ear flap while assembling.<br />
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In the basic pattern for the head piece above I will shorten the height just a little for my next hat, there was a little extra head room, and the ear flaps below need to be longer for the next one. Make sure you give yourself a quarter inch seam allowance if using a sewing machine. Fur is an amazing medium to work with, each piece you cut out needs to be looked at on the fur side to make sure it's running the right direction so it will look good. The middle of the fur is the most durable with the edges being more delicate which is problematic when sewing because it will tear easily. The furs should be prime, meaning the rabbit was around 6 months old (I have found 4 1/2 -5 months old is still good), and then I like to harvest in cold weather so the fur is extra plush. Raising kits to 6 months old is a real stretch for me and my hutch space, usually they go into a movable grow out rabbit tractor.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m9DlX3CWg4o/UxDIPtG2g1I/AAAAAAAACCY/_jvE7zpe01c/s1600/rabbit_fur_hat_lining.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m9DlX3CWg4o/UxDIPtG2g1I/AAAAAAAACCY/_jvE7zpe01c/s1600/rabbit_fur_hat_lining.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></div>
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The lining is what finishes the inside of the hat and hides all the seams, it also makes wearing the hat comfortable. The liner is made with the same pattern for the top head piece. For the liner I used a piece of nice quality nylon that would last a long time and not absorb moisture. I thought about the liner and different fabrics I could use, on another hat I'm making I plan to use a nice soft cotton corduroy, you'll want to think about matching the color to the hat, for mine I went with black. Using pins to pin everything together before you sew is the best way to make sure it all works. Although fur as a lining against the head would be comfortable it might be too bulky, you will feel the fur around the face and the warmth of the fur is still there. </div>
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In the photo below you can see the muskrat fur I'm working on for my next hat, it's a gorgeous warm golden color which looks better on my husband than the cooler colors of silver in the American chinchilla fur. This leads me to my next post about the rabbits we raise in our rabbitry. We are now also raising Cinnamon rabbits so we have some warm tones in our beautiful furs. </div>
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Jewelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10612234598453063687noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9079272600732355470.post-53754226015398861042014-02-10T09:43:00.000-08:002014-02-10T10:30:57.046-08:00Winter Update ~ We're Still Here Farming and Gardening!<div style="text-align: center;">
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You have no idea how much I've missed writing here to all of you readers and friends, a big thank you to those of you who checked back in regularly and sent nice comments, that means a lot to me. I did take time off writing, but all the same farming and gardening rhythms of each season have continued. I have so many stories and pictures to share over the next few weeks as I bring this blog up to date. I took pictures along the way as we went through a fruitful Summer, a harvesting Fall and now a mild Winter. I'm ready to write and feel inspired, because... The biggest news lately is...<b> We now have high speed Internet!!!</b> Yes, that's right after months of waiting the happy day arrived a couple weeks ago!<br />
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Throughout the Fall workers dug the ditch up our long hill, then layed the cable down and buried it, 2 months later and many phone calls we finally got it all set up. A year ago we never thought we'd even get high speed Internet unless we had a satellite installed. We just made do with dial up like so many others that live in the country. Over the last 2 weeks I've spent time each day playing on the computer, catching up on blogs that I hadn't read in ages, discovering pod casts, you tube, and all the other things I can now do. With dial up we could never watch a you tube video, much less upload one onto my blog. So, get ready I now have all the technology to go forward with this blog, were planning to create some you tube video's to share right here. <br />
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I hope everyone of you is well and having fun this Winter, if you're like me you're ready for Spring. We have three goats that are pregnant, Zolena, Jersey, and Snowdrop, they're all growing by the day with kids due in mid March. The rabbitry has been a big area of focus this winter with the addition of a new breed, new hutches are being built and a fenced area surrounding the hutches to run and play is in the planning stages. More to come with articles about the goats, rabbits, chickens, gardens, honeybees, the orchard, the Goldens and what's been happening around the Farm.<br />
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<br />Jewelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10612234598453063687noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9079272600732355470.post-75361193363266995732013-05-29T23:55:00.002-07:002013-06-07T09:20:09.863-07:00A Rainy DayI have to wait until my ricotta curd is done draining before I can go to bed, which is about 20 more minutes, so, I thought I'd jot down a few notes about my day. I don't normally stay up past 10:30, but, for cheese making I will stay up late and have on many occasions. <br />
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At this time I'm milking three does, and we're getting about 2 gallons per day of the most delicious milk, and that's with separating the older kids at night and turning them loose with their mom's after the morning milking. Starting tomorrow Joon's kids along with Jersey's son Dublin are all getting weaned. You can imagine after two or three days when I have 5 or 6 gallons of milk, that I'm making dairy products, well, I surely am. Tonight I made mozzarella, and the last two times I've been learning to make feta, then I rotate in cottage cheese. I'm also making chevre, buttermilk, and yogurt regularly. My feta is curing for several weeks in a salty brine, and I have been having fun learning to use chevre. Soon I want to make my first chevre cheesecake.<br />
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We finally ordered the long awaited cream separator a couple days ago so we can make butter, ice cream, sour cream, whipped cream, triple cream, and whatever else we can think of to make with cream. It's the Manual Milky Cream Separator from Hoegger goat supply. I plan on doing a review of how it works and how I like it when it arrives.<br />
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Today it rained, then it misted, then it was simply overcast. I had fun peaking in on the rabbits as they were kindling. Serendipity had 8 kits this morning and Star (a new Champagne d' Argent doe) had 3kits. I fostered two onto her from Serendipity's since that will even up the numbers a little more, with Star raising 5 rather than just three, and Serendipity raising 6. The Champagnes are black at birth and the American Chinchilla's are silver, so I can tell the differnce in kits. We just separated the 8 week old kits into a large hutch, and now they're for sale. I have someone coming tomorrow to pick up a doeling. Our nest boxes are full, Zelpha kindled with 8 kits a couple weeks ago, and now we are rapidly trying to sell before the next batch needs to be put in the larger grow out hutch. I've been making sure that all the rabbits have plenty of fresh greens twice a day, it doesn't take long to pick a big armful or dandelion, clover, and grass for them, I also feed them rabbit pellets and grass hay. I've also been picking huge armloads of salmonberry bush leaves to take to the goats, this is their favorite treat when they see me coming.<br />
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We've been cooking with rabbit meat regularly, mostly the same way I use chicken, this afternoon I made a rabbit salad, just like I make chicken salad. I baked and cooled the rabbit meat, then deboned it, and diced the meat. I used the bones to make a stock and added carrots, onions, and celery. The rabbit salad is made with celery, onions, dill, parsley, and mayonnaise. It's wonderfully simple and tasty to eat by itself or in a sandwich.<br />
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Out in the hen house the girls are laying and hatching out eggs. Henrietta hatched out 3 hardy chicks that she's running around with, and another hen, a Black Alstrolorp has also hatched out 3 chicks. Much to my amazement in the last two days I now have 3 more hens who have gone broody and want to be mother's. I will let them, and this year we won't need to order any meat chickens. In the Fall, we'll pick a dozen hens and one rooster that we'll keep, and then with the extras we'll fill our freezer. I don't want to go through this winter with more than a dozen hens. I learned my lesson last winter with 28, I don't mind swelling in the Spring and Summer but come Fall I want to be down to the bare minimum to feed through the winter!<br />
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Normally, on dry or sunny days I'm outside working in the garden, and on these kind of rainy days I clean house, make yummy things in the kitchen, and enjoy creating things. This afternoon I made a chocolate bundt cake to have after dinner for dessert, I also made a salad and boiled eggs for snacking on, and worked on the first stage of the soup we'll have tomorrow, by making the stock today. I made lot's of dishes and washed lot's of dishes today. <br />
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This evening I made mozzarella and now with the whey I'm making ricotta. Lately on rainy days I've been studying cheese making through library books and on various web sites. I've been looking at cheese cave ideas, and what I need to be able to age the cheeses properly. I've been making my lists of what we need to do, and will be adding links to my favorite sites on the side bar soon. We were going to buy a cheese press, but have now decided to make one and are we're reviewing various plans. Once I can press and age cheeses, there will be lots of fun making the hard aged cheeses, along with the brie's and camembert's. <br />
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With all the rain we've been having, I've been making sure the honeybees have sugar syrup to feed on, they ran out yesterday, so this morning I made them some more. I peeked inside each hive and see I need to add a few more frames to fill the deep hive boxes. I only have 7 frames, rather than the normal 9 or 10, that I will have on. <br />
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I also thought about my Grandpa throughout the day today. My family had his funeral down in California this morning, and I couldn't make it due to all the animal commitments. I have many good memories of him with our family when we were little. I remember his wonderful garden as a child and him picking watermelon's and cantaloupes for us to eat. He used to play dominoes with me, and at times I'd watch him work on his old clocks in his clock shop. He taught my Dad how to work on old clocks too. Last week he passed away at 88 years old. On my birthday this year he called to wish me a happy birthday and we chatted about his younger years when his family farmed and gardened. He talked about his life and so many of the good memories, the call was a gift to me that I will cherish. He is the last of my grandparents to go and the end of an era with both him and my Grandma now gone. He will be missed by our whole family.<br />
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I've gone on much longer than I intended and now realize I haven't even talked about the garden yet. I'll have to write about it another time. In short, it's growing right along with the weeds. The cold frame is full and waiting for the next nice day to plant out the warm season starts. I think sun is in the forecast for this weekend.Jewelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10612234598453063687noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9079272600732355470.post-66723868330598026892013-05-22T14:56:00.000-07:002013-05-22T15:28:34.291-07:00The Orchard and Honeybees in May<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The bees arrived this year on May 1st, I went down to pick up the 2 packages I had ordered from Beez Neez Apiary the first thing in the morning, so I could install them by the early afternoon. They arrived just as the cherry tree and plum trees started blooming, then over the next two weeks all of our fruit trees bloomed, the pear, apple, crab apple, asian pear, and quince. The honeybees are the heartbeat of my vegetable garden and small orchard, we have about 30 adult fruit trees, 15 young fruit trees, and many small baby fruit trees.</div>
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My Spring walks about the orchard were filled with the delicious smell of fruit blossoms, it carried through the air for many glorious days. The first couple weeks of May we had the most amazing weather, it was warm with temperatures more like the middle of summer, it was in the 70's and 80's with warm evenings. My days were spent tending the animals, but the major focus was on amending the vegetable garden soil and planting seed.</div>
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Shiro plum tree in bloom, early May</div>
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3lb package of bees</div>
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This is a picture right after I installed the 3lb. box of honeybees with a queen. I waited until the next day to release the queen, and set them up initially with one deep hive box for 10 days, then when I checked them after 10 days it was time to install the second deep hive box. Now that we're into the third week of May and it's cold and rainy, I'm making sure they have sugar syrup on at all times if it's not flying weather. New hives without established food reserves can starve in the NW in late May and early June. If you ever have any dead bees on the entrance you should suspect starvation and put sugar syrup on asap, or you could lose some or all of your new colony. I know about this from first hand experience, so now I'm diligent about feeding them. The other thing I made a commitment to do is to check the hives and frames once every week to ten days. This is to catch them before they need more room, as well as to check for them making queen cells, which must be removed and more space given. I also want to keep the frames clean, so I'm able to manipulate them. I check for newly laid eggs to make sure the queen is still laying. I look at the overall laying pattern and see the pollen reserves and honey reserves. Being a successful beekeeper means you fuss over your bees faithfully, this will prevent swarms, and keep them alive so they can gather honey and pollen to feed and raise their young, that will in turn give you more workers who will gather more than enough honey for a bountiful harvest.</div>
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My first check of the bees, they were doing a fantastic job on each frame, eggs, larvae, pollen and honey. I didn't have to feed any sugar syrup the first couple of weeks because of the beautiful weather and abundance of blossoms. I could see them flying in with pollen sacs full and could tell there was a nectar flow going on just by watching the hives. </div>
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During my first check I noticed they had formed some burr comb honey where they weren't suppose to, it was in a spot that I had to remove to be able to manipulate the frames properly. I ran into the house and got a bowl to save it because they were capping honey on the comb. We have been enjoying a special early season honey treat made from dandelion, fruit, and maple blooms, the flavor is out of this world, and is one of the rich rewards of keeping honeybees. Your own blossom and terroir in an edible form... honey!</div>
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Asian pear trees in bloom, early May</div>
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Jewelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10612234598453063687noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9079272600732355470.post-67197503080134374582013-05-22T14:55:00.000-07:002013-05-22T15:36:10.285-07:00Snowdrop has Two Doelings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In a textbook delivery on Sunday, Snowdrop delivered two beautiful doelings. I was able to be there with her through the whole thing and give her love and support. It was warm and sunny outside and she had a fairly quick labor and delivery, which made it nice. Snowdrop is a wonderful little mother, and her doelings are the most adorable tiny little girls. That's Danny peeking in to greet them, he went to his new home yesterday.Jewelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10612234598453063687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9079272600732355470.post-21068512624834631202013-04-27T20:17:00.003-07:002013-06-07T08:54:54.683-07:00The Spring Goat Menagerie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Spring time goat kids are so much fun, I have a smile on my face everyday, whenever I'm out spending time with them during my three or four daily rounds, I always stop and take time to socialize with them. This time of year we walk through the dandelions together, and I watch them all play just like little kids, they are sweet and funny, as they leap and twirl about, chasing each other and head butting their friends in mock fights, their all time favorite game to play is King of the mountain on the rocks or big stump. They will grow up unbelievable fast, all the more reason to take the time to simply enjoy being with them in the Spring. I've been taking pictures and keeping daily records of what needs to be done on my schedule of disbudding, deworming, shots, feet trimming, nutrition, and mineral needs. </div>
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Zolena gave birth to twins, a doeling and a buckling on April 13th. I was right in the middle of having family in town for a few days, and the time she chose to give birth was during a late afternoon when I was in the middle of making dinner for 14 people. My husband who was checking in on her told me she had just given birth to the second one when he peeked in on her. I ran out along with everyone and we all got to greet our newest additions to the goat family. We ate late, because I had to take the time to get my basket and tend to all of them and make sure Zolena delivered the placenta and both of them began nursing well. She's a wonderful mother and our superstar milker is back to providing milk for our family, while at the same time producing plenty of milk for her kids.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-etySd0MZpmM/UXx3ijWJV1I/AAAAAAAAB7k/05ntv0oTM08/s1600/goats_Zolena's_kids_Deegie_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" lwa="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-etySd0MZpmM/UXx3ijWJV1I/AAAAAAAAB7k/05ntv0oTM08/s320/goats_Zolena's_kids_Deegie_1.jpg" width="254" /></a></div>
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We are keeping her! ... meet, Deegie </div>
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Another "D" name, also from the Jean Auel Mother Earth Series,</div>
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just like her mother's name Zolena is.</div>
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It's hard to believe that just 2 years ago we didn't have goats in our life. They have become such an enjoyable hobby for us, and we have learned so much new information through studying books, magazines, websites and blogs. Every trip to the library would bring home new books on goats, and second hand bookstores are where I've bought most of my collection of books on goats. Both my husband and myself have been captivated by their wonderful spirits, and now we can't imagine a life without them. </div>
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It has taken us time to fence three areas, one is a paddock and stall for kidding, another is the main pasture and barn, and the third is a buck pasture. These came in stages over the last couple of years, and we have continued to work on all the parts. It simply takes time to get all the things you want for goats, the cream separator is still waiting, the milking supplies, disbudding iron, tattoo kit, fencing, gates, feed, dewormers, and minerals were at the highest priority. The time, labor and money it takes to raise goats properly with good quality feed and attention to their needs must be taken into consideration. </div>
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One thing I had been asking my husband for was a covered movable feeder. We looked at several designs and then he combined some ideas and came up with his own design. It was made with scrap materials we had on hand, some wood from salvaged pallets, some from trees we had milled, along with left over roofing, just enough to cover it. I'm lucky to have a husband who is always gathering building materials, as well as one who knows how to build strong things that are able to with-stand goats climbing all over them.</div>
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Joon and her doeling named Darlington,</div>
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the other doeling is Donegal, and the buckling is Dartmoor. </div>
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All names from the Brittish Isles.</div>
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Several days ago I started separating Joon and Jersey's kids at night and milking them both in the morning along with Zolena. Finally I have most of my does in milk, they are still milking kids as well. Joon gives about a quart or a little less, Jersey a little less than half a gallon, and Zolena about three quarters of a gallon (she's not separated from her kids at night). I tried separating Danny and Dublin, Jersey's kids at night when they were two weeks old, I did it for two days and felt they were too young, I then decided to wait until they were a month old. I actually began when they were 5 weeks old and Joon's were 4 weeks old. They have all adjusted and actually have fun playing together. I give them their own alfalfa pellets and grain, and the big does don't gobble it all down, they have a feeder filled with alfalfa and grass hay, and they can take their time to eat, play, and all go in to sleep together on their side of the barn. The first night I separated them it was rather noisy until it got dark, then they all settled down and went in to sleep. </div>
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Now comes the fun part of having goats, I have milk to work with... finally!! My plans are to make cheese every other day and I want to start by making chevre, mozzarella, feta, cottage cheese, and yogurt. </div>
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Hurray for Spring kids </div>
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and healthy milking does!</div>
Jewelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10612234598453063687noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9079272600732355470.post-54107217625323950452013-04-07T22:22:00.000-07:002013-04-07T22:35:13.827-07:00Egg Selling Stand<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Our simple egg selling stand is finally up and running as of today! I put one cooler out for the eggs to be in, and will bring them in every night and put them back out in the morning, unless they're sold out. Plus there is a cooler for returning egg cartons. The money tube is on the fence post and is made out of rain proof pvc pipe, it's on the other side of the fence and has a small slit to put the money into, it's easy for us to access it and would be difficult to get into from the side where the eggs are. A couple days ago Kaley and I went around to several of our neighbors and gave out free cartons of eggs for them to try and told them about our egg selling stand start-up. We're planning to go around to more neighbors, the one's who don't have chickens and give more samples to drum up sales. Once people try our eggs they love them!! Chickens that are free range and stress free have eggs with yolks so yellow they're almost orange, and the taste is just delicious!</div>
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I finally have enough hens laying eggs to see if they can pay for their own feed, we're getting around 19-24 eggs per day, so they're really adding up. I've been watching on craigslist to see what other people are asking for farm fresh eggs, and most are at $4/ dozen, so that's what I'm asking. I have some friends who are regularly buying from us, but we still need to sell more. </div>
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Over the last couple days I spent time working on painting the egg selling signs, they're made out of pallet wood that was salvaged, then I put a poly finish on them to protect from the rain and weather. We hung one on our street directional hoping to get a few cars to venture up our driveway. This year I am so thankful for the overflow of abundance from our productive hens and the chance to share with other's some of the richness we have in our life because of them!</div>
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Jewelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10612234598453063687noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9079272600732355470.post-81079385817203657522013-03-28T02:13:00.001-07:002013-03-28T02:47:35.809-07:00Joon's Surprise!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Joon's due date was technically tomorrow, but we got a big surprise Sunday morning 5 days early when I went out to feed everyone and didn't see Joon come out for breakfast, which is not normal. I called her name and still no Joon, so I went to look in the goat stall and was I ever surprised to see 3 of the cutest little tiny goat kids all dry and cleaned off nursing her. She looked up at me as if to say, "Look Mom, I did it all by myself, see I have triplets"! Was I ever proud of her at that moment, I went in to say hi and welcome our newest additions, 2 doelings and a buckling. The mostly black one is the buckling and the two with more white on them are the doelings. Joon had their umbilical cords nipped just right and had licked them clean, they were all strong and nursing well. Amazing little goat that Joon is! I ran to the house and came in breathless to tell the wonderful news, "We have triplets"! </div>
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I got my supplies and went back out to tie off and dip their umbilical cords in iodine, I also sprayed their feet with iodine, and gave them a BoSe shot (we are in a selenium deficient area of the country), some vitamin E, and a small dose of Probios. Then I gave some attention to Joon to help her get all cleaned up and gave her some grain, alfalfa, and water. I told her what a good job she did and how proud of her I was, she listened intently the whole time and loved being fussed over. I then moved Zolena and Snowdrop out of her paddock, as I still hadn't separated them from her since I wasn't expecting her to have them for a few more days. I wish I could have seen the birth and been there for Joon, but she seemed to handle it just fine, maybe with some love and support from her room-mates Zolena and Snowdrop. We have doubled our goats from 5 to 10 now, with Zolena next up in the middle of April, I'm going to be ready early for her just to be sure.</div>
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My daughter Christina brings our grandson Roman over on Mondays for us to watch while she goes to work. We love having him here every week, he is now 4 and a half months old. As he grows up he is going to love to come over and see all the baby animals we have here on the farm in the Spring. The kids are only one day old here and this is their first time outside. I let them outside for a few minutes for her to see them, they are kept inside their stall the first week and then they'll be ready to go outside and play in the small paddock, I let Joon out for recess breaks and to stretch her legs. I'll let Joon's kids in with Jersey's when I separate the mom's at night when they're two weeks old. These kids are super friendly and love to crawl all over me and play, I've been going out several times per day to play with them they're so much fun and so cute! We're thinking of D names, Diamond, Dazzle, Dasher for the buckling, none are for sure yet, we'll just let the names come to us as we spend time with each of them.</div>
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Jewelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10612234598453063687noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9079272600732355470.post-37782564383675275382013-03-21T22:44:00.000-07:002013-03-21T22:58:12.890-07:00Jersey's Kids ~ Danny and Dublin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Danny and Dublin</div>
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Jersey delivered her twins early Monday morning around 3am. During my sleepy 2am check I could see that she was in hard labor and getting close. I watched her for a minute and told her "Jersey you're getting ready to have you're babies I'll be right back"! I ran as fast as I could and got some fresh hay to spread around her side of the goat barn, it was already clean but I wanted it to be extra fresh. Then I raced to the house to get Kaley up because I promised her I'd wake up to be there for the birth, she woke up and quickly got dressed, I grabbed my basket of supplies ready by the door and we ran back out through the snow and dark to the barn. Jersey was 2 days over due at 152 days, and I had been watching her closely, this was my second night checking on her every 3 hours. I'm so thankful we were there for her, Kaley was a huge help to me holding the first one (an adorable buckling) as Jersey labored for the second one, which took an additional hour or more, he came out just fine, but was in a breech position. Kaley named the first one she was holding Daniel ( her brother's middle name, as well as a beloved uncle that is no longer with us) We'll call him "Danny". The letter this year for the ADGA is D, so we're using names that begin with a D for all of our goat kids.</div>
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Jersey saying Hi to her new baby</div>
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Already wanting to play at one day old</div>
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As Jersey continued to labor, we were both getting cold, with temps around 30 degrees, snow on the ground, and it being the middle of the night, we felt the cold, plus there was wind which made it seem even colder. My sweetheart of a husband came out just in time with a heater for the kids and a bigger lamp for us to see. He put up plastic to cover the draft, and then it became toasty, Kaley also brought me a cup of hot tea, and my husband waited, pretty soon out came the second cutest ever buckling "Dublin". He's black with a white spot on the center of his head, white spotted ears, and brown accents on the belly, legs and face. Danny looks alot like Jersey only with more white markings. I was happy they both have floppy Nubian ears, being miniature Nubian's. <br />
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Jersey as a new Mom was unsure of the first kid, we brought him around to her head for her to lick and clean him and hopefully bond with him. We cleaned his nose and mouth right away, and then she ignored him for 10 minutes or so. We wondered if she would have mothering skills, then instinct began to take over, she finally cleaned him, and we cut the umbilical cord, tied it off and applied iodine. With the second buckling she knew right away what to do. She has turned into a doting mother and after being skittish when they first tried to nurse, by the end of the first day she was an old pro. It took awhile for the kids to get the hang of nursing, especially Dublin the little black one, he wasn't as strong in the beginning. Now on the third day they're equally running and jumping around. They are so adorable we all just love them, below is my son Jason and his girlfriend Taylor holding them. Jason is holding his middle namesake "Danny", he liked him the best. Well, we like them both equal. </div>
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Jason holding Danny, Taylor holding Dublin</div>
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Today the kids were three days old and it was time to disbud them. Pictured below is my husband Jarin holding Dublin as we're getting ready. It was our first time disbudding, and at first when I was setting everything up, the brand new disbudding iron wouldn't work or heat up at all. I was so frustrated that I called the company we bought it from to tell them about it and see if they could send me another one asap. While I was on the phone, my husband came in and said he had it taken apart and was attempting to fix it. In the end (an hour and a half later), he had it all back together and working. I am so thankful for a husband who is always helping me solve problems and fix things. The disbudder I own is the Rhinehart X50, which has removable tips, I have one for the Nigerian's and one for the regular full size goats. I used the larger tip and it seemed to work fine. As we got ready the goats hearts were pounding as much as our own we were so nervous. First I gave them a tetanus shot, second I trimmed the hair around their horn buds, and finally I had my husband hold them tight and I put the hot iron on to disbud. Last year the two kids we had we didn't own a disbudder in time to do them in their first two weeks, which is the ideal time to disbud, actually the first week is ideal and around 3 or 4 days old is good. I wanted to get it done and over with I was so anxious. This weekend we'll do their ear tatoo's, I can only do so much in one day. They seemed to calm down quickly and I took them to their Mom so they could nurse for comfort. </div>
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Getting ready to disbud, Jarin telling Dublin that it will be ok.</div>
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Today I also milked Jersey for the first time, she got on the milk stand like an old pro, put her head in the feeder stanchion and I proceeded to calmly clean her, then milk her. I was thrilled she has turned into such a fine milk goat. She has a beautiful udder and was unbelievably good, no kicking or acting up, and she had perfect sized teats for milking. After having her for a year and 8 months we're thrilled to finally be able to milk her. I'm planning to separate the kids at night and milk her in the morning starting at 2 weeks old, then after the morning milking I'll let the kids run with her for the rest of the day to nurse when they want. Right now I'm just milking her in the mid morning. Goats are fine to start milking right away, it doesn't take away from the kids because goats make more than enough milk in the beginning of their lactation.</div>
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Little Danny</div>
Jewelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10612234598453063687noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9079272600732355470.post-60008489344405434112013-03-04T08:58:00.000-08:002013-03-04T08:58:34.001-08:00I'm a Gardener Who Loves The Month of May <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In just a little over two months the garden will be growing again, the leaves will be new and lush, the honey bees will be buzzing again, and the flowers will be glowing... I can hardly wait for May and rhubarb pie! Last year I took this picture around the middle of May, and a couple days ago I put in on my computer as the background photo to give my gardener's soul hope for Spring. Today we woke up to a beautiful and sunny March 4th day, it's 32 degrees outside, and there is frost on the ground. The animals though are all thrilled to be in the sun and are lounging and soaking it up as much as they can. Which is exactly what I'm headed out to do, it's a great day to be working in the orchard, so I'm off to prune the apple and pear trees, and to plant the remaining young fruit trees.</div>
Jewelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10612234598453063687noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9079272600732355470.post-34616934274544342362013-02-28T12:32:00.000-08:002013-02-28T14:14:29.736-08:00The Calm Before Spring<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We're beginning to feel the rumblings of Spring as the quiet of Winter is slowly winding down. From the holiday's until about the middle of February is my calm, reflective time of the year, with the ground frozen and snow there's not much to do, and I thoroughly enjoy it. Before I know it the pace will begin to pick up, and this year with 4 goats kidding, rabbits kindling, puppies being born, a garden to plant, and flower beds to weed, we'll be in the thick of it come April and May, and I'll be happy and loving it all. I sure am looking forward to the warmth of the sun again, and for the flowers and leaves to come back after their long winter's nap</div>
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Two weeks ago I finished milking Zolena, it was 2 months before her due date. For a year and a half, she was milked daily, usually giving us about a gallon a day in the Summer and half a gallon of milk through the winter. This one goat made all the milk our family needed. Being fairly new to goats when we purchased her in milk, she continually amazed all of us, and her milk is so delicious and creamy, we all miss it now, alot. Last winter I milked her through and didn't breed her, and my plan is to do that with both Jersey and her this next winter. Jersey our Nubian that I couldn't get bred last year is pregnant and due in about 2 weeks. Her udder is forming and I am thrilled that I'll finally be able to milk her. I'm also excited to see the kids that she will have, they'll be miniature Nubian's and can be registered as Miniatures. Joon is due in a month and as you can see in the picture above, she's getting bigger. The one I've been concerned about is Zolena, she didn't look pregnant, she's always been lean, but the last week I've been feeling better about her being pregnant as she seems to be growing. Maybe she only has one kid inside of her. Joon and Jersey both look like they'll have twins. Our little Snowdrop was bred on the Winter Soltice Dec. 21, so she'll be later than everyone else and will kid in May.</div>
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We have 30 chickens right now, 27 hens and 3 roosters, the two young roosters were hatched out by Henrietta last Fall. They began to crow a month ago, which is our signal that we need to process them and into the freezer they'll go. This is just part of farm life. An interesting tidbit of chicken information came to me last summer while I was at a small animal swap meet, I met a woman who told me how to tell by the shape of an egg whether it would be a rooster or hen. If the egg is long and pointy it is a rooster, short, squat and round it is a hen. I'll be trying it this year with the setting hens, ideally I only want them to hatch out hens, so, this will be an interesting experiment to try this year. I'm also planning to set up my egg selling stand in about a week. We're up to 9-14 eggs per day and will be increasing as the days lengthen.</div>
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A week ago my fruit trees arrived from Raintree Nursery, I heeled them in right away and have been planting one or two per day. Over the next 10 days I'll be pruning the apple and pear trees, as well as spreading compost on all the fruit trees. It involves hauling wheelbarrow load after wheelbarrow load to each tree. I also enlisted my husband to help me dig and plant a large old lilac that I wanted in a new bed. I've been scrambling to move plants that need to be moved while they're still dormant. Most are berry bushes that are getting huge and outgrowing the vegetable garden where I originally planted them. I moved the Aronia berry bush, two Serviceberry bushes, a Highbush Cranberry shrub and I still need to move the Elderberry, it has turned into a tree! I'm also moving out all the raspberries that had to be in there because of the deer, and forming to large rows behind the garden. I have a lot of raspberries to move while they're still dormant. Everything is beginning to show signs of life, thus the scramble. </div>
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As you know a couple weeks ago we went from 12 rabbits, down to 4 in one day. Our feed bill went way down, not that rabbits eat all that much, but when they're growing they have large appetites, which is normal of any young animal. I was cleaning cages every other day, now I'm doing them once per week. Right now I have 3 American Chinchilla's, 2 does and 1 buck, and 1 Champagne d' Argent doe. A couple weeks ago I contacted a friend who I know that raises Champagnes and asked her if she had any bucks, or would she consider a breeding for Hazel. She offered for me to buy a mature buck and doe, both pedigreed with cages. We're going to look at them this weekend. That would round out my rabbitry, with both breeds, and give me a couple extra large cages. Then for each breed I'd have 2 mature does and one buck, all of them pedigreed except one, Serendipity. I'm planning to start their breeding year this weekend, for kits due the first of April. I'm also planning to set up a website just for my rabbits to help sell them, and will be joining both clubs and the American Heritage Livestock Breeds Conservancy, which has American Chinchilla's on the critical list. Once I'm on the list people can find me to buy breeding stock. </div>
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It's been an unusually mild winter for us, we did have snow on the ground for several weeks in January, but we do every year. I know there's still a possibility of snow in March, but I'm hoping we're on the way to Spring! </div>
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Jewelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10612234598453063687noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9079272600732355470.post-73352205667104748812013-02-28T09:39:00.001-08:002013-02-28T12:48:37.979-08:00Little Monkey Lamancha<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Who Me? You think I'm mischievous! </div>
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Yes, you miss Zolena are the little monkey who plays with every gate latch, letting chickens and the other goats out to romp where you're not supposed to be if I forget for a minute to double latch the gate. When I find you, I can see you laugh, then run and leap with joy at your cleverness. Running up to me you say "Hi Mom, we're all out and by the way the blueberry bushes are yummy, I'm helping you prune them!" </div>
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Sigh...I still love you though.</div>
Jewelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10612234598453063687noreply@blogger.com0