Last week we had an exceptional amount of snow and ice for this area. This week we've had rain just about every day. But the good news is, next week, we have a day and a half that is forecast to be partly sunny. Then the weather forecast shows us going back into another rainy period for the foreseeable future.
Needless to say the garden has not been worked, and it will probably will not be worked for at least two weeks. We had planned on having seedlings in the ground a week or so back. Things like cabbage, broccoli, cole type crops. But that's just not going to happen any time in the immediate future. Where I'm going with this line of thought, is that outside of planning and getting a varied assortment of seeds up to the sprout and seedling stage, there's just not much happening in the garden.
Our baby goats are doing good, they're out grazing with the big girls now. They're eating grain and seem to enjoy it greatly. For the most part we don't have to chase them down to go into the pen at night any more. I think the grain has a lot to do with that.
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| First mozzarella of the season |
We're getting about three quarts of milk a day, from only milking once a day right now. With the babies penned up overnight, we take all of the available milk before they get their breakfast.
Our three first fresheners are coming along well. We're expecting their babies around April 2nd. That will also be about the same time that we wean the current batch of babies. So, that's the update for the goats.
Our chickens are doing good for the most part. We need to get rid of a couple of roosters. There is a good chance one of them may grace us at our dinner table tomorrow night. We're still not getting the egg production we want. We have 19 hens, and we're probably getting on average about 12 eggs a day. That's just not quite enough for our needs. But we are giving thought to what we're going to hatch around June 1st, so we can start that 6, 12, 18 month cycle. This will provide us with friers and replacement hens for the flock. So, that cycle continues also. I just wish we were getting more eggs. You see we feed the eggs to not only us, but to the dog and the cats.
The kittens are healthy and it's about time to get them spayed and neutered. And it's also time to ban the little boy goats. You probably remember them as Breakfast and Lunch.
We've been working on getting our garage cleaned out and organized. It just seems like every time you clear out an empty space, there is always something to take it's place.
We tried some fermented cabbage the other day, and we've been having a couple of bites of it each day for the last two or three days. For us it is definitely, let me say that again, definitely, an acquired taste. So, we'll have to wait and see how the fermented cabbage works out.
There's not much going on around the farm except everyday business as usual stuff. Our taxes are completed for the year. We have plans to butcher a couple of our older wethers, and tomorrow we're going to make some fresh pressed herb cheese. Or, we could go out in the garden and make mud angels. Now wouldn't that be fun? I've only put to or three loads of goat and chicken manure on the garden this year. Nah, we're not going to be making any mud angels. That's a tad bit immature. How about if we make mud pies and give them to our neighbors? Nah, because then they would expect pies every year. Well, as you can tell, things are a little slow around here right now. Hope you're having a good day. Take care. Bye-bye.
We'll talk more later, Frank
Hurray for first mozzarella! I'm so looking forward to getting a share of our milk again. Interesting about your chickens. I have 16 hens and at most only get 8 eggs a day, usually less. May be time for a new batch. Like you, we're not getting anything done in the garden because of all the rain. So itching to do that. I may be planting in the mud anyway, LOL Great post!
ReplyDeleteWe are going to try to get the cole crop seedlings in the ground tomorrow morning before the next batch of rain moves in. It will probably be a little muddy, but we're going to give it a shot.
DeleteWe have never had as much luck with the chickens laying eggs here, as we did when we lived a little farther north and west of here. We usually had 90 - 100% eggs/hens everyday. Here, it is never approached that ratio and we don't know why. That's one reason we have tried so many different breeds.
Since your doe had quadruplets you may not be getting any milk for cheese for a while yet. So, I'll just make you jealous by making some fresh pressed herb cheese today. (-: Thank you for sharing, Leigh.
Fern
Slow is good...as all farm life goes you know its going to get busy! Ralph loves sauerkraut on his hot dogs and have you tried fried sauerkraut?
ReplyDeleteFried sauerkraut, Fiona?? No, we haven't tried it and I'm not sure if it sounds good or not...... (-: I probably won't cook the kraut, though, because the heat would kill the beneficial properties we are trying to incorporate into our diet.
DeleteAfter sitting around waiting for warmer weather without any precipitation, I'm ready to be busy. I'm not a good waiter. I get bored and end up doing nothing. Thank you for sharing.
Fern
Frank and Fern - no worries about making mud angels...we are in the middle of a blizzard - very strange for us to be getting this much snow at this time of the year - we are expecting about a foot of snow. so tomorrow when the winds die down and it stops snowing, we'll make some snow angels for you!!! i am planning to start my brassicas in the house in about a week and then move them out to the greenhouse at the end of march in order to start peppers and tomatoes - it's all about planning, timing and of course - the weather! your baby goats are gorgeous and i have cheese and milk envy!!! i am sorry that you're not crazy about the sauerkraut but i am glad that you are making yourself have a bit a day. you may find that after a few weeks you will start feeling a craving and not know what it is you are craving. when that happens go and get a forkful of sauerkraut and you may find that even though you still don't like the taste - the craving has been satisfied. i hope you learn to enjoy it! anyway, thanks for the update. my best to you and fern.
ReplyDeleteyour friend,
kymber
How did the snow angels turn out, Kymber? Thank you for filling in for us in the angel making department.
DeleteYou need some goats, Kymber. (-: You would love their personalities, not to mention the food they provide while eating weeds.... We're making more cheese today. And the next time I start a new batch of veggies in the fermenting crock, I will add some whey to the mix. I think we will gradually come to like the sauerkraut. Me before Frank. I tend to like sour things more than he does, but we are determined to eat some everyday. I will write a post about how it is going later on. One thing I noticed and had to figure out was how my arthritis reacted to the initial intake of the sauerkraut. All of a sudden I was really hurting all over and couldn't figure out why. Very interesting. I will give a more thorough report after about a month or so and let you know how it is going.
You know what I like about your comments, Kymber? You always sound like you are writing a letter to a friend. Thank you. Blessings to you and Jam.
Fern
Fern - the snow angels turned out pretty good but the pic i took is too bright to see nothing more than what looks like two big smears! bahahah! i would love to have goats - i would sooo enjoy them but we just don't have the infrastructure for any animals yet. we are not on a farm - we are in the middle of the woods and only a bit of land around our house is cleared. we don't have any barns and barely have a basement (with a dirt floor) but we plan on building a storage shed this spring/summer as well as a proper outdoor kitchen. it will be a couple of years before we are set up to have animals but until then - i can read everyone's blogs and see pics of their animals so that is good enough for now.
Deleteas for your arthritis flaring up - that is strange. have you looked into whether that is an effect of fermented food? i am going to have to look that up because now you have me curious.
and yes, please give us a report in a few weeks and let us know how the fermented veg's are working out. jam is like Frank and doesn't like stuff that is too sour. i am like you. i loooove fermented sour veg!
and thank you for that sentiment. i really feel that the people i have listed in my blogroll are my friends...because i do check in on them regularly to see what they are up to. i love reading about their lives and most of the time feel like i am right there with them. you and Frank have provided a lot of good info here but you also share your lives here with us. and for that i am grateful and consider you friends. and Blessings back to both of you!
enjoy your blog....suggestion for your wet, muddy garden, why not make a small raised bed, just some 2 x6 or 2x12's , nail the together, fill with dirt. especially good for those early spring crops like spinach and lettuce, I grow almost exclusively in raised beds on our 1/2 acre. I have them made from cinderblocks also, which are my favorite, I can also plant herbs and flowers in the cinder block holes ! Happy gardening.
ReplyDeleteWe have used raised beds in the past, Grandma Zee, but like the set up we have here as well. This way I cover a lot of ground with just about solid garden for about 7 months out of the year. Our crops always overlap and grow into each other, since we try to utilize all of the space and not give much room for the weeds or grass. Thank you for sharing your techniques. I bet the flower borders in the cinder blocks make for a beautiful garden.
DeleteFern
We have been wanting to try fermented cabbage but it sounds like it might not be all that tasty! lol Your goats are adorable and we have had so much snow, ice and rain here that we havent't been able to work our garden yet either. We are so ready for Spring planting!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kymber, Alicia, I think eating fermented foods will grow on you after a while. Good luck with your garden, spring is just around the corner. Thank you for sharing.
DeleteFern