Monday, March 3, 2008

the waiting game

still no kids. this is frustrating. always in the past, i've just let ginger do her thing and i've never known when she would kid. this is the first year i've known her edd and it's driving me nuts!

i am so looking forward to fresh milk again. i have much interest in it from outsiders although i don't know if i'll have enough to sell. i purchased a manual cream separator last year and i'm ready to try it out for cream to make butter. ginger's milk isn't very creamy but i'm hoping since cinnamon is half nubian hers will be creamier.

i've come to the reality that we use a lot of butter and perhaps i need to since out my goats for a cow. which i hate because i LOVE my goats. i love their characters, size, portability. i have no idea how we'd even get a cow home or bred since we don't have any type of trailer to haul one in.

my parents have been holding out on me. apparantly, we have a relative of sorts (my dad's sister-in-law's brother) who milks jerseys and sells their milk raw. and they live about 15 minutes away from me! i'm going to get their contact info and try to buy some milk to make butter (my dad thinks i'm insane: "making butter is hard work." he grew up on a dairy so he can't imagine anyone wanting to do what he did growing up). i don't see how it would be any harder than anything else i do around here. i think he means time consuming. but all i have is time.

i heard peepers last night.1week sooner than last year. yesterday was in the mid 70's. today, it dropping to the 30's and we are supposed to get 3-6" of snow tomorrow. this roller coaster weather can mean only 1 thing: spring!

1 comment:

  1. Wow, I can't wait to hear peepers here!

    As for hauling larger livestock, if you decide to go for a cow check with the local butcher (i.e. slaughterhouse) or feed store. They know people who will transport a cow for you.

    I loved my goats too. I like my cows, but they are definitely more expensive to feed (must have lots of hay and with last year's drought in this area hay is $$$). I can't wait to get a couple of Nubians again.

    I tried your tapping method and it works like a charm!

    ReplyDelete