It has been a long time since I've posted anything here. Happy new year! It's been cold. I am ready for spring now. We had about 6" of snow Christmas day. It's been a long time since that's happened here. It stayed on the ground almost a week. Then we had lots of rain. Then some really beautiful days but cold. We have lots of winter left. And a big ole huge electric bill.
I am going to get a few pigs this week. A friend is getting one also that will stay with mine here. We'll split the feed costs but I will be doing most of the work since they'll be here. The pigs are a few months old already so hopefully we can get them fattened up in a few months. I really am not looking forward to the keeping of pigs again but do miss the fresh pork chops and bacon.
We butchered 2 of the turkeys right before Thanksgiving. A friend came and helped. He had made a feather plucking contraption that really helped alot. But the turkeys we did were only 6 and 8 pounds. I was really kind of upset. They looked bigger. Guess it was all the feathers. My mom and step dad said they'd just get a turkey from the store. Really not good. So I have the other turkeys confined in a big coop trying to fatten them up. It's costing about $50. a month to feed these guys.
Mazie is getting huge. She's due in March. I can see teats but no udder yet. I guess with first time heifers she won't get an udder til right about delivery time. I have never had a cow before to give birth. First time for me too. I am already nervous about the whole thing. I am hoping she'll calve at night and the calf will be up and all dry and nursing when I get up in the morning. That's my plans anyway.
I am calling the butcher in the morning about getting a time to bring the other heifer in. She's just too mean anymore. And we are almost out of beef. SO she has to go. Plus Mazie will have her calf to keep her company.
I hope everyone has a greta new year and lots of fun on the farm! More later I hope.
2 comments:
Hi Kris! Don't worry too much about the cow's birthing...since it's her first time, just watch to make sure the calf is heading in the right direction. In all our years of having cows, we've only had to help once and that was only because the heifer was small and really young and was bred to a much larger bull. She and the calf were fine, they just needed a little help. The rest did it on their own!
You're right about the turkeys. They are small, but man were they tasty! We only butchered 1 tom and he came in at just under 11 pounds. Now we have 3 hens sitting on about 30 eggs that should hatch anytime now. Our last tom is a beauty, but we'll keep him for breeding purposes. I heard that Bourbon Reds take a while longer to gain weight than other breeds, so I'm hoping that the new poults will be plenty fat by next Thanksgiving! :) Happy New Year to you!!!
Next Thanksgiving? I don't know of I can wait that long. Ours are about the same age aren't they? Why aren't mine laying eggs yet? Do yours have a nest or did they make their own? I have some old milk crates I use for the chickens. I guess I could put a few in their coop and see what happens. Are you giving yours any laying feed? I am going to cook my little 6 pound turkey this weekend. I hope he's good!
And I hope your right about the heifer. I really hope she has an easy time. That bull she was bred to was a pretty big boy. But she's pretty big herself.
How's your back, Kim?
Post a Comment