SATAN's ANIMAL!!

We generally live peacefully with the predators around us.  We have a resident Mountain Lioness that lives down the street, a single male bobcat that lives in the thicket on the adjoining parcel, and numerous hawks that fly over head.  None of them bother us.  We keep our animals in such a way that we have never lost one to those predators.

The Raccoon in the area  are another story entirely.  Somehow they figure out locks, slice through fencing, tear off walls....and many other horrible things to get at our animals.  I hate them.

I know, you are probably thinking "oh, how cute!!"  Any thing that tears the head off of another animal just to leave it to die is NOT cute in my book.  These two in particular have been horrible.  AND they refuse to be trapped.

Our ranch dog treed them (she was tired of their shenanigans as well!!).... I was trying to figure out how I could get both of them, since if I shot one... the other would run.... when my husband came along side me with both of our shotguns.  I used my .410 and he used his 12g.   One....two.....THREE... down they came tumbling...NEVER to kill a chicken again.

Artificial Insemination Class Completed

So, I finished the three day course for certification in AI.

Here is the little cow I qualified on.  This is not for the weak of heart... just for the folks that want to improve the genetics in their cows.

In the world of the Irish Dexter we have a saying "for a Dexter".   In other words folks will say..."Hey, that is a nice udder on that cow, for a Dexter"  "Look, that little steer will produce a nice carcass  for a Dexter" , do you get what I mean?

I would like to stop doing that.  I own a really nice, well bred bull.  But if he were any other breed, he would be a cull.  Not that there is anything too horrible about him... but he is not perfect.  There are several bulls around the world I would like a chance to breed to that are much closer to perfect.  With a breed like the Dexter, we need to breed the best and eat the rest.  It is the mantra of the Livestock Conservancy, and I think more of us that are bringing the old breeds back, need to take it seriously.

This is my bull:

He is really nice.....(did you say it?) for a Dexter!!  I have him for sale... but would not be sad if he did not sell, I love him...he is a sweet boy.  

Learning to Love April Showers

All my life I have worked outdoors.  Chores are no fun in the cold and wet.  When we were in the petting zoo business it was even worse!!  Rain made for wet animals.... people still wanted us to come.  UGH!!  wet, cold, rain... I learned to hate it.

Life has calmed down a bit now.  This morning the rain is coming down.  A soft spring rain that helps grass grow.  Even though my shoes and clothes are wet from the 2 hours it takes to feed, milk,muck.  The house is warm and I will be able to change clothes (unlike when we would go from party to party in the rain).

Pictures of the rain....

A Potted Watched (or not, as it were)

I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have burned a pot, all from multi-tasking gone awry.
Fixing a burned pot.

Grmblegrmgelgdasdlgrmmmblelel

"smoked soup" seriously... I doubt I will be able to get the kids to see anything good about this soup.... pig food.... (so glad I have the pigs, I meant to do this....)

So here is my secret for cleaning burned pots...

a scoop of Tide.... yes Tide.....

let it simmer.....

and simmer... make sure it doesn't run out of water.. and further burn the pan...

after a while...maybe 30 mins of simmering.... see if it has softened.... and when it is soft enough it should scrub off with no hard scrubbing.

and within a few minutes you should have your pot back!!

The bread in 5 minuets a day has revolutionized my life.  I know, technically speaking, sour dough is more sustainable and healthier, but sometimes I need something that is easy... there will be a season that I will have the time to make sourdough, and with the super hydrated dough stored the way it is in this method.. it does ferment a bit.  I love getting up in the morning and getting a few loaves going.  By the time I am up from chores, I can toss it in the oven.... who wouldn't like to wake up to the smell of their mother baking bread?!

Artificial Insemination is NOT for the weak.....

I know this because today, I started a three day seminar at U.C.Davis on just this.  I borrowed my husbands car to make the daily drive... I rarely get time alone in the car and since his little car feels like a RACE car, I turned the radio up really LOUD.  The first song when I hit the freeway was "Ride into the Danger Zone" the theme song from Top Gun.. I laughed out loud and deemed it my "theme song of the day"!!

I was so encouraged when I arrived at the facilities to see that there were several women, and most of them had less livestock experience than I did.

After a quite lengthy lecture and discussion regarding the reproductive organs of the bovine we were allowed to handle, dissect and try to insert an insemination gun into cadaver bovines.  Although this seemed horrid.. it was really reassuring that it could be done!!

Oddly, after handling all that "meat" we then had lunch.  I was already exhausted from all the new information swirling in my head.. and the lunch was yummy... but after handling all that.. and anticipation of the next thing... I could not eat much.

That is when we got to "The Danger Zone"  a WHOLE line of Holstein cows just waiting for a bunch of students to palpate.  What I found interesting was (besides how BIG these cows are compared to mine) is how quickly fatigued the  muscles in my arm became.

Poor girls.... but I am projecting myself on them...they all munched on hay while we were feeling their reproductive organs.  Since most of them were coming into heat, they did not mind.

I am looking forward to a long good sleep and more class tomorrow.

Fodder Beets

We are trying to grow most of our own food and that of our livestock.. and although I am the happy breeder of Irish Dexter Cattle. I do own a Jersey.  Belle is pictured here eating beets that we grew to lower our feed costs.  This year I am going to try planting more.  My Aunt suggested Mangels... so I am going to till up an extra spot on the property for just that.  Who needs shredded beet pulp...besides that is a GMO.