Today we began weaning our calf. Brisket is 8 months old and we did not separate last night but we began separating today. We milked Missie tonight and got a ½ gallon. We will milk her in the morning and keep milking at night a little to make sure she does not get mastitis. We hope to continue to milk every morning if possible. She is giving less and less so we will see. We will make sure she is drained and maintain the health of her udders and teats. Our goal is to get her bred and she will be going to someone else’s farm to live while that happens. The person is willing to milk her in the mornings if she is still giving milk. We are waiting to find out when that may happen. We are hoping to breed her to a Dexter Bull so we can have a smaller offspring. (Hopefully a female).
Jim was riding our pigs today. This will be the last time we raise red-waddles pigs. We love their meat and they are great pigs, but they are difficult to feed when we have to go into the pen. When we were feeding try feed we just poured it in over the fence but now we soak their feed so we have to go in and put it in a pan. Jim goes in, throws the pan to me and fill it up and hand it to him. Jim gets tripped easily and although he has not fallen, we has had many close calls. He decided to ride them when they were eating. They are not even phased that he is sitting on them. Food is their only focus. The statement, “Eat like a pig” and “Looks like a pigsty”, have new literal meaning. Don’t get me wrong, for the younger family, these pig is incredible. Their meat is amazing.
Nutritional Information
Well, my onions and leeks are not coming up. I only have one leek and 3-4 onions. Clearly, I have not done something right. I guess I generally plant onions bulbs and they grow fine. I will keep trying. I must admit my failures as well as my successes. Spinach and onions may be my nemesis.
I was talking to my neighbor today about heritage breed everything. He had watched a show on how heritable breed chicken, cow, and pigs are becoming a thing of the past. Vegetable don’t have the flavor they used to. He is 75 and he said he is not sure whether the new generation has even tasted what a good homegrown tomato or vegetable tastes like. I was educating him on all the small homesteads out here now trying to make a difference and grow heritage. He was glad that someone was.
It is our responsibility to try to keep the good parts of history alive by growing heritage vegetables and raising heritage animals.
