I want to thank everyone that commented on my quandary about selling our sheep. Your kind words and comments really helped!
I had really never confronted a problem like that, but now, I know that regardless of where I live, I will probably encounter it more often.
I figured out that I most definitely lost a few bucks by selling the sheep as low as I did. But I felt better about where they ended up.
Which brings me to:
Am I too much of a wuss to sell livestock for meat purposes?
I really love each and every animal we have here.
Okay, except for those dang stupid Buff Orphington hens!
But the goats, rabbits, alpacas, geese, etc.And quite a few of the chickens.
We have butchered a young male goat before (and he was delicious!) and I was okay with that. But then, I knew how he was going to be slaughtered and everything.
I could butcher out a chicken or two or three if needed...as long as it wasn't Nugget, or Cab or Betty or Inky or Bo or, well, any of our hens that I have gotten close to. Which means I could butcher out any of the Buffs and most of the Reds...except Rosie. I like Rosie. And Calypso, our remaining Ameracuna.She's cute.
See what I mean!
Maybe if I had a flock of 300 sheep I could sell the culls willy-nilly without worrying about how each would be slaughtered.
I guess.
The Darlin' Man thinks I should stick to dairy animals...I dunno. I want to raise pigs and beef cattle, too and ducks for the table, etc once we move North, but I am beginning to second guess myself now.
I guess this is something I will have to think about.
****************
While I am thinking, I'll have one of my favorite snacks...with no meat involved!
Carrot-Raisin Salad
2 cups grated raw carrot
1 cup crushed pineapple or pineapple tidbits with juice
1/2 to 1 cup raisins (depends on how much you like raisins)
1/4 to 1/2 cup walnut pieces or pecan pieces if you have them (really not necessary, but nice to add)
Mix all of the above together, chill for a couple hours or overnight, serve! I like to serve mine in a lettuce cup.
Showing posts with label livestock. Show all posts
Showing posts with label livestock. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Monday, January 14, 2013
Monday Morning Ramblings
It's Monday morning and I have started the dough for bread (6 to 8 loaves for the week) and started the Darlin' Mans laundry. His unit had to go out in the field last week (I call it a *camping trip*) from Monday until Friday, so he has presented me with a weeks worth of laundry and a rather dusty duffle bag.
So, while the bread dough rises and the laundry churns, I figured I would just ramble a bit about some things that have been on my mind this morning.
*****************************
The repercussions of the Sandy Hook shooting continue to spread. I hear now that managers of Wal-Mart stores have been told by *corporate* not to order ammo to restock. Some online stores have pulled all guns and gun parts. For how long? Who knows.
I suspect there is much more going on than what the media has told us. The *facts*, as presented, simply do not "add up". Victims were identified by photos only, family members/parents were not allowed to see the bodies for identification or to say goodbye, and a *group* is the spokesperson for the parents---even to the point that VP Biden had to go through the spokesman group to speak to any of the parents.
As my dad used to say "there's something screwy going on".
False Flag event? Maybe.
Evil? Definitely.
*****************************
As we plan our move and look at more and more properties, I have convinced the Darlin' Man that it makes WAY more sense to have a *ready pantry* and no cabinets. I showed him picture after picture of kitchens from the 1700s on up to the 1930s and he saw the sense and frugality of it. It didn't hurt that I got him to sit down and watch a home improvement show where they redid a kitchen. The cabinets ALONE were over 14 thousand dollars! I told him I would rather buy a few better appliances (such as a good wood stove!) than have those silly cabinets...most of which have been constructed with fiberboard backs (glorified cardboard!) and other cheap components.
*****************************
If you get RLTV, watch this show: A Taste of History . Oh My Goodness! This chef cooks all his recipes in spider pans and cast iron dutch ovens, etc., in an open hearth fireplace.
Spider pan for those that don't know:
Seriously...it made me want to figure out a way to have an open hearth fireplace in my kitchen! The recipes are easily adaptable to be made on a stove or in an oven, but still, the romantic in me thinks everything would taste better being cooked on an open hearth!
RLTV is for the over 50 among us. Yes, we now have an *old geezer* network, as the kids here say.
*****************************
Speaking of cooking, I had a minor meltdown yesterday at lunch when I found out I was missing a needed ingredient for a recipe I had planned to make for lunch. That drives me CRAZY! Especially when I find out the ingredient was casually snacked into oblivion by people I normally hold great affection for!
Recipe:
Apple-Walnut-Chicken Salad Wraps
1 cup cooked chicken, diced
2 cups peeled apples, diced
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup golden raisins or dried cherries or dried cranberries
1/4 cup plain yogurt
3/4 cup mayo or miracle whip (I like the miracle whip). You might want to use more or less. Depends on personal tastes.
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Romaine lettuce
Whole wheat tortillas or *wraps*
Directions: Mix everything except lettuce and wraps together until moistened. Can be covered and chilled in refrigerator overnight or used immediately.
Warm tortillas or wraps (makes them flexible so they don't crack), put torn romaine lettuce on wrap/tortilla. Put 3 or 4 tablespoons of apple chicken mix on lettuce, wrap up like a burrito, serve!
Anyway...my walnuts were gone. Also my golden raisins. So I made a stir fry for lunch instead.
And I think I am gonna hide my fancy recipe fixin's next time!
******************************
I have not yet sold the sheep, so I think I am going to drop the price on the CL ad.
Going over all the critters here with the Darlin' Man, we made some decisions for the move AND for what we will raise in the future.
Chickens....we will definitely keep going with chickens! HOWEVER...I will NOT raise Buff Orphingtons again! Yeah, yeah, I know there are a lot of Buff devotees out there, but all the ones we have had are horrible, stubborn, peck-y, hateful birds! I don't know what breed we will go with, but NO MORE BUFFS!
Turkeys: The Darlin' Man loves the turkeys. Me? Ehhhh...not so much. He wants to continue to raise them, so I have told him that that ball is totally in HIS court! Same with the peafowl and the exotic pheasants he also wants to raise.
Geese and Ducks: I like them, so I suspect we will raise them when we move. Besides...what is better than roasted duck with that luscious crispy skin.....drooooooooool!
Alpacas and Goats will definitely go with us and continue to be with us where-ever we go! I want to add some other goat breeds in...some Saa'an and some Swiss Alpine.
I also want a couple of cows, a horse and the fella wants a mule. We also want sheep...just gotta settle on a breed. Still in discussion.
Rabbits? Not so sure. The Darlin' Man doesn't like rabbit meat, I do, so this is still under discussion.
*************************
Well, the washer is finished with the first load, so I have to hang them up and start another load. I suspect I will do around 10 loads before I am done. The bread dough is still rising, but I'll be punching it down and shaping loaves within an hour or so.
Happy Monday to all!
So, while the bread dough rises and the laundry churns, I figured I would just ramble a bit about some things that have been on my mind this morning.
*****************************
The repercussions of the Sandy Hook shooting continue to spread. I hear now that managers of Wal-Mart stores have been told by *corporate* not to order ammo to restock. Some online stores have pulled all guns and gun parts. For how long? Who knows.
I suspect there is much more going on than what the media has told us. The *facts*, as presented, simply do not "add up". Victims were identified by photos only, family members/parents were not allowed to see the bodies for identification or to say goodbye, and a *group* is the spokesperson for the parents---even to the point that VP Biden had to go through the spokesman group to speak to any of the parents.
As my dad used to say "there's something screwy going on".
False Flag event? Maybe.
Evil? Definitely.
*****************************
As we plan our move and look at more and more properties, I have convinced the Darlin' Man that it makes WAY more sense to have a *ready pantry* and no cabinets. I showed him picture after picture of kitchens from the 1700s on up to the 1930s and he saw the sense and frugality of it. It didn't hurt that I got him to sit down and watch a home improvement show where they redid a kitchen. The cabinets ALONE were over 14 thousand dollars! I told him I would rather buy a few better appliances (such as a good wood stove!) than have those silly cabinets...most of which have been constructed with fiberboard backs (glorified cardboard!) and other cheap components.
*****************************
If you get RLTV, watch this show: A Taste of History . Oh My Goodness! This chef cooks all his recipes in spider pans and cast iron dutch ovens, etc., in an open hearth fireplace.
Spider pan for those that don't know:
RLTV is for the over 50 among us. Yes, we now have an *old geezer* network, as the kids here say.
*****************************
Speaking of cooking, I had a minor meltdown yesterday at lunch when I found out I was missing a needed ingredient for a recipe I had planned to make for lunch. That drives me CRAZY! Especially when I find out the ingredient was casually snacked into oblivion by people I normally hold great affection for!
Recipe:
Apple-Walnut-Chicken Salad Wraps
1 cup cooked chicken, diced
2 cups peeled apples, diced
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup golden raisins or dried cherries or dried cranberries
1/4 cup plain yogurt
3/4 cup mayo or miracle whip (I like the miracle whip). You might want to use more or less. Depends on personal tastes.
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Romaine lettuce
Whole wheat tortillas or *wraps*
Directions: Mix everything except lettuce and wraps together until moistened. Can be covered and chilled in refrigerator overnight or used immediately.
Warm tortillas or wraps (makes them flexible so they don't crack), put torn romaine lettuce on wrap/tortilla. Put 3 or 4 tablespoons of apple chicken mix on lettuce, wrap up like a burrito, serve!
Anyway...my walnuts were gone. Also my golden raisins. So I made a stir fry for lunch instead.
And I think I am gonna hide my fancy recipe fixin's next time!
******************************
I have not yet sold the sheep, so I think I am going to drop the price on the CL ad.
Going over all the critters here with the Darlin' Man, we made some decisions for the move AND for what we will raise in the future.
Chickens....we will definitely keep going with chickens! HOWEVER...I will NOT raise Buff Orphingtons again! Yeah, yeah, I know there are a lot of Buff devotees out there, but all the ones we have had are horrible, stubborn, peck-y, hateful birds! I don't know what breed we will go with, but NO MORE BUFFS!
Turkeys: The Darlin' Man loves the turkeys. Me? Ehhhh...not so much. He wants to continue to raise them, so I have told him that that ball is totally in HIS court! Same with the peafowl and the exotic pheasants he also wants to raise.
Geese and Ducks: I like them, so I suspect we will raise them when we move. Besides...what is better than roasted duck with that luscious crispy skin.....drooooooooool!
Alpacas and Goats will definitely go with us and continue to be with us where-ever we go! I want to add some other goat breeds in...some Saa'an and some Swiss Alpine.
I also want a couple of cows, a horse and the fella wants a mule. We also want sheep...just gotta settle on a breed. Still in discussion.
Rabbits? Not so sure. The Darlin' Man doesn't like rabbit meat, I do, so this is still under discussion.
*************************
Well, the washer is finished with the first load, so I have to hang them up and start another load. I suspect I will do around 10 loads before I am done. The bread dough is still rising, but I'll be punching it down and shaping loaves within an hour or so.
Happy Monday to all!
Friday, March 25, 2011
Various Questions to Ponder
Okay, somebody answer this...
I got up the other day at 0530. Tended to the goats and chickens, made breakfast for the fella, got the kids up and off to school (fixed them breakfast, too) did 4 loads of laundry and hung them on the line , made the bed, started bread dough, swept and mopped the kitchen, swept and mopped the master bath, cleaned the master bath, punched down the bread dough, went out and gathered eggs, filled the water for the chickens, cleaned out the small goat pen and cleaned out and refilled their water, started some more seeds, thawed out meat for dinner, baked bread, brought in laundry off line, vacuumed living room and den, brought in goats to pen and fed them, fed chickens, folded laundry, greeted the kids when they got home from school, started dinner, greeted the fella when he got home from work and finished fixing dinner.(Average day here)
The fella goes to the bathroom for a bit after dinner, comes out, gives me a smile and says "I put a new roll of toilet paper in the bathroom, didn't know if you would notice.You're welcome!"
My question....uhmmmm... yeah...why did I not go in a corner and bang my head against the wall?
*********************************
My unanswered Question of the Universe:
If you step on a dogs tail---even the tiniest bit, the dog freaks out and wails as if it were mortally wounded...you end up apologizing and comforting said canine with pet-pets and doggie treats. YET, the same dog will stand there and wag it's tail, slamming it against the door jamb or coffee table so hard the house shakes--- with apparently no distress whatsoever.
What is up with THAT!??!?
*********************************
I currently have "seedling envy" as I see other folks post pics of huge, hale and hearty seedlings ready to go in their gardens. My seedlings are respectable, but some of the pics I see look like the other folks seedlings are Godzillas and my seedlings look like anemic representations of a seedling in comparison! I coddle them. I give them manure tea (not too much). I KNOW my seedlings are fine....but it's like watching the other kids in school becoming Olympic athletes while your own child is the last kid picked for the kickball team.
Well, my seedlings may not look like superstars right now, but they will suit me just fine come harvest time!
How about you? You ever get *seedling envy*?
*********************************
I have three different varieties of Tomato Seedlings growing.
Ananas Noire Tomatoes (Look how girly-pretty they are! SQUEEEEEEEE!)
And Black Cherry Tomatoes
I am s-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o tempted to start another 6 or 7 varieties...but I just don't think I have the room!
Going to maybe buy one or two seedlings of a different variety at the farm store (yes, they get heirloom type seedlings) and maybe grow it in a decorative container.
I love tomatoes so much. I tasted one a friend grew last year that had a definite pineapple flavor. Have tasted others that were lemon-y.
I do hope mine do well this year.
What varieties are you growing this year? How many varieties? Do you have a favorite?
***********************************
Someone recently asked me "If you could only have TWO kind of animals on a farm, which two would you have?
For me, it would be cows and chickens. More bang for your buck, so to speak.
Besides, I LIKE cows and chickens!
Then they asked...if you could only have ONE animal on a farm.
My weird answer---a good hunting dog!
If I can't raise livestock, I better have a good dog so I can hunt for meat on the table!
How about you?
I got up the other day at 0530. Tended to the goats and chickens, made breakfast for the fella, got the kids up and off to school (fixed them breakfast, too) did 4 loads of laundry and hung them on the line , made the bed, started bread dough, swept and mopped the kitchen, swept and mopped the master bath, cleaned the master bath, punched down the bread dough, went out and gathered eggs, filled the water for the chickens, cleaned out the small goat pen and cleaned out and refilled their water, started some more seeds, thawed out meat for dinner, baked bread, brought in laundry off line, vacuumed living room and den, brought in goats to pen and fed them, fed chickens, folded laundry, greeted the kids when they got home from school, started dinner, greeted the fella when he got home from work and finished fixing dinner.(Average day here)
The fella goes to the bathroom for a bit after dinner, comes out, gives me a smile and says "I put a new roll of toilet paper in the bathroom, didn't know if you would notice.You're welcome!"
My question....uhmmmm... yeah...why did I not go in a corner and bang my head against the wall?
*********************************
My unanswered Question of the Universe:
If you step on a dogs tail---even the tiniest bit, the dog freaks out and wails as if it were mortally wounded...you end up apologizing and comforting said canine with pet-pets and doggie treats. YET, the same dog will stand there and wag it's tail, slamming it against the door jamb or coffee table so hard the house shakes--- with apparently no distress whatsoever.
What is up with THAT!??!?
*********************************
I currently have "seedling envy" as I see other folks post pics of huge, hale and hearty seedlings ready to go in their gardens. My seedlings are respectable, but some of the pics I see look like the other folks seedlings are Godzillas and my seedlings look like anemic representations of a seedling in comparison! I coddle them. I give them manure tea (not too much). I KNOW my seedlings are fine....but it's like watching the other kids in school becoming Olympic athletes while your own child is the last kid picked for the kickball team.
Well, my seedlings may not look like superstars right now, but they will suit me just fine come harvest time!
How about you? You ever get *seedling envy*?
*********************************
I have three different varieties of Tomato Seedlings growing.
Ananas Noire Tomatoes (Look how girly-pretty they are! SQUEEEEEEEE!)
And Black Cherry Tomatoes
I am s-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o tempted to start another 6 or 7 varieties...but I just don't think I have the room!
Going to maybe buy one or two seedlings of a different variety at the farm store (yes, they get heirloom type seedlings) and maybe grow it in a decorative container.
I love tomatoes so much. I tasted one a friend grew last year that had a definite pineapple flavor. Have tasted others that were lemon-y.
I do hope mine do well this year.
What varieties are you growing this year? How many varieties? Do you have a favorite?
***********************************
Someone recently asked me "If you could only have TWO kind of animals on a farm, which two would you have?
For me, it would be cows and chickens. More bang for your buck, so to speak.
Besides, I LIKE cows and chickens!
Then they asked...if you could only have ONE animal on a farm.
My weird answer---a good hunting dog!
If I can't raise livestock, I better have a good dog so I can hunt for meat on the table!
How about you?
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