Homestead Chore # 11 (After the Milking- It's Time To Chill)

After we are done milking, its time to take the milk in the house to be *processed.* When I say *processed* I mean its time to strain and chill it. Here's the process:

Have 2 half gallon Mason jars ready to strain the milk into. Put the filter into the strainer and commence to pouring.

Here is the milk going though the strainer. AnnaBelle's milk is VERY creamy and it takes some time for the milk to get through the strainer. That creaminess makes for great butter!

2 jars full and ready to go into the cooler for chilling.

We use 4 *blue* ice packs to cool the water and chill the milk.

I then put the jars of milk in the cooler. Place top back on the cooler and chill for about 60 minutes.

I then take the jars out of the cooler and place them in the fridge. The ice packs are then wiped down and placed back into the freezer until the next milking.

The last thing I do is wash the strainer and the milk bucket and put them away until the next milking.

We are averaging 2 1/2 gallons of milk a day. I use a lot of it for butter and what's left goes to the chickens, pig, dogs and the cat. It doesn't go to waste.

Here's an interesting bit of information we learned about dairy cows. We pretty much get the same amount of milk at each milking. The only time it will change is when the cow is in heat. Then her milk production drops about a quart. When that happens we know that AnnaBelle is ready to be bred again.

I Peter 2:2 - As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the WORD, that ye may grow thereby.

http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2013/10/homestead-barn-hop-130.html

Happy Homesteading!

Amanda

Matthew 6:33

                                                        

Monday at Piney Woods Homestead

Wonderful, beautiful Autumn! The beauty of a coming rest to the land and its occupants is at hand in our neck of the woods. The cooler days and even cooler nights are so much appreciated after a hot summer. Here are some pictures of the homestead. Still a lot of growing going on and some harvesting too. 

Strawberry plants that should start yielding in the spring. Can't wait to pick fresh strawberries out of the back yard!

Wild muskadine grapes growing throughout the woods. The rains we had over the summer  really helped them to grow. 

*PIG* Starting to really gain weight. We hope to have her processed and in the freezer by the end of November. She is the 3rd pig we have raised for meat.

The taters are still still in the ground (blush) so Hubby dug me out some for the week. They actually look really good. We usually have them stored under the house by now. Gotta get that done and soon!

The broccoli we planted in August is getting really big. This is the first time we have planted a fall crop of broccoli. Looks good so far.

I just can't thank GOD enough for HIS constant blessings in our lives. HE is so good and ever to be praised!

 The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

Praise HIS name forever!

Amanda

Matthew 6:33

Homestead Chore # 10 (Milking Time & Potential Hazards)

Milking here on the farm has been going on now for 4 years, on and off.  The only time we weren't milking were the times she had to be dried up when she was due to calve and for her second pregnancy.. It really is a farm chore.

When milking you start with the grain the cow will be eating while you milk and a clean stainless steal bucket for the milk. You can use other kinds of buckets but the stainless/seamless steal buckets are much nicer when cleaning times comes and they hold less germs than a plastic one can.

First I tie her up and give her the grains to keep her occupied while I clean her before the milking begins.

You then start the milking. Wait! Why is the ground all wet? Well, AnnaBelle decided that she had to release her bodily fluids just as I started milking her. You can bet after all of these years I *know* when she is going to do it and have learned to move really fast before I get sprayed down along with everything else. Let me tell you something too, WHEN A COW URINATES, its not a trinkle but a full fledged flood. 

Thankfully, that doesn't happen too often!

I now have to stop everything and get several 5 gallon buckets to wash the floor free of the flood she has made. And wash her teats and udder down again too.

I don't keep the milk either. I won't take a chance on what may have gotten into the steal bucket so I get the grain bucket and finish the milking. That milk will go to the pig (it's clean milk but the it's not the bucket I prefer.)

Notice the milk coming out by itself? She was ready to drop that milk with or without my help.

Finishing the milking myself. 

This is the little bit I got before the *accident*.

After the milking I spray *fight bac.* on her teats to prevent germs from enter her. Let her go, and commence to feeding the pig.

Another farm chore done for the day. Until the next morning. 365 days a year morning and night. Ready for a cow?

Blessings,

Amanda

Matthew 6:33

http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2013/09/homestead-barn-hop-129.html

Breeding Chickens GOD's Way #3 (Week 7)

Long time, no blog, I have been really slack trying to keep this blog going. There sure has been enough going on around the farm to blog about, its just making the time that is the problem. Oh well, back to the chicks.

Here they are are about 7 weeks. All 11 of them are healthy and happy. I'm pretty sure there are at least 4 roosters in the bunch. It'll be at least a few more months until that can be confirmed though.

We had them in the front yard under a small outside coop. It was basically a box that we moved around every other day so they would have fresh grass. When they go too big for that we moved them to the larger box out back. Much more room in there for the growing brood.

They are still eating non medicated chick starter feed. Once this next bag we have is gone we'll put them on layer mash (another month or so.) That's what we have been doing for all the years we have had biddies and they have been happy & healthy!

I can't wait for these to start laying. The ones we have now are giving about 3 eggs a day out of 9 hens. It may go down even further with the light of days getting shorter. We'll see.

Haven't they grown?

Their new home. All made out of old material laying around the farm. Hubby NEVER throws anything away. It's definitely a blessin' to keep from having to buy new materials!

I LOVE this photo. There seems to be a chick on that water bottle at all times. I guess it just needs to perch.

Well, I am blessed to say that we didn't loose any of the chicks to snakes when they were little. They are also very much healthy and happy.

Ain't GOD's creation so amazing? And ain't GOD so good?

Amanda

Matthew 6:33

http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2013/09/homestead-barn-hop-129.html

Simple Saturday

Taking a look at the ground wondering if they should get out or not.

(They are a week old in this picture.)

Hey, this ain't so bad!

Silent contemplation.

Wee! Let's go!

Have a blessed day in THE LORD!

Amanda

Matthew 6:33

Breeding Chickens GOD's Way Part 2 (They're Here!)

1. The baby chicks are here! We had 2 eggs hatch  last Wednesday, 6 hatched on Saturday and the last 3 hatched yesterday. There are still 4 eggs under the mama hen but we are not sure they will hatch. We're going to let her *sit* on them until tomorrow and if nothing happens we'll get rid of them.

The above picture is one of the chicks that hatched on Saturday. Hubby had to *help* this one out of the shell because 2 others had already died while trying to get out of their shell. He wanted this one to have a better chance and indeed it did.

The chick I am holding was less than an hour old.

Here are the other chicks that were born, all worn out and sleeping peacefully.

The chicks are a day old in this picture and already eating and drinking.

Here's one taking a sip of water. It's just too cute ;-)

Here they are today with my oldest daughter. That's a handful of chicks! A total of 11 in all!

Another view.

This one is having a hard time staying awake. It's head is slowly falling until it finally passes out.

Poor thing is wore slam out!

This is one of the chicks that was born on Wednesday. DD took it out because it was pecking the smaller ones. I am just about sure its a rooster. We'll see!

GOD's creation  is just so amazing!  Living on our little farm and seeing all of HIS creation renew itself is simply amazing! HE is so good and ever to be praised!

Amanda

Matthew 6:33

http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2013/08/homestead-barn-hop-124.html

Saturday Blessins'

Isn't GOD's creation amazing? That is the littlest frog I have ever seen. I have seen some of his bigger *brothers* in the yard. But this one is by farthest the cutest!

Another view.

Angel, Grace and I went to the farm/garden store the other day to pick up an autumn mailbox cover and garden flag. While there I noticed these awesome broccoli plants. They were just screaming for me to take them home to plant. 

Now we have never planted broccoli in the fall only the spring. This will be a new *experiment* for us. (There are about 36 plants in that flat.)

 We have been having some unusual cool weather lately. Maybe this will entice these plants to produce for us.

These broccoli plants are called Pacman. and have a maturity date 45-55 days. If all goes well, we should have fresh broccoli by mid October.

Well, gotta go! There is a lot to be done around here today. Just remember that GOD is good all of the time and is ever deserving of our praise!

Amanda

Matthew 6:33