Bottle feeding lambs....

So one of our ewes had twins lambs on Friday. Unfortunately the little 2nd born is a bit weak. We're not sure what's up, but she's now being bottle fed...not sure if she'll make it, but we'll give it a go. She's also in the house, lol. Which those who know me, I'm sure it doesn't surprise you, lol! The temps dropped yesterday and she wasn't staying warm even with a little sweater I put on her.

I think it's been good though since in here she stays warm and can instead try to gain strength instead of just fighting to eat and stay warm outside.

Good thing I didn't toss all the goat milk out of the other freezer yet. That's what she's nursing on. I can milk her mom and I may still, but I have all that milk so no sense in wasting it. I needed it out of there though for the beef that we'll be bringing home in a couple of weeks. I'm sure it'll be gone by then the way this little girl drinks.

Here's a pic of Maggie keeping her company last night. The little dear slept all night as far as I know without a peep.

Grow Your Own!

This is a link I recently found and when I can find some time, I plan to take part in it. It's not that hard to grow a little something. It can even be done in a pot on your kitchen windowsill!

I did a lesson for Enrichment (a monthly meeting for ladies at church) a couple of months ago on gardening large and small. I had the ladies planting tomatoes and peppers in pots. They loved it and I was surprised that many of the plants had been well tended and were producing for them!

Some of the things we love to eat grown on our place: marinated cucumbers, tomato sandwiches, egg sandwiches (both on homemade bread), smothered pork chops, pork roast with gravy, sausage gravy and homemade biscuits, omelets, french toast from homemade bread and our eggs, lamb stew, lamb curry, rosemary lamb chops, stuffed cabbage rolls, veggie soup sometimes with meats-many times without. Soon we'll be having ribs and steaks, hamburgers and roasts...all from our steer calf. Steve can't wait! Then it'll be time to put the fall garden in. YUM!

Buy Locally!!!!

Well after having yet another nasty, mealy, store bought, supposedly 'Vine-ripened' tomato, I'm done! I am soooo ready for summer to get here so I can get some real ones. That tomato was so bad, I ended up throwing it to the chickens...chickens will eat just about anything. Of course they devoured it like they were starving...like I hadn't just fed them less than 30 minutes ago. I swear they have hollow legs or something.

I popped back onto this site Local Harvest. They have listings of farms, CSA's, farmer's markets, etc in your area with a listing of the goods many places offer. Driving an hour for some tasty organic/naturally raised beef is so worth it. Besides, for my kids, since we homeschool, taking a drive out to someone else's farm is just another field trip!

Since I'm not planning to put a garden in this year due to some other plans we hope to have going and being that the garden area is currently being occupied by the Hereford calf, I was on there looking for a place that sells organic produce. I found a local farm nearby and can't wait to head down their way later on this summer.

Buying locally is great! Your assured to get fresh produce, you can see how it's been grown, your supporting local business and making new friends...what could be better than that. You'll be eating better too. I'd like to start selling the lambs we've started raising. I only have two ewes, but they have given me a wonderful start! We also found that we love lamb home grown...that store bought stuff is way too strong for my tastes and who knows what's in it unless you buy organic, which can cost you a bit, but I still recommend buying the best you can. After all you are what you eat.......

The sheep are back and with a new addition...

We got our sheep back this morning with the little addition of a cutie ram lamb. He even has little tiny horns under all that face fluff!

Of course he was promptly named Lambchop by my children. Come spring he'll take his trip to freezer camp. He was a late summer whoops lamb. I tell them not to name the food, but they find it a bit humerous to be able to name something 'Porkchop', 'Hambone', or 'Lambchop'. They are goofy...