Parkay? No way!

Since, our Jersey cow Ruby calved, we've been getting quite a bit of milk on the farm. So, we've been trying to think of what do with the milk besides the obvious (raise her calf Opal on it). So, we have made butter. We had read where it was really easy and now we agree. We put the milk in the refrigerator and left it for a couple of days in order to allow as much of the cream as possible to rise. Then, we simply skimmed the cream off the top and placed it in a jar and began to shake it. It was a very simply process and very interesting to watch. The cream started in a very liquid state and with shaking, quickly turned into whipped cream. With continued shaking, small droplets of butter started to form. We just kept shaking and soon there was a large glob of butter in the jar. It truly was a very easy process. We drained off the buttermilk and then washed the butter under cold water.

I even drank some of the buttermilk. I had always had a very bad image of buttermilk and prepared myself for the worst. However, I was pleasantly surprised with its very sweet milk flavor. Will have to use some to make homemade buttermilk biscuits soon and top it off with the homemade butter.

Once the butter was washed, we put it in the refrigerator and now have a nice supply for our usage. We aren't 100% self sufficient, but it's a pretty good feeling to know that we now produce our own supply of milk, eggs, and butter on our farm. Very thankful for the animals and what they give us in return for their care.

Stop by sometime for some buttered biscuits!

Winter on the farm

Where do I start? I realize it has been a really long time since I've blogged. I apologize for that. A lot of things have happened on the farm in the last few months. I will try to give an up-to-date status of the farm and pledge to do a better job of keeping you informed of the happenings in a more timely manner.

Chickens: The chickens are doing well. We purchased 15 baby chicks in June and we were able to raise 13 of them to adulthood. I know this is an unlucky number, but I would think that #14 and #15 probably thought they were more unlucky than the survivors. The girls grew well over the summer and fall and in November started laying eggs. Currently, the hens are averaging 6 eggs per day. We are thrilled with our homegrown eggs and are eating as many as we can as well as selling a few to help cover the costs of chicken feed.

Horses: In the summer of 2009, we suffered a terrible loss with the death of our Quarter Horse Hope. She was a foundation bred mare and was merely 11 years old. She was fine that morning and we found her dead in the pasture that afternoon with no signs of distress. Our hope is that she went peacefully. We started Carlene under saddle last summer and she now has a handful of rides under her belt and has done well. We bred Chris and Zipper to Jackass in hopes of raising two painted mules. It appears that both mares did not settle and will be open for 2009. Which is ok by us. We recently bought a new aluminum stock trailer and have hopes of doing some trailriding this spring and summer with our friends.

Goats: The goats are doing well. With the loss of our milk contract, we have drastically cut back the herd. We feel that fewer numbers will allow us to refocus our energy on the breeding program. We had gotten up to close to 50 goats and it was easy to get that overwhelming feeling when in the barn. We've been able to place several goats in great herds and that is always a very satisfying feeling to see your animals take their place in other herds and contribute to their breeding program.

Cows: In the summer of 2007, we added to Jersey heifers (Ruby and Pearl) to the farm and decided that we could start a small herd of dairy cows that would provide us with milk for the house as well as a milk supply for raising goat kids. This was done in preparation for selling all of the goat milk and using cow milk for the kids. It took us a while to get the Jerseys to cooperate with the breeding plans. In fact, Pearl still isn't sure that she's cut out for being a mother. But, on January 30, 2010, Ruby gave birth to Opal. That's her picture at the top of this blog entry. She is already a little spoiled and full of attitude. But, isn't that the way most Jerseys are? Ruby is adjusting to being a milker very well. She is currently giving about 3 gallons of milk/day. We specifically selected these heifers from herds that didn't push their cows for record breaking production and are pleased that 3 weeks in, Ruby is milking around 25#/day.

As you can see, it's been a busy time on the farm (when is it not busy?) and things are moving right along. This winter seems to have lasted for 10 months already and still isn't over. However, on Sunday it was 50 degrees. That's enough to give me hope that spring will in fact arrive in Kentucky at some point in the future. I am already having dreams of this year's garden and the delicious homemade ice cream made with Jersey milk. If you're ever in Bourbon County, Kentucky, please stop by and visit the farm.