Farm Updates

Last week I found a buyer for Chestnut, one of our Angus/Jersey cross heifers. We still have Cocoa for beef, so business-wise I think it was a good decision to sell one animal before winter and high hay prices hit.



Baby Dorrit is a testimony to the benefits of leaving the calf on its mother, she's huge and very healthy. We're just struggling to put weight back on her mama, Mattie, who is giving at least 7 gallons of milk per day - right off her back, of course. :bangs head on desk: I love Opal, my fat wonderful cow... she's a brick, still giving almost 4 gallons a day, steady as you please. Jani will be dried off in a week, getting big with baby due mid-October.

Both Mattie and Jani tested as A2/A2, which is a praise, and I may get our 14 month old Jersey heifer Shiloh tested just for kicks. She's a gorgeous animal, I'm impressed that she has performed so well on just grass.



I wish it was all roses, though... Mattie came down with the first case of mastitis on our farm. Hopefully it is improving, and only one teat is affected.

I caved in... and bought two piglets... lol, I'm nuts. They escaped their pen the first day, and luckily we got them back in before the cows trampled them to death. It has since been quiet for the past few weeks. Then Sunday night someone opened their pen door and they escaped again. Isaac and all the kiddoes enjoyed the wild pig chase... the pigs' owner, not so much enjoyment :P

We bought 10 ton of premium eastern OR orchard grass hay to fill the barn. Very spendy, but good for the animals. Grain will need to be purchased next month, and then we should be set through December.