Monday, March 25, 2013

The farm now

Ive decided that when I dont update for months my posts just run together as I try to tell everything and I dont end up telling much of anything. So...Im going to try and slow own and get more detailed.

Two subjects today.
First one is goats, all these years I have worried and worried about having an older, reliable goat in milk before the yearlings kidded. This last year I sold almost all my reliable ones and my most reliable goat had to be put down. I've never had an issue so I shrugged and let the buck do what he will. The joke is apparently on me because for the last week I have been scrambling to find milk and to keep babies fed.
Last year I purchased a doe out of Oregon sight unseen (always gets you in trouble) based on her mothers pictures and hers (I tried to pick good). This year, she kidded as a yearling with triplets. Normally when they kid as yearlings we get some milk and one kid. No problem. She has a beautiful udder that I'm sure will expand better with time and maturity. For now we are up to 3 cups/2 times a day. The kids (all three together) are eating 4 times a day and consuming 3-4 cups in a feeding. Hmmmm...
My dad was nice enough to run up from cheyenne with 4 gal of milk from an old friend down there. I also contacted the person who purchased most of my does last year and asked if she had any extra. She was nice enough to send a gallon and a half from her house. So the kids were born on tuesday and today is monday and we had 5 1/2 gallons. We are down to 3. Yesterday my other yearling kidded with a single and I grinned! I think its the only time I've ever been grateful for JUST a single. This yearling is the grandkid of my doe that gave 2 1/2 gal/day. I hope she climbs in production quickly! Last night she gave 4 cups of colostrum  (which I will be feeding her doeling with today). This morning we got very little but this mom for some reason has anxiety issues being in the barn so that isnt surprising. That is also the reason behind me taking her doeling away so quickly. It's too cold for the baby outside (11 F) but mom is so stressed in the barn she wont produce. I'm hoping that her milk will come in and that she will be able to make up the difference in the milk needed. I'm also hoping that the last 3 gallons holds out long enough for that to happen.

Second subject for the day is bread! I started an amish friendship bread starter awhile ago and it was finally ready this last week. I found an old recipe I got from a friend and we tried it.
Amish friendship Bread
1 cup starter
2/3 cup coconut oil (I used Olive)
3 eggs
1 C rye flour
1 C buckwheat flour (this helped, I have tons of this from when I was eating more gluten free)
1/2 C maple syrup
1/4 C mild honey
1t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
1 1/2 t baking powder
1 t vanilla
Preheat to 350 Grease 2 pans , add flours last. Bake 45-50 min

I loved the recipe! It is super delicious. The loaves werent very think though and the next time I make it I am going to try making one loaf instead of two with the recipe. Hopefully it will come out. I also love that this has no processed sugars in it! Super good for you. I know though that this isn't the friendship bread recipe that I grew up with so it got me thinking. Anyone else out there want to share recipes that I could try with my starter?

No comments:

Related Posts Widget for Blogs by LinkWithin