Newest Arrivals!

Our Nigerian Dwarf pair have just kidded twins: a boy and a girl, as luck would have it. :)

We named the girl "Cookie" and the boy "Scout."

They are ADORABLE! And smaller than our Chihuahua...or even our cat!

 Nigerian Dwarf twins *just* kidded! (4/10/13)

 Nigerian Dwarf twins *just* kidded! (4/10/13)

What We're Up To

Morning sickness. That is what we're up to! Even now, I am in the throes of a migraine headache while a blizzard batters the house, packing snow against the windows! But I just wanted to update really quick...if I can actually BE really quick!

Well, we are still raising our bull calves on pasture, hay and alfalfa. The Cane Corsos help keep things in line. :)

Jigsaw & Dolce (Cane Corso / Italian Mastiff) on the farm :)

We recently bought an "Eggmobile," which is a portable chicken coop. This has always been our plan, but basically what it will allow is for us to move the chickens to new pasture every day (once the weather warms up just a bit more and greenery really starts to grow), thus allowing the hens new forage, bugs, and yard to scratch and peck. (This will also keep them out of my garden, which they devoured last year!) We will follow the same model that Polyface Farm follows, more or less. (I may explain that in more detail later.)

"Eggmobile"

To add to that, I have had several requests for pastured eggs, and I am happy to say that most of our chickens and ducks (and even geese!) are now laying regularly. 

We are not going to raise broilers to sell for meat until we get a plucking machine. It's just too time and labor intensive to do it all by hand. We will still raise meat birds for our own family, however, and if someone wants us to raise birds for them to butcher themselves, we can work something out. I think that once you have butchered your own pasture-raised chicken, you have so much more appreciation for the animal itself, the sustenance it provides, and the labor that goes into the process!

At the beginning of the year, we acquired two bull calves. They are dairy crosses, but when I researched raising dairy calves for meat, the information I found was favorable enough for us to give it a try. Our calves have been raised 100% on pasture/hay/alfalfa after they were weaned, and we have left them intact and with horns. We want to see for ourselves how much difference, if any, it makes to go raise them "all natural" versus neutering and de-horning them. We're not sure when we will take them to the butcher, nor how much beef they will provide, but what is most important to us is that they are raised humanely and in the healthiest, most natural way possible.

Jigsaw -- grass-fed beef

We have consumed raw milk for years and love it, so we needed to find a raw milk option for our family. Our son worked for a (small but commercial) dairy farmer in Germany who gave him raw milk in return. The man took him in as his own son in many ways, and it was a sweet and cherished relationship! During that time, we made our own yogurt and butter, and siphoned the cream off the top of the milk to put into our coffee. We laugh at ourselves now when we still shake the store-bought milk jug as if it needs to be mixed before drinking!

We have been here for over a year, now, and have hoped to get our own dairy cow since before leaving Europe. I used to love trying to milk my grandmother's cows when I was a child! But since researching and giving it some thought, we decided to go with dairy goats instead. I drank my uncle's raw goat's milk as a child, as well, and couldn't BELIEVE how delicious it was! Generally, it is considered healthier (less of the "bad fats," and a closer resemblance to human milk than cows' milk is), and many times can even be consumed by people that are lactose intolerant or intolerant of products made with cow milk.

Luckily, we found a few goats nearby. We adopted a pregnant LaMancha x Nubian doe who kidded a beautiful little buckling yesterday, along with a pair of Nigerian Dwarf goats. The doe is due to kid any day, now, so we are anxiously awaiting Dwarf twins! In a few days, we will get our first milk to try, and with some luck, the goats can keep up with the demand. We LOVE our dairy products around here! ;)

Nubian x LaMancha Buckling (born 2 Apr 2013)

Nubian x LaMancha Buckling (born 2 Apr 2013)

LaMancha x Nubian with buckling (born 2 Apr 2013)

Nubian x LaMancha Buckling (born 2 Apr 2013)

Nubian x LaMancha Buckling (born 2 Apr 2013)

Nubian x LaMancha Buckling (born 2 Apr 2013)

We have some animals for sale or trade at the moment, to include Rouen and Magpie ducks (laying now for the first year), Red Sexlink and Barred Rock laying hens, and Brown Chinese Geese, also currently laying. We'd like to get some RIR and/or Ameraucana (and / or Easter Egger) laying hens.

Barred Rock Hen

Brown Chinese Goose

Rouen Duck (Drake) with Magpie Ducks in the background

Rouen Duck (Drake)

Rouen Duck (Hen)

Magpie Duck (Hen)

Brown Chinese Geese

Magpie Duck (Drake)

Chicken, duck, and goose eggs are available now. We are located about halfway between Muleshoe & Earth. Just shoot us a message for more info!

And with that, I should go check on those goats to see if our highly anticipated additions have arrived yet! Many thanks for reading along!

~ FSHF ~

Happy New Year 2013!

At this time, we would simply like to wish everyone a very Happy New Year 2013!! :)

A1 Versus A2 Milk

After having read up on milking cows last year (still hoping to get a family milking cow...or two...), I had come across the information regarding A1 versus A2 milk.

In short, the A1 beta-casein protein found in milk, which is thought to be a genetic mutation and is often produced in the Holstein breed (main commercial breed, thus affecting most of the population), has been implicated in connection with many illnesses including heart disease, Type 1 diabetes and autism, as well as dairy intolerance and auto-immune diseases. Some breeds of cows, to include Jerseys and Guernseys, produce A2 beta-casein instead, or in much higher quantity. This protein is thought to be the original, un-mutated and more natural (or "wild") type of beta-casein, and is preferred by people that are concerned with the association of disease caused by A1 beta-casein.

By a simple DNA test which is accomplished from testing the hair of a cow, it can be determined whether the cow produces A1 or A2. Though more research would help, I am convinced that purchasing a dairy cow (or the milk thereof) which produces A2 milk could be beneficial. As we strive for the highest level of excellence in all areas of our life, family, and farm, I believe A2-producing cattle to be superior, so that is what we will be looking for when it comes to buying that family cow.

Hopefully we will be able meet that goal this year!


For more reading on the subject, please see the following:

http://hoperefugefarm.com/archives/243

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/07/09/the-devil-in-the-milk.aspx

http://www.a2milk.com.au/faq.php