Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[Beekissed]

You don't have to milk a cow twice a day if you keep her calf around to take second shift. You can separate them at night and take morning's milk then let the calf have her the rest of the day.

I wouldn't have a goat...I'd get a sheep for milk.

 

[smyers32]

really? A dairy sheep? haha, I never thought of that! I do much prefer sheep to goats. The lady I bought the americauna pullets from has a big flock of those hair sheep you like, she tried to sell me some when I picked up the pullets!

 

[Beekissed]

And you should have done it!

That is one livestock which I have never regretted having. I wouldn't have a wool breed but the Katahdins were nigh on perfect as an animal for cheap, small livestock operations.

 

[smyers32]

I loved having sheep growing up, of course mom did most of the work, but they're relatively low maintenance from what I remember. Except I remember they always seemed to pick the coldest wettest early spring nights to lamb on. I think we lost one or two to the cold over the years, but overall they are easy livestock. We had one dorset cross ewe that lambed twins or triplets alternately every year. We sold lambs every year and I would keep one for 4-H, which got auctioned off at the end of the fair and we would keep another for our own freezer. One year, I spent a lot of time with my 4-H lamb and it was my best buddy, followed me around everywhere like a dog. I BEGGED mom to let me keep him, only time I ever made a fuss about having to sell one. She said no, and I bawled my eyes out in the auction ring while I held my best buddy for people to bid on and I swore off lamb then and there in honor of my little buddy that our insurance man ate. I haven't eaten lamb in nearly 20 years, more out of habit now than for any sentimentality. Still breaks my heart to think I sold that guy off to slaughter. The real kicker is when we dispersed the flock, Mom got to keep HER favorite ewe as a pet. NO FAIR!!

 

[Suzierd]

Do you think it will be ok to feed my goats any left over FF at the end of the day? I don't worry about the grains but not so sure about protien? I do a mix of Flock raiser, organic layer, Nutrena layer and scratch.

 

[delisha]

awww..sorry about your lamb. I used to raise and show sheep and goats. I never milked a sheep.It never occur ed to me to even try. I did milk my mare and give the milk with the goats milk to feed out the hogs.. You can make cheese from goats milk and you can separate the cream, The fat globule's are much smaller and it takes a lot of milk to get much cream, but it is not like cows milk and not worth the work to make cream. I do not like the taste of goat milk. I never got over the smell. I disliked milking the goats and we milked twice a day. It was a requirement for the program we were on and for show. Milking competition was fun and my DH enjoyed that. He had several goats that gave a gallon of milk. If i had to milk the goats we would never of had them. I complained the few times I had to do it in the winter. Cold work pullin teets. They do drop kids on the nastiest days. Than you have to get out there in blizzards and storms and milk. Ugh..I do not miss that.

 

[Suzierd]

I loved having sheep growing up, of course mom did most of the work, but they're relatively low maintenance from what I remember.  Except I remember they always seemed to pick the coldest wettest early spring nights to lamb on. I think we lost one or two to the cold over the years, but overall they are easy livestock. We had one dorset cross ewe that lambed twins or triplets alternately every year.  We sold lambs every year and I would keep one for 4-H, which got auctioned off at the end of the fair and we would keep another for our own freezer.  One year, I spent a lot of time with my 4-H lamb and it was my best buddy, followed me around everywhere like a dog.  I BEGGED mom to let me keep him, only time I ever made a fuss about having to sell one. She said no, and I bawled my eyes out in the auction ring while I held my best buddy for people to bid on and I swore off lamb then and there in honor of my little buddy that our insurance man ate.  I haven't eaten lamb in nearly 20 years, more out of habit now than for any sentimentality. Still breaks my heart to think I sold that guy off to slaughter. The real kicker is when we dispersed the flock, Mom got to keep HER favorite ewe as a pet. NO FAIR!! 

Very sorry about your lamb. that is heart breaking.

 

[smyers32]

Well, on the upside market prices were very high that year and he was a big solid lamb, I got just over $700 for him. And he won Grand Champion Carcass on the Rail, his meat earned me a big ol trophy. I would have traded the money and 10 trophies just to keep him though. Oh well, life's not fair.

 

[B J Hopkins]

There are 2 black chicks, 1 yellow & 1 orange & black. 1 black chick and the yellow chick have fuzzy legs. 1 of them is an EE chick, but I don't know which one. There are 4 possible fathers. 1)Blue Cochin. 2) Salmon Faverole. 3) EE & 4) RIR/EE.

I put Momma & chicks in the Brooder so they could have constant access to the FF.

 

[Beekissed]

Well, on the upside market prices were very high that year and he was a big solid lamb, I got just over $700 for him. And he won Grand Champion Carcass on the Rail, his meat earned me a big ol trophy. I would have traded the money and 10 trophies just to keep him though. Oh well, life's not fair.

No, it most certainly isn't. It's hard to lose an animal you are attached to when you are young...it never seems fair. Your mom certainly wasn't fair!

Ya ever remind her of that?

There are 2 black chicks, 1 yellow & 1 orange & black. 1 black chick and the yellow chick have fuzzy legs. 1 of them is an EE chick, but I don't know which one. There are 4 possible fathers. 1)Blue Cochin. 2) Salmon Faverole. 3) EE & 4) RIR/EE.

I put Momma & chicks in the Brooder so they could have constant access to the FF.

Chicks are so sweet, aren't they? I never, never get tired of seeing a broody mama with chicks. It never gets old to me!