The Buckeye Thread

[Turk Raphael]

I remember those "good ole days" as well. Only problem was that during my summer visits to my Grandparents; I was the one milking the cow for that "real milk". That was the easy part! Fence building, cattle wrangling, goat wrestling, plowing, combining, grain shoveling, hay baling and hauling and barn stacking, and one bath in cow tank water per week were also part of the "real deal" for me! hahaha......all that and I still have fond memories. My Granddad's boots stomping up the stairs at the break of dawn and yelling my name to get me out of bed. Eating dinner after we came in at dark. Watching Johnny Carson before going to bed. Character and Callus builder...that was my Grandpa. Rough and Gruff as they came but I learned a few things from him.

This might not be the place to say but with so much additional space, we plan to build a herd of dairy goats too. Cows are great but just too big for our needs. We both grew up on farms and we know how to milk cows and goats and in fact, we had a few Nubians and La Manchas in the past but we got to the point that we felt we weren't doing them justice with three acres. Won't be any problem now, with all the extra land and barns! The goats may have to wait until spring but they are a big part of our over-all plan. As a point in fact, several acres of the farm has grown up with multaflora roses and all kinds of stuff like crab apple and...just every kind of thorny thing imaginable. About the only thing worth trying to save is the orchard,and raspberry/back berry plots.

 

[Blueface]

This might not be the place to say but with so much additional space, we plan to build a herd of dairy goats too. Cows are great but just too big for our needs.  We both grew up on farms and we know how to milk cows and goats and in fact, we had a few Nubians and La Manchas in the past but we got to the point that we felt we weren't doing them justice with three acres.  Won't be any problem now, with all the extra land and barns! The goats may have to wait until spring but they are a big part of our over-all plan.  As a point in fact, several acres of the farm has grown up with multaflora roses and all kinds of stuff like crab apple and...just every kind of thorny thing imaginable. About the only thing worth trying to save is the orchard,and raspberry/back berry plots.

It's a fine place to add your reply. We have a small herd of TN Fainters (both for bushhogs and for meat) and a nice orchard for our buckeyes to forage under. The thornless blackberry patch we have is wonderful and the buckeyes love it. The great thing is that the buckeyes take what they want and don't destroy it by digging it up. All of our birds free range and are doing great! I have 2 Pyrenees watching over the goats as well as the birds. It sounds like you have great plans.....good luck with them!!

 

[Blueface]

I was out feeding this afternoon and finally got a bird to sit still long enough to take a pic. This little lady is 11-12 weeks old and weighs right at 4 lbs.

 

[Turk Raphael]

I was out feeding this afternoon and finally got a bird to sit still long enough to take a pic. This little lady is 11-12 weeks old and weighs right at 4 lbs.

 

[Blueface]

He's a pic of a 11 week old cockerel that is really growing out nicely. I finally got one to stand still. I walked over and he let me pick him up; he weighs 4 1/2 lbs.....he shows great promise with a full breast and big thighs.

 

[Regin]

@bluface3 very nice "little" ones there

 

[Blueface]

@bluface3
  very nice "little" ones there

Thanks

Here's another decent cockerel showing potential, he too is only 11-12 weeks old. He has a longer back of which I like and is currently still growing out a tail.

 

[Regin]

My buckeye babies are almost two weeks old now. I hatched these from Jeff Lay's eggs.

 

[Blueface]

My buckeye babies are almost two weeks old now.  I hatched  these from Jeff Lay's eggs.

If you care for and feed them properly; they should turn out nice. It's a common misconception that Jeff breeds only for egg production. He actually does have very nice dual purpose birds that provide a nice carcass. Rather than focusing on breeding for meat, Jeff values good egg production also. I picked up a cockerel from him last fall, he was only 7-8 months old and weighed a solid 8 lbs 2 ounces.....that bird now is 14-15 months old right now and weighs over 9 lbs.....much like myself, he values a good back length to ensure that egg production is consistent. Good luck with them and I hope they suit your needs!!

 

[sumi]

This might not be the place to say but with so much additional space, we plan to build a herd of dairy goats too. Cows are great but just too big for our needs. We both grew up on farms and we know how to milk cows and goats and in fact, we had a few Nubians and La Manchas in the past but we got to the point that we felt we weren't doing them justice with three acres. Won't be any problem now, with all the extra land and barns! The goats may have to wait until spring but they are a big part of our over-all plan. As a point in fact, several acres of the farm has grown up with multaflora roses and all kinds of stuff like crab apple and...just every kind of thorny thing imaginable. About the only thing worth trying to save is the orchard,and raspberry/back berry plots.

Dairy goats are another great addition to a farm. You should visit our sister site, BackYardHerds.com's goat section. BYH is tiny compared to BYC, but we have a lovely bunch of people over there and some great discussions. I'm thinking about getting some dairy goats at some point, but I don't know if I'll have the space to spare for them. We shall see... Have you thought about getting some pigs? Now those things are useful on a farm! Low maintenance, good at clearing land, easiest thing in the world to feed and they grow to a decent slaughter size in 5-6 months only.