norseofcourse's journal - spring and show update

[norseofcourse]

Well, everybody else looks good - and Gracie's bottlejaw was gone this evening! I will still keep a closer eye on her, and everyone else, for now.

I'm at four cups of milk, 12 more to go to get a gallon. I'm milking Brosa a little too, she's not giving much but she really needs the work on her manners.

I'm going to offer Rose's lamb for sale. I love her build and growth rate. If I was looking to expand my flock, she'd be the type I'd want to have. But, I already have two white sheep, and my only ram is her sire. I'm really wanting to get some more of the natural colors (especially moorit/brown), and since I want to keep my flock small, I need to wait for a nice moorit ewe that's worth keeping.

I'm not going to offer the ram lambs for sale - I don't think either of the twins are good enough quality to be rams, and Brosa's ram lamb isn't old enough to really tell yet. But I know I'll have no problem selling them for lamb, and I should put one in my own freezer - if I'm to make the leap from petowner to farmer, putting it off won't make it any easier. And I'll also be able to tell people from personal experience how good my pasture-raised lamb is.

 

[norseofcourse]

Brosa's ram lamb isn't ram quality, either - I had to worm him this morning. I'd noticed him laying down occasionally, which isn't a typical behavior for mine. I checked his eyelids. I haven't been through a FAMACHA class yet (hope to find one offered), but his lower eyelid was reddish around the edge, and white/pale pink on the inside. I also recalled that I'd had to worm his mom when she was a lamb (a bit older than he is now). So, genetically he doesn't have good parasite resistance. In my small flock I can find and deal with it easier, but he's not a ram prospect.

Apples have been falling! The sheep are loving it. I found someone with pigs, he's getting some of the windfall apples for his pigs and chickens, and he's going to give me some eggs!

 

[norseofcourse]

The sheep I've had to worm are doing well. Brosa's lamb is getting scurs, and so is one of Gracie's lambs - which is surprising because both Gracie and Elding (ram) are polled. But, it does happen. I can't tell yet if Gracie's other lamb is getting any scurs, but as I won't be keeping him it won't matter in the long run.

The milking is going well. I now have 7 cups of milk in the freezer! I need a minimum of a gallon for cheese, and I'd prefer a gallon and a half. I'm milking the girls in the same order, and I think they're learning it. Gracie comes in first, although she's just getting pellets now without being milked, because of the wormer. Then Brosa (after I can convince Gracie that she's done). Then Rose (after I can convince Gracie that it's not her turn again... LOL).

Brosa's manners on the milkstand are finally improving! Last night she stood fairly still, after kicking only a little bit. Tonight she again kicked only a little, then stood still. I was even able to set the bucket on the milk stand behind her, and milk into it, and she didn't kick the bucket over! I never thought that little girl would stop kicking...

The guy with the pigs and chickens came and got some more apples, and brought me a dozen fresh eggs! I hate to admit though, but I am so used to store-bought eggs that these are sort of scary... They are not washed, and he said I didn't have to refrigerate them, but I did anyway. I should not be afraid of real eggs!! I will scramble some up tomorrow, I will, I will, I can do this... LOL

Someone should be coming early next week to put a couple of beehives in the pasture - they are his hives and he'll do all the work, and share some of the honey with me. I have seen some bees around this year, but not many. I've heard the harsh winter we had killed a lot of them. I hope they do well here.

 

[norseofcourse]

I thought I'd write about about my knitting adventures...

Most/all in my local fiber guild knit, and I sit and watch in fascination, watching them as hats and sweaters and shawls and little animals and all kinds of things get created as they move those needles. Often they are not even looking at what they are doing. And I listen as they explain a technique or a project to someone, in a language that makes no sense to me. They smile and tell me I'll learn...

One person gave me a lesson awhile back, although it was with the only yarn I had at the time, which unfortunately was chenille (if you're beginnning, never use chenille). She 'cast on', and talked me through some knitting, but it was awkward and hard to keep an even tension, and I put it away.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago. I was at the library, and browsing the shelves saw a copy of "Knitting for Dummies". Ah - that's what I needed! I checked it out and started reading. Slowly . A few things coincided - a project to knit hats for charity had some easy (yeah, right!) patterns. A trip to a yard sale and ten bucks got me enough yarn to make a few people in the fiber guild envious . And answering a craigslist ad (and another ten bucks) got me a wonderful assortment of knitting needles in various sizes and types (of course, missing the size circular needle specified for the hats, so I still had to go out and buy that one LOL).

Knitting, day one: Following the pattern, and guided by "Knitting for Dummies", my first task was to cast on 80 stitches. Tie the knot and put the needle through it - done. Wrap the yarn around your fingers so it looks like the picture - done. Take your needle around this yarn from this direction - done. Then take the needle around that yarn from that direction - done. Then pull the loop tight.... wait a minute, what loop??? The written part was no help. I tried to follow the drawings, but they didn't help either. I moved the needle and my fingers and the yarn in all kinds of ways, creating some interesting knots but nothing approaching what the next drawing showed. I was on the verge of absolute frustration, facing the realization that Knitting for Dummies was too advanced for me, when I finally tried slipping the loop off my thumb - that was it! Well, why didn't they say that?. Casting on 80 stitches gave me plenty of practice now that I'd finally figured it out, but I was done for the day!

Knitting, day two: The pattern called for knitting two stitches, then purling two stitches (confusingly enough, knitting is knitting, and purling is knitting, but knitting is not purling), which were the next two sections in the Knitting for Dummies book. Follow the directions and pictures and knit one stitch. Knit again. Follow the directions and purl a stitch. Purl again. Got it! I got partway through the row, and realized I was working the wrong direction... instead of continuing in a circle to make the hat, I was going back the other direction as if I was making something flat. I stopped and stared at it for awhile, then started trying to take it out and save my initial cast-on stitches - but that didn't work so I just took it all off and started over. Oh well, I thought, at least I'll be able to practice casting on again. I cast on 80 stitches and put it aside for the day.

Knitting, day three: Once again I picked up my work and made *very sure* I had it turned so that I could be knitting around in the correct direction. I re-read the Knitting for Dummies section on knitting and purling, and started. Two knit stitches. Two purl stitches. Two knit stitches. Two purl stitches. I was merrily humming along, sometimes even making a stitch without double-checking the drawings in the book! I got about halfway around the first row and stopped to admire my work. Then I realized that I hadn't straightened my initial row of cast-on stitches - they were twisted twice around the needles. I tried to imagine how I could knit that way. Once again I found myself staring at my knitting... and slowly realizing that I was going to get very good at casting on...

Knitting, day four: I began by unraveling the previous day's knitting. By now, the yarn was getting pretty worn and un-twisted, so I cut off a couple yards so I could start with unmangled yarn. I cast on 80 stitches - this time I only had to check the book to make sure I made the slipknot correctly. Back to the knit and purl sections, which I was also beginning to do without looking at the book quite so much . I finished one entire row and started the next one, and I once again stopped to check out my work (I think I'll stop doing that LOL). It wasn't looking anything like the pictures in the book, or the knitting I see others do - it looked all twisted and tight and wrapped up. Now, the book says that the yarn (off the ball), when you knit, comes from the back of your work. And the yarn, when you purl, comes from the front of your work. But they don't exactly tell you how to get the yarn from the back to the front (and vice versa) when you alternate between knitting and purling (actually, I finally discovered they do - but 20 pages later, way after I needed to know this). So, I was taking the yarn underneath the needles, to the front, to purl - then back underneath, to the back, to knit. Which also wrapped it around my row of cast-on stitches and my next row of knitted/purled stitches. Which really tangled the whole thing up into an awful mess... I stared at it for awhile and wondered, 'well, how else do I get the yarn from the front to the back?', and I finally thought of taking it in between the tips of the two needles (this was before I finally found that bit in the book). I tried out my theory by alternating between knit and purl stitches a few times, and while I was quite happy to discover that I'd finally figured it out, it was tempered by the realization that I was going to have to
Start
All
Over
Again.

Today is Knitting, day five - I'm either going to make a hat, or discover a completely new and creative way to torture yarn. And they say knitting is relaxing!

 

[ragdollcatlady]

LOL!!!!!

I imagine I would be in the same boat if i tried to knit....Just watching my BFF do it super fast makes me dizzy enough to need a nap!

Good luck!

 

[norseofcourse]

My gosh, it's been awhile since I've updated my journal. It's been busy around here!

I'm still milking Rose and Brosa once a day, and they're doing well. They all know the routine, and come right into the milking area when it's their turn. I'm still not getting much milk because I never separated the lambs, but I'm averaging 4 ounces a day (goat people, this is your cue to laugh ). I have a gallon saved for cheese, and another 3 cups for a milk soap recipe. I'm going to get enough for another batch or two of fudge, then stop for the year.

The lambs are growing up! Both of Gracie's twins have the grey pattern, which is kind of a misnomer, because they aren't really grey, it just makes their undercoat come in white. That does make a black sheep look grey, but their base color is brown. Remember how dark they were at birth? I thought they were both black, and look at them now!

I *think* Brosa's lamb might also be grey pattern... his undercoat seems to be coming in white as well. I should know for sure in another couple of weeks.

Had a hornets nest appear right above the door to the run-in area of the barn - at least I didn't get stung when they dive-bombed me and I finally noticed the nest! I chickened out trying to spray them that night , luckily a very good friend volunteered to come the next night and he sprayed them.

Elding came up lame one evening, and I checked him in the daylight the next morning. I didn't see anything in his foot or between his toes. His hooves didn't seem overly long, but I trimmed them anyway, and he was moving much better that evening, and in a day or so was walking fine. I think he got a pebble between his hoof and the pad of his toe.

And, I've added to the livestock! I've often thought about quail, since they also give eggs and seem to be less work than chickens. Someone close by had some for sale, so I went over and talked to her about her setup and all the details about keeping them. I decided to get 6 females . I built a cage out of half-inch square hardware cloth, and got them this past Sunday. Side note - it's amazing how many people who work at a hardware store do *not* know what hardware cloth is! sigh.... Anyway, they're doing well, and should be old enough to start laying eggs in a week or two. I put a container of sand in their pen yesterday for them to dustbathe in, and they loved it! I didn't get any pictures of that, but here is a pic the day I got them:

I've continued my knitting, a little bit nearly every evening. I finished my first hat, and started on a second one. It's going a little easier

Whew, enough updating for now! I'll try not to go so long next time.

 

[norseofcourse]

Last night I got enough milk to total another 1.5 cups, enough for a batch of fudge. So I started thinking, should I stop milking for the year? I now have a gallon for cheese, 3 cups for soap, and enough for one batch of fudge. I pondered this awhile.

Then I went to pour the 1.5 cups into a baggie to freeze it. In the process of getting all the air out and sealing the baggie, I didn't seal it correctly - and I spilled a bunch of the milk onto the counter . "Don't cry over spilled milk" goes the saying... I didn't cry, but I might have whimpered a bit...

I was able to save some, but I lost 4 ounces - one evening milking's worth. So, I guess I'm milking for awhile longer.

Then I rechecked the soap recipe, and it takes 3 *pints*, not three cups! So I started checking other recipes, and soapcalc, and I think I'll make two recipes that call for less milk - about 2 cups each. So, I'll need a bit more milk for that, too.

I don't really mind milking for awhile longer. They are both behaving so well, and Brosa is starting to give more milk, and her teats are feeling easier to milk - her lamb's nursing is helping, or I'm getting better, or maybe both! Milking once a day, in the evening, is giving me about 4 ounces each time. On weekends I can usually fit in an morning milking too, but I only get half that amount in the morning. Still, that's an extra day's worth if I milk both weekend mornings.

I would love to try separating the lambs during the night and milk in the morning - but I am not a morning person. I just got an idea though - I could do that on weekends! I'll try it tonight - I could pen the lambs in the run-in area (or pen the adults in the run-in area). The fun part will be separating the groups. It's worth a try - and it may give me a better idea of how much milk my sheep are really producing.

The quail are doing well. No eggs yet, but they're right about 6 weeks old now, so they should start laying anytime between now and the next two weeks.

 

[norseofcourse]

Step one of my experiment is done! I managed to call all three ewes into the milking pen and close them in there, then I got all the other sheep out of the run-in area and let the ewes back into the run-in. The ewes are fine - they have plenty of hay and they don't seem to mind being separated from their lambs. The lambs are a bit less content... but they'll get over it.

I got enough milk this evening to again complete the 1.5 cup amount, and this time I very carefully sealed the baggie!

The hornets are back One of them dive-bombed me when I made the mistake of going out of the run-in area right under their nest. Luckily he just bopped me on the head, and didn't sting me. I won't take that chance again though (they don't seem to mind me being inside the run-in area, thank heaven, and the person door to the barn is far enough away from their nest that I can use that). I can't spray tonight with the girls in there, but I'll have to get that nest soon.

Looking forward to tomorrow morning's milking!

 

[norseofcourse]

It worked! I'd been getting about 4 ounces, milking once a day in the evening without separating the lambs. If I milked on a weekend morning I got 2 ounces. Well - separating the lambs for the night made a big difference - I got 10 ounces! And if Rose had been earlier in her lactation curve, I'm sure I would have gotten even more. It almost makes me consider getting up earlier in the morning...

Drawbacks - I'd have to get up earlier, and I am not a morning person. Also, I'm using hay, that I normally wouldn't need to use until winter (although they had hay left this morning, so I could cut back on the amount I gave them).
Advantages - a lot more milk! Plenty for a batch or two of cheese, milk soap, and fudge. Maybe even enough to consider custard, ice cream, cajeta, and/or yogurt (or skyr, the Icelandic version of yogurt), or to make it worth skimming the cream and trying butter. I may not need to milk quite as long - just two or three months would probably give me more than enough for anything I'd want to try. I wouldn't need to be home every evening to milk - there's a few meetings/events I wouldn't have to miss.

There's definitely more advantages than drawbacks. It's just that darn getting-up-early thing... I wonder if my boss would let me take a half hour vacation time every day for a couple of months next summer?

 

[norseofcourse]

I managed to make myself get up nearly every morning to milk for two weeks (a few days I didn't milk, so on those nights I didn't separate them). It worked really well! The ewes seemed more willing to be milked, I'm sure it felt good when they were more full. And I got quite a bit of milk! I will be building a pen inside the run-in area to put the lambs in next year, which will make it much easier to separate them overnight and milk in the morning. And everyone will still have access to the run-in area in case of bad weather. I am really looking forward to milking again next year.

And today I got my first quail egg! Just one so far, but the other 5 should start laying soon, too. I'll wait till I get a few more and then I'll make something.
Here's the quail egg next to a 'large' chicken egg from the store: