Teresa & Mike CHS - Our journal

[B&B Happy goats]

Actually the pears with blue cheese sounds awesome Mike, ......

 

[Bruce]

We almost have enough sliced okra in the freezer to last through the winter

An empty bag in the freezer would be enough to last me through the winter

 

[B&B Happy goats]

An empty bag in the freezer would be enough to last me through the winter

 

[farmerjan]

I cannot abide the taste of blue cheese. Have tried it every way anyone ever has used it, always said that maybe there would be some way I could like it. But no, never have. So I do other things. As much as I am a milk person, I am not a huge cheese eater. I like mild cheeses, swiss, white american, mild cheddar, provolone, colby, some others, but don't even care for cheese on a hamburger. Would rather eat a piece of cheese than have it "mixed " or melted on things. Maybe because I feel like it masks the taste of the "plain food" ? I will do some cheese grated on a salad, like it on chili and things like tacos, but don't like it as a sauce (broccoli w cheese sauce). Weird I know. I like alot of my food more plain. I like ricotta in some things, and like cream cheese, and will eat some things that people make that have cheese in them but probably would not make for myself.

I have also found that I dislike cooking for myself more and more. I guess it is the eating by myself thing? Didn't used to mind, but now it just seems like it is a big pain to cook for just one person. Maybe I need to find a room-mate/housemate? Actually the joke years ago was that I needed a good "wife" to do alot of the house stuff so I could do the outside stuff. There are things I like, but the cooking for just myself lately has been on the bottom of the list. And when I do feel like making something, it usually is something that I don't have everything handy to use......

 

[Mike CHS]

Our log book for the sheep was overflowing so we did a lot of data transfer today as well as work the fecals we took the other day, That plus we are tracking info going back to our original sheep. Two of them have not needed worming since we got them almost three years ago and they have passed that immunity down to their daughters. No data on their ram lambs since they have either gone to market or in the freezer. Our second generation ewes are doing as well for most of them. We have had to worm 6 of the 45 ewes but they had an egg count just above acceptable. We need a few more cycles with those that have been given only garlic to see a positive number there. Twelve of that group of ewes have not been wormed since early last year and that was one worming when they were young lambs.

Of the current crop of lambs, all of the ram lambs needed worming but they weren't extreme except for one. We have found that literally all of the lambs need to be wormed from 3-5 months of age and they then develop more immunity. Of the youngest (8) ewe lambs still isolated, they all have good parasite resistance except for Taffy and she was bad enough to wonder why she was still alive. She was full of Barber Pole 3 times in a row so we did the extreme worming last time and she is now clean but going to market.

 

[Mike CHS]

We go through around 5 gallon bags of okra a season but I like to make a lot of Cajun dishes plus okra and tomatoes is one of my favorites.

 

[CntryBoy777]

I like okra almost every way it can be fixed...I grew up on it and never get tired of it....must be a southern "thang"....cause Joyce only eats it fried.....whata ya expect from a Michigander..........I know what ya mean @farmerjan , when Joyce was staying with DD3, for over a year, I experience the same issue....and I was raised on "nothing goes to waste".....I started fixing regular portions and freezing some....course, has to be good reheated....but, at least ya won't have to cook that day anyway......I always like "options" when it comes to leftovers for days on end...or a "daily chore"....
That really says alot about your decisions, choices, and "eye" when they are selected for the flock....and the hard work, sweat, and labor of getting there.....cause it sure didn't get like that by "chance".....and it will only get better too!!....

 

[Bruce]

Of the current crop of lambs, all of the ram lambs needed worming but they weren't extreme except for one.

Where is the dam for that one on the "how often she needs to be wormed" scale? Meaning, is that ram lamb from a "trouble" ewe rather than a "rarely if ever has a high count" ewe?

 

[Beekissed]

Actually the joke years ago was that I needed a good "wife" to do alot of the house stuff so I could do the outside stuff.

I used to say the same thing! Raising three boys as a single parent and people would say, "You need a husband!" and I'm thinking inside..."No, what I really need is an extra me, a wife". Doing all the housework and such while I work and do all the outside work...I had, even that long ago, lost trust in men to actually DO all the outside stuff or even to go to work and bring home the income.

 

[Mike CHS]

Where is the dam for that one on the "how often she needs to be wormed" scale? Meaning, is that ram lamb from a "trouble" ewe rather than a "rarely if ever has a high count" ewe?

We have gotten to the point that we expect lambs (all of them) to need worming but we still don't worm them till we know the load. There was two ram lambs that we didn't worm the previous time since they looked great and the FAMACHA score was also great. Wrong again but they carried the load with no visible affect. The worst of the bunch are the lambs from two of our registered ewes and our spotted ewe but even they have gotten better. I would need years to know the cause of the improvement but I'll take what I can get.