The Carrot and the Strawberry

Carrots, potatoes, a little cilantro, a few

avocados, some garlic, maybe an onion, jalapenos, a few fresh limes, a couple of apples, some strawberries--my grocery list was growing as

I stepped out of the car and into the heat. My 8 year old son and I walked briskly into our grocery store, where over a huge spread of windows above the electronic whir of the entry doors, stood in giant green letters, the words FRESH FOOD. 

I grabbed a rickety cart with a bit of a wheel limp, and my son climbed on to the front of the cart for a fun ride, a big smile on his face--just as always. I'd grab him some strawberries and make fresh cream this week; it's one of his favorites and always keeps a smile on that face. We rolled past the flower section, past the bottled water, juices, and 150 types of soda. Odd, I thought. Things seemed different.

On the next aisle, we slid past the shelves loaded with MSG laden boxes and cans of soup starters and ready-made soups of all kinds. Everything on aisle two was processed, processed, processed, and I soon realized that aisle three was no better--the gluten laden aisle where so many things are soaked in tons of salt and 'spices'--yet another glutamic acid hiding place. 

Aisle four stuck its tongue out at me, and I realized something was very, very wrong. Worry began to peck at me like a hungry hen; didn't I normally skip these aisles? Now I couldn't seem to proceed through the store without going down all of them. It seemed that the fresh food --at least as fresh as you can get in a grocery store these days--was hiding from me. Where were all of the vegetables and fruits? Usually they were at the front of the store, but everything had been moved around, and I saw no fresh fruits, veggies, or tubers of any kind anywhere. 

Annoyed, I found a young clerk and tugged on his shoulder. "Hi! I see you all are remodeling?"

"Ma'am?"

"I can't seem to find the fresh food department."

"The what?"

"Where are the carrots? Potatoes? The veggies and fruits?" 

There was a pause, and finally a response. "Oh! Try aisle 7, 8, 9, 10."

Wow, I thought! Four entire aisles of fresh, raw food? I love my grocery store. Sure, they have a lot of no-good-for-you junk, but four aisles of fresh food is like visiting an outdoor market in summer but in the air conditioning instead of the sweltering NC heat! 

I was truly, and terribly, excited! Dinner was going to be good tonight! The wheels were spinning in my brain and on the cart as I dashed down the remainder of aisle four and made a bee line past the deli to aisle 7. And that's where I found it... 

Boiled, steamed, roasted, grilled, fried, simmered, basted, jellied, jammed, broiled, seared, baked types of every fruit and vegetable from carrots to blueberries stared at me from their little jars. My precious avocados were ground into a pulp in a can and preserved with lime juice, salt, and a list of other chemicals. My cilantro was canned in a jar full of the same chemicals and surrounded by other jars full of basil, oregano, parsley, thyme, and more. The carrots? Baby carrots, carrot slices, diced carrots, whole carrots, carrots with the tops or not--they were all shoved into glass containers or cans. My potatoes--oh... in jars, in cans, and on the shelf above everything were the words "FRESH." 

"Mommy, are you ok?" my son asked. "I'm hungry."

I felt dizzy, like I needed to escape outdoors, so I pushed the cart forward, but when I did, my knees crumbled beneath me, and I slid to the floor. 

"Are you ok, ma'am?" It was the same sales clerk as before. "Do you need some help?"

"I can't ... I can't find what I need."

He helped pull me to my feet, and I gripped the handle of the cart tightly to steady myself.

"What do you need, and I will go get it for you and help you to the front."

"I need strawberries... strawberries for my son. And carrots... I want a carrot... just a carrot."

He smiled and walked away, returning within less than a minute with an even bigger smile on his face. He tossed a bag of frozen carrots and a bag of frozen strawberries into the cart. "There you go--carrots and strawberries."

My jaw dropped, and I sighed. "But I wanted real carrots... real strawberries--not frozen, canned, boiled, baked, peeled, or anything else--just fresh and raw."

"Raw? Oh. Haven't you heard?"

"Heard what?"

"Raw food is dangerous!" He pulled a card from his pocket and began to read aloud. "According to a new study, raw food, including all fruits, vegetables, salad greens, tubers, and many dairy and egg products, are high risk foods, which may cause illness and death. These foods readily grow e. coli, salmonella, listeria, bacillus cereus, and other bacteria. To prevent illness and death, this store chain has now pulled all so-titled 'fresh' foods from its shelves and replaced them with their equivalents, which have been sterilized, processed, and made safe for consumption to the public. No need to thank us. We care about our customers!" He smiled hugely at my son and I.

"But you don't understand," I said. "Don't you know that fresh veggies and fruits, tubers included, are all loaded with the nutrition we need--the vitamins, minerals, and enzymes--to prevent horrific diseases like cancer? Cooking them, processing them, sterilizing them--all of those things destroy the enzymes and reduce the vitamins and minerals available. It's the processed food that's bad for us, not the raw food!"

"Not according to the study, ma'am."

"And what if someone can't eat the processed food? What if someone wants real fresh food? A carrot or a strawberry-- I guess they'd have to grow them."

"Ok, but, the government is actually cracking down on that. You can eat them yourself--that's your life, but don't go selling them or giving them to your kids. That's against the law. It's too dangerous."

I pounded my fist on the handle of the cart. "What?"

"Don't you understand, lady? PEOPLE COULD DIE from eating YOUR STUPID FRESH CARROTS! Do you want people to die?"

"I don't want people to die, Mommy," my son whimpered. "I won't eat any more carrots."

"The heck you won't!" I shouted, and from somewhere deep inside of me, bubbled up a scream, and I couldn't stop screaming, "RAW FOOD IS BEST! RAW FOOD IS GOOD FOR YOU! RAW FOOD IS BEST!" 

And that's how I woke up... knowing that what I am putting in my mouth from my garden, sharing with my family and neighbors, is best. I know where it comes from. It's gathered properly and handled carefully, not tossed around by many hands, sterilized, pasteurized, stored, canned, frozen. It's 'fresh,' 'alive,' and full of nutrition. I'm so glad I don't live in the complete 'dream world' of the fear mongers-- yet.

Our Old/Used/New Playground/Hay Feeder/Nesting Box

 

It's been a while, so I thought I'd post a quickie. We've had an old playground that my son used when he was 3-5 years old sitting around, so a year or so ago, we moved it into the goat area for the goats to play on. They've always enjoyed it! However, recently its use has evolved.

 

A few months ago, I realized that the playground has several areas that are perfect for holding hay. Since then, it has turned into a nice hay feeder to get the goats away from the barn during the day some, which is necessary when it's muddy and muggy. Keeping hay away from the barn is a plus because it means less clean up in the barn area. It's easy to shove hay into the openings in the playground. Those who get pushed around can climb higher into the playground, and it gives them a little 'safety' from the others. Little ones can climb around and play up top or chase each other through the areas under the playground, which also contain nibbles for them to chew on.

AND LO AND BEHOLD! A few days ago, I realized that the playground has now been taken over by a few new inhabitants. Several of my silkichins have decided that the playground 'tube,' which is usually filled with hay, is a great place for them to lay their eggs and nest! I thought, why not! It's out of the weather and easy to clean. So this playground was used to begin with--given to us by friends--and now it has become a huge part of the extended 'family.' It's old, used, and still new at the same time! You can't get any better than that...

 

 

Goat's Milk Clam Chowder-- summer or winter treat

As I meandered down the crowded aisles of the grocery store yesterday evening, gathering supplies for the meals for the rest of the week, I found myself forced to go down one aisle that I always dread--the soup aisle. Why? I, like many people, have a horrible allergy to anything with MSG, yeast extract, hydrolyzed soy or animal proteins, and many of the hazardous 'spices' and 'spice extracts' now found in so many of the soups and pre-packaged soup starters. I have to avoid most of the broths available, either making my own from scratch or paying more for one that is organic and 'extract free.' So, as I walked down the soup aisle, remembering the taste of many of the soups I enjoyed in my childhood that I can no longer have, my eyes settled on a can of New England Clam Chowder. My mouth watered, and I could almost taste cream and potatoes. My son noticed my frown, and asked, "Mom, what's wrong?"

There was nothing else I could do at this point beyond saying, "Mom is going to have to be creative and see if she can create her own version of clam chowder." 

"What's that?"

"You'll see."

Of course, with so much goat's milk sitting in the fridge, it was the perfect opportunity to use some of it! My walk down the soup aisle turned into a good thing after all.

Goat's Milk Clam Chowder

You will need:

2 tsp fresh goat's butter

1-2 tsp additional butter (to taste)

3 green onions, chop, or 1 small onion, chop

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

1 celery stick, diced

5-6 potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 8oz bottle All Natural clam juice

1 can (6.5 oz) clams (BumbleBee is what I used)

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp fresh, chopped parsley (or dry flakes)

1 tbsp corn starch

6 cups fresh whole goat's milk

In a heavy pot, add 2 tsp fresh goat's butter. Heat over medium heat until melted and bubbling. Next, Add the green onions or onion. Cook 1 minute, and then add celery and garlic. Stir fry until onions are translucent. Don't burn the garlic! 

Next, add chicken broth and clam juice to pot, in addition to the potatoes, pepper, and parsley. Cook until potatoes and celery are soft and tender--about 10-15 minutes over medium heat. 

After potatoes are soft, add the corn starch and bring to a boil. Boil for two minutes. 

When two minutes have passed, add the clams and slowly stir in your goat's milk.  

Cook an additional 25-30 minutes over low heat, being careful not to boil and curdle the milk.

You only want it to reduce and thicken, not boil. Have a taste and add butter and salt (if necessary) to your own taste. 

Garnish with parsley, fresh if you have it, and serve!

The end result is delicious creaminess with lots of potatoes and chunky clams! And no MSG!

I intend to freeze some for later. It should freeze well.

Mmmmmmilk! What to do with it...

So now that Firestone Creek has several girls in milk, it's time to come up with extra things to do with it all. On the website, anyone can find several recipes for using the milk in addition to those found in books and online. Of course, it's good to try the recipes yourself and make adjustments, sometimes combining various parts of recipes when it suits needs. The following recipe can be used to make cajetas--both syrup and candy--and sweetened condensed milk.

Mexican Cajeta

One treat that's always wonderful is Mexican cajeta. It can be made at any stage of goat lactation and can be cooked to various consistencies. It is extremely versatile and yummy!  

The following recipe was taken from Rikki Carroll's book Home Cheese Making. I have made a few modifications, including the addition of real vanilla and the option of cinnamon or chocolate. 

You will need:

2 tbsp cornstarch 

   1/4 tsp baking soda

3 quarts whole goat's milk

3 cups sugar      

    1 tsp vanilla   

 1 tsp cinnamon (if desired)

chocolate chips (if desired)

Utensils:

a tall pot (preferable with copper bottom)

a wooden spoon (for stirring)

a brush for washing the sides of the pot

wax paper / jars

To begin, dissolve the first two ingredients in a cup of the goat's milk and stir to remove any lumps. Any you find can be flattened with a spoon and whisked a bit to make sure the three have blended properly. Next,add the remaining milk to the pot along with the dissolved ingredients above and the sugar.

CONTINUE TO STIR as you bring mixture to a boil. 

NOTE: When you reach boiling, the mixture will foam quickly and may breach the top of the pot, making a huge mess and possibly burning someone. BE CAREFUL! It is boiling! Remove from heat temporarily if necessary to avoid boiling over.

Lower the heat just enough to keep a steady boil going, but continue to stir. The mixture will continue to reduce as it boils. This does take some time, but it is worth the wait! After an hour, the mixture should look something like this photo. For a darker cajeta, use brown sugar (light or dark) instead of white sugar. Dark would be more traditional Mexican since it is much more like piloncillo. The brown sugars lend a richer, deeper taste, while the white sugar tastes more like what one would find in commercial cajeta candy. 

When the mixture has reduced enough to thicken  to a dense liquid (as seen in video below), slowly add the additional vanilla.

At this point, it can be saved in jars for several weeks in the refrigerator and used in place of sweetened condensed milk in many recipes for pasteles like dulce de leche. 

To make traditional cajeta, continue to stir and thicken the mixture until it is the consistency of caramel. If cinnamon is desired, it may be added at this point. One could also melt chocolate chips into the mixture, giving it a chocolate-caramel taste.  Allow it to cool slightly and pour carefully into warmed jars (place them in a hot water bath to avoid cracking when pouring the cajeta into them). 

One can continue cooking the cajeta past this point to make candy. 

 Cooked to the firm ball stage, 245-250 degrees (use a candy thermometer), one will have lovely cajeta caramels. Simply spread the mixture out onto greased foil to cool, and then they can be easily cut into sections, shaped, and rolled up in wax paper for easy servings.

One can also make taffy by cooking a little longer or even lollipops by taking the mixture to hard crack stage. To avoid crystalization, add some butter, cream of tartar, or corn syrup when you add the initial ingredients. Wash down the sides of the pot frequently with a brush, too. Both of these will help keep the 'graininess' out of the candy.

Hint, hint!

After one has so much cajeta, what does one do with it? One muy delicioso way to eat cajeta is over vanilla ice cream. Make fresh ice cream or ice milk from your own goat's milk (of course) or buy some. Warm the cajeta syrup in the microwave until smooth and flowing, and then pour this over the ice cream. Top that off with a few sprinkles of flaked sea salt and oooohhh... delicioso!

Una sorpresa bonita (a pretty surprise) and sales

Ever receive a huge box in the mail? Automatically, you think there's something enormous inside--maybe even more than one thing! It's a little disappointing to open the box and only find something small, isn't it? However, I guess it depends on the value of what's hiding behind the four cardboard walls and all in the way that you look at it.

Bella side udder 4 days fresh

NC Promisedland Z Bella, huge as she was, only kidded with one single doeling. I was certain, as were quite a few other people, that she was going to have a minimum of triplets as huge as she was, but no! To our surprise, she only had one girl and then actually regained her girlish figure immediately afterwards. She could still fit in her bikini if she wanted! Yes, I checked; there were no more hiding in there somewhere, and no, she could not have had them anywhere else with one or two evading my sight. She was penned, so it's one baby girl--no more.

Bella and Bonita

Her name is On Firestone Creek SB Bonita (On Firestone Creek UP Sonic Boom *S X NC Promisedland Z Bella); that means "pretty" to anyone who does not have a background in Spanish. I'm sorry to everyone who was on the waiting list, but Bonita is retained. If you want, I can put in a request for more kids next time, but I am not sure she will comply. All I can say is that Bonita is adorable with a great personality, and Bella's udder is very nice for a first freshener, giving me almost 2.5 cups of milk a day while also nursing Bonita, so I am satisfied. Oddly, I actually wanted a buck out of this breeding, but I will take what I got and smile about it. How Bella went from all baby belly to nada, I will never figure out, but it's all good--regardless. I like what I found in the package when it was opened even if it was quite a surprise! Bella's udder has good attachments and seems strong in all of the other areas, too. She is easy to milk, and I may just put her back in the show ring this fall. 

On Firestone Creek R Hazel Nut

Milked out in this photo

I have decided to sell Chapilene's mom, Hazel Nut, due to her small size. She has a decent size udder for a first freshener, but I have decided not to milk her because Chap is so small. I know some people like 'tiny' goats, and she is a small goat that produces small kids. On Monday, I took Chap, Butternut, and Pistachio to Third Street Veterinary Clinic  in Siler City, NC, to be disbudded. Chap only weighed 2.5 lbs at 9 days of age while Butternut weighed almost 9 lbs at 2 weeks old. Big difference there! So On Firestone Creek R Hazel Nut is available for $350 in milk. She is small with nice length of body, dairy neck, sharp withers, good legs, wide escutcheon, and a nice udder (shown above) with good attachments and plumb teats. She would be a great addition as a pet (to a home with other goats) or to a zoo or park. She is super friendly and loves attention, and she is a good mom. *BONUS: Mention that you saw her on my blog, and I will give you a reduction in price. :)

In closing, I want to say congrats to Firestone Creek PAL Palisade who is doing quite well at Proctor Hill Farm. Her newest udder pics are taken--third freshening and three years old--and they are completely AWESOME!

Palisade
 Photo courtesy Addie Pepoli

I have to say I am definitely one proud mama of my Pali girl and waiting to see what future generations out of her will produce. I'm hoping she gets in the show ring soon and that she earns her star on test this year. From the looks of this udder, I don't think she'll have any problems! Both of her daughters ( here and at Run Joey Run farm) have similar looking udders on their first freshenings. 

Palindrome

Next up to kid are Sunnee (Rosasharn cross) and Palindrome, who looks like she is going to pop soon with twins, maybe? Both are developing nice FF udders with plumb teats and good attachments. I have to say that I am very happy with the kids this year so far, including all of the does! Please see our for sale page because we do still have some does and doelings (bucks, too) for sale and possibly more in the future.

Spring is buzzing!

Well, as I write this, NC Promisedland Z Bella is in the kidding pen. 

Bella's Baby Belly! 

I don't know whether she will kid today or not, but it would be great if she did! She's linebred to On Firestone Creek UP Sonic Boom *S, so I am crossing my fingers (believe it or not) for a buckling that is as well put together as Sonic's dad, Uproar, and one capable of producing lots of milk. After Bella, Sunnee and Palindrome are up for their part in the show. Palindrome looks like she is going to burst any day now. Both are due around mid-June. After that, it's Karamu's turn, along with Blanca and Namby (our experimental meat/dairy goats). So what can I say besides babies, babies, everywhere, and these are going fast, so if you have any interest, please contact me to get on the list.

In addition, I wanted to say that I'm proud of On Firestone Creek PALisade for kidding with triplets at Addie Pepoli's farm (Proctor Hill Farm). She had a rough delivery, and one of the little doelings almost didn't make it. Then the same doeling had problems with her legs, probably from being all cramped up because PALisade isn't a huge doe. Well, the doeling is doing terrific now, and she will be joining us here at Firestone Creek in the summer. Her name is Pure Joy; there was no choice but to name her that because, as you can see (below right), her name is spelled out on her side!! Palisade will be

Proctor Hill C Pure Joy
(Challenger and Palisade daughter)

staying with Addie, and hopefully she will earn her milk star this lactation! Her udder looks fantastic this freshening, and her progeny are looking very nice, too. Her daughter Firestone Creek R Minnie Me kidded with triplets a few weeks ago, and her udder is impressive, especially on a first freshening (see below). She is now living nearby at Run Joey Run Farm along with Jody's Girl, who is also reaching high production as is her daughter. Jody gave me around 8 cups of milk right after freshening while also feeding two kids. It's her fourth freshening, and she is producing well. Her daughter, Til Lee, born at Run Joey Run Farm is also producing very well with several kids on her. 

On Firestone Creek Farm Minnie Me

These lines go back to Hollywood out of Lost Valley. While they could use better attachments, which I hope to see in future kids, the teat size, ease of milking, and production is definitely there! 

On a sad note, Minnie Me's sister, Palabra, who is still living here at Firestone Creek, kidded a few days ago with a very large doeling that was dead at birth. She was overdue by about 6 days, so I was worried about that happening. She is a smaller doe, and she has been butted around a bit by a few of the larger girls. I think the doe was probably dead a couple of days. I assume that is probably what happened. She's sad, and I'm sad, too. I started milking her though, and so far she has very good production and excellent attachments and placement. I wanted to make sure I at least milked her some just to get her used to it. 

Other things going on around here:  
1) gardening and composting
2) recycling of several things around the house
3) vermicomposting

Glad summer is almost here! 

Kids, Kids, Kids!!



Firestone Creek M Pistachio



Firestone Creek M Butternut



 

Well we officially have babies at Firestone Creek farm!!
 

It's nice to have some milk around here again! I'm excited to start making yogurt and cheese and fudge (even though I don't need it!!!). On Monday, Acorn and Nutmeg kidded--Acorn, 1 big doeling named Butternut; Nutmeg, a buckling and doeling, the latter named Pistachio. Unfortunately, Nutmeg surprised me with the delivery, and I missed the birth, so I wasn't there to help her with the delivery. We lost the little boy, probably because she had them so quickly. I had just checked her maybe 45 minutes beforehand and no babies, but suddenly there were kids! Both of these doelings are blue eyed. They are doing well and are available. I would love to see the red and white go to a show home because she looks really good--excellent topline, very dairy skin, long and wide, and mom's udder has perfect placement of easily milkable teats with large orifices, good separation, and strong medial. I would like to see better side attachment, but I hope that paired with Mesa that will be improved with Butternut. :) She is $300 as is Pistachio, who is also a nice girl. I just tend to favor the red and white.

Chap

There's also a tiny buckling, Chapuline (it means grasshopper in Spanish, and we call him Chap; he's about as small as a kitten right now) out of Hazel Nut X Mesa that is also available. He's a chocolate and white, and he's been on the bottle some already. He will be available as a pet only for $100. I also have an Alpine/Nubian/Boer mix buckling available for pet/meat that is 2 months old now. He's very good size. Price is negotiable so contact me.

If you visit my website, Firestone Creek Farm, you will find more info on animals currently available, including some adults. For instance, Hazel Nut may be available after weaning/sale of Chap. I will probably consider the sale of Palabra since I will have a 1/2 sister here out of her, soon, and since I also have access to her full sister, Minnie Me, through John at Run Joey Run farm. I will still have that line. Palabra is due any day now (actually the 22nd), and her udder looks really good, but she is also a small, refined doe, and I prefer a larger doe (just my preference). Muddy Creek Panama is also for sale, as is her son, Bo, and Old Mountain Farm JZ Arizona's son, Mesa, who is the father to many of the kids here this season.

Bella will be kidding soon with Sonic's babies! I am looking forward to that, so you will be hearing from me soon!

Outside work and a goodbye

Well, it has been a good day, but a bittersweet day, too. I spent the morning with Jose and Mikey; Jose had to go to work, and Mikey went to a friend's house, so I decided I would spend the rest of the day working on the garden, getting things ready for spring planting, and on the barn, getting things cleaned up a bit there.

I am planting part of this year's garden using raised straw bales, so hopefully before long I have lots of strawberries, squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes, watermelon and more, all outside of my back door. I stacked the bales for now, but I am thinking I am probably going to move them around so I get more use out of them.

I spent part of the afternoon working around the barn, putting out minerals for the goats and giving the goats and chickens mineral blocks, which they absolutely adore. They need lots of copper right now, and I am hoping this will help some since I want to wait a few more weeks before bolusing everyone (more to come on that). I change light bulbs around the barn, and then I checked the fence and fixed a few places that needed it. The chickens tend to dig where they shouldn't, and the next thing I know, I have a hole that needs fixed! I also secured the fence on my gates in a few places; it has been needing that for a while. After that, I made a small fire to burn branches and other odds and ends that have been lying around the barnyard for weeks.

After the fire was going good, I dug into one of the old compost piles in the barnyard. I hauled about five loads of composted manure and plant material that has been 'seasoning' for about two years now to the raised beds behind the house and threw it in there. Now I just have to till and work the ground. The peppermint, some green onions, parsley, and lemon balm is still hanging around from last year's garden. Speaking of last year, over half of the garden came back on its own last year. I planted green peppers, and that was it! The tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions came back on their own. I'm wondering if the same will happen this year. I want to try to go organic and non-gmo this year, so just in case, I am thinking I will till up everything to make sure I don't get anything popping up from last year's crop.

And on a sad note, as I was cleaning the barn and trying to fill in holes where the chickens were trying to relocate themselves to China, I noticed some pink on Panama's nose. I couldn't figure out where it came from, so I started looking around, and then I found some blood under her tail, too. I looked around to see if I could find a baby anywhere, but I couldn't, so I am thinking she aborted early or is in the process of it right now. She's not contracting or anything. She would have been a little over two months along, due in June. I have no clue what has happened unless she's been fighting with Queen Cozette; that is always possible. Cozette is getting ready to kid soon, and she's a cranky butt, ramming everyone when things don't go her way, which is quite often. That's the only thing I can think of that could have caused it; everyone else seems fine. Panama was standing at the buck pen, wagging her tail before I came in the house, so I guess she knows what's going on. She seems sad, and I know that feeling. :( Poor girl...  and goodbye little one or little ones.

Until next time...

Spring and Silkichins

Splash Silkichin at Firestone Creek Farm

Spring?!?

So spring is almost here. It can't get here fast enough! Jose, Mikey, and I are tired of the cold weather, and so are my chickens and goats. The cold doesn't bother me as much as the mud; sometimes I think I need to invest in a pair of stilts to keep my shoes out of the muck and out of the house. I find myself sweeping and mopping several times a day!

We're awaiting the birth of goat kids. We got a late start this year, so we have kids due mid-spring, which is not the norm. We are watching all of the girls here at Firestone Creek Farm get chubbier every day, but we won't start seeing udders for a few more weeks, I guess. We do have a Nubian/Alpine/Boer cross that is expecting, but I have no clue when she will deliver; no one wrote down the date when she was bred! The lady I bought her from said sometime in October, she thought. Obviously she wasn't bred here, since I, like most other Nigerian breeders, obsess over due dates and write down everything. HAHA! So, I do know when everyone else is due, but for her, no clue! I guess you will see pics when she kids. She is developing a very nice udder though, so I am hoping for plenty of extra milk to get the season started. I am ready for some yogurt and paneer! I am very thankful that we decided to hang on to the goats and not sell everyone. :) I'm a happy girl!

Silkichins

The original blue Silkichin hens, Betty and Bessie

A lot of you know that I started developing my own breed of chicken several years ago. Lots of people have mixed breeds, but I specifically bred my show Giant Cochins to my show Silkies to come up with the Silkichin that I am breeding today, which is now in its 4th generation and onward. Yes, the first breeding was an accident. However, the birds I got out of that breeding were so beautiful that I had to keep breeding these, especially after I realized the benefits of the breed. 

Not only were these birds beautiful, but they were good layers and fantastic moms, in addition to the roos being quite docile. I had problems with my Cochins, who would only hatch two to three eggs and then hop off the nest and head for the hills. They were good moms, but only to the extent that if you had hatched, you lived. Anyone that hadn't hatched, was doomed. The Silkies on the other hand, would sit... and sit... and sit... and yes, sit some more, until the eggs all hatched. I thought, "Wow! What great moms they are!" But then, after everyone was hatched, the death count began. The mom would walk off, leaving these teeny tiny babies to chase after her through the grass, over fallen branches, through the barnyard mud, and everywhere else. I do free-range my birds because it is healthier for them--at least all of them except the Silkie babies, who would refuse to let me catch them, but would end up dead by goat hoof, mud puddle, or some other means in the weeks that followed. If it weren't for the Silkichins, I would have resigned to hatching everything myself, and since I don't always have a lot of time to do that (and flip eggs several times a day), I don't think I would have lasted long with raising chicks. The Silkichin stepped in and changed all of that. 

Silkichin caring for kittens while nesting

I can spend all day telling you how good a Silkichin is at mothering, or I can show you. Betty, above, laid a single egg in the barn, and one of the cats had kittens about three feet away from her around the same time. When the cat went out hunting, leaving the kittens behind, Betty decided the kittens were abandoned and hers. She pulled all of them to her nest and tucked them under her with her egg. My son was gathering eggs, and found the hen with one egg and four kittens. He said, "Mom! She already hatched four kittens, and there's still one egg left!" Well, Betty never discriminated. She kept caring for the kittens. In this photo, they are about a week old; she took care of them like this until they were crawling off on their own. The mama cat just nestled right in beside of her to feed them because Betty refused to give up part of the care! Silkichins are very serious about their job. They lay, sit until they hatch as many eggs as possible--usually all of them, and then fend for their babies, watching over them, taking excellent care of them! The only problems I've ever had is with them stealing each other's babies... haha! They will readily care for any orphan, and you don't need to sneak the chick under the hen at night either like most breeds. Just give it to her, and she will take it. They are the moms and foster parents of the chicken world.

In addition, the second most amazing thing to me is the docility of the rooster. We had Buff Orpingtons when my son was two, and one day as he was walking through the barnyard, one of the Orps jumped up into his face and flogged him. It scraped him along the side of his eye and around his nose. It left a scar; it is still noticeable today, and he is seven now. Of course, the roo met a quick demise and was digested over the next few days by all of us, including my son, in the form of my mom's wonderful chicken dumplings. However, it frightened my late husband and I enough that we sold all of the Orps. The Cochins, too, would occasionally get a 'wild feather' and decide to follow me or my son around, waiting for a chance to jump on us. I even had a little Silkie roo do it! Sure, he was small, but spurs HURT no matter what the size is. To the contrary of these other breeds, I swear I have never had a Silkichin roo try to follow me, my son, or any other person. They are completely docile with people, and never try to do this. They are very safe around children. I do have roos try to tango with each other on occasion, generally over hens, but at least they know to keep it to their own species! In fact, both the hens and roos are docile enough that they can be petted while feeding them. My son loves doing this.

Recipes

I'll finish this post off by adding that I've added a few more recipes to my website. I'll probably blog them here, too. You can see them by visiting the recipes page.

Gotta run! Have a good day, and stay dry and warm!

Angie 

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