Turkey Poults

We just got some turkey poults last night. My friend sent some of her turkey eggs to another friend who had them hatched out for us. Two of the three eggs hatched. Unfortunately, one of the poults died during the night. Since we haven't raised turkeys before, I don't know if it was warm enough or not for him (or her). I also noticed a bit of 'pasting up' on his hind end. That may have been part of the cause as well. The one that died was also the weaker of the two poults.

The new turkey poult that was hatched less than 24 hours ago.

We were given an adult turkey last year, but the Number One Rule On the Farm: Be Nice Or Be Tasty. Our son-in-law and daughter came and processed him for us. That was the first time our son-in-law had processed a turkey, but he is a hunter and he did a wonderful job. Yes, the turkey was tasty!

Since we haven't raised turkeys from poults before, I did a little searching to find some links on how to do it. Here are two that I found:

Poultry Pages and How to Raise Turkeys

Our turkey poult are currently inside a plastic tote with a lamp on it. Hopefully he won't be as dumb as people say they can be!

Vet Trip

We ended up going to the vet on Monday. It was an hour drive south of here. The vet was fantastic because he let Vet2Be help a bit!

We took our little sick goat down there to find out exactly what was wrong with him. The vet checked him over and couldn't find anything so he ran some blood work. Vet2Be got to see how to draw blood from a goat (from the vein in it's neck).

Buddy is a S'nubian, his dad is a Saanen, his mom is a Nubian.
He will be 8 weeks old May 13th (tomorrow).

The blood work came back with the white blood cell count twice the normal range, and the red blood cell count less than 1/2 the normal range. The vet said that was an indication of a heavy parasite load and decided to run a fecal exam.

I've run fecals before, but haven't ever been very good at them. Since the microscope is broken right now, I haven't run them at all.

Vet2Be got to see how to run a fecal and he got to look through the microscope. The vet said that the poor little goat was over-run with coccidia. I wouldn't have guessed coccidia at all because Buddy didn't have scours. He could hardly walk and spent most of his time lying down in the sunshine.

We are sure that he had Goat Polio (Polioencepholamacia) a few weeks ago. We also think that is what caused the 'bloom' of coccidia since coccidia love Vitamin B. Buddy had received a number of vitamin B shots since polioencepholamacia is a Thiamine deficiency.

Buddy is still on 2 shots of PenG Max (2cc) twice a day for a total of 7 days. The vet said his white blood count is so high that he is probably still fighting an infection of some sort. He is also being treated for coccidia, as are all the animals on the property.

This is Buddy's mom, Clover.

Homemade Chicken Waterers

It's been a long few days! We are still working at keeping one kid goat alive. I'm afraid we might loose him. If he makes it through the weekend and still looks sick, we'll try to find a different vet on Monday. This is the little one that has goat polio. We thought we had him on the mend, but on Thursday night he looked really bad again. He is on PenG Max, 2ml every 6 hours. Spring is lovely, but tiring at times.

Chicken Waterers
I found a few links for some homemade chicken waterers. A friend who is raising a few chicks asked what we do for waterers. We use the plastic waterers that you buy at the feed store. They've worked well for us when the chicks are little. When they are full sized, we use a 1 gallon bucket. Not invetive, but cheap!

I searched and found a two links that showed how to make homemade chicken waterers. If I run across these 'parts' at a yard sale, I think I will give one of them a try.

Ice Bucket waterer

5-gallon bucket waterer and 5-gallon bucket feeder

Chicks to Chickens

The new chicks are growing so fast. These were born about April 22 (we got them from the local feed store, so I'm not sure of the exact date). That makes them about 2 weeks old now. We bought females, but the accuracy rate is about 98% which gives us a bit of a chance to get a rooster. We seem to always manage a rooster no matter what we try!

Here are the chicks at a few days old. These are Ameraucana chicks and they will lay green eggs (unless they turn out to be roosters!)

They are still on Medicated Chick feed and will be for another two weeks. At that time we will switch them to a Poultry Grower for weeks 5-12. After 12 weeks they will be on lay pellets instead of lay mash. We like the pellets because they tend to eat more and waste less. When the pellets fall on the ground, the chickens can still see them and eat them.

Here is what they look like today. You can see the fluff is almost gone and they are feathering out.

Here is a great online e-book with lots of information about raising poultry; My Pet Chicken.

The chicks we have will eventually end up in the chicken tractor 'working' the garden. They probably won't head out there until they are about 5 weeks old. Until then, they are growing in a large Rubbermaid tub in the barn.

We use old grass hay for their bedding and clean it out every day or two. With only 3 chicks, they don't make a big mess.... yet.

Here is our brood box~a large Rubbermaid tote with grass hay in the bottom and a light hanging off to the side. It is supposed to be better to have a red light instead of a regular light bulb, but we have always used a 100 watt bulb.

Invisible Woman

This isn't farming, but a friend sent it to me today and I thought of all the moms who spend so much time taking care of so much without anyone noticing. It is an uplifting story called, "The Invisible Woman: When Only God Sees" written by Nicole Johnson who performs it at many Women of Faith Conferences.

********************

It started to happen gradually. One day I was walking my son Jake to school. I was holding his hand and we were about to cross the street when the crossing guard said to him, 'Who is that with you, young fella?' 'Nobody,' he shrugged. Nobody? The crossing guard and I laughed. My son is only 5, but as we crossed the street I thought, 'Oh my goodness, nobody?'

I would walk into a room and no one would notice. I would say something to my family - like 'Turn the TV down, please' - and nothing would happen. Nobody would get up, or even make a move for the remote. I would stand there for a minute, and then I would say again, a little louder, 'Would someone turn the TV down?' Nothing.

Just the other night my husband and I were out at a party. We'd been there for about three hours and I was ready to leave. I noticed he was talking to a friend from work. So I walked over, and when there was a break in the conversation, I whispered, 'I'm ready to go when you are.' He just kept right on talking.

That's when I started to put all the pieces together. I don't think he can see me. I don't think anyone can see me.

I'm invisible. It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'mon the phone?' Obviously not. No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all.

I'm invisible.

Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this?

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.' I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again.

She's going... she's going... she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a banana clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.'

It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: 'To Charlotte , with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names.These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.' And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.'

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.'

That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'You're gonna love it there.'

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

Yogurt

Last night I made 1/2 gallon of yogurt before bed. I used the Wonder Box that I made earlier this year. You can learn more about Wonder Boxes and find a pattern for one here. I made two Wonder Boxes so that I could use it for two batches of cheese or whatever I wanted to do at the same time.

Wonder Box with lid on top.

Wonder Box with the lid to the right

A Wonder Box is basically a bean bag chair for pots. It is an insulated 'box' that will keep food warm for a long time. Last night when I checked the temperature for the yogurt it was 100˚ F, this morning it was 95˚F. Not too bad for 10 hours. If I thought the temperature needed to hold a bit warmer, I would have heated up a rice bag that we store in the freezer for a cold pack.

 

It doesn't say on the pattern, but a Wonder Box should be made from 100% cotton material. You could probably get away with a poly/cotton blend, but any fabric that might melt would be a bad idea. You can check to see if a fabric would be safe to use in a Wonder Box by taking a scrap of the fabric and burning it with a match. If the fabric melts instead of burns, don't use it for a Wonder Box.

Wonder Box inside the plastic tub. The yogurt is inside.

I like the Yogourmet starter for my yogurt. I know you can use regular yogurt from the store if it has live cultures, too, but I like the flavor this starter has.

I buy my starter from the local health food store, but you can purchase yogurt starter online, as well.

Here is what the yogurt looked like right before I took it out of the Wonder Box. A friend gave us the idea of storing and using the Wonder Box inside a plastic tub. It works very well. I've also used it inside a square laundry basket. Having the Wonder Box inside another container makes it easy to move. It is also necessary if you are planning on bringing it to a Pot Luck dinner with your dish inside.

Our favorite way to eat yogurt is to mix it with fresh strawberries and a bit of honey. Our yogurt is made from goat's milk, of course! Vet2Be likes his yogurt a bit thicker than regular home made yogurt, so I add a bit of Ultra Gel thickener for him when we mix the yogurt with fruit and honey. Yummy!

How we milk

I wanted to explain how we milk our goats. I get emails from time to time wanting to know how we do it. Although we aren't allowed to sell our milk for human consumption (we aren't a licensed Grade A dairy) we drink and use the milk from our does. Visitors have tasted it and said it is very good. Vet2Be hates when we are not milking because then he has to drink "that nasty cow milk from the store."

I never thought I would like goat mik. I tried it when I was younger and thought it was the worst stuff I had ever tasted. Honestly, our milk is good tasting. It is fresh and creamy! I don't mind drinking it or cooking with it at all. I like knowing where some of the food we are eating comes from, too.

First and foremost is making sure that we feed the dairy goats good feed. The second thing is to make sure we are sanitary when we milk. The third most important thing we do to get good tasting milk is to cool it quickly.

Feed
Remember the saying "Garbage in, garbage out." Good feed usually means good tasting milk. Bad feed, including old hay, may mean bad tasting milk. We feed a good grass alfalfa mix during the day. We buy our hay from someone who sells hay for horses. Old cow hay may be good for cows, but it isn't necessarily what we want to feed the goats. They always have fresh water to drink, too.

We feed a mix of 3 parts sweet oats, 1 part cracked corn, and 1 part steam rolled barley. We feed between 1 and 2 pounds to each goat on the milk stand. "A pints a pound, the world around" is what hubby's grandma used to say. And it is true of grain, I use a 32 ounce beverage cup to measure out their grain into the stand feeder. We also add about 2-3 ml of Prime 90 Horse supplement to the grain mix.

Here are the milking supplies ready to go out. Clockwise from back left: seamless, stainless steel, covered holding tank; blue shop towels; seamless, stainless steel milk pail; sanitizing solution; strip cup (screen lid is in front); and measuring pitcher. The measuring pitcher is usually filled with ice before we go out.

Milking procedure
Bring the doe in (Clover is usually first :o), give her 1-2 lbs of grain plus a mineral supplement on the stand.

Washing the doe
Wash the does udder and our hands with a sanitizing solution. We use Chlorine Dioxide, but you can also use the recipe found on Fias Co Farm. We used that for a long time until hubby started mixing up the chlorine dioxide. (It is great to be married to a chemist!) We like the chlorine dioxide because it is much easier on my hands than the bleach. I use a disposable paper towel (blue shop towels) that we get at Costco. They are a little more expensive than regular paper towels, but they hold up extremely well in the barn. Then I dry off the does udder with clean paper towel.

Checking the milk
We squirt the first 2-3 squirts of milk into a 'strip cup' to check for any abnormalities or problems with the milk. If there are problems (blood or clots), that goat's milk is not put in the holding tank, we take it into the house to check it. Striping the milk out of the teats also 'dumps' the milk that may have the most bacteria in it, so if you get rid of the first strippings, then the milk tastes better. The cat loves it, so we feed it to her!

Milking the doe
Milk the doe into a seamless, stainless steel milk pail (or we use the milking machine when we are getting more than 3 gallons of milk). We bought a Basic Milking Kit from Caprine Supply a few years ago. It has held up reasonably well. I am not too pleased with the aluminum strip cup, but the bucket and funnel have held up very well.

When the doe is done milking, we dip her teats in the sanitizing solution again to prevent mastitis. You can use something called 'Fight Bac' but our does did not like the spray at all.

Record keeping
We weigh the milk and record the amount given. Not everyone does this. But to be honest, it is a good indicator of the health of the doe. If the amount of milk goes down suddenly, there may be a problem and we can keep an eye on that doe. It also makes a good record of how much each doe gives in case we decide to sell her.

I use a regular kitchen scale zeroed out with a plastic 1/2 gallon container on it. If they have more than 5 pounds of milk (more than 1/2 gallon) then I record what fits in the container, empty the container, fill the container with what is left from the bucket, and add the weights together. I round up if there is more than .5 ounces and down if there is less than .5 ounces on the weight.

The milk is then poured into the sanitized stainless steel holding bucket that is sitting in ice water. The milk begins to cool as soon as it is in the holding bucket.

We release that doe and start with the next one.

Cleaning up in the barn
When we are finished with all the milking, we clean off the milk stand with the rest of the sanitizing solution (I don't know if this really does any good since they are standing on it the very next time we milk! But it makes me feel better!)

Filtering, cooling, and storing the milk
We bring the milk into the house and filter it through 2 filters into sanitized 1/2 gallon canning jars. I buy mine at the local grocery store. I also use plastic lids on the milk instead of the metal canning rings and lids. They are easier to wash in the dishwasher and don't rust. The filters we use are standard dairy filters that we buy at the local feed store. I also use a re-usable coffee filter on top of the dairy filter. There really isn't much in either when I'm done. I hate nasty milk or floaties, so I wash the udders really well!

On the left you see the two filters I use for the milk. I use a binder clip to hold the diary filter in place because I lost the ring that holds the filter in the bottom of the funnel. It works better this way because the milk goes through the filter faster when the filter has a bigger surface area. The jar on the right shows how I mark the bottle with the date and any other necessary information.

We put on a sanitized lid and label the lid with the date. I use a Sharpie marker on masking tape, and tape the 'label' onto the lid.

We put the milk bottles into buckets inside the 'milk fridge' that contain ice and water so that the milk continues to cool quickly. The milk is down to 40 degrees within 1 hour (or less) of milking. Our 'milk fridge' is kept a little colder than the house fridge. The milk lasts between 7-12 days without a problem.

This container will hold two 1/2 gallon glass canning jars. Even when there are two containers, the milk cools off very quickly.

All the milking equipment is put into the dishwasher and run through the dishwasher on a sanitizing cycle.

If we are using the milking machine, we clean and sanitize it with chlorine dioxide, a little soap, and water since it doesn't fit in the dishwasher. I use the milking machine when we are milking 5 or more goats at a time.

What we do with all the milk
We have lots of people in the area that are raising puppies, kid goats, and lambs on our milk. We bottle feed our lambs with it, too (it is much cheaper than buying lamb replacer!) Sometimes the chickens like a drink if we have extra. We also drink it, make yogurt out of it, and we make cheese out of it. I've also used it to make soap. We aren't a licensed, Grade A dairy and have no plans to be one since we don't want the expense of building a 'milking parlor' here.

We love the goats, we love the milk, and we love what we learn from having the animals here!