I haven’t touched this blog in 3.5 years. I still can’t say why I have held onto it, when I have not felt a desire to write in all that time. Yet, here I am. Trying to cobble together my thoughts in an attempt to help process the recent events I have been struggling with.
Three weeks ago tomorow I said goodbye to three sows. They represented half of my small breeding herd, two generations of breeding, and a whole lot of time, effort, and love. For those that know my girls by name, I said goodbye to Bri, Mandy, and Jenny. It was planned for months, which allowed plenty of time to prepare emotionally, and I was unwavering and absolutely certain in my decision and the reasons. Still, it broke my heart and left me in a bad state mourning the loss of my beloved sows even though I still know it was the right thing to do.
The Necessity of Culling
Culling is a necessary evil for the betterment of breeds/species. In the homesteading or farming world, it is common practice and is an act of love. Choosing to care for, steward, and be responsible for livestock is hardly easy, and there is a reason a lot of people aren’t cut out for it. For most of us that shoulder the responsibility, we love our animals, want to do right by them, and are passionate about our chosen species or breed. Some admittedly more so than others. Ultimately, we want them to have good lives and be happy, healthy, and productive as long as possible. For those who don’t homestead/farm, they may struggle to understand how you can love and care for an animal day in and day out and then turn around and make a decision to cull. It can be difficult to convey that it is for the betterment of the species, the breed, the welfare of the animal and/or future progeny, and for the longevity of the homestead/farm. Some inexperienced onlookers see it through a skewed lens. They are quick to write you off as heartless, accusing you of “using the animal up”, or only caring about your bottom line. My personal favorite is the unsolicited Disnified alternative solutions that are offered. “Wouldn’t they be better off if X or can’t you just give them to X”. No, no they wouldn’t, and no, no I can’t. Again, the lack of experience is blatantly obvious as they do not understand the grass is not always greener, and some fates are far worse than death. Horror stories upon horror stories exist of animals that are given away or sold as a “pet”. I would never, ever subject one of my animals to that fate.
Unless you’ve experienced the heartbreak of the decision much less the follow through, you can’t possibly understand the toll it takes. Particularly on a small homestead, even more particularly when it is an animal that was born and raised on your property. Even MORE when she has served you well and it an act of compassion. It can be heartbreaking, soul crushing, and excruciatingly painful… even when it is the right choice.
Culling is for the greater good. When it isn’t practiced bad genes, poor temperaments, crappy moms, inferior performance, unthrifty animals, bad conformation, etc gets perpetuated in the gene pool. Translation: the bad traits that are a detriment get passed onto the next generation . Not every animal is cut out to be a breeder. Just because an animal has its respective reproductive parts does not mean it should use them for a myriad of reasons. The betterment of the breed, the species, and the genetic line should always be front and center in your mind. Is this animal going to take my herd forwards, backwards, or maintain? Not all animals are going to be superstars and take your herd to the next level, but still these are questions that should be asked.
As the old saying goes “breed the best and eat the rest”. It’s short, catchy, and rings true. If humans weren’t in the equation to interfere, natural selection would be the driving force at work weeding out the inferior as opposed to people. In the natural world, if a sow is such a terrible mom that she consistently lays on and crushes her litter, well, she won’t have many or possibly any surviving piglets to perpetuate her line would she? Nature has its way of weeding out the weak. Instead, some humans despite this glaring offense that screams “not fit for breeding” continue to knowingly breed her. Or, even worse, sell her to some poor unsuspecting victim.
Not all culls are cut and dry. I sure wish they were. It would make decisions far easier, and dull the heartbreak. It is a hell of a lot easier to have to say goodbye to an animal with a nasty or aggressive attitude. The one that’s final offense was the last straw, and you’ve adopted the “don’t let the door kick you on the way out” mentality. This is a stark contrast to bawling your eyes out and repeatedly screaming “I’m sorry”, cradling your deceased beloved mama who has been nothing short of wonderful in every way, knowing you saved her from an inevitable and painful decline. I have experienced both, and will take the former over the latter any day.
The Why
Now onto the reason that I’m sure most of you clicked on this blog post. The “why”. What was my reasoning behind my choice to cull Bri, Mandy, and Jenny? Three sows, three different track records, three different histories, three very different reasons.
Baby Bri
Bri had all the promise I could ever hope for out of a gilt. She had it ALL. The growth, the obvious heats, the incredibly laid back personality and strong maternal instinct. Then, she went on to farrow 12 piglets in 65 minutes completely unassisted her first litter, and weaned all 12. I had stars in my eyes and thought I had a true rockstar on my hands. Unfortunately, it was all downhill from there.
Ever since weaning her first textbook perfect litter, Bri has been a notorious problem child. A sweet, endearing, and absolutely loveable problem child. The one that allll the weird and unexplainable things seem to happen to. The one that you’re always trying to problem solve or troubleshoot. Why she isn’t settling, why she lost her pregnancy, etc. She has been my special case for years. The one that always gave me something to figure out and left me scratching my head. I would be lying if I said I regretted the work and effort I put into her. She is the first sow that I had to truly investigate and figure out the cause for many repeat services. I sleuthed, came up with a theory, executed a solution, and solved the problem. She went on to give me Geillis and Mandy that next litter.
After that, the writing was on the wall and part of me knew it would only be a matter of time before I couldn’t continue to make excuses. It wasn’t if, but when. I have never had a sow with a better temperament or personality and there was no greater mother than her. She loved her babies harder than anyone, and even ones that weren’t hers.
Unfortunately, being an absolute rockstar of a mom isn’t good enough if you fail to breed back and/or have trouble doing so. I simply couldn’t count on her, and when everyone gets bred and carries to term without issue it becomes glaringly obvious it’s a problem at the individual level. The final nail in the coffin so to speak was failing to breed back for a fall litter last year, then settling on a fall breeding for the following spring, miscarrying the litter with no obvious cause as to why, only to get rebred and have a whopping three piglets. An animal that weighs 665 lbs takes up a lot of space and feed. In one year’s time she gave three piglets and ate nearly 1 ton of food herself in the process. Unfortunately, even though she was the sweetest thing ever, I couldn’t turn a blind eye to the fact that she was dead weight any longer.
Overall, I lost a lot of money on keeping her around as long as I did over the years. But, working through her problems taught me a lot that I otherwise wouldn’t have had the opportunity to learn. I will be better equipped to identify and solve problems early not only in my own herd, but also for those in my Patreon that I support thanks to her. I do not regret my choice to work through the problems as long as I did, nor do I regret the decision I ultimately made to say goodbye.
Mandy
Mandy was one of the replacement gilts that I kept out of Bri’s second litter along with her sister Geillis. I was really excited about the Large Black sired girls, and everything that entailed from a maternal instinct standpoint. There was no lack of that to inherit from Bri, but adding in Large Black genetics too? I was sure that was a recipe for success. Confession: I actually only wanted to/needed ONE gilt and I had fallen in love with Mandy and her pink splotch on her nose just like her mother. But, she would need someone to grow up with as a companion, and I thought well, might as well keep two girls just in case one doesn’t pan out. That is the only reason I kept Geillis and thank God I did.
Everything leading up to Mandy’s first farrowing screamed promise. Her growth rate was incredible, she was hardy and an easy keeper, absolutely sweet as could be with a laid back personality, wildly strong and obvious heats and settled on first service. As a gilt, her underline resembled one more like a second or even third parity sow, and I was chomping at the bit to see what she was made of when farrowing came.
She farrowed middle of the night. Piglets came out like rapid fire just like her mother and I was on cloud 9 watching her quickly pass piglets unassisted without moving much less getting up. The dream state quickly turned into a nightmare. Once a good chunk of the litter was born, squirming to the udder and all around her making noise, she came unhinged. Full blown psychosis. Snapping at/biting piglets, lunging at them, trampling them, and literally spiraling out of control. Some were immediately killed by being trampled to death, and the rest I saved by swooping in and scooping them up as quickly as I could.
This is not uncommon behavior out of gilts unfortunately. To make a long story short, I worked some magic to calm her down and she did accept her babies. She loved them hard, was an absolutely fantastic mother, and weaned every single piglet that I scooped up and saved their first traumatic night of life.
With how well she did after the farrowing itself, I gave her another shot. Again, these things HAPPEN with gilts. Because she quickly accepted and loved her babies after the fact, I was certain it could be chocked up to #giltproblems. If it happens as a gilt it by no means is a guarantee it will happen again.
She bred back right away without issue, and then her second and final chance came. Unfortunately, round 2 went much of the same. Rapid firing of piglets only to start biting them and tossing them across the room combined with spiraling out of control. A full blown 550lb tornado out of control with me scooping piglets up, trying to save them and whisk them away from her. Then, much like the first time, when the dust settled, she turned into a completely devoted and nurturing mother.
What was wrong with Mandy wasn’t fixable. She had textbook perfect nutrition as a gilt as well as throughout gestation, no stress environment, etc to set her up for success. What she had was a hormone regulation problem, and was dependent on ME to externally regulate her through farrowing. It was a HER problem, and the only thing that could be done would be for me to have to be there for every farrowing to save piglets and band aid the situation until she got through it and calmed down. This is a trait that is unacceptable in a breeder. If I hadn’t been there both times to intervene, I cannot image the bloodbath I would have walked into the next morning.
Again, I do not regret my decisions I made. I gave her a second chance and I am so happy I did because it just as easily could have gone another way. Unfortunately, it didn’t. But, I know I set her up for success and gave her every opportunity to prove herself. Sadly, she just didn’t have the goods and I had to do what was right and say goodbye.
Jenny
There simply are not enough pages on this blog to sing Jenny’s praises enough. She was an absolute rockstar of a sow in every way imaginable. I have shared plenty on my Instagram about Jenny’s impressive breeding and farrowing history, and I am going to bank on that if you’re reading this you have some understanding of her history. Simply put, she was an absolute powerhouse and a monster breeder in the best way possible. Very fertile, prolific, milky, maternal, and ultimately just a wonderful sow. I could always depend on her. To settle on first service, to bring the litter size, and to have a high weaning rate. She had it ALL and over the course of her seven litters she had an average litter size of 14 (range 11-17) with a born live to weaning rate of 97%.
I have said for years on my Patreon that Jenny’s undoing would be her knees, not her performance. She was the second gilt I ever kept for myself and while I had learned a lot by the time she came around, I still made some mistakes. Mainly, I didn’t set her up for success with proper bone mineralization for longevity. If she were a less prolific or milky sow, her body may not have ever had to pay for my mistake, or at least maybe not so soon. But, that’s not how things worked out. Those large litters and heavy milk production come at a high price, and unfortunately, her body wasn’t properly prepared and paid the toll. With each litter, I saw her knees knock more and more. Her body was breaking down and the writing was on the wall.
This past winter when she far along in gestation, she struggled to walk on the pitted and bare frozen ground without snow as insulation and cushion. She couldn’t leave the shelter because it hurt her too bad to walk on the uneven ground. This meant she couldn’t walk to her water source. So, for a week I lugged buckets multiple times a day to hand deliver her food and water praying for snow so that she would be able to leave. Snow finally came, and she was once again able to leave her shelter.
Several weeks later after she was moved into the farrowing area and had her 7th and final litter, much of the same happened. I didn’t have to deliver her food and water due to the infrastructure, but it quite literally was painful to watch her walk. It was very clear she was hurting despite not carrying the massive weight of her litter anymore, and it hurt me to watch her. I knew she wouldn’t have another winter in her. I bawled like a baby sharing videos of her walking in my Patreon gutted that my prophecy from years ago had come true and I had to do what was right by her. I didn’t have a choice. She had been so good to me, and I owed it to her to do right by her. This meant I couldnt be selfish and keep her around knowing the pain she was in, how hard the previous winter was, and that it would only be a matter of time before she went lame. She deserved better after everything she has done for me and I cared way too much about her to let her suffer. She deserved to go out at the top of her game coming off a carefree summer versus injured and suffering.
August 3rd, 2024
When you get down to it, I have very basic hopes for my animals whether they are a culled breeder or one that is destined to be a feeder from the start. I want them to be born here, live here, and die here. I don’t want them to ever know mistreatment, stress, or suffering. That’s all I ask, and at the end of the day it isn’t too much to ask for.
The easiest thing for me to do would have been to load Bri, Mandy, and Jenny on a trailer and send them off to a processor. Save myself the pain, and not have to see it for myself. But, that would have resulted in an incredible amount of stress for them leaving the only home they have ever known. Easier for me, but harder for them. I believe so strongly in my most basic hope that I would knowingly put myself through more anguish and heartbreak to spare them stress and suffering. Truly putting my beliefs and ideals to the test.
I am NOT knocking those that send animals off to a processor. Do not read between lines that don’t exist. But for me, that was never an option, it didn’t exist. The only option was for them to die at the only home they’ve ever known, without stress or a worry in the world. Thanks to my friend Hogan at Kerev Butchery, my beloved sows got exactly that.
I will not go into the details of their death, but all that matters is two things:
- I was there with them and for them in the end
- It couldn’t have gone anymore textbook.
They died instantly with me by their side, the one face that has been the constant day in and day out over the years. I was there when they were all born, every day in between, and I was there when they died. It was painful for me to be there, but again there was no other option for me. I needed to set my heartbreak and pain aside and put their comfort and needs in those final moments above my own. It was me that they knew best, me they were most comfortable with, and me that should be there. It was every bit as emotionally excruciating as you may imagine. I bawled, whaled, was an absolute mess, and I knowingly put myself through that for them. The last act of love I could show them.
There was not one ounce of suffering or stress experienced on their part. Ultimately, that is what I am most grateful for and I will forever be thankful and in Hogan’s debt for that. I couldn’t have asked for better for them, and as soon as it was done I felt an incredible wave of relief wash over me knowing that it couldn’t have gone any better.
It has been almost three weeks since I said goodbye, and I still miss them terribly. But, in a sense they are still here. I look around at my gilts and sows, and I am reminded that they live on in their daughters. Every time I look at Geillis, I see Bri in her eyes as well as her sister Mandy. I see some of Jenny’s early personality traits in her daughter Maggie. While they may be gone, they will live on in the generation I have, the ones that are still to come, and will never be forgotten.
This past December my new milk cow Lassie gave birth to her highly anticipated 3rd calf. Fortunately, I was able to be there to catch the live calving on video seen below.
Lassie’s due date (based on 278 day gestation for a Jersey) was December 2nd, and she ended up calving on the 7th. As soon as she was a day or two over her “due date” I assumed she was carrying a bull calf, and was proven right. My Moocall calving sensor gave me a notification when she had high levels of activity, to ensure that I didn’t miss the big event.
Thanks to all of my preparations while dry to prevent milk fever, I am happy to report that we didn’t have any issues. This whole experience truly was as good as it could have possibly gotten for my first calving. I largely have her health and high level of care before arriving here, and my continuation of that during the dry period to thank for that.
My love and deep appreciation for Lassie has continued to grow as she has filled my milk bucket every single day all while raising a strong and healthy calf.
Hypocalcemia also known commonly as “Milk Fever” (MF) is a metabolic disorder that affects newly freshened animals. It can commonly be seen in goats, sheep, and cows, and is particularly more prevalent (though not exclusive) in dairy breeds. Typically dairy animals that are high producing breeds and/or older cows are most at risk for developing MF. With that being said, there are many factors that can come into play. Some breeds being more prone than others, body condition during gestation/calving, and of course the biggie, nutrition. There is no guaranteed 100% way to prevent milk fever – hence this being my “prevention” plan. Emphasis on those quotations! However, there are many things that can be done to help reduce the chances. When I knew I was going to bring Lassie home, I immediately started working with my vet on a MF “prevention” plan. With some helpful suggestions from Zack at Orb Weaver Creamery as well. Like so many things when it comes to animals, proper nutrition reigns supreme, and is a critical component to reducing the chances of MF.
What is Milk Fever?
First things first, Milk Fever is a misnomer, as a fever doesn’t actually present when a cow/goat/sheep is affected by it. So let’s just get that straight right out of the chute. In its simplest definition, hypocalcemia is ” a deficiency of calcium in the bloodstream”. In a nutshell, what happens is leading up to calving when the cow is dry her body has a low demand for calcium production. This causes the parathyroid hormone that’s responsible for calcium mobilization to go into a somewhat dormant stage of sorts. Then, right around calving, her body has a sudden onset high demand for calcium for the calf and to produce colostrum. This demand is 8-10x more than what her blood requires, and is more than can be achieved through diet. When her body cannot meet the demand, she goes into homeostatic failure.
Calcium is vital to smooth muscle contractions, as well as proper rumen and cardiovascular function. In its clinical form, the cow can quickly lose control of muscle function. This makes her unable to stand and she goes down, ears go cold, rumen shuts down, abomasal can be displaced, coma occurs, and death can quickly follow. In its subclinical form, the symptoms are not as severe because the disparity between the body’s production and the requirements is not as large. However, it is equally important as statistically it is much more prevalent than clinical MF and is responsible for loss of milk production. The cow is also at a higher risk for infection such as mastitis or secondary metabolic disorders.
The Dry Period
A proper diet to prevent milk fever starts as far back as the dry period. Most will dry off their cows 2-3 months prior to their due date. This time of no milk production allows the cow to recover from lactation, while putting the nutrients and energy into her growing calf.
A mistake that can be made during this dry period is that cows are fed the same as if they were still in milk. This should not be the case. While lactating, cows are fed a high calcium diet to meet their bodies demand whether that be in the form of calcium-rich forages such as alfalfa and clover, a grain ration, and mineral supplementation. As I mentioned previously, while dry, a cows requirement for calcium drops significantly. By continuing to provide more calcium than needed via diet, the parathyroid that is responsible for calcium mobilization goes into a dormant stage. Then when the call for high calcium is put on the body at freshening, the parathyroid struggles to snap out of this latent stage to meet the demand.
The goal during the dry period is to reduce the calcium. So, if you’re feeding alfalfa pellets, stop. If you’re providing a mineral supplement that is high in calcium, stop. If you are feeding out legume rich grass hay and can possibly help it, stop. The key is to reduce calcium intake so that her body goes into a slight calcium deficient state. By being slightly calcium negative, her parathyroid doesn’t go into that dormant stage to begin with. Which means that when her body says “we need a lot of calcium, stat!” it’s already active and can more easily mobilize the calcium in her body and ramp up production.
At the suggestion of my vet, I am taking all of the measures I mentioned above. Low calcium mineral (1.25%), minimal legumes, no alfalfa. In addition, starting right around the 21 day mark prior to calving, I am feeding out a specific “pre fresh” grain ration. It is specifically formulated to provide the vitamins, yeast, and trace minerals her and her growing calf need, while specifically being designed with MF in mind. Dietary Cation-Anion Difference (DCAD) diets are also popular and something I heavily researched, but my vet suggested that for my single milk cow it was unnecessary and so we went the aforementioned route.
At Freshening
The goal is to provide the best prevention diet during the dry period to set her body up to naturally ward off MF on her own. However, things don’t always work out as planned. Depending on your location, maybe your cow is on pasture when she’s dry that is loaded with alfalfa and clover and you can’t avoid it. It happens. For me, Lassie is dry in late fall/early winter when I am starting to feed out hay, so I have a bit more control over what she eats by feeding out different cuts.
Maybe you have followed a low calcium diet to the letter, but just want that little extra added bit of insurance. That’s me! I am big on doing everything I can to prevent something (especially as serious as MF) from happening in the first place and if I can spend $20 for something that’s going to make all the difference, I’ll do it.
Bovikalc is a calcium bolus that I will administer immediately after calving, and then again twelve hours later. It has two different types of calcium: calcium chloride for immediate absorption and use, and calcium sulfate for slower absorption and sustained use. The administration of the bolus will provide the additional calcium her body needs at freshening if her body is struggling to mobilize calcium on its own to prevent the deficiency. It’s like a calcium insurance policy and is $20 very well spent.
Despite doing everything I possibly can to set Lassie up for success and to prevent milk fever, it still could very well happen. There are no guarantees! So, I will still be very diligent and observant of any early signs of MF and will make no hesitation to call the vet. Milk Fever is literally life and death and a cow can go from having cold ears and standing, to down and comatose in an hour. It is nothing to mess around or gamble with.
Like with anything else, there is more than one way to skin a cat. This is the route that I have chosen to go after much diligent research on my end and conversations with my vet. Some may use an oral paste after calving versus a bolus, fine. Some may feed a different diet, that’s fine too. People have different opinions on how things should be done, and I’m certainly not toting my way to be the best or only way, just merely sharing what I do and why. Here’s to a hopefully uneventful calving in just three short weeks!
Happy Calving,
Today feels like the end of an era. After many talks with my husband, serious reflection, and hard thinking on the direction of our homestead going forward, I sold my beloved dairy goats. My Nubians Ruby and Rory to be specific, and they are getting picked up today. We originally got started with home dairy a few years ago, and for many reasons we went with goats over cow. They were 100% the right choice for us at the time, and have served us well the past few years. I owe so much knowledge to them, and they have repaid me with all the milk for delicious recipes.
But, not all animals are permanent. Some you raise and love, and they are a standing member of your homestead/farm forever. Others you don’t particularly care for and are here and gone. While others, are temporary stepping stones along the homesteading journey. They become a source of your knowledge, confidence, and the lessons they teach you and the mark they leave stay with you long after they’re gone. This does not make them any “less”. Dairy goats for me are the latter. I learned so much from them about fencing, housing, and most importantly, keeping a dairy animal. Deciding to sell them was no reflection on them, or anything they did wrong. If anything, how good they are is what made this so much more difficult. It would be an easy decision if they weren’t such good girls. What it was, was a necessary step to take our homestead in the direction we desire.
A cow has always been the end goal for us. I want the heavy cream, and the abundance of milk to fatten our pigs and offset our feed costs. We have no allergies or intolerance in our household, so goats are not our only option from a dietary standpoint. But, for all the reasons mentioned in my blog post on our choice to raise goats for dairy, they really were our only logical option before. But, things have changed. After spending a few years clearing our land and creating pasture, and creating even more this year for next spring, we have reached the point where we feel we are able to sustain a dairy cow.
We are practical people however. We cannot and do not want to have a cow and two large dairy goats that aren’t producing milk. Not to mention our Nigerian Dwarf males I am selling as well. The reason why I am able to give every single one of my animals such a high level of personal care and the best in terms of nutrition, is because I am intentional with who we keep. If I had twenty goats “just because”, the quality of care would suffer. I couldn’t feed organic 2nd cut hay, provide the chelated mineral supplement, or the organic grain ration to that many animals. With greater numbers, the quality of care would suffer. To me, it’s quality not quantity.
Every animal here (except for Wyatt 
) serves a distinct purpose, and we don’t need four goats to help with clearing. Our two Nigerian Dwarf does Audrey and Alison are still needed here for this, and so they are staying. But the two Nubians as well? It just didn’t make sense, so we had to choose. Pursue a dairy cow now, or continue down the dairy goat road and acquire the necessary breeding stock for our existing does. This would just mean more goats to sell later. So, we decided it was best for us to bite the bullet and go through this transition now.
It was not an easy decision, but one that had to be made. I know that I made the best decision for us going forward. As far as Ruby and Rory are concerned, before listing them for sale I made them a promise. I would not allow them to be separated, nor would I sell them to a farm that was any less in terms of accommodations they were used to here. I can’t bear the thought of this bonded mother-daughter pair being split up, or them being confined to cramped accommodations.
Not only did I come through on my promise, but I am not ashamed to admit they are moving on to bigger and better things themselves. They are going to the Remick Country Doctor Museum Farm in New Hampshire where they will become part of their new goat milk CSA program. Not only are they moving on to a farm bigger than our small homestead, but they will be fulfilling their higher purpose of providing the community with fresh goats milk. They will be well cared for, and have no shortage of attention or pasture to run in. I couldn’t have asked for a better home for my beloved girls.
Send in the Cows
Behind the scenes I have been looking for a Jersey cow on and off for the past few months, and got really serious about it over a month ago. First of all, I cannot get over how difficult of a time I had finding potential quality prospects. I’m not entirely sure what I expected, but the process has been more difficult than I anticipated. I scoured Craigslist, called farms, asked everyone I knew, put it to Instagram, etc. I came up empty handed a lot.
We had an ideal scenario that we were looking for. We wanted to avoid a heifer (never calved) at all costs, because we wanted a cow with some experience under her belt. We also wanted to steer clear of a cow that wasn’t already bred back. I am still working out the details of AI and talking to my vet about it, so I didn’t want to have to scramble. Plus, if an animal hasn’t been bred at this point in September, we wouldn’t be looking to calve until late next summer, which just doesn’t work for us. Why would I want a dry cow during the summer when I have my feeder pigs and quality pasture?
The biggest part of the hunt of course was the quality of the cow. A family milk cow can serve you for many, many, years in a homestead setting. And if properly cared for, can be productive into their late teens. I want this long term relationship, and wanted to get it right the first time. So, I was doing my homework, asking the questions to weed out the cows that wouldn’t work for us, or had more question marks than answers. I wasn’t afraid to take a pass on a cow I felt was a risk even if it meant not finding anything.
Finally, the Jersey Cow gods took pity on me and sent me a lead via an Instagram follower (thanks Natalee!) who personally knew some farmers that were selling some of their bred cows. I wasted ZERO time making the 7+ hour round trip visit to Orb Weaver Creamery in Vermont to meet Zack, one of the owners. They’re a farmstead cheese creamery that raises Jerseys, and specifically breeds for udder longevity, high butterfat, and high protein. Check, check, check. Upon my arrival, it took me all of five minutes to decide that I needed one of their cows.
As if the bucolic setting wasn’t enough, I consider myself a good judge of character when it comes to what kind of stewards people are to their animals. Maybe it’s because I’m a helicopter mom myself with my livestock, and am fanatical about their care. So, perhaps I recognize some of these traits in others. Whatever the reason, I see when people care, truly care, and that is reflected in the quality and personality of their animals. While standoffish with me being a stranger, the cows were affectionate and personable with Zack as he showed me around. He knew everyone’s name, age, individual personality quirks, and who would be the best “hand milker” for me in terms of teat size and milk flow. I didn’t just want a cow, I wanted one of their cows.
A Bonny Lass
Based on the personality I was after, the size of our homestead, and being a hand milker, Zack already had a few prospects in mind for me. One of which was Lassie who immediately caught my eye. Lassie or “Lass” as I will surely refer to her as, is a 4 year old cow who is pregnant and due in December. This will be her third calving so she is old enough to have the experience we were after, but is young enough that she has a lifetime ahead of her of productivity.
One of the first things that I noticed about her was her shorter stature in comparison to the others. In comparison to other dairy breeds, Jerseys are smaller but can range in size from a mini (which I didn’t want) to a standard size. She is 47″ at the withers, which puts her right in that mid-sized range we were after. Given our smaller homestead, this is the sweet spot. The other thing that caught my eye was those hand milking teats. One thing Zack cautioned me about just in general education when looking for a cow, is the teat size. Because so many dairy farms milk with machines, larger teat size has largely been selected against in breeding. While teats will get larger with each calving to an extent, like I experienced with my dairy goats, some just naturally have larger ones than others. This is a mistake I was not going to make twice, and her larger teat size was a major selling point for me.
I left Orb Weaver and thought about Lassie the whole way home. When I got home, I couldn’t stop talking about her or Orb Weaver Creamery to my husband. Then, when it came time to go to bed she’s all I thought about. I woke up the next morning, and put down a deposit on her. She is officially mine.
So, where do we go from here? We are in the process of doing some infrastructure changes in preparation to bring Lass home. When that will be, I am not sure of yet. We are knocking out the dividing stalls of our goat mini barn and opening it up, siding in the overhang, reconfiguring fencing, and figuring out a covered round bale feeder. Lots of moving parts and things happening, but we are very excited about it in anticipation of bringing our first milk cow home.
It is a bit nerve wracking for me, starting over with an entirely new species. But, I know I have a mentor in Orb Weaver, and I will figure things out and make it work just as I always have in the past. I am anxious to start bonding with Lass, and am looking forward to the strong bond we will develop over the coming years. I am hopeful and excited for this new adventure ahead, and hope you will stick around to watch it all unfold!
Moooooooo,
If you have been following me on Instagram this summer, then you already know we decided to completely overhaul and expand our existing farrowing barn. We knocked down the right wall, doubled the sized, busted out and re-poured a new concrete slab, hard wired electric, put on a metal roof, and completely redid the fencing and configuration of the paddock. It was a bit of a project, but it is officially complete and it feels great to have such an awesome set up in place.
If you follow closely, yes this farrowing barn is now our third revision. Our first set up we used when we had zero experience whatsoever. Some things worked, most things didn’t. Enter our second set up, based on things learned from the first. We tossed out the dog kennel creep and went with the “pitched roof” style, and increased the size. It worked well for us, but there were some functionality aspects that could be improved. Plus, it was only big enough to accommodate one sow. Because we have retained several gilts for breeding to increase our operation size, we needed something bigger. Hence the doubled in size farrowing barn.
Below is a video tour where I walk you through the setup. At least as much as I could in the 15 minutes allotted to me by Youtube. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to read the previous posts that I wrote on each version. We didn’t start out with this set up, it took a few years of trial and error, and failure. While it may not be perfect, based on our previous experience we think it’s quite fitting for our needs.
We are extremely excited about this new farrowing barn set up and all of the piglets that will be born here in the coming years!
Happy Farrowing,
Farrowing season is a very exciting time on the homestead, and personally is my favorite of all. It can be a bit nerve wracking (especially that first time) but just like with kidding, a well stocked farrowing kit is a safety blanket that makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Our vet that “treats” pigs is over an hour away, and to be honest I have more experience with farrowing than they do. I have learned the hard way some of the difficulties and issues that can arise, but I’d be lying if I said that my farrowing kit hasn’t saved piglets lives.
I detail the purpose of many of the items in my kit in my post on caring for piglets from birth to weaning, but not all. And some of the items I discuss in that post are not in my “farrowing kit” because they aren’t relevant to the farrowing or moments surrounding it, but later down the road. In addition to all of the items mentioned in both, there are medications I have accumulated over time that are multispecies and not necessarily “pig specific”. When you raise enough animals, there is a natural build up of medical supplies.
When I refer to the farrowing kit, I am referring to what is by the door waiting for me to grab on my way out when we have a mama in labor. As always, let this be my disclaimer this is what I use and have accumulated over time. There may be things that you may need that I don’t use, or vice versa.
What's In the Kit
For the Piglets
- Mistral Powder
- Nutridrench for Pigs
- Iodine with spray nozzle
- Puppy Pads
- Frozen Goat Colostrum and small syringe for administering (not “in” the kit but something that I always have in the freezer in case a piglet needs a little extra help)
- Livestock Marker for marking litters
- Chlorhexidene Solution
The mantra around here for any baby being born is “dry, dip, drench, colostrum”. Mistral powder is used to dust on the piglets and dry them off (this is most important during winter farrowing not so much summer or fall), spray their cords with iodine, give them a couple pumps of Nutridrench in the mouth, and make sure they get that oh so important colostrum. The mistral powder is used for drying versus rags or towels, but I do keep some puppy pads in my kit to wipe my hands off as well as to help stimulate and revive piglets that are born close to death.
Chlorhexidene solution is always good to have on hand in any kit in the event of a cut or abrasion. I did have a piglet born with Epitheliogenesis Imperfecta. While it can be severe enough that the piglet should be euthanized, it wasn’t severe enough that didn’t clear up on its own with some antiseptic. It can come in handy.
For the Sow
- Thermometer
- Chlorhexilube
- Shoulder length disposable polypropylene gloves
- Slapshot with various size syringes/needles if you need to administer meds to an agitated or ill sow
- Oxytocin
- Nutridrench
- Molasses/Corn Syrup
The administration of Oxytocin is another protocol that some feel very strongly for or against. While I do agree that it is very much mis and overused, there are circumstances where I do believe the benefits outweigh the risks when properly administered. I try to use it as an absolute last resort measure if I suspect there may be a retained piglet or placenta. For me, if I’m faced with the risk of infection and sepsis in my sow or administering a dose of oxytocin, I’m going with the oxytocin.
If I think the farrowing is over but I have not seen the placenta pass after quite some time, I will first sleeve up and go in to see if I can feel any piglets blocking the birth canal and pull them. If the birth canal is clear, and after more time there is still no placenta, I administer a dose. For several minutes after administering a dose, the hormone strengthens smooth muscle contractions which can help pass a retained piglet/placenta.
Throughout the farrowing I will occasionally give the sow some Nutridrench to help keep her energy up, and give her bumps of selenium that helps release the placenta naturally. You can also use molasses/corn syrup as well, that can be poured into the mouth or rubbed on their gums. Fortunately we have always had relatively quick labors that only last for 2-3 hours. But, if things aren’t moving along so quickly it can last as long as 8. So, a boost of energy to keep things processing along can prevent stalling.
Generally speaking, when it comes to farrowing for the most part the sow will get the job done on her own. I however am always of the mentality “I’d rather have something and not need it, than need something and not have it”. Especially considering our vet is largely useless when it comes to farrowing, not to mention over an hour away. Even if they were helpful, the chances of them getting here in time to be of any use are slim. Even more especially since farrowing always seems to happen here during the wee hours of the morning, when no one is awake much less open!
The ideal scenario for farrowing let alone any birthing is that mom does it all on her own unassisted, and without issue. Obviously this is the gold standard everyone hopes for. Sometimes no matter how good of a mother you have on your hands, or how good things have gone in the past, stuff just happens. We all need help now and then, and these are living animals we are talking about! We breed pigs to provide a source of feeders for our own consumption, as well as to sell to fund projects on the homestead and offset feed costs. So, I want as many healthy and live piglets as possible, and if that means occasionally I need to lend a hand, I will do it. It is for this reason that I always have my farrowing kit stocked and ready on hand.
Happy Farrowing,
If I could eat a single food every day for the rest of my life and never get sick of it (in addition to meat) it would be ice cream. More specifically, this homemade frozen vanilla custard ice cream. Technically, ice cream and custard are two different beasts. Ice cream is made with cream and sugar, and must contain a certain percentage butterfat, while custard is cream, sugar, and egg yolks. Again, meeting the same butterfat requirements as ice cream, but also a percentage of yolk. But, I don’t get too hung up on the specifics because they’re both ice cream to me, just different types.
But, custard “style” is so creamy, thick, and absolutely lovely that is really is different than regular ole’ ice cream (I love you too ice cream!) It has such an old fashioned taste and I’m completely obsessed. It reminds me of Hanks Frozen Custard, an ice cream stand I used to go to all the time as a kid that has been in business since the 50’s. They exclusively make and churn frozen custard on site and it is out of this world. Thankfully, it’s incredibly easy to make at home with some very basic ingredients.
Let this be my disclaimer: use the BEST quality ingredients as possible. While I believe this should always be the case, it is in recipes such as this where it’s minimal ingredients that quality makes all the difference in the world. Your milk should be full fat, your eggs from pastured birds with bright orange yolks, and your cream should be from cows (or goats) eating that summer grass. This will make all the difference in your frozen vanilla custard ice cream.
I like my custard to be subtly sweet with the help of a little raw sugar. Good cream will provide the custard with much of the sweetness on its own. I have tried recipes that called for double the amount of sugar I call for, and found it almost inedible. In my opinion, this combination provides a custard with the perfect amount of vanilla, right amount of sweetness, and oh so creamy taste.
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk (cow or goats milk)
- 8 free range eggs – yolks separated
- 1/2 cup raw sugar (suit to your taste and cream sweetness! My cow’s cream is naturally much sweeter than when I purchased it previously, and so I use 1/4 cup now)
- 4 teaspoons vanilla paste
- 2 cups high quality heavy cream (**see note below)
Directions
- Add egg yolks and sugar to a medium saucepan (NOT over heat) and whisk until fully incorporated and lightened in color. Set aside.
- Add milk and vanilla paste to a separate saucepan over medium heat until it starts to steam. Don’t boil or simmer it.
- Temper the eggs by constantly whisking the yolk and sugar mixture and add heated milk a tablespoon at a time at first, working up to a gradual pour. Tempering heats up the eggs without scrambling them, so add very little initially and work your way up to the whole saucepan.
- Return milk/yolk/sugar mixture to stove over medium heat. Constantly stir with a rubber spatula until slightly thickened and coats the back of the spatula. Remove from heat.
- Add custard mixture to a sealed container and stick in the fridge. It needs to be completely chilled before using, the longer it sits in the fridge the better! It will be thicker, creamier, etc. Once it’s completely chilled, add the heavy cream and shake to combine.
- Bust out your ice cream maker that you still have yet to return back to your best friend, and add your vanilla custard base to the bowl. Remember to shake it up and get all that vanilla that has settled to the bottom! Allow to churn to your desired thickness, my sweet spot is 20-25 minutes.
- Put on your elastic pants, sit back, and prepare for the most delicious frozen vanilla custard ice cream you every consumed.
Happy Custard Eating,
In May of 2016, I met the other future love of my life next to my husband and I didn’t even know it. We were doing the first showing of our house and made our way into the garage. The garage was tidy and neat, and then there under the stairs under boxes of junk I saw her…
Underneath the boxes was a rusty, dusty stove that clearly hadn’t been used in quite some time. I knew nothing about stoves, was it busted beyond repair on the inside? Was it worthless? I had no clue. But I turned my head to our real estate agent (aka cousin) Crystal and said “this stays with the house no matter what”. Clearly I had already made up my mind we were going to buy the house. I had no idea the deep love affair that would come about.
Well, we bought the place, and some time passed. If you follow me on Instagram you know that our place and property has been quite the project and kept our hands full. Money to restore a stove wasn’t exactly top priority, so she continued to sit in the garage. Unused and covered in boxes. I would go out occasionally, check in on her, give her a good look over, and whisper sweet nothings into her rusty nickel warming shelves. Her time would come soon enough, but we weren’t quite ready for her.
After several months I started to get curious. I had no idea what I had in the garage, if it could even be restored, and if it could, how much money it would cost. After some quick googling, I found a local stove guy that specialized in antique stove restorations. Seemed like the man to call. So, I did and what proceeded felt like an episode of antique roadshow.
“You have a WHAT? Does the number on the back left say 8-20? And it has all of the nickel warming shelves, the side shelf, AND the queens shelf?” David (who would soon become “my stove guy”) was in shock. He couldn’t believe that not only was I in possession of a Villa Crawford, but that it was complete with all of its shelves, burners, and without any major visual defects or damages. In his over forty years of business, he has seen three…THREE! He demanded I send him some pictures to confirm, and I did. Turns out that I had a true rare gem on my hands. I was that person that showed up for an appraisal with some crummy old vase expecting $20, was worth $20,000, and had “no idea what I had”. Turns out I was sitting on a gold mine. Okay, maybe not that extreme, but still it felt very Antique Roadshow-esque.
I made it my mission to give this stove a complete restoration, and look like the day she left the foundry. So I saved, and I saved, and saved. I saved for two years. Then, our existing subpar kitchen woodstove developed a major structural and safety malfunction in the late spring of 2018. Not worth repairing, we were in need of another woodstove. It was time for Lady Crawford to shine again.
This stove underwent a complete restoration, down to the nuts and bolts. It’s more solid than the day it left the Crawford Foundry in Watertown, Mass in 1898. It was sandblasted to remove all rust and residual paint and debris before being repainted in a period correct finish. The nickel was re-plated. Any cracks or breaks within the stove itself were reinforced and welded. The firebox intended for coal, was converted to wood with an extender added to accommodate longer logs before being reinforced with fire cement. Each burner that was “worn out” had a metal bar added to allow the handle something to grab onto to lift them. There is not a corner of this stove that wasn’t inspected, reinforced, and refinished.
A Brief Little History
So you’re probably thinking what makes this stove so special? Aside from the sheer beauty of it, it is pretty incredible. Prior to 1900 these stoves were functional works of art. Intricate scrollwork and filigree, with raised emblems, and totally nickeled out. The amount of detail in this stove is unbelievable. From 1900 on, the stoves went more steamlined as this was the “modern” direction people were going. Filigree and raised scrollwork gave way to flat surfaces, and they became pretty plain. Nice functional stoves, but you certainly don’t look at them and go “wow”. This was what was appealing at the time.
Now, here we are over a hundred years later and these pre-1900 stoves are highly coveted for their level of detail and “fanciness”. But, the timestamp isn’t the only thing that makes this stove so special. It is COMPLETE with no missing major components. Typically, these things got moved around over the past hundred years with the addition of modern gas/electric stoves into peoples kitchens. These wood burners would get moved out to a garage or barn much like where we found ours. They get neglected, bumped by a tractor, shuffled and moved around and things get lost. Most commonly the removable shelf on the right as well as the top “queens shelf” were the most common victims of this. They are removable, so they easily get bumped off and lost forever.
Not my Lady Crawford. I didn’t know it when I saw her sitting there in the garage for the first time, but with the exception of the kick plate and simmer trivet, she was complete. Aside from the fact that this is such a rare stove to begin with, David could not believe the condition that it was in. Thankfully being an antique stove restorer, he has quite the cache of random original parts and during the restoration replaced the kickplate and simmer trivet. Both original Crawford items.
Another incredible thing about the stove? The heat indicator is not only clean and clear like the day it was made, but it works. Due to being exposed to the elements and severe fluctuations in temperature, the glass on these is commonly cloudy and hazy, full of condensation. And even more commonly, they just plain don’t work. Despite the stove being kept in a garage for who knows how many years, it is perfectly functional and clear.
A Modern Twist
You know how when you’re burning in your woodstove and you get that awesome bed of glowing red hot coals and you think “man that would be awesome to grill over?”. Well, with one little modern twist you can!
David has a cast for the standard opening seen in Crawford and Glenwood Models where the two burners over the firebox lift up and out. So, what did he do? He made a grill insert that fits perfectly over the firebox. The ductile iron pan is slightly pitched down to allow the juices to collect in the reservoir on the left side with a pour off spout. Once you get a good bed of coals, you open the drafts (this will suck any smoke down, out, and up your chimney) throw this baby on and you can get your grill on in the middle of winter. Wood fire grilled chicken breasts in January by the comfort of my warm stove? Yes please!
Another incredible invention that didn’t come about until several decades after this stove was made, was the multi burner lifter. Wood is loaded into the firebox from the top, and there are two burners and one middle plate to remove in order to load. When this stove was built in 1898, the only way to load was to individually lift each burner and the center plate out with the single lifter, load, and then put each one back. So, we are talking six lifts per load. Tedious much? Post 1900, and don’t quote me on this but I wanna say it was around the 40’s, a new lifter was invented that allowed you to lift all three at once. You have a good enough grip to be able to hold it as you load your wood and then place it back. Amazing how such a simple design can make such a difference in the practicality and use.
My love for this stove knows no bounds, and I am just as amazed by it two years later as I was the day it came back from the restoration. I told my husband that my final wish is to be cremated in it 
The number one question I get asked is it’s it horribly inefficient? People equate old to inefficient or subpar. I will fight anyone on this topic – modern stoves have nothing on this girl. This is coming from the person who ripped out two Woodstove Soapstone stoves to put in hundred year old Crawfords. They just cannot compare in craftsmanship and design. Its design turns it into one big cast iron radiator that allows it to pump out the heat as well as the food all winter long. The best seat in the house is right next to the stove, and is usually where you can find me with knitting needles in hand.
If you’re interested in a video walk through and the ins and outs of how the stove works, what does what, etc, I highly suggest you check out my IGTV video walkthrough below, and all things #villacrawfordstove on Instagram.
There are loads of different ways to preserve tomatoes. I don’t know if there is another vegetable that is as versatile when it comes to canning as the homely tomato. While I may be largely falling out of love with gardening the more I raise my own meat, there are a few staples that I will always grow for storage and/or preserving. Onions and potatoes for storage, corn for freezing, and tomatoes for canning.
My Nana is the one who taught me how to make sauce several years ago, and to this day I still do it the way she taught me. Like pretty much everything else in my life, I have taken the foundations I was taught and expanded upon them. This has led me to new varieties of tomatoes as well as new preparations for me to preserve.
I preserve different tomato types in different ways depending on which they are best suited for. Some make better sauce, others hold their shape better for diced, whole peeled, etc. You will find what varieties you enjoy growing most and for what purpose. Like anything else worth doing, it’s as lot of work, but having shelves full of every type of tomato style you need in the dead of winter cannot be beat!
This post is not a “how to preserve” post that tells you how to can every different type. But, a post to highlight some different ways to preserve tomatoes. Hopefully this gives you some new ideas you have never tried before
Types of Preserves
- Sauce: I would say that this is the most versatile of ways to preserve tomatoes. For sauce, I reserve my family heirlooms for their tenderness, incredible sweetness and flavor, as well as paste types for added thickness. I can my sauce plain/unflavored that way I can use it for whatever I want. Spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, lasagna, goulash, ratatouille, soup, the possibilities are endless! Sometimes you want it spicy, sweet, or a little acidic. I don’t want to box myself into a flavor profile off the bat! Not to mention tomatoes are not the same year after year. Depending on the garden season’s weather, sometimes they’re naturally sweeter, other times they’re more acidic. There is no “one size fits all” recipe that will work year after year. Also, flavors develop as they sit on the shelf in the jar, and I may not like what I get. I prefer to incorporate fresh flavors after I’ve cracked that jar open and taste as I go depending on what I’m making.
- Diced: Another pantry staple for everyone, diced tomatoes come in handy for anything and everything (read versatile!). Rice dishes, slow cooked meats, soups, stews, or even a chunkier sauce can all use diced tomatoes. For these, a firmer tomato is ideal, as it will hold its shape during the dicing and canning process.
- Crushed: Now, this is where things get a little tough on distinction. Crushed versus puree, well, I don’t see the difference with store-bought . Some say crushed are chunkier, whereas puree is well, pureed! But, I have had my fair share of “crushed” tomatoes that are a distinct pureed consistency, much like my sauce. So in my world crushed = chunky. Whole peeled tomatoes, cooked down and pulverized with the potato masher into a chunky, yet soft consistency. Crushed can be used in many of the same dishes as diced, so I used the same tomatoes with a few family heirlooms thrown in the mix. The crushed aren’t as firm as the diced, and are a saucier consistency rather than the distinct diced tomato pieces. Think somewhere between a sauce and diced.
- Whole Peeled: Whole peeled definitely have their own place in certain dishes where you want the distinct whole tomato intact. I use mine in thick stews, pulled chicken, certain pasta dishes, and mexican rice. For whole, San Marzano or another type of paste tomato is ideal because they are firm, have minimal seeds and gel, and don’t break down when canning. They hold their shape and hold up well to all the handling and heat through the blanching and canning process. They are a pantry must!
- Salsa: Salsa is much more than just a delicious dip for tortilla chips. It can also be added to burrito bowls, as well as pulled chicken or turkey!
- Soup: I absolutely love tomato soup. Combined with grilled cheese in the dead of winter, it makes for one of my all time favorite comfort foods. I have a very particular taste for it though, and I don’t like it “vegetably”. For me, tomato basil soup is the only way to go. I have always made it in the middle of winter as I need it for dinner, but the problem always is I don’t have fresh basil in the middle of winter! Which means I have to go to the store for just basil (because everything else is a pantry staple!) which is just annoying. So this year I thought, why not make a big batch and can it now while basil is abundant and save the headache later? Well I did, and I am so glad I did!!
This is far from an all inclusive list of all the ways to preserve tomatoes. I didn’t even touch on dehydrating ( I don’t do it) but I know people are a huge proponent of it. Hopefully, I highlighted a different preserves you never thought to try before that you can experiment with this canning season!
Happy Preserving,
There is no question that we are incredibly busy on our small homestead. Between working our “real jobs” full time, taking care of our slew of animals, clearing, cutting wood, putting up fence, etc, we have a tendency to always be doing something. But, there is always work to be done. I used to feel guilty if I would want to just sit and relax for a short break. I would try, but then all I could think about is the things I should be doing, which made me anxious, unrelaxed, and then I would just get back to work.
Recently though, things have shifted. There is still plenty to do around here at all times, but we are more established than we were two years ago or even last year. We have pasture established, fences, and systems in place. While there will always be wood to cut and animals to tend to, we have reached a point to an extent that with some things we are in “maintenance mode” rather than “getting established mode”.
It’s because of this we are able to sit back and ENJOY what we have worked so hard for from time to time. Don’t get me wrong, we enjoy the benefits from our animals year round whether it be their company, entertainment, meat, or milk they provide. But, there really is something about just sitting and observing them in their element we have worked so hard to give them.
For me, one of my favorite ways to relax and take in and enjoy all of our hard work is to spin on our patio overlooking the pasture. I can watch the sheep, the grass, and spin up some yarn. This is me we are talking about, so I still have to be doing something “productive”at all times, and creating yarn fits the bill 
It’s incredibly relaxing, and is a wonderful way to soak in all of the fruits of our hard labor.
Below I have a recording of a recent soothing spin. Nothing but wind, birds, a visit from the sheep, and the metronome rhythmic click of my vintage wheel. A little spinning therapy does the soul good.
Happy Spinning,