in rushing, rising rivets. Yes, it is raining in Minnesota. Lightly, right now. Sometime in the last 48 hours we have gotten over 5 1/2 inches of rain here at the farm. We don't know how much, because the rain gauge overflowed. Up here, that's the worst of it. From what I've heard, there is rain lots of other places doing more damage. Long story short, it's wet here.
In other news....
Our last puppy will be gone on Saturday. We will miss Rex, but we're happy he will be going to a great home in Washington State. I won't cry, honest....(sniff sniff)
Amy, our last milk cow's only daughter, is going to be calving soon. We can't wait! In addition to the fun of a new "baby" around, I'm looking forward to fresh milk for drinking and cooking and cheese making. I hope I will have time to make some mozzarella soon! Fresh cheese is sooooooo yummy, especially on homemade pizza. Another reason we can't WAIT to see this new calf is it's parentage. Amy is a Jersey milk cow, and the bull was a Belted Galloway/Angus cross. If you have never seen Belted Galloways, they look like Oreo cookies. What the Jersey will do to the unique color pattern, I daren't hazard a guess. I do know that as long as he/she has the Jersey eyes, it will be cute.
Also new on the farm are 20 muscovy ducklings and 5 Khaki Campbell crosses. We have had muscovies in the past, and I love them. They really are a must on any farm, and would also fit nicely into most backyards. They don't need a pond, because they can't really swim- they sink. They eat flies and mosquitos, and who doesn't need fewer of those pests??? And, as a bonus, they don't quack. Not that quaking is a bad thing, but if you are in town, quite pets are probably better received by the neighbors. It's also better for those who raise large numbers for their lean, beef-like meat. They do make some noise. The drakes hiss, and the females kind of peep.
Last on the list of newcomers are the chickens, but there are quite a few of them. We are currently experimenting with our meat birds. Instead of our usual cornish-crosses, which don't graze very well, we're raising out a batch of Freedom Ranger chicks. They are a colored meat bird, and are bred for their grazing. We can already see a big difference in their activity compared to the cornish-cross-- they are constantly running around and scratching for feed. We do expect them to eat a little more than the others, but we are also hoping for a superior meat from them. Hopefully it will turn out well.
We also have some new laying hens. We are trying to convert our current flock mixed variety chickens to about four different breeds. Our beginning of this endeavor has resulted in the purchase of 2 Americauna hens (blue egg layers,) two Blue Cochin hens (brown egg layers) and a rooster, and two Silkie Bantam hens and a rooster.
Well, that's life on this rainy Thursday. If I don't post again soon, assume I floated away or was eaten by my homework.
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