Thursday, October 30, 2008

More protein than grain...

A farmer friend recently told me of a no grain/grass fed dairy in MD where they rotate pastures every 36 hours. The grass must be between 6-16".

Hmmm.... Would love to know more...

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Where's My Billy Goat Gone To? by Henry Clay Work

'Twas a birthday gift Miss Posie had
When she was nine, and twenty:
Not of gold -- Oh, no! -- nor gem, nor pearl,
Tho' he who gave had plenty.
'Twas a gift she took so much to heart,
Her neighbors thought her silly;
'Twas a B-A-B-Y (Baby) Goat,
A snow-white Baby Billy!
Pretty little Billy, Billy -- Oh!
Where's my Billy Goat gone to?

Take my home! Take my farm!
Yes, me too (if you want to);
But tell me! tell me!
Where's my Billy Goat gone to?
Pretty little Billy, Billy -- Oh!
Where's my Billy Goat gone to?

When she tried to teach him how to read,
Twas only "baa" he'd utter;
As she coaxed him then with cake and cream,
He'd slyly turn to butt her.
Yet he taught himself a thousand tricks,
And many a curious caper;
He would clamber to her chimney top,
And dine there on brown paper.

When the winter came she bought him shoes,
And flannel red she ordered
For a Sunday suit, with trousers cut
Four-legged and embroidered
On the steeple soon in tatters hung,
They set the parson snarling;
And he called that goat Be-el-ze-bub --
The one that she called Darling.
Pretty little Billy, Billy -- Oh!
Where's my Billy Goat gone to?

He was fond of roaming on the rocks,
With workmen in the quarry;
And if there he found their luncheon pails,
Not he but they were sorry.
For he raised aloft his iron brow,
Despite the foreman's clamor;
And the pails, he crushed them one by one,
As with a blacksmith's hammer.
Pretty little Billy, Billy -- Oh!
Where's my Billy Goat gone to?

Then for pails replaced and pails concealed
Each morning he went searching,
Till at last he found a shining prize,
Upon a boulder perching.
Had he read its label, "Dynamite!"
He might have known his blunder;
But he gave it one tremendous blow,
And then came peals of thunder!
Pretty little Billy, Billy -- Oh!
Where's my Billy Goat gone to?
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The Goat and I by Robert William Service

The Goat And I
Robert William Service

Each sunny day upon my way
          A goat I pass;
He has a beard of silver grey,
          A bell of brass.
And all the while I am in sight
          He seems to muse,
And stares at me with all his might
          And chews and chews.

Upon the hill so thymy sweet
          With joy of Spring,
He hails me with a tiny bleat
          Of welcoming.
Though half the globe is drenched with blood
          And cities flare,
Contentedly he chews the cud
          And does not care.

Oh gentle friend, I know not what
          Your age may be,
But of my years I'd give the lot
          Yet left to me,
To chew a thistle and not choke,
          But bright of eye
Gaze at the old world-weary bloke
          Who hobbles by.

Alas! though bards make verse sublime,
          And lines to quote,
It takes a fool like me to rhyme
          About a goat.
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The Ballad of Casey's Billy Goat by Robert William Service

The Ballad Of Casey's Billy-Goat by Robert William Service
You've heard of "Casey at The Bat,"
And "Casey's Tabble Dote";
But now it's time
To write a rhyme
Of "Casey's Billy-goat."

Pat Casey had a billy-goat he gave the name of Shamus,
Because it was (the neighbours said) a national disgrace.
And sure enough that animal was eminently famous
For masticating every rag of laundry round the place.
For shirts to skirts prodigiously it proved its powers of chewing;
The question of digestion seemed to matter not at all;
But you'll agree, I think with me, its limit of misdoing
Was reached the day it swallowed Missis Rooney's ould red shawl.

Now Missis Annie Rooney was a winsome widow women,
And many a bouncing boy had sought to make her change her name;
And living just across the way 'twas surely only human
A lonesome man like Casey should be wishfully the same.
So every Sunday, shaved and shined, he'd make the fine occasion
To call upon the lady, and she'd take his and coat;
And supping tea it seemed that she might yield to his persuasion,
But alas! he hadn't counted on that devastating goat.

For Shamus loved his master with a deep and dumb devotion,
And everywhere that Casey went that goat would want to go;
And though I cannot analyze a quadruped's emotion,
They said the baste was jealous, and I reckon it was so.
For every time that Casey went to call on Missis Rooney,
Beside the gate the goat would wait with woefulness intense;
Until one day it chanced that they were fast becoming spooney,
When Shamus spied that ould red shawl a-flutter on the fence.

Now Missis Rooney loved that shawl beyond all rhyme or reason,
And maybe 'twas an heirloom or a cherished souvenir;
For judging by the way she wore it season after season,
I might have been as precious as a product of Cashmere.
So Shamus strolled towards it, and no doubt the colour pleased him,
For he biffed it and he sniffed it, as most any goat might do;
Then his melancholy vanished as a sense of hunger seized him,
And he wagged his tail with rapture as he started in to chew.

"Begorrah! you're a daisy," said the doting Mister Casey
to the blushing Widow Rooney as they parted at the door.
"Wid yer tinderness an' tazin' sure ye've set me heart a-blazin',
And I dread the day I'll nivver see me Anniw anny more."
"Go on now wid yer blarney," said the widow softly sighing;
And she went to pull his whiskers, when dismay her bosom smote. . . .
Her ould red shawl! 'Twas missin' where she'd left it bravely drying -
Then she saw it disappearing - down the neck of Casey's goat.

Fiercely flamed her Irish temper, "Look!" says she, "The thavin' divvle!
Sure he's made me shawl his supper. Well, I hope it's to his taste;
But excuse me, Mister Casey, if I seem to be oncivil,
For I'll nivver wed a man wid such a misbegotten baste."
So she slammed the door and left him in a state of consternation,
And he couldn't understand it, till he saw that grinning goat:
Then with eloquence he cussed it, and his final fulmination
Was a poem of profanity impossible to quote.

So blasting goats and petticoats and feeling downright sinful,
Despairfully he wandered in to Shinnigan's shebeen;
And straightway he proceeded to absorb a might skinful
Of the deadliest variety of Shinnigan's potheen.
And when he started homeward it was in the early morning,
But Shamus followed faithfully, a yard behind his back;
Then Casey slipped and stumbled, and without the slightest warning
like a lump of lead he tumbled - right across the railroad track.

And there he lay, serenely, and defied the powers to budge him,
Reposing like a baby, with his head upon the rail;
But Shamus seemed unhappy, and from time to time would nudge him,
Though his prods to protestation were without the least avail.
Then to that goatish mind, maybe, a sense of fell disaster
Came stealing like a spectre in the dim and dreary dawn;
For his bleat of warning blended with the snoring of his master
In a chorus of calamity - but Casey slumbered on.

Yet oh, that goat was troubled, for his efforts were redoubled;
Now he tugged at Casey's whisker, now he nibbled at his ear;
Now he shook him by the shoulder, and with fear become bolder,
He bellowed like a fog-horn, but the sleeper did not hear.
Then up and down the railway line he scampered for assistance;
But anxiously he hurried back and sought with tug and strain
To pull his master off the track . . . when sudden! in the distance
He heard the roar and rumble of the fast approaching train.

Did Shamus faint and falter? No, he stood there stark and splendid.
True, his tummy was distended, but he gave his horns a toss.
By them his goathood's honour would be gallantly defended,
And if their valour failed him - he would perish with his boss
So dauntlessly he lowered his head, and ever clearer, clearer,
He heard the throb and thunder of the Continental Mail.
He would face the mighty monster. It was coming nearer, nearer;
He would fight it, he would smite it, but he'd never show his tail.

Can you see that hirsute hero, standing there in tragic glory?
Can you hear the Pullman porters shrieking horror to the sky?
No, you can't; because my story has no end so grim and gory,
For Shamus did not perish and his master did not die.
At this very present moment Casey swaggers hale and hearty,
And Shamus strolls beside him with a bright bell at his throat;
While recent Missis Rooney is the gayest of the party,
For now she's Missis Casey and she's crazy for that goat.

You're wondering what happened? Well, you know that truth is stranger
Than the wildest brand of fiction, so Ill tell you without shame. . . .
There was Shamus and his master in the face of awful danger,
And the giant locomotive dashing down in smoke and flame. . . .
What power on earth could save them? Yet a golden inspiration
To gods and goats alike may come, so in that brutish brain
A thought was born - the ould red shawl. . . . Then rearing with elation,
Like lightning Shamus threw it up - AND FLAGGED AND STOPPED THE TRAIN.
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Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Ear Mite Remedy for Goats

As a subscriber to holistic medicine, I am always interested in natural remedies...
The following remedy for ear mites and bacterial and fungal infections was copied this October 7, 2008 entry of this blog....

Ear Mite Remedy
Equal parts of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Crushed Garlic
A Capsule of Vitamin E



The author writes...

For the 8 years we have been keeping goat we have only come across an ear problem once. The ear was clogged and there was brown gunk oozing out not forgetting that yucky smell that emitted from it. There was an infection in it obviously as the Goat scream bloody murder when its ear was inspected.

After cleaning the ear out with most of the gunk, using a cotton bud and some anticeptic cream we applied a few drops of a combination of equal parts of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, crushed Garlic (garlic is a natural antibiotic), a capsule of Vitamin E.

On the second day we checked the ear and repeated the same drop recipe after giving it a good clean with cotton buds. The ear seemed to be doing pretty well after the third treatment and we followed up with weekly drops of equal parts white vinegar and rubbing alcohol

From then on we used the same combination of equal parts of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, crushed Garlic and Vitamin E to treat for ear mites and infections of bacterial or fungal origin.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Milk Paint Recipes

Found these recipes online here... I can't wait to try these with the Capering Kids 4-H Club...

1870 Milk Paint Formula

1 Quart skim milk (room temperature)
1 Once of hydrated lime by weight
(Available at building centers. Do not use quick lime, as it will react with the water and heat up. Hydrated lime has been soaked in water then dried.)
1 to 2 1/2 pounds of chalk may also be added as a filler.

Stir in enough skim milk to hydrated lime to make a cream. Add balance of skim milk. Now add sufficient amount of powder pigment to desired color and consistency (Pigment powder must be limeproof). Stir in well for a few minutes before using. For best results continue to stir throughout use. Apply milk paint with a cheap natural bristle brush. Allow project to dry sufficiently before applying next coat. Extra paint may be kept for several days in the refrigerator, until the milk sours. Double or triple the recipe for paint. Allow to dry thoroughly 3-4 hours before use. For extra protection, give paint a coat of oil finish or sealer. Color may change - test in inconspicuous area.


Very Durable Weather Resistant Paint

5 parts cottage cheese or dry curd cheese
(Dry curd cheese is cottage cheese without cream or flavoring added. You can make a similar cheese by putting cottage cheese into cheesecloth and hanging it until it stops draining. Use cottage cheese if you’re in a hurry.)
1 part hydrated lime or slacked lime

Mix hydrated lime with water to make a paste. Add to cottage cheese and stir in well. Leave for few hours - the cheese lump will dissolve completely. Select some powder pigments and add to solution (Pigment powder must be limeproof). Add more water if too thick; powdered skim milk if too thin. Strain if you want a fine paint (old nylon stocking works well).

Have a GREAT time painting!!!!

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Honey Goat Milk Soap Recipe

I've been looking for a oatmeal and honey goat milk soap recipe. Well, I found several here today that peaked my interest... I can't wait to make soap with my friend Becky...

Here they are:


Basic Goat Milk and Honey Soap #2


13 cups lard or rendered fat (6.5 pounds)
1 can caustic soda
1/2 cup honey
4 cups goat milk
1 cup hot water

Into a large stainless steel or enamel container, dissolve the honey into the hot water. Add the 4 cups goat milk, stir to mix well and slowly add the lye to the milk/honey mixture. This will get very hot. Let it set until it cools down to 750F. This could take an hour or more. When the lye mixture reaches 750F, warm the lard to 850F and pour in a slow steady stream into the lye/milk mixture. Stir constantly until the mixture reaches the consistency of honey. This will take 20 or 30 minutes.

When thick as honey pour into prepared molds. Allow to set for 24 to 48 hours. Unmold and cut into bars. Air-dry the soap for 4-5 weeks to cure it.

Christmas Spice Bars

4 tsp (4g) ground ginger
1 TBS (6g) ground cinnamon
4 TBS (28g) fresh grated orange peel
10 drops each of cinnamon and neroli fragrance or essential oils

1-1/2 pounds (680g) grated Basic Soap
18 oz (510g) water

Melt grated Basic Soap and combine with water as per instructions on the Hand-Milled Soap page. Combine the first 3 ingredients and add to the melted soap. Mix well and then stir in the scents. Mix thoroughly and pour into prepared molds. Finish as per instructions on the Hand-Milled Soap page. Due to the spices added, soap will have a medium brown color.

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Greek Cypriot Halloumi Cheese Recipe

I found this great recipe for Halloumi online that I want to try.... I love halloumi as it is the only cheese that doesn't melt in a frying pan. It just get yummy crisp brown edges...

Greek Cypriot Halloumi Cheese


I N G R E D I E N T S
8 pints fresh milk, either goats or ewe or cow
1 Teaspoon Rennet or special cheese rennet
a little salt if desired

S U P P L I E S
Pan
2-3 Muslin bags or similar

I N S T R U C T I O N S

To fresh milk add rennet and leave till set (about 30 minutes.)

Break up and place resulting mass into muslin in about two lots (this depends on the amount of milk used.

Drain any whey from curds back into pan, leave to stand in muslin for about half an hour after which they will be firmer and in oval shape.

Meanwhile bring whey to the boil (any curds which form on the top may be gathered and used fresh (add sugar and cinnamon or placed in muslin and hung to dry to form a hard cheese suitable for grating onto pasta etc.

Once milk has come to the boil, remove soft curds from muslin and place into boiling pan. Simmer gently until the cheese floats to the top, but certainly for approximately 20 minutes. Remove cheese, if liked, sprinkle with salt and fold in half and place a weight on top. Leave in fridge for at leave 2 hours before use. It may be stored in a jar with a small amount of the whey (keep cool).

The remaining whey may be used to boil spaghetti in, when cooked, cooked chicken may be added to form a soup, serve with bread (this is a typical Cypriot lunch, nothing is wasted)

The soft curds which form on the top to which sugar and cinnamon are added can be made in to 'cakes' phylo type pastry is filled with the mixture and then deep fried for a few moments, delicious!

Yield
2-3 rounds of cheese.



Some people insist that it's not really Halloumi unless you use goat milk, preferably unprocessed goat milk.
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Monday, October 6, 2008

Aaron's First Show

I was so proud of Aaron showing at the Eastern Nationals in Timonium. He showed in two out of the three shows. He looked so nice in his show whites... However, by the time the last show came around... he was completely dirty... as boys tend to get....

Aaron is showing AshleyBlue in his show whites and Oprah in his regular clothes...

Goat Ration


I found this wonderful recipe for a goat ration on the ATTRA site and I modified it to meet my needs a little better... Here it is...

It must be working... isn't Fudge Ripple growing... I hope to have her weighed soon.. I'm anxious to see what she weighs. I'd be willing to bet she's passed Noah's 4-H wethers at the same age... She is so spoiled rotten...

100# corn
100# oats
50# soybean meal, crumbles or pellets
50# alfalfa pellets
15# black oil sunflower seeds
15# dairy mineral
15# molasses
3# salt
------
350#