Goodbye, July

It's hard to believe, but the mid-month of summer is almost behind us. Part of me hates to see it go. It's been such a wonderful summer so far. But, with a new month comes new adventures! And it also brings us one step closer to autumn, my very favorite season.

Today is the last day to sign up for the Midsouth Homesteading Conference and Festival at the early-bird price. We have a wonderful line up of speakers and classes for the conference (see image below). I will also be teaching a couple of classes on soap making and keeping goats. The festival is also coming together nicely, and we have several vendors already. I am most excited about the kid zone I am planning, however. There will be pony rides, fun games, a straw bale maze, face painting, a seed-planting station, and a few surprises! I love seeing children involved with agriculture. Check out the event website for more information or to snag your last chance at cheaper conference tickets (the festival is free with $3 parking).

Our pumpkin patch is doing so well right now. It has been a real joy watching the pumpkins develop and grow. Really, it's true of any gardening activity, but these pumpkins are probably my favorite. We have tended them so closely since planting that every stage has been noted. We're also learning a ton about these delicate plants. It ain't easy or cheap to grow a pumpkin patch! These plants are probably better guarded than any garden this side of the Mississippi. We check them at minimum every other day, and they are surrounded by four strands of electric tape to keep out critters. We're also driving 1 hr 15 min round trips to irrigate them. 

Padre and the water tank. The tank holds 1,000 gallons,
and it takes about 5-6 tanks to fully irrigate. Pumpkins can DRINK.

One thing I have absolutely learned is that pumpkins truly are a needy lot. They are prone to fungus and susceptible to a myriad of pests. But when they are well cared for and growing successfully...beautiful. Just beautiful.

They have these huge leaves and looongg vines that shade out almost all of the weeds. We haven't needed to weed the patch since the first couple of times, because they grew so fast. It really seemed like they grew overnight.

They're flowers look downright tropical, and they're even prettier before they open up.

But the best part by far is the itty bitty baby pumpkins, which grow so incredibly fast. It's just astonishing how quickly the fruit grows! I'm not kidding when I say that it seems like the fruit is bigger every single time we go to the patch.

They went from tiny little cupcake imitators, to bright green, striped orbs...

...to pale fruit that's actually beginning to look like pumpkins!

And the Jack-Be-Little's grow even faster!  

They're already recognizable! 

The worst part of pumpkin growing is definitely the fungus, diseases, and pests. We had to resort to a commercial fungicide, because homemade remedies weren't cutting it and we were going to lose our entire crop otherwise. Normally I prefer to avoid things like that, but I have basically the same philosophy with my plants as I do my animals: when homemade, natural remedies aren't cutting it, I will *responsibly* use commercial means when necessary. And believe me, the fungicide was necessary. Too much time, money, hard work, and care have gone into this pumpkins to lose them to a stinkin' fungus!

The aphids aren't going to win this round, either, because they've got a hot date with some dish soap today...and something tells me it's not going to go well for them! And just for the record, commercial pesticide is the very last thing I will use. The situation would have to be very, very dire, because I have no desire to kill off my beneficial bugs -- including our precious pollinators. So the two lady bugs I saw munching on the aphids should live to eat another pest, but the aphids will be going down the drain, suds and all. If I do ever have to resort to pesticide, I will use neem oil. It's a natural alternative that is reported to be very effective. 

Thankfully the aphids were only on a couple of plants.

The pheasant chicks are really astonishing to me. I've been around them before, but haven't actually raised any myself in quite a long time. The difference between pheasant chicks and chicken chicks is incredible! The pheasants move so fast. I doubt I could get a decent picture of them if I tried. And they eat so much! Even with two feeders, I can hardly keep them full. They'll be old enough to go in the ground brooder soon...assuming I can catch them to move them over!

In disappointing news, the four does I bred for fall did not take. I expected as much from one of them, but the other three honestly had me fooled. I must admit I'm disappointed, but this does give us more time to finish revamping our barn and building kidding stalls. The two we had already got dismantled to make way for our new design. We were running behind on getting it finished, but now we now have months to complete a project that we were going to try to complete in mere weeks. With Cookie and Oreo going to their new homes in just nine short days, this will also give me a nice break in which I can focus on our pumpkin patch and the upcoming conference and festival. So even though I was looking forward to the pitter-patter of little hooves, I guess this really is for the best. 

Cheers!

Cajeta (Goat's Milk Caramel)

Cajeta is the first thing I ever made with my goat milk. To be fair, the list of things I've made so far with it is short -- ice cream, butter, cajeta, and as of yesterday, yogurt -- but cajeta is the. bomb. And it's a great recipe to start with because it's not as intimidating as say, cheese...which I have still not been brave enough to try (but will soon...I promise).

I love caramel. If you ask me, "chocolate or vanilla?" I will answer, "caramel." It's the perfect blend of salty and sweet, flavorful but not overwhelming, creamy and dreamy and yeah...caramel is good. Homemade caramel sauce made from fresh goat milk and infused with cinnamon sticks? Heaven in a jar. 

Cajeta is actually a traditional Mexican food and is sometimes referred to as dulce de leche. However, traditional cajeta is always made with goat milk, while dulce de leche can be made with other milks or a mix of cow and goat milk.

Cajeta makes a wonderful ice cream topping, or it can be used to glaze cakes or dip fruit. It would be fantastic in a caramel apple pie. I keep meaning to cook mine down to a thick enough consistency to make a caramel apple. Mmm, the perfect fall treat. I've also wondered how awesome of a coffee creamer it would make if left thinner...but I don't drink coffee!

Now, let's get to the important part, which is how to make it!

Cajeta (makes about 1 pint)

You will need:

1 quart fresh goat milk
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Dash of salt
1-2 cinnamon sticks (optional, but highly recommended)
Medium sauce pan (mixture will foam so be sure your pan is large enough)
Spoon/spatula
Funnel
Pint jar and lid

Stir together your milk and sugar, then add vanilla extract, salt, and cinnamon sticks. Heat on medium heat stirring constantly. Milk is very heat-sensitive and will scorch quickly if left unattended.

As soon as your milk reaches a boil, remove from heat and stir in the baking soda. The mixture will start to foam. Then return it to the burner and bring back to a simmer.

Post-baking soda foaming

At this point, a lot of waiting is involved. You need to continue stirring it every few minutes, being sure to scrape the bottom and sides (as best you can -- some will inevitably make a sticky mess on the sides of the pan). This stage is basically just babysitting it to be sure it doesn't burn, stop simmering, or get to too high of a boil. Adjust the heat as necessary. It can take anywhere from 1-2 hours to reach the next stage.

Because it takes so long to cook down, I like to start my cajeta just before beginning another project that will keep me busy in the kitchen. This last time, I got my cajeta going and then started a couple of batches of yogurt. You could also use this time to bake a cake, cook a meal, etc. Just be sure it's something that you can leave for a moment every 10 minutes or so just to stir the cajeta.

The cajeta is getting darker and starting to foam a little again.
It's also reduced by about half.

Eventually you will notice the mixture start to darken. This is your cue to take out the cinnamon sticks before things get too sticky! It's also time to start watching it more closely. It will start to foam again as it nears readiness, too, which is another sign you're getting close. It can cook down fairly quickly at this point.

The cajeta is ready to be poured into the jar when it's a nice caramel color and at least thick enough to coat the back of your spoon. Thickness is really a personal preference -- I've read of people actually cooking it down to candy consistency -- but you probably don't want it thinner than that or it will essentially be sweetened condensed milk, not caramel. The cajeta will be much thinner while hot than it will be after it cools in the fridge, so check the consistency by dribbling a bit on a plate and letting it cool.

Once it reaches the consistency you want, use a funnel to pour it into your jar, and stick it in the fridge to cool. It should be cooled enough to top your ice cream in a few hours, or overnight. And don't forget to lick the spoon!

Ice cream is a totally acceptable breakfast when topped with fresh cajeta!

Cheers!

Sunflowers

Each year, my grandfather plants several large fields of sunflowers to attract doves. I took a few photos of them yesterday that I just have to share. So, for what is surely a welcome break from my usual wordiness, enjoy some beautiful flowers. :)

Cheers!

Rearranging the Herd (Currently For Sale)

I have a very small herd of Nigerian Dwarves (and a single fabulous MiniMancha). While most people sell off adult animals to downsize, I have made the decision to sell a few of mine for a different reason. Over the years, my herd has maintained a relatively small genetic pool. This has occurred in part due to the fact that the majority of my first goats came from the same herd, and also because I have had the same buck for several years. Because of how small my herd is, I can't justify keeping so many closely related animals. I am currently on a mission to diversify my herd genetics over time and change direction in a couple of areas with my herd. In order to do this, I have to cut back on my number of related animals. And so, this brings me to this blog post, which is a current sales list as of this moment. I have these animals listed on my website of course, but I wanted to also post them on my facebook page and making a blog post is the easiest way to do so. Please note that while prices are firm, I will discount on multiple purchases. I also will not hold an animal without a deposit.

First on the list, and the most difficult to part with, is Beetlejuice. He is AGS and NDGA registered and polled. Born 9/2008.

S: CHW BW Captain Jack Sparrow

SS: ARMCH Twin Creeks BH Baywatch ++*S E

SD: CHW AR Once in a Blue Moon, 2xGCH dry, 1x RsCH Jr

D: Piddlin Acres Piroette

DS: ARMCH Green Gate King Midas +S

DD: Goodwood Will O the Wisp E

Beetle was my very first buck and has been a wonderful buck to own, very friendly and typically well mannered. His kids have all inherited his friendly personality, even the ones born to unfriendly dams. He is a paternal grandson of ARMCH Twin Creeks BH Baywatch ++*S E and maternal grandson to ARMCH Green Gate King Midas +S. Baywatch was the sire to nine Master Champions, including MCH Twin Creeks Fantasea 3*D *M E. His pedigree includes Piddlin Acres, Goodwood, Flatrocks, and Gay-Mor and can be seen on his page on my website (click his name above). 

Pictures don't do him justice, in part because I am not very good at clipping and in part because I rarely have someone to "pose" the goats for me and he usually wants to be underfoot. The only problem I have ever had with him is that he tends to take rut hard. Although he otherwise stays in awesome condition on just browse and hay, I have to keep an eye on his condition during that season. I would prefer an experienced owner for him for this reason.

I am only selling Beetle because I have retained his son as a herdsire and also have his daughter and another closely related doe in my herd. $300.

Next is Licorice. NDGA registered and and also polled, Licorice is a 2010 son of Beetlejuice and, like all of Beetle's kids, very friendly. He is a beautiful dark chocolate color when his hair is not shaved. He has the same incredible depth and width of his dam, Brownie. Licorice is one that I absolutely have to sell, because I just can't use him in my herd. I am phasing out the NDGA only goats, to consolidate my paperwork to just AGS and ADGA. I also have his dam, his sire, two half sisters, and a half brother in the herd. In such a small herd there is just no room for a buck I can't use. I have reduced his price multiple times. He is now available at $100.

Last, for the moment, is Sandy. NDGA.
S: Pride of Texas Speedy Gonzalez 2x RsCH Buck, 1x RsCH Jr 

D: Lazy Q Bodacious Chocolate Brownie

SS:  Woodhaven Farms Pepe Le Pew MCH/PGCH

SD: Lost Valley Andrea Gail

DS:  Milky Whey's Apollo

DD: Moe Moe Acres Ashley Star

Sandy, born in 2007, was one of the first two does I purchased. She is not a friendly goat, but she has actually improved somewhat since I purchased her, when she was completely wild. She is one I have debated selling before because of her personality, but sentimentality always won out. However, as I am not phasing out NDGA goats, and trying to limit my number of closely related animals, she has not made the keeper cut. This is another situation where I just have too many relative -- her dam, her half siblings. 

Sandy was exposed to a buck and should be due to kid in late August or early September. I have not had her blood tested, but I believe that she is indeed pregnant. She will be available after she kids, either when the kids are weaned or earlier if a buyer chooses to purchase them all as a package. After she kids I will train her to be milked, but I would not necessarily recommend her as a milker at this time based on her personality. I will be better able to assess her potential as a milker when I start training her, of course. She will be $350. 

I also have a couple of friendly wethers available as well, $75 each, $50 each as a pair, or free with an intact animal. 

If you are interested in one of these, please email at tiramarfarms (at) gmail (dot) com. Follow the farm Facebook page if you want to be the first to know when babies are born and new animals become available.

Thanks for reading! 

Cheers

Pheasantly Surprised: Saving a Chick with Curled Toes

I have to share a story of success with you, although I do not have any pictures to accompany it.

If you have been following along on our Facebook page, you know that two pheasant chicks had difficult hatches. The first chick to hatch in the entire bunch was very weak and couldn't stand for at least 24 hours, which is rather unusual. I brought him inside under a heat lamp with the hopes that, perhaps, he may pull through. I didn't expect him to make it, but he did!

The second weak chick had a difficult hatch due to the membrane of his shell drying out before he had pipped through it. I assisted as much as I felt comfortable by dampening his membrane and breaking it loose around the area he would have done so himself. I did not take it completely off, however, because kicking off their shell is how they build strength. I was really expecting this chick to die as well, because he took almost 24 hours just to get out of his shell. But I was surprised again - he made it! He was able to go back to the mother hen not long after he finally made it out of his tough shell, and he was comparable to his hatch mates. Once I put him back with the others, I couldn't even tell which one he was.

The first chick, however, was not comparable to his hatch mates. I tried reintroducing him right after he started standing up and fluffing out, but when I checked on him he was upside down outside of the nest. Well, I thought, I guess you aren't ready after all. So I brought him back under the heat lamp and waited. Soon it became clear that he wasn't just weak...he was suffering from a deformity. His toes were curled under.

This happens sometimes with chicks, and my first thought was that we were going to have to cull him. However, he just has such spunk. We didn't want to cull him, so I researched curled toes to see if there was any way to fix them. I found instructions for straightening the toes by using band-aids and giving the chick "duck feet." The advice I found said that the method was most effective within 24 hours of hatching when the bones were most malleable, and it was after that 24 hour period that I finally realized the problem. I decided to give it a go regardless, because it never hurts to try, right?

It's surprisingly difficult to give a pheasant chick duck feet. They do not like to hold still. Somehow we managed to get his toes positioned properly on one side of the sticky part of a band-aid, and then layered the other sticky part over it to secure them. The excess -- including the pad -- was then cut off and discarded, leaving the pheasant chick with two duck feet. Then we waited 24 hours. I will admit that I didn't have much hope; he had trouble walking before and the duck feet didn't appear to make it easier. However, when I removed the band-aids 24 hours later, there was some improvement. The feet were not completely fixed yet, though. The instructions I read said that treatment usually worked after the first 24 hours, but sometimes required a second 24 hours...and that if two treatments didn't work, it was likely past the point of being fixable. So back in the duck feet he went for another 24 hours.

Removing the duck feet was not easy either time. In fact, it was harder than getting them on. I know it had to be uncomfortable, if not a little painful, having the band-aids peeled off his feet. If I ever have to do this again, I will try to find some slightly less sticky band-aids. But, despite the difficulty removing them, the second treatment worked! The chick can now walk freely without falling upside down constantly as he was doing before treatment.

The bad news is that he still cannot be returned to the mother, and I'm not sure when or if he will be able to. Despite being the first born, he is developmentally behind his siblings. I tried reintroducing him after the successful second treatment, but it became obvious that, despite the success, he has not caught up yet. The hen that set the eggs also seemed to realize this and began pecking at him. So, until further notice, we have a house pheasant. That wasn't in my plans, but plans so frequently change when working with livestock -- even poultry!

Either way, I'm glad that treatment was a success. The chick is obviously a fighter to have made it this far after all his struggles. If I should find a weak chick in the future, however, I will be sure to check the feet earlier. I should have known to do that this time. I've been around chicks -- some my own, some that my grandparents hatch for their gamebird farm -- long enough to know that sometimes they are hatched with feet and leg deformities. Sometimes those deformities require culling, but it seems that sometimes in a small homestead setting they can be fixed.

Someone asked me a thought provoking question I would like to share my thoughts on as well before ending this post. "Why work to save something now that you plan to kill later anyway?" As you know if you read my last blog post, these pheasants are being raised solely for the freezer. Pheasants, despite the fact that you won't often find them in a grocery store, are good eats. So yes, this chick that I worked to save from being culled will eventually end up in the pot anyway. So why not cull him? Well, practically speaking, it would be a waste. And on another practical note, I also learned something that I can (and probably will) use in the future on other chicks who may be hatched with curled toes.

Beyond that, it simply comes down to the fact that I don't want to see something die before its time. I would not be sad, as I know that sometimes chicks die and therefore do not get attached to chicks (this is a lesson learned quickly when you've been through a few hatches). I would, however, be disappointed. I hope for these pheasants to grow to maturity enjoying doing pheasant-things such as eating bugs and grass and making their distinctive "honk honk" noise. Then, when it is time, I want them to go quickly and use their meat for our table. So maybe it seems silly to save something that you will eventually eat, but it just seems right to me. I would do the same thing for a future pork chop, hamburger, or anything else. I never want something to suffer, and I never want something to die before its time. And to me, that's all a part of homesteading.

Cheers.

UPDATE:

This little one passed away. It was not a huge surprise given that he was up and down from the beginning. He just stopped progressing, was not developing or growing, and then went downhill very quickly. Still, it was a valuable lesson to learn how to cure curled toes.

July in the Garden

Happy Fourth of July! I hope everyone has a safe and fun celebration this weekend. My family and I went to watch our town's fireworks display and ended up finding the perfect spot right underneath the show. It was spectacular, albeit very loud. What better way to celebrate our country than a beautiful light show?

Anyway, we've reached the middle of the season. The garden has slowed down now that everything is planted. There's quite a bit of weeding to do if it will stay dry long enough, which you shall see in the images, but the rush to get things in the ground is over. This spring's kids are almost old enough to go their new homes, and the fall birthing season is still a couple of months away. The garden isn't ready for harvest just yet. All in all, things have hit their stride and will be much lower maintenance for a few weeks...at least in theory. :)

Our poor little bottle tree is sparse looking! We'll have it fleshed out soon, though.

We've had some trouble with our tomatoes. We lost a few plants to Southern Blight/white mold, and have been picking leaves off of others as they get affected with blight. The warm wet weather we've had is what fuels fungus such as blight. Milk washes, baking soda drenches, and apple cider vinegar water have helped some but it's an ongoing battle. We also lost our first, biggest tomato to a renegade hen who jumped the fence. They're making again, though, so I'm hopeful we'll at least end up with enough for one batch of salsa!

He was going to be a pretty one, but alas. The chicken beat us to it.

Can you believe this puny plant, which has really struggled with blight, has a tomato?

The lettuce has bolted, so its season is over until the fall. So pretty, though, isn't it? It could practically be an ornamental.

The bush peas are doing the best, as always. Peas are pretty fool-proof. We've never had a failed crop with them. They're blooming and vining and making tiny pea pods. We'll be having fresh peas for supper in no time!

Our bush lima beans are doing well, too. Lima beans are my favorite legume.

We planted a later crop of pole beans and peas, and they are coming up well...but so are the weeds!

Our cantaloupe is blooming. The first blossoms won't make fruit, but it's a sign that my favorite melons are on the way!

I planted a few sweet potato plants, which is a first for us. They haven't bloomed yet but are doing well, aside from the weeds that are over taking them! Yikes!

Okra is growing like a weed, too...but it also needs to be weeded, as you can see.

Can you spy the volunteer watermelon?

Our watermelon got planted late, but it's coming on. Our garden retains moisture well, but sometimes in a rainy season that means complications in planting and weeding!

We also planted an Arkansas Black Apple tree this year. It won't produce for a few years. We may not even be living on this land by the time it's in full swing, but it's never a bad investment to plant a tree.

Our pumpkin patch, which I don't have pictures of, is doing really well. However, it is the worst for the weeds. Right after we planted the rains came and didn't let up for a while, and the weeds just took off. We'll be tackling it this weekend, and working on weeding and mulching the rest throughout the weed.

We also have some new life here at Tiramar. Our broody hen just hatched several (I just realized I haven't even counted them! Whoops!) pheasant eggs and one chicken egg. (I put a chicken egg under her with the pheasant eggs just in case, so that she wouldn't reject the smaller eggs.) One hatched out weak and has had to spend a lot of time indoors. I'm not sure he will make it. I tried returning him to mama, but he just wasn't strong enough yet and I had to remove him again. A second chick had a really rough hatch and spent the first 24 hours indoors, but I have since returned him. He is doing so well that I can't even tell which one he is at this point. These guys will stay with our hen in the off-ground brooder for a while and then be transferred to a tractor, where they will finish growing out. I'm hoping a couple might be butchering age in time for Christmas dinner. Hopefully the chicken chick, which came from our RIR rooster and a Black Copper Maran egg, will be a hen!

Yes, they are in a modified laundry basket. Their wooden nest box ended
up not being big enough, so we had to improvise!

You can somewhat tell in this image how much bigger the chicken chick is.

Is this one giving me the stink eye?

Clever camouflage, but I can still see you.

Now we weed, and then we wait for the harvest and for the time to start planting our fall crops. Fall goat kids should be on the way, too. We won't be in a lull for long!

Cheers!