I have been thinking about my barn lately. My thoughts are how I am going to use this barn? I have been thinking about getting live stock and I have made contact with a lady about buying some icelandic sheep, they don't need a barn just a shed to keep out of the wind and some shade when it is hot. I have also been looking into getting either milk goats or a cow.
Now I know getting a cow is a big proposition; they are a lot of work. Once they have a calf and you get them milking it is a twice a day thing until you dry them off months later. Some cows give more milk than a family can use; so when I came across a breed that is small and gives less milk than the larger breeds I began to think of getting one. The breed is called Dexter, they came from Ireland and were bred for the small farms there a long time ago. Of course cows produce more than just milk and its products, they produce manure; lots and lots of manure, as a matter of fact the large ones can produce tons of manure.
This manure thing could be a problem because one has to move it from where it falls to where it will do some good. Now when the cow is in the pasture that is not a big problem the cow just moves around and makes deposits here and there. It is when the cow is in the barn there is a problem. Sooner or later somebody has to shovel it into something and move it. That somebody being me of course and the thing to move it in is called a manure spreader; something else to buy. So, you pile the manure into the spreader and pull this thing around the fields and it throws the manure all over the fields as the wheels turn. My advice is not to get to close to this operation in action; you might get banned from the house till you take your ***** clothes off.
My second choice is a Jersey cow, they are smaller than most of the milk cows but finding one for sale is not easy and they are copious producers of rich milk and cow patties; definitely going to need a manure spreader.......
The goat thing is a whole other story.
5 comments:
I milked Jerseys for years, and still miss them. I've had goats too. They are cheaper to keep, but you have to have very good fencing. To see a picture of me milking one of my Jerseys 25 years ago, check out this entry at my memory journal:
http://journals.aol.com/mocephas57/MYCOUNTRYLIFEPart2/entries/731
think you might like the goats better but I know you will have fun with whichever you choose... glad you are back to blogging... missed reading your adventure
The choice between goats and cows is a hard one. On the one hand the cow has a calf, gives lots of milk, drops tons of manure; the manure I need for the fields anyway.
Goats are smaller eat less, give less milk, that's good I can only drink so much, their manure can be put directly on the garden.
Hard choice.
I am farming in Denmark, where we have both jerseys and dexters.
The dexters are in genrel more agressive.
The jerseys give more milk and lot more consentrated milk. The milk from the jerseys is good for making your own butter.
How is our climate. The dexters are better standing frosty and rainy periodes.
The barn is amazing! I wish I could have a barn like that at my little place!
My neighbors have 6 Jerseys they are milking and have started a milk coop. They used to have goats but sold them all to get the Jerseys as they keep going through the electrical fence, and we getting sick off our local grass and the heat.
With the extra cow's milk, we make butter, yogurt, cheese, kefir, soap...there are tons of uses for it!
I love reading about your new life! You are an inspiration!
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