Answers to Common Goat Questions

Someone asked that I give the answers to these common goat questions for those that do not have goats. And I am happily giving the answer as it will give me something to blog about & my siblings can stop face booking, e-mailing, calling, and leaving comments on my lack of blogging. (I'm having a hard time thinking of things to post about.)

Q: "Why do the goats not have ears?"
A: It's a breed of goat called LaMancha they are born without their ears.

Q: "Why do you milk the goat?"
A: So that we can have their milk to enjoy and to turn into many different products such as milk, yogurt, cheese, ice cream, butter, & soap.

Q:"Why do you cut off their ears?"
A: Because they are a breed of goats that are born without their ears and if I tried to tell a judge that they were Lamanchas with ears I would get disqualified. just like dogs have different type of ears so do goats. (While I point to
Nubian and Alpines.)

Q:"Can you drink goat's milk just like you drink cow's milk?"
A: Yes you can. Handled properly goats milk should taste VERY close to cow's milk. More often then not people tell us it taste like sweetened half & half. And it can be used just like cow's milk.

Q:"Where are their horns?"
A: We remove their horns at a young age for a number of reasons.
1) I have to handle these goats at least twice a day if not more and it's not the best feeling in the world to have a goat horn you. (Yes, I do know how it feels.)
2) They can cause harm to my other goats with their horns.
3) It's a disqualification in the show ring to have a dairy goat have horns.

And the answer that I have given on occasion but love to give more often...

Q:"Why do you cut off their ears?"
A: Because they are SOOOO good! They make the best appetizers ever!
What amazes me are the number of people who believe me & start to walk off with out a comment or even a look over that answer!

Oh Boy! A Little Bit Of This, A Little Bit Of That...

And so last night the 2010 Winter Olympics ended, with from the little that I saw was one of the nicer, least weirdest closing ceremonies that I have watched. All ready I am missing the games, on my way home today I was thinking "I can't wait to get home, grab some food, coffee and the remote to watch some Olympics." Only to remember that they are no more (well, at least for the next two years). Then the next thought was to think about the sports that I missed such as Luge and the very little bobsledding that I go to watch. But then there was the skeleton that I was able to watch for the very first time, now that was something!!

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The rodeo starts tomorrow, and with the start of the rodeo is the start of me being in the house very little for the next three weeks between working there, enjoying the livestock show, markets and church. I shall be out of the house every day of the week for the next three weeks, and I am all ready sick of driving thanks to spending well over four hours in the car today.

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We had another goat kid today. Nothing out of the norm, if you just think of it as a kidding, except in this case it was slightly out of the norm for two reasons--1) Sweetheart (the does' name) had quads!! A first here! and 2) I get to keep one of the does, which means I will own my first LaMancha. Which my mom is happy about after four years of saying Nubians are better I finally and succumbing to the charms of the 'Manchas. lol

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Let's see, is that all? Well, that's all that I can think of except for if it keeps raining we will very soon have to build an ark as it's been raining (or snowing) almost every single day for the past week and a half and I can't walk from the trailer to the house without soaking the hem of my skirt six inches (all right so I am exaggerating, but I couldn't help it as that line from "Pride and Prejudice" popped into my head.)

Yup, that's all for now. Everyone have a great week!!

The Hard Part About Owning animals

We get asked all the time what the hardest thing about having animals is. Most people think that the hardest part is all the work that we have to do. But in all honesty that is not the hardest part about owning goats or any animals for that matter.

The hardest part about owning goats is not...Trimming hoves, raking pens, doing midnight baby checks when it's 25 degrees out. It's not those rare midnight milkings, it's not all the extra work, it's not the time taken from reading or watching TV to make sure the animals get all that they need to.

No, the hardest part about owning animals is losing them.  It's hard losing a goat even though you know that they are going to die.  When you know that they aren't doing well at all and there is nothing that you can do for them, that is one of the hardest things.  

The only thing that is harder then having a sick goat and knowing that there is nothing that you can do for them, is having a goat that is seemeling fine one day and gone the next.  You see the goat and it is alive and as far as you can see acting fine and then the next day they are gone. That's the worst thing ever!!  That feeling that there had to be something that you missed that might have saved the goats life, that thought that maybe if you had been there three minutes earlier you might have been able to help is hard to take.  Even though you know deep down that there really was nothing you could have done to

And yesterday that is what happened. I say yesterday, as it was before we went to bed, but we found one of our lovely Nubains had died between milking and this last check of the goats. It's really hard losing a goat esp. when she is one of you favorites and the foundation of your herd. The only thing that about this is that God is in control and he knows what I do and don't need for my herd, even with that in mind it is very hard to lose Dawn.

I am very thankful though that my dad has given me permission to Dawn's kids from this year (she had them Saturday morning while I was at market.)  Hopefully they will grow up to be an asset to my herd.  Though I will miss seeing Dawn the Tank out in the pasture sunning herself, I can't wait to see what these little guys will look like and how they will help mine and the families Nubian herd.

Now, to decide what to call these boys.  :D

Swede Farm Happenings

Let's see...

We are recuperating from Thanksgiving and having friends over for 5 days. We LOVED having them here, and wished that they could have stayed longer. Having a break is always a good thing, but for some reason it always seems to take a week to get over that break. :-S
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The Youngers in the house are counting down the days to Christmas and counting their money for our wonderful day of gift shopping. Where Mom and I get a list from everyone what they want to buy, they hand over the money and then we all go out and hit three or four stores (sometimes more sometimes less) to buy everything on the list. Everyone but dad is normally there to help pick out the items that they want to buy. But as "Santa's honoree elf" at Swede Farm I always the main one shopping and wrapping. (Which reminds me, I've got to start wrapping sometime soon.)

It's the funniest thing to hear Timothy, Liberty, Noah, and Judah sing the Christmas music that we have been playing. (Thanks to dish network we have a half dozen to dozen channels of Christmas music). The renditions and antics that we get is enough to keep us laughing half the day.
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Our kidding Marathon began Sunday morning, as we were running out the door. So, some of the Carlson Clan did not go to church, while others assisted with the birth and then headed out for church. lol

We just had does kid yesterday, two LaManchas and two Alpines. The fourth one kidded around 11 PM and with her kidding, she broke our record of most kiddings in one day which was three. We got a grand total of 7 babies in the four kiddings. :D All spoken for and hopefully will be at their new homes by the end of the week.

Now we have four more does to kid. One of which is one that I bought two years ago and I am praying (well, I have been praying) for a doeling from her, as I have yet to get one from her. :D
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Now, I am off to do laundry for with kidding season comes a real need for someone to stay on top of laundry and not always for us humans. Esp. in this cold we have to always have fresh towels to wipe the babies off as the enter the world and to cover them up with as it's a huge change from mom's 102 to Field Store's current 50 (or colder if it's after dusk, which all but three were yesterday). On top of that the girls are forever changing since they hate to have the birth goo on them. (Not sure I can fault them for that one!!)

Oh, plus the girls have yet to find a way to keep a diaper on the goats, so I am washing more bedding as the girls will fall asleep cuddling a goat and wake up to a nice puddle in the middle of their bed. lol so, its towels and sheets for the goats and then clothes and bedding for the girls.

And then time to prep dinner. I just wish I had a ball game to watch as I am getting a little tired of watching the "House Hunters" and "Dinner Impossible".
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And thanks everyone for putting up with me messing with the blog.  :D 

CHRISTIN!!

"Your dog is chewing on the wall, Christin!!"

"Chris! Jessie is chewing on the cable cord!!"

"Jessie, you silly dog!! Don't you know the difference between dog food and cat food?!?"

"Dog, stop chewing on the pillow!"

"Christin!! Jessie is running through the house jumping on the coach and she won't listen to me!!!"

And some people wounder why I don't want puppies!! lol

Cats

I don't know what it is but cats do not like me.

When we lived in Houston we had this cat that my parents had before I was born. Who was named after the Red Sox outfield Carl Yastrzemski--Yaz was the cat I grew up with, half the time he lived in my room, because that is where Chris wanted him.

But there was something about me that he did not like, as long as I can remember I would have to walk about two feet around him to avoid his claws. The Claws that always seemed to be able reach a lot farther than one would think possible. And those times when I wasn't careful or he was sharing a bed with Chris and me? Well, let’s just say I have more scares from him than anything else!!

Once he died a few months after moved out here. I thought (as well as my parents) that we were done with cats in our live. What we weren't counting on were the cats that people drop out in the country to live "the idyllic country life", or that I have a few cat crazy sisters, or that we might need some to keep mice down, or, or.....

Well, now we own 8 cats (just watch me be wrong and have a sister leave a comment with the correct amount). Only one is a house cat, in that I mean she is known to sleep in the house and be very annoying when you are trying to relax while watching TV with a cup of coffee. :D

Other than that all our cats are outside cats, 6 of them will NOT come in the house, 5 of them will not let you touch them, and well--I am happy with that as they all do not like me. I wonder what it is, is there something on my forehead that only cats can read that says "She is not a cat lover"? I wonder.....

And how did this all come up? Well, while I was sitting on the coach minding my own business and watching the Astros' game, one of my sisters walked in with one of the 'wild' cats to show dad that she had captured it. While she was handing it to dad it looked at me and gave that evil cat eye that normally is followed by a claw being sunk into my skin. So, I skedaddled out of there leaving the cat to dad and Sara and came in here. Now that it's gone and the living room is cat free, I am going back to the Astros' game. :D

And for all you cat lovers out there have fun teasing them with a piece of string for me, since they won't let me close to them. :D

Just a few Thoughts

• Turkeys are the stupidest animals on the face of the earth!! I just had a turkey sit outside the window for five minutes, pecking at the window trying to get the fly that is on INSIDE of the window, while it had a dozen flying all around him.

• Chickens have got to be the second stupidest animal on the face of the earth!! Yesterday while I was at the computer I heard something hit the window, I check on what it is before I start yelling at a toddler for throwing something at the window and realize that was a chicken trying to get away from another chicken!

• It's slightly depressing when I am happily sewing away and realize that I need my glasses to thread my needle!

• Here is an 'interview' I did for another blogger; I have greatly enjoyed reading her blog the past few months. :D

• The Astros won the rubber game last night, 4-1; Wandy went 8 innings giving up only 4 hits, ending the Marlins streak of ten hits in each of the last 15 games (A record that had stood since 1937!). Now if the Astros can keep winning and all the teams ahead of them would kindly start losing. lol

• It's Friday!! That wonderful day of the week that has us all running around like chickens with our heads cut off. You know, the day when we have to get everything ready for markets, hopefully by noon, but 4 at the latest (if all goes well).....Make sure the market buckets and bags are packed, pack all three cars for market, ice chest ready to go, ice all frozen, clothes laid out, product all labeled, etc. On top of that, to make this an even busier day, we are trying to get ready for school next week and preparing to get back to our school schedule.

Oh, I Forgot!

So, this past Saturday on my way to Gorgan's Mill Farmer's market I have Linnea in the front next to me asleep, Noah right behind me non-stop talking and all my product and stuff for my both in my little geo. (Which, I might say I have gotten quite good at driving!)

AS I am leaving the Magnolia area, driving straight into the sun, something I think everyone hates doing, but something I am still learning to deal with. And to my right I see two dogs running on the side of the road, I check behind me to see how close the person behind me is driving, since I had just noticed they we either about to pass me or ride my tail.

As I look back at the dogs, I decided to put on my breaks knowing that they could come running out and I don't want the guy behind me to hit me! (That is my worst fear and the biggest thing that kept me from driving sooner). Right as I am about to hit the brakes a deer runs about a car and half length in front of me! I really hit the clutch and break then! It was running so fast I didn't have a problem and I didn't even wake up Linnea!

Boy did that scare me! I had pictures in my mind as it is running in front of me of a deer on my hood, my car totaled (small car and medium deer do not go well together!) and I was thinking how I would explain to dad and mom that I got to market late that day! lol

I will tell you I can laugh about it now, but I was a wee bit scared when it happened and was a little jumpy the rest of the drive there.

I think that was my fun and learning experience for the day!

This Week...

Let's see, it seems to have been a busy week, but when I sit down and think about what we did it wasn't that much. :D

Sunday--We had lunch at church and then went to a farmer's market down town. Once we got home, even chores were worked on, then dad and I sat down to watch the Braves and Phillies.

Monday--Started with me making vanilla bean yogurt as soon as they were done milking. And then cleaning up the dairy and making a batch of soap for my conference next week. That evening I spent an hour doing my best not blow a gasket over the fact that I couldn't watch the Astros. And we had a farm visit from someone who had some questions about how to take care of her goat.

Tuesday--Started out with pasteurizing milk for that night's market, as soon as I was done pasteurizing, bottling, and labeling. I loaded up all the product, got ready to go and helped a little with getting the younger children ready to go. We--Mom, Sara, Emma, Liberty, Noah, Judah, and Seth--all headed out with a goat and three bunnies for the market. Where we were REALLY busy.

On our way home we stopped at Central Market and HEB for some stuff for our yogurt and Seth's family birthday party that night and Emma's and Seth's non-family birthday party this Saturday.

Once we got home, dad and I unloaded product while they finished the finally touches on the birthday cake. Then we had some birthday cake and ice cream and then crashed.

Wednesday--Started with pasteurizing 18 gallons of milk, only to be reminded that I needed to save some milk for a costumer who has been our costumer and picking up milk from us for at least a year. I can NOT believe I forgot that!! For, some reason I was think it was Thursday (I was even planing what I would do with the milk as if it were Thursday). About half way through bottling a Friend called to see if she could take me and a sister out for lunch. Being very busy I had to say no, but they ended up going out with Chris and Grace. :D

While they were gone, I bottled and cleaned the processing room and then headed out to the trailer to make some soap. With the dairy I have fallen behind in my supplies for Swede Farm Naturals but with my conference coming up next week I am in fast mode making sure i have all my products ready to go.

Wednesday is also the day we got our new herd sire from South Fork. This is our fourth goat from her and we have LOVED them all, very sweet tempered goats, lovely and all around great. :D

Alamo, is a very cute little guy and looks kind of like his half brother that we got three years ago. :D I love that coloring on goats. :) (He's the ear less one. lol )

Thursday--I had to make some chocolate milk, once that was done I headed out to the trailer yet again to make another batch of soap. While I was soaping some friends came for some goat help. They are new to goats and we are helping to learn all there is to goats, just like other people did for us four years ago. :D

That night we had pizza while watching "It's A Wonderful Life". W movie we watch ever Christmas season, but with the Dairy and new markets and family visiting we did not get around to it, so they decided to 'break the rules' and watch it now. :D

Today (Friday)--I got to sleep in late. :D I was not out of bed before 9! :D That felt nice, plus the extra cuddle time with Judah. I had to pasteurize again, this time for the chiefs that buy from us. While it was pasteurizing I bottle some raw for a costumer who was coming out today. :D With that done I am now sitting here typing this while Noah and Judah are supposed to be napping.

That's how it has been here this past week. Plus the added stress of getting ready for a new market tomorrow, making sure we have enough product, ice chest, frozen water bottles. everything is labeled, etc. Very busy time. :D Plus I am slightly stressed since this only my second conference, I am also trying to make sure I have everything, that everything is made, labeled, and packaged correctly.

Along with those things is the fact that we have a birthday party tomorrow afternoon for Emma and Seth and Easter Sunday. :D

So, there you have it yet another overview of a week at Swede Farm. :D

Operation Turkey Round-up

Yesterday while mom and dad were out buying some animal feed, I was busy baby sitting and gardening. At one point I went outside to check on the older kids (the youngers were being laid down for their nap by Sara) and I see Grace and Linnea out by the street!!

So, I go down to talk with them and see what good reason they have for being down there instead of in the house cleaning up from lunch or doing school.

By, the time I get down there they both have buckets and are walking ACROSS the street! So, of course I have to really check this out. When I get half way down the drive way I call out to them asking them what they are doing and am told, "We've got turkey babies!!!". Of course I then have to go and see what I can do to help. After all I do want Thanksgiving dinner this year! (No better turkey then your own homegrown turkey!)

So being the great big sister that I am, I grab a bucket in each hand and send both of them into our neighbors bushes to round up the 19 turkey poults. lol After about 20 minutes of grabbing poults, backing out so that they will come out for the food, grab them, chase them as they run back into the bushes and trying not to anger turkey mom to much, we get them all rounded up and in there new home, safe from the dogs, hawks, and children.

It was lots of fun!! And nothing you would have found me doing while I lived in Houston! lol

Well, I sit here printing labels.....

And thought I would post some pictures I took yesterday.

While I was taking pictures of my garden (or lack of one) for the blog, I noticed some goats on the FDA required cement slab and decided to take a picture.



<--Here are our lovely milkers.









I then went inside the dairy (milking room)
to snap some pictures of the girls while they
were milking and found Judah (2 year old)
'helping' them milk.-->






<--Sara, showing Judah how to milk.











The milkers eating their dinner-->














<--Chris kissing a goat!










Seth enjoying the goat's snack (animals crackers).-->










There you go, another day on Swede Farm!

I Should Have Known!

Living on a farm for the past four and half years, and living in Houston the 16 years before that, being the oldest of now 11 children, owning a business, and homeschooling has taught me many things. Some of them I learned while living in Houston and some of it I learned out in the country. Some of the things has taught me I need to change, in some ways I have changed, yet in others I am still working on the changing part. The following is a story of where I am still working on changing.

Have you ever heard the saying goats eat everything? Well, truth be told, they don't. Yeah, yeah, I know there is probably going to be one or two people out there who believe me. But it's true! They may get things in their mouth, but they rarely eat it. If you have them nibble on your clothing, take a good look at how much is truly missing. If you were to try and patch it, you would find that not that much was gone, but you would still have holes from their teeth.

Before I get any farther let me say, I LOVE my goats! And am not to keen on purses, but since I learned I like to always have my MP3 player and a 300 page book with me, I might as well get used to carrying it now, instead of later when I HAVE to.

Last week I learned that goats not only like to eat Alfalfa, Hay, grain, and Sunflower seeds, nor do they like to just nibble on books, trees, and school papers. (It's a good thing I don't need to tell my teacher, "My goat eat my homework"!)

But they also like to nibble and I mean just nibble on leather (or was it imitation leather? I don't really know.). But, that is what I found out at the Houston livestock show. I had my purse sitting under the table where we were 'camping' out for the three days there, and someone was worried that a passerby might see it and like it a little to much, so they pushed it back where passerbys couldn't see it. The only problem was that the goats could see it.

So, when I got paid for trimming some goats, I pick up my purse to put my money in it, nothing new and out of the ordinary, right?

Well, when I grabbed one of the handles my hand did not feel the nice smooth leather feeling that it was used to. Rather it feels strings that are starting to fray and wetness. I look from my purse, to my hand, and back to my purse again trying to figure out what was going on. (I will have to add that it was close to the end of a LONG day of trimming, 8 goats in about 20 hours!) So, there I was standing there like an idiot trying to figure out what is going on when a goat next to me gives one of those, "I'm bored, what do you have for me to eat?" cries. And all of a sudden I understand what happened, it was as if I had been hit in the face with the information! lol I look down and the goat is looking at me like, "Hey that's mine! What are you doing with it? roflol

About the only thing I can do (and want to do) at this point is laugh, it was quite comical. Esp if you had been able to see my face. I walk over to the lady who had brought me with her to the show and who's goat had nibbled at my purse. She looks at me and then at my purse, while I say "Your goat likes my purse!". She was horrified, I felt so bad for her! Here I am laughing about it and she wants to go out and buy me a purse right then and there at the rodeo!

Which in turn causes me to be horrified! Here I am with a purse that was given to me by my six year old sister for Christmas. A purse that she had pulled out of a bag full of clothes that someone had given us. She got the purse for free! And if she hadn't found it before I did then mom would have given it to me. (I have a BAAD track record with purses!) Much as I love the fact that Liberty thought about me and got me a purse that would suite me, that was my style, and my favorite size I can part with it easy enough. And I thought is was funny the way that it had to go.

And here the lady is wanting to go and by me a purse at the Houston Livestock show and Rodeo! Have you ever been there and seen those purses?!? They are very, very nice, handcrafted, made with 100% leather, with a high price tag to go along with all of that. And I just couldn't see spending that kind of money to replace a free purse! Not to mention, I had a back up purse sitting in my closet for when something like this happened. I told her very kindly that, it was O.K., I should have kept it away from goats and passerbys and it was just as much my fault as her goats. :D

Well, yesterday morning as I am on my way out to the Dairy to pasteurize I see a car pulling up. Out steps the breeder with a purse. All black leather just the right size to hold my MP3 player and 300 page book, and a few other things! She gives it to me with a word of advice "Don't let the goats nibble on it!".

Just to let you know, if there is anything you like don't let a goat close or they will nibble at it, mind you not eat it, for they will leave enough there for you to see it and miss it. lol