Get Yer Toque On!

[Blaithin]

Had one last night that had what looked like a heat rash, so he got skinned and set aside for the first taste test. Big storm blew through earlier and couldn’t bbq so I tossed him in the instapot. Never cooked more than yogurt in to before but it didn’t blow up! Chicken couldn’t be much bigger or he wouldn’t have fit, so size is working out well.

 

[Lindell]

Had one last night that had what looked like a heat rash, so he got skinned and set aside for the first taste test. Big storm blew through earlier and couldn’t bbq so I tossed him in the instapot. Never cooked more than yogurt in to before but it didn’t blow up! Chicken couldn’t be much bigger or he wouldn’t have fit, so size is working out well.

View attachment 898976

That looks delicious. Just looking at instapot on google," instant pot" ? what programme would you have used to get chicken looking like that, there seems to be a lot of different models to choose from. Thanks

 

[Blaithin]

That looks delicious. Just looking at instapot on google," instant pot" ? what programme would you have used to get chicken looking like that, there seems to be a lot of different models to choose from. Thanks

I have the 6qt one that has the yogurt feature. I really just wanted it to make yogurt

The recipe I used was to cook it in Manual on high for 28 minutes. However there is a poultry option as well. The way it looks is probably more down to the spices used, the paprika gave it a nice red colour.

 

[Blaithin]

Silaging the hailed out crop up the road. Early start to harvest!

 

[Blaithin]

Finished the last of the chickens yesterday. 32 big guys, but we only had large freezer bags and they wouldn’t fit So they got chopped up and then put in.

End numbers were 70 ordered. 73 delivered. 71 butchered.

This group was 12 weeks old and were mostly in the 8 lb range and dressed out around 5-6.

Facebook land has already told me they were too light for how old they were and the mortality is totally normal Facebook is full of such dick munchers.

 

[averageguy54]

I wouldn't worry about the weight, it is a bit low compared to strictly grain fed birds. Yours have been at the grass and getting exercise which would lead to a better quality bird.

 

[Blaithin]

Got a tractor yesterday!

Mom decided she was not feeding by hand this winter and we needed a tractor so this is her deal. If it sh1!s the bed asap I can curl my upper lip and say "I had no part in it!"

Don't know how much it's going to help except for the bales we put in the bale rings. Still end up feeding some by hand I'm sure. But no more dragging bales behind the truck with the chain at least! And she splurged and got a mower with it so today she is attacking all the thistles LOL

 

[Bury the Trash]

Got a tractor yesterday!

Mom decided she was not feeding by hand this winter and we needed a tractor so this is her deal. If it sh1!s the bed asap I can curl my upper lip and say "I had no part in it!"

Don't know how much it's going to help except for the bales we put in the bale rings. Still end up feeding some by hand I'm sure. But no more dragging bales behind the truck with the chain at least! And she splurged and got a mower with it so today she is attacking all the thistles LOL
View attachment 905702

now that you have topper you wont be needing the cows...

 

[Blaithin]

now that you have topper you wont be needing the cows...

The guy who delivered it tested it out over by the bales and mowed all the thistles down. I'll admit, it makes me feel like my yard isn't such a trailer park wreck

However I've told mom that, while I'm all for mowing the thistles, can we try and keep it up fairly high so we don't chop all the grass down low.

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

Dangerous things, mowers, in enthusiastic hands. Far too easy to cut low and do more damage than good.

Hopefully she'll listen to you for a change

 

[Blaithin]

Dangerous things, mowers, in enthusiastic hands. Far too easy to cut low and do more damage than good.

Hopefully she'll listen to you for a change

Well the cows have it eaten quite low after this round so there isn’t too much damage to do. Just in really healthy areas and those don’t have many thistles so maybe she’ll just avoid them!

Grass is pretty much done for the year.

 

[averageguy54]

The Farmer's Almanac is saying heavy snowfall this winter . Maybe your mom was reading that. front end loader to help get around the yard.

 

[Blaithin]

Got this heading our way. Should be pleasant. Time to tuck the garden in.

 

[Karliboy]

To be fair I don’t think there’s any harm in having a tidy old tractor around any farm especially where lumping big bales around comes into it. Tidy thing like that will cost next to nothing to run and will probably increase in value over time.
As for mum topping to low get a chain from top link down to lower arms to set your desired hight and tell mum that’s as low as your allowing her.

 

[Blaithin]

Mango, the newest Fleck, doing well after her first summer. She's got at least 1000 lbs of calf on her and when I look at her with dairy eyes, she's getting too fat Might have to see if I can get her to take another calf once these two get weaned. Keep her svelte over the winter.

 

[Blaithin]

How is summer over! Not that I don’t love good fall weather and this year is delivering that at least. For the first time in 3 years it didn’t snow in September! Lovely, brisk mornings, hot days.

Had a long run at work so just taking today to sit out with the cows. Did have to come home quick yesterday because two decided to get out Autumn is that time of year after all!

Finally got some shots of Mango with her two calves. Kind of looking for another calf for her. If I can’t find one I can’t find one, not a big deal.

The horse got out this morning, guess she felt left out by the heifers yesterday. Anyway, on my way in from the cows I stumbled upon a few chickens that found a fresh horse poo. Even a manure spreader can’t beat that job!

 

[Savern]

That's some fine looking prime beef.
Last night I heard the first of the October song. Summer grazing is done and the herds are coming home. There are at least 10 herds within 5 mile radius. So we hear the weaning calls.

 

[Blaithin]

Well all the calves at the remote pasture were impersonating wild beasts and grazing a half mile up the road. Outside of their pasture.

Planned on seeing if we could move them to their leap frog pasture on the way back home but mom and I have always had different methods of moving cows. She chases. I herd. Her, paired with a young kid on the quad, and the poor girls had no idea what was wanted. They just kept running back and forth. So we’ll try again in the morning. Didn’t want them on the road, moving, now as the light is going and lots of harvest traffic about.

 

[averageguy54]

The joys of herding cattle!

 

[Blaithin]

Moved the cows this afternoon. They have 4 acres of almost untouched (the horse was in it for a couple weeks in July) grass to keep themselves busy with. I’m expecting no more escaped calves for a while!

Poor Stella isn’t a very herdy cow so she easily falls behind. (She’s also very fat with short legs)

And then farther behind.

But then we hit the field and the herd went the wrong way. While mom was in the truck trying to turn them around, Stella and I cut the corner and started to lead the big parade. From trailing behind, to leaders! Look at us go!

Last half mile was almost completely done by yelling their names so they’d keep following me

They were suitably happy with the destination.