Saturday, December 02, 2006
Friday, December 01, 2006
We had a very pleasant Thanksgiving. I hope you all did too. It was truly nice to focus on how we have been blessed and not on troubles. On Thursday, our whole family went down to Wayne’s nephew’s house in Richmond. We all took dishes and had a pleasant and relaxing time.
Nothing horrible happened while we were gone, and the weather cleared up. I had gone to Newport News earlier in the week to pick up a door order from Waterfront Lumber for the house next door, and ended up fighting gale force winds and rain, but a dry load, so the peacefulness and lack of anything happening was very nice.
Things are going well with drying off the cows that need to be dried off. Pearly has been dried off, and Mary will be started next week. Sweetie Pie has dried off on her own (it was her first lactation).
I just got a note from the people in charge of the fence on the other pasture that it should be done soon. (It was supposed to have been completed in September), At that point we will be moving heifer calves, some goats, and my guard donkey over there to free the front pasture for seeding with winter rye.
The response for the tentative share owner meeting in December has been positive, but less than 25% of people can make it. I believe it would be best to reschedule for the January 6th or 7th. The afternoon of the 7th would be best for me. I would have preferred to get together before the General Assembly session started, but so many had Christmas plans already. It seems better to schedule when people can come!
At this point we are getting about 30% of the average production. That means about 1/3 of the normal share amount. Please let me know if you are, or not coming for your regular pickup, and I will keep everyone posted as things change.
The chiller has shipped!! Yeah! It should arrive within 3 weeks. It will be SO NICE to get going on installing it, organizing the barn area, and not having to play musical milk. In addition, in times like this, where people get the milk that has been milked that morning, the chiller will bring the milk down to less than 40 degrees in 20 minutes, so milk will be well chilled even when it is that days’ milk.
Our family will be celebrating Christmas at Mountain Lake Biological Station this year from about Dec. 22- December 28. Since there will be cows in milk still, it will be a challenge to be all together, but some wonderful share owners have offered to help me out. The weekends of December 16, 17, December 31st and January 1st and January 13th we hope to be able to allow the whole family to spend some time with Wayne, who will be at Mountain Lake from December 14- January 15th.
We are enjoying the mud (well, not really, but it sure is nice to have the moisture) and are looking forward to some time together as a family relaxing. The first quarter of 2007 we will have 9 cows calving as well as some dairy goats kidding, so will be in the excitement again! We have not bred the sheep yet, so will have late lambing this year to spread the busy time out.
Warning! Our African cross goose has turned out to be a gander, and is chasing people (especially little ones) PLEASE be cautious with your children and stay with them until he becomes dinner in a couple weeks. The Canada goose is fine, she is a nice gal, but ganders can be gnarly, and he has become so at a young age. All the better for the platter.
Let me know if the January 7th afternoon will work for you, and I can make plans for that date.
Nothing horrible happened while we were gone, and the weather cleared up. I had gone to Newport News earlier in the week to pick up a door order from Waterfront Lumber for the house next door, and ended up fighting gale force winds and rain, but a dry load, so the peacefulness and lack of anything happening was very nice.
Things are going well with drying off the cows that need to be dried off. Pearly has been dried off, and Mary will be started next week. Sweetie Pie has dried off on her own (it was her first lactation).
I just got a note from the people in charge of the fence on the other pasture that it should be done soon. (It was supposed to have been completed in September), At that point we will be moving heifer calves, some goats, and my guard donkey over there to free the front pasture for seeding with winter rye.
The response for the tentative share owner meeting in December has been positive, but less than 25% of people can make it. I believe it would be best to reschedule for the January 6th or 7th. The afternoon of the 7th would be best for me. I would have preferred to get together before the General Assembly session started, but so many had Christmas plans already. It seems better to schedule when people can come!
At this point we are getting about 30% of the average production. That means about 1/3 of the normal share amount. Please let me know if you are, or not coming for your regular pickup, and I will keep everyone posted as things change.
The chiller has shipped!! Yeah! It should arrive within 3 weeks. It will be SO NICE to get going on installing it, organizing the barn area, and not having to play musical milk. In addition, in times like this, where people get the milk that has been milked that morning, the chiller will bring the milk down to less than 40 degrees in 20 minutes, so milk will be well chilled even when it is that days’ milk.
Our family will be celebrating Christmas at Mountain Lake Biological Station this year from about Dec. 22- December 28. Since there will be cows in milk still, it will be a challenge to be all together, but some wonderful share owners have offered to help me out. The weekends of December 16, 17, December 31st and January 1st and January 13th we hope to be able to allow the whole family to spend some time with Wayne, who will be at Mountain Lake from December 14- January 15th.
We are enjoying the mud (well, not really, but it sure is nice to have the moisture) and are looking forward to some time together as a family relaxing. The first quarter of 2007 we will have 9 cows calving as well as some dairy goats kidding, so will be in the excitement again! We have not bred the sheep yet, so will have late lambing this year to spread the busy time out.
Warning! Our African cross goose has turned out to be a gander, and is chasing people (especially little ones) PLEASE be cautious with your children and stay with them until he becomes dinner in a couple weeks. The Canada goose is fine, she is a nice gal, but ganders can be gnarly, and he has become so at a young age. All the better for the platter.
Let me know if the January 7th afternoon will work for you, and I can make plans for that date.
Monday, November 06, 2006
Due to a series of unfortunate events, as well as a sabbatical I am taking, there will be no share openings until Feb 1 2007. I will contact people on the waiting list mid January to let them know the status. Please feel free to contact me, and if you would like to be on the waiting list , please let me know.
I do anticipate openings at that time.
I do anticipate openings at that time.
October 2
We have had a major disaster.
Yesterday afternoon Caleb comes running in extremely upset. I had 2 cow, 2 calves 9 goats, and a sheep who were either dead or slobbering and down. ONLY in one pasture. I have gotten hay over the summer from this farm, 2 types, a fescue orchard mix, and a mostly orchard mix. Had 3 bales of the mostly orchard, one in barnyard, 1 unfed, and night before last put one in with the Shetland, goat, and black mali pasture. Called Vet, he came out, and told me to get the hay out. He stomach pumped 2 cows, a calf, and 3 goats. Was able to isolate some freshly eaten stuff out of one cow, but the rest was gross mush. Vet called the plant expert, and the guy just happened to be in c’ville for a meeting and came out about 45 later, while we were checking the hay. Pulled the hay bale out, and tore it all up. We came up with a couple things, and when Stuart got here he said hardy oleander, that we had a very mild winter last year and that though unusual there had been several horses lost to it this year up his way. It grows much better in orchard grass fields than fescue as the fescue crowds it out.
So I had to dispose of a bunch of dead animals. One cow was lost, and the one that survived so far they said would most likely abort. She is not eating now and looks horrible. (update…she is doing OK now, and has showed no signs yet of aborting) Lost my only 2nd generation black mali heifer calf, and a Holstein bottle calf. The calf he pumped is the one on the cow that lived, but her milk looks gone now, so I will have to bring him-who-is wild in and feed him out somehow. The sheep died, and 5 goats, 2 are in critical, 2 are up and about. Tore up the last bale in the yard and didn’t see anything, but since it was the same batch we are going to trash it. He said don’t use for bedding or we could loose ducks or geese if they somehow got it.
Sooo, we had some Hay that has a VERY SMALL amount of hardy oleander in it. Tragic. I am still shaky here/
UPDATE: As of today, we have lost 19 goats, 1 cow, 3 calves, and 1 sheep. According to all the resources I can find, 14 days is when the toxin should be though the system, and the last outliers of death will happen. That will be Sunday October 15.
NOTE:
Thankfully, this is ONLY in the one pasture, and we did not put the bale in the dairy cows pastures. That would have been an unrecoverable disaster. We had no dairy cows exposed to it, We have a different source for hay and the people we bought it from have been very concerned and diligent in checking pastures and allowing the plant guy to review the land.
One thing the plant guy told me to keep in mind is for people to be careful NOT to purchase ANY plant that looks like the oleander from places that sell tropicals, especially those that set up in parking lots with tents. One of the items of trivia I learned was that in Sri Lanka Oleander seeds are a preferred method of suicide, an average of 2000 people a year use them to kill themselves. It is a very toxic plant!
Symptoms of Poisoning
Unfortunately, the first symptom noticed may often be a dead goat. Some symptoms include: frothing at the mouth,
vomiting, staggering, trembling, crying for help, rapid or labored breathing, convulsions and sudden
death. If you observe any of these symptoms and suspect poisoning, first try to figure out what poisoned
the goat. Then, remove the goat from the suspected source of poison. Call a veterinarian as soon as
possible. If possible, remove the poison from the goat. You can place 2 tablespoons of salt on the back
of the goat's tongue to induce vomiting. You can also administer charcoal tablets and rehydration fluids
along with some mineral oil. The charcoal will bind some of the toxins, the fluids will prevent
dehydration and the oil will coat the gastrointestinal tract and prevent foaming.
Poisoning and reactions to Oleander plants are evident quickly, requiring immediate medical care in suspected or known poisonings of both humans and animals (Goetz 1998). Induced vomiting and gastric lavage are protective measures to reduce absorption of the toxic compounds. Charcoal may also be administered to help absorb any remaining toxins (Inchem 2005). Further medical attention may be required and will depend on the severity of the poisoning and symptoms.
Drying of plant materials does not eliminate the toxins. It is also hazardous for animals such as sheep, horses, cattle, and other grazing animals, with as little as 100 g being enough to kill an adult horse (Knight 1999). Plant clippings are especially dangerous to horses, as they are sweet. Symptoms of a poisoned horse include severe diarrhoea and abnormal heartbeat. There are a wide range of toxins and secondary compounds within Oleander, and care should be taken around this plant due to its toxic nature. Different names for Oleander are used around the world in different locations (see top of page), so when encountering a plant by any of these names care and caution should be used. Many of Oleander's relatives have similar leaves and also contain toxic compounds
Scientific Name: Nerium oleander
Common Name: Oleander
Species MostOften Affected:
horses, cattle, sheep, dogs, humans, goats
Poisonous Parts:
all, leaves, stems
Primary Poisons:
nerioside, oleandroside, saponins, cardiac glycosides
We have had a major disaster.
Yesterday afternoon Caleb comes running in extremely upset. I had 2 cow, 2 calves 9 goats, and a sheep who were either dead or slobbering and down. ONLY in one pasture. I have gotten hay over the summer from this farm, 2 types, a fescue orchard mix, and a mostly orchard mix. Had 3 bales of the mostly orchard, one in barnyard, 1 unfed, and night before last put one in with the Shetland, goat, and black mali pasture. Called Vet, he came out, and told me to get the hay out. He stomach pumped 2 cows, a calf, and 3 goats. Was able to isolate some freshly eaten stuff out of one cow, but the rest was gross mush. Vet called the plant expert, and the guy just happened to be in c’ville for a meeting and came out about 45 later, while we were checking the hay. Pulled the hay bale out, and tore it all up. We came up with a couple things, and when Stuart got here he said hardy oleander, that we had a very mild winter last year and that though unusual there had been several horses lost to it this year up his way. It grows much better in orchard grass fields than fescue as the fescue crowds it out.
So I had to dispose of a bunch of dead animals. One cow was lost, and the one that survived so far they said would most likely abort. She is not eating now and looks horrible. (update…she is doing OK now, and has showed no signs yet of aborting) Lost my only 2nd generation black mali heifer calf, and a Holstein bottle calf. The calf he pumped is the one on the cow that lived, but her milk looks gone now, so I will have to bring him-who-is wild in and feed him out somehow. The sheep died, and 5 goats, 2 are in critical, 2 are up and about. Tore up the last bale in the yard and didn’t see anything, but since it was the same batch we are going to trash it. He said don’t use for bedding or we could loose ducks or geese if they somehow got it.
Sooo, we had some Hay that has a VERY SMALL amount of hardy oleander in it. Tragic. I am still shaky here/
UPDATE: As of today, we have lost 19 goats, 1 cow, 3 calves, and 1 sheep. According to all the resources I can find, 14 days is when the toxin should be though the system, and the last outliers of death will happen. That will be Sunday October 15.
NOTE:
Thankfully, this is ONLY in the one pasture, and we did not put the bale in the dairy cows pastures. That would have been an unrecoverable disaster. We had no dairy cows exposed to it, We have a different source for hay and the people we bought it from have been very concerned and diligent in checking pastures and allowing the plant guy to review the land.
One thing the plant guy told me to keep in mind is for people to be careful NOT to purchase ANY plant that looks like the oleander from places that sell tropicals, especially those that set up in parking lots with tents. One of the items of trivia I learned was that in Sri Lanka Oleander seeds are a preferred method of suicide, an average of 2000 people a year use them to kill themselves. It is a very toxic plant!
Symptoms of Poisoning
Unfortunately, the first symptom noticed may often be a dead goat. Some symptoms include: frothing at the mouth,
vomiting, staggering, trembling, crying for help, rapid or labored breathing, convulsions and sudden
death. If you observe any of these symptoms and suspect poisoning, first try to figure out what poisoned
the goat. Then, remove the goat from the suspected source of poison. Call a veterinarian as soon as
possible. If possible, remove the poison from the goat. You can place 2 tablespoons of salt on the back
of the goat's tongue to induce vomiting. You can also administer charcoal tablets and rehydration fluids
along with some mineral oil. The charcoal will bind some of the toxins, the fluids will prevent
dehydration and the oil will coat the gastrointestinal tract and prevent foaming.
Poisoning and reactions to Oleander plants are evident quickly, requiring immediate medical care in suspected or known poisonings of both humans and animals (Goetz 1998). Induced vomiting and gastric lavage are protective measures to reduce absorption of the toxic compounds. Charcoal may also be administered to help absorb any remaining toxins (Inchem 2005). Further medical attention may be required and will depend on the severity of the poisoning and symptoms.
Drying of plant materials does not eliminate the toxins. It is also hazardous for animals such as sheep, horses, cattle, and other grazing animals, with as little as 100 g being enough to kill an adult horse (Knight 1999). Plant clippings are especially dangerous to horses, as they are sweet. Symptoms of a poisoned horse include severe diarrhoea and abnormal heartbeat. There are a wide range of toxins and secondary compounds within Oleander, and care should be taken around this plant due to its toxic nature. Different names for Oleander are used around the world in different locations (see top of page), so when encountering a plant by any of these names care and caution should be used. Many of Oleander's relatives have similar leaves and also contain toxic compounds
Scientific Name: Nerium oleander
Common Name: Oleander
Species MostOften Affected:
horses, cattle, sheep, dogs, humans, goats
Poisonous Parts:
all, leaves, stems
Primary Poisons:
nerioside, oleandroside, saponins, cardiac glycosides
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Tuesday
October 24, 2006
Got back from the rally in Richmond to protest the USDA brown short tactics used in the Henshaw and Davis cases ( see http://www.readthehook.com/stories/2006/10/05/COVER-boarSlaughter-F.doc.aspx ).
This morning the milk situation was abysmal. Despite feeding some supplemental alfalfa, production was down by half. We have had almost no house milk since last Thursday, and I am very achy due to the fibromyalgia symptoms showing up when I don;t have milk, so it has been no-so-good around here.
At 10:30 this morning, a very nice fellow that I have gotten square bales from in the past brought me 5 beautiful round bales of alfalfa native mix, and I put one in both cow pastures. They were delighted! By last night they had eaten about 1/2 of each 1200# bale....they really needed it. The hay I got for interim was simply too low in nutrition to keep a lactating cow.
Today I have a hauler coming to deliver another 20 bales. Unfortunately, it is a once time shot for him an will cost me 200 just for delivery. But the way they are going through the alfalfa I will need it soon, and after 3 weeks of waiting for the regular hauler to get his tractor fixed cannot wait any more.
I am having to short everyone this week, and until production comes up will be working in this way. Thankfully, I have purchased hay off the field from a very high quality pasture, but am having a bear getting it hauled. The prices given are equaling the cost of the hay, something that in a better year with plentiful hay would be unheard of.
But the ladies are being fed well now, am I will be continuing to look for hauling options. When you come by, take a look at the hay near the drive to the barn....typical of much hay I am seeing this year, and the hay by my house drive. That is the difference that makes milk when the pasture is down.
October 24, 2006
Got back from the rally in Richmond to protest the USDA brown short tactics used in the Henshaw and Davis cases ( see http://www.readthehook.com/stories/2006/10/05/COVER-boarSlaughter-F.doc.aspx ).
This morning the milk situation was abysmal. Despite feeding some supplemental alfalfa, production was down by half. We have had almost no house milk since last Thursday, and I am very achy due to the fibromyalgia symptoms showing up when I don;t have milk, so it has been no-so-good around here.
At 10:30 this morning, a very nice fellow that I have gotten square bales from in the past brought me 5 beautiful round bales of alfalfa native mix, and I put one in both cow pastures. They were delighted! By last night they had eaten about 1/2 of each 1200# bale....they really needed it. The hay I got for interim was simply too low in nutrition to keep a lactating cow.
Today I have a hauler coming to deliver another 20 bales. Unfortunately, it is a once time shot for him an will cost me 200 just for delivery. But the way they are going through the alfalfa I will need it soon, and after 3 weeks of waiting for the regular hauler to get his tractor fixed cannot wait any more.
I am having to short everyone this week, and until production comes up will be working in this way. Thankfully, I have purchased hay off the field from a very high quality pasture, but am having a bear getting it hauled. The prices given are equaling the cost of the hay, something that in a better year with plentiful hay would be unheard of.
But the ladies are being fed well now, am I will be continuing to look for hauling options. When you come by, take a look at the hay near the drive to the barn....typical of much hay I am seeing this year, and the hay by my house drive. That is the difference that makes milk when the pasture is down.
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Sunday October 22, 2006
Greetings! It has been suggested that I put up a blog to keep people up to date about what has been happening around here, so her 'tis.
We have just gotten through a spell of Horrid Hay Poisoning, finished wedding off one of my 21 year old twins, and ran slam out of hay on site. After serious seeking and rejecting, I found some most excellent hay for my livestock, but have transport problems. The hay is in Culpeper, 50 miles north, and getting it here has been a trial. The fellow who was going to transport it lost the tranmission in his tractor, and has been promising delivery for over 2 weeks to no avail. I actually ran slap out of hay on Friday, and calling, and begging, I finally got some relatively poor quality, but clean, hay yesterday afternoon, and had a delivery of the same this morning. I will need to get my good hay down here, and use this minimally, but needed something NOW.
Due to lack of hay, and poor quality of replacement, milk production has diminshed dramatically. I am hoping that it will pick back up with feeding supplemental alfalfa cubes.
Greetings! It has been suggested that I put up a blog to keep people up to date about what has been happening around here, so her 'tis.
We have just gotten through a spell of Horrid Hay Poisoning, finished wedding off one of my 21 year old twins, and ran slam out of hay on site. After serious seeking and rejecting, I found some most excellent hay for my livestock, but have transport problems. The hay is in Culpeper, 50 miles north, and getting it here has been a trial. The fellow who was going to transport it lost the tranmission in his tractor, and has been promising delivery for over 2 weeks to no avail. I actually ran slap out of hay on Friday, and calling, and begging, I finally got some relatively poor quality, but clean, hay yesterday afternoon, and had a delivery of the same this morning. I will need to get my good hay down here, and use this minimally, but needed something NOW.
Due to lack of hay, and poor quality of replacement, milk production has diminshed dramatically. I am hoping that it will pick back up with feeding supplemental alfalfa cubes.
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