Get the Chickens in the Road 2009 Wall Calendar! Click here!Posted by Suzanne McMinn on August 7, 2008
Clo….o….o…..o…….verrrrrrrr……….
That thing between your legs looks so heavy!!! Is it difficult to carry that around all day? Would you like a cushion? A nice book? A cookie?
You know, your babies are over a month old now. What a good mama you are! You’re doing an awesome job teaching them to graze. Soon they will be weaning and you’re going to need help with that udder. All that milk. I can help you with that. Would you like another cookie?
Look at this milkstand we are building for you! Yes, you. It’s all for you, Clover. Have I told you lately that you are special?
You have very pretty eyelashes, too. And your hair–it is gorgeous! I love that caramel color. To think, it’s natural! And look at those ears! So dainty! So feminine! So perfectly proportioned! You are a beautiful doe!
Can I touch your udder?
Okay, now hold on, I’ll give you a few more days to think about that…… You’re very pretty, have I mentioned that? Want a cookie? A cushion? A book…..?
Get the Chickens in the Road 2009 Wall Calendar! Click here!Posted by Suzanne McMinn on August 7, 2008
6:59
am
You are doing a fine job of trying to butter her up (no pun intended). She just needs the right incentive! The right kind of cookies!
-Kim
7:13
am
Your goats are so cute , I can’t stand it !
7:14
am
You are having so much fun with those goats. Good luck with the bribery!
7:47
am
Good luck with her, looks like the stand is coming along nicely so your halfway there!
8:04
am
Does she let you touch her at all? She should take note of the tummy rubs the GIANTPUPPY gets.
8:05
am
you had better get you some hand grips and start beefing up those hand muscles sister!!! Can’t wait for the first milking post….but I bet Clover can….
I am soooo jealous of all your humming birds! I have 3 feeders out and about 4 humming birds…but 4 fight for their territory pretty good and they are still fun to watch…yours look like bees flying around your feeders…so awesome…
Tresh
8:05
am
Clover definitely knows something is up! Question is, will she fall for bribery? Clover appears to love having her picture taken and is so adorable!
8:24
am
She is beautiful and good luck with that udder.
8:53
am
I like your approach. I suspect the post about the first milking would be best enjoyed as a video, however. Can’t wait!
8:54
am
Colorful picture of the rooster. I’m wondering — have you kept all the roosters? How many chickens do you have now?
When I was old enough to read, I ordered up chickens from Southern States — got 50 roosters. The card that came in the mail was in my dad’s name, but I thought it was my name (similar). My dad got a call from SS — and was informed his chicks were in. Of course, THEY knew I’d ordered them — and had a good laugh! We raised 50 white roosters. My mom was about to die from all the chicken droppings. I named each one — they rode on my shoulders while I biked. I came home one day from school — dad had stayed home from work, and all of my ‘pets’ were hanging from their feet from the clothesline. I screamed, cried and tried to die! I think this was child abuse! Anyway, I refused to eat chicken FOR YEARS!
So, I’m wondering about your roosters?
9:00
am
My roosters are staying right where they are! I have three standard-size roosters and one banty rooster. I figure the banty doesn’t really count, LOL. I have one banty hen for him. I have six standard-size hens, so those three roosters will just have to share. I’m planning to expand my chicken population by letting one of the hens sit on a nest after they start laying, so I’ll have more chickens, too. Hopefully, lots more hens!
9:04
am
Glad to hear it. I was concerned about the roosters! Mine got along just fine with each other.
9:11
am
Mine are getting along fine, too. I do plan eventually to let the chickens free range during the day and bring them back into the chicken house at night, so more space will also help the roosters along. (They’ll need more space for me to let a hen sit and have more chickens–there’s only so many chickens I can keep penned up in the chicken yard all day.) I’ll see how it goes. I know there’s some danger to letting them free range during the day, but that’s what they do at the chicken farm where I got them and it works out well for them.
9:13
am
Clover definitely has enough milk to go with those cookies!
9:19
am
You are doing a great job of buttering her up.
9:19
am
My roosters got along just fine for awhile too. Then all you know what broke loose. I had rooster feathers rolling around the yard for days. So they had to find new homes.
Also they were not gentlemen to the hens. I felt really sorry for the hens.
I think Clover and Spartacus are planning a COUPE!!!!!
9:28
am
Oh, Clover, I think you’re just trying to make Suzanne suffer! Go on, take some cookies and let her touch your udder! Coco will tell you she has a gentle touch…..
9:37
am
Could you could try masquerading as a lamb and try a sneak attack? When you have the milking stand you can try a bucket of feed (or cookies) to keep her interest while you give it a try.
9:39
am
Our (my) chickens had free range during the day too. The occasional hawk was the problem, but those are just the hazards of raising chickens. People started giving me hens (I was allowed to keep those!) and my hens would wander up into the pines and into out buildings… They nested in the buildings and would hatch huge nests of babies. Of course, if this had been a planned chicken raising, it wouldn’t have happened this way! The big black hen (for lack of knowledge of the breed it was) disappeared for days. Everyone thought she was a goner. Then, one day, I found her up in the woods behind our house. She was sitting on a nest of 17 eggs — all of which hatched. Once they hatched, she brought them back to the house. This was all just dumb luck — because it’s hard to raise chickens and have them nest and produce that many babies. My mom probably thought the chicken gods were against her.
Anyway…I surely didn’t mean to take the spotlight away from Clover and her MARVELOUS udder! That piece of anatomy is so huge it just scares me! When you start milking just remember — thumbs, palms and fingers. It’s a rhythm thing — and your hands will be tired for a few days!
I’m shutting up now!
9:42
am
How about some goat cheese from the milk?
9:48
am
That’s okay, I love talking about my chickens! I’m really looking forward to free-ranging them, and I know it means I will lose some, but just as I let my cats go out, I want to let the chickens out. I think it’s healthy for them. I’ll feel terrible when I lose some, but overall I think it makes for happy chickens.
I’m going to let at least one hen sit on a nest this fall, so I’m going to work on getting more chickens in case of any losses. I might have to put Spartacus in a bubble because he’s my favorite. He could be The Bubble Chicken, LOL.
Goat cheese? yes! I’m planning to make cheese! As soon as I learn how…..
9:53
am
I’m having flashbacks to my days of nursing my kids. Ouch, ouch, ouch.
You are going to have the yummiest milk EVER from Clover, I just know it. Nice and sweet from all those cookies.
Uh, I’d watch out for Spartacus. He looks like he’s clearly up to no good.
10:03
am
That little goat family is just beautiful. And your giant puppy is just a hoot!
10:10
am
I don’t know about Clover but I’m a sucker for a good cookie!
10:18
am
I think Clover is such a cutie, but also smart…she knows something is going to happen and cookies aren’t going to do the trick much longer. The female of all the species are just soooo clever….right. Ha,ha!
10:42
am
Good luck with the udder!!
10:48
am
Clover could kick them, but they might still want a bite of chicken, especially free-range chicken.
10:50
am
Beautiful pictures of your goat!
10:55
am
Clover is fenced in, so unless the chickens go to her, she won’t be able to get near them. I figure if the goats bother them, the chickens will keep out of the goat pen!
I’ve found in the past (when I had ducks, a long time ago) that cats leave grown ducks alone, so I think it will be the same with the chickens. The cats would go for a duckling snack for sure, but grown ducks would peck them if the cats came near and since they were as big as the cats, that put the cats off pretty quick. I think the chickens will let the cats know they’re not welcome! That’s one of the reasons I’m waiting to let them free range–for the chickens to be full-grown. I also want Coco to be in the goat enclosure full-time before I let the chickens free range. I’m not too worried about Dookie–he’s about the size of a cat and one kafluffle with a rooster will probably be enough to teach him a lesson, LOL.
12:07
pm
I didn’t realize it took so much convincing to get a goat ready for milking. I was raised on a dairy farm and the cows always seemed very anxious to be milked and grateful when it was over. Young heifers were given feed and extra time to settle down sometimes before the milking began. Good luck with Clover.
12:15
pm
After you milk Clover once, she’ll look forward to the relief you bring.
My chickens used to free range and pester my collie while she tried to nap in the shade. She would get up and move. They would find her and peck in her fur. She would get up and move…
I culled my roosters down to one because they lusted after those hens and they were so, well, um… aggressive. I’m no prude, but I really felt badly for the hens. One rooster proved more than adequate. The other two were delicious.
Hey, it’s a FARM.
12:49
pm
Why Clover, that big ol udder picture of you, is udderly obscene!!! Please!
Just think of all the wonderful things Mama Suzanne can make with your goat milk - cheese and soap and lotion and prob. even shampoo…and who knows what all else. Pretty little thing!
12:56
pm
Hi Suzanne,
I found your website searching for a “crusty” bread recipe on Google. Funny, huh? I took two days to read your whole blog and I am hooked.
Good luck with each of your endeavors!
My Dad was born in Charleston and grew up in WAR, WV. My Mom lived all over WV.I have relatives in Beckley, Pineville, and Welch. So, I immediately felt a kinship with you.
Anyway, I intend to try your delicious recipes one by one. I tried making three different bread recipes yesterday-it was too much for my one track brain and I turned out some serious WMD. So anyway from now on it’s one recipe at a time.
By the way I have the BEST fruit cobbler recipe I’d love to share if anyone is interested.
Have a great day!
Emmy
1:43
pm
Clover will be offering you cookies once she is milked by you!
1:47
pm
Come on clover, give the woman a break!
3:14
pm
Has Clover been milked before? I cannot remember if you said.
3:41
pm
Estella, no, this is Clover’s first time to have babies, so this is her first time at milking!
Hi, Emmy! I’d love to see your cobbler recipe!
3:47
pm
4:40
pm
Good luck with Clover!
6:48
pm
My chickens planned this great escape. And pulled it off this morning. We had to round them all up which was quiet a site.
6:50
pm
Cookies? Just… Cookies??? to touch her udderly beautiful Udder? She’s not just an easy cookie goat! You must do the scratching of the ears along with more of the sweet talk…maybe some moon light and roses…. ahem…serande her. Ms. Clover isn’t just a dime a dozen goat! You can tell by the way she carries her… uh ….Udder that she is a Good girl goat and must be whined and dined before she lets her … Udder be fondled.
You’ll do great when the time comes. I admire and enjoy your farm life.
7:16
pm
Ah, SM, your bedside manner for ovines is wonderful!
8:24
pm
I think Clover is seriously thinking about letting you touch her magic udder. You’re her favorite you know. She just wants to make sure her babies get the nourishment they need before she’s ready to be milked. Should be nice sweet milk with all those cookies she’s been eating. xxoo
8:45
pm
My own boobs hurt just looking at that photo of Clover! It looks so painful, you would think that she would be running to you for some relief.
9:59
pm
That udder looks like hard work to drag about, but the goats are cute
You’re not going to eat them are you?
10:08
pm
She is so beautiful! I sure hope she lets you help her out with her discomfort soon.
10:13
pm
Hi~
I found my way to via Cranberry Flats….love your blog! Stop by and visit me! I love meeting new people and making new friends.
Farmchick
11:11
pm
You make it sound so personal
12:32
am
wow…that udder is amazing ;)
6:30
am
Toni, no! These are dairy goats.
7:46
am
Oh She’s gonna give you all that milk. Milk for cheese -like mozzarella and ricotta. Make sure to bookmark this: http://www.homesteadblogger.com/abundantblessings/51747/
Aren’t pictoral tutorials the bomb?
Blessings from my farm to yours, Jeanette
10:32
am
I swear my husband must be reading your blog, cause he’s used these same lines on ME!!! Oh dear…