Getting the swing of things!

When we first found out that we were going to move to Montana, I was so excited! My whole life I had wanted to live on a farm, and being more self-sufficient just seemed like a little piece of heaven on Earth for me.

We got our chickens and they were so easy. Anyone could do chickens, even in the city. They stay close to home, and if you have a coop(that is really easy to build yourself) then you don't even have to worry about them roaming. With chickens, you getfresh eggs everyday. Your neighbors would never even know you had them as long as you didn't have a rooster. You don't need a rooster to have eggs, but if you do have a rooster they will be fertilized. Fertilized eggs are better nutritionally for you because they have all 23 amino acids making it a perfect protein. Unfertilized eggs, the kind you get in the store, only have 19 amino acids, but arguably are still good for you. Having your own eggs is a bonus over buying them because free range chickens lay eggs that have more nutrients, you know exactly what is being fed to the chickens and it is more humane.

Then we got our goats. I must admit I cried when the older man bringing them to us de-horned them at our house. I was so saddened, but determined to have milk goats. The next year, it was time for us to de-horn our own goats. We waited too long to do it and the horns were really big. The goats were really big and it was a disaster. Ryan and I both cried (not really, but it was quite tramatic). We only did one goat. The others were left to grow horns...not a good idea. With all that "experience" we attempted goat de-horning again this year. We are pros now. It was easy. Just call me a natural. Actually Ryan did all the work, I just held them still. This year we will have four milking ladies, and I will learn how to make yougart, cottage cheese, goat cheese and ice cream out of it. The kids are so ready to have milk again. I can tell a diffrence in our health when we don't have it. The good fat(see link) from milk is essential for kids. Only two more weeks and I will start milking them.

So I guess after all this, I think I may have gotten the swing of things. We got 24 new baby chick this year and are going to get 24 fryer chickens next week, and since I have all that down, I guess it is time to shake things up...you know the only way to learn is to jump in with two feet and start moving, so we are getting pigs. Five of them. I know, I know, what will I do with pork that I don't eat...well, we are just doing pigs for 4-H. The boys will each raise one, and they get to sell them and keep the money that they make. They are the easiest animal to start with, so instead of jumping into steers, pigs will have to do. It should be fun, and hopefully not too stinky! Maybe we will have enough confidence that next year we can do a cow! I love this farm life.