Shalali Infante and Pint-Size Farm, located in New Mexico, breeds miniature jerseys, Nigerian dwarf goats, and American Guinea Hogs shipping animals all over the U.S.

Sally gave 9.8 pounds (1.18 gallons), Janie gave 27.6 pounds (3.32 gallons), and we got 15 eggs. Sally gave so little because she had an emergency. She stepped on a nail and it punctured her hoof and went into soft tissue. Fortunately, we were right there when it happened and were able to pull it out quickly, but it was still very stressful for all of us. Fortunately, while it was happening, I was talking to a friend of mine who is an experienced cow lady, and she helped me to correctly treat it. We soaked it in water with betadine, we squirted betadine into the puncture wound, and we irrigated it with saline solution. I also gave her a tetanus antitoxin shot. After about an hour, she was putting full weight on it again. It was tremendously scary. We had to bend her front leg and tie a rope around it so she could not un-bend it so that I could work on it. It was exhausting because I had to hold her up. DS2 kept the rope across her shoulders and pulled on it to also help hold up that leg. This afternoon, we also had to soak her foot, and she was NOT HAPPY about that. Her afternoon milking was only 1.8 pounds (she did not want to let down after soaking her foot).

Today I did put the corn into the compost pile. Yeah. I also made the chicken pen more secure in addition to making the calf pen into a chicken holding pen, so that they will have more room to play and they can get into the calf shed to get out of the sun. They will only be held captive for a short while (maybe a month) to let the seeds root and sprout.

Tomorrow, I will seed the field. I will also move the pigs to their new garden bed to till up. I will turn over what they have done and put leaves and cardboard on it to keep their good work moist.

I got the papers graded and now, I’m ready to fall asleep.

In the morning, I need to make bread. I ground enough flour for 4 loaves of bread and got that soaking. I also took down a chicken to thaw for fried chicken tomorrow night and a lamb roast to soak in buttermilk for dinner on Friday, (hubby’s first dinner back home- he gets home on Thursday night.  I can hardly wait!).

We had bean tacos and salad for dinner.

Sally gave 13.3 pounds (1.62 gallons), Janie gave 27.8 pounds (3.38 gallons), 16 eggs, and found a duck nest with 6 eggs.

Last night DS2 and I tried to do surgery on his cat, as it had an abscess in its hind leg. We got the lower leg and foot shaved, but could not find an opening or a place to open the abscess. Our plan was to take it to the vet in the morning. He locked up the cat in the room with the cat door and closed the cat door. The vet’s office called early in the morning, and we set up an appointment immediately following milking, so…time was of the essence. Well this morning, we discovered that he did not close it completely, and the cat, Bishop, had gotten outside. Before milking and right afterward (while I was filtering and bottling the milk), DS2 went looking for Bishop. He searched high and low and could not find him. In between chores, I tried to assist the search. Just when I was about to call the vet and let them know we had no cat for the appointment, DS2 comes in with the furry limping animal. So, close to $200 later, we left the cat at the vets for official medicated surgery.

Today was art class, so I dropped the boys off and went to my chiropractor. I had briefly talked to their teacher about some herbal aids for her son’s asthma, and happened to be near the store where they were sold, so I went ahead and picked them up for her, as she was going to try to get out and get them later that evening (and her husband is out of town too). When I picked up the boys, she was very grateful for my getting them for her.

After class, we picked up Bishop, who was one dazed kitty, (the meds sure worked well). I milked and then we sat down to a pot of beans that had been cooking all day. Yum. I bottled the Kombucha as it was finally ready. Now, I need to go to bed.

Tomorrow I am going to try to seed the field. I need to get the chickens pen ready first, so I guess I’ll do that tomorrow and then seed Wednesday. I do plan to get the corn into the compost piles for the pigs to dig up later. Maybe I should go and put a bag of corn on the wagon to take out there tomorrow so I don’t forget. I guess that is what I’ll do now. Goodnight.

Sally gave 12 pounds (1.44 gallons), Janie gave 28.1 pounds (3.37 gallons), and we got 18 eggs. This morning, the chicks are doing fine. They are eating about a quart of clabber a day. Wow-wee, they eat a lot. They are so cute. My cousin came over this morning to see the new baby horse of our neighbors. She was enthralled. When we took the girls across the street, they were fine, no spookiness.

Today was the birthday part for the OCL’s youngest son. They had a pool party at an indoor pool. We went to that, and the boys exhausted themselves at the pool.

After milking, I got the butter washed and was going to start on the kombucha but it was not quite ready. I guess I’ll get that done tomorrow or the next day. We are out of kombucha!!!! OMG I don’t know what we will do.

The day just slipped away from me. I didn’t get much accomplished. Now it is late, and I’m going to bathe and go to bed.

Sally gave 11.8 pounds (1.41 gallons), Janie gave 27.9 pounds (3.34 gallons), and we got 16 eggs. This morning when we took the girls across the street, Sally freaked out. She got spooked and ran out of the paddock, over the electric fence, and around the 6 acres. It took us about 20 minutes to catch her. It was awful, as we had somewhere to be. Janie also got spooked and got out too, but she was easier to catch than Sally was. Once we finally had them caught, we just took them back home, as I didn’t want to worry about them getting out again with us being gone. Hopefully whatever it was will be gone tomorrow.

We picked up one of the boys’ friends and met another at the mall where the plasticized bodies exhibit was on display. It was pretty cool, after the disturbing nature wore off. There were different part of bodies dissected to show for example, the respiratory system, or the nervous system, or the arterial and venous systems, muscular systems, tendons, et cetera. After that, we went out for a burger. The 2 boys are staying the night with us.

Once we got back, they got to work on DS1’s cavern. They shored it up and put in supports and also made it much larger. They rigged up a hauling system, where one would be in the cavern filling a bucket, and when the bucket was full, he would call out “haul” and the boy on the surface would haul it up with a “rope.” They are actually using an old garden hose as their rope. They also rigged up an alarm, so that if there were a cave in, they had a bell to ring on the surface, with a string that led down into the cavern.

My NCL helped me to get the piggies into their rototilling tractor pen. Unfortunately for the piggies, I left the water filling their watering dish running while doing something else, and I forgot about it, and their garden bed flooded pretty good. Poor piggies. It was an adventure to get them from the barnyard into the tractor pen. NCL helped by walking backwards with their food. Orwell stayed focused on the food, but Penelope got distracted by all the new things to see and smell. It took some time and help from DS2 to get a hold of her. I ended up grabbing her hind legs and lifting them up. Finally we got her to the pen. She was not a happy camper.

NCL and I dug up some earthworms from her worm bin and cut them up to feed the chickies. It was so funny . They went wild for them. For about 10 minutes, they were all running around, grabbing a piece of worm, running around more, chasing others who had worms, playing tug of war, and peeping to beat the band. It was quite a show.

I went over and checked on the new baby horsey this afternoon. All the boys and NCL came with me. He is doing great. They put up a shade and some bedding for him. He is SO tiny. It is amazing that he is real. He is already learning to shy away from people.

I made beef, pork and potato burritos for dinner.

I’m going to bed now.

First off - April 24, 2008 Sally gave 11.8 pounds (1.38 gallons), Janie gave 28.9 pounds (3.37 gallons) and we got 13 eggs.  April 25, 2008 Sally gave 13 pounds (1.57 gallons), Janie gave 29.3 pounds (3.53 gallons) and we got 17 eggs.

4/24/08- Our adventure with the chicks and chicken feed elaborated.  Just as I was going out to milk, I got a call from the Post Office in a town 40 miles away telling me my 160 chicks had arrived and were ready to be picked up.  I was extremely surprised in my reaction, and he asked, “Don’t you live in this town?”  I told him that we lived in Albuquerque, and was there anyway the chicks could be taken to a post office here?  He called back after talking with his supervisor and they were going to take the chicks to the main Post Office here in town.  Whew, but they had to be picked up soon, and we were all heading out of town after milking to get the feed.  Remember, we are not ready for the chicks yet, as we thought they were coming next week, and we were going to get ready for them this weekend.  Well, it worked out that I was able to meet the driver bringing the chicks to town and get them from her.  One of the CLs came earlier than planned (for our trip) to help me set up the chick brooder area.  We got them set up, and finally got into the Suburban to make our trip.  I turned the ignition, and CLICK, CLICK, CLICK went the battery.  Argh!  It was not making connection.  I tried to tighten up all the battery cables (4 as there are 2 batteries).  That did not work.  So, I called DH in Poland and asked what the trick was (this has happened before).  I was pretty upset.  Poor guy, having to deal with a distraught wife when he is half way around the world and there is really nothing he can do.  He did help calm me down though.  While talking with him, I got the cables even tighter or wiggled enough to make contact and it started.  So we were off.  We picked up the other CL at her work and headed out of town after fueling up, which ended up taking a couple of turns around the block to try to get into the gas station (cheapest diesel in town).

When we were on the way another DF called and asked if we could possibly pick up some feed for her.  I figured we would be able to carry the weight, so I said sure.  We made it to the farm/feed mill in pretty good time.  I had told the CLs about the scary bridge we had to cross, and I think they thought I was exaggerating a little bit.  I know they didn’t think that once they saw the bridge.  We were high on the main road up the edge of a canyon that led to the river.  Once we turned of on the dirt road leading down to the feed mill, it was very steep, bumpy, somewhat curvy and at the bottom lay a wooden bridge with no rails, only 4 x 4’s at the very edges as “guards.”  The bridge was very long and seemed to rock in the current.  It did not seem wide enough for the Suburban and trailer.  My stomach started flipping around just at the sight of it.  I approached very slowly and as we went over it, the boards seemed to click and clack and pop up and down.  OOOOHHHHHH.  One of the CLs was guiding me on her side and telling me to hug my side, as much as possible, a little more, just a little more, and whew! we made it over.

When we saw the amount of feed to load I began to get apprehensive.  It was a total of 7850 pounds of feed.  YIKES!  We got it loaded on the trailer and in the back of the Suburban.  The load got loaded too far forwards, and we had a heck of a time getting it moved back, but finally with the use of the forklift, tractors, straps, and chains, the load we repositioned to a much more balanced ride.  Now, we had to GO BACK ACROSS THE BRIDGE.  Talked about sweating and wanting to pee my pants.  We did make it, with the same, nail biting, gut wrenching terror as before, but maybe doubled.  Then, as soon as we crossed the bridge, we had to nail the throttle to get up that steep dirt road with the huge load.  WE MADE IT.

On the drive home, we couldn’t not go above 40 without the trailer fishtailing, and on most of the hills we could not get above 10 mph before we hit the top of them. So every hill, we encouraged, caressed, and begged the old Suburban to keep up and get us to the top.  We finally rolled into town about 7:30 PM.  We still had to get the chicks more permanently situated with heat lamps and dark areas for night time.  My neighbor CL’s husband was home and helped us with the chicks and unloading what we could store here, and then we drove the rest to the other CL’s house who had a storage shed that is mouse proof to store the rest.  By the time I got home it was 9:30 PM.  Talk about exhausted.  As stated before, I got the butter churned when I got home, cleaned up the milking stuff from DS2’s milking and DS1’s processing (filtering and bottling) the milk.  I also got the papers graded.

4/25/08- I got up to check on the chicks early, 2 dead, we had squished them making their heated sleep area in the night (and one died while we were getting feed).  I got the chicks situated and did normally morning milking chores.  My neighbor called in the middle of it all and said that it was time to irrigate!  We had planned to irrigate in the afternoon, so, I was not quite prepared, but it was not a real problem.  So, we irrigated, and I moved the morning errands to the afternoon, so I could keep an eye on the watering.  The field did much better.  There are still a couple of high spots and a couple of low barriers that allowed parts of the yard to flood, which is really okay, but it all got coverage finally.

After irrigating, I needed to go fill up the Suburban so I could tally the amount of gas per pound of feed we hauled back and have everybody contribute to it.  CLICK, CLICK, CLICK went the battery when I went to start it.  ARGH!  I tried to tighten and loosen the batter cables again, but I could not do it.  The post had lost it’s edges (hex) and I could not grip it to turn it.  I couldn’t find a pair of vice grips, so I called my Dad in near tears.  He came over and helped me.  It was pretty gunked up in the connectors.  I fed him lunch and then I went to run my errands- to the bank to deposit everyone’s $$ for the feed so my HUGE check written to the feed mill would clear - to Costco to get organic carrots for the cows - to the seed & feed store to get seed for the pasture.  By the time I got home, it was time to milk again.  During milking, I got a call from the neighbor behind us, that their miniature horse foaled and the foal was not nursing, could I come help.  I went over and got him nursing in 5 minutes.  They had had the vet out there for 2 hours trying, and at a fee of $250.  They were supposed to call if they had more problems, so since I didn’t hear from them, I assume it went okay.  I sure hope so.  I’ll check in with them this morning.

The boys had to school themselves for 2 days.  I had DS1 help DS2 with lessons again.

After milking, we made dinner (DS1 and I, but mostly DS1).  After dinner it was time to put up the chicks.  My neighbor CL and I did that.  Then we replanted our seedlings into bigger pots and separated them out.  The other CL came and we did that together while working on a chick maintenance schedule.  I’ll do morning care with help of DS2 and they will do evening care together.  Then it was 11:00 and time for bathing and bed.

I am too tired to write much, but our chick came a week early and were went to the wrong town, but they post office delivered them close to us. We went and got chicken feed. There was a VERY SCARY long narrow bridge we had to cross TWICE. There was really too much feed, as we picked up another 1500 pounds for another friend, we had to drive very slowly back home, VERY SLOWLY. DS2 did great milking, Yeah DS2., DS1 filtered the milk great and helped DS2 with his lessons that I would normally do. Best of all, Sally & Janie’ blood tests came back and they are bred. WooMoo!!!!! I’ll give more details tomorrow, but it is 11:20 pm and I still need to bathe. I did grade papers and get the butter churned though! Goodnight.

**Clarification from yesterday’s post** My neighbor who owns the land the girls are grazing on did not ask me to move the fence line after I had already gotten it set up. He asked just as I was getting started, so it was not a problem. I had actually been contemplating doing just that, but I was not sure if I should keep going, or start back at the beginning.

Sally gave 11.6 pounds (1.4 gallons), Janie gave 28.4 pounds (3.42 gallons), and we got 13 eggs. This morning, I made sure to get all lessons with the boys done early, as I needed to run an errand in the afternoon. We got done early enough that I was able to start and finish a new project before I had to leave. I decided to let the pigs do my “rototilling” for me in my garden beds that don’t seem to be getting themselves dug. I will use the A-frame tomato trellises made out of cattle panels to create pig-tiller tractors. When they get done with one bed, I’ll move them onto another bed. The trellises will have at least 2 uses a year (tomatoes during the growing season, and confinement for pigs during the tilling season. I may even plant a winter crop that they will want to till up in the spring. This will add more organic material and if I use a nitrogen fixing plant, then it will fertilize in more than one way. So, I got the pen made, but I didn’t get the pigs moved as my afternoon took a turn of direction.

My neighbor re-leveled the field today. It looks great. Friday will be the water day and we’ll see how it does. It looks much better.

I ran my errands, and then came home to milk.  My cousin had called mid morning to invite us to her kindergarten son’s play this evening. It was short notice, and I wasn’t sure we could go.  Just before milking, my mom invited us to dinner to expedite our evening so we could attend. I hurried through milking, and the boys and I went to my mom’s for pizza and then to see Hansel & Gretel, which was quite adapted but was cute. My cousin looked very handsome and did a great job. He is 5 years old.

After we got home, I had to clean out the Suburban to get it ready for the trip to pick up the chicken feed tomorrow (it is a 2-3 hour drive). I had to attach the license plate, as it had fallen off the trailer the last time we got hay.

I finally came in and skimmed the creamy monster in my fridge (all the milk- it just keep growing and growing- what problems I have ). I skimmed 8 gallons. I think I got 2 gallons of cream, it sure seams that way, but maybe not. I ran out of jars to put the skim milk into and again had to use a bucket, so I’m not exactly sure how much skim milk I ended up with, but let’s just say it is plenty.

I got papers graded, and now I need to go to bed. The boys are going to have to do school tomorrow on their own, as I will be gone all day. DS2 will be milking on his own for the first time tomorrow afternoon. I am sure he can handle it. I’ll be a little nervous, but I have faith in him.

I talked with DH this morning and this afternoon. He is pulling long hours, because after working, they all go to dinner, which doesn’t start until 7:30 in the evening and ends sometime after 10:30. Then he still needs to prepare for the next day’s working, so…he is keeping long hours. Tomorrow afternoon he leaves his small town to head back to Warsaw, then he’ll catch his plane to London on Friday morning. I sure miss him.

Today is my step-son’s 22nd birthday. Happy Birthday DSS

Sally gave 12.6 pounds (1.54 gallons), Janie gave 28.4 pounds (3.46 gallons), and 17 eggs. When I got the one bucket of water across the street this morning, half of it had splashed out! So, first thing I did was call and locate a new tube for that tire. I found one not too far from here. After picking that up, I went by La Montanita Co-op to get a few groceries. I got some more apples for the girls. I got some carrots for the girls. I got some nutritional yeast for the girls (as I had used the last of it this morning). I got some beans for us. They had 3 compost boxes - yeah! When I got home, I got the new tube in the tire and hustled over there was more water. I was just in time too, as they had finished what they had.

While lunch was heating up, I worked on getting the compost around all the apples trees made into dams around the trees so I could water them and have the water stay by the tree. I got a lot done, and then by the end of lunch break I had finished them all. I watered all the fruit trees. I looked closely at the apricot, and it has baby apricots. I hope that they stay on. Last year, they all fell off.

Today after DS2 took the girls home from grazing across the street, DS1 and DS2 helped me move the electric fence across the street to create a new lane. DS2 went back after the heavy stuff, as he still had lessons to finish, and DS1 stayed and helped me to the end. Just as we were fixing to move the lane, the owner of the property asked if we could put it back on the first area the girls had grazed (it is plenty re-grown for them to eat it down again). He said it would help his watering schedule and he could make hay out of the other half of the pasture that the girls have not eaten yet. Sounds good to me. It again took longer than I thought it would. It was a huge help to have DS1. After that, I was hot and tired, and then I still had to milk. Good thing I really like milking

Last night, we had grass fed roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy and salad. Tonight we had beef pot pie and the boys had root beer floats. They finally finished the ice-cream. Tomorrow when I skim the 7.5 gallons that have ALREADY built up, I’ll save cream so DS1 can make more ice-cream.

A friend that I have from my old job doing medical transcription is reading DS1’s book that he is releasing serially on the internet. She was anxiously awaiting the next chapter that he uploads every Monday morning.

Well, I’m beat, off to bathe and then to bed.

Sally gave 12.1 pounds (1.45 gallons), Janie gave 29.1 pounds (3.49 gallons), and 19 eggs.  I made sweet rolls instead of donuts.  I did go to bed earlier yesterday, but I did not feel like getting up at 5:30 to make donuts, so, I didn’t.  I made 2 loaves of bread.  This morning we drew blood on the girls to send it off to Bio-Tracking to see if they are bred.  Neither liked it much.  My technique does not get much practice, since it is a yearly thing, so poor girls have to suffer my ineptitude.  They are 5 weeks past their last breeding and 2 weeks past when they “should” have come back into heat.  I am cautiously optimistic.  If they took, Sally will be due on DS2’s Birthday, Christmas Eve, and Janie’s will be due Christmas Day.  Should be a busy time of the year.  Geeze!  I sure hope they are bred.  I’ve been trying for a while, again, to get them bred.

I went to the construction wrecking yard to see if I could find anything else that would work to store chicken feed that would keep mice and rain out.  They do have a walk-in cooler, but I think they want too much for it.  It does not work, it is just the shell.

On Craigslist, someone was looking for a feeder, so I sold the one I don’t want anymore.  It is one I bought a couple of months ago and really is a horse feeder, not a cow feeder, it is too high, cows need to eat with their heads down.  Anyway, she paid me for it, and will pick it up in a day or 2.  My neighbors came over and helped the boys and me lift it onto the little white farm truck and I drove it into the front yard.

I patched the tube on the garden cart so I can haul more water to the girls, as one bucket is just not cutting it since the weather has warmed.  It held air to get over there, but this afternoon it was flat again.  ARGH.  I tried to find another tube, but all the stores where one might be are closed.  I’ll try in the morning.  In the meantime, I am not sure what I am going to do for their water.  I guess another day won’t hurt them, but…I don’t have all the time in the world to run errands, as we have lessons tomorrow.

My fencing supplies came in.  Now I need to figure out how set it all up.  I don’t need to get it set up right away (not until the grass in the pasture comes up).  But, I think I should know how to make it work.

I’m going to bathe, do some lesson plans, and hit the sack.

Sally gave 9.6 pounds of palatable milk (1.15 gallons) and 2.6 pounds of unpalatable milk due to Sally wanting a milk pedicure and so soaked her hoof in the bucket! Janie gave 28.2 pounds (3.38 gallons). There were 17 eggs. I don’t know where or if the duck is laying. I have decided I am going to train Sally to pull a cart, so she can pull her own water across the street. It is hard work, and the 15 gallon bucket is not enough, so I need to take 2 buckets and it will be even harder. I also need to fix the flat on the wagon. In any event, I think it would be nice to have her do the work. She is going over there anyway and she and Janie are the ones drinking the water. I called my DB who has lots of experience with harnessing mules and horses, and he is going to help me put something together. It will be about 3-4 weeks, but I am very excited and ready.

Today was a Chicken Ladies (CL) meeting. We ironed out the design of the chicken tractors we are going to use. We are still unsure of where all the 6000 pounds of feed is going. We’ve accounted for about 60 of the 119 bags of feed.

The CL helped me get into my bees today. Out of the 4 hives, there was one very strong hive, one weak hive, one hanging on by a thread, and one was kaput. All three of the hives had queens (that is a good sign). So on the weakest hive, we took 4 combs (from the strongest hive) of brood, larvae, and eggs with worker bees and put them into it. On the hive that was kaput, we left is open and so all the bees from the other hives are robbing it for the left over honey. We got no honey, but I did not think we would. This was just to check on them.

This morning I got the Kombucha tea brewed and the flour ground for bread tomorrow. I think I’ll make donuts for breakfast for the boys.

My parents came by for a visit. They rode their motorbikes. My mom has a scooter, and my dad has a BMW.

I’m going to bathe and go to bed early; I’m beat. I have not gone to bed before 10:30 all week. I’m ready to put my head down on my desk and sleep. I’m also starting to get sad from missing my DH.