Family Milk Cow: Tippy Margaret Update

 It is now winter and much has happened in the way of Tippy Margaret. When we purchased her in June of this year, we knew she had been in with a bull for a little while. Thus, hoping she was pregnant. If she had not been, we hope she soon would be - as she was placed with a small herd, with a bull in the mix. 

All that to say that our dreams of having a milk cow come Spring were well under way. Then life happened. We found Tippy to be pregnant, much farther along than conception in May or June. She actually calved mid-October, delivering a bull calf - Angus / American Milking Devon cross - while we were out of state. Life's learning curves are perfectly effective, aren't they?

What does that look like for us now? Well, we are currently calf sharing, with milking attempts being made a few times a week. If I am honest, leasing a spot for your cow and attempting to milk in the wide-open range, with no barn or water access is... difficult at best. We are thankful the calf and mama cow are well and going strong, and I am thankful that Tippy does allow me the opportunity to milk free standing for as long as food remains in the bucket. :)

This process has taught us much in the way of what we will desire once we get land of our own, and until then we will push forward and maybe even get enough milk for our morning coffee. 

Family Milk Cow: Building Trust with Tippy

 I often feel like I am suppose to wait for the time to be ideal, or just right before I leap into something. Sometimes I feel the complete opposite and I just jump, and roll with it. But our newest learning experience was a combination of both. Though we always hoped to have a family milk cow one day, we just figured it would have to wait until we were able to actually purchase our homestead. Well, here I am : on this side of the gate, with a registered American Milking Devon, who needs a family in which she can be a milk cow. 

Her name is Tippy, and she has been hanging with range cattle for a bit. Apparently, she has some mood issues at times - but who doesn't. Right now I am giving her lots of grace considering she just left her familiar herd, found herself with a small new one. Hasn't been milked in a couple years and doesn't know me from Anne.

In just two weeks, we have made some good progress. She will now come at the sound of the alfalfa in the bucket and allows me to rub her head and neck while she is eating. However, Tippy doesn't eat from my hand yet, but I hope to work up to that... 

Right now we are just building trust: getting to know each other - which takes consistency, respect and time.

I am thankful that this isn't my first go around with cows, because I think it would feel rather intimidating to attempt. Admittedly, I am no third generation dairy maid, but I have a pretty solid support and knowledge group around me who would like to see us both succeed. That is a nice place to be standing...

Let's Talk Chickens & Yolk Color

 I wanted to take a moment to talk about some aspects in yolk color, in relation to nutrition, quality and over all chicken health. Not to long ago I shared some of my thoughts on the subject via my IG account. Stating - that while egg yolk color and texture are important, they are not always a good stand alone way to judge a quality laying hen - or her eggs.

These two eggs were laid the same exact day, from hens fed the exact same way... organic feed, organic produce and whole food kitchen scraps. In addition they are given the same segmented pasture system. Yet - these yolks are different. Different in height, color and even in texture. 

Does this mean one is far more superior than the other?

Not really.

The pigment that gives eggs their color is called xanthophylls, and it is often obtained from foods such as corn, alfalfa and beans. It can also be found in green grass and yellow petals. However - the over all nutritional content is not directly linked to the color of an egg yolk in and of it's self.

Did you know that some commercial feed producers put pigment enhancers in their feed to assist in the coloring - these can be synthetic or natural additions like marigold petals. This is done solely for consumer preference, and not nutrition. Except in the area of adding flax meal or other high OMEGA sources to the hen's daily ration, as this practice is showing to increase the omega content per egg laid and can add some variations to egg yolk and texture.

There is some debate that a chicken's breed may effect the color of the egg yolk, or the hen's various hormone cycles at any given time of day. Weather, stress and obviously living conditions play a huge part in over all chicken health and egg yolk color. 

So why two different colors of yolk

I don't have a solid answer, yet - just a couple of theories. But I do know that my girls get the best ingredients, lots of sunlight, garden bugs and greens. I trust that what I put into them will give me some of the best, high quality eggs out there.

While I believe that brightly colored yolks can be one of many indicators for over all health and quality of your hen, and that pastured hens lay the best eggs. I do not believe that one should base an entire dozen quality on egg color alone. I advocate that it is best to know your producer, their practices and why they do what they do.

Simple Sweet Potato Biscuit Recipe

I remember a few years back, when we were living in a friends camper and running produce in southern Kentucky : being invited to share in a Thanksgiving Dinner with new family & friends. She had a family tradition, Sweet Potato Biscuits - actually she had a few traditions. That was one of the things I loved about her, her strong love of family, traditions and God. 

She paid cash for everything, loved to knit and shared heart felt truth by the little light. My husband would bring in the nightly firewood, add a few logs and we would gather around and converse. Just converse and be. I never look at a sweet potato without remembering her, and our time there. 

Well there was the time I had sweet potato ice cream in southern Tennessee...

Simple Sweet Potato Biscuits

5 cups flour - maybe a little less, or a little more - depending on the type of flour

4 t baking powder

1 stick butter

3 cups cooked and mashed sweet potato

Directions: blend the first three ingredients, in a large bowl, using a pastry blend or fork. Then add the three cups of mashed, cooled, sweet potatoes and mix well - with your hands. Shape into biscuits, about one inch think and place on baking sheet. 

Bake at 425 for 15 to 20 minutes, or until done. Remove the biscuits from the baking sheet and serve slightly warm with butter and/or maple syrup. These taste the best with people gathered around.

Her biscuits will always look better than mine, and probably always taste better too, but the season of my life that they represent is pure swelling joy. So even if my pictures were snapped in haste and my recipe posts will never make a cookbook... that is alright with me. I have the memory, that bonded connection... and the ability to pass on a tradition.