Yesterday the Shush Sisters came with me on their first proper walk. Though it was more of a trot. A nerve wracking barely controlled jaunt. 
At speed. The first half they spent racing along with me their little sucky chattering snouts attached to my calves. 
I led them through the barn and back to their pen a few times, practising following me and coming when called and learning where Home was. We have been doing this for a few days. Finally I opening the barn door to the corridor paddock. Bobby Blanc had been moved in case of a riot!. And out they shot!
First they visited the Plonkers and the chickens, all at speed, then they zoomed over to investigate The Big Bobby and Queenie.
And they all had a ‘oh’ moment. Then on command back they galloped back to the barn, through the pens and corridors and into their own pen. We were practising Go Home!
Of course on our second foray Sheila found the weakness in the perimeter, slipped under the gate and ran home through the big barn doors. At this point the camera was abandoned on a fence post and barely in control, I called them back together and back to bed.
They seem to understand to come when called, and to Go Home. But everything is done at high speed and in the end my legs were decorated in dirty little pig snout marks as they kept racing back and forth checking in. 
Jaz asked me a very good question yesterday. She wondered how long raw milk lasted in the fridge. My favourite answer is that raw milk does not go off, it just slowly changes into another milk product. When I used to buy it from a local farmer who I trusted, I would store it in the fridge and drink it for up to a week. Because all its enzymes are still intact it does not go bad like pasteurised milk goes bad. Though it will sour after a while as the bacterias work. Now I have my own cow though, the drinking milk is always fresh.
Some of you are worried that I will get fat with all this lovely cream. But animal fats (particularly grass fed fats) actually cause the stomach lining to secrete a hormone that tells us we are full. If the milk is manipulated this trigger is removed and could contribute to over eating and fatness. This is why non fat and low fat foods need to be approached with caution by a dieter.
Many people have difficulty digesting ultra-pasteurised milk. Or are lactose intolerant which means that their bodies are no longer producing lactase, a condition which prevents them from digesting the milk sugars.(This is oversimplified but I am not of a scientific bent so do please jump right in with your comments. Many of you know more about this that I do.) Though more often than not many people who are lactose intolerant can digest raw milk. (IF they can get it) This is because in raw milk the good bacteria lactobacilli is still intact. Lactobacilli is the bacteria that digests lactose for you. With that killed the milk is indeed harder to digest and the pancreas has to work harder than normal. Of course some people cannot drink any milk which must be so hard.
So raw milk has about 60 (known) enzymes that are linked and enable you to digest this most amazing of foods. Each of these enzymes has a key function in the digestion of this food and the health of your gut. Most of these enzymes are killed by pasteurisation which is designed to make the milk more sanitary. Thereby breaking the milks natural cycles. Disabling its easy digestion. Making the pancreas work harder and yes it goes Off faster than raw milk.
Good morning. Many cultures call raw milk white gold and it has been used in the treatment of some illnesses. This is the good stuff. You all know about the minerals and vitamins that are crammed into a glass of raw milk. I am a lucky girl. More on that another time.
Now it is time for me to go and milk the cow and feed all the baby animals. Then we are off to collect the hay.
Oh and it RAINED last night. And inch and a half! Lovely. The earth is breathing a great sigh.
Oh I really should go back and do an edit but it is 6am. The farmy is quite literally calling out to me. I must run. Please forgive the errors! See you tomorrow.
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
66 responses to “The Sisters of Shush make friends and a few raw milk facts”
I love the pic of the piggies and the Big Bobby and the Queenie “kissing”! Toooo cute! Interesting facts about milk, thanks for sharing! Enjoy the rest of the Sunday!
Oh… I’m in love with the Shush sisters!! Where have I been?! (Well, I know where I’ve been, but where you’ve been is so much more interesting than my work!) How could I missed these sweet little snouts! I’m picturing your smidged, oops, smudged legs.. too cute! xoxo Smidge
ps your Shush sisters are better behaved than my pupster!
I am not so sure, they do everything Very FAST! morning smidge.. c
Hi Cecilia – I thoroughly enjoyed your post today. I am completely intrigued by the notion that some farmers would be hesitant to drink raw milk even from their own cows!!! Our world has changed so much from those good old days when rural folk felt blessed to own their own milch cow which helped keep hunger at bay, fearlessly! I am a farmer on a grain and cattle farm in South Africa and we have enjoyed fresh farm milk every day for over 30 years now – I have raised 3 strapping sporting sons as well as sent litres home each day with our farm workers to mix in with their “mielipap” (maize porridge) which is their staple food and is enjoyed in some form 3 times a day if possible. Of course you are correct in saying that hygiene and cleanliness are absolutely key but I can’t imagine not having fresh ‘raw’ farm milk on the table and with which to make my own cottage cheese and ‘maas’ – never mind the expense of all other milks! I am brand new to blogging but have totally enjoyed your blogs thus far, keep them up and thank you!
Welcome and how wonderful to hear about you having milk on the table from your own cows. you must work very hard.. I am also confused as to why farmers do not drink their own milk and i even know some dairy farmers who do not feed the calves the milk.. all too weird! Lovely to get your comment thank you so much.. enjoy the blogging world we have heaps of fun! c
Those were some nasty storms that passed through your area last night! Glad to read that they brought you so much rain. Great set of pics today, Celi, especially those of your girls checking out Queenie and The Big Bobby.
It’s a shame but the diary industry is far too powerful to ever permit the sale of raw milk. You can get around the law in Michigan & Wisconsin by buying “shares” in a dairy heard. As part owner, you’re entitled to some agreed upon amount of milk weekly or monthly. I don’t need enough milk to make it feasible, especially considering the distances involved. I’ll make do with I’ve got.
Have a great day, Celi!
You make more than you can do with what you got.. your daisy is well used.. i am looking forward to the mozzarella recipe on wednesday.. i will make it with daisy milk and see what happens! c
Everyone (that’s 6 people) in the hamlet, except me, get their milk direct from the cow at the Patrick’s farm at the end of the lane. Because I don’t drink much milk I don’t do it. Should I start drinking white gold, I ask myself.
But you could make butter! c
I love the picture you painted of your calves covered in piggy snout marks. We drink whole milk (don’t have access to raw, darn!) because I believe that unprocessed food is healthier and your body does a better job of absorbing nutrients. My parents are appalled. heh heh.
I read an article by a heart surgeon and he said cook and eat like your grandmother did NOT your mother!! had to laugh.. so true. c
Love your piggies, and after reading, I feel better educated about raw milk (which is difficult to get where we live). The piggies made me smile, especially the “kiss” photo. Love it.
I did enjoy this walk with the shush sisters 😀 the very thought of these two careering round the farm….so funny….glad you succeeded in coralling them!
Fascinating reading Celi – I grew up on raw milk but it wasn’t till I was an adult that I was properly diagnosed as being lactose intolerant – I never went for the full allergy tests, I was a skint student at the time and it would have cost me money I didn’t have.
I do know of a dairy, fairly locally (15-20 miles) so the next time I see any of their products I think I will partake, just to see what the reaction is – my own mini-unscientific experiment !
Loving the friendship of your gorgeous animals my friend 😀
Beautiful pictures to wake up to!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Still too much rain here, we’ll have to send it to your hay! I love the description of your ‘walk’ and the raw milk info was fascinating. I’m sure that before Pasteur raw milk was not responsible for the demise of entire civilisations so it can’t be all the dangerous after all. 😉
I remember we always had raw milk delivered to the gate in the billy that my dad would leave out. This was when I was growing up in Taranaki. Later in life I developed a milk intolerance – but that was after pasteurisation. Now I can have milk if I make it into yoghurt, which from your info, is simply putting back some of the bacteria that got taken out. Dr Mercola (do you know his website – it’s very big, and full of good info on health) is enthusiastic about raw milk. You have a precious product there, and plenty of it.
So glad that rain has fallen. The pigs are a delight.
How very interesting. it is a shame we can’t get some raw milk and experiment on you like Claire is going to do.. No i don’t know of Dr Mercola, i shall look him up.. thank you juliet.. c
Those curly tails are priceless.
You will be able to bath in all that lovely milk to Ce…..good for the skin???? Ha fancy anyone being concerned that you would get fat aye…..smiley face…luv ya have a good day with all those cutsey animals
Cleopatra did it!! we should look into milk baths! i so wish i could share this with you.. i could keep you guys fed for sure!! c
My Sunday is complete. More pictures of the Shush Sisters and better still a story about their adventures. Virginia
morning virginia!.. c