The Sisters of Shush make friends and a few raw milk facts

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