Every day is a good day. (Chooks drink milk too.) And I love to celebrate each day. In our own quiet way.
Though yesterday was cold there was sun. Sun is good. Yesterday Daisy milked 40 pounds (at 6am) , then 28 pounds (at 12 noon) , then 22 pounds of milk (at 6pm) . I need Emily to work this out for me but a pound is a pint. A pint is abut 600 grams and it is way too early for me to do the maths.
A lot. A lot of milk.
Queenie is also creating milk right now for her calf. Who is due in four to ten days. Or maybe more… who knows. Hopefully not on Saturday as we are driving down to collect Timu ( the kunekune) on Saturday.
Daisy is doing very well now. The last two milkings were clean of mastitis. So, as I am intent on flushing her udder of any bad bacteria, I shall continue milking three times a day for at least two more days. I know this is a tough regime but many studies show that if you work hard to get the cow clean right from the beginning she is much more likely to enjoy an infection free season. For those of you who do not know: the reason she has mastitis is that one of The Bobby’s, not hers, suckled on her udder when they were calves, her condition is chronic but manageable in this kind of small personal operation. But damaged. On a dairy farm she would have been culled.
Poppy the Naughty. I told you Poppy is a climber. 
Poppy ‘giving up’ on hoisting her little body up out of her wee pen. Not long now and she will. But I need all this straw around her for two more days then it will warm up and I will open the hatch for her to come out and visit with Sheila. We will see!
Marmalade – almost a fully fledged barn cat. All cats come in to the house at night. But during the day we have three ginger cats stalking about. How did that happen?!
Mr Gangly …
… and his room mate.
Good morning. I hope you all have a wonderful day. Please excuse my short posts for a few days. I begin to get ready for the first milking at 4.45.. (with this cold everything has to be stored in the house – including the pump).. so I finish the third milking about 7pm. But once I go back down to milking twice a day, things will relax a bit. For a minute. But I have to admit to a little daytime tiredness.
So do, please, find wonder in today.
Your friend on the farmy
celi
PS All those who ordered one of Sheila’s May calendars. These have been ordered and I shall send you an email with the details when they are ready to be shipped.
The Kitchen's Garden 
47 responses to “Here’s to a new day”
Poppy looks very cute – I can’t believe no one else wanted her 🙂
Well, not being able to sleep has its compensations – it’s nearly one o clock in the morning here, and for once I’ve caught your blog before hundreds of other people have written their comments. I’m in love with your new piggie -wiggie already, and as for Marcel ! Where is Boo these days… he’s going to have lots of babies on his hands before he’s through!… do hope you ,manage to get enough rest… your schedule sounds tough … love from the Land of the Long White Cloud…
Goodmorning! Indeed it is sunny, as yesterday, and -20C. Soon though the glaciers around the house will start to melt, just like the Arctic.
I want to run my fingers through Queenies forehead curls and give her a kiss on the nose – would she allow/appreciate it? Love the babies one and all 🙂 Laura
Everyone on the farmy looks so happy, healthy and wonderful!!! Do sneak in a short nap or rest during these heavy milking days so you stay healthy and happy too Celi
. xo
Good morning, c. Have you considered creating a monthly desktop wallpaper calendar with a photo? Sort of an overlay?
I had not thought of it Misky, which is silly as that is exactly the kind of calender I prefer, esp when running the farm, I need to see the whole month.. Hmm.. I shall do some research. Though next on the list is the T Shirts, Which should not take long. c
I only use a calendar if I can see the entire month at a go. Same for my handwritten diary, which — yes — I still handwrite my stuff in my monthly diary. I love pens, you see. I’m addicted to pens. And ink.
Queenie is a beautiful looking cow and cant wait to see how her calf turns out. Also just love Poppy too , and as for Marcel …… All your animals are looking so well and healthy, it’s a credit to you.
Now that’s a storybook sort of pig – personality already. Never seen chickens drinking milk – that’s funny. Short posts are wonderful – there’s jsut so much time in the day for us all. (Be the cat and grab a nap in the sun? Rest when you can)
For a cow with a damaged udder, Daisy is giving phenomenal quantities of milk. The question is, what are you DOING with all that white stuff? And what will you do when Queenie starts producing too?
Because Daisy looks ok, I will leave Queenie with her calf if all goes well. The milk feeds everyone, pigs, dogs, cats, chickens, the meat chickens when they start, The pork is milk raised pork. And of course my cheese, butter and ice cream. She will not always give this much, esp as there is no pasture yet.. c
Have a restful day..lots of love
That’s about 10 1/2 gallons of milk. Wow!!!! Lots of good stuff for the farmy.
Looks like Poppy is trying to find her way into a future calendar shoot 🙂
Actually it is over 11. 40+22+28=90lbs/8lbs a gallon is 11 gallons and a quart left over. An incredible amount of milk… I think two days of milk from this cow would cover both mine and my sisters houses milk needs for a whole year!
I thought it was 8.5 or 8.6 lbs per gallon. Thanks for clarifying. Still a lot of milk regardless.
A massive amount really. A day or two of milk would cover my whole milk needs for an entire year. So much milk…
We forgive you everything,
in gratitude for the joy your posts bring,
short or long.
i love all of the characters you live with, and it is clear you love them too. it reminds me of ‘babe’ but you are living it in real life. how wonderful ! beth
poppy sure is cute! does fresh milk last longer or shorter than pasteurized milk? do you have somewhere to store it all? i can’t wait to see the kunekune.
Great that you even have time to think of us and keep us updated with all you have to do! This may sound silly, but I wish I was as busy as you – it is snowing here as I type! I am so behind on the garden, i wont have half as much stored for next winter at this rate! Still I am petsitting, mainly for a dear friend who is undergoing breast surgery for cancer.
My chooks love milk too, and I have even been giving them Kefir as I can’t drink all I am producing right now, and they like that too! Thought it could only do good for them.
Hugs Lyn