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 is really cute. Can’t wait to see her and Sheila running along together.
And that sweet Queenie. I’d just love to give her curly head a good massage. Do you brush her too like you do Daisy?
Can’t wait to see the new teeny weeny pigs.
‘Can’t imagine taking care of everything you do and worrying about how long you blog is: we’re big kids and we can wait. So give some time to yourself first.
I think maybe Poppy was warming her bum as well as plotting her escape. All the critters look great. A little sun makes such a difference even if it is nippy. Thanks for the mood picker uppers this morning!
Good morning…I am pretty much in love with Poppy…absolutely smitten. It snowed a bit here in Nashville today! All the crocuses, daffodils & trees are blooming….weather is so manic this Spring!
How could one not forgive Poppy anything! Look at that cheeky smile and that lovely contented pose. Just what you need, eh, another pig with “character”? 🙂
I can’t believe that you find time to write so eloquently and take such fantastic photos. It sounds like you have your hands completely full with farm work – and I get tired just reading about it, so I can imagine it’s exhausting work for you. But I guess with compensations when you look at the new life around you and know that you have helped bring it all about.
The last thing you need do is apologize for short posts, Celi. Why not take a couple days off? We all would certainly understand.
That Poppy is going to be something. I hope it gets warm soon so that you won’t need that hay in her pen. She’s planning her escape already.
Have a great day and let’s hope this is the last of the cold! Please!
AMEN To That! Today is wearing on me something awful.. c
Isn’t this awful? My ambition level has tanked as has my energy level. The sun was out here today but the wind was bitter. Mac and I only made it halfway through our walk. I actually sat on the couch and read all afternoon on Sunday – highly unusual, I usually don’t allow myself to start reading til the evening or absolutely nothing would get done. Here they’re saying 55 on Sunday but mid thirties again on Mon and Tues. I think this winter has just worn me to my very frayed edges.
Number crunching! Your cow is giving just over 11 gallons of milk each day. That is an incredible number! Most full sized dairy cows are considered quite good to be producing 10 a day. Is your calf also drinking from her in addition to this milking? If so that would be a flat out shocking amount of milk!
I love that stretch under the warming lamp…ahhhhhhhhh it must feel good. (Now to see if I can HOP on over to see Shelia!)
❤⊱彡 Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
I didn’t know chickens liked milk. And ouch, mastitis hurts (for humans, at least). I remember it well, plus the fever.
Happy Day on the Farmy!!! Loving the New LOOK:)
Short posts, or long, words or pics… we love your work. And can’t imagine how you do it all.
Hey .. Gosh I did some math and it looks like the first milking was 24 litres! Wow .. Your love of your animals is so evident in your pics. Just beautiful. Celi, am it too late to get a calendar? I meant you email you yesterday. Whoops ..
Oh dear i should have ordered more.. i shall pop you on the list in case of cancellations.. otherwise the christmas edition is going to be gorgeous! c
email me anyway!! c
Thanks Celi ..would love either or! 🙂
Celi, do you have a secret beauty parlour for your animals? They always look chocolate box perfect! I join in the Chant: Rest as much as possible. How are you at power naps?
I cannot nap! I just awake all headachy and grizzly, but I do go to bed early.. c
We are kindred spirits with regards to sleep during the day time.
Poppy is way better than Babe so why aren’t you making millions – hmmph ?!!! And no wonder Daisy’s udder is THAT size: with producing THAT amount of milk – do hope for her sake and yours the production line slows down somewhat!!! And Miss C – before all the other babbies invade the farmy, why don’t you take a few days off – I so agree with John!!!!!!!
For eleven gallons of milk, Daisy has to drink at least eleven gallons of water, right? In addition to what she needs for her body in general. So you are filling watering troughs in addition to everything else. Fa la la la la…..such a cutie pig. Just think of all the trouble she and Sheila can get into this summer. Is that really Marmalade….the wee kitten? I am amazed you have time to write to us at all. Please don’t worry about how much or little you write,…..you can just send pictures for awhile.
PLUs the last few days the water hoses are frozen again, so all the water is hauled across in buckets.. sigh.. I am growing muscles.. c