I have been taught that when dropping from twice a day milking to once a day milking it is important to change the routine completely in the afternoon. No calling to the cow. No talking to the cow. No rattling about in the milking parlour. No singing. Definitely no singing. Do not go anywhere near the udder of the cow, even to administer medications. Leave the milking door shut. She must not drop her milk at all. She must not even think about being milked. 
So far, so good. In the morning she is milked as usual. Then in the evening I walk the long way around to her gate and let her into the field. Her milk production has dropped considerably. The wound is still dry. 
We are on the right track. No getting cocky though and still touching wood. 
There are definitely at least two roosters in with the baby layers. (Allison thought there were four! ). I have decided that as soon as I can identify who is crowing in there, I will add them to the meat chicken ark. They may as well go in the freezer straight away.
The skunks are back. The traps are out. I am hoping I can trap them, wrap them and relocate them before they find a way in to my meat chicks. Pasture raised chickens are very vulnerable. They have to be on the pasture. So all the dogs are out at night, they are challenging the skunks, barking like crazy, running them off but the smell is so bad out there that last night I had to close the french doors in the bedroom. I am ordering more Skunk Off for dogs.
This is the only thing I have found so far that gets the stink out of a dogs coat. And yes I have tried tomato juice, and dawn, and waiting, and the eye of a newt, and milk and cottage cheese with garlic but believe me Skunk Off is the best. And no, they have not paid me to say that. And no, we do not have skunks in New Zealand. But the dogs have to do their job. So stinky pooches it is.
I guess I should be grateful we do not have bears. 
Sheila’s favourite thing after her walk is Water ! She has given up the drink … until the weekend anyway!
I hope you all have a lovely day.
Your friend on the farmy
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
58 responses to “Once a day milking”
When you catch these skunk, do you kill them off..or what do you do with them.
well done Daisy a few steps in right direction
I have never been successful at catching a skunk, but if i did they would be taken across the river and released, c
Live traps with cans of cat food or a tin of sardines always works for me. You must have a LARGE trap to catch a skunk…the medium to small live traps do not work. NOW if you do catch a skunk…throw a tarp over the whole trap or you will get ‘skunked’. And letting that creature go…will be a huge challenge to not get skunked as they escape. Also, released skunks can and will come back. But, I’m sure you already know this.
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
Daisy is going to miss the singing…. And the company.
Some female hens crow -kinda….fooled me for two months.
Gad’s – its late Friday, I know hens are female – I
meant adolescent
Long tails, large combs, fighting and fighting spurs are a bit of a give away though.. and these fellas are Crowing!..
Yes, I have a silver spangled hamburg hen who crows, upsets the neighbours a lot.
oo silver spangled hamburg sounds like quite a chook!.. c
she’s very pretty, her name’s Lola, anyone with silver spangles surely has to be a show girl 🙂 I’ll get some photos of her and pop on my blog for you to check out.
thank you , nanette – tell me when they are up so i don’t miss her.. I love the name Lola!..c
Is it legal to relocate skunks? I can remember reading somewhere that in some states it’s not permitted. I’ve only smelt the odour a couple of times but it was very unpleasant – poor dogs. Good job the pigs don’t seem bothered 😉
You are not permitted to relocate minks. But skunks I am fairly sure you can.. morning mad!.. c
I’ve definitely seen something on the web about not relocating skunks relative to rabies laws, but it does (I think) depend on which state you are in 😉
I will check into it.. rabies is nasty! Thanks mad.. c
Good luck with the skunks!
? Daisy’s favourite thing after her walk is Water ! She has given up the drink … until the weekend anyway!
are you walking Daisy too?
Daisy goes out into the field for a few hours every evening, otherwise she is outside all day on her large concrete pad.. I really have to cut down on her feed.. c
so sorry that was a typo.. have fixed it!!.. c
I’m so glad we don’t get skunks in the uk. Although the dogs do roll in some awful smelly stuff sometimes! X
Could you caponise the spare baby cockerels? They produce a lot more meat, and good quality meat it is, too.
I think it’s Sheila who needs to go on the wagon!
The maize in the field opposite the house has grown so high that I can see nothing of the trees behind. The swallows are gathering and feeding nonstop, in preparation for early migration.
I love the swallows, The cockerels are being fattened as we speak.. I need the extra numbers for this last group of roasters anyway, though i have left a beautiful big white rooster in there (plus i think there is another one) .. I think that white rooster might produce some gorgeous chicks.. c
caponised as in castrated!
yes I know, but it is easier, cheaper etc. just to send them away small.. i have no idea how to castrate a cockerel.. and i think i have had enough of the grizzly stuff fr a while.. c
Can’t say I blame you. You’ve had more of your fair share of bloody days lately (I mean that literally, I’m not swearing!)
My Mother used to say that when she had a bad day.” I am feeling quite bloody today,” she would say. I always thought it was very apt.
Oh, skunks. At least once every couple of years, my mom’s dog gets sprayed and then runs into the house through the dog door to roll. UGH! My mom has a great recipe that involves peroxide and baking soda if you ever need it in a pinch. I’ll ask her about it. It actually does work on the dogs. But the carpet is a write-off!
Would TonTon go blonde?.. goodness.. c
Here is what I use if and when I have too….baking soda, dishwashing liquid, and one quart 3 percent hydrogen peroxide.
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
Actually, no!
Yes, a massive quantity of Skunk Off would be very helpful! Good boys doing their skunk-ly duties. Sheila looks so clean in that picture. She needs a proper wallow to cool her vast self.
Good morning to the farmy!
We used to live in a very nice section of a very nice suburb – only it was commonly called “skunk hollow”. The worst smell ever, for sure, and, unless you’ve smelled it up close, you don’t fully understand that it worse that the road kill scent. Hope those critter are caught soon and bless those dogs for doing their job.
You mean Sheila is On The Wagon, not Daisy, right? 🙂
Still touching wood for the old gal’s healing…
merciful heaven, I will fix that.. I must have been thinking about Daisy as i was writing about sheila! Thank you marie.. c
Whistling women and crowing hens
are neither good for God nor Men
a little ditty always quoted to us by the Nuns 🙂
Glad Daisy is healing and behaving herself, will she be wearing her new bra to church? 🙂 Laura
What a saying! I was taught by Nuns too, sounds like your Nuns had a sense of humour.. c
My German mother used to say that girls that whistle and roosters that crow should have their necks wrung. (of course it rhymes in German)
Yes, our Nuns were French, so maybe they translated it to English for us girls 🙂 Laura
Glad Daisy is doing well! I bet she misses your singing though. Skunks…I think I would be tempted to hunt them and then make beautiful dog beds for your pups out of the pelts for winter! I’m sure no one across the river wants them around either….pew!
Yes, at least you don’t have bears. BUT, as small as skunks are, their smell is mighty. It’s just a constant ebb and flow of battles won and lost when you’re living off the land, isn’t it? Glad that Daisy is doing well and that Sheila has decided to keep her partying with the mead down to weekends only!
Daisy is holding her own, i am going to be very happy when this would actually closes though, it is such a gapey mess, but thankfully still clean. c