Ashley the spring lamb didn't make it. About a week ago, Bruce went out to the barn and found her dead. She had been doing wonderfully, and it was a suprise.
He had felt she was strong enough to leave with her mother, but was going out twice a day and making sure she got something to eat. The ewe seemed to be letting her nurse along with her twin brother, after a couple of weeks of being held still for the act. I was working a couple of stretches of day shift (10 with 2 off in the middle), or maybe I would have been more involved. I might have been able to relieve Bruce of the fuss a little more. I might even have made her a house lamb, and not tried to graft her back onto her mother.
As it was, day shift is pretty rough on me. I get up between 3:30 and 4 am, rush, rush, rush; feel kind of zombified and not all quite there by 4 or 5pm when I get home, and try to get to bed by 8 or 9 to feel refreshed enough for the next day, and the next.
I felt obligated to update, since I wrote about her.
First, there is that her mother rejected her to begin with, and it was only by chance that I even found her. Once in a while, such efforts pan out; but more often they don't. The "when they don'ts" have had me on the verge of giving up farming on numerous occaisions. To keep going, one almost has to rationalize death a little. It is very similar to nursing. Everyone rationalizes in their own way - and needs to.
I don't get as devastated as I used to. But I tend to disconnect - to not talk about it - for a while. I repress, which seems both to others and to myself like I Don't Feel. But then, it always catches up with me some time. How could a little lamb, that I saved, just up and die like that? It catches up when I am alone, and feel safe to think and feel. I don't like to really think and feel around others, because I have to take into account their reactions.
We ordered peeps. It is complicated - maybe my husband's and my way of dealing with death; maybe we just like chickens. And hate them too sometimes. We've wanted more, and I've wanted Buff Orpingtons. So that is what we got. By the time they grow up, some of them die too. They trample and pick at each other. We've already lost about 4 or 5, just 2 days into it. We still have 20 or so.
I am reading a book called, "That Dark and Bloody River," still. I mentioned it several posts ago. It is about the settling and warring over the Ohio River. In the larger picture, death isn't so unusual. Natural death is, in fact, almost a little more sweet. Not desired; not happy; but a whole lot better than intentional.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Legalizing Health
The medical profession is old enough to have established protocols for just about everything. When someone wants to think outside of the box - say use alternative medicine - it doesn't just threaten a doctor's sense of control over the practice. It goes against the grain for another reason. The established protocol has been developed over literally hundreds of years, and in some cases, maybe a couple thousand. Another protocol isn't used because it hasn't been shown to be the best one.
It is sort of like a tree identification book my brother had as a kid. Starting at the beginning, it asks simple questions, like does the tree have compound leaves? If yes, go to page _; if no, go to page _. And so on. It makes it easy to identify the tree. Likewise, medicine has diagnosing steps. If a patient asks me what is wrong with them on step one, I'm going to tell them, we're doing THIS to find out. They complain that nobody is TELLING them anything. You can't read page one of a book, and expect to know the whole story.
The point I want to make here though, is that the medical profession and diagnosing is not quite as clear cut in many areas as tree identification. There are some things that are taken for granted as just being the way it is. Sometimes a better way comes up, but a doctor is taught to make sure trials and studies have been done to support the efficacy of the treatment. That doesn't mean a new way is wrong. Medicine is a little more like math than tree identification - there might be several ways to solve the same problem. BUT, some studies have already produced poor results for much of the alternative medicine world, or simply have not been done. But a doctor might have to read every periodical and every study result every day of her life to know new treatments.
Where, though, do you decide that protocol needs to change with the times as opposed to repeating old mistakes? For instance, in the birthing industry (and it IS an industry), what ever happened to Dr. Bradley's method of birth? I personally believe that it got lost in the realm of hyperlitigation. Its being lost has nothing to do with safe birthing practices, and everything to do with why people sue, perceived convenience promoted by drug industries, and doctors protecting themselves. You can sue the medical profession for just about anything and get away with it.
In the raw milk industry, there is an established idea by the government about who can raise milk, and who can sell milk. Contraversy is taking place because many people want to have the right to buy and drink raw milk. The USDA doesn't want people to drink raw milk, and cites disease as the main reason, but the jury isn't out on the real reason according to many people. Because there is 10 times the chance you can get sick from deli meat than you can from raw milk, and you are still aloud to buy deli meat. This is detailed in David Gumpert's blog, "The Complete Patient:"
">Link
While I agree that it would be nice if we could reduce disease, I disagree that we should be litigated into doing so. People should have the ability and the trained assistance to have babies naturally, and even at home, and to drink raw milk. It is a cliche, but both are safer than getting into your car each day. There is an imbalance of what is legal and what is not.
100 years ago, most rural families had their own milk cow and chickens. Prior to that, for 2000 years, most people drank raw milk and had babies at home. Now our government is making it so we are not allowed to, and I have to ask, can this be safe?
It is sort of like a tree identification book my brother had as a kid. Starting at the beginning, it asks simple questions, like does the tree have compound leaves? If yes, go to page _; if no, go to page _. And so on. It makes it easy to identify the tree. Likewise, medicine has diagnosing steps. If a patient asks me what is wrong with them on step one, I'm going to tell them, we're doing THIS to find out. They complain that nobody is TELLING them anything. You can't read page one of a book, and expect to know the whole story.
The point I want to make here though, is that the medical profession and diagnosing is not quite as clear cut in many areas as tree identification. There are some things that are taken for granted as just being the way it is. Sometimes a better way comes up, but a doctor is taught to make sure trials and studies have been done to support the efficacy of the treatment. That doesn't mean a new way is wrong. Medicine is a little more like math than tree identification - there might be several ways to solve the same problem. BUT, some studies have already produced poor results for much of the alternative medicine world, or simply have not been done. But a doctor might have to read every periodical and every study result every day of her life to know new treatments.
Where, though, do you decide that protocol needs to change with the times as opposed to repeating old mistakes? For instance, in the birthing industry (and it IS an industry), what ever happened to Dr. Bradley's method of birth? I personally believe that it got lost in the realm of hyperlitigation. Its being lost has nothing to do with safe birthing practices, and everything to do with why people sue, perceived convenience promoted by drug industries, and doctors protecting themselves. You can sue the medical profession for just about anything and get away with it.
In the raw milk industry, there is an established idea by the government about who can raise milk, and who can sell milk. Contraversy is taking place because many people want to have the right to buy and drink raw milk. The USDA doesn't want people to drink raw milk, and cites disease as the main reason, but the jury isn't out on the real reason according to many people. Because there is 10 times the chance you can get sick from deli meat than you can from raw milk, and you are still aloud to buy deli meat. This is detailed in David Gumpert's blog, "The Complete Patient:"
">Link
While I agree that it would be nice if we could reduce disease, I disagree that we should be litigated into doing so. People should have the ability and the trained assistance to have babies naturally, and even at home, and to drink raw milk. It is a cliche, but both are safer than getting into your car each day. There is an imbalance of what is legal and what is not.
100 years ago, most rural families had their own milk cow and chickens. Prior to that, for 2000 years, most people drank raw milk and had babies at home. Now our government is making it so we are not allowed to, and I have to ask, can this be safe?
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Chevre, Paneer and Butter
We have goat milk. My husband is milking 3 goats. This year, we opted to take the boy kids to the sale barn for the Easter sale. In the past, we have wethered them, or kept them until the fall goat sales. Always, a middle man for meat producers buys them all. So I know they get butchered, and most likely end up on a Jewish or Muslim table for some religious feast. I thought it would be harder to take kids, most likely used for Passover, but as it turned out, I think it was easier. On Easter, I thought of them being the center of someone's table. They were treated a little better at the sale. They didn't grow up to inbreed with the rest of the herd.
Anyways, back to the milk part. I figured my husband would want to dry the mothers up, and the milking would only last a short while. He is enjoying milking, and doing it for production, from cross-bred brush goats. The milk is mild-flavored, with high butterfat.
Over a year ago, I ordered a bunch of cheese supplies. I LOVE the expensive Chevre at the store, so Chevre culture was one I ordered. I have made it twice, and it was delectable. Yum, yum! I have one more packet of culture.
The retirement home my folks live at has a director currently from Kashmir, India, with an American wife. They love to make cheese from raw milk. He told me how paneer was made, and I am going to try it. My mother made a lot of cottage cheese when I was growing up, and I have made quite good cottage cheese from goat milk in the past. Paneer actually looks easier. I'm doing it tomorrow.
This morning, I discovered that some milk I overcooked coagulated too much. It is not spoiled, but it did something to the proteins. I had some that I had carefully pasteurized at a lower temperature that the cream had seperated out on. I took the cream off this morning so I could use the milk in my cereal, and put the cream in a clean salsa jar. While I used the breast pump, I shook the jar. I shook it some more after my shower. Finally, I got goat butter!! I rinsed it and salted it, and stuck it in the fridge. It is very mild and tasty.
I am so proud of myself!
There are a few things I have learned about cheesemaking. Pasteurization at the lowest possible temp to kill the bacteria properly creates the best results - overcooking ruins some of the proteins that make a nice cheese.
I am anxious to try the paneer now. I want to try mozzerella or cheddar, but I have to order some lipase for that.
Anyways, back to the milk part. I figured my husband would want to dry the mothers up, and the milking would only last a short while. He is enjoying milking, and doing it for production, from cross-bred brush goats. The milk is mild-flavored, with high butterfat.
Over a year ago, I ordered a bunch of cheese supplies. I LOVE the expensive Chevre at the store, so Chevre culture was one I ordered. I have made it twice, and it was delectable. Yum, yum! I have one more packet of culture.
The retirement home my folks live at has a director currently from Kashmir, India, with an American wife. They love to make cheese from raw milk. He told me how paneer was made, and I am going to try it. My mother made a lot of cottage cheese when I was growing up, and I have made quite good cottage cheese from goat milk in the past. Paneer actually looks easier. I'm doing it tomorrow.
This morning, I discovered that some milk I overcooked coagulated too much. It is not spoiled, but it did something to the proteins. I had some that I had carefully pasteurized at a lower temperature that the cream had seperated out on. I took the cream off this morning so I could use the milk in my cereal, and put the cream in a clean salsa jar. While I used the breast pump, I shook the jar. I shook it some more after my shower. Finally, I got goat butter!! I rinsed it and salted it, and stuck it in the fridge. It is very mild and tasty.
I am so proud of myself!
There are a few things I have learned about cheesemaking. Pasteurization at the lowest possible temp to kill the bacteria properly creates the best results - overcooking ruins some of the proteins that make a nice cheese.
I am anxious to try the paneer now. I want to try mozzerella or cheddar, but I have to order some lipase for that.
Friday, April 06, 2007
Ashley the April lamb
Tuesday, I had the day off for pulling a double on Monday. In the afternoon, I put baby Eilidh in the backpack, and headed out into the pasture with the loppers for my favorite pastime - cutting brambles the goats have eaten the bottoms off of.
Not far out, under a very old and large Ash tree that is surrounded with slippery elms, box elders, wild cherry, and bittersweet and grapevines, a ewe was standing alone, away from the herd. I looked for and was not suprised to see a lamb wobbling around her. Then, I noticed a splotch of white on the ground next to her. If it was a twin, she was ignoring it. I waited a while, knowing that if I disturbed her, she'd be less likely to clean it and get it on its feet. So I continued with my loppers for a little while. The white splotch stayed there, and the sheep ignored it.
When the standing lamb began nursing, and the ewe licked it and began moving away from the white splotch, I moved closer. It was a lamb, after all. It let out a very weak bleat. It was laying in mud, and was still soaked with afterbirth. The ewe walked around, sniffed it numerous times, left it and licked her standing, dry ram lamb. I picked up the slimy, muddy lamb and carried it back to the house, balancing the baby in the backpack and the loppers under my arm. My 17 y/o son helped me get the baby in the pack off my back. I dried off the lamb, rubbing some circulation into it, and put it in a cardboard box on a heating pad. It was cold, but alive. I warmed up some goat milk (we're milking 3 right now), and it sucked hungrily. Good sign.
Today, the lamb is not only standing, but is trying to nurse off our pantlegs. It has climbed out of the box in the kitchen numerous times. I've named her Ashley.
Not far out, under a very old and large Ash tree that is surrounded with slippery elms, box elders, wild cherry, and bittersweet and grapevines, a ewe was standing alone, away from the herd. I looked for and was not suprised to see a lamb wobbling around her. Then, I noticed a splotch of white on the ground next to her. If it was a twin, she was ignoring it. I waited a while, knowing that if I disturbed her, she'd be less likely to clean it and get it on its feet. So I continued with my loppers for a little while. The white splotch stayed there, and the sheep ignored it.
When the standing lamb began nursing, and the ewe licked it and began moving away from the white splotch, I moved closer. It was a lamb, after all. It let out a very weak bleat. It was laying in mud, and was still soaked with afterbirth. The ewe walked around, sniffed it numerous times, left it and licked her standing, dry ram lamb. I picked up the slimy, muddy lamb and carried it back to the house, balancing the baby in the backpack and the loppers under my arm. My 17 y/o son helped me get the baby in the pack off my back. I dried off the lamb, rubbing some circulation into it, and put it in a cardboard box on a heating pad. It was cold, but alive. I warmed up some goat milk (we're milking 3 right now), and it sucked hungrily. Good sign.
Today, the lamb is not only standing, but is trying to nurse off our pantlegs. It has climbed out of the box in the kitchen numerous times. I've named her Ashley.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)