A Week End On The Ranch

It has been a busy week end, as summer comes to a close and we roll into Autumn it time to start making preparations for winter.

Martin bought me a new bit of equipment

My very own chain saw, best of all its battery operated, with a 2 hour run time, we have several petrol chainsaws but I cant start them with the pull start, my wrists just cant do it, I have to resort to using a hand saw when collect branches for the goats or need to cut other things up, but hand saws also give me joint issues, this is just perfect for me, Martin gave me a lesson on using it and we gave it a good try out I took down my first tree, Martin was impressed with it as well, not a toy by any means.

This week end we aimed to reduced chicken numbers, our hatchings this year gave us 3 more cockerels, they are surplus to requirement and have now been dispatched, we keep to cockerels running with the girls to give us fertile eggs, the 3 dispatched have been double bagged and gone into the freezer whole they will be used in the fox trap over winter.

There was also a hen that was not pulling her weight she has been broody through the whole of summer damages eggs by gathering them up so she joined the cockerels in the freezer. This may sound harsh but we cant keep free loaders especially one that causes problems.

Its also time for the meat birds to go in the freezer

at 20 weeks they have reached there maximum growth, they are coming in between 6lb and 9lb the bigger ones are getting jointed up, they have so much meat on them, free ranging has paid off, we have 6 for the freezer the next batch are only 8 weeks so they still have some growing to do. 

Tomatoes are still being harvested 

 Primmabella salad tomato

 Nepal beefeater

 Amish plum tomato

I brought in another 6lb yesterday and there is still more ripening

 4lb of them got roasted

 and turned into tomato puree.

Cucumbers are still being harvested

 These got made into two big jars of refrigerator pickle.

 The goats are still giving plenty of milk 

I used 1 gallon this morning to make some Mozzarella

 I do find it fairly easy to do now

 This produced a 1lb 2oz cheese, I have now found a recipe for a hard cheese done with goats milks, Martin has been given the task of making me a press then I can give it a go.

While in the kitchen this morning I made up some Ranch Style Beans 

we had some on toast for lunch, really spicy, there is some left and they will be used in a chili con carne next time we have one.

This just about sums up our week end how was yours ?