What To Do In Our "Down" Time

As many of you are aware, we are now in a bit of a "down" time. Milk production had dropped so much due to the does being at the end of their lactation as well as the cold weather so we finally made the decision to dry them off and wait for the next set of does to freshen. Friday morning was our last official milking day of 2011, however we did a partial milking on Sunday and a full milking this morning which is part of the drying off process.

So.....What ever will we do in our "down" time?

Sunday and Monday we worked on getting wood cut. We are almost to where we need to be in order to have our winter supply of wood. We heat totally with wood so it usually takes between eight and 10 ricks of wood to see us through the winter. It just depends on how bad the winter is.

Monday I (along with Daddy's help) gave all of the young girls their Christmas pedicures. They weren't really sure about all of that, but their hooves all look really nice now. :)

Tuesday we went out and delivered the last of the cheese and milk for the 2011 season. When we got home, I moved the bucks out back with Charlie Cow and then turned the young girls in with the mature does. I don't think that they really thought that they were goats and they sure didn't understand why I would make them leave their deluxe accommodations and make them live in the big barn with "those goats". I stayed out there with them for quite some time and then finally came to the house. About 10:00 last night Chrys and I went out to check on them and had to bring all of the young girls "back" into the barn and lock the gate so that they couldn't go over and stand beside their previous pasture. When I let them out this morning guess where they went? Right! They went straight back to stand by their previous pasture. :(

I moved eight does to the maternity ward (previous barn and pasture of the young girls) this morning. I gave them pedicures and also gave them their yearly vaccination that we give about 2-4 weeks prior to having babies. I don't have exact dates on this group of girls since we pasture bred them, but none of them are due before January 5th. I normally wouldn't have moved them to the maternity ward this soon, but since we have the young Livestock Guardian Dogs now and I don't trust them yet since they are still just pups, I thought it would be best to have these does in an area that the pups can't get in to.

There's not much else to tell at this point. I have a list as long as my arm of things to get done during this "down" time. We'll see if it all gets completed or not. :)

Below are a couple of pictures of the young girls today, standing beside their old pasture and begging to return "home". These girls are all 6-8 months old and there are 20 of them.

Here is a photo of some of the does munching on hay inside the big barn.

Finally Finished!

In April we took a flying trip to Pennsylvania to pick up our pasteurizer. It was a fast, long and hard trip but we accomplished our mission and had the added bonus of getting to see a little bit of the country that neither one of us had ever seen before.

Once we got back home, we jumped in and worked day and night (that's what it felt like anyway) to get the dairy and creamery finished. The good news is that as of June 2, 2011, Canyon Ridge Farms, LLC is officially a Grade A Goat Dairy AND a Grade A Milk Processing Facility. As a side note Canyon Ridge Farms is the 1st privately owned farm in the state of Oklahoma to be a licensed "ON FARM" processor of dairy goat products.

Anyway, below are some pictures of the completed project. We hope you enjoy seeing it as much as we enjoy sharing it with you.

Two compartment sink in the milk room used to clean the milking equipment.

The door on the right with the window is the outside entry door into the milkroom. The solid door on the left leads into the creamery.

This is the milk parlor where the girls come in twice daily to be milked. You can see the milk lines up above that take the milk directly to the bulk tank.

Another view of the milk parlor. The door in the middle leads into the housing barn. The door on the left leads into the holding area. By the way, YES! This area is air conditioned for the comfort of the girls AND the comfort of the people conducting the milking session. :)

Here is the creamery. You can see the refrigeration units, shelving and prep tables. The piece of equipment on the front table is the pump that pumps our milk from the tank to the bottles and/or pans. Both of the doors in this room with windows lead directly outside.

Another view of the creamery. The door at the back of this room leads into the milk room.

In this view, you can see the three compartment sink used to clean all of the utensils.

Another view of the refrigeration units and prep tables.


This is the bulk tank/pasteurizer and the chart recorder. This is the equipment that we went to Pennsylvania to pick up.



We hope you enjoyed the tour!

More Progress

Another weekend has come and gone and another piece of the project is almost complete. We now have lights and power in the creamery!!! The only thing left to do on the electrical is to run power for the air conditioner. The creamery looks awesome all lit up, but I am wondering just how awesome it will all look at 3:00 in the morning. I'm thinking it may be just a little to much bright and a little to much white. LOL Now we need to put the base boards down and install the sinks. Oh and I still need to paint the doors and trim them out and then........we can set all of the equipment and the creamery will be DONE!!!!! With the completion of certain parts of this project it sure makes it feel like we are "almost" there. Getting Excited!

One Project Complete and a New Baby LaMancha!

WOW! The septic tank was set in place on Friday afternoon and we spent a loooooong weekend working until dark, and later, both days getting the lateral lines in and covered and hooking everything up to the tank. BUT...It is in and that is one project that I don't think I want to repeat anytime soon. On a bright note: When I got home from work yesterday Ciarra had presented us with a new baby! This is the first LaMancha baby we have ever had. I think she is sooooo cute. I have decided that all of the LaMancha babies will be named after elfs. This first baby gets the honor of being named Tinker Bell. :) It's kind of funny. As early as January I still would NOT have ever owned a LaMancha (it's an ear thing with me..lol). In February we purchased the herd of goats from Colorado and there were 4 LaMancha and 2 LaMancha/Nubian crosses. I accepted them as part of the package. After about month or so I was ready for some LaMancha babies because I wanted to 'see" them. NOW....I think Tinker Bell is about the cutest little thing I have ever seen. :) I am thinking that I do like the LaMancha girls. Below are pictures of Tinker Bell and her momma, Ciarra.

The Septic System

We rented the equipment and Chrys dug the hole for the septic tank and the trenches for the lateral lines this past weekend. It was a job that took a full two days (see previous blog) and Chrys was sure tired by the time it was over. They are suppose to deliver the septic tank tomorrow and then hopefully we won't get to much rain until we get the lateral lines in and ditches filled back in.

Septic Digging for the Dairy

While digging the hole for the septic tank that will service the milk barn and creamery we ran into a ledge of solid rock. We finally had to go rent a jackhammer to assist in the removal of the rock. While Chrys was trying to hammer through the rock I kept telling him that I was just certain that he was either going to strike oil or hit a mega diamond vein. :) I'm pretty sure that he was getting slightly annoyed with me. I guess taking pictures of big rocks is like taking pictures of mountains. You just never get the same effect. The rocks which we trying to remove were actually quite large even though they don't look that way in the pictures.

Spring Break

Well, I spent the first couple of days of my spring break doing some much needed catch-up on paperwork. Took one day and drove to Missouri to pick up some more parts for the milk line. On Thursday I actually got into the green house and started replanting some things in there. If we hadn't lost everything in the Arctic blast that we had in February then we could have been planting in the garden last week instead. :( We took the bull and a calf to the sale on Saturday. Pleased with the sale price, but really kind of miss the bull already. Maggie had her babies on Saturday (Finally!). One doeling and one buckling. Two doelings went to their new home. I think they will be very loved......and spoiled. Chrys is nearing the end of installing the milk line (we hope) and I was able to get some more painting done in the milk barn. Last night as we were heading into the house from chores (well after dark) we discovered that Izzy finally had her calf. A little heifer. :)

And now.......just a few pictures......

The seed trays that I just planted this week.

Some of the doe kids that we have for sale.

A couple more of the doe kids that we have for sale......although the spotted won't take a bottle so we have to latch her on morning and night so she can't leave until she is weaned......(and why sell her then??)


Maggie's little doeling that was born on Saturday.

Maggie and her babies.

I am actually thinking about keeping the buckling for a future herd sire. If he passes along his dam's awesome milking ability coupled with his sire's milk lines........WOW!!!!

My Morning...

• Got up on time at 3:30. :)
• Put the coffee on, grabbed a can of Mountain Dew and headed to the barn.
• Arrived at the barn just after the birth of Halo's twins (1 doeling & 1 buckling)
• Moved Halo and the twins to the other barn.
• Went to milk barn and prepared everything for milking.
• Milked 18 does by hand.
• Prepared milk for all of the babies.
• Went to kid barn and fed 30 babies.
• You would think eating is a natural survival instinct, but one pen of babies is just not getting it. Had to bottle feed each one individually (on my lap).
• Milked down the new momma and made sure her babies had colostrum in their tummies.
• Went back to the doe barn, checked everyone one last time and opened the door to the pasture.
• Chrys started washing up from milking and feeding babies so I went to the house.
• Walked in the door and looked at the clock.......running 25 minutes late!
• Oh well...........take down the cheese that was draining and salted and seasoned (a new flavor I'm trying), put it in the press and then the fridge.
• Chrys comes in so I ask him to drain the other batch of cheese I had going.
• Jump in the shower.
• Put on my make-up and do my hair (this kind of "beauty" doesn't just happen...LOL).
• Get dressed.
• Head out the door.
• Had to stop and get gas because I was to tired last night to do it.
• My daddy and 2 neighbors were at the gas station and all wanted to visit.
• Ran into the store to grab me something to eat for breakfast.
• Got to work and clocked in..........ON TIME! :)

Now I can rest a little bit until 4:00 then it is time to head home and start all over again.......I LOVE MY LIFE! :)

Weekend of Progress

It was a productive weekend. :)

Friday evening we went to pick up the newest addition to our farm family. Camouflage (aka Cammie) is a six week old Shetland Sheepdog. She is very very cute and "already" very very spoiled.

On Saturday we went to town and picked up a few supplies then we spent the afternoon trimming the goats feet and giving annual vaccines. Saturday evening we went to the winter meeting for the Tahlequah Farmers' Market. There was a good attendance and it looks like it will be another great market year.

Sunday was a good day. We got door #7 installed on the dairy barn and we also got all of the batting strips up on the ceiling of the creamery. Daddy is working today on getting the first coat of paint on those and then some caulking and another coat of paint and the ceiling will be done.

This evening will be spent making final preparations for this horrible winter storm that is suppose to assault us beginning tonight. I will get all of the feed barrels filled during my lunch hour today then will stop by the grocery store on the way home this evening. Once we get home we will make sure that the diesel and fuel cans are full, the wood supply by the door is full, the generator is operating properly and all of the extension cords are handy. We will also make certain that all of the critters have their hay feeders full and are tucked snugly into their appropriate housing area.

I will be very glad when winter is over, but I am thankful right now that it is still a full three weeks before our kidding season begins.

Stay safe and warm! We'll report in as time and weather conditions allow.

DOORS

Can there ever be to many doors???? Maybe. :)

We are still working on the dairy barn and creamery. Tonight we plan to hang the "6th door" and maybe even get the "7th door" hung. That is a bunch of doors! Amazingly though, we use every single one of them already.

Here is how they add up:
* 2 doors into the creamery from the outside
* 1 door between the creamery and the milk room
* 1 door into the milk room from the outside
* 1 door between the milk room and the milk parlor
* 1 door from the milk parlor to the mechanical area
* 1 door from the milk parlor to the housing barn

We may have to add doors #8 & #9 which was in the original plan, but we are changing that plan just a bit and hopefully our dairy inspector will agree that the "New Plan" will work just fine if not better than the original one. :)

Weekend Progress

We started out the weekend by gathering a few supplies for the construction project. When we got back home it was such a nice morning with NO wind, which has been the kind of morning that is hard to come by lately. With such a nice morning we decided to get the plastic on the greenhouse, which we should have already had done. We have been so caught up in working on the dairy stuff that garden stuff just kind of fell behind. Anyway, the greenhouse is now ready to go and we are holding a planting party in the greenhouse tomorrow evening complete with pizza and soda pop. :) Should be fun!

The creamery came a long way this weekend as well. All of the FRP is up in the creamery. Now we need to put the trim up on the ceiling and in the corners and put the base down. Creamery....90% complete!!!!!!!!!

The creamery walls before putting up the FRP panels.

The creamery walls after putting up the FRP panels.

Dairy Update

Well.....

The housing barn is complete!

The milk barn is probably 80% complete. We still have to install 3 doors, some curbs and paint again. Then it will be ready to hook up the milk line. Oh.......we need to install the septic system to.

The creamery is probably about 80% complete as well, but it should be about 90% complete by the end of the weekend. This weekend we will install the FRP (fiberglass panels) that will line the walls. After that it will just be running the wiring and plumbing and those are both going to be surface mount so although it is a job, it won't be that bad.

We hope to be finished with the above list of things by the end of the month, but in reality it will probably be closer to the middle of February. At that point it will just be a matter of waiting for our pasteurizer to be ready and after that we will need to get our final inspections and receive our permits to begin operation.

COLD COLD COLD

WOW! What miserable, cold weather we have been having. Saturday was fairly nice. Sunday started out nice but by about 3 or 4 o'clock that changed. Temps have been in the single digits and low teens since then. Now on Thursday, at 10:39 am, it is finally above 20 degrees. I sure hope this signals a warming trend.

All of the critters have faired well. All of the goaties have been holed up in their new housing barn. I sure am thankful for that this year. The other thing that I am thankful for is that for the first year EVER we did not breed to kid out in December and January. It feels so weird to not be milking and caring for babies in this arctic weather. We will start kidding out around the middle of February though, however, it is usually starting to warm fairly nicely by that time.

On Saturday we went to Missouri and picked up the FRP panels for the inside of the new creamery. After we left there we came back into Oklahoma and headed to Tulsa to Sam's to pick up the new prep tables and shelving units for the creamery.

On Monday since my work was closed, I got the first coat of paint on the ceiling of the new creamery. Dad helped me out and put another coat of paint on Tuesday. Last night Chrys caulked all of the nail holes on the ceiling and tonight we will put on the final coat of paint on the ceiling.

New Year!

It has been several days since I have posted and a LOT of things have been accomplished since my last blog.

* We have put up new metal siding on the wings of the milk barn. These wings will be the holding area/feed room and the exit area/mechanical room.

* The interior of the milk barn has been cleaned, all seems and joints have been caulked and the first coat of new paint has been applied.

* The interior stud walls of the new creamery are up, the insulation is in and the wafer board is up!

* We divided up the younger does who have not been bred yet and gave each of the young bucks their own harem. The first babies for the younger group should begin arriving around the 25th of May.

In other news - The mature girls are all starting to get big bellies. These girls should start kidding about February 22nd. I always love kidding season. It is so exciting to see what each doe has and there is absolutely nothing cuter than a baby goat.........except our grandbabies. :)

SOOO.....with kidding season fast approaching, it now becoming imperative that we get the dairy barn completed in a timely fashion. It'll happen. :)

Kitty Prints

Yesterday we poured the floors for the holding area and the exit area/mechanical room in the dairy barn. Finished the holding area and moved to the exit area. Went back to the holding area and there were the prettiest little kitty foot prints in the cement. My husband asked if I wanted him to fix it. I said, "NOPE! These are special." So now we have nice little kitty prints in our milk barn courtesy of Rylie the barn cat. :)

News or Lack Thereof

I haven't posted in a while. :(

I was sick for a full week then spent a week preparing for my parents 50th Wedding Anniversary, which turned out GREAT by the way. Then spent a week preparing for Thanksgiving, which was also Wonderful!

Today our dairy inspector came out for a "progress" visit. He was just looking to see what all we have gotten done on the new dairy and creamery and to answer some of our questions. The visit went really well and he answered a lot of questions favorably. Chrys and I both felt very good after he left. I think we are on the right track. :)

.......on the other hand I am so ready to be done with the construction part of this and get on to kidding season then milking and making cheese. This should prove to be a very interesting venture. :)

Weekend Productivity

This past weekend was VERY productive!

We finally managed to get all of the outside insulation and metal onto the new creamery. We still have some trim to put on, but the doors are installed and the walls are up so at least we are dried in and can work "inside" throughout the upcoming winter days.

I didn't get any pictures this weekend, but will try to get some tonight and post them on here tomorrow.

It feels sooo good to be another step closer to our goal. :)

.....PROGRESS.....

It's been a few days since I have posted.

I was off work (from my day job) most of last week. This afforded some daytime hours to be working on the milk barn and creamery. There wasn't that much visual progress, but I was sure busy all week. I did get a trench dug from the end of the new creamery to the South end of the milk barn for our drains (sure hope they are deep enough). It was hard work because every bit had to be dug by hand but Megan and Peyton helped so that made it better. Below are pictures of Peyton helping. :)

Kymberly cleaned out the milk parlor and milk room. With all of the construction going on this is an endless job. She also went around adding more screws to the interior and exterior walls of the milk barn.

Yesterday was a looong day to Oklahoma City. Very very tired by the time we got home but this morning........it proved to be well worth the trip. More on this to come later..... :)

Creamery Construction

Below are a couple of pictures of the new creamery while in construction.

You can see where it will attach to the current milk barn.

This is a 16x32 structure.

Below are pictures of the drainage pipes in the creamery prior to the slab floor being poured.

More pictures to come as I get time to post.

Productive Day

This turned out to be a fairly productive day. I got the pump room cleaned out and threw out and burned a lot of stuff that was just taking up space. Once that was done I went to work on cleaning stuff out of the milk barn. Sounds fairly easy? Well, not only were all of the milking supplies and misc. stuff needed for the goats in there, but all of the tools and misc. supplies that we have been using for the construction projects were in there as well. I left most of the construction supplies and tools since we are not done with the projects yet, but most everything else has been moved out and stored in the pump room.

Put the little girls out on the front pasture today since I was home and could keep an eye on them. Also put Tecumseh out in the little girls pasture while they were out front. He didn't seem as impressed as I thought he would be, but we did get to spend some one on one time today and that is always a good thing. :)