Butcher Day

I was finally able to get the “cow killer” out the the homestead. He stays extremely busy during hunting season with deer and hogs. The steer should have been butchered last spring but like so much else other things got in the way. I think he cost me a little heifer that I planned to keep for a breeder. She now has a bad hip and will go to the freezer next week if plans hold. He got too belligerent and pushy. Now he is on his way to being tasty steak.

We were going to butcher the heifer and the little bull but the steer was bigger than he expected so that will be on hold until next week. During our conversation he mentioned that he was looking for a bull to put over some Piney Woods cows he was planning to buy. I mentioned the bull we didn’t kill and told him he was only going to get slaughtered because I didn’t get any interest in him when I put him up for sale. He may buy him if the other sale goes through. Win, win for all. I don’t really have the freezer space and the money would cover or go a long way toward the processing fee for the steer.

Poor Lola

Lola was one of our original registered American Guinea Hogs. She was a better mama than Eva and a sweet girl.

I found her off by herself this morning and when I got close I could see she had suffered a vaginal prolapse. I’d never seen this in an animal that wasn’t about to or in the process of giving birth and never this bad then. I got her moved into the milking stall where I could clean her up and evaluate the situation.

Lisa came out to help but after a few minutes of trying to right the situation it became obvious that I just needed to end her suffering.

I gave her the fresh milk from the morning milking with some corn and all stock feed mixed in. Lisa sat with her while she had a warm last meal and I walked back to the house to get the gun.

On a brighter note. Bonnie can get herself into some of the strangest predicaments. Yesterday morning she wasn’t at the door waiting for me when I came out. Then she didn’t show up when I called her. I knew something was up. I started my morning chores while occasionally calling to her. After about 5 minutes I heard her barking on the other side of the house. I thought she was in the woods but I found her standing next to the fence she had obviously been jumping or climbing over. She broke the electric fence wire and somehow had it wrapped around her like a harness. I got her untangled and wrapped the wire around the post so she couldn’t get into it again. I’ll add that repair to my ever growing list.