Making Lemonade [Selective Culling Project - very long term]

[Solanacae]

I’ve only tried goat a couple of times, but it was reminiscent of venison. I love using venison in place of lamb for curries.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I’ve only tried goat a couple of times, but it was reminiscent of venison. I love using venison in place of lamb for curries.

its SO lean, and so flavorful, you really need to have something fatty with it, like yogurt, and it stands up well to a lot of spices which would otherwise overwhelm.

I had a venison stroganoff, on the campfire, much of 40 years ago - still one of the best meals I've ever had.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Oh, and my NPIP Cert has been renewed - everyone tested clean for the stuff they look for this morning.

Unfortunately, the FL Ag confirmed a diagnosis I had made, but was hoping was in error. I have a very mild case of (dry) fowl pox working its way thru the flock. Evidence is only in the younger birds, so I'm going to hold off incubating any new eggs for a while, try to break the cycle. I'm guessing the older birds have already had it, none of my birds over 1 year in age had any evidence of it. Apparently, our weird weather this winter (it was 83 degrees yesterday, and apart from a few sub-30 nights, has been pretty warm all winter) allowed a mosquito hatching that's been a problem in this part of the Panhandle.

(How mild? Out of 30 birds handled today, only two had spots on their combs much bigger than what appear to be pecking injuries at a glance - those two had spots roughly the size of pencil erasers and push pen clicker tops. Could have been MUCH worse)

I need to do some reading, confirm what I think I remember, about how long after the last bird shows symptoms before I can hatch again and have a good chance of not infecting the new birds (and continuing fowl pox' presence in my flock).

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Oh, and my NPIP Cert has been renewed - everyone tested clean for the stuff they look for this morning.

Unfortunately, the FL Ag confirmed a diagnosis I had made, but was hoping was in error. I have a very mild case of (dry) fowl pox working its way thru the flock. Evidence is only in the younger birds, so I'm going to hold off incubating any new eggs for a while, try to break the cycle. I'm guessing the older birds have already had it, none of my birds over 1 year in age had any evidence of it. Apparently, our weird weather this winter (it was 83 degrees yesterday, and apart from a few sub-30 nights, has been pretty warm all winter) allowed a mosquito hatching that's been a problem in this part of the Panhandle.

(How mild? Out of 30 birds handled today, only two had spots on their combs much bigger than what appear to be pecking injuries at a glance - those two had spots roughly the size of pencil erasers and push pen clicker tops. Could have been MUCH worse)

I need to do some reading, confirm what I think I remember, about how long after the last bird shows symptoms before I can hatch again and have a good chance of not infecting the new birds (and continuing fowl pox' presence in my flock).

Does that mean you'll have to retest before you're certified again? Or that you're good to go, you just also have fowlpox?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Does that mean you'll have to retest before you're certified again? Or that you're good to go, you just also have fowlpox?

Good to go, I just have fowl pox. FL doesn't care about fowl pox. The important thing is that I'm MG, PT, and AI negative, so my NPIP status continues uninterrupted for another 6 months.

But of course, as a matter of personal standards, I wouldn't knowingly sell a bird (even if my birds were closer to my end goal, and thus worthy of sale) from a fowl pox positive flock.

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

We know we like baby goat "cabritas" - actually, my wife likes it more than I. I like the leftovers. Better the next day because I make a sour cream biscuit dough, over work it, then roll it flat.

Carmelize a bunch of onions, chopped fine. Now in the same pan, make a roux, and keep going till its light brick, like you were making gumbo or etouffee. Now add sliced mushrooms and cook till they are mostly softened - your roux will pick up the liquid and begin to form a silky sauce. Add chunks of the leftover goat, fresh cracked black pepper, and warm thru.

Cut large rounds in the biscuit dough, put a spoonfull of feta cheese on one side. A much bigger spoon of your onion mushroom goat gravy mix. Fold over and crimp to form pockets. Lay out on a greased sheet pan. Slit the top so steam can escape, egg or butter wash, and a sprinkle of galic salt.

Bake till done.

You can't make too many, they freeze amazingly well.

We used to do Goat Ribs on the BBQ, so good

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Sage, our oldest goat, has walked his last. It was a clean end, and he's being put to good uses - lots of them. A moment of silence for his sacrifice to our homestead.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Sage, smoking - well, what's left of him. I admit, while it was a clean kill, it was not a swift, efficient, or thorough butchering. Temps dropped below 50 before I was done, and it got dark as well. Add that I had to butcher flat, not hanging, and that I didn't recognize all the muscle groups... Yeah, mistakes were made.

 

[Molpet]

Sage, smoking - well, what's left of him. I admit, while it was a clean kill, it was not a swift, efficient, or thorough butchering. Temps dropped below 50 before I was done, and it got dark as well. Add that I had to butcher flat, not hanging, and that I didn't recognize all the muscle groups... Yeah, mistakes were made.

View attachment 3024724

Yeah I have had some messed up butchering when conditions sucked. But it all tastes the same.
Although up here 50 would be great if the wind wasn't blowing. Dark doesn't help anywhere, except the yellow jackets are in bed.

 

[3KillerBs]

Sage, smoking - well, what's left of him. I admit, while it was a clean kill, it was not a swift, efficient, or thorough butchering. Temps dropped below 50 before I was done, and it got dark as well. Add that I had to butcher flat, not hanging, and that I didn't recognize all the muscle groups... Yeah, mistakes were made.

View attachment 3024724

One of the nice things about living in rural North Carolina was that when we were choosing a house for our land the sales agent understood that I wanted to have a counter next to the sink that was large enough to lay a deer on for butchering.

I have no ability to cut through bone, but I have boned out an entire deer. That was quite a job.