<![CDATA[Fourche River Farm Cattle Company]]>http://www.fourcheriverfarm.comen-ushttp://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rssCopyright 2010Fourche River Farm Cattle Company<![CDATA[Interesting Links]]>www.northamericandevon.com

www.localharvest.com

www.eatwild.com

www.realmilk.com

www.westonaprice.org

www.bovineengineering.com

www.artisanbeefgenetics.com

www.leerburg.com

www.responsibletechnology.org

www.nongmoshoppingguide.com

www.largeblackhogs.org

http://albc-usa.org/

http://www.grassfedexchange.com/

 

 

 

 

]]>Sun, 06 Jun 2010 17:52:05 -0500<![CDATA[It's that time of year again...]]>It's that time of year again, where the fields are abuzz with new life.  Some of which we like, some we don't.  There are new calves at play, baby Killdeer birds running on stilted legs, gardens bursting forth with future sustenance, wildflowers everywhere and, of course, the ever present droning of the...wasps?!

Yes, wasps. Everywhere. And with the wasps comes the potential stinging, of which we've already had our fair share.  So for this blog, I thought I'd share a little about the do's and don'ts of stings.

THE DON'TS:

The thing NOT TO DO, is ignore it.  If it is ignored and you are even slightly allergic, this can cause major problems and can be potentially dangerous.  (See Pictures below)  Greg USUALLY has almost no reaction to bee or wasps stings; the pain lasting only a few minutes.  However, this time, as you can see from the pictures, was different!  He was stung on the wrist and within a few hours his entire arm had doubled in size.  This swelling, tightness and unbearable itch lasted for 5 days!  And we have been told, that the next time he is stung, it could be worse.  Let's hope he doesn't get stung on the neck!

       

 

 

THE DO'S:

The thing to DO, is treat it immediatly.  There are many remedies and natural treatments available.  The old-fashioned remedy we used growing up was snuff, but since there aren't too many people around these days who use snuff, it can be hard to come by.  Another option I read about was WD40; I would think this could be a little messy.  Another blog I read said to try rubbing a freshly cut onion on it; this will make your eyes water and is a little smelly.  So, when my daughter was stung a few days after her father, we decided to go with an easier, more natural sort of treatment.  Vinegar (we used raw apple cider vinegar) and soaked tea bags (we used green tea).  We first rubbed it with a rag soaked in the vinegar and then applied the wet tea bag for about 20 minutes.  It took the sting out immediately and there was absolutely no swelling.  (See picture)  (This apparently works because the venom is acidic and is neutralized by the alkaline vinegar.)

 

Now...it IS possible that some of you may have no adverse reactions to stings and will not need to treat it in any way.  But, by the time you are aware of how your body is going to react, it is too late to treat it.  So I say..."Better safe than sorry"!

 

]]>Fri, 04 Jun 2010 11:40:51 -0500<![CDATA[The Hereford]]>Our Hereford cattle are from a herd in Mexico that has had no outside genetics brought in for 43 years.  They have the "old-style" body type (short and wide); exactly the body style needed in a grass-based system. (They are very similiar to the type of Herefords that were prominent in the 1950s.) Their genetic traits have been selected over the years for hardiness and an ability to thrive on grass, and not much of it.  The ranch in Mexico, Valle Columbia, where they were born is high desert country and has very little grass yet the cows there are all very healthy and fat. They are used to working for their food and walking for miles to get to water. When we brought our heifers  & bulls from there to Arkansas, they showed almost no signs of adaptation problems.  What little weight loss they had during transport was quickly regained and more. They came from a "range" type system to our much more "hands-on" management style, but have adapted well to that also.  

We are very excited about the possibility of re-creating the type of Hereford cattle that were so popular in times past and hope, in some way, to help the breed regain some of that popularity in the future!

**Note:  We are now having our first calves out of these heifers and are very pleased with the results.  So far, they have all calved out without assistance and are very good mothers!

       

 

]]>Thu, 13 May 2010 16:28:34 -0500<![CDATA[Waiting is hard to do...]]>So now we wait...for winter to pass and the grass to grow,for our sow to farrow,for cows to calve and heifers to mature, for chicks to arrive, grow and then begin to lay, for this project to be completed so that one can begin.  There always seems to be something we're waiting for here on the farm.  Fortunately, there's always plenty to keep us busy while we wait!

]]>Tue, 16 Mar 2010 23:16:13 -0500<![CDATA[The Pigs]]>Large Black Hogs–A Heritage Grazing Pig

When we were looking for a heritage breed of pig to raise we came upon the Large Black. (Heritage breeds are breeds that have been perfected over a hundred years ago by farmers who bred for taste, hardiness, mothering ability, and efficiency.) Most heritage breeds of hogs are very rare today and one of the most rare is the Large Black Hog.

The Large Black is listed as endangered by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. It was once one of the most popular breeds of pigs in Europe until pork production moved indoors by huge commercial hog operations. It is now being rediscovered.

The History of Large Black Hogs

The Large Black is believed to have been developed in the late 1800’s from Chinese breeds brought to England. They are a “bacon” type, or meat producer, instead of the “lard” type that was common in that day. They became known as the Devon or Cornwall pigs from their area of origin before becoming just the “Large Black.” Although there were a few importations in the mid-1900s, the largest import into the United States was in 1985 by Ag-World Exports.

They were originally raised for many reasons including their hardiness, mothering ability, milk production and prolificacy. The Large Black is a very efficient pork producer because it can glean a large portion of it’s food from grazing. Unlike many breeds of hog, their black skin  protects them from sunburn and enables them to live outdoors on open pastures.

Aside from their ability to produce deliciously superb pork on pasture, another thing that attracted us to the Large Black was their docility.  We wanted a pig that could be easily moved to new pasture and one that our girls could handle, and the Large Black fit the bill.  The sows are said to be extremely docile even when farrowing. We now have a boar "Noble Sam", a sow "Prudence" and a barrow "Lefty" that we plan to butcher...maybe...if we don't become too attached to him!  We are expecting our first litter of piglets in late spring or early summer and can't wait!

                                              

 

 

]]>Thu, 18 Feb 2010 09:05:10 -0600<![CDATA[Greg's guest-blog on the North American Devon Assoc. website...]]>To read the blog click here.

]]>Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:54:24 -0600<![CDATA[Why Devon?]]> Click here to watch this video, put out by the North American Devon Association, and find out!

]]>Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:34:31 -0600<![CDATA[ The Devons]]> 

 The Devon breed has been around for centuries.  They are believed to be descendants of the aborginal cattle of Britain and were first brought to America by the Pilgrims in 1623. They were selected as a dual-purpose breed used as oxen and for milk and meat. They are known for their high fertility, calving ease, docility, hardiness and ability to adapt to temperature extremes.  They are active, good walkers and excellent grazers.  In England they are known as "The Beef Breed Supreme at Grass" due to their easy fleshing ability on grass alone.  It has been said that there is no point in crossing the Devon because there is no other breed that can offer anything to improve them.

Devons are very docile and easy to work with which makes them a great addition to the family farm.  They are excellent mothers and calve without assistance.  Their milk has a high butter-fat content which allows them to raise beautiful, healthy calves. They are extremely well-adapted to rough grazing, even in poorer type soils and have the ability to put on fat even in these conditions. Although, they do not typically attain the high weights of our common beef breeds and tend to grow more slowly, it is this more natural growth pace that allows them to put on fat reserves, both under the skin and within the muscle, that leads to close-grained, well-marbled beef. 

We are able to produce a consistent, repeatable product by using prepotent, line bred Rotokawa bulls.  This pure, genetically-dense line of cattle originated in New Zealand from a herd that has remained closed for 70 years. This genetic density allows the bulls to "stamp" their offspring and create quality calves every time.

To watch a video about the history of Devons, click here.

We love our Devons and know you will too!

]]>Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:33:04 -0600<![CDATA[The opposite of the "dogs days of summer"]]> We woke up this morning to our first "ice storm" of the year.  I'm really glad I got most of my farm chores done yesterday so I don't have to be out in it much today!  So far the power has stayed on, but it's probably only a matter of time...it keeps tripping off and on.  The generator may end up coming in handy sooner than we planned!        

 We are finished with most of our calving, but there were a few stragglers who've calved in the last few days.  We had two born yesterday, and one is doing just fine, but the other had to be brought to the barn.  Hopefully she'll pull through...We lost a month old full Devon bull calf to a coyote a couple of days ago, so another loss so soon would be a bit hard to take.  I can't seem to get used to that part of farm life.

 

 

 

]]>Fri, 29 Jan 2010 12:17:44 -0600<![CDATA[Animals for sale]]>We currently have a select group of registered Devons for sale.  Please call or email for more information.

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