Agricurious, Starmers, and other trendy Farm terms February 2010

Thanks! Again Jackie in Wisconsin brought to my attention that December is the last time we posted. Lots going on here that is for sure. I turned 50 on Valentine's Day and it wasn't painful. Chauntel came home from St.Lawrence University and helped Big Daddy with all the preparations. Quentin was unable to attend the festivities here in the Adirondacks but he did manage celebrate Chinese New Year (Tiger) with his Chinese Club at Norwich University.
To get me out of the way, I attended a small animal clinic on poultry and rabbits with a group of 4-H members. When I came home I was suspicious because my farm work clothes were hung up and Big Daddy wanted to take me out for a "drink" when I was in the middle of my chores. Now if you know me, going out for a "drink" would not be on my top gazillion things to do especially when I was in the middle of a farm stomp.
Getting back to the poultry thing, I learned some pretty neat stuff at the clinic especially about Russian Ortloff bantams. I actually connected with someone who wanted to go in and buy Call Ducklings. Call Ducks are minature but quite vocal. I have heard that ducks hunters bred them to be small enough to be put in their pocket and noisy enough to call wild ducks to a pond. They are difficult to come by. These little birds go in the pet/show category as I officially become a "poultry fancier"
Lily and Jasmine the Jerseys are due to freshen in March. They will have Half Scottish Highland calves. Shaun talked me into this. I wanted to AI with a Jersey sire but Pico looked lonely in the Bull Run and so. . . anyway with us being Empty Nesters, 2 family milk cows are 1 too many. Jasmine will be "farmed" out to a farm family down the road to be spoiled. I will keep old Lil here and use my new EZ Milker on her. I think the EZ milkers are dreadfully expensive but I am willing to skip the hand milking and definitely don't want the maintenance of machine milking. I will keep you posted on my product review. I've heard folks either love them or hate them. I would like to use it on the sheep herd of 3 as well just in case.
The chickens and ducks are laying like crazy again. Ponies are fatter than they were 2 months ago except for Palma who always remain Throughbred Thin (runway models of the horse world). Spring is just around the corner.
I recently attempted a roundup of farm cats & dogs to bring to the vets for shots. I thought I was up for the challenge. But someone forgot to give the farm cats the memo and they had other ideas. Dogs enjoyed the whole idea of an outing except Rueben the Cattle Dog. I'm afraid he is an agoraphobic. He hates to leave the farm. But the cats did not enjoy the event so much. . . So if you can imagine the Great Kitty Cat Round Up of 2010. I can tell you herding cats is an exercise in futility. I still have 4 that have to be wrangled.
For the Agricurious, I dread every fall when summer people throw their pet cats out at the farm thinking the cats will love it before the people go back to the city. I can tell you pet cats last about 48 hours before being hit by a car or eaten or beaten up by the half feral cat colony. Its cruel. The cats that tend to survive are "wild" with skills. Hence the cat herding fun I recently enjoyed.