cimarronvalleyranch.com Blog

Ethanol ! destroys small engines

Administrator — Tue, 22 May 2012 15:24:17 +0000

Peach trees May 2012

What a beautiful morning 67′ degrees, morning chores went well I started the day early and started a load of cloths before I went out to milk. The girls were all eager to be milked and eat ! I came back and hung up my cloths outside yes Solar Dryer! and I love it. I actually hang cloths outside 95% of the time and year. Well on to my title Ethanol, added to your gasoline most people are probably not aware Ethanol gums up your engines that is a fact ask any mechanic. You don’t notice it so much in your cars because you are always burning gas, but in your small engines lawn mowers, trimmers and the really many other small engines we have more than 10, gas trimmers, generators, tree trimmers, 2 JD riding mowers, 1-push mower, farms just tend to have lots of implements and things with engines. But I don’t care if you only have a push lawnmower it sits most of the time not running Ethanol gums up engines. So don’t use any gasoline with ethanol added. The government is forcing us to use Ethanol well they of course don’t care if it damages small engines you know Government is all about numbers. I now drive to a Sinclair gas station and pay a little extra but it worth it to get better mileage and a cleaner engine and no engine problems. The JD (John Deere ) dealer told us this when we bought our JD Gator and riding lawn mower, sure enough we noticed any equipment that had a small engine we had trouble with come spring and we pulled them out to use them. Some bigger things like lawn vacuum had to be taken off and taken to a repair who takes it apart and cleans it out! costing us money. So please share this info and let people know Don’t buy Gasoline with Ethanol added. Your car will run better and you will get better mileage and the engine will last longer! Stop letting the Government force things down our throats!!!! To end on a good note the Peach Trees are full of fruit.

Road trips and chicks

Administrator — Sun, 20 May 2012 00:51:11 +0000

I love Road trips, Friday ran to Lincoln, Arkansas to see a implement that is a weed wiper, so instead of spraying it has a roller and wipes on the liquid. Coverage is better no over-spray and you hit the weeds directly anyway pretty nice implement and nice people the Co is called Grass Works Inc. we may also start getting Big square bales of Alfalfa from them. Saturday ran to Chandler for a Dexter meeting and could not find it, just brought the google address and spent a hour trying to find the place with no luck. I didn’t take a phone number my fault so the was a big waste of Gas. Wind and heat is on, we have a chance of rain and we need it ! You know we dug the ponds and the rain disappeared, so pray for rain!!! Chicks our Cochin Banty hens are sitting and hatching eggs, today we found 3 dead two hens were fighting over the chicks on whose chicks they were, so sad loss. I Cochin’s are great moms and dads. I pulled milk out of the freezer to thaw so I can make more cheese tomorrow. Love the Mozzarella!

Building a Pond & love of chuck steak, mushrooms, amish noodles!

Administrator — Wed, 09 May 2012 15:46:10 +0000

Oklahoma is full of farm ponds, and for those of you who think Oklahoma is dry & brown you are very misinformed! the only part of Oklahoma that is dry and high desert is the Pan handle area. Most of Oklahoma is very green and rolling hills and lots of trees especially NE Oklahoma. We decided we wanted a pond why because cattle love them in the summer, fish for fishing or food ( I do not like eating fish or seafood) but farm fed catfish (channel catfish) is beautiful flaky white fish and I did try it once and had to admit it was good. Also ponds are great for wildlife which we enjoy we have wild turkeys, which are totally cool and much taller than you would think. They seldom leave the edge of the woods but the pond is close so early morning we might see them. Anyway ponds can be beautiful! So the hole is dug 11ft blade on a bulldozer did a great job it is amazing how nice and level and it is. The object is to form your hole then dig it out level and pack the sides one side from the inlet is more gradual slope it is 15ft deep in the center, the clay dug out is saved and used to repack the bottom/sides so water will not leach out. Very important! and we have lot’s of beautiful Oklahoma Red Clay Note: the word Oklahoma is Indian for “Red Man” This Red clay would make beautiful pottery also, too bad I can’t. Last night I made a delicious dinner of chuck steak (Dexter) and Amish noodles, mushrooms. Pretty easy and I have to say the I love the Dexter beef especially the chuck steaks, stew meat it is so tender. I just seared my chuck in olive oil, browned well I had some frozen left over broth from previous pot roast, I put it on low and let it simmer for hours I also add one can of mushrooms, and a can of Campbells French Onion soup I use it in most of my roast. about 3 hours later the roast is falling apart I take it out and use forks and tear into small pieces I then add a bag of Amish noodles and some cream to the roast broth, put meat back in and stir it together put the lid on turn off the heat and let it sit on the stove till we get in the house from evening chores/milking about a hour. The Amish noodles being home made, don’t need cooking the hot broth just tenders them right up and they soak up most of the juice. Easy! and delicious. Okay here are pics of the pond.

Bulldozer building the pond May 2012

JJ has a new home

Administrator — Sun, 06 May 2012 00:31:50 +0000

JJ our 7 month old Dun/Polled Dexter Bull calf has a new home today, he was the last of our Dexter’s sold this year. We sold his Dam just a couple weeks ago along with another cow. We are careful of our numbers after the drought last year. We are keeping 3 heifers so we are making room. Our buyers had a little girl “Ella” maybe around 8 or 9 years of age she came prepared to move cattle with working cowgirl boots, I was amazed at her calm and fearless attitude around cattle. Women make great Cattlemen! Our day started early after milking 4 does, and taking care of the chickens we worked on our Dairy room, it is drywalled and we need to blow texture on it. Paint next week. Time for a little breakfast of biscuits with sausage and gravy and scrambled eggs. On to load JJ, he quietly walks from his pasture working pen and loading him. Okay that is over with on to washing a load of cloths, hang them outside, clean milking equipment and check emails. We sprayed the east pasture for weeds, I worked on my car waxing and cleaning inside it looks so good! before I moved to the farm I use to keep my car so nice now I am lucky if I get to wax and clean the inside thoroughly once a year. Okay time for afternoon chores. Dinner hmmm! ham salad sandwich all I have time for. Hopefully tomorrow night I can make some Mozzarella cheese using our goats milk.

I knew this would be hard to keep up!

Administrator — Sun, 06 May 2012 00:07:32 +0000

Dam! I knew this blog would be hard to keep up. I apologize to my regular users. So much work has passed, it is Spring. We are through with calving we had 2 bulls, 3 heifers. We also just sold two cows, both bred to Jasper. Goats through kidding, we had 1 set of triplets, 4 sets of twins. I have sold several goats, kids and does. I am keeping 4 wethers as weed eaters/pets and 3 doelings. I am very pleased with Nuggets (CBC Farm FWF FlirtNwithGold) first kids very well balanced, smooth nice top-lines and straight legs. Probably my top requirement next to dairy character is straight legs.

Green Grass finally it is so nice to see the cattle and goats grazing green grass after last summers heat and drought. We will be busy this year spending time doing some TLC on our pastures. That means seeding, fertilizing & weeding. The veggie garden is started and doing well mostly tomatoes/hot peppers/cucumbers/beans. I am saving one raised bed to start later, so we have tomatoes coming later in the summer. We have finished adding several buildings, the add on office to the shop which came out real nice, exterior only we have to finish the interior ourselves. We also had a shed added for tractors, a smaller loafing shed for the cattle. So we have been extremely busy! This week is the OSU Cow Boot Camp, the Langston cheese workshop, and Langston Goat day is Saturday so I am running to Langston Friday & Saturday. Here are a couple pics of things going on. Glad to be back

Dexters Spring 2012

2nd calf of 2012 another heifer!

Administrator — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:13:57 +0000

Woo Hoo another heifer, Monday Feb 13th. a dark dun, horned heifer. We have been watching the cow, “Lilly” she was looking ready so we moved her into the loafing barn in a run in pen, as the weather was going to be cold/snowy for a couple days. Yesterday morning Lilly didn’t eat so I knew she was probably going to deliver soon, it was a cold snowy morning and strong rare winter storm wind out of the south right into this pen, so I finished the am chores and came in the house for coffee and warm up. I went back out about 1 & 1/2 later sure enough she was in labor, and not doing well she already had some placenta hanging which I assumed meant she was having trouble delivering she got up and down a couple times and sure enough the calf presented normally but she must be big Lilly was having trouble passing the shoulders, I took hold of the calfs front feet and held on, the bag had been broken over her head and the calfs tongue was sticking out and blue, not good so Lilly strained and I pulled she was also standing up which made it easier for me to pull down, but those little critters are slippery which is why they have calf pullers, but I didn’t Dexters don’t usually have problems. Anyway one big push and pull from me and out she comes, a big long legged heifer Dun and horned. Yes you find out a lot of info quickly on a newborn they don’t run from you for at about 24 hours so you like to find out first hefier/bull and I like to trim and dip the cord. The calf was cold, wet and it took her an hour to get her legs and nurse which I always make sure they do. I went through 3 towells trying to get her warm the cold wind didn’t help and I wanted the calf dry also. Mom got a flake of hay and later for dinner a big pan of hot mash, she loved it. 1 st thing Tuesday morning the calf was doing well dry and up & down cold dreary foggy morning tonight we will ear tag her and possibly mover her into a small pasture with shelter and Lillys daughter Lucky and her 11 day old calf “Starry” for a week then they can all go out with the rest of the herd. Pics later

First calf of 2012

Administrator — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:43:24 +0000

Lucky's day old heifer

Friday morning started out well I walked out to feed and found a new heifer calf, black as velvet small but active and doing well, mom is a first time heifer and is doing a good job always watching her calf. We shall call her ” Cimarrons LU Lucky Stars” she is a keeper. I am letting the new kids out during the day with moms since the weather has been good 50′s light wind and sun very good for them. At night they go in the barn safe with mom. I put up two does tonight in the maternity/nursery barn they both are getting near and I would rather have them in there then with the other does. It is such fun to watch these kids run & Play.

Four new kids today

Administrator — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 00:48:21 +0000

What a week, I need a maid! I hate cleaning but love a clean house but not this week. This morning brought a lovely set of twins from Lavern they were still a little wet so probably 30 minutes old. A handsome chamoisee buckling, and a real pretty black & white doe, I may keep both. So not much to do with these twins just snipped access cord and dipped it, dried them a little and I always give the doe and kids some Goat drench, just a taste on the tongue for the kids. Cleaned up their pen and fresh food for Lavern. Got to go feed cattle & chickens. We are also waiting on Lucky a Dexter heifer she looks due any day. She is happy and content in her own little pasture smart heifer she doesn’t have to share food. Back to the goats Ethel is showing signs of labor, so into the house for coffee and let dogs out back to Ethel she had a long labor she did not deliver till 1 pm, and two nice twins, real stunning black & white buck, and a nice chamoisee doe, with a nice rear leg stance I may have to keep her. Well more clean up and feed back to the house for a bite and computer work. I need a hot bath!

Kidding has started! I’m tired already

Administrator — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:57:04 +0000

Kidding has started, Hannah delivered triplets at 9am as scheduled she was due today and followed through unlike Ethel who was due last Thursday, Ethel is always uncooperative, if she doesn’t like what you are doing she sits down. Ethel has an udder but she isn’t very big. So Hannah has triplets the 1st one was half ass backwards but one big push and she popped out, then another quickly but she had time to clean them up, of course I was helping then number three all went well, she had 3 dark buckskins, 1 buck, 2 does all have blue eyes. I always get a first picture right after they are born. They are all for sale. Lavern & Ethel hopefully tomorrow mid day would be nice so I can at least get my coffee.

Hannah Montana's Triplets 1 buck, 2 does.

New building going up!

Administrator — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:12:19 +0000

No kids or calves yet, Lilly Dexter cow and Ethel Nigerian goat are both due today but nothing yet, you can usually tell when they are due to deliver within 24 hours, tail ligaments get soft and sink, vulva gets soft and puffy looking and of course the udders get full and hard. So I am not seeing any cows close to delivery. A couple goats are getting closer. We weaned our nice dun polled bull calf this week we are fence line weaning! suppose to make it easier since they can see each other, Charlotte momma cow is taking it worse she bellows and she sounds like a donkey. But he is taking it better. We pulled some tail hairs from him for DNA which with ADCA American Dexter Cattle Association all bulls have to have DNA on file for genotype to be registered as a Bull. Next our new office is being built this is an add on to our existing shop building it is a office with living quarters. Front porch and big windows. I think it will be very nice when complete. The builder is just doing the shell/framing and we will finish the inside ourselves, someday! Eventually this will be income producing as we will use it for travelers with Livestock (horses) needing a place for the night. I washed and hung out cloths today you would not believe how beautiful it feels like 60 degrees beautiful blue sky and light breezes, last year we had a blizzard and snow storm by now I mean it is the middle of January. Hard to imagine who hangs out cloths anymore? I just love it free energy and they smell so good.

New office