Thursday, July 31, 2014

Natural Borders Farm

From Farm Buddy to answer some of the questions people have about the farm......

Hello,
Hopefully I can answer some of the questions asked pertaining to my farm.  The turkeys I purchased are heritage breeds.  There are three Bourbon Reds, which are indeed the light colored ones, three Narragansett, and three Standard Bronze.  The last two breeds are somewhat similar, but the Narragansett turkeys are lighter than the Bronze, even at this young age.  They are all very beautiful, and I love them. 

About the conservation program for wildlife….I have enrolled a large portion of my farm in the Grassland Reserve Program.  A farmer can enroll in this program for a period of time, like say ten years, or they can do it forever.  I believe I am the first person in New York State to enroll my farm forever.  This means that the land in this program will always be in either pasture or used as hay land.  I take a first cutting off my entire hayfield and then save about half for second-and-third cuttings.  I rotationally graze the other half.  I always move my cattle once a day to a new section of grass.  I am currently grazing eighteen head of cattle.  On the area I consider pasture, I set aside about six or seven acres in what I call the reserve area.  This is where I eventually make hay for Kris and her equine family.  I do not graze this at all until about thirty days after the hay is cut.  I start grazing in the field that the reserve area is in on about May 1st.  This year was later due to the longstanding winter, about May 11th.  

Many, many grassland birds nest in the pasture, especially in the reserve area.  I am not great at bird identification, but I know that they are many Bob-O-Links and also Savannah Sparrows.  This year, the reserve area was mowed on July 24th.  I am happy with this date.  I believe July 4th is too early.  I also do not clip the rest of the area that the cattle have been grazing until August.  Right now, the cattle are grazing in the hayfield.  On Monday, August 4th, they will return to the pasture, where they are also moved daily.  Then every day when they move to a new section of grass, I will clip the old section to get rid of thistles and other tall weeds.  I do not clip it very short, as this is better for birds and other little creatures and also better for the grass, in my opinion.  I use one strand of polywire to fence my cattle, along with 3/8-fiberglass fence posts.  The cattle are easy to fence because they are very content.  My border collies move the cattle for me.  

Someone asked about how to get into a program such as the Grassland Reserve Program.  The thing to do is contact your local Natural Resource Conservation Service agency (NRCS).  They are usually very helpful.  The thing about grassland birds, though, is that they need a somewhat significant amount of land to nest on.  I do not believe that one-or-two acres will cut it.  However, there are many, many things that you can do to acreage like that to encourage other types of birds and wildlife.  For example, you can plant flowers, shrubs, and trees that attract birds, beneficial insects, and other wildlife.  You can also provide water for these creatures.  Of course, birdhouses will also greatly encourage birds to nest in your area.  Once again, the NRCS can be very helpful in providing information about this.  If they do not have the information, they will tell you were you can locate it.  Hope this information helps.  This winter, from January until the end of March, I plan to build one birdhouse every week.  I want to attract lots and lots of tree swallows, as I love the way the look swooping around the sky. 

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Q @ A

There have been some questions from different folks recently that I haven't had time to answer.  I always read and appreciate everyone's comments, but my computer time has been really limited lately.  I know the blog has suffered for it and I'm sorry.  There is no one specific reason for it, but 2014 has been a rough year.  There is a lot going on on many levels that I can't really blog about and there's this jinx that has been following me around.  Maybe it's because I had the rediculous temerity to actually write down a list of goals for the year.

Please dear Universe, I take it back!  I rescind all thoughts of plans or goals and bow to your whims.  I will try to never again to be so foolish.

Anyways, all attempts at breaking the jinx aside, I thought I'd try to answer some of your recent questions.....

Terri wanted to know where the path in the pasture led to and why Tessa would opt to leave it.  All hooved animals that I know of make paths like this in their familiar territories.  I think it is so that they always know where safe footing is even if they can't see it.  Their hooves leave scent trails behind them  as well so even if completely blinded they know where they can put their feet.  As for where it goes....I am using a track system to limit the amount of pasture my fatties have access to while maximizing exercise.  The track goes around the perimeter of the field and the path follows that track.   I guess it works, although Tessa and Emma are still far, FAR too heavy.  As to why Tessa left the path, that's easy: she had to pee:). She always goes off into the tall grass for that.  Actually, they all do.  They don't like getting splashed.  Who does?

Mary Ann wanted to know who owns all the turkeys, sheep, pigs, etc that I post sometimes.  They are all over at Farm Buddy's place, Natural Borders Farm.  She and I have been friends and worked on farming stuff together for nearly twenty years.  FB owns a small farm where she raises grass fed beef, lamb, pork and poultry.  The whole farm is centered around the concepts of raising happy healthy animals as naturally and humanely as possible along with sustainability, land conservation and diversity.  The animals live like kings, FB lives like a slave to them.  The farm produces extremely high quality, humanely raised meats and very little income.  The plight of small farms these days.   I keep trying to get FB to write some blog posts, but she keeps balking.  Maybe if you all nag her....

The farm is where we make hay and Val was interested in that.  We generally make first, second and third cutting, but it varies in how we do that.  This year, the first cutting on the main hay field was all made into balage which will feed the cattle.  We contract with a local dairy farm for that, which is expensive but ensures that the animals get the highest possible nutrition despite impossible weather conditions.  The second cutting was already made, (as small square bales) but with very poor yields.  The third cutting is yet to happen.  Last year, it was made into balage and fed to the sheep who do extremely well on it.

The hay we made last weekend is on a separate field that is enrolled in a wildlife conservation project for ground nesting birds so we never mow the hay there until after July 4th.  The birds are done nesting by then and have moved out.  Some of this hay goes to feed my crew, anything left is used on the farm.  Unfortunatly, there is not a lot left this year.  Hopefully, there will be enough.  As for how much I use....I am still struggling with that.  I am hoping that this hay, cut very late, will be low enough in calories that I can feed it free choice out of small mesh hay nets.  It looks awfully green and fine and yummy for that though so I am not sure.  I am having it tested and will know more in a week or two.  The bales weigh about 25 pounds each and I am figuring a bale a day.  We'll see, they all need to lose weight.  

Did I miss anything?  I really do appreciate hearing from all of you.  If anyone else has any questions or something you'd like to hear more about, let me know and I'll try.  It might take me a while, but I'll try.




Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Velociraptors

The little velociraptors over at Farm Buddy's have stated venturing out into the big world.

Turkeys are interesting creatures.

These have definitely imprinted on humans and they follow people about, making inquisitive, little chirping noises, always searching...

"Where's mom?"

"Are YOU my mom?"


Monday, July 28, 2014

Done

The hay is done.  It's nice hay, it's in the barns and it didn't get rained on.  That's about all I have to say about it.  This year's crop ended up being very expensive, difficult and stressful in the extreme with yields almost half what they were last year.

But, it's nice hay...

and it's in the barns.

That means it was a success I guess, despite the mechanical problems, anxiety, disappointment, expense and frustrations.  It's nice hay, tucked safely away in the barns.  It's nice hay, tucked safely away in the barns. It's nice hay, tucked safely away in the barns....Keep repeating that.  That's the part that counts.

Friday, July 25, 2014

Time to make the hay

All the hay in our little world got mowed today.

We're doing things a bit differently this year.  I made a deal with the local dairy farm to bale and transport my portion of hay using his modern kicker baler, which throws the bales onto a wagon pulled behind the baler rather than relying on human hands to pick them up.  We were trying to make things easier.  I guess it's a good thing since it looks like none of our hay-help is going to make it this year and the jinx is still alive and kicking.  God does seem to enjoy a good laugh come hay time.

We're committed now, the hay is mowed. Here's hoping the weather will hold and no more equipment breaks.

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Clear Speaking

Things get so complicated sometimes.  All the tangled webs of human wants, needs and interactions get to be too much.   Even the webs of our own making get swept away in the noise.

The clarity of speech that animals always carry with them in the world is so much easier to deal with.   All I have to do with them is step back, let my mind clear and listen to what they have to say.  As soon as I can stop projecting my own thoughts, emotions and preconceptions onto them, they tell me loud and clear what they want, think and feel.  Once they have what they need, they are equally clear and generous in sharing their contentment and satisfaction.  If only we humans could ever learn to communicate half as well as our "dumb" beasts.

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Good Advice

Hot, humid, hazy with storms on the way.  Tessa has the right idea.

We're hoping to make hay at the end of the week, the weather people keep saying it's supposed to be good after tomorrow.  We shall see.  There has already been a great deal of hay stress and drama this year and we've barely even made any.  It's giving me a stomach ache.  For today, I think I am going to just try to take Tessa's advice.

Monday, July 21, 2014

All B's

Sorry to disappear there for a bit, the days just got away from me and ran out of hours.  I meant this post for Sunday Stills, which has also slipped away from me, but I am late again.  It was all about B's this week, which is appropriate given how Busy the world feels. 

Breakfast.

Blissful Breakfast.

Bold Boy.  Every time kids show up to visit, Ramsey amazes me with how much he loves them and how good he is with them.  He'd like to know where he can find a couple to keep around to play with.  Anyone have a spare kid laying around?

Blue shoes.

Busybodies.

Bewildering blues.


Battling the Beast.

Beautiful Boy.

Bright fungus.

Big Bale.

Best Border Collie.

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Randomness
















Turmeric - good for what ails you?

I first started reading about turmeric when I started studying nutrition in greater depth last year.  However, I am never one to jump on any drug or supplement band wagon without a great deal of research.  I want to know what it is, what it does, how it works, IF it works and how safe it is.

I've also never bought into the notion that "natural" means safe and effective.  Cyanide, arsenic and getting hit on the head by a dead tree are all natural, but I wouldn't recommend them.  On the other hand I don't disregard natural remedies either.  Too much of our "modern medicine" ignores anything that hasn't been spoon fed by drug companies.  Having suffered through more than my fair share of severe adverse drug reactions, I put no blind trust there either.  In fact, at this point, I am much more inclined to opt for an herbal alternative over prescription drugs.  I've generally found them to be safer and more effective.

Turmeric has been used in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for hundreds of years.  The active ingredients, curcumins, are being extensively researched for myriad ailments from cancer to Alzheimer's.  There are numerous studies showing that it is an effective treatment for osteoarthritis and, at a low dose, is useful in treating stomach and liver issues.  High doses can cause GI issues and may cause liver problems.

One caveat that everyone seems to agree on: Turmeric should not be used by people who have gall bladder obstructions, are on blood thinners or immuno-suppressant drugs.

I would say that you should talk with your vet or doctor about it, but I have yet to find either a vet or a doctor who will take any of this seriously despite all the evidence or is willing to try it.  The one exception there is a vet I took Tanner to over the winter.  She has specialized in herbal medicine, which she combines with modern treatment practices.  We had a number of discussions on the topic and she has had great success with these methods.   Talk to your doctor about it anyways, maybe you'll have better results than I had.

As for research....For a good, brief, easy overview from WebMd click here.

If you want to delve into the research in more depth, PupMed is a good resource.  Just be warned, this is not light reading.  Here are just a tiny fraction of the articles available:

 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=turmeric+arthritis

 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23242572  - osteoarthritis study

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23281076 - Curcumin in inflammatory diseases

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3535097/  - Therapeutic Roles of Curcumin: Lessons Learned from Clinical Trials

***

The quickest, most practical and most reliable source of no-nonsense, unbiased, factual and useful information I have found for using herbal medicines, including turmeric has been here:

I bought a copy on eBay for much less money and have found it to be an excellent resource.

***

The toughest part of using herbal remedies is finding trustworthy sources of herbs and figuring out dosage.  Beware of internet claims that turmeric (or anything else) is a cure-all and safe for everyone at all doses.  It isn't. 

Typical Internet gobbledygook - sounds good, but not very useful.

I have seen some groups who advocate feeding a dog Tanner's size up to 4 tablespoons of turmeric per day and small horse as much as a cup a day.  While some of the research studies have shown that humans can ingest as much as 8 grams of pure curcumin with no toxicity (that does NOT mean no side effects), I would be very wary of using this at such high doses.  The idea that "if a little is good, a lot must be better" does not apply.

Based on my own personal experience and observations, I have found that:

  • Fairly low doses of turmeric works very well for moderate arthritis or muscle pain.  
  • It does not work well for acute or severe pain. 
  • It generally either works, or it doesn't.  Jacking the dose way up is not useful.

Many people will say that as it is a food, it does not need to be treated like a drug.  I disagree.  When taken on a daily basis at medicinal doses, it should be treated with the care and caution of any drug.  Turmeric is a proven anti-inflammatory and a blood thinner.  I would consider it in the same class as any other NSAID and it should not be combined with other NSAID's.  The only difference is that it is generally much safer and does not have the toxic side effects that some other NSAID's have as long as it is used properly.

***

Figuring out dosage and sources:

According to Mosby's and most of the research articles I have read, the average human dose is 200-500 mg.  They don't always agree as to whether that is 500 mg of turmeric or 500 mg of pure curcumin.  The amount of curcumin in turmeric will vary depending quality of the root itself and you have to be careful to buy PURE turmeric that has not had the curcumin extracted from it.

I have seen claims of curcumin content of turmeric being anywhere from 2% to 30%.  This is where it can get a bit tricky if you want a precise number.  Since it can be tricky figuring out the right dose, I err on the side of caution.  My best advice on dosage:

  • Start with a very low dose, give it a week.  If it works, great.  Keep it up.  If it causes problems, turmeric may not be for you.  If you notice nothing, try increasing the dose.  If it works, great.  Keep it up.  Repeat this 2 or three times and if it still doesn't work, then it probably isn't going to.  The only other things to try are getting turmeric from another source and trying again or combining it with fresh ground black pepper and coconut oil (keep reading for more about this).  If it still doesn't work, it probably never will


Speaking of sources...The best option is to look for organic turmeric powder.  Generally, the organic stuff has not been messed with and will contain it's full quota of curcumin.  I have had good results buying turmeric from herbnhorse.com, they are the same company as herbalcom.com.  They are a supplier of bulk herbs, their website is very plain as is their packaging as they are generally selling to people who will repackage it (and charge much more).  Their prices are very good and I have never had a problem with them.  They sell turmeric powder for $5.25/lb (which will last Ramsey at least 6 months).  To get it in capsule form, I have had good results from Swanson's.

I have seen excellent results feeding Ramsey one teaspoon of this pure, organic turmeric powder per day.  RB's other horses, who both have some arthritis, are doing very well on 4 teaspoons per day.  Tanner is doing remarkably well on 360 mg turmeric powder per day (half a capsule).

***

Other info:  There is some evidence that combining turmeric with black pepper and an omega 3 or omega neutral oil such as cold-pressed linseed oil or coconut oil will increase the effectiveness of the turmeric.  The pepper contains piperine, which is known to increase the effectiveness of many drugs.  You want to be careful with it if you take any other medications. 

I have not tried this myself yet, but I might at some point.  So far, I have found that the pure turmeric by itself has worked as well as I need it to. 

***

My own case studies:)

Tanner weighs 50 pounds, he is 11 years old and has arthritis in most of his joints and his spine.  When he was about 8 months old, he had surgery on his left shoulder for OCD, a developmental disorder that causes the cartilage to break down.  I was told then that arthritis was inevitable and not to expect much past 6-8 years.   He has been on combination joint supplements all of his life, he also gets fish oil to provide omega 3.  I do believe that joint supplements work, but only if started at a young age before arthritis develops.

Tanner is generally sound, but has had numerous episodes of sudden, intense lameness.  These are usually triggered by some small injury to one foot or leg which causes him to limp.  If he limps on one leg, he becomes lame everywhere else.  He also suffers from extreme muscle cramps in very cold weather that will also trigger these episodes.  I am very careful to not let him get too cold, not to let him play too hard and we now avoid hiking on steep hills.  I generally treat his pain episodes with rimadyl and/or tramadol.  He can only tolerate these drugs for a couple of days though before they make him ill.

Last year, he started having more trouble with overall body soreness and began having difficulty jumping into my car or onto the couch.  He has a very sensitive stomach so when I decided to try the turmeric for him, I started with a very low dose just once per day.  He gets HALF of one of these capsules once per day, which equates to 360 mg of turmeric powder....

He has not had a single episode of severe lameness since starting this last year.  He had NO muscle spasms this winter despite it being such a brutal winter.  He has no trouble jumping into my car or on the couch and generally moves much better.  If you were to meet him today, you would never know that he ever has a problem.

Just a couple of weeks ago, he did wrench his shoulder and come up lame.  I gave him 2 doses of Rimadyl and he was fine.  The lameness in his shoulder did NOT cause a body-wide pain episode.

The turmeric does not bother his stomach in any way. 

If his symptoms worsen as he ages, I will try increasing the dose to twice per day and may go as high as a full capsule two times per day IF he shows no GI upset. I may also try combining the low-dose turmeric with black pepper and coconut oil, but I will not do so until he needs it.

***

Scout belongs to Farm Buddy and is one of Tanner's litter-mates.  He also has arthritis and hip problems worse than Tanner's.  Last year, his hips had degraded to the point of severe muscle wasting and weakness, particularly on the left side.  He was put on a high dose of Previcox, which helped him tremendously.  The absence of pain allowed him to move more normally and regain most of the lost muscle.  However, he started showing signs that the Previcox was losing some of its effectiveness.  He was switched to turmeric and is doing well.  He has maintained the regained muscle condition and is able to move freely. 

***

Hawkeye is one of Riding Buddy's horses and one of the horses whose feet I am working on (I just realized that I have not written an update on him in eons...).  Hawkeye is a 16 year old Tennessee Walking Horse and is one of the horses who started me on my journey into farrier work.  He suffered from several years of chronic foot pain due to severe white line disease and a complete collapse of hoof capsule integrity.  His feet are doing very well now and look great, but he still suffers from body-wide muscle pain and arthritis in his knees.  He is now getting 4 teaspoons of turmeric per day, split into two feedings and his movement and overall demeanor have improved markedly.  He is moving out very freely and had no trouble on our Friday ride - 2 hours over very steep hills and rough terrain.

***

Izolde is Riding Buddy's other horse, I don't think I have written about her before.  She is a 27 year old Arab mare...
She is retired except for the very rare walk in the woods.  She is in good health, but has some arthritis in her knees - what you'd expect at 27.  I think she is getting 3 teaspoons of turmeric per day and showed no sign of lameness when we went for a ride a few weeks ago.

***

Then there is Ramsey, who started it all.  For anyone not familiar with Ramsey's life or death trip to Cornell, surgery, recovery, etc., just go to November of 2012 in the archive on the right to find out about that saga.

As a result of all of the above, Ramsey developed arthritis in his fetlock before he was a year old.  The vets prescribed Previcox for him, which did help.  However, having to rely on those kinds of drugs, with all of their associated side effects and toxicity, at such a young age really bothered me.  Not only will long term use of such drugs at such an early age cause problems later on and most likely shorten his life span, but they leave no place to go, medicinally, if the condition worsens.  He is why I decided to try the turmeric and I am glad I did.  He gets one teaspoon per day and shows no sign of lameness.

I believe that Ramsey has a good chance of halting, and maybe even reversing, this arthritis as long as his biomechanics are good.  Even in adults, bone regenerates itself approximately every 5 years.  It happens much faster when young.  The key to healthy bone growth is a balanced diet and healthy movement.  If he limps, his bones won't grow properly, which is just one reason for making sure he stays as pain free as possible.  I also just don't want him to be in pain.  The turmeric has helped without any of the negatives of prescription drugs.

***

No one has shown any signs of GI upset and, so far, they all love the taste.

***

One other aspect of turmeric that I have seen in several scientific papers that I find very intriguing is the possibility that it can help to remove excess iron form the liver.  Iron overload is a big problem for horses, it can lead to insulin resistance.
  
Horses can not excrete iron.  If they ingest too much of it, and nearly all of them do because it is extremely overabundant in ALL their food, it gets stored in the liver.  Over time, it builds up and can reach toxic levels.  Signs of iron overload include poor hoof quality, anemia, faded coat, frequent abscesses, thrush that won't go away with treatment and insulin resistance.  

Ironically, we generally make this worse by feeding supplements.  If you feed a supplement to your horse, go read the label, chances are it has iron in it.  Why does it have iron in it if the horse doesn't need it?  Because we expect it to be there.  Humans often need more iron in their diets and few of us would buy a multi-vitamin if it did NOT have iron in it.  We wouldn't want anything less for our beloved horses right?  Supplement manufacturers are in the business to sell supplements.  They make what sells, which is not the same as making what the horse needs.  

An average size horse requires about 350 mg of iron per day, give or take a bit depending on how much work they get.  My pasture alone provides nearly 2500 mg of iron per day and that is very common.  Iron levels on the west coast tend to be even higher, sometimes supplying as much as 10,000 mg a day.  
I'll be looking for more research on this topic.  If turmeric can help get rid of some of that excess iron, I'm all for it.  

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Thank you

I just wanted to thank everyone for your kind comments and sympathies on the lose of Lakota.  It is never easy to loose a friend and I know that this year has seen a lot of loses for many people.  It seems to be a particularly hard year for horses and those who love them.  Here's hoping that the rest of the year goes better, especially for our big, four-legged friends.

Monday, July 14, 2014

Life, and the jinx, goes on

Riding Buddy and I had a nice ride on Friday.  The donkeys were very put out at being left behind.

We took one of my favorite trails that loops up around one side of a ravine and circles around to come back down the other.  The ride out was good, the trail clear, but it got a bit interesting on the way back.  That freaky wind that hit here last week came through that area as well and there were trees down everywhere.  There is one stretch of trail that goes down an old seasonal road and there must have been fifty trees down on it.  It looked like a giant had come along and pushed them over.  

"We want to GO!!!  Downed trees are nothing to us!"


Saturday, we made a very small amount of second cutting.  The first cutting on this field all got made into balage.  All of the hay yields in the area are half of normal because of the harsh winter and this whole thing only amounted to 75 bales.  Rather disappointing.

Especially disappointing as the baler broke half way through, one of the needles broke.  A neighbor was driving the tractor and he seemed to forget that all this equipment is ancient, ahem, vintage.  We had to get the farm down the road to bale the rest of it.

The hard part about making second cutting is that it takes just as much time running equipment around the field for a tiny yield as it does to make first cutting and get 500 bales.  The hay is exceptionally beautiful though and very high quality.  It will go towards feeding the pregnant ewes this winter.  My fatsos won't even get to smell it. 

The 100 free-range meat birds are everywhere.  Even the highly obnoxious pigeons who used to steal all the food are intimidated by the poultry horde and are keeping their distance.

Then there are the little velociraptors.  Some people call them turkeys, but if you've ever seen a group of them run around and chase after people, you'd know that they are velociraptors.  They may sound and look adorable, but don't be fooled:)

The sheep all like to hang out in the barn when it is hot out.  If there aren't too many people around, they all lay down and the crazy chickens roost on top of them.  Baby "X" in the middle ended up being Flora.

Seriously, they're everywhere.  They don't actually leave the barn that much.  It's one of the downsides to raising chicks without a hen to mother them.  They never learn to forage well without a mom to show them how.  In the past, we have put the babies under a broody hen so she will adopt them, but there were no hens brooding when this horde arrived. 

Lamby Loo has nearly outgrown the lap.  He's been raised on cow's milk, which is supposedly not great for lambs, but they grow like crazy on this milk.  The bottle babies here always stay with the flock, but get bottle-fed - they have always done extremely well that way.  He is bigger than his siblings now.

Everywhere.

The rototillers hard at work.  These pigs are crazy.  They go flying round their yard, 90 miles an hour, chasing each other.  Whenever a car goes by on the driveway, they come zooming from wherever they are, huffing and barking, trying to chase the car.  They go up and down that ramp like they are trying to launch themselves into orbit.  They really want to prove that pigs can fly.

If you go in there with them, they rush over and chew on your legs.  Fortunately, they have not acquired a taste for poultry yet.  We have had trouble a couple of times in the past with pigs killing and eating chickens.  They just wander up to a foolish hen, like the one in the background, and gobble her up.  It is hard to keep them apart without confining one or the other.  Hopefully, these two will stick to chasing cars and rocket launching.

Time to head out after a hard day's napping.