Community Chat

[Anonymous032819]

---

@PA Mom-mom wrote:

@SilleeMee  I like the "idea" of a farm, but I have trepidations about the "nuts and bolts" of a farm ( pun sort of intended). My grandchildren are so brave and capable. They can kill and butcher chickens and turkeys, and they harvest deer for their family.  They even know how to butcher and cook the deer!

---

@PA Mom-mom 

I'm genuinely curious.

Why do you have trepidation about your grandkids being on a farm, when they know how to do so much, and know where their food comes from?

[SilleeMee]

I think that's awesome! @PA Mom-mom 

My ex was raised on a cattle farm. He knew a lot about farm animals. He broke horses and got them ready for cutting. He and I were big game hunters here in Colorado. I learned how to hunt, dress and butcher our kills. Our freezers were always full of game and wild fowl. But all that is in my past now. I don't eat like that any more and no hunting either. I still envy those who can learn to be self-sufficient and respect life all at the same time. 

[Desertdi]

I'd rather brush my teeth for exercise.........

[PA Mom-mom]

@Anonymous032819 and @SilleeMee  I only have trepidation for me, not my grandchildren. I think their experiences are great for them and character-building. I just don't think I could do it.

[chrystaltree]

I assume he lives on a farm.  So, it certainly was physical activity. Aerobic and muscle.   A lot of it.  My 7 year old niece has Zoom classes and I wondered how that would work.  They have real gym teacher and they do things like running in place, yoga, stretching exersizes.  Something different every day.  One day last week it was jogging around the house for cetain amount of time.  

[Sooner]

---

@SilleeMee wrote:

I thought the calves were restrained in a small stall where they can't move before they get cut so not much work to be done there. It's not like they have to be roped and wrestled first like you see in a rodeo.

---

@SilleeMee Nope, they are normally separated from the mama and put in a smaller pen where they are put in a squeeze chute--a small metal devide that will "squeeze" or close down, for the safety of calf and people.  It is sort of v-shaped and closes up around the calf and rotates if you need it to.  

But people I am sure still do it the old fashioned way if some are missed, etc.  Or maybe if you have a few head of cattle and not enough to get a lot of specialized equipment.  

If you watch the Pioneer Woman and they are separating relatively small calves then putting them back with their others in awhile that's part of the process.

You would check them for health concerns, vaccinate the if needed and the males get nutered at that time.   As far as I ever knew they were not separated before.  

[patbz]

@PA Mom-mom :  Does your grandson live near Hagerstown by any chance?

[PA Mom-mom]

@patbz  No, he lives in the far western part of the state. In the mountains.

[patbz]

Near MT.Thurmond? In the 50s I went to Girl Scout camp (Misty Mount) there.  One time a group of us were coming down the mountain to go to Mass in town and Dwight Eisenhower waved to us, just outside Camp David.

[Kalli]

---

@PA Mom-mom wrote:

@SilleeMee  I like the "idea" of a farm, but I have trepidations about the "nuts and bolts" of a farm ( pun sort of intended). My grandchildren are so brave and capable. They can kill and butcher chickens and turkeys, and they harvest deer for their family.  They even know how to butcher and cook the deer!

---

@PA Mom-mom , you just stirred up an old memory of my dad and my brothers on butchering day.  Brothers had to catch their free range chickens.  The chickens were quickly killed.  Brothers' fav part (sarcasm), was plucking all the feathers by hand. 

Anyway, brother #4 hated that so much, he became a lawyer!!