Visit to Muller's Lane Farm
August 7, 2004
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We had the pleasurable experience of opening our farm to Joanne and Steve K. and family from Chicago, IL. Farm tours at Muller's Lane Farm
are not unusual, but rarely are our guests so ready to 'roll up their sleeves' and pitch right in to farm life. Steve grew up on a farm and Joanne is a bonafide "Concrete Person" (city dweller).
Joanne sent us some great pictures of both Saturday and Sunday. Thanks Joanne!
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Saturday, we got up close and personal with the animals on our farm, from honey bees to Belgian draft horse!
If our clothes look a bit strange it is because Paul and I just returned from the John Deere historic site in Grand Detour IL where we portrayed Demarius and John Deere for the 40th anniversary
of the site being a National Historic Landmark. We didn't bother to change out of the clothing we wore at the historic site. We don't always dress this way!
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"Clark" is an Angus cross steer calf and our freezer beef for next year. He came to us when he was only a week old.
I bet there's not too many kids in Chicago that can say they've petted an Angus!!
A lot of folks have told us we shouldn't name the animals that end up in our freezer, but we find it hasn't been a problem. Hogs and full grown steers just aren't as cute and cuddly as piglets and calves. We don't name the chickens though! There are too many and the white ones all look the same!!
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"Festus" is our little mule, well, technically is is a hinny.
So what's the difference between a mule and a hinny??
A mule has a horse for a mother and a donkey for a father. Mules look more like a donkey than a horse.
A hinney has a donkey for a mother and a horse for a father. Hinneys look more like a horse than a donkey.
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Up close and personal with "Festus".
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Now this is a HORSE! "Jack" is a Belgian draft horse. The children got to sit on his back and feed him horse cookies.
I think if Joanne could have fit "Jack" into the car, she would have taken him home!
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"Dolly" is the Jersey milk cow. She is 7 years old in this picture and pregnant with her 5th calf.
She should give birth at the end of August or beginning of September 2004.
Jersey cows are known for their rich milk high in butterfat content and their loving nature. "Dolly" has adopted every calf we've raised on the farm in the past two years. She has a sweet and quiet nature.
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No trip to a farm is complete until you've climbed into the haymow!!
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Bird's eye view of "Dolly"
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Here is one of the birds with the view!
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An assortment of farm fowl. The large birds on the far left (grey, brown & red) are heritage turkeys. The grey is a Blue Slate, the brown is an Eastern Wild and the red and white is a Bourbon Red.
The black hen on the far right is a Sumantra. The little hen in front is an Old English Game bird. The rest are Muscovy ducks and ducklings (with a red-laced Cornish rooster in the middle of the pack.)
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Saturday evening, after the chickens had settled in, Paul and Steve set about catching up roosters that would end up in Joanne's freezer. (Wish we had photos of that! Steve sure can scurry up the haybales after sleeping roosters!
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Below are pictures of our chicken processing on Sunday. |
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Steve tries his hand at the hatchet.
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Paul dipping a bird in hot water. The temperature of the water is important.
Too cool and the feathers won't release. Too hot and the skin will scald and tear away when the feathers are being plucked.
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Temperature must be just right!
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Away they go to the plucking table!
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Steve gets right to work plucking one of the roosters.
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| Steve and Paul
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What's so funny, guys?
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| Yes, Mom, that's really me plucking a chicken!
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And I'm smiling about it!!!
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| Biology lessons at no extra charge.
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Are they supposed to make that noise??
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| That wasn't so bad!!
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A photo of a beautiful, bonafide specimen of a "Concrete Person" captured out of her element. Well, at least she was until the Muller's got a hold of her! Who says folks can't change? You should see her pluck a chicken!
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Boys being boys!
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100 year old farm wagon that Paul restored.
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