Windy Acres Homestead

02/25/2025

Hollie had a busy day! Was worried about her yesterday because she didn’t want to eat but after 4 poops and 3 pees, she has been scarfing down her bottle. Because she is so small, we are using a kitten bottle which is working well. Today she was able to roam around the kitchen and hallway while I washed up eggs for customers, had a bottle then a nap and then went out to spend an hour with her momma and sister while I did the chores. She tried to nurse on everything (including her sisters ears) but her momma’s udders- 🙄. We came back in and she had another bottle and now a nap.

02/24/2025

Update 2: they have names! Hollie is the little one and Haley is the black and white one. Hollie hasn’t eaten much and ive taken her out to momma a couple times. Momma doesn’t reject her but Hollie just isn’t catching on to nursing.

Update: The smallest baby is in the house for now. Had to get her warmed and Leia’s milk hasn’t completely come in. What has come in the bigger baby was drinking immediately (nursed a half dozen times). The smaller baby kept trying to nurse off the heat lamp (it’s an enclosed one so no danger). Made a quick colostrum substitute until we can either get some out of Leia or hit up tractor supply first thing in the morning. The other 2 mommies aren’t showing any signs of birthing at the moment. Next feeding in an hour.

We got babies!! Born just before midnight.

02/24/2025

Going to be a long night. Leia, Cleo and Dodie were all due today. Just got back in again and Leia is showing signs of labor, the other 2 are just resting. Prayers there aren’t any complications. Most concerned about Dodie, she’s going to be a first time momma. Grabbing a quick nap.

02/20/2025

If anyone is interested, I have about 5 dozen eggs available $3/dozen. Can meet in Watertown if needed but we need to work around appointments.

02/20/2025

I know it’s been awhile but it’s been very hectic here and I'm just exhausted. Built 3 stalls today for the 3 goats that we believe will be kidding on Sunday. Built, bedded, watered and fed. One is one of the triplets from Bambi (Dora, Dodie and Dick). It's Dodie that is pregnant. Casper was a very naughty boy. This was from his second breakthrough of the fence. 😞
One more group naughty boy breakthrough to watch for in about a month!😳

02/12/2025

We will be selling duck eggs soon as well as turkey eggs. Mixed will be $5.00/dz, separate will be $5.50/dz.

Duck Eggs vs. Chicken Eggs 🍳
Duck eggs are larger in size than chicken eggs. The whites in chicken eggs have a higher water content (more runny) than the whites in duck eggs. Duck eggs have larger yolks and a higher yolk-to-white ratio than chicken eggs.

We have both. Yes, they are different from each other, so I am gonna break it down quick:

🦆 Duck eggs are GREAT for baking.
🐓 Chicken eggs have thinner shells.
🦆 Duck eggs are larger and richer than 🐓 chicken eggs.
🐓 Chickens are prolific layers year-round if taken care of correctly, but 🦆 ducks are as well with much less light necessity.
🦆 Duck eggs stay fresh longer because of their insanely thick shell.
🦆 Duck eggs contain 30% more protein and a different type of protein than 🐓 chicken eggs, so if allergic to chicken eggs, most can eat duck eggs and vice versa.
Ounce for ounce, 🦆 duck eggs contain more Omega-3, Vitamins A and D, fatty acids, choline, folate, and iron than 🐓 chicken eggs.
🐓 Chickens lay well for about 1-2 years, then dramatically start slowing down production, while 🦆 ducks lay solid for 4-5 years before they slow down.
🐓 Chicken eggs come in a lot more colors.
So there ya have it!

Repost from Gwendolyn Mayfield

02/03/2025

Just an FYI:

“Thanks for buying our farm fresh eggs. A benefit of buying eggs from local farms is freshness. Eggs on retail shelves can be sold up to 30 days after being packaged, and producers have up to 30 days to package eggs after they’re laid. This means eggs on store shelves could be up to 60 days old when purchased. Our eggs are typically less than a week old, and none exceed 1-2 weeks, ensuring exceptional flavor and quality. We do have a variety of chicken breeds, which means you’ll see a delightful range of shell colors and sizes in your farm fresh egg carton. Since we don’t grade our eggs by size, you’ll receive a mix of both colors and sizes, adding to the charm of farm-fresh eggs!”

01/21/2025

Interesting

In 1958, a child in El Mojon, Teguise, Lanzarote, was seen suckling from a goat, an image that reflects a long-standing practice in history where goats were used as wet nurses in the absence of a mother's milk or when hiring a human wet nurse was financially out of reach. Historically, goats were often preferred because their milk was seen as a safe, accessible alternative to human milk. In the 16th century, concerns over diseases like syphilis led many mothers to reject human wet nurses, and goats were deemed a reliable and healthier option for feeding infants.

The use of goat’s milk as a substitute for human breast milk gained popularity in the 18th century, especially in regions where hiring a wet nurse was expensive. Medical writers from this period, including Pierre Brouzet, noted that children raised on goat’s milk were strong and healthy. In fact, medical practitioners such as William Potts Dewees highlighted the benefits of animal milks, particularly goats' milk, over cow's milk, which was commonly used in early American infant feeding. This practice was especially widespread when other options were unavailable, and the belief that direct suckling from the goat helped with digestion made it more popular.

Despite its advantages, the practice of using goats as wet nurses eventually faced criticism and lost favor due to various health concerns. However, it was revived in the late 19th century in children's hospitals in Paris, particularly for infants suffering from syphilis. The historical preference for goats’ milk represents an interesting chapter in the evolution of infant feeding practices, illustrating how cultural and medical considerations have shaped the care of infants throughout history.

01/18/2025

Tough day yesterday. We lost little Jellybean (my nickname for her was my little Jellybelly-💙). She and her sister Mabel came to live with us after my cousin Ellon passed away 5 years ago. She loved her little girls and Ellon and I talked “goat” a lot. Will miss her following me around like a dog and she’d come running and blatting if she lost sight of me. RIP little girl. You took part of my heart with you. 😢💙😢💙

01/02/2025

Not everything is bad here. We had a New Year’s baby yesterday. A little girl named Hope. 💙

01/02/2025

Post surgery update: Boone did very well and is home resting comfortably with mom in the bedroom. Waiting on pathology results from the lumps and also results from the culture done on his ears since the 3 different antibiotics he’s been on since we’ve had him have not completely cured his chronic infections. He’ll be on antibiotics, pain meds and benedryl until his follow up on 1/30. Oh and of course the cone of shame. HUGE THANK YOU to everyone at Countryside Veterinary Clinic in Carthage. They spoil Boone and he adores them all. Only dog I’ve ever had that drags me to door at the vets office to see his friends. 😂

Update: Found another suspicious bump on Boone tonight. It existed before but I want to be sure so they will check it out when he is under Tuesday. All prayers and donations are so appreciated. 💙

Well, the year didn’t end quite as well as I had hoped. Boone has come such a long way since he first came to us and is the bestest boy. He’s had surgery for a twisted stomach, a complicated neutering (due to his age and enlarged prostrate), numerous ear and eye infections due to allergies and of course his skin issues (also mainly allergies and poor nutrition in his life before us). Boone had a follow up on Tuesday and he has some fluid filled lumps which were tested and were negative for any issues previously. The first photo was when we first got him and the last photo is it now. I had them check it because it is now firm and it has cancer cells in it. It’s treatable with a great outlook if removed soon with surgery. We have the appointment for surgery scheduled on 1/14/2024 and it is expensive. It would so be appreciated if anyone could donate to his surgery. Donations can be made directly to our account (account number is 6072061960) at Countryside Veterinary Clinic in Lowville (315-376-6563) or Carthage (315-493-7387). Anything would be greatly appreciated so we can continue to care for and provide for our many rescues.
Thank you everyone for all your past and future support.

12/31/2024

😢😢😢😢

12/31/2024

Rest easy my little Tiny Tim. You were a wonderful addition and protector. You will be so missed. I so wish there was a way to alter the breeding so we didn’t have to say goodbye so soon when we get a meat breed. They get so big and their legs or heart give out. 😢💙😢

12/30/2024

First load of Christmas trees delivered today. A HUGE THANK YOU to John Moody and everyone at LAND PRO for donating the leftover trees and delivering them. Our goats LOVE them!! The trees provide a lot of nutrients for our goats during the winter when they can’t get fresh grass and other greens. 💜💚💙❤️

12/25/2024

12/24/2024

For those of you who aren’t familiar with us….. we tend to take in a number of special needs rescues. We currently have a few rescues (ranging from chickens to cats) with one eye, a turkey who is having leg issues, another turkey with an upper respiratory infection, a cat missing his foot and also has an inoperable eye ulcer as well as chronic respiratory issues, 3 other cats with chronic respiratory issues, a bloodhound with severe allergies (monthly meds are over $170 a month), a dog who had surgery last summer to correct a birth defect that resulted in chronic urinary tract infections until the surgery, a recent kitten rescue (Sassy-aka Bart who ended up being a rare orange female) with severe digestive issues at 4 weeks from parasites and the list goes on and on. We are self funded but have been blessed by a number of people who have blessed us with monetary donations directly to our account at Countryside Veterinary Clinic in Lowville and Carthage (account number is our phone number 607-206-1960), as well as donations of food, blankets, towels, gift cards and donations of time and just a hug and prayers when needed when we lose a wonderful spirit. I thank you all so much. 💜💚💙❤️