Life on the farm.

[determined]

Cynders, ours free ranged like the cattle, when it got close to butchering time put into the lot and fed to get fattened up. The guy that Daddy bought the sheep from had told him the time table. Daddy ended up giving all the meat to someone he worked with who loved it. We also had geese for a while, someone told Mom to cook the eggs just like chicken eggs, we didn't like them nor did we care for the goose meat. The geese were allowed to live and die of old age as they kept the bugs out of the garden and were extra "watch dogs" around the chicken house.

Hand raised a baby that for some reason the other geese were attacking it once it was hatched. Called him Silly Goose, he followed like a dog and we had one neighbor who had conversations with him. He knew her car and would run out to meet her. Of course it was before sound on movie camera's so got footage of it but without the sound it wasn't as funny.

[Cynders]

Darla, New Zealand lamb is raised on a high yield pasture of mainly rye and clovers, most of the information about farming methods in the USA talk of using sheep as weed control in pasture where beef is predominantly the animal being raised, I could be all wrong??

As to the difference in eggs, I don't care for duck eggs or the bird, it's greasy tasting and the eggs are oily tasting, never tried goose as I don't like them or swans to be around.

[BarbCA]

I love lamb but buy only NZ lamb as it tastes so much better.
Geese, when I was a newly wed I wanted to try the traditional British goose dinner. I had never cooked a goose before and haven't cooked another since. The one my MIL cooked was much better.
I love properly cooked duck and when it's done right it isn't greasy. I don't care to eat the eggs but I will use them in cooking.

One year my dad decided to do a duck in a way he had read about. It called for marinating the duck in red wine for a week or more. That was one of the vilest things I have ever tasted!! Fortunately I had cooked another so the dinner wasn't a total failure.

[Cynders]

Thanks Barb, I have eaten lamb in USA, UK and Australia. None match the high yield grass fed lamb that we enjoy in NZ.

BLECHH, duck marinaded for a week in red wine would be VILE!! I like duck cooked in a restaurant but have never had success at home so have given up, I can do Lisa's slow cooked pork belly and that is better than duck!!

[Maude]

I have always eaten and enjoyed NZ lamb. When I lived in Wales the lamb was frozen and it took me ages to get used to the taste of the fresh NZ lamb that we buy here. It is my favourite meat but I don't have it often these days because it is very expensive. Lucky you Cynders.

[spring]

I love reading this thread...we have a small hobby farm. Lived here 28 yrs. and love it. Last spring our grandson purchased 2 calves and we helped him raise them and sell them. He named them "Terminator and Dinamite". We provided the land, water and transportation to and from the sale barn. He paid for the feed and took care of them when he was here. If they got out of the fence, he came right away to get them back in. (with our help)

We also have 3doz chickens...all brown egg layers. They have a big coup with a large all enclosed run to keep out chicken hawks, owls or other preditors at night. We also let them free range during the day. I just love to see chickens running around all over the farm. They are so cute. Call me crazy.

We also let our granddaughter get 2 rabbits. Maranda and Colby are their names. She's had baby's twice., but we didn't seperate Colby soon enough and so the baby's didn't make it. Currently they are seperated...hopeing for a better outcome.