khegobier

khegobier OP t1_j2ud2fe wrote

Reply to comment by [deleted] in My first baby moo by khegobier

This comment doesn't seem like the kind that needed downvotes. Might have been a legitimate educational question, though I can understand the sarcastic undertones probably generating the downvotes.

I will be taking him away from his mother when it's time for him to wean. Many months from now. I'm not an industrial farm, I have no need to keep cows bred to make milk. For my purposes milk is just a bonus of the situation, and if there's enough to share between the calf and us, great. If not, it's all for him.

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khegobier OP t1_j2ttp84 wrote

Reply to comment by Dr_JackMeoff in My first baby moo by khegobier

Relatively new. I started a hobby farm back in Tennessee a few years ago focusing on backyard farming. My backyard was 11 acres at the time, but well set up for animals and pastures. My wife and I wanted to be a little more self sufficient as well as discover and share options that work in small farm/backyard environments.

We moved to Vermont this past year and dropped the farm moniker and scaled back on animals. We're more of a homestead now.

The highlands are mostly for the cute factor, to help with establishing a legit miniature pedigree and get some milk (my cow is a highland/dexter cross, so she'll definitely provide milk for the family). Freezer camp is reserved only for the naughtiest of beef, which we're hoping will be few and far between over the years. The lines we're working with have incredible temperaments, so beef in the freezer hopefully will never come from them.

Honestly though, I've enjoyed all of this over the last few years. I understand why farmers are a dying breed and exactly how ungrateful of a job farming is. But I've also found something missing from my life. It's my part-time passion as I still have to pay the bills, but if I could do it full time I would in a heartbeat.

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khegobier OP t1_j2truf9 wrote

Reply to comment by burghschred in My first baby moo by khegobier

He likely won't be staying with us long term, but he comes from long lines of miniature highland breeding stock and will likely find a home to propagate the lines. But he'll be here for while before he finds a new home.

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khegobier OP t1_j2tr4sn wrote

Reply to comment by Pomelo-jello in My first baby moo by khegobier

He will be staying with mom until weaned. It's actually pretty easy to "share" a mom with a calf after the first month or so, so there's no reason to take him off.

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khegobier t1_j01fxgv wrote

All of them.*

No, seriously... I'm a huge proponent of mass transit options and have always loved trains especially. If I could be an old-school 1800's railway tycoon in the modern world and run passenger rails across the whole country I would. Something about the scenery and community on trains just seem to make life better.

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