In this candid farm‑family vlog, Lily Rhodes and other members walk viewers through a winter morning on their dairy farm. The video opens with updates on daily chores—frozen water lines, hauling water, chainsawing, mulching, and sheep care—while the family jokes about mishaps and a recent panic attack. A substantial portion is devoted to explaining A2 versus A1 milk genetics, how the family tests calves for the A2A2 trait by collecting tail hair, and why they aim to keep only A2A2 cows for easier digestion. The central narrative revolves around their aging stud bull, “Stud Muffin,” an 8‑year‑old A1‑type animal who has been a farm mascot. The family debates whether to sell, keep, or harvest him; they ultimately decide to slaughter him for beef, hide, horns, and even his scrotum, citing his declining fertility, the need for lean meat, and emotional responsibility. They also outline a replacement strategy, planning to acquire a new A2A2 bull and replace another compromised animal, while coordinating breeding schedules for their cow “Honey.” Interspersed are light‑hearted moments about a horse‑channel video, a mock cooking show segment with cooking temperature tips, and family banter, giving viewers a holistic view of farm life, genetics‑driven herd management, and the emotional weight of animal stewardship.
Chapters
Oh, happy day! Sun just got up and we have the workers back on the siding.
La la la la la, let me be free.
Rebecca's mega panic attack the night before last. Heart rate got up to 143 resting. Was it a panic attack or do you think it was a thyroid issue? It's gone. She slept good last night. That means I slept good last night. Crashed about 8:15. I'm as bad as the kids right now. Can't find my coat. I want to go see the boys feeding the bromance this morning. I want to talk to you guys about Studmuffin, undoubtedly a mascot of this farm. Come on, he's in there playing guns. About Studmuffin, you guys know how we're going all in on growing our own dairy. We've put this off way too long. Let's go, get in now. I gotta go, I want to catch him while Studmuffin's out there. Let's talk about what you call A2A2. It's a beta casein that can be in the milk. Not that can be in the milk, that is in the milk. These all are in for me. Come on! A2A2 milk is why you can digest human milk. You can digest goat milk. It's both A2A2. Not all cow's milk is A2A2, but some of it is. Some cow's milk is A1A2 or even A1A1. If you're confused by it like I am and want to know more, you can read the book Devil devil's devil in the milk. Come on! But basically it comes down to this: A2-A2 milk can be easier to digest. Oh good, I got up here in time. You guys like hay bombing the edges, don't you? Hey dude, what happened to you? Black eye? Yeah, John elbowed me in the eye. John, did you just— hi! It looked like he dunked down when I tried to film him. Hey, you and Josiah getting a fight? Stud Muffin's baby. Stud Muffin's baby. Gideon wants to harvest Stud Muffin. The problem with harvesting Stud Muffin is it'd be very tough meat. He's definitely lived up to his name. He's quite the stud. I don't, I don't think he's missed at all. There's his and Flossie's baby right there. So that leaves selling Stud Muffin. He's A1. A2 means he has a 50— only 50% chance That Harriet— hey, when we milk this morning, don't put Harriet out until I'm down there. I want to get some of her, uh, hair. Might be cow hair. Oh, is Jonah milking? Yeah. Oh shoot. Okay, come on, get in. Let's go, Jonah. Wait, there's only a 50-50 chance that little Harriet is A2-A2, and we'd want to keep her as a milk cow if she is. We got to get down there before Jonah lets the calf back on mom because that's the only time we're going to be able to pull that calf's tail hair. We make sure our milk cows are A2A2. So far Stud Muffin has only thrown A1A2 heifers, but it's a 50/50 chance every time. Oh, the calf's on it! The calf hasn't had milk all night, so she's hungry and she's probably not gonna mind us coming up to her. She might be done. He's probably— she's probably gonna kick you, Papa. I think that's enough. You send this off in that tusk. That's what I call it to us. I made up that word for it. It's a swear word. That T-U-S-S, that's, that's what they need to test for A2. What's up with that one? Oh John, let's see him. Let's scrape, let's scrape concrete today too, guys. And when do you let the sheep out to get minerals? Look, there they go, they're inhabit. That's good. Oh, is there poop floating on the water? Dumb butt. No, you can't scoop it out, it would have residue in it. Would you drink water with poop floating in it? What I got, that is it. Studmuffin hair? No, it's Harriet hair. That was fun catching Studmuffin's tail, tail hairs. I got enough, I got enough. I put it on masking tape. I reckon it'll be safe right there. Oh, Lily and I are gonna work on a little something for her horse channel. What are we gonna film this morning?
A winter morning routine.
Okay, we're gonna film the winter morning routine, just a slow pace.
Just, it's gonna feel like you're going along with her and pull the blanket over, and then I'm gonna pull it up. Lily Rhodes show.
Go over there and let's fill it up. The boys failed on, uh, water chores yesterday to the steers, and apparently they're out of water and the lines are freezing this morning. We have to do water chores in the afternoon because most days it thaws out. And when you forget to do that in the afternoon, well, all the water lines are frozen in the morning. I'm not going to be able to pick it up. Probably all I can do. Well, looks like they may have knocked their own water— I'm not sure what happened. It should always be capped off. And it'll take them a while to get through 100 gallons. Is that a lot? Yeah. Even Stud's coming down. He just moseys in there and gets whatever he wants, doesn't he? Uh, boys, boys, instead of chainsawing, I'm hauling water.
Could he cut his horns off and say he cut his horns off?
No, no, that would hurt him. He needs them for temperature control and his immune system. Okay, they drink all that. This is important too, to get this filled because the sheep, they need it filled. This worries me. It's been a minute. I think we gotta go get another one.
Yep, definitely have to get another one.
So frustrated right now. One, these cows are so thirsty, and two, I want to be chainsawing. We might have to get two more. I'm having to get a third bucket of water. On the third trip of water, we're gonna have to get four. We're gonna have to get one more. Maybe 2 more. Are you serious? We only have till like 10:00 to— because, uh, the boys are clearing. I want to saw, and then we need to— we need to leave some time to mulch. Fourth load. They finally hit it. There's some water left in that, so we have enough. But I got the boys so they can feel the inconvenience of this a little bit. Finally, my happy place— chainsawing. I think it's because— well, it's because the work is so intense and you have to be so focused that for a rare moment in my life, I get lost in the moment. Well, that was a little slower going than I thought it would be. We still got a lot done, and Lily's coming to get me. Gotta film the rest of her horse bit. That used to be that. We got our daily quota of trees mulched, and we got some chainsawing done. Hey, you come on. You and Henry. Taren here driving Mom nuts. Come on, you come with me to horse lesson. This is what we do on a cold day during our lessons. Truck becomes a playground. My late dad would have said, hey, You see a sign that says playpen? Of course we didn't see a sign, but one day a smart butt made a sign and we said, yeah, there's a sign, it says playpen. Lily, where was that in lessons of all lessons? Um, best lesson ever, worst lesson ever?
It was pretty good at some parts. Parts, but not that great at other parts. He went out of the ring like 4 times.
What do you think the problem was?
I haven't exercised in a few days.
Oh, you've been organizing? I have been. Holy moly.
I'm like—
I like it. Welcome to the Burn It Up cooking show. I eat all the time. 475. We've got this oven too. Did a little research on Stud Muffin. He's a bit older than I thought. He's actually 8. He was nearly 2 when he came and we thought he was 1. Recipe from recipe10eats. I'm gonna oil it up. Will that hurt? Would that hurt to oil it up? You know what, it's so little, they're probably counting for a big old egg. It only wants us to cook it to 130. And realizing, you know, a bull is maybe going to be fertile till maybe 10, 12 years old, it's kind of time anyway to replace him before we have any fertility problems. And so I don't think we want to sell him. He's only good— for sure good, you know, maybe for sure good for a couple of years. I think the right thing to do is to eat him. And if I'm being honest, that's difficult. More than harvesting Flossie, more than harvesting Buddy the lamb, it's gonna be really hard to harvest Studmuffin. He's been around and been good to us for 6 years, but it's the right thing to do. We shouldn't pass him on for somebody else to harvest him in 2 years and take that emotional hit. It's our responsibility. He provided for our farm for so many years that the weight of that responsibility needs to fall on our shoulders. Plus, we need beef. Well, beef is— is— he's going to be very lean, and so we just need to figure out how to heat him. Sure, we could cook him low and slow. He's going to be very lean and very tough. Okay, I'm calling it 140. Here's a little hack for you though: service tray over service tray is a cover. You don't want to use tin foil because it's toxic. So I think we should eat stud muffin.
Okay.
Yeah. Hey, you get the scrotum like you always wanted. She told me what about 4 years ago, 5 years ago. Can I have his— let's just say she said scrotum. Can, can I have a scrotum for a purse? My princess cowgirl.
Could I have his horns?
Yeah.
Could we share them? Me and Lily get them.
I think we should save his skull for sure. I know. And oh my goodness, his hide. We need to harvest him while it's winter and he has his hide. We do have some bull possibilities in Virginia that are A2A2 that we could maybe get by the time Honey needs to be bred back. She's gonna have a calf soon, and then a few weeks after that she's ready. So she's ready in like 5 weeks. So yeah, let's harvest Stud Muffin now and, um, get this other bull within a month. When are we gonna go get all these animals? He said animals, didn't he? We're replacing Nacho too, given his crippled circumstance over the summer. Hey, Rebecca, is it a problem With what? There's all the tusks. Don't you want that? Yes, just give me a minute. Do they need the tusks or they just need hair? No, they need the tusks. If Harriet's A2A2, she's a keeper, and if not, she's a burger. Either way, we win. This is good. Beck, you must have enjoyed it. I did. It's gone. We're getting better. We're getting better every time. Happy day.
