It's been a few days since our last entry, but believe me, we have NOT been on vacation! Very early mornings and late nights doesn't allow much time for anything in between. All but five acres of corn are in the ground. The last field is going to be a couple of days in the waiting because it's so wet. There are many fields around us that haven't been planted yet. We had a fairly dry week last week, but when the rain came, it just kept coming. All of a sudden we find ourselves at the end of May with still more corn to put in the ground. Time sure has flown by!
It won't be long and it'll be time to get the discbine (hay cutter) out. Grease it up, check bearings and blades and get it ready to pull out to the field. Almost the entire first cutting of hay will be cut, chopped and blow in the silo for haylage. There should be plenty left over for baling, but we like to have the nice first tender hay put in the silo. We fill it all the way to the top, adding an additional load each day as it settles. It's amazing how much the haylage will settle as it gets near the top. Just about the time you think you have it full, it's settled a door on the silo and we need to go back out and chop another load. But when you think of how much feed it takes to feed the cows all winter, you need to have it full in order to make it through until pasture the following spring.
One nice thing with all this rain, we have plenty of pasture for the cows and horses. It's so neat to ride down into the woods and swamp and find the cows munching in grass up to their bellies. When they're full, they like to bed down in the birch grove just below the hill to the east of the barn. They soak up the sun that filters through the trees and quietly chew their cud, fading in and out of sleep. That's what makes milk - content, healthy, comfortable cows. Most of them know when it's time to head back to the barn for evening milking. Just like kids in a candy store, though, the heifers like to drag their feet, taking their time for one of those last mouthfuls before they're brought in the cow yard for the evening. They have plenty of hay to keep them full at night until they go out to pasture the next morning, but who wants broccoli when you can have ice cream?!
The horses are also getting fat and shiny with all of this good green grass. I have to watch them carefully so they don't get too much. Horses can founder with too much of a good thing. They complain a bit when I bring them up from pasture each night, but once they hear the grain bucket rattle and the hay being put in their stalls - they're all lined up at the gate ready to come in!
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
A Mooing Alarm Clock
The sun was already streaking through the bedroom window at 4:35 a.m. The start of a new day. Although the alarm clock wouldn't go off for another 10 minutes, sleep was no where to be found.
The first moo and I figured "not a problem". The second moo ensued. Maybe a cow is coming in heat. But by the third moo, I recognized it. A distressed momma cow. There's no mistaking the sound of a moo when a momma can't get to her calf.
Get out of bed. Pull the boots on over my pajama bottoms and throw a coat over my shirt. The mooing got louder. As I continued to coax my eyes open, I could tell that someone (some cow) wasn't very happy. We had a cow that was due two days ago. First of all, she wasn't too happy about being in the maternity pen. Second, after she calved, her calf was quite a lively little thing, and it got away from her, further than she could go - out of the pen! And, the calf couldn't just wander off - it had to find its way to the barn gutter. The lively little heifer calf decided to plunk down in the manure. All I could see were two blinking little eyes and a couple of ears twitching. She had probably wandered down the barn aisle and stumbled in on her wobbly little legs.
So, the clean-up process begins! Put some twine around the heifer's neck and pull her up by the milkhouse door. Put the sprayer on warm and hose her down! When a calf is especially dirty like this, it's important to make sure that the navel gets cleaned off really well, then dipped in iodine. Infection can quickly settle in through the umbilical cord that is still attached. And, although I want to hose her completely off, I have to leave a little bit of afterbirth clinging to her so that her momma will recognize her scent and still want to lick her off.
Once the heifer's bath was complete, over to momma we went. Boy, was she ever anxious to get at her job of cleaning up her calf! She promptly let me know that I did not do a good enough job and proceded to clean up her shivering calf. I surround the heifer with straw and left the two together. Now - a chance to head up to the house, put the pajamas in the laundry, and start afresh with a new set of barn clothes for the day!
The first moo and I figured "not a problem". The second moo ensued. Maybe a cow is coming in heat. But by the third moo, I recognized it. A distressed momma cow. There's no mistaking the sound of a moo when a momma can't get to her calf.
Get out of bed. Pull the boots on over my pajama bottoms and throw a coat over my shirt. The mooing got louder. As I continued to coax my eyes open, I could tell that someone (some cow) wasn't very happy. We had a cow that was due two days ago. First of all, she wasn't too happy about being in the maternity pen. Second, after she calved, her calf was quite a lively little thing, and it got away from her, further than she could go - out of the pen! And, the calf couldn't just wander off - it had to find its way to the barn gutter. The lively little heifer calf decided to plunk down in the manure. All I could see were two blinking little eyes and a couple of ears twitching. She had probably wandered down the barn aisle and stumbled in on her wobbly little legs.
So, the clean-up process begins! Put some twine around the heifer's neck and pull her up by the milkhouse door. Put the sprayer on warm and hose her down! When a calf is especially dirty like this, it's important to make sure that the navel gets cleaned off really well, then dipped in iodine. Infection can quickly settle in through the umbilical cord that is still attached. And, although I want to hose her completely off, I have to leave a little bit of afterbirth clinging to her so that her momma will recognize her scent and still want to lick her off.
Once the heifer's bath was complete, over to momma we went. Boy, was she ever anxious to get at her job of cleaning up her calf! She promptly let me know that I did not do a good enough job and proceded to clean up her shivering calf. I surround the heifer with straw and left the two together. Now - a chance to head up to the house, put the pajamas in the laundry, and start afresh with a new set of barn clothes for the day!
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Natue's Fireworks
What an awesome display of God's power and beauty! The sky was lit up from one end to the other on the western horizon. When chores were wrapped up for the night, I jumped on one of the geldings and headed out into the open field across the road from the barn. Just by the way he was acting, I could tell that there was a change of weather in the air. Since he seemed to have unlimited energy and wanted to spook at every little thing along the way, we rode through the freshly plowed furrows. I was hoping it would slow him down enough so that I could alteast enjoy a little bit of the ride.
We headed south & came across Farmer Rick. He had gone out on his choice of transportation - the four wheeler - to check some wet spots in some fields. There are some areas that just don't want to dry out! Now with all of this rain forecast for this week, I don't know when we'll be able to get to them.
Farmer Rick was enjoying a fence-row conversation with a neighboring farmer who was out working in his yard. We stopped and said Hi, but I didn't want to interrupt their conversations together. It's not too often that we slow down enough to enjoy a good catch-up with a neighbor. So, I left them to their visiting and worked my way out into the open field. From my vantage point in the saddle, we caught the first glimpse of a flicker of lightning in the western sky. It didn't take long and the flickers began to multiply in ever increasing number and color. Brightened to a brilliant orange and yellow, the flashes of lightning would light up the jagged edges of the clouds as it danced from cloud to cloud. How beautiful! I had wanted to just stop and enjoy the show, but my gelding had other ideas. He was just too antsy to want to stand in one place for very long. It's hard to truly enjoy the handiwork of God when your chair is bouncing to and fro!
So after making a round of the field, we headed back to the barn as the first distant rumbles began to be audible. Just a low grumble, but soon thereafter, the grumbles gave way to distinct rumbles of their own. By the time we were unsaddled and I had the skidsteer in the barn to clean stalls, the flashes were right above us, but still cloud-to-cloud. It was nice to work in the barn, listening to the advancing storm. Since it was building slowly, I had time to enjoy the sights and sounds of an early spring thunderstorm.
Well, the horses were standing at the gate. They were lit up with each flicker of lightning. I could tell they were getting impatient with me, so I hurried up, got hay and grain in the stalls and brought them in. Since there was hail forecast, I finished up by parking the pickup in the alley of the horse barn before heading to the house. We don't need to add a trip to the body shop to our list of things to do this spring!
We headed south & came across Farmer Rick. He had gone out on his choice of transportation - the four wheeler - to check some wet spots in some fields. There are some areas that just don't want to dry out! Now with all of this rain forecast for this week, I don't know when we'll be able to get to them.
Farmer Rick was enjoying a fence-row conversation with a neighboring farmer who was out working in his yard. We stopped and said Hi, but I didn't want to interrupt their conversations together. It's not too often that we slow down enough to enjoy a good catch-up with a neighbor. So, I left them to their visiting and worked my way out into the open field. From my vantage point in the saddle, we caught the first glimpse of a flicker of lightning in the western sky. It didn't take long and the flickers began to multiply in ever increasing number and color. Brightened to a brilliant orange and yellow, the flashes of lightning would light up the jagged edges of the clouds as it danced from cloud to cloud. How beautiful! I had wanted to just stop and enjoy the show, but my gelding had other ideas. He was just too antsy to want to stand in one place for very long. It's hard to truly enjoy the handiwork of God when your chair is bouncing to and fro!
So after making a round of the field, we headed back to the barn as the first distant rumbles began to be audible. Just a low grumble, but soon thereafter, the grumbles gave way to distinct rumbles of their own. By the time we were unsaddled and I had the skidsteer in the barn to clean stalls, the flashes were right above us, but still cloud-to-cloud. It was nice to work in the barn, listening to the advancing storm. Since it was building slowly, I had time to enjoy the sights and sounds of an early spring thunderstorm.
Well, the horses were standing at the gate. They were lit up with each flicker of lightning. I could tell they were getting impatient with me, so I hurried up, got hay and grain in the stalls and brought them in. Since there was hail forecast, I finished up by parking the pickup in the alley of the horse barn before heading to the house. We don't need to add a trip to the body shop to our list of things to do this spring!
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Riding Fence
It's amazing how over the span of a winter, what damage can be done to a fenceline. The weight of the snow on top of the grass that grew up and over the bottom wires can pull and stretch a wire more than you think.
The heifers are getting anxious to get out there on their pasture to take in some of that nice green grass. So while we're waiting for that grass to get busy and get growing, there's plenty of fence that needs to be checked. This weekend, I threw the saddle and saddle bags on my mare. The saddle bags were loaded up with plastic T-post insulators, small slips of wire, pliers, and clips for making any repairs that we may come across. Starting at one of the corners posts, we made our way slowly around the pasture, pulling up wire and replacing clips that had been pulled off by the weight of the snow. My mare is happy to join me on projects like this. I have her in a grazing bit - which makes it easier for her to munch grass without getting her mouth pulled on - and unsnap the reins. They get tied around the saddle horn. With a lead rope snapped to her halter, she walks along behind me, munching on grass as I do my work. No complaints from her! Every once in awhile she'd get to the end of her rope and reach for more, nearly pulling me off of my feet. But she was happy just to be out and enjoying the warm spring day along with plenty of tender green grass.
Everything was going rather smoothly with only a few repairs when we came across a rather long stretch of fence that was missing a wire. After looking closer, I found that the field on the other side of the fence had been in corn last year. When harvested, the driver must have gotten too close to the fence with his combine snout and caught one of the wires, dragging it quite some distance across the field. There was also alot of water in the pasture in this area, so I sure was glad I'd wore my knee-high boots! This fix-it job took awhile - looking for the lost wire, clipping it on posts, and generally making it look more like something that would hold the heifers in. But, thank goodness, our neighbor came along and put in a new stretch of wire later in the day. That was a good thing because the wire that I found and was working with was rather rusty and often broke when I was trying to work with it.
So, after a few more clips were replaced and gates closed, my old mare and I headed for home. Now, all we need are a few more warm sunny days to encourage the grass to grow a little more, and we'll be hauling heifers over to the summer pasture - kicking and bucking as they exit the stock trailer - and heading out to fill up on that sweet green grass!
The heifers are getting anxious to get out there on their pasture to take in some of that nice green grass. So while we're waiting for that grass to get busy and get growing, there's plenty of fence that needs to be checked. This weekend, I threw the saddle and saddle bags on my mare. The saddle bags were loaded up with plastic T-post insulators, small slips of wire, pliers, and clips for making any repairs that we may come across. Starting at one of the corners posts, we made our way slowly around the pasture, pulling up wire and replacing clips that had been pulled off by the weight of the snow. My mare is happy to join me on projects like this. I have her in a grazing bit - which makes it easier for her to munch grass without getting her mouth pulled on - and unsnap the reins. They get tied around the saddle horn. With a lead rope snapped to her halter, she walks along behind me, munching on grass as I do my work. No complaints from her! Every once in awhile she'd get to the end of her rope and reach for more, nearly pulling me off of my feet. But she was happy just to be out and enjoying the warm spring day along with plenty of tender green grass.
Everything was going rather smoothly with only a few repairs when we came across a rather long stretch of fence that was missing a wire. After looking closer, I found that the field on the other side of the fence had been in corn last year. When harvested, the driver must have gotten too close to the fence with his combine snout and caught one of the wires, dragging it quite some distance across the field. There was also alot of water in the pasture in this area, so I sure was glad I'd wore my knee-high boots! This fix-it job took awhile - looking for the lost wire, clipping it on posts, and generally making it look more like something that would hold the heifers in. But, thank goodness, our neighbor came along and put in a new stretch of wire later in the day. That was a good thing because the wire that I found and was working with was rather rusty and often broke when I was trying to work with it.
So, after a few more clips were replaced and gates closed, my old mare and I headed for home. Now, all we need are a few more warm sunny days to encourage the grass to grow a little more, and we'll be hauling heifers over to the summer pasture - kicking and bucking as they exit the stock trailer - and heading out to fill up on that sweet green grass!
Saturday, May 7, 2011
A Bright Red and Purple Sky
What a sight to greet us as we get ready to head to the barn this morning. The sky is ablaze with a bold red and outstanding purple. Perhaps those aren't the correct terms for the colors, but that's what they look like, so that's what they are! The sun is peeking out from under the clouds as they advance to the east. There is a slight chance of rain today, so it may all be for show and not come to fruition.
But that's OK! We have so much fieldwork to get done that if we get skipped this time around in the rain department, we won't be too upset. Farmer Rick and Farmer Came Home spent most of the day in the fields yesterday, plowing and disking a patch here, a patch there. Never could quite finish a field because of the standing water and low spots. I parked a tractor and walked home from one of the fields, leaving it there with a couple of chains on the three-point hitch, just in case they needed it to pull themselves out of the mud.
While those two were plugging away at the fieldwork, I spent a good deal of the day hauling manure from the cow yard. You know, it seems amazing that when you eyeball the cowyard and any manure pile for that matter, that you think - oh yeah - maybe 7 or 8 loads will do it. But when you start digging away at it, 20 loads later, you don't even think you made a dent in it! But the fields are thankful for the nutrients and build-up for the soils. We then in turn don't need to use as much starter fertilizer and the soil has many of the amandments to it to grow some nice healthy corn. The particular field that I was spreading manure on yesterday will be for sweetcorn. That'll be one of the last fields to be plowed, so I will probably get alot done on it again today.
After evening chores, it was nice to head out on a horse to check some fields. What an enjoyable way to end the day! Although we did manage to go through some really mucky stuff. When it was starting to get dark, we were heading along an edge of one of the fields when a car came up alongside us, traveling quite slowly. When they rolled their window down, I knew who it was. One of our neighbor's daughters had heard the dogs barking and when looking out the window and saw something big and black moving across the field by their house. They were kind of scared, so their dad jumped in the car to investigate. It turned out that the big black thing they saw moving across the field was me! My horse is black, so we were this big black murky shadow moving across the field. Hard for them to tell just what it was as the sun was completely down by then. Ooops! Didn't mean to scare anyone. So, we had a nice conversation on the side of the road, enjoying the first warm breezes of the season, chatting and catching up.
Then it was time to head home, brush down the horse, and bring everyone in for their evening grain and hay. What a nice way to end the day!
But that's OK! We have so much fieldwork to get done that if we get skipped this time around in the rain department, we won't be too upset. Farmer Rick and Farmer Came Home spent most of the day in the fields yesterday, plowing and disking a patch here, a patch there. Never could quite finish a field because of the standing water and low spots. I parked a tractor and walked home from one of the fields, leaving it there with a couple of chains on the three-point hitch, just in case they needed it to pull themselves out of the mud.
While those two were plugging away at the fieldwork, I spent a good deal of the day hauling manure from the cow yard. You know, it seems amazing that when you eyeball the cowyard and any manure pile for that matter, that you think - oh yeah - maybe 7 or 8 loads will do it. But when you start digging away at it, 20 loads later, you don't even think you made a dent in it! But the fields are thankful for the nutrients and build-up for the soils. We then in turn don't need to use as much starter fertilizer and the soil has many of the amandments to it to grow some nice healthy corn. The particular field that I was spreading manure on yesterday will be for sweetcorn. That'll be one of the last fields to be plowed, so I will probably get alot done on it again today.
After evening chores, it was nice to head out on a horse to check some fields. What an enjoyable way to end the day! Although we did manage to go through some really mucky stuff. When it was starting to get dark, we were heading along an edge of one of the fields when a car came up alongside us, traveling quite slowly. When they rolled their window down, I knew who it was. One of our neighbor's daughters had heard the dogs barking and when looking out the window and saw something big and black moving across the field by their house. They were kind of scared, so their dad jumped in the car to investigate. It turned out that the big black thing they saw moving across the field was me! My horse is black, so we were this big black murky shadow moving across the field. Hard for them to tell just what it was as the sun was completely down by then. Ooops! Didn't mean to scare anyone. So, we had a nice conversation on the side of the road, enjoying the first warm breezes of the season, chatting and catching up.
Then it was time to head home, brush down the horse, and bring everyone in for their evening grain and hay. What a nice way to end the day!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Winter Fuzzies are Really Shedding Fast
The hair that's coming out of the horses is coming out in droves now! They've been wisely holding out until the weather finally broke for good. Getting out on pasture and taking in some of that fresh green grass seems to have triggered the sped-up shedding process even more. All winter, we keep the horses in a sacrifice area right behind the horse barn. There we feed big round bales in a feeder. The area can get quite muddy in the spring, but it saves the pasture for the rest of the year. Once the grass has gotten a good 4 - 6" growth to it, we then let the horses out to enjoy.
They stare longingly across the gate, willing the grass to grow on some days! We're not quite ready to let them out there yet. The ground is still very soft and we have more rain on the way, so we want to hold off a bit longer. We just haven't had enough warm weather to give the grass much growth yet either. Maybe next week, or the following. Until then, they'll have to munch their big round bales a little bit longer.
I also found a long-handled shedding comb in the bottom of an old tack box. Atleast now when I'm grooming them, I don't get quite so covered in balls of hair. The shedding comb promptly unloads with every stroke, so there's little that gets all over me. Yippee! Now, when I come up to the house after horse chores at night, I don't look like a fuzzy grizzly bear!
They stare longingly across the gate, willing the grass to grow on some days! We're not quite ready to let them out there yet. The ground is still very soft and we have more rain on the way, so we want to hold off a bit longer. We just haven't had enough warm weather to give the grass much growth yet either. Maybe next week, or the following. Until then, they'll have to munch their big round bales a little bit longer.
I also found a long-handled shedding comb in the bottom of an old tack box. Atleast now when I'm grooming them, I don't get quite so covered in balls of hair. The shedding comb promptly unloads with every stroke, so there's little that gets all over me. Yippee! Now, when I come up to the house after horse chores at night, I don't look like a fuzzy grizzly bear!
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