As we continue to teach the Greenhand more things, we try to include everything. Calving, milking, machine repair and maintenance, herd health, and now, vaccinations. Just about the time he thinks he's beginning to catch on, we throw something new at him! We don't do it to be mean, but it's better to learn these things, than to get a few months down the road with your own herd of cows and find out that it's not what you thought it was. Machinery breakdowns, sick cattle, planting deadlines, fertilizer costs . . . it goes on and on. It's kind of like running downhill from a huge snowball that's gaining speed and size the further it goes. You keep trying to outrun it, but eventually, no matter how fast you go, or how good you are at dodging it, it eventually runs you over.
So, here we go, vaccinations. Yesterday it was modified live BVD, IBR, PI3 and lepto along with selenium for minerals. One of the most common, yet preventable with vaccine cattle diseases is the BVD, IBR, etc. complex. The modified live version kicks in quite quickly and begins to build an immune response right away. Soon after a cow calves, we give this vaccination, prior to the window of time that we begin to work on getting her bred back. BVD and the others can quickly kill a developing fetus, or later on down the road, abort a well-developed calf. In order to prevent this, we give the modified live version to get the immunity built up in the cow before we even begin to start the breeding process. This also includes a leptospirosis 5-strain complex that also guards against many kinds of leptospirosis varieties. Lepto also causes all kinds of breeding headaches if you don't keep it under control. This can be carried by deer, dogs, rats, and others. If cattle like to stop and drink out of a stream, standing water or pond, chances are, there's been a deer nearby who has contributed to the lepto problem. We see our conception rate go up rather drastically as long as we keep up with this series of vaccinations.
So we loaded up our pockets with needs, syringes, medications and worked out way down the line of cows that needed attention. I pulled the cards for the cows that contains all of their health information and identified which ones we needed to do, and off we went! Showing the greenhand the proper technique and shot sites, we took our time, and helped him only as he needed it. After the first couple of cows, he was catching on quite well! Nobody cold-cocked him in the chin as he was giving shots or head-butted him, so he came out rather unscathed. Good! We also had him give selenium shots. Selenium is a mineral that is rather deficient in our area. Without it, cows also have a difficult time breeding back. One of the first signs of selenium deficiency in this area is cows not delivering the afterbirth after calving. That in itself can cause all kinds of sick cow problems if not taken care of right away. So, in order to avoid this, we keep them up to date on their selenium. We used a sustained-release product that keeps the mineral in their system for almost a year. We usually only have to give this one vaccination once a year along with their modified live and these two are out of the way. We have other vaccinations that we give, but these two are major.
So, as you can see, we had another busy day on the farm. Our cows seem to receive more medical attention than we do, but once again, an ounce of prevention is worth 1400 pounds per cow!
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
Continuing Education
You wouldn't think that with all of the daily education that farmer's receive on the job, that we'd need to take classes to brush up on our skills. Who needs more learning when you are constantly hit with "the school of hard knocks" every day! But, in order to stay on top of things, either I or Farmer Rick take in presentations put on by our feed providers, local co-ops, and veterinarians. Hey, especially when they offer lunch, who can turn it down?!
This time of year is great, too, for learning. The holidays are over, cabin fever is r-e-a-l-l-y starting to set in,and you're just itching to get out and start getting things done in preparation for spring fieldwork. We had already started prepping machinery and cleaning up around the farm before we got hit with this early spring snowstorm this week. So, if there's something you can do while you're still stuck inside for awhile, why not? Our veterinarian offered a "lunch and learn" type of presentation on antibiotic useage. It was quite informational and gave tips on injection sites, types of antibiotics to use, when to stop using and re-evaluating the procedure, and more. Most farmers are quite conscious on how they use antibiotics and are very careful in the administration and testing required for clearing the medicines out of the animals' systems before either shipping the milk or the animal to market for meat. We were brought up to date on the latest tests and methods being introduced both for on the farm and for inspection purposes. So much to keep up with! But if we want to continue to offer a quality product to the consumer, it's worth it. Just by taking a look at what's imported as food into our country from other areas of the world that do not have our quality standards, makes me awfully glad that we produce most of our own food here on the farm! If ever there was a time to buy locally, from farmers you know, now is the time. I actually like it when purchasers of our sweet corn stop to ask about our growing methods. We often talk about our dairy farm also and the procedures we use to feed and care for our cows. We're proud of what we do and love to share our story!
So, with a good lunch and a pile of notes, I headed home. My head swimming with new ideas and record-keeping methods that we will begin to implement in our system to better keep track of each of our methods when treating our cows. We keep records on each individual cow, but now we will have a running list of treatments kept separately for evaluation so that if asked, we can have a comprehensive list at our fingertips for review, rather than have to go into each record and dig out each treatment individually. More paperwork, but we don't use antibiotics very much. When you take good care of your animals, the need for these medications drops substantially. Getting to the root of the problem often avoids headaches by making the underlying corrections before a real problem gets out of hand. And, since we don't use antibiotics regularly, when we do need them, the animals respond quite readily because they don't have an immunity built up in their systems from over-use.
Farming - always producing, always learning!
This time of year is great, too, for learning. The holidays are over, cabin fever is r-e-a-l-l-y starting to set in,and you're just itching to get out and start getting things done in preparation for spring fieldwork. We had already started prepping machinery and cleaning up around the farm before we got hit with this early spring snowstorm this week. So, if there's something you can do while you're still stuck inside for awhile, why not? Our veterinarian offered a "lunch and learn" type of presentation on antibiotic useage. It was quite informational and gave tips on injection sites, types of antibiotics to use, when to stop using and re-evaluating the procedure, and more. Most farmers are quite conscious on how they use antibiotics and are very careful in the administration and testing required for clearing the medicines out of the animals' systems before either shipping the milk or the animal to market for meat. We were brought up to date on the latest tests and methods being introduced both for on the farm and for inspection purposes. So much to keep up with! But if we want to continue to offer a quality product to the consumer, it's worth it. Just by taking a look at what's imported as food into our country from other areas of the world that do not have our quality standards, makes me awfully glad that we produce most of our own food here on the farm! If ever there was a time to buy locally, from farmers you know, now is the time. I actually like it when purchasers of our sweet corn stop to ask about our growing methods. We often talk about our dairy farm also and the procedures we use to feed and care for our cows. We're proud of what we do and love to share our story!
So, with a good lunch and a pile of notes, I headed home. My head swimming with new ideas and record-keeping methods that we will begin to implement in our system to better keep track of each of our methods when treating our cows. We keep records on each individual cow, but now we will have a running list of treatments kept separately for evaluation so that if asked, we can have a comprehensive list at our fingertips for review, rather than have to go into each record and dig out each treatment individually. More paperwork, but we don't use antibiotics very much. When you take good care of your animals, the need for these medications drops substantially. Getting to the root of the problem often avoids headaches by making the underlying corrections before a real problem gets out of hand. And, since we don't use antibiotics regularly, when we do need them, the animals respond quite readily because they don't have an immunity built up in their systems from over-use.
Farming - always producing, always learning!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
This one tops them All!
We thought winter was over - WRONG! There's about 10 inches out there and it's not done yet! Being not able to sleep, I got up and went down to the barn at about 2:15 am to check on everything to make sure no doors or windows had blown open and to see how everybody was doing. When the wind howls outside and there's nasty weather, I worry about the animals and how they're faring. This time - everything was OK. Last Sunday morning, when we were experiencing some wind and rain, I went down to check on a cow and ended up helping her finish calving. So, by 3:00 am, it was time to clean up and sneak back up the house for another 2 hours of sleep before the alarm went off.
When heading out to the barn, after filling the woodstove, I could hear the faint squealing of little pigs. Both pigs were farrowing (giving birth). That turned out to be a very long day. Pigs don't just have a couple of little ones and they're done. It's usually an all-day affair. And boy, was it ever! Both pigs had 27 between them. Now, they're running around the pens, but not venturing too far away from momma and the heat lamp!
With all of this snow, I'll have to resort to riding in the woods again since it'll be too slippery out on the road. We were just beginning to enjoy the spring rides around the block. Horses (and myself!) were beginning to get in shape once more. Back to square one. But, it's always nice riding in the woods. The pace is slower, and now since it's officially spring - though not acting like it - we can hear different bird songs that we didn't hear in our winter adventures. The bear are even out. A neighbor saw one in the ditch cleaning up the remnants of a deer. Spring must be here. Now it just needs to start acting like it!
When heading out to the barn, after filling the woodstove, I could hear the faint squealing of little pigs. Both pigs were farrowing (giving birth). That turned out to be a very long day. Pigs don't just have a couple of little ones and they're done. It's usually an all-day affair. And boy, was it ever! Both pigs had 27 between them. Now, they're running around the pens, but not venturing too far away from momma and the heat lamp!
With all of this snow, I'll have to resort to riding in the woods again since it'll be too slippery out on the road. We were just beginning to enjoy the spring rides around the block. Horses (and myself!) were beginning to get in shape once more. Back to square one. But, it's always nice riding in the woods. The pace is slower, and now since it's officially spring - though not acting like it - we can hear different bird songs that we didn't hear in our winter adventures. The bear are even out. A neighbor saw one in the ditch cleaning up the remnants of a deer. Spring must be here. Now it just needs to start acting like it!
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Mud, Mud, Everywhere!
OK, this is it! I'm declaring war on the mud! Trying to keep the mud, dirt and sand out of the house is a constant battle. There is definitely a reason why most farm houses have a "mud porch". That's where all of the mucky boots and mud-caked clothing reside. We have an area right next to the washer and dryer where one can strip down, leave the dirty clothes there and grab something "cleaner" to wear around the house. I have to do "mud patrol" and try to catch the wet, stained socks offenders before they step foot on the dining room rug. When mom's not in the house, I'm left to the mercy of their discretion! It's not that they really want to make a mess, but in their mind, maybe, just maybe, they can stretch a little more use out of their socks - they're not really that dirty, are they? We're getting better in this area, but much improvement is needed!
We had our first "tractor buriel" yesterday. The Greenhand was out spreading manure in what looked like a fairly passable area of the cornfield when, all of a sudden, down went the tractor, axle deep in the mud. I was getting the cows ready to milk and noticed that he hadn't returned in a reasonable amount of time. So, before deciding to throw the first milker on, I gave him a quick call. (Cell phones are wonderful, aren't they?) Yep, he was stuck. Good. Really Good.
So I started up the John Deere 4430, grabbed a couple of logging chaines and headed down to the field. About 1/2-way down, I noticed that the tractor was just a pinch above empty. Oh No! Hope this won't take long! Upon entering the field, I could see that the Greenhand had raised the endgate on the spreader and dumped the load in an attempt to lighten the load. Good. And he had unhooked the spreader from the tractor. Good. The tractor was headed south, downhill, and right in the direction of the muddiest part in the whole field. Not Good. Finding a place to get to the tractor and hook up without getting stuck myself was going to be a challenge! But after weedling around a bit, I was able to back up to it with somewhat of an angle, staying clear of the deep abyss at the end of the hill. Upon putting the 4430 in low gear and giving just a little bit of throttle, the Greenhand was able to pop the other tractor right out of the mud on the first try! Wow! Thank God for that one! After pulling up on top of the next hill, I backed up and we hooked the chain on the spreader and it popped right out! So, now, how do we hook the two back up with the spreader's nose on the wet, soggy ground with no way to use the attached jack? After watching Farmer Rick unstick tractors for the last 30 years, I was grateful that he had left the bale fork on the back of the 4430 (for once I couldn't scold him for not putting stuff away!). Upon backing up to the hitch of the spreader, using the bale fork, I was able to gently lift the spreader up. Now, I was able to set the hitch right on the tongue of the other tractor and the Greenhand deftly dropped the pin in the hole.
Oh, the outcome could have been so much worse. We could have gotten both tractors stuck - and that's happened before. We could have gotten the neighbor's tractor stuck (3 in the mud) - and that's happened before. We could have run out of diesel in the 4430 - and that's happened before. But this time, just this time, all of the blessings of God were lined up in a row. We were able to safely get all back home, put everything away and throw the milkers on only 1/2 hour later than normal. Much to the relief of the cows - and ourselves!
We had our first "tractor buriel" yesterday. The Greenhand was out spreading manure in what looked like a fairly passable area of the cornfield when, all of a sudden, down went the tractor, axle deep in the mud. I was getting the cows ready to milk and noticed that he hadn't returned in a reasonable amount of time. So, before deciding to throw the first milker on, I gave him a quick call. (Cell phones are wonderful, aren't they?) Yep, he was stuck. Good. Really Good.
So I started up the John Deere 4430, grabbed a couple of logging chaines and headed down to the field. About 1/2-way down, I noticed that the tractor was just a pinch above empty. Oh No! Hope this won't take long! Upon entering the field, I could see that the Greenhand had raised the endgate on the spreader and dumped the load in an attempt to lighten the load. Good. And he had unhooked the spreader from the tractor. Good. The tractor was headed south, downhill, and right in the direction of the muddiest part in the whole field. Not Good. Finding a place to get to the tractor and hook up without getting stuck myself was going to be a challenge! But after weedling around a bit, I was able to back up to it with somewhat of an angle, staying clear of the deep abyss at the end of the hill. Upon putting the 4430 in low gear and giving just a little bit of throttle, the Greenhand was able to pop the other tractor right out of the mud on the first try! Wow! Thank God for that one! After pulling up on top of the next hill, I backed up and we hooked the chain on the spreader and it popped right out! So, now, how do we hook the two back up with the spreader's nose on the wet, soggy ground with no way to use the attached jack? After watching Farmer Rick unstick tractors for the last 30 years, I was grateful that he had left the bale fork on the back of the 4430 (for once I couldn't scold him for not putting stuff away!). Upon backing up to the hitch of the spreader, using the bale fork, I was able to gently lift the spreader up. Now, I was able to set the hitch right on the tongue of the other tractor and the Greenhand deftly dropped the pin in the hole.
Oh, the outcome could have been so much worse. We could have gotten both tractors stuck - and that's happened before. We could have gotten the neighbor's tractor stuck (3 in the mud) - and that's happened before. We could have run out of diesel in the 4430 - and that's happened before. But this time, just this time, all of the blessings of God were lined up in a row. We were able to safely get all back home, put everything away and throw the milkers on only 1/2 hour later than normal. Much to the relief of the cows - and ourselves!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Just about the time you thought you'd seen it all!
After all these years of riding, I thought I'd seen it all. We've come across coyotes, bear, deer, rattling machinery on the road, drunk drivers, but never been shot at. Atleast I think.
When riding around our nice quiet little country block, we were meandering down our gravel road, when I heard one of the dogs yelp and cower, then take off down the road. A few seconds later, the dog at my feet yelped and took off. They acted like they'd been pelted by a BB. But I hadn't heard any gun shots. Within taking a few more steps with my horse, he began to come totally unglued. Straight up in the air, dancing like his legs were on fire. After trying unsuccessully to calm him down, I had no choice but to bail. The next time up I was afraid he was going right over backwards. But even after I got off of him, he kept trying to bolt and/or run circles around me. Finally I got him to stop, but he was dripping wet with sweat and still jumping up and down. I kept looking down the road in either direction because I was looking for anything that could tell me what direction the supposed shots were coming from. Then I began to notice that my horse was jumping and flinching in a rythmic fashion, too repetitive for anyone to be shooting like that. Upon just a few seconds of quiet, I could hear it. ZZt, ZZt, ZZt. Looking over to the side of the road, I could see that we were directly above a big metal culvert. The owner of the property had run his barb hotwire through that culvert over to the other side of the road for his beef cows. Although it looked as though it had been run through a rubber tube, there must've been a rub or short somewhere that was allowing the current to come through. Since the road was soaked with the snowmelt, the shock was being carried through the culvert, up through the road and to my dogs and horse. I had rubber boots on and hadn't felt a thing! I quickly led the horse about 15 yards down the road and we seemed to be beyond the strongest effects of the current, for I was able to get back on and continue the ride home on a very nervous and unconsolable gelding. In his mind, someone was either pelting him with something or hitting him with something, and he was determined that every bush, tree, rock, passing vehicle, and so on, was out to get him.
I don't know what kind of a fencer that this guy has (his cows rarely get out), but I sure could use one of those late in the fall when our cows are out on pasture and the grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence . . .
When riding around our nice quiet little country block, we were meandering down our gravel road, when I heard one of the dogs yelp and cower, then take off down the road. A few seconds later, the dog at my feet yelped and took off. They acted like they'd been pelted by a BB. But I hadn't heard any gun shots. Within taking a few more steps with my horse, he began to come totally unglued. Straight up in the air, dancing like his legs were on fire. After trying unsuccessully to calm him down, I had no choice but to bail. The next time up I was afraid he was going right over backwards. But even after I got off of him, he kept trying to bolt and/or run circles around me. Finally I got him to stop, but he was dripping wet with sweat and still jumping up and down. I kept looking down the road in either direction because I was looking for anything that could tell me what direction the supposed shots were coming from. Then I began to notice that my horse was jumping and flinching in a rythmic fashion, too repetitive for anyone to be shooting like that. Upon just a few seconds of quiet, I could hear it. ZZt, ZZt, ZZt. Looking over to the side of the road, I could see that we were directly above a big metal culvert. The owner of the property had run his barb hotwire through that culvert over to the other side of the road for his beef cows. Although it looked as though it had been run through a rubber tube, there must've been a rub or short somewhere that was allowing the current to come through. Since the road was soaked with the snowmelt, the shock was being carried through the culvert, up through the road and to my dogs and horse. I had rubber boots on and hadn't felt a thing! I quickly led the horse about 15 yards down the road and we seemed to be beyond the strongest effects of the current, for I was able to get back on and continue the ride home on a very nervous and unconsolable gelding. In his mind, someone was either pelting him with something or hitting him with something, and he was determined that every bush, tree, rock, passing vehicle, and so on, was out to get him.
I don't know what kind of a fencer that this guy has (his cows rarely get out), but I sure could use one of those late in the fall when our cows are out on pasture and the grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence . . .
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Our First Rain!
Tink. Tink. Tink. Upon getting ready to go to the barn for chores last night, the first drops of rain began hitting the skylights over the kitchen. It was so refreshing to hear that sound! After dealing with snow all winter long, how nice it is to be hearing the steady patter of rain. Our snow had already begun to melt, and with the rain pelting down upon the drifts and plowed piles, they began to slowly dwindle, losing some of their dingy appearance.
Pulling on the knee-high rubber boots, it was almost like being a kid again! Heading outside, I had to stomp and splash my way down to the barn. Following the rivulets down the driveway, it was fun to find places where the water had dammed up and break upon a passageway for the flow to continue to find its way down the hill. As much as I hate having water in the horse barn, just the sight of puddles beginning to form in the doorway didn't bother me a bit. Our horse barn sits on a sidehill, so whenever we have a snowmelt, the water seems to find its way in the north door, and following a channel that I faithfully dig every year, it passes directly under the saddle rack, under the wall, and on its merry way!
Already the thoughts are running through my head: which jobs to tackle outside first. Haul from the manure pile, start putting fencing supplies together for the area that needs patching, or cleaning up the soggy grain that accumulated around the corn crib as we ground feed all winter. The list goes on and on. But, just knowing that things are beginning to loosen up with the snow melt, I find my mind quickly filling in, just as the puddles are, with another long list of "to do" items and projects here around the farm.
Pulling on the knee-high rubber boots, it was almost like being a kid again! Heading outside, I had to stomp and splash my way down to the barn. Following the rivulets down the driveway, it was fun to find places where the water had dammed up and break upon a passageway for the flow to continue to find its way down the hill. As much as I hate having water in the horse barn, just the sight of puddles beginning to form in the doorway didn't bother me a bit. Our horse barn sits on a sidehill, so whenever we have a snowmelt, the water seems to find its way in the north door, and following a channel that I faithfully dig every year, it passes directly under the saddle rack, under the wall, and on its merry way!
Already the thoughts are running through my head: which jobs to tackle outside first. Haul from the manure pile, start putting fencing supplies together for the area that needs patching, or cleaning up the soggy grain that accumulated around the corn crib as we ground feed all winter. The list goes on and on. But, just knowing that things are beginning to loosen up with the snow melt, I find my mind quickly filling in, just as the puddles are, with another long list of "to do" items and projects here around the farm.
Monday, March 14, 2011
A Ride with a Friend
After a chilly weekend with a persistent wind, it was nice to have a respite last night from the cold once the wind died down. Taking a quick evening ride after chores began to sound more enticing with every passing minute! The final decision was easy to make when a friend called to ask if they could stop by and drop some bedding off for the horses. They had been shredding some papers and needed somewhere to take the shreds. Cross-shredded paper makes excellent bedding in the stalls, so by all means, we'll take it!
By saying a friend, I mean a former student. You see, all of my students are considered friends. Our time with the horses goes well beyond the simple instructor/client relationship. Spending time together astride a horse is the best way to catch up with each other's lives and deepen our friendship. That's why it was so inviting to saddle up last night, take the horses around the hayfield a couple times, and enjoy the last rays of sunset as the sun dipped behind the curve of the cornfield across the road. How beautiful! We are so blessed to live here!
After the horses were brushed down and put in their stalls for the evening, it was nice to have someone to walk down the driveway with, sharing the joys of yet another time spent on a horse, leaving the invitation open for another ride on another beautiful evening to come.
By saying a friend, I mean a former student. You see, all of my students are considered friends. Our time with the horses goes well beyond the simple instructor/client relationship. Spending time together astride a horse is the best way to catch up with each other's lives and deepen our friendship. That's why it was so inviting to saddle up last night, take the horses around the hayfield a couple times, and enjoy the last rays of sunset as the sun dipped behind the curve of the cornfield across the road. How beautiful! We are so blessed to live here!
After the horses were brushed down and put in their stalls for the evening, it was nice to have someone to walk down the driveway with, sharing the joys of yet another time spent on a horse, leaving the invitation open for another ride on another beautiful evening to come.
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