So, Is TODAY the day????

I have been waiting for Hershey to calve since CHRISTMAS.  Because she had "live cover", I have no idea when she was actually bred.  I had a guess (which apparently was REALLY wrong)  

Now, for the past two weeks her udder has been filled and there is a mess under her tail (I'm sure you don't need details!) and all opinions are that she is ready to go ANY TIME.  So I haven't had a good night sleep in over 10 days.  I go out every 2-3 hours.  I could just let nature take it's course.  I could....except last time there were two in there (as you may remember) and I had to pull the second one.  So, it makes me a bit apprehensive to just let it go.

But, tonight with the FULL MOON would be a good time!  

C'mon Hersh!  You can do it!!

MooSteer goes to camp!

It's a bittersweet day!

Eighteen months ago MooSteer became a part of our farm. He's one of the prettiest steers I've seen with those markings around his eyes. He's gotten into his fair share of trouble, but I've learned that every bovine likes a bit of mischief!

Really?  You think this is going to work??

His funniest "vice" was my right elbow. I'm not sure why it tasted better than everything else, ma perhaps for the short (week) time I bottle fed him it was under that arm?? But whenever I was in the pasture or nearby, he'd have to lick my elbow   goofy steer!

Not going to happen this way either!

He's been loved and spoiled. Hershey never weaned him (we tried at 6 months but she was content with letting him continue. So up until we were ready to load him up today, he was on mama milk!

My friend and fellow farm-her loaned me her trailer and came with us to take him to camp. She's been at this a "minute" more n me.  And is such a great friend to have. She knows the drill and kept me laughing so I wouldn't start bawling.

I've had it said to me SO many time...how can I eat an animal I've raised?  What do you think the life of your hamuerger at the grocery store had?  Most likely not one filled with mama milk and big green pastures.  Not a life with "scritchy-scratches" and garden treats.

He has had a pretty good life for a cow.  Not raised on concrete or in a feed lot. Is it easy?  No.  It's very sobering to be the one that makes a call to put an end to another creatures life.  However, we give them a happier life, knowing that ultimately, he will go to nourish our family.

Good-bye MooSteer!  Thank you and we love you!

By the way, he ended up weighing 1024 pounds 

(about 100 pounds more than most Jersey Bulls/Steers)

Ride's here!

Our Farm-her friend loaned us her trailer and we put it in the field to get the cows used to it.

MooSteer's "ride"!

Boy is quite good at the whole trailer pulling thing!  

He drove it back from her farm and pulled it into the field.

Here's the big guy going for a ride in a week!

Looks like he'd be just as content riding in the back of the van!!

Baby number 2 is here

This morning at about 7:30. And I looked out the back door and saw a miracle doing something odd. By the time I got dressed and got out there 5 minutes later there was a calf on the ground. We have another boy.

We haven't come up with a clever name for him yet so help us out post your suggestions in the comments.

Now my faithful Canon camera that I've had for 10 years has decided to up and quit on me so I didn't get pictures this morning and the tablet is still acting up. So I will post pictures as soon as I can in the meantime there are some pictures on Facebook.

Look at this!

My Man and Boy went on a delivery last month and stopped by an antique store on the way home and 

JUST LOOK AT THE PERFECT CAN

 they found for my kitchen!!!

Summer Time is Camp Time!

 Because I am so far behind on blogging, I have an older post to share now, and then in a bit, I will move it back where it belongs, back in June.  June 8th to be exact.

As you may recall, Weldon had discovered how to get out here and caused all kinds of chaos in the barn.  Well, it didn't stop there. That afternoon, he got out, but Boy was able to get him back into the field.  Then that night, Danny Dog started barking his fool head off, in a way that was VERY insistent. Luckily I was still up "Pinteresting" and enjoying the cool night air coming through the window. (It was about midnight)  CRASH...what was that...was that the Gas grill?!? The next day we discovered that his "playthings" included a gas grill (that Thank God didn't have a gas tank on it) my mother's day wishing well (that is now in approximately 9 pieces), and the corner of the red VAN, Yes there are horn marks and dents on the one corner.  Glad it was the red van and not the delivery van that we are still paying for!  Or the little car, he could have likely pushed it across the yard!

I threw on shorts, my boots and a headlamp and ran downstairs and out towards the workshop...A very scary pair of red-reflecting eyes and horns greeted me.  He wasn't really mean, just playful.  And a playful bull (with horns) doesn't make the best playmate!  I turned and ran for the house, in the meantime, Man had gotten dressed and came out in time to see me run through the gate with Weldon on my heels.  I ran through the other gate and towards the barn.  Seriously, if you see me running, you should run too! Cause I only run when being chased!  But that night, at midnight, in the dark, I think I may have had fast time to the barn than most track runners.  Man cam up behind, we had discovered that Weldon doesn't like being sprayed with the hose, so he grabbed the hose and we managed to get him back into the pasture.  Now the little Houdini had somehow gotten out of the lock pasture 4 times at this point, and the barn, so I grabbed his pasture rope and we tied him to the post for the night.

I went in and emailed our friends that run beef cattle.  This is the same family that saved my behind when I walked Bess home.  I'm sure my 1 am email after being chased by my bull was a bit..um...interesting.I asked them to help me get Weldon to "Freezer Camp" early, if I could get him an spot. The next morning, I got an email back telling me to call...well, I felt kinda like an idiot for panicking.  I called the meat processor and they couldn't get him in until the end of the month appointment I had.  By this time we had gotten Weldon locked into the box stall, and I thought maybe we could keep him there for the month and then take him on on scheduled day.  But he was pacing and BELLOWING in a way he never had before.  You would think that Hershey had gone into heat or something, (She was definitely pregnant-like 7 months!)

Weldon sharing his last meal with a very brave chicken!

I called the processor, they couldn't get us in.  So I sent another email to our friends.  She said, You need to call D!

So finally I did call and explained that he was contained, agitated but contained.  D told me that he had called his friend, you know the owner of the meat processing place, and that we had an appointment for the following day (Sunday) to drop him off and then they would take care of business on Monday. He had told Hoffman (the processor) that this crazy bull was likely going to kill me)  D takes 30 ish steer/bull in per year to Hoffman's and I trust his opinion.  What?  Oh, I complain that we are out here and we don't have much community and are very isolated from friends to the pint that we feel very alone...this day proved that I do have "people"!!

The next day D came to load him up...

We used gates to make a chute to get him into the trailer, and D with his broom handle.

Heading down the road.

D "coaxing" him out of the trailer and onto the scale.

Our pretty boy weighted 689 pounds...not bad for a 14 month old that wasn't "finished out".

In his holding stall for the night...

And his new neighbor, and 1200 pound black Angus Bull that looked like he'd just as soon eat your face as look at you.

Weldon's response "Umm..moo?!?"

I only cried "a little bit".  

On a post on Facebook, I got a lot of "How can you eat something that you raised?"  

Well, honestly, it was hard to take him knowing that it was the end.  However, I know what his life was like.  He was loved and petted.  He was played with and had toys.  He ate well and had pastures to play in.  

He didn't live on a feedlot, grazing in a bunch of other cows poo.  He wasn't a "Number".

He was loved.  

And I don't take his "sacrifice" lightly.

But, ultimately, that's what being a farmer is all about.

And I'm only crying "a little bit" as I write this....

Hurricane Horns

So remember the post last week about how nice the barn looked in preparation for the field trips...

Yes, well, This morning I came into the barn to find Weldon...IN the barn.  All the gates were latched so we aren't exactly sure how he managed to get in...

However, it seems he spent the wee hours "redecorating" everything I had cleaned up...

Utility Room Before....

After a nice cold drink...

Corn anyone...

{{{SIGH}}}

Happy March

Yesterday was a day full of prepping for this next storm. I am sooo ready for spring.  It was nice that the sun was out for the morning and it actually got into the mid 40s by the evening chores.

All the bunny cages got clean (which was a feat since everything was frozen) But almost everyone was moved. We have 6 potential mamas this week so they needed moved to bigger cages with nest boxes. The potentially pregnant Lops still need moved. 

Milking is getting a bit easier as I am starting to figure out a routine and how the machine works. Hershey has figured out that I am the "feed" lady so she will walk up to me. She is still very skittish about having her face or neck touched. So hooking her halter is still a bit of a challenge. 

Today she got her first look at the pasture. She walks around with a good stride and even trotted a few times. She followed me up and down the fence line. She even let Man approach her. I do think in time she'll settle down into a good family cow. While she wandered the pasture I got both of her stalls mucked out. Then let Weldon out to muck his. 

I am getting a good amount of milk, but it seems like she should be giving more.   I am trying to be patient with both of us, but know if she drops in production and stays there it's difficult to get it back up.

Enjoy this pretty day before the storms roll in again!

Graphic Milk Picture....Warning, Kelly!

This looks like a very easy picture, right?  I call this the Octopus...as in "Trying to wrestle an octopus." 

 I need about 2 more hands!

And Mr.Nosy!

Weldon is feeling a bit neglected and wanted to know what was going on, on the other side of the gate...

Horray! MILK

FINALLY!!! We are back in Milk.  This is Hershey and I's first effort.

And no, even though her name is Hershey, she does not make chocolate milk. :(

Here she is....Hershey!

More words soon...I'm too tired right now.

Weldon's new stall

After considering how ornery Weldon has gotten lately, I decided that perhaps he should be separated from Hershey (at least for a short time.) There is a gate between the front and back pasture, but he needed shelter too. So after much figuring and labor, he has a new stall off the back of the barn.

The pictures are not great as I took them with the iPod in a dark barn with harsh black light from the doors.  But you get the idea!

These two pictures are looking into the barn from the back pasture.  (These are my friendly meat chickens that want to be apart of everything)

Looking outward.  Hay that is frozen to the ground had to be moved (on the left). Then getting the big pasture gate and long pallet configured and secured as walls that will contain an enthusiastic 400+ pound bull...who was mooing at me the whole time. Apparently if you are in the barn you should be feeding him!

He's settled in well and had his first meal in his new stall...now we await Hershey's arrival. 

Snow and Blue Skies!

This picture just cracks me up...Especially the udder!

However, LOOK at the blue sky and sunshine!! YAY!!

I'm Thankful for...Day 12

I'm thankful for Random facts that make me smile.... (And the fact that with God, nothing is actually random!)

Like today at 2:15 pm....it was 11/12/13 14:15 !

What were you doing then?

Me?

I was looking at our first snow of the season.

I was considering:

Other random cow facts:

• Cows can recognize their names (though they may not come when called!).
• Cows have a memory of about three years.
• Cows can sense a storm coming and will lie down. (Which if you've ever heard my theory of the percentage of chance of rain....)
• A cow can climb up the stairs, but cannot climb down. This is because her knees cannot bend properly.
• A cow produces around 200,000 glasses of milk in her lifetime.
•  A cow stands up and sits down about 14 times a day.
• A cow usually spends 6-7 hours in day eating cud and around 8 hours on chewing it.
• Almost all the cows chew at least 50 times per minute.
• An average cow has more than 40,000 jaw movements in a day.
•  Cows can drink up to 35 gallons of water a day.
• Cows do not bite grass; rather they curl their tongue around it.
• Cows have almost total 360-degree panoramic vision. (Otherwise known as "Mom Vision"
• Cows have an acute sense of smell and can smell something up to 6 miles away.
• I miss my Bessie Cow.

Oh, and one random Pig fact

• Pigs can run 11 miles an hour...that's faster than a 6 minute mile!