Around the farm

 

Doing one of my normal daily chores, riding around and checking/counting the cows and looking the fences over. 

King of the tiny mound...this is one of the calves

This is Ruby, she will be my milk cow next spring, just turned 3. She is such a beauty.

Its nice to see the water still trickling in the creek beds, with all the rain we got off and on this year none of our creeks dried up. But all to soon everything will be icy.....

Lesson learned and lye soap

Learned a new lesson today....if the bull looks upset then maybe he is! I loaded a round bale on the tractor and was headed to one of the hay rings when the bull starts running around the tractor kicking like a calf does. I just assumed he had a lot of energy today so I kept going. Then he backs up and rams the side of the tractor, it jerked the tractor, shocked I almost lost my seating. I am now realizing he is (for some reason) mad then he runs around to the hay bale and rams it hard. He backs up and rams the hay bale a second time then he starts trying to push the tractor, head down on the bale. I am getting a little (sorry lot) scared thinking what do I do because if he rams the side again he cold catch my leg or knock me off the tractor (it's a small one) also with him pushing I'm not really going anywhere. As luck would have it my youngest daughter was driving through the field from picking up one of the kids from the bus and she starts tooting her horn and yelling out the window. The mister then stops to look at the car and I go around him and to the hay ring drop the bale and get back into the fenced in area before he gets his sights set on me again. I have walked within 4 feet of this bull before when giving grain checking on calves etc and never had a problem with him! The only thing I can think of is maybe one of the cows are coming in, or he got mad when I said shoo or he just didn't like the tractor today....I do know from now on I will never ever go near him by myself. The Polaris will get used when feeding grain and I won't feed hay if he is near, (just in case) at least my lesson learned ended up only being a bruised arm when he hit the side of the tractor! Could have been so much worse!

It's just a single color but I'm proud of it :)

On to calmer things I made my first batch of hot process lye soap yesterday, sliced them today they are now waiting for 2 weeks. :)
In this recipe I used coconut oil, palm oil and olive oil along with the lye, water and orange essential oil. It's smells really good, can't wait to try them.

I also found these rubber molds at Aldi this week for $2 each , next batch I make I want to try them.

New Mister

I haven't blogged in a while because well I just didn't have much to say....guess that will change since summer is near :) We picked up a new bull this week, we kept one of last year's calves so the old bull had to go. I was sad to see him leave but the new bull is about 2 years old and very calm, this makes me happy since I am out in the fields a lot with the cows "my girls" and the bull "the Mr". Most of the cows ignored the new mister except Bella and Ellie....

Mister met Bella first......

Then Ellie got in the middle of it......after this though he became part of the group and seemed fit in, or maybe the rest just ignored him....
On to other things I lost a few cucumber plants this week a mole found my garden. Not sure if it's the same one or not but he also has been around the chicken pen and a few places in the yard. Has anyone had this problem? If so what is a good way to catch him/them?

Waiting and summer fun

We are still waiting on the electric company, I called yesterday and ask them if they could please call the day before they arrive and they said they will. I was getting tired of every time I leave the house I had to move the goats to a small pen in case they came while I was gone (don't want new goats to take off). The pole that needs replaced is in the goat pen so the fence has to be cut to get their truck in, anyway when I called they said I just made it to the list....wish I would have ask them weeks ago :)
The garden has done really good this year! When I do my Talley at the end of season I know its going to be way more than last year!
I don't use any pesticides on the garden, I just plant a little extra so the little bit that the insects or rabbits get don't bother me, besides they have to eat too. Anyway I found a friend in the garden yesterday (one I am allergic to) but a friend none the less :)

Our bottle baby Frankie is getting big, his mom Rosie still brings him up twice every day to get his bottle. I do only bottle feed him once a day now and grain feed him on his second feeding. The other day my youngest daughter and her little one came out to pet Frankie while I was feeding him (Frankie being Frankie) after his bottle he  reminds me of a cat, he rubs on my leg wants his neck and ears scratched....in the process my grand daughter dropped her Binky and Frankie started nudging it with his nose....my daughter told him he could have it and put it in his mouth, not really thinking he would take it.

He looked so cute I had to run in the house to get my camera, didn't need to hurry though when I came back out he still had it in his mouth! I ended up taking it away from him when they started to leave, didn't want him to break it and maybe get it in his mouth. I love my farm family!!

Good news bad news.....

Good news first.....

 

Snow Ball had her little one and both are doing fine, this one is a girl so I can keep her. Now we need a name :)

Bad news...

We are down to our last bale of hay but I did find someone that will deliver me two bales and that should be all we need.
Very bad/sad news

We lost sisters baby (sister is one of Snow Balls calves) this was her first, the calf came breach I called the two vets in the area one was in surgery and the other was tied up at another farm. I got the calf turned but he was so big I had to try to pull him (with the tractor) and that didn't work. I finally got ahold of my father in law, he came out with a gentlemen that has a lot of experience with this and he brought out his puller, they pulled the calf and of course it was dead. The above picture is of sister being lifted, I was lucky that hubby came home the next day and helped me rig up something for her. After three days of lifting her for two hours then letting her lay for two she finally started getting up on her own. Her right back leg is still not perfect but she has her feeling back in it and is doing better daily.

First baby of the year :)

This is Ellie our Dexter, you can't tell by looking at her but she is the calmest sweetest cow! The only one we have that is calmer is Bella our Black Angus, Bella is a cow that thinks she is a dog! :)

Here is the little guy after a few hours, I gave mommy time to clean him up. It was so nice on the day he was born (70 degrees) we had a BBQ, glad she had him then instead of the following day......

This was yesterday....sleet then a couple inches of snow and 30 degrees, if it keeps this up we may have to get more wood. :)

My Redneck Lawn Mower

Our lawn is a good 2 acres and I have already mowed it 8 times this year with a push mower....... Hubby was home this weekend and we were finishing the porch and since I was busy.......I thought let the little one's take care of the yard! I let them in (they were more than willing to help) it took them both days but they really did a good job, now I won't have to mow until next week :)

A day on the farm

 

We had one of those days today our list was long and not enough hours in the day to get everything accomplished! I guess that's what happens when you live on a farm, if everything went smooth then I would worry :)

Snowflake is such a good girl, she cut her leg above the hoof and in the above picture she is letting hubby clean it out with water and some iodine then she also let him spray on the coppertox. Her baby is getting so big I just noticed today she has a small white patch on the right side above her shoulder...cute!

We put Ellie in the upper barn lot today (on the right with horns) she looks like she should calve in the next two days and its sooo much easier to keep an eye on her in the lot than the fields.

Some of our animals make getting chores done a little more difficult (like in the above picture) and when I took Coco and Jill to the barn lot......

when I came back Gilbert and Boo had taken their place some days I cant win for loosing! :)

I did finally get the wood ranked outside and in the wood shed with the storm they were predicting it made me feel so much better to have the two cord of wood ready.

This was oh so fitting for the ending of a long day, I was a little upset I added the whipped cream in the beginning.... but I quickly changed my mind! :p

New calf is nursing :)

Sorry it has taken me so long to update about our new baby (lot of canning) :) I posted last week about our new baby calf, I could not get her to nurse her mommy (only me since hubby was at work until the weekend) and since she is a temperamental cow I thought it wise not to get that close to the new mom...so I was bottle feeding the baby. Welll Gorges left me a note about putting her in a head chute so she cold not move and try to help her baby then.....and that reminded me I had totally forgot about our old loading chute (Dad built it but it has not been used in over 20 years) anyway about a quarter of the way into the loading chute is a head catcher,  we used to run the calves into the loading chute and get them into the head catcher, give them their shots then open it and they went on out forward and we added a gate on the side of the loading chute so they could exit there, this way they didn't have to walk up the loading chute. Anyway to make a long story short when I tried it (the head catcher) it still opened and closed! :) Soooo I got the cow in the loading shoot, then in the head catcher and got the calf, it took about 20 minutes but then the calf started nursing.

And has been doing great since, thanks Gorges for helping me remember something I should not have  forgotten :) My internet friends have been so helpful sooo many times, thanks! :)

Cows in the yard

I swear if I turn my head for a second the animals take over! I am so glad my sister and I took the time to fence in both gardens and the fruit trees, if not I don't think we would have a garden this year. My yard fence is in a sore need of being replaced on two sides, I am hoping to put this job off until next spring but from the looks of it it may have to be done earlier. This year so far the goats have managed to get in three times but could not do very much damage (my flowers and a few bushes was about the extent of it. Now yesterday our cows managed to get in from the lower part of the yard, I don't understand why the grass is always greener on the other side! My yard is only three acres and they have 97 plus acres to roam on, my yard though seems to interest them all.

Here is April and May having a nice little romp, at least they cant get into the fruit trees they are running beside. I ran out of room in the other gardens so I also have our sweet potatoes and beans planted here.

Now Bella on the other hand took time from running and playing to push at the gate a little, I keep it wired shut so she did not get in. With regards to cow's no one can tell me they are not smart, they are very smart!

If they would just stay in this area of the yard (it always seems to get away from me) I would be happy and it would save me bush-hogging it. :) This area I leave for last so it ends up getting to tall for the lawn mower, it has a few rocks in it (to deep in the ground and huge to get out by hand)  so I tend to avoid this area and mow it every other time I mow the rest of the yard that's why it usually ends up being bush-hogged.....

Of course they will not stay in that area, this is big red she does not look to big in this picture but she is tall and about 1400 pounds. Oh and I need to thank Sharon over at Meadow House Musings, she liked the name Reba for Big Reds baby and I like it also so Reba it is. :)

I opened the lower gate and put some feed just below it and waited for them to find it. I usually walk around the cows (they are very calm) but a couple of the cows are in and I don't trust the bull very much at the present time. At least they ate a little of the lower area before they went out, but I am also missing a few bushes and have cow poo to clean up.....

Lil Guy thinks he is bigger than he is

Lil Guy thinks he can push April around, I think he needs to grow a little lot more!

The cows are ignoring him, but May and Callie (calves) on the right are having fun watching. The whole thing didn't last more than 5 minutes then April had enough and showed him who was boss!

Rosie and her turn at the bottle

We go through the same routine every day, when Rosie's calf is finished with her bottle Rosie gets the left overs! She looks so forward to this and she looks so cute! I had my sister bottle feed her baby and then (with Rosie waiting patiently) give her the left overs so I could take pictures of Rosie as she gets her turn at the bottle!

Can you say spoilt much!

Ever have an itch you just cant get?

Rosie when she has an itch the world is her scratching post!

I think its on the left side

No, no maybe on the right

A dirty face only a mommy can love...

Dirt is not working, lets try the hay, right side

Now the left...

Clean again, itch is gone and now for the picture....

Rosie and her calf

This is Rosie's calf getting her morning bottle, since she is a girl Rosie and I can keep her! :)

Rosie has been such a good girl, while I am giving the baby her morning bottle Rosie will lick on her calf, the bottle or sometimes my arm.

Trying to make everyone happy

Today was a little hurried (even for a Saturday), we were waiting at the feed store before 8:00am to pick up feed and also 5 more cattle panels to go along with the 5 we had at the house.

Bella, April and May have been in the barn lot for the last few months separated from the other cows since the neighbors bull was dropped off. Things were working fine with them in the barn lot until about three weeks ago. Bella started thinking she was a baby again and my walk thru the lot to the barn became a little difficult. When I opened the gate until I stepped into the barn I had an 800 pound calf (Bella) jumping and running around me excited to see me. This would be fine if she were one of the goats, when they have stepped on my foot previously its just a little ouch but if Bella were to step on my foot.....

So the first thing we had to do was fence off the hay and cut an opening from the side barn lot into the upper fenced off area (this area had been  previously fenced off) its about an acre. This will give the calves a bigger area to run in, actually three times bigger than the barn lot. They can still get into the barn lot (but only a small area) so they can get to a corner of the pond. This will leave just the milk cow in the barn lot so its a lot easier (for me) to walk into the barn lot to care for the other animals. We have it set up now where when I walk into the barn lot to the left is a fenced off area for the goats at night and they have the back stall to get into. Bella, April and May are in a fenced area straight forward and they have the lean to off the side of the barn. The milk cow has the barn lot for now and the stall in the center of the barn. When the kids are born we now have a fenced area that's another lean to on the other side of the barn for them and their moms to go to when leaving the birthing stall (the birthing stalls are inside the barn back left). The cows have the rest of the ground to run on (hope that all makes since), I think this takes care of and keeps everyone happy for a while....I hope

Here is Bella with the bull on the other side of the fence, she will not be a year old until April so we do not want her anywhere near the bull until at least this fall. April and May he seems to not be paying any attention to just Bella....

This is the lean to on the side of the barn that the calves can to get under if  they want to, it has the barn and two side walls so the only opening is that in the picture. They are still not to happy about it though, they had one of the barn stalls inside the barn to go into before and I keep a night light on in the barn soooo......Anyway hubby has found another item that needs our immediate attention, we did not realize the tin had gotten that bad on this side of the barn. Another item added to the to do list for the summer new tin for the barn....oh well could be worse I guess, at least the barn is still standing.....

These items ended up being an all day job and what with working in the mud all day.... nothing worse than lugging around another 10 pounds of mud on your clothes while working. We were both covered so bad in mud that when we were finished we took turns, while he fed the animals I left my shoes on the porch and gently walked through the house to take a shower and change, then after he fed he did the same. It felt really good after working hard all day to get out of wet muddy cold clothes and relax with a hot coco! There is no better feeling than setting down and relaxing knowing you have done a good and productive hard days work! :)

Rosie

Rosie is always into something (maybe she likes hats or likes to be different)? This time its the cedar tree, there must have been something interesting in there since she is wearing some of it on her head.

I wish she would have her baby soon (if its due), since I am a good month unsure of her due date. She worries me (to me) she looks awfully big! I am concerned about problems with birth (baby to big) etc... hubby says I worry to much, I say it goes along with the territory..

April and May

I have been trying to gentle down April and May since we got them two weeks ago, they were starting to come around.....then I had to give them their shots this morning. I think we are now back to square one! I am sorry to say they will not come within 5 foot of me now, so start all over we will....I hope it doesn't take as long this go around. They are so cute, I have said their names so much they both know them and they know what bucket belongs to who,  April eats out of the red bucket and May has the blue. From what I have read they make good milk cows, they do not give as much milk as say a Jersey but for a small family farm that may be better. Because of this I want them happy and relaxed with me while they are still young. I also picked up two harnesses (to use when they are older....maybe) of course April's is red and May's is blue. They are both Dexter's, I am still in the process of learning about this breed I found a site American Dexter Cattle Association I found it interesting. I did decide to keep their horns though, they curve in and besides I did not want to traumatise them any worse than the shots did.

April is on the left and May is on the right

Meet April and May

My hubby's boss gave him a bonus at the Christmas party and we knew exactly what to do with it! Meet April and May they were of course born in April and May of this year and already had these names, I think its cute :) We purchased them from a very nice couple close to where we live and this was also another plus. They are both Dexter's, this breed is new to us and hubby wanted to try them, from reading  about Dexter's they seem to be an all around good cow. I am hoping from what we have read that they will be good milkers, but that is a long way off! We will keep them in the barn lot for a while, the vet is coming by next week to give them their shots. We are hoping we can do something about the horns, the horns are about two inches now so it may be to late, its up to the vet, if so that's okay too. While they are in the barn lot waiting for the vet all week, they can get to know us and we can spoil them.....(just a little) :P

Meet April and May, sorry food was more important to them than getting their picture taken :) April is on the left and May is on the right. Oh and of course Mr. Rooster ended up in every picture, he has to know everything that goes on around here. He is really not being noisy though, its just the hens may want to know whats going on and someone has to keep them informed.....    :P