Herd health yesterday. A chance to talk with our favorite vet for a few, which is always a treat. (We share a lot of interests, such as birding, quiet times in the Adirondacks, and the health of the Northview cattle. If life wasn't so busy I'll bet we would talk more often.)
It was a great day for preg checks. Both Lizzie's top show cows are in calf, my lovely Beausoleil is bred to Straight-Pine Elevation Pete (YAY!), poor little Chicago finally caught, and Lily, down to her last chance before the one way trip to the auction barn, got lucky too. There are a number of others, Bubbles, E Train, Zinnia. Just a good morning all around.
Mandy is bred to Silky Cousteau. Blitzie is bred to Citation R Maple. We are breeding a lot of the first calf heifers to R Maple (who was big news many moons ago) because he throws smaller calves. Despite the fact that he was born in 1962 and by today's standards has a horrible proof we have never milked a bad daughter.) I was glad I had Alan's show cow, Bayberry checked, even though I knew she was open. She was in heat just a bit ago, but she had developed a cystic ovary and had to be treated yesterday. She went cystic last year too, and it took us months to get her bred. She is a big sweetie and I want her to have every chance to do well.
The best part of it the day was that when we were figuring up at the end we realized that two of the cows were bred by Liz back when the boss couldn't work because of his shoulder. She was only about three weeks into her AI course over at school and had to breed four cows. Three of them caught, but Hooter lost her calf a couple weeks ago. I think it is a tribute to her AI teacher that she did so well. (Just wanted to give credit where it is due after my diatribe the other day...he wasn't one of those guys.)
***Another ooh ahh bird sighting...the girls told me yesterday on the way over to the college that Tuesday night coming home from a late AI class they saw quite a sight. There were a bunch of little rodents, mice, voles or the like, in the middle of 30 A, down below the turn off for Corbin Hill where the state forest is. Just as they neared them, not one, but two snowy owls swooped down to grab a couple. Wow! I am so jealous. Odd for them to be hunting at night, but the weather was horrible...
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On the Rocks!
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8 comments:
Very cool about the owl!
My pretty cowies is preggers!!! That means babies to play with and pamper next summer! Whoo hooooo!!!
Looking forward to future calf pics.
How's Toots?
WR, I wish I had seen them. I am REALLY hoping for favorable weather and good luck bird count day!
Paints, you are strange...very strange.
FC, Toots is doing great. She has the calf tie up all to herself (we are remodeling there) and looks so funny in her Holstein sized calf coat.
That's cause for celebration! YAY!!
We've seen odd owl behavior around here too. Wonder what's up?
AMWD, I was surprised to hear about two snowys at once. I have never seen more than one. Odd.
Here on the West Coast, I'm still trying to figure out which are the winter birds and which ones are the "snowbirds" who think we have their winter-get-away destination.
My neighbor mentioned to me a few days ago that perhaps I should put up my hummingbird feeder that I had packed away a few weeks ago. She thought she had spotted the hummingbird hovering near my place one day.
On the weekend, I put the feeder up — and sure enough have noticed during the last three mornings near sunrise, I have had a hummingbird at the feeder.
Perhaps I should provide a sunlamp for him to give him a rest from all our fog...
Elaine
Hi Elaine, thanks for visiting.
I have read that hummers are amazingly resilient and will stay through really cold weather. There is a rescue lady not too far from here, who has taken in many that were stranded by winter's arrival. Ours migrated a long time ago though...smart little birds.
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