And I like it that way. The guys are starting a fourth ag bag today. Wish it were the fifth...or sixth...
Crops are sure short with the terrible weather this summer.
We are so glad we didn't plant a lot of corn as what we have is terrible and we still have to pay the cost of planting, fertilizing and applying weed control to it. Sweet corn doesn't look too bad...if the raccoons stay out of it we will have some to eat and freeze in just a few days.
The boss brought down a skid steer bucket load of chopped barley and new seeding for me to bed the babies with last night. It was kind of mungey and nasty, but I am cleaning them out, liming the beds and bedding them up twice a day for their comfort and for fly control. I was running out of stuff to put under them. Anyhow, he left the bucket down and we had to fight to get it away from the cows. Something about it must have tasted good to them. What we rescued was nice and fluffy for the babies though.
We counted the other day and we have THIRTY-THREE babies in the barn right now. Some of them are yearlings that really need to go to pasture, but mostly they are little calves. Liz has been feeding as many as 25 on a bucket, which is a bucket load of work I'll tell you.
I enjoy the task of keeping the tiny ones comfy though. They are so cute. Often after their beds are clean they will stick their noses down into the fresh bedding and then buck and jump like rodeo bulls just for the joy of playing in it. I have to be careful what order I bed them in because the feet fly right past my head sometimes. It is so satisfying though, when by the time we finish milking they are all lying down with their knees tucked up, chewing cud and watching me work.
All is good.
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7 comments:
Bedding down the babies... My mom always says it's like putting on fresh sheets for them. :)
It's all nice and comfy.
Those babies sound so sweet. It must be wonderful to have so many animals around you.
Thirty-three?!!
That's a lot of young'uns to care for. Now wonder you enjoyed going up to the camp for a week.
Out of curiosity...How many milkers have you got out in the pasture? And will the heifers be replacing or adding to that number once they're bred?
Just stopped by for another visit. Sorry your corn isn't doing so good--I know how much you have into it! Hope you can stop by for a visit.
Sorry to hear about your corn. But you know what , when you ended your post with "All is well", you made me smile. Have a great week!
Farm Chick, thanks for visiting! I am not sure how we will manage without any decent corn, and I sure am glad we didn't plant more. Will stop by for sure.
Ebie, thanks for visiting and for your kind good wishes. I hope you have a great week too.
Sara, sorry I got these comment answers all out of order. Not quite awake yet....I like your mom's analogy...that is just what it is like
Sandcastle Momma, they are and I enjoy caring for them. I do love being surrounded by animals, heartbreak and all. Don't know what I would do without them.
Joated, around fifty milk cows give or take...and hopefully these babies will do a little of both, that is replace some less well thought of cows and augment a not quite full enough barn. We also like to sell a few as we have more than we need but heifer prices are as bad as milk prices just now so we will be keeping them I guess
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