Monday, November 28, 2011
Winter Rush Is On
The race before winter continues! Ed came early and returned the compressor we rented to blow out water lines. He also made a trip to the feed mill for us before he returned. We both have stack movers so Ed took his tractor and started moving stacks while Bruce was feeding. After dinner Bruce joined him with our tractor and by late afternoon they had moved 70 stacks off the fields. Besides that project Bruce spent more time on the phone. He ordered gravel so we can get our driveway in shape and before he knew it they were here with a couple loads. He talked to a contractor about repairing our barn roof. We have had a few strong wind storms this summer which have taken its toll on the steel roof, removing a few sheets of steel. Over the years Bruce has spent plenty of time on the roof screwing down areas where the nails don't hold anymore. For this reason he owns a safety harness and gear, but this year he has not managed to find enough time to get the work done. Given the fact we are to the end of November I figured it was time to call someone. As it turns out, the contractor was planning on working at a farm just 2 miles from us so, as busy as he is, he will work us in since he is in the neighborhood. Bruce received a return call from a trucker so tomorrow we will combine and sell one load of corn. We believe the rest will fit in the harvestore and we will be done!
Sunday, November 27, 2011
News Of The Day
Yesterday we managed to get 3/10 inch of rain. All things considered this wasn't a horrible amount but it does make it muddy in the field so there was no stacking or combining done today. Jim and Jen were here yet so there was some house time, and after they left we were back to farming. I went out and pulled up the fence for the goat pasture. In summer we put posts in right along the township road but in winter they need to be moved for snow plowing. I just pull the posts and walk them further into the pasture where they are safe with the wires in the insulators. In spring we just walk it back out next to the road. I also put some reflective tape on some fence posts. Every winter we pound posts along the edge of the driveway at our other place so it is easier to see where to plow and drive if we get storms. There is a steep edge and also a curve so marking it keeps everyone safer in nasty weather. Hopefully the tape will make the posts just a bit more visible, and hopefully we won't get enough snow that they really are even necessary. While I was doing those things Bruce cleaned and bedded the lower building. I am sure the heifers appreciated the new stacks. Sometimes they enjoy eating them more than their use as bedding. Other than the steers we treated earlier in that building everyone has stayed healthy. The weather is starting to feel more like winter with highs in the lower 30's and wind. Brrrr
On the cow side of life, our DA heifer is still slow eating and is now on treatments for ketosis. We have had a couple cases of mastitis so we now have a couple special needs cows which drag milking out. We still have 12 calves to be born between now and Christmas. The ones that have freshened so far were bred to a beef bull so we have the cutest white faced calves that all look nearly identical. The markings on a holstein can be pretty variable but these guys all match. I like feeding calves this time of year when it is cold. The calves all have good appetites and are aggressive eaters. As long as we keep them bedded and dry they tend to stay healthy. They are entertaining when they run in and out of the hutches and kick up their heels while I feed the newest ones.
Other news to note is we got our bill for the cow mattresses. It cost us $169 per stall to replace the old ones. The weather forecast says we have wind coming so Ed and Bruce will both be moving the stacks into a group. We have had wind over the years that have nearly leveled the stacks if they are out sitting individually in the field. Cleaning the lower building today made the evening chores run late so it is 10:40 and Bruce isn't done feeding yet. The wish list of things to get done this week is again long. LOL Just another day in paradise............................. : )
Picture updates soon....I promise ; )
On the cow side of life, our DA heifer is still slow eating and is now on treatments for ketosis. We have had a couple cases of mastitis so we now have a couple special needs cows which drag milking out. We still have 12 calves to be born between now and Christmas. The ones that have freshened so far were bred to a beef bull so we have the cutest white faced calves that all look nearly identical. The markings on a holstein can be pretty variable but these guys all match. I like feeding calves this time of year when it is cold. The calves all have good appetites and are aggressive eaters. As long as we keep them bedded and dry they tend to stay healthy. They are entertaining when they run in and out of the hutches and kick up their heels while I feed the newest ones.
Other news to note is we got our bill for the cow mattresses. It cost us $169 per stall to replace the old ones. The weather forecast says we have wind coming so Ed and Bruce will both be moving the stacks into a group. We have had wind over the years that have nearly leveled the stacks if they are out sitting individually in the field. Cleaning the lower building today made the evening chores run late so it is 10:40 and Bruce isn't done feeding yet. The wish list of things to get done this week is again long. LOL Just another day in paradise............................. : )
Picture updates soon....I promise ; )
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Happy Thanksgiving - The Weekend
Thursday, Thanksgiving-The heifers were on their best behavior and there were no new calves! We were invited for dinner at Bruce's cousins, only about 6 miles away. After morning milking Bruce did some feeding, then came in and showered and we headed to dinner. His cousin also farms so they totally understood when Bruce left and was back home by 2. We need to get bedding made and the weather forecast for 3 sunny days has produced about 2 hours total of sun in the first 2 days. Bruce came home and raked the shredded corn stalks into windrows. Doing this really speeds up the stacking process, and we need to make quick progress with rain in the forecast. Jim and Jen came so my office is currently a guest room : )
Friday-Everything was on the fast track today. Bruce started stacking while Jim continued to rake. By noon Bruce had 16 stacks and Ed came to take over so Bruce could eat dinner. Before they were done there was a phone call letting us know there was a new calf in the barn so Bruce went out and gave it the roto coronavirus vaccine and put him in a hutch. While Ed stacked Bruce and Jim took the plastic cover off , let the corn silage unloader down and got it ready to go in the silo here at home. In 5 weeks it had only settled 2 feet. They needed to open that silo because the dump trailer that we have been hauling corn silage from Ed's with had a wheel bearing go out. After that they filled a feed box for the lower heifers with feed from the bag. Jim took over stacking later in the afternoon so Ed could have a break. Jim first suggested I could run the stacker and they could do other things. Over the years I have done a lot of stacking, and for many years, I did all of it. At this point it's in my best interest physically to protect my neck and shoulders so I can milk, and I suggested if I stayed home there would be more food. The guys decided that was a good trade. Ed stacked again while the guys ate supper and then Jim continued to stack while we milked. The stacker ran nearly 10 hours straight and everyone was excited by the end of the evening that the entire 20 acres had gotten stacked, with an initial count of 68 stacks ready for cattle bedding. The day did end in the most unusual way though. Over the years we have broken the back window out of the tractor 3 times, either with corn or rocks thrown while stacking and once the haybine threw a rock. Jim came home, parked in the shed, shut off the tractor and the lights and was walking away from the tractor when he heard the back window "explode" and glass fall! Something must have cracked it earlier but it held together that long. These windows break into pea sized pieces so there is glass everywhere.
Saturday-Everything was wet when we got up due to light rains over night. That kind of timing always makes long days like yesterday feel more like a home run! By the time we were done milking Bruce had made a bunch of phone calls to set up the plans for the day. By noon a load of protein was delivered. We weren't sure we would have enough to make it to Monday so we ordered it on short notice. We usually get a discount for ordering early but today we just needed it. At about noon the other 5 heifers we purchased were delivered. The first group was pretty laid back and cooperative. This group wasn't exactly excited about dealing with us or our plans but we managed to get them all in stanchions and no one got hurt. They usually settle down pretty quickly once they realize there is good food available and I am just glad we didn't get hurt. It is pretty hard to argue with a 1500# animal that basically says "NO, I don't want to", and sometimes it takes awhile for them to decide to cooperate. After dinner Bruce ran to town. The first stop was the vet clinic to pick up some antibiotics to finish the treatments he has started. The last animal we treated was the DA heifer and given her stress load to date, it was no surprise. Tonight a heifer that hasn't freshened has us concerned so she got treated too. So far we have treated 12 cows and all of them have responded very quickly to treatment. Bruce is thinking now that the nasal treatment we gave them the other day should be helping soon.
Sometimes it is really nice to live in a small community. Bruce needed to blow out the water lines in the pasture so they didn't freeze and break over winter. The weather forecast says we need to do that now, but when he called yesterday to get the compressor we sometimes rent, the business was already closed. He managed to get ahold of one of the family members at home this morning who said "oh sure no problem, I'll prop the door open for you so you can get in when you come and get it ". Then she called back a little later and said" I called the police station and told them not to shut it because sometimes they go around and check doors and my luck they would close it on you". I guess it helps that they've known each other for over 40 years! It's a large compressor so Bruce pulled it home with the truck and then started blowing out the lines. It is pretty simple to do. Bruce just takes the 4 wheeler out and opens the valves on the end of the line and then connects the air hose to the water line on this end. For a very short period of time there is a big water geyser, and then he is done. He has to do this in 3 different places. The bad news is it was misty/rainy while he did it. The good news is Mike got a 4 wheeler ride, quite possibly one of the last for the season. As of tonight the water lines are all blown out and the pasture is ready for winter. Bruce was nearly home when the 4 wheeler ran out of gas. I was driving the truck and pulling the compressor so I stopped and picked him and the dog up. He went back with the pallet forks on the skid steer and brought the 4 wheeler home. While we were blowing out the lines at the other place Mike spent his time snooping around. As we discovered when we brought him home he had also rolled in something disgusting so he got a full bath tonight after we got done milking. I think he would like baths better if we could figure out how to do all the scrubbing without water!
Friday-Everything was on the fast track today. Bruce started stacking while Jim continued to rake. By noon Bruce had 16 stacks and Ed came to take over so Bruce could eat dinner. Before they were done there was a phone call letting us know there was a new calf in the barn so Bruce went out and gave it the roto coronavirus vaccine and put him in a hutch. While Ed stacked Bruce and Jim took the plastic cover off , let the corn silage unloader down and got it ready to go in the silo here at home. In 5 weeks it had only settled 2 feet. They needed to open that silo because the dump trailer that we have been hauling corn silage from Ed's with had a wheel bearing go out. After that they filled a feed box for the lower heifers with feed from the bag. Jim took over stacking later in the afternoon so Ed could have a break. Jim first suggested I could run the stacker and they could do other things. Over the years I have done a lot of stacking, and for many years, I did all of it. At this point it's in my best interest physically to protect my neck and shoulders so I can milk, and I suggested if I stayed home there would be more food. The guys decided that was a good trade. Ed stacked again while the guys ate supper and then Jim continued to stack while we milked. The stacker ran nearly 10 hours straight and everyone was excited by the end of the evening that the entire 20 acres had gotten stacked, with an initial count of 68 stacks ready for cattle bedding. The day did end in the most unusual way though. Over the years we have broken the back window out of the tractor 3 times, either with corn or rocks thrown while stacking and once the haybine threw a rock. Jim came home, parked in the shed, shut off the tractor and the lights and was walking away from the tractor when he heard the back window "explode" and glass fall! Something must have cracked it earlier but it held together that long. These windows break into pea sized pieces so there is glass everywhere.
Saturday-Everything was wet when we got up due to light rains over night. That kind of timing always makes long days like yesterday feel more like a home run! By the time we were done milking Bruce had made a bunch of phone calls to set up the plans for the day. By noon a load of protein was delivered. We weren't sure we would have enough to make it to Monday so we ordered it on short notice. We usually get a discount for ordering early but today we just needed it. At about noon the other 5 heifers we purchased were delivered. The first group was pretty laid back and cooperative. This group wasn't exactly excited about dealing with us or our plans but we managed to get them all in stanchions and no one got hurt. They usually settle down pretty quickly once they realize there is good food available and I am just glad we didn't get hurt. It is pretty hard to argue with a 1500# animal that basically says "NO, I don't want to", and sometimes it takes awhile for them to decide to cooperate. After dinner Bruce ran to town. The first stop was the vet clinic to pick up some antibiotics to finish the treatments he has started. The last animal we treated was the DA heifer and given her stress load to date, it was no surprise. Tonight a heifer that hasn't freshened has us concerned so she got treated too. So far we have treated 12 cows and all of them have responded very quickly to treatment. Bruce is thinking now that the nasal treatment we gave them the other day should be helping soon.
Sometimes it is really nice to live in a small community. Bruce needed to blow out the water lines in the pasture so they didn't freeze and break over winter. The weather forecast says we need to do that now, but when he called yesterday to get the compressor we sometimes rent, the business was already closed. He managed to get ahold of one of the family members at home this morning who said "oh sure no problem, I'll prop the door open for you so you can get in when you come and get it ". Then she called back a little later and said" I called the police station and told them not to shut it because sometimes they go around and check doors and my luck they would close it on you". I guess it helps that they've known each other for over 40 years! It's a large compressor so Bruce pulled it home with the truck and then started blowing out the lines. It is pretty simple to do. Bruce just takes the 4 wheeler out and opens the valves on the end of the line and then connects the air hose to the water line on this end. For a very short period of time there is a big water geyser, and then he is done. He has to do this in 3 different places. The bad news is it was misty/rainy while he did it. The good news is Mike got a 4 wheeler ride, quite possibly one of the last for the season. As of tonight the water lines are all blown out and the pasture is ready for winter. Bruce was nearly home when the 4 wheeler ran out of gas. I was driving the truck and pulling the compressor so I stopped and picked him and the dog up. He went back with the pallet forks on the skid steer and brought the 4 wheeler home. While we were blowing out the lines at the other place Mike spent his time snooping around. As we discovered when we brought him home he had also rolled in something disgusting so he got a full bath tonight after we got done milking. I think he would like baths better if we could figure out how to do all the scrubbing without water!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Fixing
Joe came and helped milk this morning so I had help while Bruce milked the new heifers. The forecast for today was supposed to include sun. We didn't see much of it and it would have been helpful in drying stalks for bedding. Bruce continued to spend most of the day working on the hay rake, first getting the hole drilled, and then putting all the pieces back together. Ed didn't have as good of luck with his stalk shredder. In the process of trying to get to the bearing they broke another piece which has to be ordered. Time will tell if it comes on Friday or next week with a holiday mixed in the week. Bruce took milk samples for cultures on the last 2 heifers that have freshened. The results of the 3 I took in earlier in the week were good news so tonight we were able to milk 3 heifers along with the cows and only had to bleach the milker between the last 2. Progress! Along with dropping off the milk samples I picked up 2 more bottles of antibiotics. It is costing us $75 per cow and we had another one to treat tonight. The good news is they respond very quickly. Hopefully the nasal vaccine will start to help in the next few days.
Freshening Fun
We enjoyed our "quiet time" for as long as it lasted. Heifer #5 freshened yesterday. I have been milking the cows while Bruce finishes feeding and then he milks the fresh heifers one by one. At this point they are still unpredictable and until we have their milk culture results back we disinfect the milkers in bleach water between animals. We had a vet call yesterday for the first of the heifers that freshened and the diagnosis was a DA and surgery. While Dr. Ashley was here we discussed the suspected pneumonia cases we have been treating. In hind site we should have vaccinated both our cows and the purchased heifers before we mixed them, as we suspect that is why we suddenly have this bug. She recomended boosting their immunity with a vaccine that is sprayed into their noses, 1cc in each nostril. I have to say that shots would have been much easier but Bruce managed to treat everyone, mixing the vaccine in his multi dose syringe and setting it for the correct dose. I helped by switching the canula between animals so we didn't cross contaminate between animals. Cows do not volunteer to let us treat them so I am glad Bruce didn't get hurt. When a 1500# cow throws her head around its easy to get hurt.
Yesterday we also discussed the pneumonia in the steers in the lower building and Dr. Ashley confirmed that this falls weather has been incredibly tough on animals. She was sincerely concerned about the weather coming the end of the week since we have 60 degrees in the forecast. Icy rain and snow and then 60 degrees in a couple weeks time is just too much change.
Bruce and Ed continued to combine yesterday and we are now down to 7 acres. Before they started Bruce climbed the silo to check on how much space we had left and we were within 3 rings of full. I am hoping it won't fit and we can sell some! They decided to let the corn wait for now and concentrate on making corn fodder bedding. Ed used the stalk shredder to shred down the corn fields today. He had a bearing go out so the shredder is now in the shop but should be working by tomorrow. Bruce is currently fixing the rake that had a bearing go out earlier this summer. It wore a big hole in the metal that required the rake to be taken apart and a steel patch welded in place. It is now ready to be re drilled. He will have to take it to a local machine shop tomorrow to have it drilled since we don't own a drill bit the correct size.
We got the results of the last pregnancy tests we sent in and 5 out of 6 are pregnant. We were pretty sure that one was open but wanted to make sure before we added her to the cull list.
Tonights milking seemed to go a little quicker, or we are just used to this new version of routine. We were supposed to test milk tonight but cancelled because we treated all the cows today. Tonight Bruce has another one that is sick. Hopefully we will be through this soon.
Yesterday we also discussed the pneumonia in the steers in the lower building and Dr. Ashley confirmed that this falls weather has been incredibly tough on animals. She was sincerely concerned about the weather coming the end of the week since we have 60 degrees in the forecast. Icy rain and snow and then 60 degrees in a couple weeks time is just too much change.
Bruce and Ed continued to combine yesterday and we are now down to 7 acres. Before they started Bruce climbed the silo to check on how much space we had left and we were within 3 rings of full. I am hoping it won't fit and we can sell some! They decided to let the corn wait for now and concentrate on making corn fodder bedding. Ed used the stalk shredder to shred down the corn fields today. He had a bearing go out so the shredder is now in the shop but should be working by tomorrow. Bruce is currently fixing the rake that had a bearing go out earlier this summer. It wore a big hole in the metal that required the rake to be taken apart and a steel patch welded in place. It is now ready to be re drilled. He will have to take it to a local machine shop tomorrow to have it drilled since we don't own a drill bit the correct size.
We got the results of the last pregnancy tests we sent in and 5 out of 6 are pregnant. We were pretty sure that one was open but wanted to make sure before we added her to the cull list.
Tonights milking seemed to go a little quicker, or we are just used to this new version of routine. We were supposed to test milk tonight but cancelled because we treated all the cows today. Tonight Bruce has another one that is sick. Hopefully we will be through this soon.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Friday-Bruce arrived at the barn to find a heifer had calved over night. From what he could tell we suspect the calf came backwards and didn't live. She managed to deliver it and also the placenta but backwards calves need to be delivered quickly or they drown in the amniotic fluid. We did blood draws for preg checks so I could get them in the mail. With a holiday coming up I didn't want to take a chance of having to wait another week for information. Bruce and Ed combined corn and I had errands in town to do. Jason's corn has been harvested and Bruce took the time to make of video which will end up here soon I hope. Bruce stopped at about 4 and checked the barn. Another heifer was having her calf. He unloaded a few more loads of corn and an hour later she hadn't made much progress so Bruce used the obstetrical chains to pull on the calves front legs and hold pressure so every time she pushed she made progress. Once the calf was delivered he made sure she could wash him and gave him his roto coronavirus vaccine. We had planned on going on our big card party "date", and when I got home Jim was here. He offered to help me milk in order to speed things up. Bruce continued to feed. First he shoveled up the loose feed from the morning into the wheel barrow. He then drove the feed cart into the feed room and hit the wheel barrow and tipped it over. He shoveled the feed up again. He started to run the haylage into the mixer and it quit coming down. As it turned out he needed to let the unloader down a door. He got back to mixing and started to run the corn through the hammer mill when the corn quit coming down. He had emptied the holding bin so he had to go up and run corn out of the harvestore so he could continue mixing. By the time Jim and I got the cows milked Bruce had just gotten the feed in the mixer. Usually Bruce milks all the fresh heifers but the first one that freshened is very calm so I milked her myself. The second heifer had only been milked once so I put a kicking clamp on her and prepped her. She didn't stand still but she wasn't mean so Jim offered to put the milker on "since he heals faster than I do" LOL. She was pretty well behaved and we got her milked without incident. Then came the heifer that had her calf late in the afternoon. She is very laid back so we figured we could milk her also. I put the kicking clamp on and prepped her and Jim went to put the milker on. The pulsator wouldn't work so Bruce came and re clamped the wires that go through it. It still wouldn't run so we ended up moving the heifer to a different stall so we could milk her. In the end, Jim and I walked in the house at 10 p.m. and Bruce walked in at 10:30. Needless to say, our date night was long cancelled. Hopefully it will work better next month.
Saturday-All day it was misty, dreary and dark. As always there was a long list of things we could do but we opted for an afternoon nap. It was awesome! We seem to have a pneumonia bug in the barn so Bruce spent morning milking taking the temperatures of anyone we questioned. The good news is they seem to respond very quickly to one of the very few drugs we can use that doesn't have a milk withhold. It is very expensive but as long as we don't have to hold milk and add all the extra time involved in special needs cows, along with 3 fresh heifers, its worth it.
Sunday-As of today Bruce has treated 4 cows for whatever sickness we are dealing with. They spike a temp and go off feed very quickly but also respond quickly when treated. Bruce and Ed combined corn today. As of tonight we are down to 19 acres left to do. Bruce is anxious to move on to the next project of the season which is chopping the corn stalks back with a flail chopper, raking them in windrows and then stacking them for winter use. We had another calf born today. So far they have all been bulls which is perfect since we feed steers. Joe came and helped me milk again tonight and Bruce mixed and fed.
Saturday-All day it was misty, dreary and dark. As always there was a long list of things we could do but we opted for an afternoon nap. It was awesome! We seem to have a pneumonia bug in the barn so Bruce spent morning milking taking the temperatures of anyone we questioned. The good news is they seem to respond very quickly to one of the very few drugs we can use that doesn't have a milk withhold. It is very expensive but as long as we don't have to hold milk and add all the extra time involved in special needs cows, along with 3 fresh heifers, its worth it.
Sunday-As of today Bruce has treated 4 cows for whatever sickness we are dealing with. They spike a temp and go off feed very quickly but also respond quickly when treated. Bruce and Ed combined corn today. As of tonight we are down to 19 acres left to do. Bruce is anxious to move on to the next project of the season which is chopping the corn stalks back with a flail chopper, raking them in windrows and then stacking them for winter use. We had another calf born today. So far they have all been bulls which is perfect since we feed steers. Joe came and helped me milk again tonight and Bruce mixed and fed.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Arrival #1
We started with a morning phone call and it was no surprise that the first calf has arrived. We were expecting a black calf since the bull was supposed to be angus, but this guy has a white face so who knows what genetics came into play. He is cute and willing but lacking an understanding of how to suck so it took what seemed like forever for him to finish a bottle. Bruce was able to milk the heifer with no problems even without using heifer calm. This group of heifers seem to be very calm. We will see how the rest do.
Bruce called this morning that the last heifers could be delivered any time. To create a group we needed to move 3 cows and 2 heifers. The same heifer that was stubborn before gave us the same trouble today, and that one is actually ours. The drinking cup that was by the stall where the trim chute was had been removed so another one had to be plumbed in. The cow #6 has the nasty habit of drinking with her top jaw on top of the cup and bottom jaw under it. Not only is this an inefficient way to drink but she also runs a lot of water in the feed. Bruce took the regular cup from #6 and used it to replace the missing one and then replaced #6 cup with one that is different shaped and much more difficult for her to make the mess. We will see, never underestimate the creativity of animals. We had one mattress to replace and 2 to clean and bleach and we were ready! For once we were ready before a deadline since the heifers didn't get here today.
The buck goat managed to get loose from his rope yesterday. As long as he behaved we let him wander around and eat. He never bothered the rose bushes, which is a surprise, but when Bruce went to the barn to feed in the afternoon the goat was wandering around and eating whatever he wanted in the feed room. It took awhile to catch him and get his leash back on and I can't say Mike was exactly helpful this time. He never ever has reason to chase the buck goat, and he was SO excited he couldn't even listen which frustrated Bruce to death. Eventually we had him back on his leash and for now he is tied to a corner post in the pasture. Goats are funny creatures. He has plenty of green grass to lay on but he choses to lay in the driveway on the breaker rock.
Our sick cow from the other day seems to be over whatever was bothering her. At this point the guess of a virus seems to make sense. Hopefully it doesn't spread to anyone else.
Bruce called this morning that the last heifers could be delivered any time. To create a group we needed to move 3 cows and 2 heifers. The same heifer that was stubborn before gave us the same trouble today, and that one is actually ours. The drinking cup that was by the stall where the trim chute was had been removed so another one had to be plumbed in. The cow #6 has the nasty habit of drinking with her top jaw on top of the cup and bottom jaw under it. Not only is this an inefficient way to drink but she also runs a lot of water in the feed. Bruce took the regular cup from #6 and used it to replace the missing one and then replaced #6 cup with one that is different shaped and much more difficult for her to make the mess. We will see, never underestimate the creativity of animals. We had one mattress to replace and 2 to clean and bleach and we were ready! For once we were ready before a deadline since the heifers didn't get here today.
The buck goat managed to get loose from his rope yesterday. As long as he behaved we let him wander around and eat. He never bothered the rose bushes, which is a surprise, but when Bruce went to the barn to feed in the afternoon the goat was wandering around and eating whatever he wanted in the feed room. It took awhile to catch him and get his leash back on and I can't say Mike was exactly helpful this time. He never ever has reason to chase the buck goat, and he was SO excited he couldn't even listen which frustrated Bruce to death. Eventually we had him back on his leash and for now he is tied to a corner post in the pasture. Goats are funny creatures. He has plenty of green grass to lay on but he choses to lay in the driveway on the breaker rock.
Our sick cow from the other day seems to be over whatever was bothering her. At this point the guess of a virus seems to make sense. Hopefully it doesn't spread to anyone else.
Good Intentions Gone Awry
I started these writings with the intention of doing it daily. Life has evolved to the point that do a rough draft and then finish them when I get the time. Again, I am catching up.....
Saturday-Bruce was running in all directions. Joe was here to milk in the morning so he and I milked and Bruce started hauling manure, first from the cow/steer yard, later in the lower heifer yard and then he bedded the animals in Ed's yard. While he was cleaning barns he realized that some of the steers in the lower barn weren't feeling well so as soon as I was done with breakfast I ran to the vet clinic to get some antibiotics for them. With all the snow and rain they seem to have pneumonia, and once again, the outside animals are fine and it's the ones with a building to go in to that are sick. Makes no sense but that is how it works. When he was nearly done I came out and, instead of waiting around, decided to try and sort the heifers that were in the pen in the barn. I had an empty pen outside and a list of 9 heifers I wanted with 10 I didn't. Sorting cattle can be interesting, although I think it is easier to do bigger animals than the small ones. By the time I got done I had 2 extra animals that I didn't need and 1 that I hadn't managed to sort out yet. Bruce helped get the final sort done and then we put 9 heifers in the barn. We bring them in one at a time and get them in their stanchions. We had the advantage with this group that they are familiar with both us and how stanchions work since they have gotten their grain in the lower building before. We had gotten a call that one of our purchased heifers that hasn't been delivered was making an udder pretty quickly so she was delivered just as we had gotten the last one of ours where she needed to go. Perfect timing! Bruce treated 4 steers with antibiotics and then went on to mix feed and milk.
The Class III price for October has been announced at $18.03. For a change our contracted milk was on the right side of that price and will make an extra $980.00. The price for 2009 was $12.82 and the 2010 price was $16.94. The 15 year historical high was $18.70 in 2007 with a low of $10.02 in 2000.
Sunday-With winter coming there is a need to move cattle so feeding and observation is easiest. We also are about to have calving chaos so Bruce scraped the area where the hutches go and added another couple inches of screenings to the base. He then moved 7 hutches in place and bedded 3 so we have a place ready to go. Bruce cleaned the inside of the lower barn and then the cattle shuffle began. One of the sick steers had died so he was removed and composted. Thankfully the rest seem to be doing OK. First we sorted the outside group of steers so we had the biggest 12 and put them in the steers holding pen. Then we sorted 2 bigger steers out of the group of animals that were in the barn here and added them to the group of smaller ones in the lower building. This group will spend their winter in the center section of the lower barn. Next we sorted the heifers out of that pasture group and put them in the end yard in the lower building. Once this was done we put the larger steers we brought up in the pen in the barn where Bruce can feed them easier. We are short of heifers to fill our needs which is why we purchased some. We now have 40 steers on feed, which is also why we are short of heifers. We must have had a huge run on bull calves. The steers that are living in the cow/steer yard got moved into their holding pen. The last group to move was on pasture at the other place. Bruce had gotten them to the barn a couple days ago so we ran a temporary wire along the corn field and then proceeded to herd them out of the yard, down the driveway, across the highway, through the cow paddock and lane, across the town road and into the cow yard. From there they went out the gate on the other side and down another driveway to the end yard with the heifers sorted from the pasture here. This will be our breeding group. The lower building has 3 sections that now hold a group of goats, steers and heifers. Bruce and I did all this ourselves with the help of Mike. He was excited beyond words to have something to do again. Ed came just as we were going to move the last group so he came along to watch the highway but Mike did all the work.
On Thursday I was presented with a small window of opportunity to go visit my sister. I was really torn about going because the list of things to do was pretty long, but there is a reality that if I didn't go now I probably wouldn't have the option get away again until next summer. It wasn't until after dinner on Sunday that I made the final decision to go, and didn't leave until after all the animals were moved. Joe had already said he could help Bruce both tonight and again Monday night. I then went to work in town and got payroll done so I could take Monday off.
Monday-Bruce milked himself this morning. The day was spent feeding everyone. How many months til grass?
Tuesday-Back to reality for me. I managed a 30 hours of vacation which included 3 milkings! The heifers must have missed the fact that I was leaving because surprisingly no one has calved yet! During milking we noticed a cow that obviously wasn't feeling good. Given the fact that we have steers with pneumonia we decided to call the vet for a complete exam on her. She wasn't eating much and was running a fever of 105 (normal 101) and the end diagnosis was "I don't know". She had some uterine fluid from calving but nothing abnormal, lungs are clear, no DA, no mastitis. She exhibits signs of belly pain but no symptoms that generally go along with hardware problems. We will treat her to prevent secondary problems but the initial thought is she has some type of virus. The rest of Bruce's day involved feeding & cleaning the barn. We have 6 more heifers to arrive so we need to make space. Bruce removed the trim chute we use for now and put it in the shed until we can install it in a different stall. He made a bottom plate for one of the stalls since the original ones were cast metal and not repairable. The cleaning process on the mattresses has begun with the exception of one that will be replaced. By the time I left the barn tonight I had 2 bleached and ready for new animals. Tomorrow we will move some to make space in an effort to create a group to feed. Ed is combining his own corn today and Bruce's only interruption of his plans was pulling the truck that got stuck in Ed's field. It's marginal getting around out there after the rain and snow which is why Bruce is concentrating on cattle needs, hoping the fields will dry out soon.
The new heifers are now on half milking TMR and half transition ration. Since Bruce is currently mixing and feeding 8 different batches of feed he is looking forward to the heifers moving on to a total milking ration.
Wednesday-Bruce had an appointment in town and then continued getting ready for the last heifers that are coming. He fixed stanchions that needed it, including one tonight that broke the swivel on top while we were milking. Tomorrows plan is to call and make arrangements for the heifer deliveries. No calves yet but we do have plans Friday night so it is a pretty sure thing Friday will be a busy day.
Saturday-Bruce was running in all directions. Joe was here to milk in the morning so he and I milked and Bruce started hauling manure, first from the cow/steer yard, later in the lower heifer yard and then he bedded the animals in Ed's yard. While he was cleaning barns he realized that some of the steers in the lower barn weren't feeling well so as soon as I was done with breakfast I ran to the vet clinic to get some antibiotics for them. With all the snow and rain they seem to have pneumonia, and once again, the outside animals are fine and it's the ones with a building to go in to that are sick. Makes no sense but that is how it works. When he was nearly done I came out and, instead of waiting around, decided to try and sort the heifers that were in the pen in the barn. I had an empty pen outside and a list of 9 heifers I wanted with 10 I didn't. Sorting cattle can be interesting, although I think it is easier to do bigger animals than the small ones. By the time I got done I had 2 extra animals that I didn't need and 1 that I hadn't managed to sort out yet. Bruce helped get the final sort done and then we put 9 heifers in the barn. We bring them in one at a time and get them in their stanchions. We had the advantage with this group that they are familiar with both us and how stanchions work since they have gotten their grain in the lower building before. We had gotten a call that one of our purchased heifers that hasn't been delivered was making an udder pretty quickly so she was delivered just as we had gotten the last one of ours where she needed to go. Perfect timing! Bruce treated 4 steers with antibiotics and then went on to mix feed and milk.
The Class III price for October has been announced at $18.03. For a change our contracted milk was on the right side of that price and will make an extra $980.00. The price for 2009 was $12.82 and the 2010 price was $16.94. The 15 year historical high was $18.70 in 2007 with a low of $10.02 in 2000.
Sunday-With winter coming there is a need to move cattle so feeding and observation is easiest. We also are about to have calving chaos so Bruce scraped the area where the hutches go and added another couple inches of screenings to the base. He then moved 7 hutches in place and bedded 3 so we have a place ready to go. Bruce cleaned the inside of the lower barn and then the cattle shuffle began. One of the sick steers had died so he was removed and composted. Thankfully the rest seem to be doing OK. First we sorted the outside group of steers so we had the biggest 12 and put them in the steers holding pen. Then we sorted 2 bigger steers out of the group of animals that were in the barn here and added them to the group of smaller ones in the lower building. This group will spend their winter in the center section of the lower barn. Next we sorted the heifers out of that pasture group and put them in the end yard in the lower building. Once this was done we put the larger steers we brought up in the pen in the barn where Bruce can feed them easier. We are short of heifers to fill our needs which is why we purchased some. We now have 40 steers on feed, which is also why we are short of heifers. We must have had a huge run on bull calves. The steers that are living in the cow/steer yard got moved into their holding pen. The last group to move was on pasture at the other place. Bruce had gotten them to the barn a couple days ago so we ran a temporary wire along the corn field and then proceeded to herd them out of the yard, down the driveway, across the highway, through the cow paddock and lane, across the town road and into the cow yard. From there they went out the gate on the other side and down another driveway to the end yard with the heifers sorted from the pasture here. This will be our breeding group. The lower building has 3 sections that now hold a group of goats, steers and heifers. Bruce and I did all this ourselves with the help of Mike. He was excited beyond words to have something to do again. Ed came just as we were going to move the last group so he came along to watch the highway but Mike did all the work.
On Thursday I was presented with a small window of opportunity to go visit my sister. I was really torn about going because the list of things to do was pretty long, but there is a reality that if I didn't go now I probably wouldn't have the option get away again until next summer. It wasn't until after dinner on Sunday that I made the final decision to go, and didn't leave until after all the animals were moved. Joe had already said he could help Bruce both tonight and again Monday night. I then went to work in town and got payroll done so I could take Monday off.
Monday-Bruce milked himself this morning. The day was spent feeding everyone. How many months til grass?
Tuesday-Back to reality for me. I managed a 30 hours of vacation which included 3 milkings! The heifers must have missed the fact that I was leaving because surprisingly no one has calved yet! During milking we noticed a cow that obviously wasn't feeling good. Given the fact that we have steers with pneumonia we decided to call the vet for a complete exam on her. She wasn't eating much and was running a fever of 105 (normal 101) and the end diagnosis was "I don't know". She had some uterine fluid from calving but nothing abnormal, lungs are clear, no DA, no mastitis. She exhibits signs of belly pain but no symptoms that generally go along with hardware problems. We will treat her to prevent secondary problems but the initial thought is she has some type of virus. The rest of Bruce's day involved feeding & cleaning the barn. We have 6 more heifers to arrive so we need to make space. Bruce removed the trim chute we use for now and put it in the shed until we can install it in a different stall. He made a bottom plate for one of the stalls since the original ones were cast metal and not repairable. The cleaning process on the mattresses has begun with the exception of one that will be replaced. By the time I left the barn tonight I had 2 bleached and ready for new animals. Tomorrow we will move some to make space in an effort to create a group to feed. Ed is combining his own corn today and Bruce's only interruption of his plans was pulling the truck that got stuck in Ed's field. It's marginal getting around out there after the rain and snow which is why Bruce is concentrating on cattle needs, hoping the fields will dry out soon.
The new heifers are now on half milking TMR and half transition ration. Since Bruce is currently mixing and feeding 8 different batches of feed he is looking forward to the heifers moving on to a total milking ration.
Wednesday-Bruce had an appointment in town and then continued getting ready for the last heifers that are coming. He fixed stanchions that needed it, including one tonight that broke the swivel on top while we were milking. Tomorrows plan is to call and make arrangements for the heifer deliveries. No calves yet but we do have plans Friday night so it is a pretty sure thing Friday will be a busy day.
Friday, November 11, 2011
New Mattresses
It was a work day for me in town but Joe was here for the day to work with Bruce. After the morning routine of feeding, milking, bedding cows & cleaning gutters and hauling manure it was time for the project of the day. With new heifers coming in we wanted to put them on new & clean mattresses. The mattresses have arrived but we needed to remove the old mattresses first. Bruce and Joe removed them and then replaced them with new ones. We now have 6 mattresses ready to go so there will be lots of heifer moving tomorrow.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Looks Like Winter
We have what looks like winter here with about 5 inches of heavy snow. Around the county there were lots of power outages but ours only blinked a few times. The snow did manage to tear the wire for the yard light off our house so now if we want an outside light we have to go to one of the other buildings to turn it on and off. Tonight we still have some branches on the trees, that we generally can walk under, nearly touching the ground. It froze over night so walking around was interesting. Nothing got plowed so there were solid ridges of snow between tire tracks etc. and it seemed like the perfect senario to sprain an ankle! Bruce and I both had places to be in town for part of the day and then it was back to the routine. The first thing Bruce had to do was get the last group of heifers off pasture. A tree branch had torn off the wire to the fencer so not only were the heifers finding grass under the snow, they were doing it on the honor system. So far they had stayed in the general pasture but were already out of the area where they were supposed to be. They got brought down through the pasture and across the driveway with the help of Mike as usual. Mike had an adventure of his own on the way there. When he rides on anything he stands so close to the front that his toes hang over the edge. Today he was on the tractor and Bruce tried to get him to move back but he kept moving forward. When Bruce got to the field he purposely slammed on the brakes, and instead of just falling off Mike lunged himself so he actually cleared the front tire. Bruce laughed at him, he hopped back on, and from then on he sat back where Bruce wanted him to. Less on learned!
Ed has been getting the load of corn silage for us every day so that speeds feeding up a bit. With the new corn feeding through our system better Bruce is again using the hammer mill for the milking cows corn. It was funny watching them the first day, especially the ones that like to sort their feed, looking for the corn. Everyone needed feeding today so I started milking myself and was nearly done by the time Bruce was done mixing and feeding. The good news is we got in at a reasonable hour tonight!
Ed has been getting the load of corn silage for us every day so that speeds feeding up a bit. With the new corn feeding through our system better Bruce is again using the hammer mill for the milking cows corn. It was funny watching them the first day, especially the ones that like to sort their feed, looking for the corn. Everyone needed feeding today so I started milking myself and was nearly done by the time Bruce was done mixing and feeding. The good news is we got in at a reasonable hour tonight!
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Multi Tasking
Monday-We have a hoof trimmer coming tomorrow and Wednesday so besides combining corn we have a "to do" list to make that work also. After feeding and milking the first thing Bruce had to do was return the chopper we rented to chop corn. There is rain in the forecast and returning it allows them to get it tucked into the shed for the winter. Since we moved the cattle out of the pen in the barn already Bruce was able to clean and bed both pens. We always set up the trim chute in the middle pen and leave it there for both days so having the cattle gone makes that easy. Bruce managed to get cleaning done early enough to be able to haul loads when Ed was ready to combine. For the short days they have been able to work so far he and Ed are excited about how much they have gotten done. The harvestore feeds down the center so within 11seconds of running the unloader there was new corn coming out. This is good news since the corn we were feeding is quite likely 2009 crop. The corn was wetter than we have ever harvested and doesn't feed through the holding bin or either mill very well. The unloader takes some off the bottom as it funnels down the center so we will get through the older corn eventually.
Tuesday-The hoof trimmer arrived as planned this morning. Given the fact it was 37 degrees and raining we were glad we could set up inside the barn and not have to cancel. This time Jerred had an extra set of gates which really helped move cattle through. With these gates he had one cow in the trim chute and 2 cows waiting in the "lane". As soon as the cow left the front of the trim chute the cow in the lane would come forward, I am sure with the thought that she would follow the first one out. We knew that the cows didn't need much work done but we also know that we skipped last fall and found bigger problems in spring. For this reason we are still trimming everyone, or at the very least, having their feet examined for any potential problems that may be starting. The moving of cattle went very smoothly today with the exception of one contrary cow. Since they just came off pasture and all know their stalls Bruce moved almost everyone around himself. I say almost because there was one cow that decided she was not going to go in the direction Bruce wanted her to no matter what. After chasing her around a few times I tried to help direct her, and in the process, got spun around and knocked down. The good news is she was heading away so I didn't get stepped on and I managed to bounce instead of break so thats good. While Jerred was trimming we both had some free time to do other projects. I did manage to get all the light covers washed and put up so now the barn is brighter. This time of year we can use all the light we can get since so much of the day is dark and dreary. These lights are actually on a timer so we can extend "daylight" and promote eating. Awhile ago while Bruce was cleaning pens he tested the durability of the door frame by backing into it with the skid steer. The end result was the anchors got broken out of the cement. Bruce removed the frame and proceeded to start the process of replacing that. The door needs replacing also, compliments of the same incident : ) The goats also got fed in between cattle moves.
Wednesday-We woke up this morning to a blizzard. By the time we got to the middle of the afternoon we had gotten easily 5 inches of wet heavy snow that came sideways! Between the house and barn there are areas where the snow is nearly knee high. What a miserable sloppy mess! The road conditions were horrible so Jerred got here late. That worked perfectly fine with us because our morning was running late also. We trimmed the last of the cows and also new heifers. It was unexpected that the cow yesterday was more trouble than any of the new heifers. I spent my "free" time between moving cattle cleaning in the milkhouse. Every fall I try to scrub all the walls and pressure wash the floor along with sorting and cleaning the area where everything collects. I managed to get through most of the most complicated area so I was excited about that. Bruce had to switch tractors so he could haul manure with the 4 wheel drive and proceeded to haul the load from yesterday and then clean the barn again today. One of these days it will be too cold to let a load sit but for now it is a handy option. With the miserable weather, Bruce had mentioned at breakfast that as soon as we were done he had to move heifers since their pasture was burried in snow. Just as the very last cow was being trimmed the heifers showed up on the yard, evidently tired of waiting. Mike was thrilled to have something to do and Bruce enjoyed having the opportunity to show someone what Mike is capable of since Jerred was here. Mike brought the cattle around the barn and then Bruce had him put them in the steer holding pen. Tonight they are able to go in and out of the barn and have food and water inside. As soon as the snow melts they can go back to pasture since there is another week of feed out there for them if the weather cooperates.
Tuesday-The hoof trimmer arrived as planned this morning. Given the fact it was 37 degrees and raining we were glad we could set up inside the barn and not have to cancel. This time Jerred had an extra set of gates which really helped move cattle through. With these gates he had one cow in the trim chute and 2 cows waiting in the "lane". As soon as the cow left the front of the trim chute the cow in the lane would come forward, I am sure with the thought that she would follow the first one out. We knew that the cows didn't need much work done but we also know that we skipped last fall and found bigger problems in spring. For this reason we are still trimming everyone, or at the very least, having their feet examined for any potential problems that may be starting. The moving of cattle went very smoothly today with the exception of one contrary cow. Since they just came off pasture and all know their stalls Bruce moved almost everyone around himself. I say almost because there was one cow that decided she was not going to go in the direction Bruce wanted her to no matter what. After chasing her around a few times I tried to help direct her, and in the process, got spun around and knocked down. The good news is she was heading away so I didn't get stepped on and I managed to bounce instead of break so thats good. While Jerred was trimming we both had some free time to do other projects. I did manage to get all the light covers washed and put up so now the barn is brighter. This time of year we can use all the light we can get since so much of the day is dark and dreary. These lights are actually on a timer so we can extend "daylight" and promote eating. Awhile ago while Bruce was cleaning pens he tested the durability of the door frame by backing into it with the skid steer. The end result was the anchors got broken out of the cement. Bruce removed the frame and proceeded to start the process of replacing that. The door needs replacing also, compliments of the same incident : ) The goats also got fed in between cattle moves.
Wednesday-We woke up this morning to a blizzard. By the time we got to the middle of the afternoon we had gotten easily 5 inches of wet heavy snow that came sideways! Between the house and barn there are areas where the snow is nearly knee high. What a miserable sloppy mess! The road conditions were horrible so Jerred got here late. That worked perfectly fine with us because our morning was running late also. We trimmed the last of the cows and also new heifers. It was unexpected that the cow yesterday was more trouble than any of the new heifers. I spent my "free" time between moving cattle cleaning in the milkhouse. Every fall I try to scrub all the walls and pressure wash the floor along with sorting and cleaning the area where everything collects. I managed to get through most of the most complicated area so I was excited about that. Bruce had to switch tractors so he could haul manure with the 4 wheel drive and proceeded to haul the load from yesterday and then clean the barn again today. One of these days it will be too cold to let a load sit but for now it is a handy option. With the miserable weather, Bruce had mentioned at breakfast that as soon as we were done he had to move heifers since their pasture was burried in snow. Just as the very last cow was being trimmed the heifers showed up on the yard, evidently tired of waiting. Mike was thrilled to have something to do and Bruce enjoyed having the opportunity to show someone what Mike is capable of since Jerred was here. Mike brought the cattle around the barn and then Bruce had him put them in the steer holding pen. Tonight they are able to go in and out of the barn and have food and water inside. As soon as the snow melts they can go back to pasture since there is another week of feed out there for them if the weather cooperates.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Shelling Corn
Saturday-I guessed wrong. Bruce fed everyone last night and when I asked what time he came in he only told me "late". Ed is done combining for now so he has been getting a load of corn silage from his silo for Bruce. It is nice to have that taken off Bruce's to do list for now. Joe came for morning milking so he and I started while Bruce was still feeding. The new heifers are adjusting to their new home. They have all figured out how to use a drinking cup and get up and lie down. They have already decided they like the feed cart when it goes by, even if it is only an opportunity to steal a little cow TMR. There is one that gets a little excited when we touch her yet so we are extra careful when we milk the cow next to her. Every day we scratch her back and talk to her. Already she is better but still a bit excited. Bruce always leaves some lights on the first night cattle are in a new place. They have settled in enough that he can turn them off.
Sunday-Jim came home last night to help us today. He is always good help since he grew up here and he and Bruce make a great team. Bruce got the plank barrier next to the blower set and Jim moved the screenings pile into place to form a driveway/ramp for unloading. While he was doing that Bruce was adjusting the chopper we rent to its original settings so it can be returned before the rain. As intended, we hauled one pen of animals over to their winter home in Ed's yard so Jim helped Bruce uncover the silo and get the unloader running so they can be fed in the bunk. By early afternoon Ed was home and ready to combine for us so Jim climbed the Harvestore and opened the hatch and set the blower pipe so we could fill. Jim and a friend hauled loads while Bruce and I moved cattle. The combining day was shortened some by a chain that tore off but they managed to get 7.5 acres done is a pretty short amount of time. Ed says the corn is yielding well, guessing close to 200 bushels per acre. With everything going on, feeding got started late so milking was late. In self defense I did start milking myself. It was a very productive day!
Sunday-Jim came home last night to help us today. He is always good help since he grew up here and he and Bruce make a great team. Bruce got the plank barrier next to the blower set and Jim moved the screenings pile into place to form a driveway/ramp for unloading. While he was doing that Bruce was adjusting the chopper we rent to its original settings so it can be returned before the rain. As intended, we hauled one pen of animals over to their winter home in Ed's yard so Jim helped Bruce uncover the silo and get the unloader running so they can be fed in the bunk. By early afternoon Ed was home and ready to combine for us so Jim climbed the Harvestore and opened the hatch and set the blower pipe so we could fill. Jim and a friend hauled loads while Bruce and I moved cattle. The combining day was shortened some by a chain that tore off but they managed to get 7.5 acres done is a pretty short amount of time. Ed says the corn is yielding well, guessing close to 200 bushels per acre. With everything going on, feeding got started late so milking was late. In self defense I did start milking myself. It was a very productive day!
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| the third load of breaker rock for building up the driveway. |
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| This is the current system for getting corn silage. The trailer has a hydraulic lift and we have a reload area to put it in the mixer with the skid steer. |
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| It was 28 degrees yesterday morning. Mike's swimming season is over. |
Friday, November 4, 2011
"All We Have To Do Is...."
As I was heading to the barn this morning the 3rd load of breaker rock arrived so Bruce pointed the driver in the right direction as to where to unload. With all the piles around here it looks like a major project going on. While we were milking we discussed what needed to be done to get the new heifers in the barn. They were supposed to be delivered sometime this morning and we knew we weren't ready so Bruce bedded the steers holding pen so we have a clean place to put them while they waited for us. The project seemed pretty straight forward, "all we had to do" was finish the mattresses. Since they were already in place that meant drilling three 1/4inch holes and pounding in cement nails, and then using a sawzall to cut out an area that needed to go around the pipes. Seemed simple enough. When the heifers arrived we found that he had brought an extra one in this group. This added the soaking, scrubbing and bleaching of another cow mattress, which involved moving a cow to a different stall. Bruce then decided to tighten the stanchions since heifers heads are smaller and if we resized them they wouldn't be able to pull their heads out and get into trouble. Of course that meant he needed to take the side of the stanchion off, unbolt the bottom, drill a new hole in the steel, bolt the stanchion in the new hole and then bolt it back in place. We were then ready to move the heifers in but we had to put in gutter grates, bed the stalls and lime the alley so no one would slip and get scared. By 5 p.m. we were ready to get heifers in! We brought them in one at a time, and although it seemed like a slow process, we only had one that caused extra problems and we had all 6 in stalls in 1 hour. We have the heifers in 2 groups so they are easier to feed since they will be eating a transition ration before they start eating cow TMR. Joe had come later this afternoon and used the skid steer to move hutches and pressure wash them. He then helped clean up the old feed in front of the cows and got more bedding down and bedded the rest of the cows. Bruce started to mix feed and realized that the wheel hub he identified as starting to break the other day was completely breaking tonight. The good news is the parts arrived today so he took the drive wheel off and fixed it. He walked in the barn with the fixed wheel just as Joe and I were milking the last cows. Everyone on the place needed feeding tonight but some will have to wait til morning. The good news is Joe is coming to help milk so he and I can milk again while Bruce continues trying to catch up to where he should have been this afternoon. Ed stopped in this afternoon to let us know he is able to start harvesting our corn as soon as we are ready. The weather is fantastic. We need to figure out how to run faster but overall it was a very productive day : )
Thursday, November 3, 2011
5 Directions At once
This morning was a bit chaotic. While Bruce was feeding he realized the noise he had been hearing was the hub on the drive wheel on the feed cart. It had worn the bolt holes and they were slipping. While he waited for feed to mix he used his cell phone to call and leave a message that he would need parts. He also ordered lime screenings for the ramp we build by the blower where we unload corn and breaker rock to build up our driveway. He made a third call to the trucker so we could sell some cull cows. I started milking myself and when Bruce was finished feeding he joined me. It wasn't long and he had a return phone call from our feed cart dealer so I kept milking and he explained what was worn and what parts he needed. He again started helping milk until he got another call from the feed cart dealer verifying what they would send. It wasn't long and the first load of screenings arrived and Bruce had to leave to point out where it needed to be dumped. Ed stopped in after getting a load of silage for us. Eventually we managed to finish milking and headed home for breakfast. Bruce no more than got his shoes off and the trucker was here for the cull cows so he put his shoes on and loaded the cows. Eventually he managed to get breakfast. When he ordered the screenings he was hoping it would come soon but he wasn't expecting it before we got done milking and he definitely didn't expect the breaker rock for the driveway to come today. Part of the afternoon was spent using the tractor and blade and skidsteer to level the rock. We need to order 1 more load and then cover all of it with gravel. That is one of the realities of living in the country, we need to build our own driveways. The good news is it has been many years since we added gravel so now it will have the right slope and the water will go where it should and hopefully cause less damage in heavy rains. By mid afternoon we got a call about the delivery of the heifers we purchased. The owner would have liked to deliver them today but Bruce was in the process of replacing 3 mattresses and couldn't find his hammer drill. As it turned out, we think the drill had gone home with Jim and we had to borrow one to use to finish the project. I bleached the stalls that needed it so we should be ready for new animals fairly quickly tomorrow. Let the adventures begin : )
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
New Heifers
Immediately after milking we let the cows out into the yard, ate breakfast and then headed out to check on the heifers we are considering purchasing. There are reasons we are excited about doing this. Bruce has known this farmer since high school. We have had direct contact with the farmer who is now milking the previous group of heifers from this farm and has reported good things. They come from a closed herd, meaning they are home raised in a herd where they have pedigrees from multiple generations and they have not brought in other animals. This decreases the risk of disease transfer. They are due in November which fits well here, and December, which is slightly more complicated since we then have some of our own heifers due. We were able to walk among them and see their dispositions when we were there. They have been raised on pasture so they will be ready to go back to work when the grazing season starts in spring. The things we have mixed feelings on are they are carrying calves from an Angus bull. They will fit just fine in our steer yard but they won't create milking replacements. They are due in November and December which means I will be feeding 18 calves over Christmas. We have only purchased heifers one other time since I have been here. We paid $2,200 each and one of them was mean, did significant damage to Bruce's shoulder, and left here earlier this year for our own safety. We have decided to make this purchase and will pay $1,475 each which included delivery here. They will not really create much extra work since we milk and bed and clean the barn regardless but they will increase our milk income at a time when we are drying up cows. All that being said, I am not looking forward to the freshening vigil, new heifer learning curve and newborn calf worries. Already I am looking forward to January!
By the time we returned home it had started to rain. The cows probably got their last bath of the year while they were waiting to be let back in the barn. As the afternoon progressed it rained harder and then snowed enough to make the grass nearly white for awhile. Wet, sloppy, 37 degrees and windy. We are definitely in the transition towards winter! Bruce gave Vicky a call to discuss the transition of these heifers. They are already eating corn silage and haylage so they are already heading the right direction towards the milking ration.
Tonight I bleached one stall and we moved a cull cow to another one so we can get ready for the first group of heifers. Since we are culling and moving animals Bruce ordered new mattresses and will install 3 that we have on hand. Suddenly we have a project with a deadline along with the need to get ready to harvest corn. Oh well...bedtime : )
By the time we returned home it had started to rain. The cows probably got their last bath of the year while they were waiting to be let back in the barn. As the afternoon progressed it rained harder and then snowed enough to make the grass nearly white for awhile. Wet, sloppy, 37 degrees and windy. We are definitely in the transition towards winter! Bruce gave Vicky a call to discuss the transition of these heifers. They are already eating corn silage and haylage so they are already heading the right direction towards the milking ration.
Tonight I bleached one stall and we moved a cull cow to another one so we can get ready for the first group of heifers. Since we are culling and moving animals Bruce ordered new mattresses and will install 3 that we have on hand. Suddenly we have a project with a deadline along with the need to get ready to harvest corn. Oh well...bedtime : )
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
New Heifers?
Bruce had an appointment this morning so there was a bit more rush getting the morning chores done. Vicky came today to check the cows and discuss feed rations. Bruce had sent in some feed samples and she had emailed a new ration mix yesterday. We discussed our protein costs but weren't able to get her accurate information today because the mill that had actually delivered protein today had computer problems and couldn't print an invoice for us. Our herd, as an average, have been fresh quite awhile so there was discussion whether to leave the urea in the mix or take it out. Urea is a very concentrated source of protein but there is a limited amount you can add to a mix. It was decided to leave the urea in for the protein savings it provides. We are considering purchasing 5 bred heifers from a retiring farmer. Cull cow prices are good now so we could sell some of our problem cows and replace them with new heifers. Adding a few new heifers would also increase our milk at a time when the cows are heading for dry off. It would also add to the work load since I would have more calves to feed. I am currently feeding one and liking that. Oh well.....
Catching Up Cattle
Yesterday was a slightly rainy, dreary 40 degree day. We decided to leave the cows in the barn in order to make a trip to town but by the time Bruce got feeding done we decided to stay home. It was a good day to do things in the house. Other than feeding, which seems to take most of the day these days, and milking, we had our version of a whole day off.
Today was a cloudy day. The cows went out into the yard today and are learning to come in without too many problems. Bruce spent the day dehorning and also banding (castrating) the steers. I used to do them when they were weaned but studies say that the steers will grow faster if you take advantage of the natural hormones longer. Since we don't use anything to promote growth we are trying this system for now. The first group we banded later will be finished and ready to sell about the first of the year. We will then know how it works for sure. Joe came and helped milk tonight so I was able to do things in the house. I have to say, it is nice to have the extra help.
Today was a cloudy day. The cows went out into the yard today and are learning to come in without too many problems. Bruce spent the day dehorning and also banding (castrating) the steers. I used to do them when they were weaned but studies say that the steers will grow faster if you take advantage of the natural hormones longer. Since we don't use anything to promote growth we are trying this system for now. The first group we banded later will be finished and ready to sell about the first of the year. We will then know how it works for sure. Joe came and helped milk tonight so I was able to do things in the house. I have to say, it is nice to have the extra help.
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