Sunday Basics

With plans to travel yesterday the day started out late.  Bruce fed and then had Ed here to explain who and where to feed.  He is familiar with mixing feed for us so thats not a problem.  We milked cows, moved a couple cows to make both feeding and milking simplest and Bruce wrote down the details for the cows that have special needs.  As is usually the case when farmers want to get away, something breaks.  This morning was no exception with a stanchion that broke on the bottom.  A new piece and a couple bolts and we were good to go. We were glad to see that the cow that had twins seems to have expelled what we hope is the rest of the retained placenta.  She is eating well and pooping normally.  The calf with the joint infection continues to do OK.  With the recommendation from our vet Bruce is giving him a second antibiotic in hopes of deterring a secondary infection.  The calves in hutches were switched from bottles to getting their milk and feed in pails and have begun eating their starter.  Starter feed is a grain mix of oats, steam flaked corn, protein pellets, roasted soybeans, vitamins and minerals and something to prevent coccidiosis...the start of them eating solid food.  Bruce took advantage of a fairly warm day and pushed corn fodder bedding in the pens in the back of our barn with the skid steer today. Just when we were finishing milking tonight it became obvious that there is going to be a new calf over night.  We have a camera in the barn that transmits to a television in the laundry room so we can check cows during the night.  Its much nicer to walk in and check cows in your pajamas and then get dressed and go out when you know you need to.  This is especially appreciated in winter : )