Thursday, March 3, 2011

Self Inflicted Chaos

We are able to check our milk sample results online about 48 hours after our milk is picked up.  Our somatic cell count has gone up since we tested milk.  In an effort to see who is causing trouble we sent samples in from the cows that have freshened since we tested.  We have a testing unit we can use but it took a bunch of extra time to milk the cows we needed to, all with that specific milking unit.  Since they are spread around the barn it was a challenge at times to keep track of everyone.  In the end we had the samples we needed and sent them with the milk hauler this morning.  It would be nice if we had the information back from them by the weekend but the lab tends to be slower than we like so it will probably be Monday.  At least we have the process started.

We had Vicky, our nutritionist, here also today.  She brought lots of reports that were created through the milk testing process we do every month.  For the most part the news was good.  There are always things that need improving and some things that are just a continuous frustration.  If the cattle would only read the manual.....

I delivered our financial records at 2:00 on Tuesday afternoon.  By 4:00 I had a phone call with a question.  After 2 email questions the next morning, our taxes were done and in the mail.  They (the corporate taxes) arrived today along with a bill for $465.  I cannot imagine what they charge when your records are a challenge.

This afternoon about dusk Bruce took out the daily load of manure. For about the forth or fifth time in about as many days he saw a large deer herd foraging in the fields just west of the buildings. There were about 30 -40 in one group and several smaller groups farther west. We haven't seen this many deer in one group for many years so it seems odd after seeing hardly any all winter that all of a sudden a whole bunch would just show up. Makes you wonder what drove them away from where they were or what is drawing them to where they are.....

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