Clearing for the feeder

This afternoon it was time to give the cattle another large hay bale.  It is still cold outside.  This time after I started my tractor I let it warm up for about 15 minutes.  Then I had no problem with the hydraulics.

I used the tractor bucket to clear a new area for the hay feeder.  I also cleared a few other paths until dark.

The cattle like to lay under the trees, and while they have made walking paths to them, I cleared a path for the cattle to walk to several of the trees.

Frozen hydraulics again

Today my tractor hydraulics quit again.  They worked after I started the tractor.  I drove out to attach the bucket so I could clear snow for a new metal feeder location.  Then the hydraulics quit working.



I drove the tractor back to the pole shed parking spot.  With the tractor running I placed a small space heater under the tractor.  Then I went out and by hand shoveled the deep snow to make a large spot to move the metal feeder.  A little over a half hour later I came back and tried the tractor's hydraulics.  They worked.  I was able to move a large hay bale out for the cattle who were waiting patiently in the corral having finished the one small hay bale I had given them in the meantime.  It was dark by the time I finished.

This afternoon I also shoveled and raked the manure and wet straw from the area under the barn's lean-to roof.  I put down another bale of dry straw for the calves and Speckles to lay on.  If the cattle only would use a bathroom place other than where they lay - it would make my life easier and their resting area better.

Frozen hydraulics

The hydraulics on my tractor froze up late Monday afternoon when I went out to get another large hay bale for the cattle.  I have had the hydraulics on a cold day not respond until the tractor ran and warmed up for a few minutes; but I never had the hydraulics work then stop working.  And I have used my tractor on colder days.  The hydraulic fluid level is at full so that wasn't the problem.

Monday I had speared and lifted the hay bale.  After I backed out of the hayshed I tried to lift the bale a little higher and that is when the hydraulics quit.  Not only the loader stopped lifting, the hydraulics run the power steering.  Try steering a tractor with a large bale on it through deep snow with no hydraulics to help you.

I made it to where I wanted to put the hay bale.  After I removed the twine I was able to tilt the spear downwards until the bale slipped off the spear.  I could lower the spear or the loader but not raise either of them.

The next problem was to lift the metal feeder up on its side to move over and then drop over the bale.  I need the tractor to do this as the feeder is too heavy from me to lift up onto its side.  I was able to lift the feeder enough to set it on the end of the bale spear.  Then I was able to drive the tractor forward.  The feeder slid up the spear then up to the top of the loader's arm.  From there I was able to finish tipping the feeder onto its side.

Extra work all around but I got it done.

Today we had sun and a high temperature in the mid 20s.  I started the tractor and today the hydraulics worked.  Hooray!  Tomorrow I'll have to put out another bale for the cattle.


The weather forecast is for snow and cold through the end of February, and colder than normal temperatures for the first week of March.  Our normal highs right now should be in the mid 30s.  With a forecast of below freezing temperatures for the time being I am getting concerned about calving when it starts March 10 as the pasture is covered in snow.  I may have to come up with a Plan B.

Sagging snow

A day (almost) without snow.  So I spent all of the afternoon shoveling snow off the driveway and around the yard and outside of the hayshed.  I got the driveway clear and paths to drive in the backyard.  Tonight the snow started again.  2 to 5 inches are predicted by morning.  Then over the next few days an additional inch of snow each day.  I am soooo tired of shoveling snow.



The temperature is nicer.  High temperature was around freezing and the sun was out for much of the day.

Snow pictures

It continues to snow.  Four inches yesterday.  Two inches last night.  More snow forecast for each of the next three days.  I am tired of spending hours every day shoveling snow.

I don't know why, but the cows were thirstier today that usual.  Every time I turned around I had to fill the water trough.  I filled it multiple times today and usually I only have to fill it once or twice a day.

I saw two cows towards the river early this afternoon.  So I trudged through the deep snow to check on them.  The snow was so deep it came over the tops of my boots and I ended up with wet feet and pants by the time I was done.  Since the cattle were in the middle pasture previously, and there was little snow most of the Winter so far, I hadn't closed off the path to the river in the north pasture.  Sure enough, Maria (of course) and cow #90 were down there.  The river was ice and snow covered so they didn't go down all the way to the river.  But they were standing and looking at the patches of open water and trying to figure how to get there.

I trudged back to the corral and got one of my green corral panels and carried it to the river.  I am glad I added to the fence this Summer.  Instead of four or five panels to close access to the river in the Winter I only need one panel.  With the path down to the river blocked for now I don't have to worry about some cow doing something crazy.

Since I was out there I discovered a fallen tree.  It must have happened during one of recent weekend Winter storms.  Another tree to cut up for firewood this year.

I also put out a tub of Vitalix mineral lick.  This gives the cows extra minerals during the later parts of their pregnancy.  The tub weighs 250 pounds so I could only slide the tub out of the barn.  I'm getting old as I can't lift 250 pounds.

Another weekend, another Winter storm

After such a nice Winter, February came in like a lion and we are definitely in Winter now.  Our global warming is long gone and we are well below average temperature-wise.  We were behind in snow depth but we have caught up now.

I learned from last week's Winter storm.  I left the calves and the heifer Speckles in the south corral.   The cows and bull had finished the bale of hay in the middle pasture by this morning.   Around noon I cleaned up the hayshed and gave the cows and bull a pickup load of loose hay to eat.  After changing my plan and getting groceries today and not Saturday, this afternoon I brought out another large bale of hay for the cows.  By now the wind had picked up.  I decided to place the bale in the north pasture corner.  This location allows the hayshed to block much of the wind and the bale is outside of the corral but not far for the cows to walk to eat.

I had an extra metal feeder in the north pasture for use.  First I got the wooden pallet to sit the bale on.  By the time I drove back minutes later to get the feeder my tractor tracks were partially filled in from the blowing snow.  I am very happy I have a cab on my tractor with a heater inside.

When I opened the corral gate the cows and bull came out from the protection of the loafing shed to eat from the hay bale.  As I cleaned some of the manure from the loafing shed the two heifers came to the loafing shed to complain to me that the big cows weren't letting them eat from the hay bale.  I told them there was nothing I could do, they would have to wait until the cows were done eating before they could eat.

It had snowed quite a few inches of snow last night.  So I placed more snow around my well pump shed.  The outdoor temperature was in the lows teens above zero but the temperature from the light bulb inside the shed made it 40 degrees inside.  And that was before I added more snow around the shed all the way to the roof.   The wind is blowing 30 to 40 mph hour and a peak wind gust has been as high as 47 mph.  The temperature is supposed to get down to minus 10 degrees but I am confident the extra snow and light bulb will keep my well from freezing.

Winter storm changes plans

A Winter storm was forecast for today and tomorrow followed by cold weather.  In preparation I put out two large hay bales.  I took the pickup load of leftover hay from the calves' feeder and put it out in the hayfield for the cows and bull.  While they ate that hay I closed the gate to the pasture.  This allowed me to bring out a large hay bale for them without them bothering me.  I placed the bale on the western side of the middle pasture close to the trees.  That way the cattle can rest in the trees somewhat out of the wind.  I then put out a new large bale for the calves in the NE pasture.  Let the storm come, I am ready.

The calves' water trough was partially iced up from the recent cold nights.  Saturday our high temperature was 45 degrees and I was able to break up the ice and remove it from the water trough   This way the entire water trough was water.

The storm arrived overnight.  Daisy woke me up early to go outside.  But after I opened the door to the cold and wind she wrinkled her nose and decided to stay in the house.  I went back to bed and slept late in a warm bed.  Daisy came and snuggled up against me.

When I did get up the storm was still raging.  The calves were in the loafing shed out of the wind.  The cows and bull were all standing along the hayfield fence under a tree.  There were not out of the wind and back by their hay feeder.  Oh, for heaven's sake!

I decided to put the calves in the corral south of the barn to keep them away from the bull.  I got two straw bales for bedding from the barn's hayloft.  I had to move slow and careful as the ground from Saturday's melting was ice covered and slippery.  I didn't want the ladder to slide out from under me as I carried each straw bale down the ladder.

Once I had the straw laid out, and a small bale in the barn's wooden feeder, I opened the gate to let the calves in.  They preferred to stay in the loafing shed.  Around and around we went.  I tried not to slip and not to have the calves slip on the icy ground.  I also tried - and did avoid - from getting kicked.  The calves wouldn't go to the open gate.  Eventually they ran to the back of the corral.  I then opened that gate and they went through.

Instead of going to the shelter of the barn's overhang the calves stood in the back corner of the corral and in the wind.  This was the closest they could get to the cows in the middle pasture.

I then put several small bales of hay in the wooden feeder in the main corral.  I also closed the gate so the cattle couldn't get to the NE pasture.  The cattle being in the corral is for only a few days until the storm is over.  I don't want the cattle to decide to stay in the NE pasture.

Then I went out and opened the gates to let the cattle in to the corral.  The cattle huddled under the tree and wouldn't come.  I had to walk over and call them and then walk back to the middle/north pasture gate and call them.  Finally Mama came around from the other side of the huddle and looked at me.  She realized what I wanted the cattle to do and she came.  The rest of the cattle followed her.

Once in the corral the cattle went to eating the hay I put out for them.  Speckles was being pushed away and shut out from eating at either feeder. She was going around eating the scraps of hay on the ground that had blown out of the feeder.

I decided to put Speckles in the south corral with the calves.  The calves were at the middle gate west of the barn watching the cows.  I opened the east gate to have Speckles go through.  But she didn't want to go.  She kept circling back.  While she was only getting scraps of hay she was desperate to get them before the big cows ate them too.  Around and around we went.  I was afraid she or I were going to slip on the ice.  I got my sorting stick.  Again I tried to herd Speckles to the open gate.  Finally she noticed it was open and went through it.

Speckles went right to the hay in the barn's feeder and began eating.  The red calf then noticed her and came over and started to fight Speckles.  Even though Speckles is a year older, the red calf is a chucky monkey and sometimes Speckles pushed the red calf backwards, and sometimes the red calf pushed Speckles backwards.  Then the other calves came and the two black calves started fighting Speckles too.

I left them be to sort it out.  Later I seen them eating and not fighting.  I tell ya, females are just mean.

I had spent several hours in the snow and howling wind and was ready to go inside the house, clean the woodstove and start a fire to warm up.  Daisy and I fell asleep on the floor together by the warm fire.

Late afternoon my water quit.  Overnight I had forgotten to turn on the light bulb in the well shed to generate heat.  With the warmer weather I had turned it off.  In the morning when I turned the light on it was below freezing in the shed, but the water still ran.  When the water quit I checked on the well shed.  It was still below freezing in the shed so I got a small electric heater and plugged it in.  I also shoveled snow against the north wall of the shed to help protect it from the wind.  A hour later the water ran again.

I gave the cattle more hay just before dark.  Everyone, when not eating, stood in their loafing sheds out of the howling wind.

I want my global warming back!!!

Straw bedding.

Barn feeder hay bale

Corral feeder and hay scraps

Even when huddling by the tree my racist black cattle are mean to the red cows.  Mama and Red are in the back.  They are smart enough to go on the side of the herd downwind.  Speckles is off to the right as the herd won't let her join them.

Huddling by the tree.

Of course Panda is one of the first to reach the hay.

Fat and pregnant

Speckles finally can eat some hay.

Chunky Monkey red calf wants to fight.

Now the other black calves want to fight Speckles.  Beulah's calf wants no part of the fight.

Here is a 25 second video of Speckles with the calves.  The initial fighting - once I started filming - was over and they are now getting used to one another.

https://youtu.be/xhH8j4zKAUU