Hooves and sunset

Some weeks ago I found part of a hoof out in the hayfield.  I think it may be from Momma.  I never noticed her limping, but her hoofs were long this Summer and this hoof looks to be the size and color as Momma's hoofs.

This past week cow #40 started to limp after the cattle were let back into the corral.  I first noticed it Tuesday night when Dan and I separated the calves for weaning.  It was somewhat dark to see why she was limping.  I watched during the week.  First it seemed like her back left leg was a little swollen between her hoof and the first joint.  Then it seemed like she was favoring her front left foot.

This morning I got a little better look and she is definitely favoring her front left hoof.  Dan stopped by at noon and we looked.  She won't let us grab her leg to look but from a little distance away nothing seems caught in her hoof.  For now we are thinking she stepped on some frozen something (manure piles?) in the corral and that made her hoof tender.   She was near a gate so we herded her in the corral with the calves.  She was the only cow not to have a calf so this will work.  This part of the corral is a little smoother and she doesn't have to walk as much to eat and drink.  That should help her heal.

Is this going to be an annual event each Fall?  A cow with an injured hoof?

I got a couple of old bad hay/straw bales and spread them under the barn lean to.  This will provide a little protection / warmth for the calves and injured cow to lay on on these cold days and nights as the overnight temps are below zero F.

As you can see the calves fur has gotten thicker and the snow has not completely melted off their backs.


During the storm I had been feeding small bales to the cows three times a day.  With the injured cow out of the way I could herd the others out of the corral temporarily so I could pull another large bale into the corral.  The pallet had froze to the ground so I had to jerk it several times with the pickup before it broke free and began to move.


It was so cold my livestock well froze!  Actually... what froze was the short garden hose from the hydrant to the water trough.  The hose doesn't go straight down but at an angle.  The temperature was cold enough the water froze in the hose before completely draining.  *sigh*  I took the hose off and thawed it in the house.


The wind and snow had quit by morning as the storm moved on.  Still cold.  Snow had blown everywhere. Inside the barn, under the pole shed and tool shed even though those openings were away from the wind. It seemed like the wind swirled in addition to blowing at gale force.

It started to clear at sunset.  The mountains looked nice.

After dark Daisy went outside.  At first she wanted to go until I opened the door and she felt how cold it was.  She then complained to me about the weather.   A short time later she saw something outside and was meowing at one window and pawing at another window.  This time she went outside when I opened the door for her.  She wasn't outside too long before coming back in.  No more meowing or pawing... she is laying by the wood stove.