When I checked at sundown Beulah's calf was under the big trees and was laying in the narrow gap between two trees. He certainly seems to be fine with sleeping in odd places.
As of sundown, no new calves born today.
Friday, March 15, 2019
Sleeping in a snowbank
This morning I found Beulah's calf sleeping in a snowbank near the hay feeder as his mother ate hay. He was fine. I checked - he was not shivering. Go figure.
When I checked at sundown Beulah's calf was under the big trees and was laying in the narrow gap between two trees. He certainly seems to be fine with sleeping in odd places.
As of sundown, no new calves born today.
When I checked at sundown Beulah's calf was under the big trees and was laying in the narrow gap between two trees. He certainly seems to be fine with sleeping in odd places.
As of sundown, no new calves born today.
Thursday, March 14, 2019
Cattle and calves
No new calves today (so far).
Some photos of the cattle.
Beulah's three calves (plus Sugar standing in the back). Light brown: Beulah's heifer born last year. Calf laying in the back: Beulah's steer from this year. Green ear tag: [Panda] Beulah's calf from back when I bought Beulah and this calf.
Wednesday's calf who stays warm and dry in the straw. One of the few times I seen the calf laying alone. Usually his mother lays right next to him unless she is eating from the hay bale.
Some photos of the cattle.
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| Cattle relaxing in the expanded snow cleared area by the trees. |
Beulah's three calves (plus Sugar standing in the back). Light brown: Beulah's heifer born last year. Calf laying in the back: Beulah's steer from this year. Green ear tag: [Panda] Beulah's calf from back when I bought Beulah and this calf.
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| Beulah |
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| Mama cow and cow 90 who is so pregnant she is laying funny; kind of like she is posing for 'Playcow'. |
Wednesday's calf who stays warm and dry in the straw. One of the few times I seen the calf laying alone. Usually his mother lays right next to him unless she is eating from the hay bale.
Calf 3 - 110's
Wednesday morning after Donna and I had tagged and banded Beulah's calf, and put Toby into the south corral and removed the calves from the south corral, Donna discovered a baby calf in the snow in the NE pasture.
Cow #110 had given birth. She had been with the cattle in the corral when we put Toby into the south corral. When Donna found the baby calf cow #110 was standing under the trees way over by the road. She was nowhere near her calf. She came over when Donna and I started to fuss over her calf. Yes... this is that cow. The one that ignores or is initially mean to her newborn calf and is conflicted. She licks it but she also headbutts it.
Cow 110 did not have her calf when I checked after 7 am Wednesday morning. It was 11 am when Donna and I started banding and tagging Beulah's calf and cow 110 already had her calf by then. We had noticed some stuff hanging from her back end and thought she would give birth soon. We didn't realized what we start was a little bit of her afterbirth. The afterbirth hadn't really started to come out as the calf hadn't drank yet.
Because several of the calves from last year were fixated on Beulah's new calf and one kept trying to mount it, earlier I put Beulah and her calf into the loading corral ramp area. Now that cow 110 had her calf, and the calf did not appear to have drunk milk yet, I had to get Beulah and her calf out and cow 110 and her calf into the loading corral ramp area so we could get the calf to drink from his mother.
Rather than carrying the calf I used a plastic sled to drag him into the loading corral ramp area.
The calf was weak and I had to help hold him up in a standing position while Donna guided his mouth to the cow's teat. But the calf didn't want to drink. I think it was because he was weak, instead of it being that he already had drunk and his stomach was full. I'm sure it had been over two hours since the calf was born.
So I got a bottle and Donna milked the cow. I had tried to milk the cow but I don't have the knack. We tried to get the calf to suck the bottle's nipple but he wouldn't. So I got the plastic bag and long plastic tube and we put that tube down his throat and fed him that way.
Afterwards I got some hay for him to lay on it the corner and some hay for the mother to eat. The mother had only partially licked the calf clean so Donna dried the calf off with some towels.
I put some boards across the corner to keep the mother from reaching the calf in case the mother turned mean again. Last year she attacked her newborn calf, slammed it against a tree and tore the calf's ear.
It wasn't long after Donna milked the cow that she started to expel her afterbirth.
I left the cow and calf in the loading corral ramp area. I checked on them at 2:30 pm. The calf was standing in the corner. He seemed to want to come out from under the boards. But sometimes the mother would lick him and sometimes the mother would headbutt him. So I put the mother in the 'time out' area of the loading ramp and then I walked the calf into that area. The calf was hungry and drank and drank from all the teats and would head bump the udder to 'shake' more milk down. Cow 110 would alternately reach around to try to lick the calf or would push it. The calf would wobble but would remain upright and continue to drink milk.
Good. The calf knows how to drink and now has enough energy to stand on his own.
Later in the afternoon I put out another large hay bale for the cattle. While the rest of the cattle were in the corral, Beulah and her calf were in the NE pasture. The calf was sleeping next to a snowbank near where Beulah was scrounging around for leftover hay to eat from the previous hay bale. Once I brought out the new hay bale Beulah was a pest as she tried to eat the hay as I removed the twine from the bale. I was able then to chase Beulah away long enough to drop the metal feeder over the bale.
I also scraped more snow in the NE pasture. Partly to protect a few more trees but also to enlarge the snow-free area around the large pine trees. Most of the cows like to lay under these trees at night. Their body heat has melted the snow next to the large trees but further away from the trees the snow is deeper and too much to melt.
After 6:30 pm when I let the cattle out of the corral to go to the hay bale I saw cow 110's calf was standing and drinking from her. Great news. The high temperature Wednesday was 43 degrees and plenty of melting occurred. Water started to stand. By 7 pm the only part of the loading corral ramp area without water was the corner the calf laid in. So I cleaned the manure out from the barn's covered area and put out a fresh bale of straw. I let the cow out of the loading corral and she immediately went to the south corral and the hay bale there. I walked the calf over to the straw and set him down in the corner. The sun had gone down and the calf was shivering. The barn's covered area and straw should help him warm up. And it started snowing again after sundown.
I just got done checking the cattle for the night. The baby calf is awake and laying in a different position in the straw. His mother is laying next to him and chewing her cud. Toby is standing at the other end of the straw. The other cattle are all around the trees near the road - some standing, some sitting, a few laying and sleeping. Beulah's calf is laying and sleeping next to Beulah's calf from last year.
So far three bull calves (I am counting the first one that died). All three were boys. Maybe I won't repeat last year when most of my calves were heifers?
Cow #110 had given birth. She had been with the cattle in the corral when we put Toby into the south corral. When Donna found the baby calf cow #110 was standing under the trees way over by the road. She was nowhere near her calf. She came over when Donna and I started to fuss over her calf. Yes... this is that cow. The one that ignores or is initially mean to her newborn calf and is conflicted. She licks it but she also headbutts it.
Cow 110 did not have her calf when I checked after 7 am Wednesday morning. It was 11 am when Donna and I started banding and tagging Beulah's calf and cow 110 already had her calf by then. We had noticed some stuff hanging from her back end and thought she would give birth soon. We didn't realized what we start was a little bit of her afterbirth. The afterbirth hadn't really started to come out as the calf hadn't drank yet.
Because several of the calves from last year were fixated on Beulah's new calf and one kept trying to mount it, earlier I put Beulah and her calf into the loading corral ramp area. Now that cow 110 had her calf, and the calf did not appear to have drunk milk yet, I had to get Beulah and her calf out and cow 110 and her calf into the loading corral ramp area so we could get the calf to drink from his mother.
Rather than carrying the calf I used a plastic sled to drag him into the loading corral ramp area.
The calf was weak and I had to help hold him up in a standing position while Donna guided his mouth to the cow's teat. But the calf didn't want to drink. I think it was because he was weak, instead of it being that he already had drunk and his stomach was full. I'm sure it had been over two hours since the calf was born.
So I got a bottle and Donna milked the cow. I had tried to milk the cow but I don't have the knack. We tried to get the calf to suck the bottle's nipple but he wouldn't. So I got the plastic bag and long plastic tube and we put that tube down his throat and fed him that way.
Afterwards I got some hay for him to lay on it the corner and some hay for the mother to eat. The mother had only partially licked the calf clean so Donna dried the calf off with some towels.
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| "Thank you' That feels soooo good." |
I put some boards across the corner to keep the mother from reaching the calf in case the mother turned mean again. Last year she attacked her newborn calf, slammed it against a tree and tore the calf's ear.
It wasn't long after Donna milked the cow that she started to expel her afterbirth.
I left the cow and calf in the loading corral ramp area. I checked on them at 2:30 pm. The calf was standing in the corner. He seemed to want to come out from under the boards. But sometimes the mother would lick him and sometimes the mother would headbutt him. So I put the mother in the 'time out' area of the loading ramp and then I walked the calf into that area. The calf was hungry and drank and drank from all the teats and would head bump the udder to 'shake' more milk down. Cow 110 would alternately reach around to try to lick the calf or would push it. The calf would wobble but would remain upright and continue to drink milk.
Good. The calf knows how to drink and now has enough energy to stand on his own.
Later in the afternoon I put out another large hay bale for the cattle. While the rest of the cattle were in the corral, Beulah and her calf were in the NE pasture. The calf was sleeping next to a snowbank near where Beulah was scrounging around for leftover hay to eat from the previous hay bale. Once I brought out the new hay bale Beulah was a pest as she tried to eat the hay as I removed the twine from the bale. I was able then to chase Beulah away long enough to drop the metal feeder over the bale.
I also scraped more snow in the NE pasture. Partly to protect a few more trees but also to enlarge the snow-free area around the large pine trees. Most of the cows like to lay under these trees at night. Their body heat has melted the snow next to the large trees but further away from the trees the snow is deeper and too much to melt.
After 6:30 pm when I let the cattle out of the corral to go to the hay bale I saw cow 110's calf was standing and drinking from her. Great news. The high temperature Wednesday was 43 degrees and plenty of melting occurred. Water started to stand. By 7 pm the only part of the loading corral ramp area without water was the corner the calf laid in. So I cleaned the manure out from the barn's covered area and put out a fresh bale of straw. I let the cow out of the loading corral and she immediately went to the south corral and the hay bale there. I walked the calf over to the straw and set him down in the corner. The sun had gone down and the calf was shivering. The barn's covered area and straw should help him warm up. And it started snowing again after sundown.
I just got done checking the cattle for the night. The baby calf is awake and laying in a different position in the straw. His mother is laying next to him and chewing her cud. Toby is standing at the other end of the straw. The other cattle are all around the trees near the road - some standing, some sitting, a few laying and sleeping. Beulah's calf is laying and sleeping next to Beulah's calf from last year.
So far three bull calves (I am counting the first one that died). All three were boys. Maybe I won't repeat last year when most of my calves were heifers?
Wednesday, March 13, 2019
Calf 2 - Beulah's
Tuesday afternoon the second baby calf was born. Since Monday night Beulah stayed in the loafing shed away from most of the other cattle. I had a dental cleaning at 1 pm and when I got home (after also picking up my new tractor window [$372]) at 2:45 pm I found the calf standing next to Beulah and Beulah eating some of her afterbirth.
Later in the afternoon I saw the calf drink from Beulah, and after 7 pm, even though I brought out some hay in the corral feeder for Beulah, she took her calf from the loafing shed out to the NE pasture to be with the other cattle. They ended up by the gate near the garage, and not at the hay feeder. Toby, the dad, came over to check out his new son. A few of the 'aunties' came over to check out the new baby. I wish Beulah had stayed in the loafing shed with her calf. After she went to the NE pasture it started to snow lightly. I want the calf to stay dry.
The calf spent the night outside. Initially Beulah and the calf stayed near the gate by the garage. By the time I went to bed they were at the gate between the NE pasture and the north pasture. That is where I found them the next morning. We had several inches of snow overnight. But the calf appears to be doing well.
Wednesday morning Donna came over to help me band (castrate) the bull calf and put a tag in its ear.
Later in the afternoon I saw the calf drink from Beulah, and after 7 pm, even though I brought out some hay in the corral feeder for Beulah, she took her calf from the loafing shed out to the NE pasture to be with the other cattle. They ended up by the gate near the garage, and not at the hay feeder. Toby, the dad, came over to check out his new son. A few of the 'aunties' came over to check out the new baby. I wish Beulah had stayed in the loafing shed with her calf. After she went to the NE pasture it started to snow lightly. I want the calf to stay dry.
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| Look at the 'ring' around his eyes. Yup, he is Beulah's calf. |
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| "I'm coming Mama." |
The calf spent the night outside. Initially Beulah and the calf stayed near the gate by the garage. By the time I went to bed they were at the gate between the NE pasture and the north pasture. That is where I found them the next morning. We had several inches of snow overnight. But the calf appears to be doing well.
Wednesday morning Donna came over to help me band (castrate) the bull calf and put a tag in its ear.
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| Toby and his son |
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| Family portrait: Toby, his son, and Beulah - the calf's mother. |
Sunday, March 10, 2019
Two hay bales, etc.
This morning I put out two large hay bales for the cattle. One bale was in the NE pasture for the cows and bull and the other bale was in the south corral for the calves. Since the cows and bull had eaten the NE bale I was able to move that metal feeder for the calves to use in the south corral as that has been the feeder for that corral. So it was a game of musical chairs as I had to do this while working around the cows and calves and not letting them mix or be where I was working with the hay bales or feeders.
According to the breeding charts, today is the first day the cows are due to give birth. Beulah was first bred and was due today. As of this post she has not given birth. She looks close but not imminent.
Our high temperature today was 31 degrees but the sun made it seem warmer. I shoveled the snow out of the loading ramp corral in case I need to put a cow in there.
Joyce called about iodine use on a calf's navel after birth. In all these years they never sprayed iodine on the navel and a few days ago one of their newborns calves got sick and the vet said it was from a navel infection.
The following photo shows where the cattle got to a tree. I propped the two wire sections back against the tree for the photo as the cattle has taken them apart and down and then broke or ate the tree branches they could reach. In the morning I caught the bull working on another tree and its wire fencing in order to reach that tree's branches.
The geese are back. The past few days they spent parts of the day out here near the hay bale where there is bare ground.
When I first let the cows and bull out to the hay bale the bullies pushed Speckles away. Here I got some leftover hay from the hay barn and gave it to her here. Behind you can see where I put some wood pallets to prevent the bull from breaking the wire fencing and getting to that evergreen tree.
According to the breeding charts, today is the first day the cows are due to give birth. Beulah was first bred and was due today. As of this post she has not given birth. She looks close but not imminent.
Our high temperature today was 31 degrees but the sun made it seem warmer. I shoveled the snow out of the loading ramp corral in case I need to put a cow in there.
Joyce called about iodine use on a calf's navel after birth. In all these years they never sprayed iodine on the navel and a few days ago one of their newborns calves got sick and the vet said it was from a navel infection.
The following photo shows where the cattle got to a tree. I propped the two wire sections back against the tree for the photo as the cattle has taken them apart and down and then broke or ate the tree branches they could reach. In the morning I caught the bull working on another tree and its wire fencing in order to reach that tree's branches.
The geese are back. The past few days they spent parts of the day out here near the hay bale where there is bare ground.
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| The geese made a ruckus and flew away when I came out to check on the cattle. |
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| Sugar now has more of her afterbirth hanging out back. Beulah is to the right of her. |
When I first let the cows and bull out to the hay bale the bullies pushed Speckles away. Here I got some leftover hay from the hay barn and gave it to her here. Behind you can see where I put some wood pallets to prevent the bull from breaking the wire fencing and getting to that evergreen tree.
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| A casualty from when I scraped snow out of the main corral. |
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| The hay bale for the calves in the south corral. |
Friday, March 08, 2019
Two geese
Other than in areas with flow and ripples, the river is still frozen in large areas. And lots of snow everywhere. These two geese found that I had scraped snow from the yard, and south of the toolshed the snow melted to the grass. The geese spent all afternoon there soaking up the sun. When I came and went from the house and down the driveway the geese stayed there. Only late afternoon when Daisy came outside and sat on the patio by the house did the geese get up and move away. They left lots of poop behind.
The other afternoon I saw seven yearling deer running through the deep snow around my pasture and the neighbor's pasture. Wonder what they are finding to eat.
The other afternoon I saw seven yearling deer running through the deep snow around my pasture and the neighbor's pasture. Wonder what they are finding to eat.
Thursday, March 07, 2019
Snow piles
March has been an expensive month so far. The vet bill for the dead calf came to $309. The tractor window will be between $370 and $380. Will I make money this year? Or will I have a loss two years in a row?
Here is one snow pile from snow I had scraped out of the corral. This is not all the snow scraped from the corral as I put piles elsewhere too.
In the afternoon I scraped snow in the NE pasture. I have a large hay bale out there from back before the snow came the end of January. The calves were eating from that bale before the snow came and I put the calves in the corral. Now that the hay bale in the north pasture has been eaten I let the cattle into the NE pasture to eat that bale. First I scraped paths for the cattle to reach the hay bale. Also, because the cattle seem to love biting tree branches, I pushed snow piles around the small evergreen trees to protect them.
Since Speckles and calf 90 were by the gate I let them in the NE pasture before the other cattle. These two heifers get bullied and have to wait until the others finish eating before they are allowed to eat. Today they got a 15-20 minute head start on the hay bale before the bullies came and pushed them away.
Having the cows restricted to the NE pasture and main corral it will be easier for me to keep track of them when they deliver their calves. Otherwise I was afraid one or more cows would head to the far end of the north pasture and have her calf in a snow bank. I talked with Joyce a few days ago. While they have straw bedding for their cows the other day they discovered one cow had her calf in a manure pile / snow pile.
We got another inch or two of snow overnight. When Daisy got me up to go outside I saw the snow and it was still snowing. Depressed I went back to bed for another hour before I finally got up. After I scraped snow in the NE pasture I scraped snow off the driveway and some in the backyard. I also scraped the new snow from the main corral. I am so tired of snow.
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| Glass from the shattered tractor window. |
Here is one snow pile from snow I had scraped out of the corral. This is not all the snow scraped from the corral as I put piles elsewhere too.
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| Most of the cattle this morning |
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| Speckles |
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| A pregnant looking Speckles |
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| Sugar - the cow that lost her calf. |
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| Pregnant cow |
In the afternoon I scraped snow in the NE pasture. I have a large hay bale out there from back before the snow came the end of January. The calves were eating from that bale before the snow came and I put the calves in the corral. Now that the hay bale in the north pasture has been eaten I let the cattle into the NE pasture to eat that bale. First I scraped paths for the cattle to reach the hay bale. Also, because the cattle seem to love biting tree branches, I pushed snow piles around the small evergreen trees to protect them.
Since Speckles and calf 90 were by the gate I let them in the NE pasture before the other cattle. These two heifers get bullied and have to wait until the others finish eating before they are allowed to eat. Today they got a 15-20 minute head start on the hay bale before the bullies came and pushed them away.
Having the cows restricted to the NE pasture and main corral it will be easier for me to keep track of them when they deliver their calves. Otherwise I was afraid one or more cows would head to the far end of the north pasture and have her calf in a snow bank. I talked with Joyce a few days ago. While they have straw bedding for their cows the other day they discovered one cow had her calf in a manure pile / snow pile.
We got another inch or two of snow overnight. When Daisy got me up to go outside I saw the snow and it was still snowing. Depressed I went back to bed for another hour before I finally got up. After I scraped snow in the NE pasture I scraped snow off the driveway and some in the backyard. I also scraped the new snow from the main corral. I am so tired of snow.
Wednesday, March 06, 2019
Clearing snow and tractor cab
I stand corrected. I read today that this past February was the snowiest on record in Kalispell at 33.2 inches.
Match 10 is coming up for the predicted calf birthing start. While today saw a high temperature of 34 degrees, not much melting was happening and we have a lot of snow. I have started to scrape snow with my tractor to clear areas. I have cleared the main corral and yesterday and today I cleared the south corral.
My last run south of the barn and I made an error. I drove too close to the feeder and a board on the roof rubbed against my tractor glass window and shattered it before I knew what was happening. The right side window behind the door shattered. Glass everywhere! I had glass in the tractor cab, in the hay feeder, in the snow, and in the manure. It took me two hours to pick up - my estimate - 99% of the glass. I had to go through the hay four times to find all the glass. And every time I took a step I found more glass on the ground.
It was just a disaster. I was so mad I am glad I am on blood pressure medicine or I would have blown my top and had a stroke. The calves running around the tractor before and after the glass shattered did not help. I put the shattered glass in a plastic 5 gallon pail and some calves were determined to look in the pail. Lots of yelling by me.
Tomorrow I will have to call the John Deere dealer and order a new window. I have more snow scraping elsewhere.
Match 10 is coming up for the predicted calf birthing start. While today saw a high temperature of 34 degrees, not much melting was happening and we have a lot of snow. I have started to scrape snow with my tractor to clear areas. I have cleared the main corral and yesterday and today I cleared the south corral.
My last run south of the barn and I made an error. I drove too close to the feeder and a board on the roof rubbed against my tractor glass window and shattered it before I knew what was happening. The right side window behind the door shattered. Glass everywhere! I had glass in the tractor cab, in the hay feeder, in the snow, and in the manure. It took me two hours to pick up - my estimate - 99% of the glass. I had to go through the hay four times to find all the glass. And every time I took a step I found more glass on the ground.
It was just a disaster. I was so mad I am glad I am on blood pressure medicine or I would have blown my top and had a stroke. The calves running around the tractor before and after the glass shattered did not help. I put the shattered glass in a plastic 5 gallon pail and some calves were determined to look in the pail. Lots of yelling by me.
Tomorrow I will have to call the John Deere dealer and order a new window. I have more snow scraping elsewhere.
Tuesday, March 05, 2019
Cold
We have had a couple of cold nights Sunday and Monday night. Sunday night the low was -21 degrees. Last night it got down to -20 degrees. Both were record lows. These lows were about 40 degrees below the normal low temperatures. The forecast is for warmer temperatures. About time - it's now March!!!!!
The heat from the lightbulb in the shed for my water well kept the pump and pipes from freezing.
The heat from the lightbulb in the shed for my water well kept the pump and pipes from freezing.
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| I love my wood stove on these cold days! |
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