Well made it through another Monday, always something to be thankful for in my book. Had a long day at work today but it was productive. My brain was full when I got off today so I was glad when I got home there wasn't anything I absolutely had to do. Especially anything that really involved thinking because I used all of those up at work today.
Yesterday we had my mother-in-law out to the house for dinner. It would have been my father-in-law's birthday if he was still was with us. In my eyes not a day to be sad but a day to be together and celebrate what a special guy he was, and let me tell you he was a really special guy!! Not a day goes by that I don't think of the guy and his infectious smile and love that seemed to radiate off of him always. Once you met him you were a friend for life. They just don't make guys like him everyday and I am blessed to have known him the way that I did. I made a pot roast and some cupcakes and my mother-in-law brought the frosting for the cupcakes, german chocolate, one of his favorites. Our friends Steven and Casey were here and stayed for a game and dinner as well, always good to see our friends they are great company!
Just got back from a check with Branden and it looks like so far we have had 7 calves today as far as I could tell. It's a bit breezy here at the 50 this evening but holding steady at 33 degrees. I think that my pups have finally worn themselves out for the night and have retired to the family room with Branden to watch some TV.
Signing off for the night!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Saturday, February 26, 2011
A busy day
Well folks its been a long busy day. I ended up staying out helping Branden until about 12:45 with the calves. It took us forever to get this lady in!!!! We wanted her in the barn and she had different plans for the evening (you will notice that most of the time I call our cows ladies or mama). It got bitterly cold last night but we didn't end up losing anything because it was too cold!!! Great news in my book. Not so great news I was really looking forward to getting to sleep in but Moose and Baxter were raring to go a little earlier than I was hoping for.
We have had 12 calves already today and Branden is out now because he has four more that are giving birth as we speak. This morning I watched a heifer work on getting her calf out. She pushed and pushed and got it out finally. There was another lady in the pen with her going through labor at the same time, that cow got her calf out and both the cow and the heifer thought the same calf was theirs. This is not uncommon especially with heifers but can be dangerous for the calf that is not being claimed. I watched them for about an hour and forty-five minutes fight over the same calf before I got Branden out of bed to help. By the time he got dressed and got out Brad had finished what he was working on and was getting the calf into the barn. If you can lock the cow and the right calf in a small pen there is no other calf for the cow to claim so most of the time she will accept her own calf.
Our good friends little boy turned four years old today so we made the trip to town for his birthday party. Carson got everything that he had been dreaming about getting (those were his own words). He was anxious for us to sing him the happy birthday song so we could eat cake. In true Carson fashion he ate the frosting off his cake!
After the party we were off to Moses Lake! Last night Branden's spotlight went caputz and when you are checking the ladies at night a spotlight is a necessity. I needed to do some grocery shopping as well so we got groceries, Chico's Pizza, and a spotlight and headed home.
Well I better get going I am working on defrosting some milk for something Branden has in the barn. Happy trails!!
We have had 12 calves already today and Branden is out now because he has four more that are giving birth as we speak. This morning I watched a heifer work on getting her calf out. She pushed and pushed and got it out finally. There was another lady in the pen with her going through labor at the same time, that cow got her calf out and both the cow and the heifer thought the same calf was theirs. This is not uncommon especially with heifers but can be dangerous for the calf that is not being claimed. I watched them for about an hour and forty-five minutes fight over the same calf before I got Branden out of bed to help. By the time he got dressed and got out Brad had finished what he was working on and was getting the calf into the barn. If you can lock the cow and the right calf in a small pen there is no other calf for the cow to claim so most of the time she will accept her own calf.
Our good friends little boy turned four years old today so we made the trip to town for his birthday party. Carson got everything that he had been dreaming about getting (those were his own words). He was anxious for us to sing him the happy birthday song so we could eat cake. In true Carson fashion he ate the frosting off his cake!
After the party we were off to Moses Lake! Last night Branden's spotlight went caputz and when you are checking the ladies at night a spotlight is a necessity. I needed to do some grocery shopping as well so we got groceries, Chico's Pizza, and a spotlight and headed home.
Well I better get going I am working on defrosting some milk for something Branden has in the barn. Happy trails!!
Friday, February 25, 2011
Another one
It is 11:25pm and I am headed out to help Branden. He has all sorts of stuff going on and needs help. It is 5 degrees outside and dropping, wish us luck!!!
Late night....
So there I was snuggling with Moose watching one of our favorite shows Grey's Anatomy (not getting my chores done), Branden comes in and says I need your help, dress warm it's gonna be at least an hour. He has two calves on the ground and another on the way. Off we go, get both calves safely in the barn, cows milked out, and the calves tubed. The first bit of milk they get from Mom is the most important, so the guys, if the calf doesn't get up and suck soon after it's born or if they bring a pair into the barn they always tube the calf to make sure the calf gets that first feeding. Plus when it's this cold out that warm milk in their stomach really makes a difference.
The cow that had one on the way had been working at giving birth for awhile so Branden decided he would go get her, bring her in the barn and help her out. Let me tell you that lady wasn't having it. After a romp through the pasture, trying to flip Branden off his 4 wheeler, and one fence later she still wasn't having it. Branden brought me back to the house and called Brad for assistance. Annoyed but not defeated!
My night in a nut shell. I get to go to bed and Branden gets to keep at it. Life at the Figure 50!
The cow that had one on the way had been working at giving birth for awhile so Branden decided he would go get her, bring her in the barn and help her out. Let me tell you that lady wasn't having it. After a romp through the pasture, trying to flip Branden off his 4 wheeler, and one fence later she still wasn't having it. Branden brought me back to the house and called Brad for assistance. Annoyed but not defeated!
My night in a nut shell. I get to go to bed and Branden gets to keep at it. Life at the Figure 50!
Thursday, February 24, 2011
BRRRR!!!
I'm sitting in my office chair where it's nice and warm writing this while outside it is 13 degrees with an average wind speed of 15. Needless to say it's really really cold outside! We are right in the thick of it with calving and when it is this cold outside the guys have to bring everything into the barn so it doesn't freeze. It doesn't take too long for the little suckers to freeze to the ground and loose ear and tails. Hopefully it doesn't take too long for this cold snap to break.
If our two pups want to live they want the cold snap to break too because them being stuck in the house is driving me crazy! Moose is a 4 month old black lab and Baxter is 4 1/2 month old Hanging Tree, three words LOTS OF ENERGY!
Calf count around 48
Kid count 12
Signing off for the night have some laundry to catch up on and the constant battle in my life dishes!
If our two pups want to live they want the cold snap to break too because them being stuck in the house is driving me crazy! Moose is a 4 month old black lab and Baxter is 4 1/2 month old Hanging Tree, three words LOTS OF ENERGY!
Calf count around 48
Kid count 12
Signing off for the night have some laundry to catch up on and the constant battle in my life dishes!
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