It was yet another busy weekend on the ranch. The nice weather this week has inspired us to get out and do something. After six months of cold and snow, it's amazing how a little sunshine can inspire you. We had two sunny weekends that sandwiched a weekend of heavy, wet snow.
The first weekend of sun we were able to get the garden started. The onions and potatoes went in. I try to go by the old-timers' suggestion that these should be planted by Good Friday. This year the garden was quite frozen still on Good Friday, I did get them in by early April though. Getting them in early seems to give them just the jump start they need to be ahead of the pests, especially potato beetles and be ready in time for the fair. For some reason I have just the right conditions for growing onions and I have the purple ribbons to prove it! Why onions? I may never know.
The warm weather this past week allowed me to do some cleaning in the goat pens, there is still A LOT more to do though. I've decided that this summer I'll be rearranging the pens so we can use the skidloader for a majority of the cleaning. Pitching out the whole thing by hand is for the birds!
This weekend the kids and I enjoyed a nature walk. Jack loves going on nature walks, I think it's because he always insists on packing a snack to have on the trek! After chores on Saturday we went exploring in our pasture.
These geese quickly swam off to safety in the lake when we walked by. The kept a close eye on us as we explored the area...must be nesting time.
The "Bridge Over Troubled Water" is always a popular destination. This is a Texas Crossing that Bill installed a couple years ago to give the cows a place to cross the tile drainage line without getting stuck in knee-deep mud. He was also the one who named it; unexpectedly, the name stuck.
The kids were thrilled to see how Sunny can fetch sticks in the water. She had a good time retreiving for us too. Poncho, the new puppy was not quite as thrilled about the lake. He was a good sport about it though. It was a long walk for the little guy. He went to his hay bale in the barn for a LONG nap when we got back!
On Sunday afternoon the kids helped me give the goats their pedicures and annual vaccinations. Unlike our beef cows, the goats need to have their hooves trimmed periodically. They're like fingernails, if left alone they will just keep growing. A goat with overgrown hooves can't walk right and can get a smelly infection from the overgrowth. I was a little embarrased as I began the trimming because some of the girls were way overdue for a trim.
Here are some of the girls basking in the sun before their pedicure. Tabitha, the black and white pygmy and Lala, the blonde Boer in the back look like they could kid at any time...Keep an eye out for baby pictures! I won't be so graphic this time, I promise!
Notice the waterski hooves on Lakisha's back feet, this is an example of overgrown hooves. Rest assured, she is feeling much better now.
I know, work should not be done of Sunday, but I hardly consider this work. A work out, maybe but it's hard work that I enjoy. It felt so good to come in last night feeling like I had done something that day. Of course if I worked like this more often it wouldn't be so hard. Unfortunately my desk job doesn't allow for much physical activity.
Now it's back to the daily grind again. Things are picking up at work as people try to make their winter plans and dreams a reality. In addition to the normal spring rush I've been promoting a feedlot cost share grant that will pay for a portion of feedlot improvements to help protect water quality. A number of producers have contacted me about fixing problems. This is the part of my job that I love. I get to go see their farms and work with the farmers to figure out a way to make them better. Surprisingly fixing a runoff problem often will improve conditions for the animals and the operation as well. Plus I'm helping them to get the projects paid for which they really appreciate!
The cute fest has begun. We are heavily into calving season on the farm. Of the 60 beef cows that will be calving this spring, we’re up to 26 calves on the ground. Bill broke his own calving record this year having six calves born in one day. The weather was warm last week so things got sloppy for a while, as they do every spring. As you can see we keep the little guys comfy despite the slop.
It got cold again this week and we’re expecting up to four inches of snow tonight. Having things frozen again makes it a little nicer for the calves, the lots aren’t quite so wet, but we’re all ready for spring to melt the snow and make things green.
My incubators warmed up about a month ago and as a result we have baby chicks again. For now they’re living in the basement but that will have to change soon as they’re outgrowing their cage already! We also have our first baby goose hatched from one of our pairs of buff geese. After a rough start the little guy is coming along quite well…he would really like a friend though. I’m working on that.
This past weekend the kids and I continued our Palm Sunday tradition of visiting
Actually that’s only partially correct, no animals came home from the greenhouse petting zoo. However, we had just got back from Long Prairie where we took Granny Conley out for lunch and got a puppy! (picture forthcoming) Poncho is half Australian Shepard and half Border Collie and he’s already honing his herding skills…those silly chickens just don’t seem to want to stick together!
From time to time even us hicks need to get away for a little while. It’s funny that when we do get out of town, we choose to go to a fast-paced city like
Derek and Kim took us out for dinner when we arrived on Saturday evening. We went to RA, an awesome sushi joint. It was Bill’s first ride in a cab and his first time having sushi, he was not impressed (with the sushi, the cab rise was entertaining though). The tempura scallops were right up his alley. We both had saki for the first time and decided that we were in no hurry to have that again.
After trying all the raw fish we cared to eat and a few shots of saki we hiked across town to the Kansas City BBQ. This is the bar where the piano scene in Top Gun was filmed. This was quite the experience. The place is a dive, complete with shots of Night Train when the train goes by at night…funny. Bill and Derek were able to get their fill on some sub-par baby back ribs to top the night off, I guess the sushi didn’t quite do it for them. After a few more beers it was time to head home, this turned out to be the highlight of the evening. Our Chinese Bacardi (jug of water) drinking cab driver from Afganistan was a good sport as intoxicated Derek played 20 questions. Luckily he followed up with a good tip
The next day, Super Bowl Sunday, Kim and I headed up to the wineries and the boys, well you can guess what they did. It was raining so although it was very cool to see some true
On Monday Kim took us to LA. Map Lady (the GPS navigator in Kim’s fancy new Lexus) did a fine job guiding us to all the attractions. Pictures and highlights can be seen on Snapfish.
On our final day in
It was a great trip, an exciting break from the ordinary but it is nice to be home. These places are nice to visit but we realize that we have our own paradise at home. There are no palm trees or sea breezes but beauty nonetheless. This morning the trees were covered with the thickest coat of sparkly frost I’ve ever seen and as a bonus my geese welcomed me back with their first egg of the season. The turkeys have just begun laying eggs as well. The tricky part now will be to get them before they freeze so I can fire up the incubators!
I had a baby last night! Actually, one of my goats did. It was my first kidding so it was incredibly exciting.
When I went to do my chores yesterday morning my buck, (yes, the one mentioned in the previous blog) was pestering a doe who I thought may be ready to have babies. Since I've never raised goats before I wasn't really sure what to look for as signs of pregnancy so when Sugar Daddy started showing interest, I was beginning to doubt that this doe was actually pregnant. Based on my little experience with cows she looked like she could be close to kidding. I decided to be safe and isolate her in her own pen.
After work the kids and I hurried out to the barn. I just felt like something was going to happen and it seemed like we couldn't get out there fast enough. I immediately checked on Lena I was a little disappointed to see her just standing around in her pen but then she turned...she lost the plug! A mucousy string hanging from her backside told me that babies were on the way. The kids and I watched her for a while and it became clear that these babies would come sooner rather than later, Lena was having strong contractions which was obvious by her straining and squatting.
It appeared that everything was progressing normally, wait a minute, how would I know...I've never done this before! Actually I was pretty nervous and was beginning to think that her soft grunt-like calls to her unborn baby was actually her pleading for me to do something to help her. I fought the urge to intercede. The kids watched her safely from outside the pen while I proceeded to do the rest of my evening chores.
Okay, I rushed through the chores so I could continue to observe Lena. Within ten minutes things started to happen, something was coming out! Thinking back to all my reading about goats giving birth, I knew the next step after losing the plug was the waterbag. Sure enough, one contraction later it came.
Sure enough, the white spot you can see in the waterbag closest to the goat's rear end is baby Lulu's head!
Now it was time to brief the kids (the two legged ones). I had to warn them that it was going to be a little yucky but that this is normal. I told them the baby would come out slimey and wet and that there might be blood. Lily was a little scared at this point, which surprised me. Jack was ready.
It took two more contractions and then out popped Lulu! Here she is in all her glory.
By this time I was on the phone with my mom giving her the play-by-play, I'm sure she was thrilled. Lena was a bit tired so I picked up Lulu making sure that the slime was out of her nose and mouth then I placed her in front of mama, just like all the books say. Lena immediately began cleaning her off. Success!
It was pretty cold last night so the little darling had a rough start. I had to rub her good with a towel and put a heat lamp in her pen to get her up and going. Soon enough, it was time to eat...
Okay, this is too cute. The little thing can barely walk but she knows what she wants. She would lunge with all her might toward the doe's teat and more than half the time fall on her face. When she finally got a hold of a teat she only had enough strength to suckle a few times before taking a break. this went on for a while then it was time to cuddle up for a nap.
This morning the little Lulu was exploring. Her new buddy is the resident gimpy rooster. They're about the same size. I don't think either one knows what to think of the other!
They make quite a pair though. Clearly this was quite an experience. I'm proud that I made it through the whole ordeal from isolating her this morning to recognizing the signs of labor, having never done this before. Certainly it could have gone a lot worse. The kids are looking forward to playing with the little one. I'm sure in a couple of days she'll be getting into all sorts of trouble...stay tuned!
Well, I went to the barn this morning like I always do to check on the ladies and top off the ice pans for the rabbits and I was greeted with the tell-tale “wup-wup-wup” coming from the back of the barn. This is Sugar Daddy’s way of telling me that he’s on a date. Sugar Daddy is currently the herd sire for my Boer does and exhibits all the typical behaviors of a Buck in rut. These guys are really some odd critters when a lady is in season. Besides the odd grunting, Sugar will stand with his neck stretched high and his upper lip curled up looking like he’s just smelled something putrid. He attempts to show interest in the ladies by licking them behind their ears. This is particularly cute since it looks like he’s giving them a smooch. On the other hand, he also does the nasty thing that billy goats are known for…he pees on himself. Apparently the scent of buck urine is attractive to lady goats so the boy will stretch his chin down under his belly, aim and shoot, peeing all over his face…ooooh baby!
If you haven’t already, there are some parallels that can be drawn to the male of another species. When in the presence of a good-looking lady, men often display similar behaviors. The call is often heard from a distance as a cheap pickup line or cat call, the song “I Wanna Check You for Ticks” comes to mind. In some circumstances this call can be interpreted as a mindless grunt…just trying to get the lady’s attention. Then, if allowed, the courting begins, a finger slides across a bare shoulder, a hand rests upon a knee or maybe he too will attempt to lick behind the lady’s ear. Then, as if to finish the deal, he returns from the restroom with the unmistakable odor. Perhaps they don’t pee on themselves (well, not on purpose anyway) but I’m sure most ladies have experienced being courted by the man who went a little overboard on the cologne.
Interesting, don’t you think? As genetic sequencing becomes more prevalent and available, scientists have found that most genetic code is surprisingly similar. Even between species, codes range in the upper nineties for percent similarity. I’m beginning to think that the Y chromosome may be interchangeable between species. Is it possible that all males carry the exact same genes? I have a proposal for a new study: A comparison of the genetic sequence of the Y chromosomes of a human male and a buck goat…stay tuned!
Well, it’s here. Winter has officially taken over. Well, not really it’s technically still fall for 23 more days but with temps below zero and a dusting of snow I’m calling it winter. This year’s calves are being weaned as I write. The first batch was done yesterday, what a shock for those guys. Take Mama away, pinch off the manhood and then this cold weather on top of all of it. They were all bawling when I did chores this morning. Although this is typical, I think they were exceptionally vocal this time.
If you’ve never been on a ranch the day or two after calves are weaned it is quite an experience. The calves are typically born on pasture in the spring and spend all summer grazing, eating creep feed, drinking milk, playing with other calves (yes, they play together, very fun to watch) and relying on their mama to comfort them. By fall the little guys are in the 500-600 pound range and although they spend less time with mama they still rely on her for comfort. Then the day comes when the calves go to work for the first time. After all, we don’t raise them to look good on the pasture. One day in the fall we bring all the cattle into the lot and “run them through the chute.” We catch each cow and calf, give it vaccinations and dewormer and for the unlucky boys, we castrate them. Most years we don’t wean them at the same time that all this is going on. We generally give them another week or so with their mamas to help with the shock of being caught (usually for the first time) and castrated. Unfortunately it didn’t happen like that this year.
The best equipment to use to work cattle is a good tub-alley-squeeze chute set-up. In past years we’ve relied on neighbors to loan us their set up, but after four years of shopping around, we finally purchased one for ourselves. The only problem, it’s not here yet. We ordered the set-up from Stampede Steele which builds the equipment in
Anyway, since it got to be so late in the year, the calves are being vaccinated, castrated and weaned all at once. It makes for a really noisy week.
On another note, with the help of our friends Julie and
Goats- broke down and purchased a submersible heater to add to the stock tank
Bunnies- each cage now has a metal water pan that is topped off morning and night, drink it while you can boys!
Chickens- all the flocks have been consolidated to one coop. The easiest solution has been to place a heat lamp above the waterer. So far it’s working but I’m still looking for other ideas.
I had this emailed to me and I thought it was worthy of a posting:
Dirt Roads
What's mainly wrong with society today is that too many
Dirt Roads have been paved.
There's not a problem in America today,crime,drugs,
education,divorce,delinquency that wouldn't be remedied,
if we just had more Dirt Roads,because Dirt Roads give character.
People that live at the end of Dirt Roads learn early on that life's a bumpy ride.
That it can jar you right down to you teeth sometimes,but
it's worth it, if at the end is home---a loving spouse,happy kids and a dog.
We wouldn't have near the trouble with our educational
system if our kids got their exercise walking a Dirt Road
with other kids, from whom they learn how to get along.
There was less crime in our streets before they were paved.
Criminals didn't walk two dusty miles to rob or rape, if they
knew they'd be welcomed by 5 barking dogs and a double barrel shotgun.
And there were no drive by shootings.
Our values were better when our roads were worse!
People did not worship their cars more than their kids, and
motorists were more courteous, they didn't tailgate by
riding the bumper or the guy in front would choke you with
dust & bust your windshield with rocks.
Dirt Roads taught patience.
Dirt Roads were environmentally friendly, you didn't hop in
your car for a quart of milk,you walked to the barn for you milk.
For your mail,you walked to the mail box.
What if it rained and the Dirt Road got washed out? That
was the best part, then you stayed home and had some family
time,roasted marshmallows and popped popcorn and rode pony
on Daddy's shoulders and learned how to make
prettier quilts than anybody.
At the end of Dirt Roads, you learned that bad words tasted like soap.
Most pave roads lead to trouble, Dirt Roads more likely
lead to a fishing creek or a swimming hole.
At the end of a Dirt Road,the only time we ever locked our
car was in August, because if we didn't some neighbor would
fill it with too much zucchini.
At the end of a Dirt Road, there was always extra springtime income,
from when city dudes would get stuck, you'd have to hitch up a
team and pull them out.
Usually you got a dollar----always you got a new friend----at
the end of a Dirt Road
Okay, it’s time to face the inevitable. Winter’s coming. I walked to the car this morning being bombarded by tiny white pellets, like the little Styrofoam balls, only hard, and cold. The lake, our
Winter on the farm brings so many hassles. The animals don’t leave the barn as much creating even more of a stinky mess inside the barn. When the ground gets coated with snow or ice, we have to learn how to do the penguin walk to get around without slipping all over the place. Chicken eggs usually freeze before we get a chance to collect them making them useless. Then there’s the water situation…
This being my first winter with the large variety of animals I’ve got, I’m in denial that I will have to face the water situation. For now it still warms up enough during the day that keeping water available hasn’t been much of an issue so for now, I remain in denial. I know eventually I’ll have to break down and deal with it. Here’s my plan so far:
Goats- they have a large water tub so I’m thinking a submersible de-icer. I’ve heard that due to their curious nature they tend to play with the floating ones. This tub should be able to accommodate the ducks, geese and chickens that have earned freedom in the barn.
Bunnies- I’ve heard that the best way to get them water is to have crocks or water pans that are filled with warm water two times a day. This will mean going out to the cold barn in the morning and in the evening, not something I’m looking forward to. Anybody have any better ideas?
Chickens- Even with my previous chicken experience I still have no good way to provide a reliable source of water to the chickens. In the past I’ve had two waterers that get switched two time a day…one out to freeze while the other thaws. I’ve tried the heated metal base that goes under the galvanized waterer but that didn’t really do a very good job keeping the water flowing. I see that McMurray Hatchery is featuring a plug-in heated plastic waterer. I’d like to try it but I have my doubts that it would hold up through our cold winters. Once again, if you have a good idea to keep the chicken water flowing, let me know.
For now I will continue to procrastinate until the critters have only ice to lick. I will also hope for global warming to continue to provide even milder winters…who says global warming is a bad thing? That’s another story…
By the way, check out my latest publication, The Feedlot Forum, this is a newsletter I send out to all the farmers in
http://www.co.douglas.mn.us/l&r_pdf_files/feedlot_newsletter_11-2007.pdf
Since we live in the middle of nowhere, nobody will see our lovely Jack-o-lanterns so I'll show them off here.
The costumes have been selected, the pumpkins have been carved, the treat bags have been stuffed. The kids can barely contain themselves! They've been talking about it for weeks, actually since the last Halloween. Now it's here. After partying all day with friends at daycare we'll be heading through the haunted forest and then trick-or-treating will follow.
Anyway, on another note can I just say that sometimes I amaze myself. If your life is anything like mine, which I figure is pretty normal, I'm sure if you were to stop and consider all that you accomplish in one day you would amaze yourself too. I just had to stop and think about it for a minute last night...on a typical day there are so many things that need to get done in order for a family to function.
Kids need to get up, get dressed, make sure we have all the gear for the day. Are the clothes appropriate for the weather? Hats, mittens, the right coat? Is there a backup option if the weather changes? What about school stuff, did we finish the homework (this is for a preschooler!)? Are there enough punches on the bus pass? Did the fundraiser money get turned in? After work it's the same thing again, get dressed to play outside, do the chores. Does everybody have food and water? How are the feed supplies, do we need to pick anything up for the critters? Who let the dog out? When? Did she get fed? WHAT ARE WE GOING TO HAVE FOR DINNER??? I somehow manage to get something (sort of) healthy on the table every night. If I'm lucky I can get the mess cleaned up before the kids finish eating otherwise it waits for bath time...book time...bed time...aaaaahh.
Wait a minute, did I leave the chickens out? Back outside to check on the critters again. Then back in, DARN IT, the kitchen didn't clean itself. What about the schoolbag, I forgot to check it, was there anything important I missed? In an attempt to make tomorrow morning go a little smoother I take time at night to get lunch packed, school bag and work bag cleaned out and ready, hats, mittens, shoes laid out...there's always one more thing to do at some point I just have to make myself stop.
Now you throw a monkey wrench like...Halloween...into the schedule. It's a whole new layer of things to do. Costumes ready? Treat bags packed? Do we have everything we need for trick-or-treating, wouldn't want to make a special trip back home...like I said, it's amazing that somehow everything gets done.
Actually I don't do it all myself. God has a hand in all of this. He is capable of planning our crazy lives, we just need to step out of the way and let Him do it. He knows what needs to get done and He provides the time, energy and strength to accomplish all we need. I say I amaze myself but what realy amazes me is that no matter how busy God is, He takes time to plan our lives and help us get through them. He even provides the time to stop and reflect on all He helped us do today.
It happened this past weekend, It couldn't have been any better...okay, take that back, it would have been better if I didn't have to go to work on Monday. Not that I don't like my job, I just prefer doing my own thing at home.
I took most of Friday afternoon off so I could get a haircut and get caught up on chores at home before our visitors came. As always Lisa Ann worked wonders with my mess of a hairdo and I spent the rest of Friday afternoon feeling like a movie star. Friday night our hunting crew showed up and I went on a date with three men! Of course they were all married (one of them to me ), and my kids came along. The best part was we went to eat at The Hatchery, nothing fancy, a typical small town run-of-the-mill bar, but there was one big change from the many other times we had eaten there. WE COULD BREATHE! Thank you to the MN legislature for passing the clean air act that requires smokers to head out back to light up. It was a wonderful experience.
Saturday morning we were awaken by Jack and Lily reminding us that the hunters were here and they wanted bwekfwist. So we were up for the day. The hunters took off to do their thing and we headed out to do ours. We did our chores:
This is Jack and Lily's way of pulling hay off the bale for the goats.
The baby bunnies are two weeks old and finally came out to play. It's pretty tough keeping track of eight squirmy furballs exploring the world for the first time.
Somehow we managed. After tending the livestock it was off to work in the garden...my other favorite thing to do. We planted garlic, transplaned perennial herbs for a new herb garden and moved chickens and turkeys to the garden for some grazing and garden cleanup. These free-range birds have done a great job controlling weeds and cleaning up leftover foliage from the garden. Plus they'll be pretty tasty around Thanksgiving time!
Phesant opener was successful, as usual with the boys bringing in "one for Jack" on the first day. The beauty of these birds never ceases to amaze me. Their feathers have the most intricate patterns, every layer with a different texture and color. It doesn't surprise me that they are close relatives to peafowl.
We finished the day with a home grown steak fry, mmmm. After so much activity everybody was quickly asleep, even the kids didn't protest when it was time to turn in for the night.
Sunday morning brought much activity as well. The huters headed out again to get another limit before going back to the rat race of their day jobs. We had to do chores and get cleaned up for a birthday party. Our P's turned one!
The kids had a great time playing together and Jack and Lily especially had fun playing with their cousins' toys.
It was a wonderful weekend...family, friends, critters and gardening. Who could ask for more? Okay, one more day please?
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