The first week of June is underway things are just as busy here as they were last week.
A success story
Up to today we have had three backwards calves that we are aware of. Two of the three calves did not end up the way we would’ve hoped for, both from panicked moms who fought like heck to not be loaded.
When this cow was spotted with two upside down hooves sticking out, it was easy to see that her tag read the she was an old 4H heifer. She immediately got trailed a mile east to get loaded and unlike the other two cows she moved very easily (due to her being a 4H heifer, which is similar to a show animal) and was loaded with ease. Getting her back to the yard and down the chute in good time is vital for a backwards calf as the umbilical cord is more likely to pinch or break.
Pulling the calf turned out to be as easy a pull we could ask for and when our first live breech calf came out we gave ourselves a pat on the back and left the pair to themselves to bond.
Catching the backwards calf early and getting her loaded smoothly was the best outcome we could’ve had. Her being calm throughout the entire ordeal was ideal. A cow remaining calm during the birthing process means an easier labour and birth, leading to a live and healthy calf.
Same ads over and over
Haying is on the horizon and before the barley pokes too far above the ground we need to deal with the rocks in a couple of our field . On Thursday the rock picker and roller were taken out to the fields. For three days I rolled 480 acres, listening to the same radio station. After countless of times getting out to put large rocks in the bucket, working myself around rock piles and through coulees, and hearing the same five ads on repeat the job did get done.
The barley was underseeded with triticale, underseeding is what we do to help nourish the soil. This barley was seeded for green feed, after the green feed is baled the triticale keeps a living root in the soil. In our area where moisture is limited and topsoil is vulnerable to wind, the living root remaining for as long as possible supports soil microbes.
While there are some tasks that may seem tedious and small. Reminding yourself that no job is unimportant is the best thing to do when working on those tasks. Small tasks are the foundation for big tasks, if they’re ignored then bigger jobs fall apart.
