10 Lessons Learned from Calving

The final countdown is upon us – 40 heifers and the rest of April stand between us and the sweet freedom of a night of restful sleep.

Here are some life lessons I have learned from this first season of calving as a couple.

1) The ones you work the hardest to save are the ones you lose. Truth. Anyone who has worked with livestock will attest to that.

2) Being surrounded by life and baby animals – don’t be surprised if the subject of little ones comes up. If it does – do not be offended if your spouse relates everything back to cattle terminology and crack jokes about first time heifers and mothering up.  

3) Pick your battles. Calving is stressful. The nights are long and the spouses get grumpy. They are not mad at you – just frustrated.

4) The laundry will pile up and your house will smell like a barn. In times like these I find solace in scented candles and scrubbing bubbles  

5) You will get a call from the barn from your spouse in a huff demanding you to come out RIGHT NOW to help him. I learned the hard way not to wear gym shorts in January. Lesson – dress as if you may have to go outside in a pinch no matter the weather. 

6) Coveralls don’t make bad Christmas gifts and it’s hard to beat a solid pair of boots.

7) Alone time can prevent many a fight.

8) Mud and mean cows will always be your enemy.

 9) Working together and praying together will make your relationship stronger.

 10) Don’t forget to make time for each other. Have a special supper, rent a movie, and make breakfast together.

Happy Trails and Happy Calving!

 

 

 

 

Feeding Cattle - Photo Essay

This weekend we were in charge of feeding 350 head of cows.  We are feeding the cattle round bales of hay. We use a tractor with a bale unroller attachment.  Rolling bales saves hay.  By unrolling the bales we do not have to set out as much feed. Which is a good because feed is expensive!  If we didn't roll bales out we would have to fill several round bale feeders; which would take up time and hay. We have been feeding 4-6 bales a day.   So enjoy this photo essay of us feeding the cattle this weekend.

It was crazy how they swarmed the tractor.

Unrolling the first bale is the hardest.  Because the cattle are hungry and they try to eat the bales the tractors brings in. 

Before we are able to start unwrapping the bales we must cut off the net wrap.

 Below is Wade removing the net wrap around the bale. He has to scare the cattle away from the bale in order to accomplish this.  

Here is the cattle following the hay as we unroll it down the pasture.  I think some of the cows just enjoy chasing the bale and tractor...

350 head is a lot of mouths to feed...

This is bale two - a little more organized. 

mmmmmmmmm....hay....

We LOVE Hay! 

We want more hay! :) 

Farming and Ranching is Love

Have you heard about these books promoting vegan lifestyle to children?  The latest book is called Vegan is Love.  I first read about them in Drovers magazine, and then in an article written by Amanda Radke on the Beef magazine website.  I was trolling through the comment section (Click here for the full article) when I read this comment: “ It may be graphic and I would probably hesitate to show otto(?) (I assume they mean our)children, but is the depiction in these books untrue? At some point children should learn about slaughter. By James Saunders  on May 3, 2012”

This comment struck me like lightening - stopped me in my tracks.  I had to ask myself - when did I learn about slaughter?  

I had to dig down deep in my recollections for my first experience to animal slaughter.  I think I was in kindergarten. We were at my grandma's house.  It was a chicken slaughter day. It was my chore to push my baby sister around in her stroller while the adults worked.  They killed, pluck, and gutted 50 + birds that day.  Nowhere in that memory could I recall my mom or dad sitting down and explaining to me what was going to happen or what I would see.   Did I ask questions about the process, yes! But they gave me answers I could understand. It didn't make me angry or sad that they were butchering chickens. I knew they were not pets - they were not like my dog Buddy, or the neighbor’s cat. I knew I liked chicken nuggets and they came from chickens.  It made sense, in my little kid brain.  It wasn’t cluttered with ideas about animal welfare, or the ethics of why we eat meat.  Because I was a kid!  Those are adult concepts!  Should children be taught about slaughter – YES by all means!  But are these books the answer - I'm not so sure.   I have yet to find and read one myself. So I can not offer a fair opinion on their content.  I can only offer my thoughts on teaching children about slaughter. 

Since that bygone day at my grandma’s house, I have been a part of several more butchering days.  Raising several butcher steers, and hogs. I went as far as taking a meat science class in college and learned the mechanics of the industry. In that class we butchered lambs, beef, and pork.  I made a point to work at every station, and get my hands dirty.  I will be blunt – it is not a pleasant job.  It’s not my favorite thing to do. But I learned that these animals have a purpose. They were raised to feed people. I cannot stress that point enough.

As farm kids raised with livestock we knew that these animals were not pets. Livestock are there to feed our families and others around the world. While we loved these animals, cared for and even named a few of them we knew what would happen in the end.  (I know I risk sounding hokey, or corny with this next statement.) Being raised on the farm we learned that cattle, hogs, sheep chicken, goats etc. have a noble purpose.  They die so that we may eat and nourish our bodies.   This is a very important thing to learn as a child, which is the concept we need to teach our children today.    Farming and Ranching is love!  I want to see that book on the shelf!