It was a great weekend at the farm.  My son Joe visited from Tennessee, my grandson Cash had his 4th birthday, and was given Shilo the horse from his mom, my daughter Ami, as his birthday present, and fathers day was a good one. 


It finally stopped raining long enough to get the hay baled.   Some really nice bales this cut, no weeds, highly fertilized, and lots of it.

I decided to move the cows back into the north pasture since the grass was in peak grazing condition.  I opened the gates and moved the herd into the trail through the woods.  The beavers had dammed up the creek so there was some high water to cross and the cows stopped at the creek.  With a little coaxing they ran through the creek.  A few had stayed behind and were in the woods so I dropped back and got them moving.  I went to close the gate, and realized momma and the new calf Sunday were still in the south pasture.  I moved them to the gate, and momma took off after the herd.  When she did, it frieghtened the calf and she took off the wrong way back into the south pasture.  Oh no!   I tried to catch her but she kept running away.  For an hour in the hot sun I gave chase.  She was alot faster than this farmer.   Exhausted I drove to the shop for my calf catch pole and a lasso.  Back to the south pasture and alot more running, we were both exausted.  The calf layed down and I sat down about ten feet from her.  I told her if she didn't let me catch her she could die.  I asked God for some help.  I looked up, and there was my son Joe.  I felt relieved.  Now we both chased the calf and all of us were exhausted.  I decided we would get the truck and try to lasso her from the truck.  Joe jumped in the back and after several attemps he lassoed the calf.  I jumped out and picked her up, and put her in the back of the truck with Joe.  We drove her up to the north pasture and got her out.  Well, she then decided to jump right through the barbed wire fence and ran toward the horses.  We had to corner her again and drag her to the herd.   After some time momma decided to do her job, and take care of her calf.  What a day!  

Well its has been wet to say the least.  We had not had any rain for several weeks and needed some badly.  Then it came, and kept on coming.  Of course my beaver buddies have been working overtime to make sure that the pastures and road would flood, and that they did.  Pesky flattails!  I worked in a light rain all day saturday setting fence posts, then it started to come down so hard I headed home. 
I knew that heifer 12810 was going to calf any day, so we had been watching her closely.  On sunday I worked around the house cleaning the pool and lanai.  I kicked around the idea of going and checking the cows but it started pouring.  Ami would be checking them when she fed the horses, so I relaxed in my easy chair. 

Ami called and said the road and pasture the cows were in was flooded, and that 12810 had her calf.  A little heifer calf.  12810 had found a dry spot under some tree cover to give birth.  Of course I took off to make sure everything was OK.  I asked Ami if the calf was nursing and she said yes.  It is crucial that the calf nurse immediately, as the colostrum contains all the antibodies that the calf needs for immunity against disease.  The newborn calf must receive the colostrum with six hours for maximum benefit. 

I think we will name this little calf....Sunday.

When I got to the bridge at the south pasture, the water was a six inches deep and a foot deep where you open the gate.  I checked on the cows and did not see the calf.  Momma was grazing, so I started walking around.   Momma then led me to the baby, still under some tree cover.  I watched her nurse, then left to work on busting up some of the beaver dam.

We need some consecutive dry days so I can get the north hayfield cut and baled.  Hopefully this saturday I can start.  I am expecting a lot of hay.

Update on the wild turkey nest - it looks like the eggs were taken by a preditor.  No sign of eggs, hatching, shell pieces or anything.   It could be that they hatched and then the shell pieces were eaten.  My guess would be a fox, I have seen a very large one, but who knows.

(pictures by Ami)

Another fun day at the farm.  Saturday the weather was cool to start the day, but it warmed up fast.   I am implementing a rotational grazing program and have been running fence lines in the south pasture to start the rotation.  After alot of hard work for two weeks, many pairs of ripped jeans, cut up hands, legs and arms, we were ready for cattle in the first paddock. 

The major task for the day was to move the cattle from the north pasture to the south pasture into the first paddock.   There is a 150 yard trail that runs from the north to south pasture through the woods.  Part of the trail had been flooded, thanks to the beavers, and was very muddy.  When you walked through it, you sank about six inches in mud.  My major concern was keeping the cattle from dispersing into the woods, so I stationed Jeanine and her dad along the tree line.  Ami and I would drive the cattle from the north to south pasture.  Well we got off to a good start, but when the cattle reached the top of the hill in the north pasture they turned and ran all the way back to the water trough.  This is 30 acres, not a small field.  So we ran to the water trough and started moving them again.   When we got them to the top of the hill they turned again and ran down to the bottom of the pasture.  By now Ami and I were exhasted (me more than her).  We slowed things down and concentrated on moving mama and Uno the calf, hoping the rest would just follow.  They did just that.  Finally they crested the hill, realized what I wanted them to do, and took off at a full run toward the open gate and the trail through the woods.  Jeanine and her dad were a little frightened with a herd running full speed right at them, but they held their ground and the cattle followed the trial through the woods.  At that point Ami and I decided we were tried and true cowpokes.  The cattle were happy once they got into the 3 foot tall grass. 

Later on Jeanine harvested alot of veggies from her garden, and her and her mom worked there the rest of the day.  Ami went back to working her horses, and I started my next chore.