After I thought about yesterday’s post… I figured I should set the record straight. Weaning *is* stressful for cows *and* calves… Cows don’t really seem to mind until their full udders remind them they’ve lost something… and the bellowing of other cows just fuel their feeling of loss… If you could hear the calves bawling…
One Last Glimpse
We gathered our pairs yesterday… Mommas and 6 month old calves… well, on the calves’ ages give or take a month or two… The cows are pregnant and to grow that brand new baby nice and healthy… it is best to kick that older kid off of the milk machine! I can work myself up…
Gatherin’ to Wean OOPE
We gathered our mountain pasture today… Tomorrow we wean our calves from their mommas… The boys delayed their return to Laramie for a couple of hours so they could help… Besides the *definite* chill in the air and the *wind*… It was a great day up there! I had on my winter Carhartt… gloves… chinks……
Boys Interrupted
My boys came home last night… That was the reason I wrote my entry EARLY last night… So that I could visit with them after they arrived last night… Too bad I forgot to hit the “publish” button last night… I’ll blame it on the boys interrupting me! Tonight Daniel is working on his laptop… It…
I Love Barns…
<<I actually wrote this yesterday… but somehow missed the actual publishing of it on my blog… I swear I’m losing my brain… So sorry… I will have another entry later today… >> I introduced you to my friend’s barn a few weeks ago… I do *love* it… It is huge compared to ours… It is…
Hey Hey Hey Hay!
I’ve said it before… Our life revolves around hay just as much (if not more!) than cattle… Of course, the reason we raise hay is because we raise cattle… and… strangely enough… those big ol’ critters tend to want to eat in the middle of winter when there’s snow on the ground… Cows are demanding…
Wordless Wednesday – Ford Pickup Stripped Down
This old Ford has been stripped for reusable parts… poor ol’ gal.
Salty Dog
One job most people don’t think of when they consider raising livestock… is the supplementation of livestock diets with minerals and salt… Depending on your feed and your minerals in your land and minerals in your water… you may have to give them some extra goodies… In the early summer we give minerals high in…
First Flirtation
Sunday the rain moved in… We were up on our mountain pasture spreading salt… <<details on that tomorrow>> The wind whipped up… The plink plink of drops was met equally with the whish whish of the wiper blades… The sky was gun metal blue… The hills layered in shades of greygreen… We drove up the…
Studio Beginnings
Here’s the south facing wall of my studio/aka the old chickenhouse… The windows are covered in chicken wire… with traces of plastic sheeting left wafting in the breeze… The tiny picket door needs a latch to hold it closed… The wood door needs its hinges tightened so it doesn’t take a BIG SHOVE to open…
Project Studio
Here’s my new project… On the left is the log cabin section… On the right is a stick addition… It was last used as a chicken house… It is dirty. It is uninsulated. It is a dream. It overlooks the fields and the red hills and western sunsets… It now will become my place… An…
Black Dog
This is Boomer… Boomer is black. Boomer is NOT an English Shepherd. Booomer is an Australian Shepherd… Boxy body… No tail… Unfortunately… Boomer is an obsessive compulsive Aussie… He will chase sticks forever… I mean it… Come visit me and throw a stick for Boomer… You’ll have to do it the rest of your stay……