Let’s go!
Susan: Do you grow oats too???
Yes. But only to supplement our calves’ feed in the wintertime. We usually plant a field or two to oats and perhaps barley. This year was so wet, one field was turned into oat hay, and this one we did manage to harvest oats.
Marilyn: How are the bees doing?
Great question! Spent yesterday with them… will post about that soon! 😉
Sandy G.: Is Lucas’s sore foot still doing better since you treated it awhile back?
It is. It’s amazing. Not like I have run him all day or anything, but the pad is still healed… fingers crossed this continues!
Sandy G.: I would love to know the history of this old house with the green door! It must have been someone’s treasure and shelter in the “olden days.” ??
That is the old mountain homestead of the Mills family. The very same family we bought this place from, and the previous owners of my house. I remember branding up here in the “old days”, using the hand pump in the kitchen and the table would simply grown with the weight of the food on it! No one has lived in it for years, and it even stopped becoming a summer camp. I love wandering around taking pics of it… if you remember the Minute Movie I made with the pond and dragonflies?? That was right here, steps away from this green door!
And concerning the same photo…
Holly: Carol – is this your next project? ;o)
NO! 😉
Peg: What is this interesting building?
See above. This is the back door of the house, there is also three sheds, a collapsed old barn, a corral, and outhouse on the property.
Gina: My question is why so many white trucks and cars? (in Wyoming)
Well, Pamela answered your question in a reply, that white cars show the dirt least of all… and Wyoming has plenty of dust blowing around! The other contributing factor may be white cars tend to be cheaper… and become “company cars”, so many companies own them for business.
Prairie Wife and Judy: I know the sex of a calf matters after it’s born but what is the benefit of knowing before it’s born?
Planning. If you need to sell some older cows because they’re starting to lose their teeth, but you will have a majority of bull calves and heifers from some ugly cows… you could plan on keeping those snaggletooth cows around one more year! Or some similar situation. If you think you could get great prices for steer calves, it’ll tell you what you have, and plan accordingly.
Kay: Do you now sell those cows who are not pregnant ? (I know that is what we did, but we had a tiny herd compared to you. Not cost effective to feed them over the winter). A second question – when we were traveling around your county, Johnson & Sheridan countries – all we saw were Black Angus. Is that breed so popular because they handle the cold winters better than Herefords or other breeds ?
We will be selling our non pregnant cows soon… our big preg testing day is coming up still. Black Angus are extremely popular because the buyers want them. We used to run Herefords back in the day, and they were smaller cattle. When we started cross breeding to Angus, they grew faster and bigger. We used to brand in JULY, yes, JULY, now there’s no way we could hold down a calf in July to brand him! Well, *I* couldn’t! 😉 I’d say they handled the winters about the same, but Herefords do tend to get pinkeye worse (because of dust) and their tits sunburn easily (sunlight reflecting off of the snow) and I think they were worse mommas… but I do love the look of a Hereford, there’s something about the character of those bald faces!
Susan: So interesting! So my question is, is the sonogram more costly than the “arm” method of pregnancy testing, and approximately how much per cow does the vet charge you?
Susan, I meant to ask the price and I forgot… I’ll have to get back to you on that one! I’m guessing it does cost more, but how much I can’t say for sure.
Holly: This is one of your best photographs, Carol. I love it! Is this up on the dry farm road? belonged to Dutch?
Close, Holly. This was Mildred and Roy’s homestead a couple miles away.
Carole: I noticed several of the cows kicking at him (Lucas). Has he ever been kicked or is he just too quick? Great video.
Oh, yes, he’s been kicked. He’s too slow not to! 😉 It amazes me when he catches a hoof and it bloodies his lip or rolls him over, how he just jumps back up and goes after them again. He gets mad that he was so slow, I think! I’d quit! and cry… and limp… and go find the pickup… I wouldn’t make a good cowdog at all!
I think that’s it, people! Thanks so much for the questions, I hope I caught them all!
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I love question and answer day:)