Vernon and I built this shed long ago, thinking maybe we could sell them, much like you see storage sheds sold everywhere these days. Well, we found out how long it took to weld the frame and tap the pipe… and we never built another one! For years though, calves have enjoyed their “calf only”…
#TBT : Info Needed
OK, local folks and relatives, I need a little help on this photo. I know this is the old highway where today the bridge is impassable over Crooked Creek. But what I know as the “school house” sits further south and it’s a log structure. What/whose house was this? Where did it move to, or…
Wordless Wednesday – “Learning”
Learning
Chicken Ears
I’m taking a short break from talking about calving… to answer a question many of you had after my last “Ten Things You May Not Know About…” post. Of course, it was on chicks and eggs… and many of you became fascinated with chicken ears, of all things! Luckily, Victoria FINALLY made it over the…
Cold Ears
Yesterday’s post was about a different way to identify a calf until the weather is warm enough to put its ear tag in. We have a new way to keep those ears from freezing in the first place. Why bother about cold ears? Wet, newborn ears can easily get frozen, then fall off. When they’re…
Velcro Tag
The cold has hit this part of the U.S. I do believe our high was 5 degrees… then add a 10 mph wind… Brrrr. To be born in the snow, nice and slick and wet… is challenging for our baby calves. The calves that were born yesterday could be moved out of the calving shed…
#TBT : Written Insights
I continue to paw through old paperwork… and it’s tedious… but every little bit there’s a gem with written insights into the early days of this ranch. I’m going through old checks… from the 1930’s. First thing you notice… 70% of them are written in PENCIL. Pencil! Many are for what today would be very…
Wordless Wednesday – “Red Dirt, Whitetails, Blue Sky”
Red Dirt, Whitetails, Blue Sky
Yogurt – Yum
Sure, I can hear my mom laughing at me in heaven… I used to think yogurt was disgusting… and told her so on many occasions. It grew on me. Put some good ol’ Grape Nuts on top for some crunch… I liked it. I’d crave it for a while, then not eat it for a…
Ten Things You May Not Know About… Chicks/Eggs
Yes, chickens lay eggs without the presence of a rooster. However, the eggs will not be fertile and therefore will not develop into chicks. An egg starts to develop into a chick when it gets to the temperature of 86 degrees. Most chickens’ temperature is 102 degrees. Female chicks are born with thousands of ova,…