Saturday, April 26, 2008

A pril 26, 2008, 2 New Editions to Our Farm

Hey Everyone. Cold and windy here in Cooks Creek. We had a Spring storm this week. Snow and freezin rain. Made for interesting driving and generally hard to get around, even on foot.

Two new Holstein bull calves are now a part of our farm. We brought them home yesterday from the dairy farm where my oldest daughter works. We are going to raise them for meat. Holsteins are not great meat cows. Their main purpose is dairy. It is for this reason bull calves sell cheap. Right up my alley. I like cheap. We can raise them and learn as we go. The only way to really learn is do it. I can read a hundred books but when I get to actually get experience and exposure then I can understand and build my confidence. Well, they have been here 24 hours and they are still alive, so, so far so good. My daughter is the teacher here. She is teachin her old dad a few tricks. One of her duties at the dairy is looking after the calves so I have a big advantage than just goin at this deal blind. When we got them home last night one of the first duties was to make them into steers. My daughter brought home a device that puts an o-ring deal around their testicles. The idea being it cuts the flow of blood to the testicles and they dry up and become non-functional. We did one calf but the others testicles had not fallen yet so we will wait until they drop to get him done. Cows smell a whole lot worse than horses. My daughter stinks. I guess I better qualify that by sayin she stinks when she comes home from work. I can sure see why now. She is working with dozens of calves for 10 to 12 hours a day. We only have 2 and I can already smell the cows on my jacket. She says "don't worry dad, after awhile ya don't really even notice it" Maybe you don't but everyone else does. Well, I wanted to be a farmer so in for a penny in for a pound. Learnin from my daughter gives me a certain sense of pride. Not sure why. Watchin her around those calves and dealin with them makes me kind of proud. She has a way with animals. God has givin her a gift. It is her calling. I can see it sure as anything. Everyone has a calling and hers is animals. What is real sad is when God gives ya a gift and it is wasted. I think it is our duty to use the gifts God gives us. May even be a sin not to do so. It is easy to tell what your gift is. It will be something you enjoy doing. It doesn't feel like work. Ya would do it even if ya didn't get paid. Ya do it because ya enjoy, no, maybe even love it. Because of this you will excel at it. You will be good at it. You will be great at it.

Well, I just wanted to tell ya about our new cows. I will leave it at that and talk to ya all real soon.

8 comments:

Lynn Bartlett said...

Hi Guy, it sure is fun to learn from our boys, and I must admit to feeling like busting my buttons when I someone asks them for farming advice! I was a bit panicky when we had trouble with a goat this past week, and sure was relieved when the older boys got home and took over. They know so much more than me.

We missed all the snow, but did have a dusting. In fact, just enough to make it miserable with mud again. Spring can't come fast enough for me!

Matthew said...

Glad to hear you were able to get the cattle--sounds like a fun project.

I've been helping a sheep and hog farmer from church (700 ewes and 120 sows)during the past few weeks--it's been fun, and I've learned a lot.

We cleaned some hog pens the other day, and I put my boots on the top step going down to the basement when I got home. Every time I went by the smell was pretty bad even though I had cleaned the boots up some. Ended up taking 'em out and throwing them into the truck. Smells up the cab, but that's not as bad as the house! The sheep smell too, but hard to beat hog stink I think.

Spring is pretty much in full swing round here...the tomatoes I started even have a few blooms on them. I've got to get them planted outside *soon*. (first I've got to get the hoop house put back up--took it down to dig the garden. Sharpened the shovel--worked good...still need to get the oil bucket set up)

Have you ordered your chickens yet? My eaters are coming on May 19th. That must mean I'd better build another pen...and the plucker...hmmm....

So much to do...So little time

Have fun with your steers!


Matthew

Anonymous said...

oh, man now I miss having some cattle around; sounds like you have your work cut out for you. the weather can't make up it's mind in Humbolt one moring it's in the 20's and the next it's in the high 30's. It'll be hot soon enough though.

Matthew said...

Hey there Mr. Guy,

Just wondering if you're still alive and kickin.
Haven't heard from ya in awhile.

Matthew

Anonymous said...

Hi,

I was in Cooks Creek in July 2007! My boyfriend's father has an uncle in Cooks Creek (Gerry Koreman). Maybe you know him?
We miss Canada so much, wish I could come back soon...

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