flash forward monday 2019

Just to mix it up a bit I thought I'd do flash forward posts! Because all my posts are from the past. Then you can see some real time posts! I'll  keep it to Monday only though. Maybe it will be fun, maybe it will confuse you, maybe it will confuse me!! LOL  IDK. But I thought it might be fun.

 

So lets talk about breeding age heifers...

This is Poppy.

This is Camilla.

We got them last week. We got them from the same farm we bought our first cow from in 2010. Poppy is actually in the same line as that cow (Maggie). 

After getting neck chains on them my husband took Poppy off the trailer first. She was just fine. Well Camilla didn't like being alone with new people, smells and sights. She started to spin around and knock on the walls of the trailer. She wanted her friend back. My husband went back on the trailer to get her with the halter on her and the door swung open. 

Camilla came out rather quickly, in the opposite direction of the barn. We were all placed around the door of the barn and the entrance we wanted her to go in. She headed my way, and I tried to grab her rope halter to steer her. I'm not much when compared to a scared 800lb heifer...next thing I know I'm on the ground with legs, feet, and a gray belly over me! I was able to cover my head with my arms, and tuck and roll on my side. Then there were arms grabbing me under my arm pits pulling me up! I remember saying "I'm OK!" Then we got her back in the direction we wanted her to go and put in her stanchion. I looked down at my shirt and had a hoof print on me. I knew I'd been kicked and had fallen on a piece of fire wood. I also was kicked between my shoulder blade.

Rough introduction to a new heifer for sure. I was, and am fine. I took a couple milking's off, and have some fun bruises. 

But Camilla and I are good friends now :)  She and Poppy have settled in, and we really like these girls. We're looking forward to getting them bred and having 2 more productive members of the herd. 

Happy Monday y'all! 

the cows come home

 November 16, 2017.
The cows were on their way to their new home. 15 of them. New to us, and us new to them. We had never worked with them. They were used to a parlor barn and never been tied. They were coming to a stanchion barn...oh the lessons and time we were to have. The good, bad, ugly, scary and bloody. Gotta keep things real here. I want you to know the real life of farming here and I'm doing my best to share that with you. Because life is messy, and hard, and wonderful all mixed together. And this new farm life with all these new cows was going to be an adventure for all of us, even the cows.
Now I'll tell you a bit about cows if you don't know. They like things to be the same. EVERYTHING. They don't like change, unless it's  a new grass pasture they get to go on. They like the same people milking them. And their routine to be the same. I know people like this (hardy har har) Another fun fact about cows, they like female milkers better then male. Good thing I love my girls now. Milking is my favorite!
The day these new cows came home, was, like I said a mad dash to the finish line. The hot water was being tested, the pipeline was being finished and needed to have water run through to make sure it worked properly. Not to mention we needed to be taught how to wash the line properly. There are several steps and cleaners that need to be used. We also had to be in contact with Organic Valley to set up pick ups. You have to be picked up a couple times and the milk tested before it can go on the milk truck. We also had to be in contact with the milk pick up company to let them know we were now on the list of pick ups. It's an every other day pick up.
It's all kinda a blurrrrrrrrrrrr. The truck and trailer carrying the cows came and went a couple times with cows. I don't think we got any pictures either. Bummer.
Funny little side story here. On one of the trips the cattle truck was there and we had just gotten done unloading the cows when a truck and trailer pulled in the driveway. This man came in the barn came in the barn and started looking at the cows and wondering what ones he could have!! He liked the looks of them! Saaaay whaaaaaaat?! He was all ready to buy them. Then Matthew told him they weren't for sale, that these cows were just arriving at our farm. Everyone looked confused. Upon further discussion the confusion was cleared up. He was looking for a different Matthew at a different farm down the road from us that had cows for sale. We all got a good laugh outta that one.

The cows were home. They all had collars and a chain to keep them tethered to their stalls. Everyone was restless.
By this time it was time to milk them...now keep in mind these girls had never been in a tie stall. They were used to a parlor barn. Thankfully our Amish friend who had housed and cared for them was there to help us with the first two milking's. This night and the next morning.