Meat Processing Room gets a new floor

#21 Delivers Heifer #71- 4/20/16

This gal was still wet and shivering after coming from her mom's body temperature to freezing.  21 has always been a good mom and took good care of the white girl with black points- #71.

Yesterday the first robin of the year was seen and heard.

#27 has an identical Red Head Heifer- #70

Sometime between the morning check and mid afternoon this little heifer showed up and it took about half a mile to run her down.  She is white with red points just like her mom.  4/17/16.
- Mom is #27.

Pippy Long Stockings has large red Bull- 4/17/16

Pippy Long Stockings #3 had a large red bull # 69 who appears to be doing well.  He stood up but mom didn't.  Will have to check tomorrow to make sure she doesn't  have milk fever.  She certainly dropped a huge amount.  Her dairy genetics are showing.  The downside of producing that much milk is that it throws the entire body into calcium deficiency and shock.

4/12/16- #22 has classic Heifer- #68

Gentle #22 was at the feed manger this morning with a drying white and black heifer- #68. Calving so far is a communal experience with everyone getting in on the act.  Last year's calves are very curious and a little too helpful when it comes to milking the mother.  Most mothers repel the older calves but not #22.  We are going to have to watch to see that #68 doesn't get starved out.

4/11/16 Cinderella - First for 16 Generation

I was a month off in my expectations so was surprised to see Cinderella sneaking away with a very agile, strong, red and white spotted heifer.  I could get up to Cinderella with a bucket of treats but couldn't get even close to the calf.  Her coloring is distinct because of Cinderella's dairy genetics so she will remain untagged.

Predators

Coincidental to kicking the cows out of their winter feeding lot (which had become a mud hole) I see  a large wolf track that had been checking things out outside the corral.  This set is 4 inches across.  Nothing compared to the set of grizzly tracks not far away- they were 11 inches wide!  Might be an interesting calving year.