Late Surprise 8//14/11

Black mama #9 showed up with a chunky little bull with classic white coloring with dark crown on the head and unique black heels.

Farmer's Daughter Wed

On Sunday, July 24, 2011 Heather and Josh celebrated their wedding.  Where else but in the barn!  Probably between 100 and 200 friends and neighbors gathered.

Heather's pre teen friends Lacy Conn and Anna Gray.

Some of the furniture was cottonwood stumps headed for the wood pile.

Wedding Furniture

One of three loads of furniture for the wedding celebration Sunday.

Busy Day- 7/1/11

Today the breeding season began with the quiet unlatching of the gate of the bull pen so Alcan could go find the cows.  Funny how they don't need any help finding them on the two hundred acres or so.

Also accomplished that day was the laying of 76 truckloads of gravel on the driveway and the barn site.  The replacement house got the urethane insulation sprayed in the walls.  The point field of hay was rolled up and wrapped for the winter.  The brakes got fixed on the 770 Oliver and the headlight assembly replaced on my old Subaru.  I wish every day could be that productive!

Canadian Cow produces Chocolate Heifer

Notice the CAN tatoo on the rear flank.  Calf was born June 13.  Thought to be a heifer but they are too skittish yet to tell for sure. (Turns out to be a bull.) This cow was observed being bred last July 31 when the organic inspector was here.  She freshened last year with a heifer on June 7.

Last May Day Calf

Number 4- another of Chloe's calves had a heifer with dark inner ears.  Born quietly on May 31, 2011. Hopefully the manure on her face and mommy's other side is temporary!

Farmer's Remains

Today Wolverine Farm invested in two plots in the Pioneer Cemetery at Palmer to take care of the remains!  They lie side by side with Brian's plot.

Jillian 5/29/11

Just "happened" to go by in the afternoon while showing Borough Manager John Moosey the place when we noticed that Jillian was trying to deliver her calf.  She was obviously having trouble so I called Sabrita and ran home to get out of Sunday clothes.  We both had to pull quite a while to get the little heifer out.  She was walking before mom was but both front feet are doubled back.  Had to get Jillian in the barn the next morning so the calf could drink.  She cleaned the calf off and took possession of the calf but wouldn't let it drink.  Being mommy is quite perplexing to her.

One more- 5/9/11

Number six had a bull with black or charcoal points.

#28 Lost in Birthing May 1, 2011

Nice heifer couldn't deliver because the calf presented with the front feet doubled back.

April Showers bring Four Calves 4/27/11

Tierra #2 had a good sized white bull with grey points and a grey smudge on the front right shoulder. Mom is producing lots of milk.

#12 had another chocolate heifer.

#3 had a white heifer with white points.  She was still wet and mother had not cleaned.

#5 had a white heifer with light red points.

Chloe Has another Heifer 4/26/11

Matriarch Chloe had a large healthy heifer this morning.  Still dripping wet.

Chocolate 4/24/11

Number 18 who kicked me in the chute a couple of weeks ago delivered an unusually colored chocolate heifer.  She is healthy and skittish.

2011 Calves have Arrived 4/18

 First this year was from my mini cow- a heifer with chocolate points.

 Second was from 34- another heifer with charcoal points.  These two heifers were born together in the same place and are already running around together.  They will be bonded for life.











This little guy below- was still wet and born to one of Chloe's calves- #8 in the very far end of the pasture in extreme privacy.  Very little color on his points.

Four Heifers Gone

Heifers 14, 16, 25, and 32 went to the Hoover farm yesterday.  Two of them are two years old and presumably bred.  The other two are just yearlings.  They went with Alcan- the two year old Canadian bull who will live out at Point McKenzie until next year.  Pictures of them in their new home will follow.