Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

Resting in the shade  on a hot July afternoon is the routine for 

these  cows that  will be calving within the next two weeks.

It's hard to find a cool spot in the month of July,

 but  if you follow the cows during the day, you will find yourself 

moving to where ever the shade is found in the pasture.

It's our job to make sure they have access to  fresh water

and shade and monitor them closely for signs of calving.

We also provide a special formulated feed that meets their

nutritional needs while they are resting from milk

 production and  preparing  for calving.

When I watch the cows resting in the shade by the yard, 

I'm thankful for the memory of planting these pine tree 

twigs nearly thirty years ago with Cody and Casey playing

 in the yard, for the beauty of each tree and the shade

 that is so appreciated by our beautiful Holstein cows 

down on the dairy farm.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

It was in no one's plan to spend any time visiting family in the 

hospital during June Dairy Month but I was thankful to see that dairy

 was in the hospital with us.  After suffering a stroke, my uncle received this

 thickened dairy product to aid in his impaired swallowing and still

 provide the nutrition he needs for recovery.

I 

No matter where we are, I'm thankful for those spotted cows

down on the dairy farm.

                                                                   

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Was it a conspiracy or just an invitation to come play in the pasture?

Even pregnant cows resting in the pasture and waiting 

on their delivery date need a little fun!

 I'm thankful for the moments of unexpected humor provided by

                                             these innocent scenes down on the dairy farm.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

If cows could ride a sunbeam,

 it looked quite possible this afternoon when the sun was setting.

My thought really  was that after  an afternoon of  eating whenever I felt like 

it and resting leisurely in the pasture, a quick ride to the milking  barn

 would be appreciated.

                             I'm thankful for these extraordinary  natural scenes of beauty down
                                         on the dairy farm that occur on ordinary days.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

You could set your clock by these pregnant  dairy cows. 

They know when they hear the little feed truck come down the lane

 that it's time to eat!

                                     I'm thankful for the daily scenes just like this because it
                                   reminds me that everything we do down on the dairy farm
                                          to care for our dairy cows  has value in producing
                                                                  safe, high-quality milk.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

My job description down  on the  dairy farm is 

"whatever they tell me to do or need me to do".

That's what brought me to be the gate keeper as 

we were sorting the dairy cows for a herd health check-up. 

Not every job on the dairy farm is my dream job  but one

 of the benefits is watching my sons work together. 

Although they were quick to let me know when I messed up on my job,

I'm thankful for days like this when we are working together as a family.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Cows just love to mother a new calf and often try to take

 over another cow's mothering job  before delivering a calf of their own.

Some mamas allow this behavior and others will work to stop this invasion  of their space.

I'm thankful for the natural  God-given mothering instinct 

that protects and  insures a healthy  start in life.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Even though the calf was on the wrong side of the fence,

 these mama cows never left this new baby alone.

                                                   It's that motherly instinct that often draws
                                                        another cow to claim a new baby.

                                               I'm thankful for the opportunity to experience

                                                      life and love down  on the dairy farm.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

The fog thickened as we were feeding calves this morning.

 As I looked at the cows resting in the pasture, it was beautiful in an odd way.

For me it was  a  moment of peace in a crazy week.

                                            I'm thankful for the peaceful God-given moments
                                                                down on the dairy farm.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Even when I'm feeling overwhelmed by the busy dairy farm schedule during June Dairy Month,

I'm thankful for peaceful scenes of the dairy cows

 resting in the field enjoying  their stress free life on the dairy farm! 

                                                                 

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

It doesn't seem possible it's been 26 years since we brought home this 9 pound baby!

I'm thankful for the joy Cody brings to my life, that he always requests chocolate cake for his birthday,

 

 

the fact that we're  celebrating his last 'single' birthday,

 

 

and

 

 

                      that birthdays are celebrated  working  together on our family dairy farm.
                                                                 Life is dairy good!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

We've all been enjoying these crisp, cool October days down on the dairy farm. In between milking times, our cows enjoy resting in the pasture, eating a nutritious balanced diet and drinking plenty of water so they can produce an average of 5 to 6 gallons of milk every day.

 

 

 

         I'm thankful for these dairy cows that not only provide nutritious milk to drink but make
                                        it possible for me to live and work on our family farm.