Winter's Last Hurrah

With the end of February and the turning of the calendar, we all have that 

hope and realization that spring is just around the corner.

However, March seldom gives up those last winter weather days.

As I faced the north wind and blowing snow this morning, I

was pretty sure that Winter was shouting its last hurrah and 

probably having a good laugh!

Fluctuating temperatures like we have experienced this month

are very stressful for the calves and often bring illness

such as pneumonia and scours. 

Providing  blankets to keep them warm, providing

warm milk twice daily, bedding the hutches with straw 

 or shavings and monitoring each calf  closely is 

 our everyday farmer job.

These jonquil blooms earlier this week

were just a little bit early for real spring

                               

                                  but they did confirm the hope and promise of  spring is real!

                                                                      

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

Snow days down on the dairy farm are just as busy

as the days without snow but our focus is a little

more narrow in making sure that we do everything

possible to feed, water and provide comfort for

the animals during the snow event. 

 

The day before the  snow and colder temperatures hit,

we bedded calf hutches and rolled out hay

for the cows and calves in the pastures to lay on.

During feeding time for the calves this morning,

I made sure that everyone drank their warm milk.

There always seem to be one or two that may not 

come out of the hutch without a little coaxing.

You know, snow is a little scary if you 

have never seen it!

Although I'm not a big fan of these single digit

temperatures, I am thankful for the layers of

warm clothes that make the cold weather tolerable,

for the fact that all the calves

drank their milk and  appeared to be adapting to

the frigid temperatures,

all the milking cows walked to the barn without

any issues walking on snow and ice,

 and 

for my constant companion, Bea

that just enjoys being with us

regardless of  the  weather!

 

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

So far, January weather has just been teasing us with skiffs

 of snow and frigid temperatures that blew in from the north after

 seventy degree temperatures during the holidays.

These extreme changes of weather are a stress on all of us.

It becomes even more important to closely monitor the cows 

and calves for any sign of illness during stressful events and

provide comfort and protection as much as possible.

Blanket coats for the calves and hay rolled out for the cows to rest

on during frigid temperatures are ways we can reduce the stress 

created by  weather conditions beyond our control.

I'm thankful for the healthy calves that have been born during 

challenging weather conditions,

for our devoted farm dogs that provide entertainment

for us and the cows,

and for the warm blanket coats  for the calves and

the farmers that care for all the animals down on the

dairy farm.

                                          

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

                             

                                      

    After carefully walking around on ice last week,  we were  extremely happy for the    snow that made it easier and safer for us and the cows to  gain a little bit of traction.   We prepared as best would could for what we consider normal  cold weather but nothing on the farm works when temperatures drop below zero and hover in the teens through out the day.

From the equipment in the milk barn to the water tanks, well houses,

 and ponds, everything has been frozen.  Every minute of each day 

has been busy with hauling water, breaking ice on the ponds,

  feeding the cows and repairing damaged equipment to get 

the milking done. 

If you want to see a farmer's determination to care for his animals,

come on  down to the dairy farm and I will show you  my family of farmers.

 

I'm thankful that my family and our employees have

been kept safe this week  as we worked together

down on the dairy farm.

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

Preparing for extreme cold weather is always a challenge on the dairy farm

but when you add a layer of ice it's a double whammy.

As we tried to bring the two expectant mamas into the maternity barn

to shelter for the night, the first cow slipped on the ice.

Luckily, she was able to get up and walk on to the barn.

After seeing the struggle of the cow getting up on the ice, 

it was decided the other cow would be  left in the pasture.

Cold weather doesn't create the same risk as the broken leg or hip injuries.

Several large hay bales were unrolled for the cows to rest on.

As luck would have it, the cow in the pasture calved and the cow in 

the maternity barn did not.

Cody brought this new baby into the maternity barn as soon as he found her

and put her in a hutch with a heat bulb. She looked pretty cozy when I 

went to check on her after calf feeding.

I thought about climbing into the hutch with her for 

a warm-up!

It's been a rough couple of days trying to stay warm

and upright walking on ice but I'm thankful for the 

fact that we have a healthy new baby and that 

no animals, employees or family have been injured

down on the dairy farm.

 

Merry Christmas!

Fifteen degrees was not the temperature I was hoping for

on Christmas morning but with several layers of clothing for 

myself and a new calf coat for the baby, we really had

nothing to complain about.   

Even though our chores of calf feeding, milking and feeding

all of the cows continue as usual, our celebration will take place when

all the work is done. 

I hope that today brings you an abundance of 

love, peace and joy as we

celebrate the birthday of our Savior.

From down on the dairy farm...

                                                     Merry Christmas!

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

                               No matter how many times we find a new baby in the pasture,
                                      I still love to welcome each one to the farm and give
                                          a congratulations  to the mama for a job well done.

                                      Yesterday we had two new babies for the welcome party.

A double delight for a day during June Dairy Month.

Each of these mamas was raised by us. 

From the day of delivery, we are caring daily for each

one for an average of two and a half to three years before  

 the heifer will have her first calf.

High quality milk begins with a healthy animal and

that's where our job begins on day one in caring for each new calf.

                                                 Even though we have challenges every day,
                                I'm thankful for the joys of our job  down on the dairy farm
                                as we work to produce high-quality milk for my family and yours.

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

It's June Dairy Month!

Hope you have been eating all the dairy foods you can!

We appreciate all the ways you and your families 

support us.

Down on the dairy farm, the calves celebrate

everyday with milk in the morning and evening.

Just like us humans, calves and cows must have

good nutritious food for growth and development.

Grain, a mixture of sweet corn that is pelleted,  

is added to their diet gradually to meet their nutritional needs.

Providing good nutrition and monitoring the growth and 

development of our calves is how we insure that we will

have healthy cows to produce milk.

As you can see, between the lines of barbwire, 

these beauties in the pasture will soon be

having calves and entering the milking herd.

Growing the milking herd is approximately a three

year project of love and dedication.

I'm thankful that even in tough times we can  

celebrate all that we love and care for each day.

We are blessed.

Happy June Dairy Month!

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

From the minute we bring a newborn  calf into 

their own private hutch, it becomes our priority

to monitor the calf for any health issue and to 

make sure it is drinking milk  twice a day and

adding grain at the appropriate time.

Care in the hutches continues for approximately three months.

The hutch protects from weather and the pens surrounding

 them provide ample space for the calf to freely move about 

while protecting them from other members of the herd.

When the calves are transitioned out of the hutch into a small 

pasture, the training begins for living as a group,

 eating together from a grain trough and drinking at

the water tank.

My job last week was to stand in the gate and direct

 them to follow Ryan to the feed manger at feeding time.

It doesn't take very long for the calves to know

it's time for dinner!

  

I'm thankful for the opportunity we have

each day to care for our calves that will  assure a future 

of producing high-quality milk

                                                                                  and

                                                         for the little surprises down on
                                                                       the dairy farm!

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

Happy New Year!

There's nothing more heart warming on a chilly day

down on the dairy farm than the delight of a child or

adult sharing in the care of a new calf on their first 

 dairy farm visit.

This farm visit was unique in that it was a special request

of my nursing school roommate to bring her niece's family

to the dairy farm while she was home for the holidays.

Aunt Nancy will forever be the favorite aunt!

We timed the visit to coincide with the afternoon calf feeding

so that each child could have the opportunity to

bottle feed a new calf. 

It was a precious time of sharing about the love we

have for caring for our animals and the work 

we do every day to provide safe, nutritious milk.

                                           
                                                  I'm thankful for the opportunity to share
                                           about dairy farming and agriculture to consumers
                                                of all ages and for the blessing of friendship.

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

I hope you had a very Merry Christmas!

It was special in every way down on the dairy farm.

Although we worked our usual schedule of milking the cows

and feeding and caring for cows and calves on Christmas Day,

at the end of the day, we gathered as a family for a 

meal and exchange of gifts. That may seem like a 

very ordinary event, but to me, 

the gathering of those I love is a precious gift.

I'm thankful for the new dairy heifer that we welcomed 

on Christmas Day,

 for all the gathering of family during this Christmas 

season, loving memories of past  family Christmas times

and

 the opportunity to make memories for the next generation.

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

"It takes a village" was the phrase that came to mind as I observed

this mama-to-be assisting with welcoming the new calf. It's not unusual

to see this behavior  in a pasture full of expectant mothers and although it

appears to be helpful, it can be a distraction to the new mother causing her

not to do her job of cleaning off the calf.  

We don't always separate these cows but today due to the frigid,damp weather, we

moved the new baby and mama to the maternity barn for protection and to assure

that the mama could do her important job.

Observing the behavior of animals is always interesting and part of the 

dairy farmer's job in providing good care of their cows and calves.

I'm thankful for all the birthdays down on the dairy farm

and in our family!

Happy 1st birthday,Breck!

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

I returned from a trip to Little Rock just in time

to check on the calves during their afternoon feeding.

It was a dreary,rain threatening afternoon and already getting

dark when I made my way to the hutches.

The calves were already finished with their afternoon milk

and were enjoying the grain that had been added to their feed

bucket.  With the threat of rain, I was glad to see that 

each calf  had their head down in the feed bucket.

I'm not quite adjusted to the  Daylight Savings time change that 

occurred this past Sunday but 

I'm thankful that our calves don't seem to be bothered at all.

Their  growth and development goes right on

as long as we provide milk and grain twice daily and monitor 

closely for any illness.

                                                 
                                                   
                                                 

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

We've had new babies in the pasture every day this week, in fact,

some days it has been 3 or 4.  Calving heifers, those first time mamas,

are often a little more challenging but I'm happy to report all have 

calved without any problems that required  assistance.

This heifer calved yesterday. She happens to be one of the "horned heifers"

in the group that are calving this month.  Somehow these heifers did not

get dehorned  when they were small calves. 

 Dehorning is done to decrease the risk of injury to other cows, 

 farmers or other humans. "Disbudding " of non-developed horn 

buds is a fairly simpleprocedure that is typically conducted

 the first few weeks after a calf is born.

Any dehorning at this point will be done by the veterinarian using

best industry practices to ensure the comfort and safety

 of the animal through sedation or anesthesia.

                               
                                 I'm thankful that we have had no injuries to calves or farmers
                                  and for  the interesting conversations about horned heifers!

We're Open!

We're Open!

There's no question about what will happen down on the dairy farm

when inclement weather shuts down the  normal activities of our community.

Bundled up with several layers of warm clothes and boots to give us traction on the ice,

you  will find us doing what we do every day...

feeding calves,

milking cows,

feeding cows, 

and 

                                                                 
                              taking pride in our commitment to provide high-quality milk that
                              plays a critical role in the diets of adults and children by providing
                             nine essential nutrients, including calcium,magnesium, potassium
                             and phosphorus,in addition to 48 percent of the daily value of protein.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

It was obvious that Christmas came early for our hard working 

hoof trimmer Ben when he arrived at the farm this week  with a new 

hoof trimming chute for our herd hoof check-up.

Although Ben is a master at caring for our cows' feet, it 

would  be  impossible to keep the cows comfortable and do a good job hoof 

trimming without the proper equipment.

I'm thankful for the investment  that Ben has made in this

 new equipment that improves his ability to care for our cows

  with increased comfort for each cow.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

It's standard treatment for pregnant cows to have a two month rest period

 before giving birth.Two weeks before the expected calving date, 

we move the cows or heifers to the field close to our 

house so we can monitor them closely.

                         
                                                       I'm thankful for all safe arrivals
                                                                                and
                                        for this week's new addition to the dairy farm family!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Like the varied spots on our spotted Holstein cows, 

every group of dairy farm visitors are unique.

I love to see the expression on the face of the child or adult that 

suddenly understands how we work on the farm to produce

 a great product that their family enjoys.

                                       
                                       I'm thankful to  connect with consumers to share how
                                we work everyday to care for our animals, produce  nutritious
                                          milk and give them a feel for life on a family farm.

Happy Agriculture Day

                                                      Happy National Agriculture Day
                                                                            from
                                                      down on the Arkansas dairy farm!

                     Today is an  opportunity as farmers to share how we are working everyday
                              to produce safe affordable food for consumers and celebrate
                                                all that agriculture provides to each of us.

                                            Thanks to proven science and technology,
                                we are producing a gallon of milk using 95 percent less land and
                                     65 percent less water while  producing 76 percent less
                                                         manure compared with 1944.

                                             Do you know what hasn't changed since 1944?

                                                 
                                 Farmers still care  for our animals and the land we call home
                                                  and are committed to providing you
                                             with safe,high-quality milk and dairy products.

                                                   Happy National Ag Day!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Having no internet service for a period of time does create a lot of issues 

and inconveniences when we rely on internet access for doing business 

but 

I'm thankful that internet access isn't required 

for caring for our dairy calves and cows

or

                                                                 playing with Hattie!