Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

Sunday was truly a snow day--

it snowed all day long. It has been 

 a very long time since we have experienced a snow day

 and like  many of our friends and neighbors,

it seemed a welcome change in our daily lives that 

have been impacted by all the changes brought to us during this pandemic.

 A snow is much more welcome

than freezing rain or inches of ice that can be hazardous

to the cows walking  and  for the farmers  trying to care for them.

It's always our daily job to make sure that the cows and

calves have plenty of feed and water to meet their 

nutritional needs. Colder temperatures with a blanket of

snow made the day's work even more important 

to make sure plenty of calories were provided for 

the stress of increased cold weather conditions.

Most of the calves were eager to drink their warm milk 

                                            but   a few needed a little coaxing to enter out into 

                                              their first   experience  with  six inches of snow.

                                       

                                I'm thankful for the refreshed feeling brought with  this first

                                 snow of the season, for the magical landscape created by snow,

                                              and the reminder of how God blesses us

with the beauty provided in nature  down on the dairy farm.

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

It was understandable that the calves would be a little hesitant to come 

out for their morning milk after a night of thunderstorms,

 a change to frigid temperatures followed with a skiff of snow. 

I didn't really want to come out of the house either!

It's these extreme weather changes that make it tough on our calves and

increase the importance of consistent care and close monitoring

 of each calf to assure health and wellness.

                           
                                   I'm thankful for the sunshine that warms us and our calves
                               and lifts our spirits during chilly days down on the dairy farm.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

                                                          I'm thankful for the blessings of

                                                                         
                                                              the first winter snow,

sparkling holiday lights of my hometown,

the wonder and sweetness  of  children,

                                                                               and

                                                         
                                                             new life down on the dairy farm.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Last Saturday afternoon it rained snow down on the dairy farm.

I suppose we should not have been surprised after a variety of weather

 during the week that included record high temperatures.

 tornado watches and rain storms.

Even the cattle seemed  surprised  and a little confused

 by the variety of weather!

                                                             
                                     I'm thankful for the beauty of a little winter snow and for
                                      the fact that it is  probably the only snow for this winter!

Dairy Farm Snow Days

                           Snow days, like everyday  on the dairy farm, are filled with activities
                                           that focus on caring for our cows by making sure

 

they have plenty of nutritious food to eat,

 

 

fresh water to drink,

 

windbreaks for protection,

 

and

hay to lay on instead of snow.

 

Sunshine and warmer temperatures  were a welcome sight today for both farmers and cows!

 

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

 

Last Friday we had our first and only  May snow in Northwest Arkansas!

 

 

 

I'm thankful that my Lily of the Valley (May's flower)

 wasn't one bit shocked by the sudden return to winter!

Dairy Farm Snow Day

It looked like everything was painted white with a thin coat of snow this morning. In just a few hours, as the sun shines and the temperature warms up, we won't know it snowed so I decided to celebrate the snow event with a few of my friends!

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                    Hope you have a dairy good Saturday!

Flat Aggie's Arkansas Snow Drill

Flat Aggie and I had a snow drill on Christmas Eve to prepare for the predicted three to six inches of snow the weather man was sure would happen in Northwest Arkansas on Christmas Day. We practiced our snow and extreme cold weather  readiness all during the day on Christmas Eve. While  Santa was checking his list of gifts, we were checking our lists for  the items we might need to make sure we could care for our cows and calves in extreme winter weather   like heat bulbs for the water  well pumps, diesel for the generators  in case of power outage and extra feed for the cows and calves.

 

 

 

 

We were ready on Christmas morning! It was sooo cold and windy and looked like it could snow any minute. Flat Aggie dressed in her warm Arkansas Razorback coat and hat. We watched for the snow while we fed older   calves in the pasture  and baby calves in the hutches and as  the dairy cows were fed and milked. 

We watched all day and night but not one flake of snow on the dairy farm!

 

 

 

Even though we didn't have any snow,  Flat Aggie learned that we  use all our snow drill skills every day--snow or no snow-- to care for our dairy  calves and cows around the clock whatever the conditions.   

Snow Day on the Dairy

Before I looked out the window early yesterday morning, I knew we had snow just by listening to the excitement in the TV weatherman's voice as he updated us on the winter weather conditions. It was announced that school was closed but not a word about Anglin Dairy closing for snow!

Snow days on the dairy are considered a little more challenging because it takes us longer to move from one chore to the next and to deal with any unexpected problems that may arise from extreme cold such as equipment breakdowns or frozen outside water tanks that must be thawed.

All days on the dairy farm, snow or no snow, are spent providing consistent care for our dairy cows, heifers and calves by making sure they have plenty of nutritious feed and water and making sure they are as comfortable as possible.  From my snow experience last year, I can verify that a two inch snow day on the dairy is a lot easier to manage than a twenty-four inch snow like we experienced last year in February!

Snow Cows

Twenty degrees below zero and twenty four inches of snow are not the winter time norm for Northwest Arkansas. After we fed baby calves this morning, I decided to check on the pregnant cows located next to our house. We normally go into the field on a 4-wheeler or truck, but because the snow was so deep, I decided to walk in the tracks made by the tractor from yesterday's hay feeding. These soon to be mamas were giving me the eye as I approached them. I was greatly relieved to find no new babies on this frigid morning. The cows were enjoying the sunshine and some of them were resting on the hay that we had unrolled for them to lay on. They had plenty of silage hay in the feeders in the field and their water supply was not frozen. We will check on these cows several times a day because they are scheduled to calve within the next two weeks. At the end of each day if we find a cow that we suspect might calve in the night, we will walk her to our maternity barn so that if she gives birth, her calf will be in a more protected environment from the extreme weather conditions. As I was standing in the middle of the field looking at each cow with all that snow around me, the beauty of the moment was incredible. I find that even when conditions are tough, life on the family farm has its own set of blessings!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Today's winter storm brought a record twenty four inches of snow for Northwest Arkansas. I'm thankful for my family and our employees that are working so hard to make sure that all of our animals are fed,watered and milked during this huge winter storm. Like the candy Valentine Conversation Heart says: You Rock!