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!
