Posted in cattle, compost, family cow, farm as desired, farm dogs, farm life, frugal living, milk cow, sustainability, vegetables, winter stores, zero mile foodshed, tagged Australian Shepherds, composted animal manure, family cow, farm life, frugal living, milk cow training, sustainability, vegetable gardening on May 6, 2008 | 7 Comments »
Jetta Update: Still waiting…
Frozen colostrum, just is case something goes wrong.
Everything that happens here starts with a seed, part of the “master plan.” A seed can grow into a calf that may be a milk cow or beef, or a tree that makes firewood, lumber or that just makes us feel good by looking at it. These last [...]
Posted in cattle, family cow, farm as desired, farm life, frugal living, milk cow, tagged cattle, family cow, farm life, milk cow training on April 30, 2008 | 7 Comments »
Jetta chewing her cud.
Note horn treatment - do you think she’s trying to look younger?
Jetta is due tomorrow, according to the Merck gestation table, and on Friday according to the calendar the AI guy gave me. I think next week, she’s got that sleepy, late pregnancy look about her. But, she isn’t making much bag [...]
Posted in family cow, farm life, greenhouse, lost skills, milk cow, vegetables, tagged biodynamics, greenhouse, milk cow training, weather, weeds on April 18, 2008 | 11 Comments »
“In order to teach, there is a lot more to learn.” Bud Williams, cattleman, low stress livestock handler extraordnaire.
Jetta update: Taking the heifer by the horns, literally, has put me in control. Somewhat. My daughter told me I looked nervous the other morning during chores. She was right. The routine is working and all my [...]
Posted in cattle, family cow, farm life, milk cow, zero mile foodshed, tagged family cow, farm life, milk cow training on April 6, 2008 | 7 Comments »
I have been dreading this moment for about 8 months. I have to train my heifer to milk. The last time I had to train one of my own, was 7 years ago. I was 43, now I’m 50. Somehow fear has crept in, maybe because my own mortality just jumped up and slapped me [...]
Cinnabar moth larvae eating Tansy Ragwort