It’s Hot!

Monday, July 15, 2024
Hello friends,
              It’s hot!  Not the hottest we’ve ever been, but certainly hot enough to justify a little complaining.  We have to make sure all the animals are as comfortable as possible.  Lane one has a lot of trees growing up in the western fence line, so a lot of afternoon shade for the cows.  We put a shade cloth on the top of the chicken enclosure, and I had some frozen cantaloupe from a year I had such an abundance.  They tasted like the freezer, but the chickens didn’t seem to mind, and they picked at it while it thawed.
              We put Fresca and Chanel with the dry cows and steers (no alfalfa or grain for the next almost two months for them) and brought Sally back with the milkers to keep an eye on her until her due date.  Next Monday is the estimated birthing day, but who knows.  Her udder is filling out and she is waddling around a bit.  There are two heifers in the front pasture that are just about old enough to breed, but not quite.  I’m keeping track of their cycles, and when the weather moderates, I will work on getting them bred and in the milker herd.  Hopefully the ratio of heifers to bull calves will bring us more females this year.  I have a name already picked out for Sally’s calf if she should have a heifer….