happiness is heifer calves

ahh what a joy this past weekend was...not one, not two, not even three, but four newborn, beautiful heifer calves. well, technically five, but she was an Angus Holstein crossbred. sure, we'll raise her, but nothing too exciting there. along with two other cows having bull calves, it was a ridiculously busy weekend! throw in the fact that my sister also delivered a "heifer calf", we didnt know which way to turn!

the most exciting was born Monday morning. my red Holstein Ohara finally decided it was time to calve. of course, i was waiting for this one...she hasnt ever had a heifer, and she was bred to a red bull. Well, as usual, we had to help her. every year she does this!! so, jeff and i pulled out a gorgeous red heifer calf, which i named outlaw. she seems a little slow at this point, but i think she'll perk up a bit.

the hay crop is coming along good. we started our 2nd ag bag today, and we are almost done with the acreage. im thankful for the good crop, but over 200 acres of alfalfa seems to have us maxed out.

its been a long, tiring week, and its only tuesday! tomorow is the District Holstein Show in DePere, and im meeting a friend and going to see that. should be a nice day off the farm...for a few hours...

Pitter Patter

Finally, a small dose of what we have been needing...rain! It's not a downpour, but just a nice afternoon drizzle. A small amount of hay will get rained on, but luckily the bulk of the 1st crop cow haylage is done. Dad and Jeff worked til 11pm last night to get it off the fields, and I milked alone. What a long milking! When I'm alone I milk with 6 milkers instead of the usual 8 Jeff & I share. But, it wasnt too bad...starting at 6, I finished up around 9. Then it was calf feeding and cleaning up, and then a friend of mine came over and we worked on a nice display board for our county brunch on the farm, which is coming up June 28th.

It's been so cold this spring/summer. Right now, its early June, and only 50 degrees, if that! But, Im not really complaining. The cows love it and their production continues to climb. Our recent DHI test showed 24 cows over 100# of milk per day, for a rolling herd average of nearly 25,000#. It doesnt seem possible when my parents started with our feed nutritionist in 1984 that our production was only 15,000# per cow!

A new heifer came into the world early this morning, when I checked the maternity pen at 1:30am a nice healthy heifer calf was already licked off and nosing around. Da-Lynn-Jema Toby Zynda will join the herd in 2 years if all goes well! Her dam, Zena, emanates from my first cow, Alice, so it was pleasing to get another heifer from this family. There is now over 25 females in the herd that trace back to Alice.

Well, its nearly 4pm, time to head back out and get things set up for evening chores...

Making Hay While the Sun Shines...

The unmistakable smell of summer has arrived. Im not talking about hot dogs on the grill, or wet swimming suits, but the smell of fresh cut alfalfa. One of my favorite smells, i can smell it as i type...about 1am, and a pack of coyotes is exploring the field. I can hear their whining, sorrowful cries through my open window. Are they echoing the cry of the farmer? No, the farmer is silent...on the outside at least. I havent been on here in the last few months due to a few things. One of them is just the fact I have been so busy...we are trying to do all we can to make the most profit. The last few months have been a contstant struggle. Our last check...$9.82. How can this make sense?? I watch as giants such as GM fall, and the government is behind, sweeping up the pieces, getting out the glue. Why cant the American farmer be helped? Could the average American have their paycheck cut in half, their living expenses raised, and be expected to survive? Think about that the next time you pass the milk cooler in the store. Dont reach for a packet of Kool-Aid, grab milk. Dont deprive your children of a bucket of ice cream and hand them a bag of chips. When you buy dairy, consume dairy...it helps us. We don't see all the profit, but it helps us. It's June...Dairy Month. But do us a favor, make every month dairy month.