After the Storm

[randiliana]

We had a bit nicer day here today, than yesterday. Fortunately the temps stayed right around freezing so it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Had 3 calves born during the storm, but kept about 8 in the barn for the night.

Here's some pictures from this morning.

We kicked about 40 pair out on Monday, before the storm hit. Just had too many in the newborn area and we were going to start running into sick calves or something was going to get stepped on. Since our other calf shelter is frozen into a snowbank, we had to make do with what we had...

We set a bale on end inside, so it wouldn't all just get wet and tramped into the ground

Worked great, the calves just crawl through and they are safe and clean and as dry as possible

This was almost all bare ground with a big water puddle down there. There was no ice either...

Feeding time

Babies don't look to much worse for the wear...All these calves are between a week and 3 weeks old...

This one's about 6 weeks old

 

[kenny thomas]

I will think about you as I mow the lawn in my short sleeves this weekend.

 

[1982vett]

haha...85F to. Need Sunscreen....For once the wind was calm.

 

[randiliana]

Ahhh, so nice to have someone to sympathize with

 

[1982vett]

Yeah...but the early warm up just means an early burn up too. Especially without the cooling agent.

 

[I luv herfrds]

Could be worse could be pulling a 89# bull calf out of the only spot with standing water that the stupid cow had to give birth to him in.
Dragging that big boy into the barn on the sled in ankle deep plus mud was not fun.

Suppose to snow again in a couple days.

 

[randiliana]

Figures....

Had one last night, in the barn at least, she had laid down in the corner and pushed him right into the foot of the panel. Got out there and he was doing all he could do to get up, he wasn't that easy to pull back out of there either... 106 lbs doesn't fit in there that well.

 

[Kingfisher]

Ahhh, so nice to have someone to sympathize with

You need some sympathy? You just go talk to them calves........see if they might rub your back or something. Nice looking lil fellows I think. I saw some up state NY pics a bit ago. Looks like you got all our " rain" All we got out of that system was wind.

 

[SRBeef]

Great pictures as usual Randi. I am in awe of how you folks adapt to conditions - such as with the calf shelter.

In WI we have had a mixture of rain, wind, thunder/lightning, ice, hail, sleet, and cold. Someone died on an icy road auto crash a couple miles away this morning. Roads were very slick until the salt/sand trucks got to them.

Yet 3 and 4 day old calves are running up and down the hill. Your calves look great - well cared for and full of new life.

Thank you.

Jim

 

[I luv herfrds]

Had a fun one tonight. Cow did pretty good except the wind is howling pretty good here. She at least had him on a high dry patch.
Got the sled and was taking him to the barn and the dang cow step into the sled. About landed on my backside. She did that three times. :roll:
Almost had her through the barn and into the corral and she turned around and ran back out the gate. I was kicking myself for not shutting it sooner.
I started bawling like the calf and a coyote howled behind me and she came running back in the pen right to her calf.
Finally got her in the barn and another cow was bawling at the calf.
Boy did I have fun.
Another nice little bull calf.
One more and we will be half way done.

 

[dieselbeef]

i am SO glad i dont live in that anymore....

 

[redcowsrule33]

We had 1.5" of rain before our 10" of snow yesterday. Waiting for the mess to freeze into a brick so we can maneuver the tractor as we have a snow/ice/mud/ice sandwich out there. Just got our phone service back after lightning took it out the night before (thundersnow). One of the local TV stations lost their 2000' transmission tower in the storm. Their mess is bigger than mine.

And our snow was basically gone 24 hours ago. That's March in Wisconsin!

 

[dieselbeef]

snow and mud..the 2 things i hate most bout weather

 

[randiliana]

Fun and games ILH, love it when the cow tries to catch a ride too. I pulled one up last night too, but mama was happy to just follow along. I did close the gate though, so she couldn't run back down the hill. She followed right into the barn.

Jim, we just deal with it. We're about 2 months away from our first thunder storms though....

 

[I luv herfrds]

Found another calf around 1am. I had just checked that group and went to check the group at the barn. Came back 15 minutes later and there was the calf just born.
Amazing how fast them old cows will pop a calf out when your not looking at them. :lol2:

Got her in the barn and she was trying to get up. Cow was licking her like crazy.
Checked again at 3am and she still wasn't up so put her in the hot box.
Hubby showed up just before 5am and he took over.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

What a difference a week makes. Last week, fields were drying out - was about right to start pushing mud. ----- NOT - snow, rain, more snow piled on top of the water-logged mud.
I love the snow when the ground is frozen. This SUCKS. and they don't expect it to get above mid 30's for a week.

 

[redcowsrule33]

What a difference a week makes. Last week, fields were drying out - was about right to start pushing mud. ----- NOT - snow, rain, more snow piled on top of the water-logged mud.
I love the snow when the ground is frozen. This SUCKS. and they don't expect it to get above mid 30's for a week.

Yup, it does. :nod: It won't get cold enough to freeze the mud, the snow is insulating it. Putting out round bales was a real treat tonight, left 2' trenches wherever we went. If it was just mud I could deal, but this has to MELT and TURN INTO MUD before it will leave, whenever that is. :bang: I'm starting to think our calving season won't start late enough this year. Some of the girls are starting to bloom, I have about 3 weeks for it to dry out. Riiiiight.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I convinced hubby to push mud last night. He had a lot of fun pushing SOUP. :shock: Mud would have been a lot easier. But, 2 hours later, it was "better".

 

[Ruark]

Nice pictures. Reminds me of the old days in the Texas panhandle.

 

[CKC1586]

Happy Birthday Randi!!!! :bday: