Well, I had a couple of visitors last week and the semi-permanent guests arrived to stay a couple of days later.
As tough as it is here, one of my neighbours is in worse shape. He and his wife came to us and asked us to take in their cattle. They culled out the worst of them and sold them for almost 35 cents a pound (bred) - and brought the remnants over to our place. So now we have a patchwork quilt of animals in the winter pasture - Horned Herefords, Black Angus, Red Angus and a couple of "whatevers" that are tan in colour. Not too many - I think we have about 15 extra guests now. Not truly a big number, but on this operation it is an additional crowd.
Fortunately we have always run both herds of young cattle together on shared rented pasture and have always been on the same vaccination program. Their feed program and ours are identical. Like us they also run a closed herd - never buying off farm animals to keep the numbers up. So I am not worried about importing any troubles.
But it was sobering to see them sit at the table that day. So, I looked at wife and said - "What the h@ll, we can stretch the feed a bit - whadya' think?"
I figure it's gonna' be tight now - but I'll think of something - suspect I can scrounge some extra corn for nothing from another big hearted neighbour we know well - he and his wife are community minded folk - and I think there might have 40 bales of last years hay sitting unused at another place that I can get for a few bucks.
As it is I just gave a ton of corn fines and undersized corn to another fellow and his son for their few animals this morning.
Wife says - "Bring em on over."
They say - "Can't pay you anything"
Wife says - "Not an issue - bring em on over."
So, now we have some extra expenses - and it's gonna' hurt - but we just had a tough time letting this go. Heavens, when I think of the number of people waiting for money from me it is a bit daunting. What do you do when good folks come to you like this?
Anyway, off to feed them all and see how it goes.
Regards to all,
Bez
As tough as it is here, one of my neighbours is in worse shape. He and his wife came to us and asked us to take in their cattle. They culled out the worst of them and sold them for almost 35 cents a pound (bred) - and brought the remnants over to our place. So now we have a patchwork quilt of animals in the winter pasture - Horned Herefords, Black Angus, Red Angus and a couple of "whatevers" that are tan in colour. Not too many - I think we have about 15 extra guests now. Not truly a big number, but on this operation it is an additional crowd.
Fortunately we have always run both herds of young cattle together on shared rented pasture and have always been on the same vaccination program. Their feed program and ours are identical. Like us they also run a closed herd - never buying off farm animals to keep the numbers up. So I am not worried about importing any troubles.
But it was sobering to see them sit at the table that day. So, I looked at wife and said - "What the h@ll, we can stretch the feed a bit - whadya' think?"
I figure it's gonna' be tight now - but I'll think of something - suspect I can scrounge some extra corn for nothing from another big hearted neighbour we know well - he and his wife are community minded folk - and I think there might have 40 bales of last years hay sitting unused at another place that I can get for a few bucks.
As it is I just gave a ton of corn fines and undersized corn to another fellow and his son for their few animals this morning.
Wife says - "Bring em on over."
They say - "Can't pay you anything"
Wife says - "Not an issue - bring em on over."
So, now we have some extra expenses - and it's gonna' hurt - but we just had a tough time letting this go. Heavens, when I think of the number of people waiting for money from me it is a bit daunting. What do you do when good folks come to you like this?
Anyway, off to feed them all and see how it goes.
Regards to all,
Bez
- I am overwhelmed with help on this one. 
