Month: February 2018

No, instead, Calves Play! Oh what a fun morning I had!  Since the calves have been weaned, I don’t get to interact with them while I am milking, so I usually go over and love on them in their stall before I leave the barn if I am not taking them out to the pasture.  This morning, however, Micah took them out to the pasture while I was finishing up, so I didn’t get my chance to love on them.

As I headed to the house with my equipment full of milk in tow, I looked over at the pasture and there were those two precious black faces watching me.  So I stopped, dropped the handle of the wagon and trudged through the little bit of glistening snow in the yard that as yet was untouched by foot or paw prints toward the pasture.

Immediately both Oreo and Truffle came up and started licking my coat, eating the strings on my hood and enjoying the loving I was giving.  Then I decided to play our little game: I took off running and disappeared from their view around behind the shelter.  Just as I expected they would, here they came bounding around the shelter to find me.  We played this game several times, each time I go around the next corner of the shelter and wait in a safe place for them to come and find me.  Then Truffle surprised me!  She came at me from the other side of the shelter bounding toward me with all her energy.  She responded to my startled reaction by kicking up her legs and running down the pasture lane, with Oreo following, his little Oreo cream spot showing as he ran.

They tore around the front pasture a little bit and then headed back toward me running at their top speed. When they returned to me, we played our little game of hide and seek again.  Soon, they were running down the pasture again, kicking up and having such a great time! I was laughing out loud and enjoying myself so much I didn’t even feel the cold! What a great way to get my heart pumping and get my morning exercise!  You should try it sometime!

Now, if you have been reading my blog for any length of time at all, you know that I have a very special love for my cattle.  They are each special to me in their own way.  Some are easier to get along with than others and some are more bossy than others.  However, there is one thing they all have in common: THEY ARE SPOILED!  Did you know cattle could be spoiled and act like bratty kids?

For instance, if Mocha doesn’t like what is in her feed pan, she puts her big nose on the edge of the pan and tips it over.  Now, when they are down to the “crumbs” and it’s hard to get at the last of it, they will tip the pan up so t’s easier to clean up what’s left, but when they aren’t happy with the contents, they push even further until it tips over and spills on the ground!

Tonight, because they haven’t been eating the kelp meal as free choice like they are supposed to do, we began putting some in their feed. When I came out to milk this evening, Mocha’s bowl hadn’t been touched.  Jeff had put the feed, in her bowl, the kelp meal on top and then drizzled the molasses over that and then served it to her like that!  Well, to be honest, I did tell him last night that he would need to stir it up before giving it to her, but he must have forgotten (wink, wink!).  So, I found something and stirred it up and walked away and that Stinker (notice the capital “S”?) walked over and started eating it!!!

Another example, especially with Mocha and Jersey, is that if for one reason or another we decide that they can’t be in the pasture that day, Mocha (and sometimes Jersey) will moo/scream/screech/holler/roar at the top of her lungs!  It’s almost like she thinks we forgot and she is trying to remind us! And, OH!, if we dare take the calves out and not let Mocha and Jersey out, she will definitely raise a ruckus, letting you know that you have wronged her deeply!

But the most recent example has been with their hay.  Did you know that cattle have definite preferences and they will let you know what they like and don’t like? You probably thought hay is hay, right? Wrong! They have been eating hay from one source for most of the winter and they really liked it when we brought the load home.  They dove into eating it and were quite content.

Then we got hay from a different source and they weren’t very happy with that hay so we went back to the original hay. Now, you may ask, “How do you know they don’t like it?”  Well, one way is they throw it all over the stall so that it becomes bedding instead of feed. Another way is when the stack of hay is up to their brisket and they just stand and stare at you as if to say “You expect me to eat this?” and wait, hoping you will bring something else.

Then we introduced the third source of hay.  Oh my!  You would have thought we had offered them caviar (I’m not sure if cows like caviar but you get my meaning!). They devoured it and not only devoured their daily ration; they began eating more hay than before, to the tune of fifty percent more!

Well, the inevitable happened:  WE RAN OUT!  So we began giving them the hay from the first source.  It is then that we got THE LOOK: “You must be kidding! You expect me to eat this stuff?  Where is my hay? Bring me my hay! I’M HUNGRY!  I’M NOT EATING THIS! WHERE IS MY HAY????”  You get the drift!  So, what choice did we have?  We bought more of the hay from the third source and let the hay from the first and second source sit there!

Did you know that cows can tell time and they think they are in charge and are crazy strict time masters?  I am not kidding! When they are in the pasture and milking time is getting close, I will glance out toward the pasture and there the two of them will be standing, staring at the house.  If they don’t see any movement indicating someone is coming toward the barn, they will begin mooing…as if we don’t know what time it is.  And now that you know that, I’ll bet you can only imagine what happens when Daylight Savings Time moves 5:00 around.  Not fun!

I hope you have enjoyed these tales of our crazy, bratty but lovable bovine!  By the way, several of you have told me that you read my blog(s) and that you are enjoying them!  I am so glad!  Thank you for saying so! It is so fun to know that you like reading about what goes on here on de Good Life Farm!  Keep reading and I’ll keep writing!

When I was a child, my dad taught us a song called “All God’s Creatures”. The words go something like this: “All God’s creatures got a place in the choir. Some sing low, some sing higher and some sing out loud on a telephone wire, and some just clap their hands, or paws or anything they’ve got now….”.

This song came to my mind as I was milking tonight. It started with the magically musical sound of the streams of fresh milk hitting the side of the stainless steel milk bucket. This represented the brass section of the orchestra. Then the calves piped up with a couple of low moos which sounded like a woodwind section duet. Then I heard Jeff outside in the pasture with the wheelbarrow and it sounded like he had joined in with percussions. Adding to the percussion section, was the rhythmic sound of Jersey chewing her hay and Mocha keeping time by slurping her water.

Then I got to listening with new ears and thinking of all the sounds I hear in the barn when it’s somewhat quiet.  This morning, the birds were definitely singing soprano and alto parts. When the calves get their bellering going, they have a perfect pitched alto and baritone duet. When Mocha is wanting to be heard, her voice definitely carries the bass section! Occasionally, Jersey will join in with a much quieter harmony.  Other contributions to the barn’s musical talents are the rain on the metal roof, and most recently, when all four bovine choose to blend together for a rousing quartet special.

I have often thought how peaceful the quiet of the barn is when I am milking, but I am so thankful that my ears and spirit woke up to the wonderfully creative and beautiful concert I am privileged to attend twice each day!