Bottle Babies

We had FIVE bottle babies when this picture was taken just a few days ago.  Since then we have moved down to four but for a good reason.  Gorgeous is a heifer (female calf) and has a twin sister who is with their momma cow.  Since momma cows who have twins sometimes prefer one over the other and it harder for her to care for two at a time we pull one.  That is we pick one to be separated and possibly transferred to another cow.  Gorgeous is a registered calf so worth more on a cow as they usually do better that way.  She was bottle fed about two weeks and has taken to a new momma that loves on her!  Success!!!!

Luke and Betsy were bought from some friends/neighbors for Crash and Scooters 4-H calves BEFORE we ended up with three bottle calves from our own herd.  They are Angus calves while our own herd is mainly Gelbvieh and some Angus.

Black Betty is from our herd and is a twin to a bull calf so she is sterile.  She is what we call a Free Martin, don't ask me why! She will not be kept for breeding but be sold and will end up at a finishing yard to get ready for slaughter.  Or we may keep her and feed her and have her butchered for our family to eat.

Norman is my special needs calf.  I am not quite sure what is wrong with him . It takes about thirty minutes to feed just him because he does not suck, just swallows and gags.  He is a messy eater and I usually wear gloves because I have to wipe mucus off his nose and out of his mouth.  He is more lethargic and I wonder if he has a joint problem or arthritis.  Sometimes I have Orrin tube him(put milk directly into his stomach by putting a tube down his throat) to make sure he is getting enough, since I can only get him to take half a bottle in thirty minutes when the other calves take mere minutes for a full bottle.  Poor Norman, I just don't know if I can pull him through.

Anyway with that many little ones to feed, this is what my sink look like.

See that long tube, we also call that a drencher or tuber. The bottle that does not have a flat bottom goes with it.

Werkin' calves

Around this time of year things really get hopping on the farm.  Today after feeding our (at the time) FIVE bottle calves, we went to the calving pen.  My husband had already got thirty pairs(that's a momma cow and her baby) in the pens by the little barn. 

 We needed to do several things to them.  Bull calves that were not purebred were banned.  We basically take a very strong, very little rubber band and place it around their testicles.  In a few weeks those will fall off with no pain to the calf.  We have also been known to do this to our barn cats, yes I just said that.  Saves us from taking a barn cat ,that any night might become coyote food, from an expensive trip to the vet. Back to the calves.... The now future steer calves get branded with our brand so we can always identify them if they lose an eartag (cattle rustling DOES still happen). We then inject a ralgrow implant in their ear that will help them grow without their testosterone.  We also notch their ears as another way of identification.  The heifers mainly got branded and ear notched. 

Getting those little balls... Notice my husband holding the calf down with his body weight.  This is only possible to do within the first week or two of a calf's life.  After that they are way too big to hold down without injury to us peeps.  My family did not throw calves(what this method is called since you physically pick up the calf and throw it on its side).  We worked calves just before taking them to grass with a calf cradle.

After working thirty calves we loaded them up in the trailer, I loaded my kids that are not in school yet....and then loaded up their concerned momma cows and headed to a pasture very close to our house.  This opens up our calving pen and relieves conjestion that would hamper Orrin's ability to get cows in that need assistance.  It really does make a huge difference when checking.  The cattle will continue to be fed corn silage and distillers with some feed cane in bunks (feed holders).  The ones in this pasture just happen to be recycled tractor tires that have been modified.

Just a picture of a cute black white faced calf.  We call these calves baldies and I have a fondness for them! Cute!

1st Baby of the year!!!!!

Brand new!!! Born Tuesday February 18th 

We had our first new baby!  This one was born to a cow(a female bovine who has already had at least one calf before).  The cows and heifers that we have are bred to start calving March 1st.  Just like with humans, sometimes babies come a little early.  This little one is doing just fine, he had already been licked clean and dry and had gotten up and sucked(drank milk from his mother's udder through her teats). This cow is doing a great job taking care of her baby calf.

Including a cute pic of Wally hanging out with Orrin while he took care of cattle.

Wonderful Day!!!

Ever have one of those days that makes you smile? I had one today. I guess the main ingredient anymore to having a great day is spending the day as a family. Add that we tagged along with Orrin as he worked, riding 4-wheelers, beautiful day to be outside, and pastures and it gets even better! Ended with a B-E-A-utiful sunset!



The boys new obsession is following cow paths in the pastures, which turns out to be a favorite thing Orrin and I both did as children too! We found a huge tree that had split making it perfect to climb on. The actual trunk was hollowed out and I made all my boys get in it for a picture! All around this big tree were turkey feathers. I excitedly told the boys that turkeys must come here to roost at night! When Orrin came over to see, he informed them a coyote or bobcat must have killed and eaten a turkey here. I was relieved they didn't burst into tears after hearing that happy ending:)



Orrin had to go around checking fence and he brought an extra 4-wheeler for me and the little ones. He also changed the oil in the windmill heads of two of the windmills. I admit that I was a little nervous with the kids there ready to watch their father fall to his death or dismemberment. I especially wasn't pleased when he TOOK a PHONE CALL on the top! I did not take a picture as I could just see the flash making him stumble or loose his grip. Ranchers risk their life just providing water to their livestock. Maybe I should have taken a picture and the caption would be "What have you done to put food on the plate of others?" He did tell the boys that until he says they are big enough to climb up the windmill....they can't. I sure hoped they listened! Notice in some of the pictures how dirty he was from all the oil! As ranchers in Northwest Kansas it is possible for the wind not to blow and pump water for cattle. Orrin and his father Kevin have been putting more and more submersible pumps in that eliminates wind issues. However floats still can be broken by cows that prefer to swim instead of drink so checking cattle out to pasture is a mandatory once a week but better it be twice a week chore in the summertime. People have lost whole herds by assuming everything was going right and it wasn't. Being good stewards is important to us as we also are very conscious of over grazing and stocking rates(how many cattle are in a pasture per acre, we try for 11 acres per cow). We also rotate cattle into different connected, smaller pastures to control the quality of forage or grass. It also helps to keeps tabs on the cattle, looking for any sickness, lameness etc.


Orrin and the boys in a washout that they found by following a trail!


My little girl and I enjoying the day with DADDY!!!

My Mom's shoes

Last week I spent some time in my mom's shoes. YIKES!

For those of you who don't know, my parents live on a farm and ranch. Their house is dubbed "Grand Central Station". I have three older brothers who also are back farming/ranching with my Dad so they are coming and going all the time. Right now there is only one hired hand that is living in one of my parents houses close to GCS. Oh, did I mention I also have a sister that lives only 9 miles away?

My super mom watches her grandchildren when her schedule allows it, which means every Monday and Wednesday during the school year. This year on Mondays Mom had a 4yr boy, just 2 yr girl, 5 month girl, and three month girl. On Wednesdays, same kids but not the 3 month old. All the girls get picked up by their mothers who are teachers at Sylvan and they only teach half days and the boy waits for his three older siblings to get off the bus at "Grammie and Papa's" Sometimes other cousins like to get dropped off too, then get taken home with their fathers or until their moms come back and get them. So there are alot of kids around....alot.

I should also mention that I have another sister who lives by Wichita. She and I are the only ones not living within 20 miles of my parents and since she moved from Kansas City to Wichita she is now 15 minutes closer to our parents than I am. If you are counting that is six total, three girls, three boys of my parents.

Now I come to visit and help out as my Dad got an infection in his leg....cellulitis and was in the hospital for a week. He is O.K. but is still receiving two IV treatments a day still and this whole process is in the third week. O.K. so I come to visit as MY house was going to be a hard place to be with kids as our plumbing was getting totally replaced by Orrin's Uncle Larry. Thanks Larry! We have awesome water pressure everywhere now.

I come with my THREE kids and add a little spice to the mix. As if it needed any. Mom also makes hot meals twice a day for anyone and everyone that happens to be around or if they aren't promptly makes them a lunch. OY.

I did survive three hours by myself with seven kids four and under. I kept saying to myself...if people with multiples can do it...so can I. Here are the run down of ages...two 4 yr boys, one almost three yr boy, one almost two yr girl, one 14 month girl, one five month girl, and one three month girl. I was to have help from another sister-in-law but her kindergartner was sick, but on Wednesday I had her awesome help.

I really hope my Mom stays in good health forever so I won't be called on to fill her shoes for over that three hours. But if she can do it, I can too. Just not as well. :) She is an awesome farm mom and now grandmother.


My Dad's leg in the hospital two weeks ago.



Let's spend some time coloring!!!! My three kids and a nephew and niece!



You are never too old to play dress-up in Grandma's clothes!!! Who else loves polyester???!!!!! See I wasn't busy all the time!