Nice Saturday. 42 for low, up to 76 in the sun. Not much breeze at all so a nice day out.
Got a call from one of my farmers, he had a new bull calf that was a little on the small size, if I was interested. I said yes, and that it worked for him and me to get up there around milking time this afternoon...
DS called and asked when I wanted to get cow moved and I said whenever it worked best for him... so he said he was doing some feeding, he could call in about an hour or so... well it was over 1 1/2 hours, but I was here at the house so no big deal. Had to use the car to jump the ranger since I haven't driven it in 2 weeks and the battery is getting a little weak if you don't start it every couple days... DS called and so I left the ranger running, went up to snyder's and got the gates opened up for him to drive right up to barn...
Cow and calf unloaded easily and she seemed very calm and quiet.
DS was going to cut one place for hay after he got back down there. said he had plans for tonight so would be quitting a little earlier... He didn't say who or what...
it is not anything to do with her.... He went and took the kids around for Halloween with the sister but I think she was there too.... she called and apologized for how terrible she had been acting and treated him... they supposedly had a long talk.... NOT GOOD in my opinion....
And she has broken up with ex boyfriend AGAIN.... that came from the sister the other day.... he told me...
So, I came back to house..... got 2 barrels of water to take to the cow in the barn pen, with the calf... she got some hay in the bunk feeder too... and she was quietly eating some of the grass in the pen that the calves have not touched.
Then I came back... opened the windows on the outback as it was getting warm in the sun... Loaded the big dog crate I use for the smaller calves. I had unloaded all the striped crenshaw squash off the back of the truck. There are a couple that have some soft spots... I need to see if I can can it for later use...
Anyone can just the plain winter squash...or pumpkin.... butternut squash.... Do I have to cook it first or will it pack in say cubed pieces ???? Water added???? I have the electric pressure canner now.... may as well try to salvage the ones with bad spots...
So, left for the farm about 2:30... takes nearly an hour to get there. This is the farm that I got the tiny twin holstein heifers from last year and the set of bull/heifer twins the following week... they did good and he will make sure they have colostrum.
Got there about 3:30... a few minutes later he was in the barn setting up to milk and we went over and I backed the truck near the calf barn. Looked at him... nice calf... not huge... and he said he has had 4 qts... - 2 bottles worth - of colostrum from the cow... Older cow so ought to have good antibodies... I said that was great. He didn't want a huge amount... $150.... which was very fair for him...
Came home, unloaded him in the pen with the cow... she went to smelling him and licking him some.... then I put some grain in the barn for her and her calf was going to town nursing... and it was going on all 4 teats. I am thinking that maybe she doesn't have a ton of milk... which will be good to start... I did not try to put this calf on her since he had had the colostrum... and I wanted to see how she was acting... he went in and out and she smelled and licked him a couple more times... so I left well enough alone. Tomorrow I will see if I can get him headed in the direction of her udder when she is eating some grain... and may even turn her out and keep the calves in... she will come back for her baby... and they will both be wanting to eat tomorrow afternoon... so she might be okay with letting them both go on her.
I feel sorry for her... she seems "lost".... but hopefully she will come around fairly fast and realize that she is "good here".... sure is better than her winding up in the slaughter cow pen and the calf just sold off... She seems real quiet and easy going... of course everything is new... but at least she is taking it in stride very well. Let's hope she wants to be a momma and will take the 2nd calf.
And came home to a dead battery in the outback... I had left the key on when I put the windows down....
DUMB....
So, I will deal with it in the morning... a quick jump from the truck ought to take care of that... but almost funny... had to use it to jump the ranger... it started right up with just that little boost... Now will have to use the ranger to jump the outback....
![:\](/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/side.png "side :\")
Deb had called to see if I wanted to come over for supper... so I said to give me a half hour to wash off the "cow/calf" and I would be there... She made chicken chili... is more soup like than what I think of as chili... not as thick as I expect chili to be but it was pretty good... a little spicier than I would normally eat, but not too bad. Had a salad and I took a Tiramisu "cake" thing I had in the freezer... I had picked it up at Sharp Shopper one time and stuck it in my freezer... I was determined I was not going to thaw it for just me... so this was perfect timing... we each had a piece and then I told her to split it, and we could both eat more calories than we should for another day or 2....
She will be gone for 2 weekends... she is going to FL to see her brother; leaving next Sat and coming home the following Sunday...
Came home about 8:30 and have been starting to go through some mail.... I have a pile with alot of junk mail but some good stuff inbetween so have to go through each piece...
Might be able to work on the leaf sweeping and more mowing tomorrow. Have to go up to the cow first thing and see how that is going... go from there.
Slight chance of "a few possible showers" on Wed... on one forecast... partly cloudy on the other one...
Turn back the clocks tonight... Thank you very much.... will get me in the house earlier to start doing stuff in here...
only paid about the going pound/cull price for her... this stockyard is NOT the place to sell dairy cows... definitely not.... but that was to my advantage... started her at $800 and got her for $900..... couldn't NOT buy her. I texted DS and said that he would have to come to town with the truck and trailer to get her......but just a little bit later DS comes in; he is on his way home from a dr appt...he hadn't gotten home yet..... and then he bought a single bull calf and then 2 that came in together. Prices were decent... he wasn't really looking for more... so at least he didn't have to come back just to pick up mine...
and basically he got very little done since he had to leave for the dr appt and then they were running an HOUR behind... he was not in a very good mood...
. She was a great deal actually....steer the calf, sell or butcher. They don't bring as much at sale, being Jersey & smaller but, $ back. 
. You know the drill.
Poor gal, I bet she does feel "lost" after leaving her farm/herd, then auction exposure, now another barn. Glad she has a calf with her as it doesn't leave her without a friend. When I buy, I like to get two -- a built in friend.
Sometimes not possible.
