ThreeBoysChicks
Loving the herd life
She is very pretty. I love that picture of her standing in the woods.
So are your steers for pets or for the freezer?
So are your steers for pets or for the freezer?
Is this cross would make a good family cow?
- Thread starter Farmerboy
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Stubbornhillfarm
Ridin' The Range
What a blessing to have a stream running through your property for them! They look great.
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- #43
ThreeBoysChicks
Loving the herd life
I would really love to have a creek, a natural water whole.
My aunt growing up had a spring house. And the water from the spring ran out and into a small tub and from there it started a small creek that flowed into a larger creek. The animals had a fresh water supply 24 X 7, 365 days a year, because the water coming out of the spring was always a constant temperature. Love it.
My aunt growing up had a spring house. And the water from the spring ran out and into a small tub and from there it started a small creek that flowed into a larger creek. The animals had a fresh water supply 24 X 7, 365 days a year, because the water coming out of the spring was always a constant temperature. Love it.
There is a seasonal 20 foot wide creek running through our property. Cherished, yes... untill there just happens to be a downpour and the creek floods onto a pasture about a mile upstream that was just heavily fertilized and the drained water then runs down that creek onto your land like it happened to me 7 years ago. I lost 5 mares in ONE day.Waterfall said:
aggieterpkatie
The Shepherd
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Using a stream isn't a good way to water your animals. YOu don't know what's going on upstream, and you sure don't want your animals polluting the stream for those people downstream. Plus, they walk all around the edges which speeds up erosion (sediment is a major problem). The environmentally friendly thing would be to fence them away from the stream (with a vegetated buffer in between them and the stream) so the water stays clean for everyone. 
There is cost-share assistance available through NRCS and some states even have cost-share programs for Best Management Practices (BMPs) like streamside fencing. Your local Soil Conservation Distric should be able to assist you.
There is cost-share assistance available through NRCS and some states even have cost-share programs for Best Management Practices (BMPs) like streamside fencing. Your local Soil Conservation Distric should be able to assist you. - Thread starter
- #48
Farmerboy
Ridin' The Range
Our creek comes from a swamp in the next door neighbor's wild land, and it goes to another swamp-like pond in the cattle pasture a quarter of a mile behind us, then it goes to a river a few miles away.
greybeard
Herd Master
Yeah, mine kinda does that--runs into a river about 2000 ft from my house. That's well and good, and everyone likes the pond I have--till the river gets up--like it did in March this year. Everyone wants a stream or creek, but be careful what ya wish for.....Farmerboy said:
This water came down river 2 days after it stopped raining here, and rose under clear skies and full sun--in less than 2 hrs. Since I can't see the river from my house, I didn't even know it was on a rise till I drove out to the highway to go to the store, and saw the water on both sides of the road. I zipped back to the house, ran in the front door, and out the back and realized I had very little time to get 22 cows and calves to high ground, and I had to wade water even then, but I got em. Luckily, it crested right before dark the same day, but I suspect all my catfish went out with the ebbing water.
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- Thread starter
- #50
Farmerboy
Ridin' The Range
Bella had a calf yesterday!!! WOOT!!! 
It was sorta unexpected. I knew that she was getting very close, and got the shed all cleaned out for the calf's arrival and was going to pick up 4 bales of straw from a farmer at 7 pm. I had got started scraping the bedding out of the Chicken Mansion at 3 pm, but went in the house to get something when my youngest sister ran in the house yelling that Bella had a calf! I grabbed my shoes and ran out of the door saying ''Where is she?!'' My sister said in the far corner of the 6 acre pasture right next to the woods!
Warning- picture and cuteness overload!
Days before birthing-
Yesterday-
See how close they are to the woods?
The calf trying to nurse.
Got it! YUM!!
The boys checking the calf out.
The weather condition, it rained hard later, and I was wet trying to get the calf to the shed, and it took us an hour to get Bella in the shed.
The calf is a girl!! We named her Maybelle as she was born in the last day of May and the mother's name is Bella.
Bella is very protective of the calf, she had charged at some of my siblings and me! When she had charged at me for the 3rd time, I gave her a firm smack on her face, now she does not go after me now but at my other siblings. I milked her for the first time this morning!! Got 3 1/2 pounds of very yellow milk. Gave the milk to the dog and the pigs, they went crazy for it. I am sure that Maybelle had a few pounds of milk for breakfast, so I am not sure how much she is producing, but will know in a few days when I keep the calf locked up at night, so I can milk Bella. But will let the calf nurse the rest of the day.
It was sorta unexpected. I knew that she was getting very close, and got the shed all cleaned out for the calf's arrival and was going to pick up 4 bales of straw from a farmer at 7 pm. I had got started scraping the bedding out of the Chicken Mansion at 3 pm, but went in the house to get something when my youngest sister ran in the house yelling that Bella had a calf! I grabbed my shoes and ran out of the door saying ''Where is she?!'' My sister said in the far corner of the 6 acre pasture right next to the woods!
Warning- picture and cuteness overload!
Days before birthing-
Yesterday-
See how close they are to the woods?
The calf trying to nurse.
Got it! YUM!!
The boys checking the calf out.
The weather condition, it rained hard later, and I was wet trying to get the calf to the shed, and it took us an hour to get Bella in the shed.
The calf is a girl!! We named her Maybelle as she was born in the last day of May and the mother's name is Bella.
Bella is very protective of the calf, she had charged at some of my siblings and me! When she had charged at me for the 3rd time, I gave her a firm smack on her face, now she does not go after me now but at my other siblings. I milked her for the first time this morning!! Got 3 1/2 pounds of very yellow milk. Gave the milk to the dog and the pigs, they went crazy for it. I am sure that Maybelle had a few pounds of milk for breakfast, so I am not sure how much she is producing, but will know in a few days when I keep the calf locked up at night, so I can milk Bella. But will let the calf nurse the rest of the day.
