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- #661
Wehner Homestead
Herd Master
“Fred” arrived today. (He was already named.) His interest was piqued when I called the girls up before he was even unloaded. After a thorough sniffing of each of the girls, he proceeded to push a haylage bale down an incline. He’s here until July 30...
The heat here makes it almost unbearable to be out. I’ve checked on waterers several times today and had to refill a few. Some pens will need extra buckets tomorrow as I have to work and DH will be home about 9 hrs for work and commute. Makes me worry!
As y’all know, we lost a chicken on Monday night while Queenie was getting spayed, Otis on Thursday night from a traumatic leg injury, and Friday I got home from work and went to the barn to check animals again. Found Smoky dead in the barn loft. We’d moved them up there for more space in a very large dog crate after Ella was turned out. Their water had dumped and I think he overheated. I had several concerns about him from the get-go. I guess he just wasn’t meant for this world. That one made me cry. Just too much to hold back. Daisy is lonely. We moved her back to feed room. She also had a fan to move air. I also have her a glass dish that’s heavier and harder to tip over.
Those losses have been hard to swallow. Animals here are quite spoiled and we work hard and make their lives more comfortable. Three in five days is just crazy! Praying we don’t have any more from the heat. The goats just lay in front of their fans, the cows stand in the shade of the trees, and the chickens are panting. The cats don’t even want messed with. Queenie and Cowboy having been coming in the house for short periods of time to cool off too. (Cowboy tipped over the kitchen trash and then a bathroom trash can so he kept getting kicked out!)
Planning to work cattle on Wed morning. Vaccs, worming, castration, fly/number tags, body shave a few hairier ones to keep them cooler, pregnancy check a few cows by bloodwork. We will be set-up to start when the sun is making its way up to get done before the heat becomes unbearable.
Four bigger calves: Beast, Reggie, Jordan, and Rockstar are in the barn being weaned. They are under fans and so are their dams to reduce the heat stress. We will wait to castrate these guys to avoid two stressors that close together with the heat. They will get vaccinated and wormed though. Breaking to halter/lead/tie/wash will happen over the next few weeks. Reggie needs a surgical dehorn to keep him pretty for the showring too. Hoping to sell all 4 as show steers. That’ll help catch up a few medical bills and pay for a new bull calf to raise up for next year.
King is staying. I mentioned that we had become iffy and decided to keep him.
The heat here makes it almost unbearable to be out. I’ve checked on waterers several times today and had to refill a few. Some pens will need extra buckets tomorrow as I have to work and DH will be home about 9 hrs for work and commute. Makes me worry!
As y’all know, we lost a chicken on Monday night while Queenie was getting spayed, Otis on Thursday night from a traumatic leg injury, and Friday I got home from work and went to the barn to check animals again. Found Smoky dead in the barn loft. We’d moved them up there for more space in a very large dog crate after Ella was turned out. Their water had dumped and I think he overheated. I had several concerns about him from the get-go. I guess he just wasn’t meant for this world. That one made me cry. Just too much to hold back. Daisy is lonely. We moved her back to feed room. She also had a fan to move air. I also have her a glass dish that’s heavier and harder to tip over.
Those losses have been hard to swallow. Animals here are quite spoiled and we work hard and make their lives more comfortable. Three in five days is just crazy! Praying we don’t have any more from the heat. The goats just lay in front of their fans, the cows stand in the shade of the trees, and the chickens are panting. The cats don’t even want messed with. Queenie and Cowboy having been coming in the house for short periods of time to cool off too. (Cowboy tipped over the kitchen trash and then a bathroom trash can so he kept getting kicked out!)
Planning to work cattle on Wed morning. Vaccs, worming, castration, fly/number tags, body shave a few hairier ones to keep them cooler, pregnancy check a few cows by bloodwork. We will be set-up to start when the sun is making its way up to get done before the heat becomes unbearable.
Four bigger calves: Beast, Reggie, Jordan, and Rockstar are in the barn being weaned. They are under fans and so are their dams to reduce the heat stress. We will wait to castrate these guys to avoid two stressors that close together with the heat. They will get vaccinated and wormed though. Breaking to halter/lead/tie/wash will happen over the next few weeks. Reggie needs a surgical dehorn to keep him pretty for the showring too. Hoping to sell all 4 as show steers. That’ll help catch up a few medical bills and pay for a new bull calf to raise up for next year.
King is staying. I mentioned that we had become iffy and decided to keep him.
