Feb 27th - March 2nd, 2025

 I have felt compelled to journal these beginnings days after moving from an office job back to ranching.  I want to use this to help me observe to details, difficulties, and joys in the time of life, but mainly to see God's providence in things.  

Upon arriving on February 27th I did the 11pm check of the first calf heifers. First one I went to was #315, upon her standing up at my driving up to her on the 4-wheeler I see 2 feet sticking out.  I decided to check on the others then come back to her.  After a quick lap around the lot I came back to her, she had laid down again, but though I tried to keep my distance at my slow approach she got up again, retracted the calf's feet back in, walked 20 feet away or so, laid back down and resumed pushing.  I debated trying to work her up to the pen, but decided I could give her a few moments.  She pushed and got the legs out again, pushed another time and I could see the nose.  Another push and the head was out, then the shoulders, then the body.  She hunk there for another moment, pushed again and the hips were out, then the whole calf.  The body laid still momentarily.  Then the cow stood up, circled around and bellowed. Then the calf flopped its head a bit, then back down. The cow smelled the calf and began cleaning it.  As she did the calf let out a little call to her.  Beautiful moment and a start to this life change.  Can't help but see God placing that moment in memory.  After back posting this maybe a month later I haven't witnessed another birth expecting a pulling.  

On Saturday we had a cow with twins.  We lost several sets of twins prior to my arrival according to Dad's records. We brought them up behind the barn and Ivy and Eden got a moment with them. The cow was rather protective so we had to have the cow out of the pen. Noelle was rather jealous she wasn't there so wanted time with them. In order to not have Denise dealing with an upset Noelle the whole drive back to Stromsburg I tried to get Noelle some time in the pen with them. I waited till the cow was distracted and at the far end of the pen with one and slipped in with Noelle to pet the other. The cow quickly noticed us with the one she wasn't with and she started coming for us rather quickly, head lowered.  I managed to get my arm under Noelle and threw her over the fence and got myself up with the cow breathing at my boot.  Not wise on my part, but hopefully a good lesson for us all.  


I tried the Orchard E-free church on Sunday,  nice little church. When looking at which church we are leaning toward as a family we believe substantive worship, regardless of style modern or hymn is important.  Expository preaching by pastors/elders.  And a church with other young families.  We are trusting the Lord to lead us to where He would have us be.  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Can an Old Dog Learn New Tricks?

Image
 Upon returning to the ranch I've felt on a number of occasions that I have a lot to learn, mostly in moments working with my dad when he sees something I missed, like the signs of a heifer in early labor or being shown by the previous hired man how to change the bearings on a tractor tire.  I for sure have as good of a foundation as one could have coming into a job, having done a number of things up until high school,  Yet I'm lacking in certain technical skills, like welding, or oversight skills like herd and land management.  But its exciting to have things to work toward.  I'm an old dog learning new tricks.  But, I didn't really want to talk about myself with this post.  I've been trying to get Baron (our currently 10 year old dog), acquainted with moving cows, and maybe even more so get the cows acquainted with him.   He hops and spins and whines when I move toward a pickup or 4-wheeler, hoping to come along.  He has obedience down...
Read more

Anaplasmosis

Image
 Throughout the summer we had several cows die in seemingly unrelated ways. Two died in late July in two separate pastures.  One was 9 years old, and another was 10.  The life span of a cow can be 15 years old.  I've heard of steers getting into their 20s if they were treated like a pet. Though My dad has typically sold them as cull (to slaughter for hamburger) around the age of 11 or 12.  The first of the July deaths we simply found a cow dead in the pasture with no obvious reason.  A week later cow #649 had gotten foot rot, so was lame.  She seemed really weak and immediately pretty irritable. Covered in flies as well.  Pitifully she would get easily into fight mode and try to charge but then her legs would give out and she'd crumple beneath whoever she was charging at.  After getting her sprayed for flies and bringing in a tractor and a lot of patience we got her up into a small pen.  Fed and watered her, gave her an antibiotic shot, ...
Read more