Out Around the Barn

On our farm, the time for weaning the baby calves is just around the corner.  Actually, today to be exact.  It is not ever an easy job to separate the little ones from their mamas but, it has to be done.  This is my bull calf, Snowman, from last years herd. Here he is 4 weeks old.

Most of our calves are 90 days old now and are eating grain and grass well.  When they are able to do this and can fend for themselves it is the right time.  We do this by watching the signs and have found that the best time to accomplish this is when the sign is in the thighs or knees, it must be below the heart.  Not everyone watches the signs of the moon but we do and that is just our preference.  In our opinion there are fewer complications when it is done in the right sign.  If done too early, some of the problems you may encounter are:

• some calves do not adapt to the change from milk to grass and feed
• they do not eat well, therefore, they lose weight and do not develop and grow as well as they should
• they become stressed from the changes without mama and can become ill

A couple of reasons we like to wean early when the calves are around 90 days old is because it is the time of year when the weather is turning hot and the pastures begin to dry up.  It takes the stress off the cows if they don’t have to produce milk for their calves and their bodies can begin to prepare for the next calving season.  Also, we don’t have to feed as much grain and unless the pastures completely dry up, hay is not necessary until Fall.  It also helps, in the re-breeding of the two year old heifers and cows because the stress on their bodies is not there. 

 When done at the right time, there is less stress on the mamas and calves and also the time of mourning their loss only lasts about 3 days.  It can get quite noisy around here for a few days. 

 This time I am weaning three of my bottle calves with the others and am curious to see how they will all interact with each other.  Sally, Brutus and Barney were not happy with me this morning when they didn’t get their bottle.  I have been decreasing their intake for the past week and today is the day that they are on straight feed and grass.  They have been eating pretty well and I hope that continues.

When separating, it is always good to have your cattle sorting paddle or sorting stick handy.  The sorting paddle is a huge help when trying to block the calf from the cow.  The paddle draws the calves attention away so the cow can go where you need her to go and the calf stays behind.  It can keep the calves attention and you can guide them to their new destination.  The sorting paddle is also useful in that it can give you the distance you need between you and the cow and you are still able to guide her as well. 

The paddle is good to accomplish both jobs here, although some prefer the sorting stick.  The paddle is newer to the market and a safe way to handle your livestock.  They are available with or without BBs for a sound effect.

Spring has sprung and Summer is here.  It is this time of year that we love and enjoy working out in the yard.  If you are anything like me, you’ll find something new that you want to either add or remove from your yard.  It may be some new rose bushes that you want to add or a part of your yard that just isn’t working anymore.

I have discovered my love or preference to Daylillies, the regular and dwarf sizes.  They are so easy to take care of and I have added several to my yard this year and plan on several more.  It is getting late enough in the planting season that I  have a dozen more to set out and the rest are bulbs that I will plant for next year in my greenhouse and then set them out.  

I have found that to plant these, after they are about 4-6 in. high, it is easier to use a spade shovel.  It makes the hole large enough and it is much easier on my back to set the plant in and cover.  I planted over two dozen last year and this summer they are just beautiful.

Another project is my patio.  It is covered with river rock and does have a weed problem in the Spring.  It takes a couple of times of Round Up to be rid of those.  I then keep it nice looking by using a yard rake to keep it leveled out from the dogs and keep the leaves and limbs off of it.  It has a country feel to it when we entertain and has enough sand in the rock foundation to keep it pretty dry even when it rains.  We had discussed pouring concrete but, there are tree roots so close that it causes caution to go through with. 

I have finally decided that the rock foundation is okay and that I can decorate and landscape just fine.  I recently added some hanging plants and will be purchasing an octagon picnic table for the area.  I have a potting table off to one side where I prepare my plants for my garden and greenhouse and a bench that fits around the tree close by to sit on.  I have my water bucket close to my table and a rain barrel that catches the rain water off the house.  The garden hose is hanging within working distance to help with the watering of the garden and plants.  I have surrounded our home with plants and bushes of all kinds.

With my son’s help and my garden tractor and wagon, we were able to bring my plans for a rock garden, at the back of the house, to life.  We hauled several loads of rock to accomplish this task.  My partner was good enough to provide all the rocks I needed in different sizes. It took some laying of weed control fabric and muscle to finish this project but it looks beautiful now that it is done.

The other projects like planting Inpatients, Gladiolas, Marigolds, Black and Blue Sage and etc. required a little help from tools like trowels and small rakes and buckets for water.  You never know what tools you may need so I keep mine in a handy garden tool organizer to carry with me as I go from one job to the other.  The smaller tools fit great in an organizer and the larger ones I can lay in my wagon.  When I am done, I clean and hang up the shovel, rake and hoe and I can then hang up the organizer and keep all the small tools together.

I love the outdoors and can’t get enough of it.  There is always something to do outside in the fresh air and having the right equipment is a major plus.  If you don’t have what you need, borrow from your neighbors or rent from a local garden store.   There are many possibilities.

Baby chicks are just so adorable when they are a couple hours old and it seems, as if, they would be the easiest little creature to take care of and most of the time they are.  You see them at the local farm store for sale and you pick one up and hold it your hand and think something that tiny wouldn’t eat very much so you decide you want a few to have around and you take them home.  

You purchase a waterer, a feeder and some Chick Grower/Starter feed to get them all set up.  You are so pleased and happy, then you get home and then what?  Where do I put them?  Do I need a large cage/coop or a small one?  How do I keep them warm?  How do I keep them safe and the cats, dogs and other 4 legged critters away from them? 

Now, you are in a panic, wondering if it was a mistake and what were you thinking, can I take them back and HELP SOMBODY! comes to mind. 

Let me, first, ease your mind a little and say that chickens are probably the easiest animal to raise, in my opinion.  I have had chickens for three years and all has been pretty good.  A weasel and coyotes once in a while but otherwise okay. 

Next, let me confuse you some more.  I learn something new everyday when it comes to my animals, whether it be my chickens, calves, goats, cows, horses, dogs and cats.  There is always something that I don’t know and need to learn.  When I was a newby at raising chickens, it seemed to be a no brainer.  Just feed and water them, gather the eggs and butcher them when they are ready.  I did not realize that there were chickens for just laying eggs and there were chickens for just their meat and that there were chickens that did both, served as layers and meat chickens.  I, also, didn’t realize there were so many different breeds of chickens.  It just amazed me.  Here I thought it would be simple.

There is much more to raising chickens than one would think.  So I decided I would list a few basics, that I have learned, for you.  They are as follows:

1. Keep their waterers clean and filled with fresh water daily.  This is a must.  For Meat birds, access to fresh water is a necessity.  If they do not get plenty, they will not eat well and not gain the necessary weight as they should.
2. Keep feed to them at all times and keep free of feces.  I found that hanging feeders help prevent this problem.
3. Keep their coop cleaned and fresh bedding put down at least 2x a year.
4. Watch their droppings for change of color, normal being gray with white tip.  Any other color or texture, such as diarrhea, could mean an illness or disease.
5. Watch them when you feed.  Take a moment to just look at them for changes.  A normal, healthy chicken will have it’s head high and be active with a good appetite.  One that is lethargic or nonactive may be ill and need medicine or, at least, separated from the others.
6. Watch for  cannibalism, may need to remove the culprit from the others.
7. Give them plenty of room to roam and, at least, 6 to 8 hours of sunlight/daylight daily.
8. If chickens are confined, such as meat chickens, they only need enough room to get to waterers and feeders and room to rest.
9. Just like for other animals, there are horse vitamins and cattle supplements, chickens may need supplements also.  Giving them some extra protein, such as Oyster shells, will nourish them and also strengthen the shell of their eggs.
10. Watch the outside temperature.  When it is high in the summer, place a fan in the coop to keep a breeze flowing.  If it gets up to or over 105°F your chickens can die, they cannot handle that kind of heat.  When it is cold in the winter, the temperature in the coop needs to be at or above 35°F in order for them to stay warm.  Did you know a roosters comb can freeze off?
11. Watch for diseases and worms.  The disease Coccidiosis, caused by parasites, can be treated by vaccines.  Round worms and tape worms can also be treated.  If suspected, take a fecal sample to the vet, collect it and put it in a plastic bag, to be tested.  The vet can then tell you the treatment needed.
12. Chickens can get Cancer.  There are two that are more common than others; Merek’s which affects chicks under 4 months of age, to which there is a vaccination available and Lymphoid Leucosis, which affects those older than 4 months of age, and no vaccine is available, death is likely.
13. Make sure your coop is critter free and safe for your flock.  Train your chickens to come in at night, at feeding time is a good way to train, and shut them in for the evening.  Then let them out to roam and play of a morning.  This will keep them pretty safe from the varmints that like to sneak around at night.

These are just a few of the things I have learned raising chickens.  I did not plan on being a “chicken farmer” so to speak but, now that I am, I enjoy my flock. 

One other thing I have learned, is that chickens are great for your compost pile and your garden.  All that scratching and eating bugs sure helps around the farm.

So, as I mentioned, chickens are pretty easy to raise and most of the time there are no serious problems, just keep to the basics and you’ll do just fine.

A big “Thank You” must go out to the local farmers and schools for giving our children a day to explore and learn about one of the oldest and best lifestyles around, Country Life on the Farm. 

Here in Illinois, we have local schools that get together, one day a year, with farmers and let children see, hear, touch and get the feel of the farm.  Farmers use the local livestock barn to bring in baby animals, such as calves, goats, sheep, pigs, chickens, rabbits, horses, kittens, puppies and even the mamas for the children to pet and see.

A lot of these children, even though we are a farm community, do not get the opportunity to actually see farm animals because they live in town.  This gives them a chance to learn about farm life and how these animals are cared for and raised. 

There are also tractors brought in and wagons, and the children get to go on a wagon ride, they get to climb up in a tractor to see the inside, as well as a combine and fire truck and other farm and livestock equipment. 

Also available, was different grains in which the farmers plant in their fields to grow for crops and feed.  The children all get to touch and feel the different textures of the grains. 

This is a wonderful field trip for the children.  It gets them outside and helps them learn of another way of life.  It is amazing to me that there are so many young people today that have never been on a farm or even seen a farm animal up close and most of them have just seen them on tv. 

It is a wonderful way of life and yes, it is a lot of work but well worth the effort.  I commend the schools and farmers for taking time out of their schedules to do this for the children.  The children will always remember that moment when they held that little animal and had so much fun.

This is my nephew’s pre-k class at Franklin Park School in Salem, Illinois. 

With all of your animals, making sure that they are properly fed and cared for is the biggest concern. Every animal has a set of specific dietary needs, but it’s also different based on individual personality. This means that even if you’ve had a cow, a dog, or a horse before, that doesn’t meant that your next cow, dog, or horse is going to eat the same things in the same way. The important thing is to ensure that the food you’re providing for your animal is tailored to that specific animal.

Each food formula has specific ingredients based on what the animal will need. That’s why it’s never a good idea to have any animal subsist on scraps or other human food alone. Their bodies, after all, are simply different than humans, and as such, they need different vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and proteins, and they need them in a different balance. Also, if you’re a farmer or you own livestock, it’s a good idea to purchase a livestock feeder. This will allow you to easily and quickly distribute all this nutritious food to your livestock.

When you wake up to start your day your attitude, within the first few minutes, can set your day for you.  Are you feeling good or run over, did you sleep well or toss and turn?  Depending on how you look at things and how you feel will make it a good, bad or great day.

If you are in a grumpy, irritable, grouchy and mean mood, you may take it out on those around you, this includes your livestock.  When not at our best, we tend to be a little short with whatever or whoever is closest to us at that time.  Our animals can sense that something is not as it should be and they will react accordingly.  They may act up, as in not paying attention, and someone could get hurt. 

Horses are real sensative to us.  The can smell fear on and around us and if we are out of sorts, they can tell.  Some of them take advantage of us just to see how much they can get away with and others just stay calm and wait to see what happens next.

When we are frustrated with ourselves or upset about the days happenings, we shouldn’t go to the barn and begin our chores or take on a task that has to do with working with and around the animals or livestock.  Most of the time we end up yelling or even worse, get hands on upset with the animal and it has nothing to do with them.

Our livestock has feelings too, believe it or not.  They may not always seem like the sharpest tool in the drawer but, they are not stupid.  Some of them are pretty clever and will even surprise us at how they can achieve certain acts like walking through electric fences, jumping over them, tearing up livestock equipment and feeders, getting into places we didn’t even consider they could and pushing every button on us that just really gets our crawl.

So, they do have brains.  They can tell by our tone of voice and actions if we are calm and caring or irratible and grouchy. 

Our personality around our animals is a big deal.  If you enjoy them and care for them, they understand that.  They may not just stop, roll over and do everything you want but, they will be more apt to remain calm and allow you to work closer with them. 

I talk to our animals every time I chore.  I walk into the barn and say hello to the boys, our horses, as I put them in their stalls for the night, and I talk to the cattle and call them by name as I feed, and of course, I have to talk to my goats and chickens, just like they are family. 

No one has to go to the extremes of naming their animals and having a converstation with them like I do, they just need to enjoy being around them. 

If you are having a bad day, step back, take a deep breath, count to ten and then proceed.   The animals will thank you for it and you will feel better.

All along we have talked about farm and garden accessories.  What we need to work the farm and in the garden but, let us not forget ourselves.  We need the proper clothing and footware to get things done.

It really doesn’t matter what you wear as long as you are comfortable but, you do need to dress for the occasion.  What I mean is, when working the farm in the summer and it is time to bale hay, don’t wear shorts.  Well, you can but I would advise against it, unless you are like me and drive the tractor.  By the end of the day your legs will be so cut up from the sharp edges of the hay bales that you will literally hurt.  You won’t notice it so much while you are working but, the next day is a killer.  Better to wear jeans or overalls.

Your footwear is also a dress for the occasion item.  If I am just choring and not doing extra projects, like sorting cattle or etc., I usually can wear my garden clogs and be fine.  Then there are those days that, like these past two weeks, that it rains and you sink when you take a step,  that you need a real good pair of work boots.  I have went through several pair in the past few months and finally found a company that makes a really great boot.  These are called Muck Boots.  We have had so much rain that we are constantly wearing our boots and my feet would literally ache.  I am diabetic and the pain was at times too much.  I would buy the cheap things, thinking that it would dry up soon and that would be that.  I didn’t count on having to wear them everyday for weeks at a time and would literally wear them out.  I finally decided to pay the price for a good boot and I am so glad I did.  I can wear these Muck Boots all day and my feet may get tired but, they don’t ache like before.  They are comfortable and have great arch support. 

The other boot is the kind with a heel that you need when you ride the horses to go check cattle or just ride.  You always want a heel on your boot so that your foot won’t slip through the stirrup.  This is a safety precaution.  Yes, a lot of people wear tennis shoes and I have even seen sandals or flip flops but, that isn’t safe.  It is better to be prepared and wear the best gear.

A good pair of Carharts, coverall or overall, for the winter is wonderful and they last a long time.  A good rain coat or jacket and pants is also a good item to have on hand.  We like most all Carhart outer ware and have quite a lot of that brand around.

The other important accessory is gloves.  You can never have enough gloves around.  We wear gloves year round on the farm.  Around here, our hands are usually into building, sorting animals, repairs, gardening and etc.  Very seldom does anyone see us without our gloves on or, at least, in our pockets.  I won’t say never but, you won’t catch us outside without a pair of glove most all of the time.

I was one of the worst, I’ll have to admit.  I would use tools and not think a thing about them once I was done.  I would just put them up and go on with whatever I was doing.  As I became more involved in gardening and working on the farm, I realized that in order to have tools that will last, you need to do a little one on one care with them.

For example;  after using a shovel, do you just store it or clean off the dirt first, or a hoe, rake, spade?  Well, I would just put them away, until I finally realized that if I would clean them off, they would last longer and I wouldn’t have to buy new ones every year or so. 

The best thing to do is a little chore Allen’s dad taught him years ago, clean off the dirt real well, then oil it with vegetable oil or spray.  This will keep them from rusting over the winter months and come spring, they will be ready to use again.  You don’t have to oil them every time you use them but, cleaning them off is a must every time.

The same goes for your wheelbarrel.  Clean it out and don’t let it sit with debris in it.  Especially if water sets in it, it will rust and then need to be replaced.  It wouldn’t be a bad idea to oil it once or twice a year also.  Keep the air in the tire checked and you will be able to manuver it well.  Those tires are hard to change, especially when they have been on for so long.

Another garden tool is the tiller.  It needs to be serviced as well.  The oil needs to be checked on a regular schedule, the gas needs to be drained at the end of the Summer and fresh put in before using in the Spring.  The tines need cleaned and cleared of all debris and sharpened and a little oil on them will do wonders as well.  Check the spark plug, as it may need to be replaced periodically, and clean the outside of dust and dirt.  You can take a leaf blower and blow out any dust from the engine to clear that area also.

Your lawn mower needs the same care and service as well as your weed eater.  Just make sure your weed eater is getting the correct gas and oil mix that is recommended.   I recently learned that mine requires a synthetic oil and it runs a whole lot better. 

Once this is done, a place to store your tools is in a good garden tool organizer or shed.  I have a specific shed for all my tools.  They are organized on the walls and the smaller ones in a tool caddy.  My tiller, wheelbarrel, mower and weed eater all go there as well.

This is not a hard chore or job to complete.  It takes a minimal amount of time and your tools will last for years to come.

If you are lucky enough to have a farm or ranch and own livestock of any kind then, you know about expenses and the unexpected kind. 

Just like our children, we must care for our animals.  They need good nutrition and vaccinations.  Our animals need to be de-wormed at least twice a year and when they are under the weather, may need antibiotics or other meds to get them back on their feet. 

This, I am learning more about everyday with my own animals.  We have a fair size herd of cattle and we do what we can to keep them healthy, they get their vaccines and de-wormed regularly.  But even then, problems arise and new steps have to be taken when one is under the weather or injured. 

If you have followed my website farm blog at: www.outaroundthebarn.com or on this blog, you will recall some of the misfortunate happenings I have had with my own personal stock.

First, there was Rusty Rose, my Longhorn cow for 5 years.  She got her left hind leg caught in a hay feeder and it froze.  This was in January of 2008, on the coldest day of the year.  She eventually lost the leg but, we did everything we could to save her since she was only 8 weeks away from delivering her calf.  I wasn’t sure she could even raise him but, she surprised us by the third day and then it was nothing to her.  She hobbled around on three legs until we weaned him and done well. 

When this happened, it was time consuming, antibiotics twice daily, we had to find a place to stall her with enough room for her to try to move around in and so we could lift her with a hip lift to get her on her feet two times a day.  We had to provide extra bedding and hay for her and we had to keep her separate from the herd.  The estimated cost of this project was close to $1,000.00. 

Next, we have my horse, Blaze, a nine year old Quarter Horse.  He didn’t come up to eat with the herd and we had just had a severe storm come through the night before.  We went in search for him and found him in the rubble, he could not walk.  He was barely standing.  We finally got him loaded onto the trailer and got him to the barn.  His left hind fetlock was swollen and there was a small cut above the hoof on the backside.  We doctored him and bandaged his fetlock and put him in a stall to keep an eye on him.  The next day the swelling was three times larger.  We soaked his foot in Epson salts and bran to reduce the swelling and called the Vet to get some antibiotics.  After a week, he was no better, so we loaded him up, which took a while to do, and to the Veternary we went.  X-rays and blood samples were taken.  No broken bones were found but he carried his leg like there was a serious break.  Somehow, he had detached his Flexer ligament, this may not be the correct name, it’s the main ligament.  It had either torn into or snapped.  This was a major problem.  We had to find a Farrier to come and fit him with a special shoe, an egg shoe, and keep it on him for several months.  A few days later, we got the test results back and found that he had a serious staph and psuedamonius infection.  The antibiotics changed.  We ended up with three rounds of this medicine before the infection was gone.  We had to continue soaking his leg twice daily and wrapping it carefully for safety and protection.  We, also, had to put a boot on him, mostly only during the day.  His right leg, also, had to be wrapped to protect it from damage of stress and the extra weight.  We had to keep him separate from the other horses and keep him stalled so that he could be watched closely. 

I was told it would take, at least, 8 – 9 months for this to heal and they were right.  It has now been 10 months and he is doing well.  He has gotten his spirit back and I will be working with him more so that I can,  eventually, get a saddle back on him.   We, now, move him daily out into the small lot by the barn so that he can eat grass and move around more.  It has taken a lot of time and extra expense to get him well.  I estimated that the total cost of this little adventure was close to $2,000.00.  Definately, not a regular expense on the farm.

Now, we have my meager goat herd of 10, seven nannys, two kids, and a billy.  We are getting ready to casterate our two little ones and de-horn them here in the next few days.  All of them have been de-wormed twice, except for the babies, and we have had no major issues until now.  Mr. Ed, our billy, has Foot Rot.  He had to bring this with him since we have had no problems before, I have owned him for approximately 4 weeks now.  The weather is wet and muddy and to keep his hooves clean is a chore.  It is a good thing he is gentle and friendly. 

The treatment for this I have found is keeping the hooves trimmed and as clean and dry as possible, soak their feet or let them walk through a water bath of Epson salts or a Copper Sulfate mixture of 450 grams to one gallon of water, at least, 2 – 3 times a week and rounds of antibiotics such as;  pen-strep,  oxytetracycline, or a combination sulfa.  The antibiotics must be consistant for a week.  Cortisone can be used but, you must be careful.  It can cause abortion in pregnant does and should be used no more than four days. 

There may just be one that is infected and you can do the treatment on that one alone but, the whole herd can get this.  It is best to let them all walk through the water bath to prevent problems down the road.  Also, for preventive measures, an iodine supplement should be given to them, an iodized salt block is not enough.  This is our cheapest project estimated around $200.00.

These are my personal experiences with my livestock and not to be confused as medical advice.  These are some of the treatments that have worked for us.

So to get back to the basic message of this article, I must say that owning livestock is not cheap.  The unexpected expenses of the farm supplies that you have to purchase can get extremely high but you know that is the price we have to pay to keep our livestock healthy.  You can stock up and keep on hand the ones that you know you will need and there are many companies available to help you do just that.  There are also the medications that you can only get from you veternary and you should always discuss any problems with him/her before treatment. 

It is not cheap to own and operate a farm or ranch but the end results are amazing.  I just gave estimated amounts of the expenses we have paid to heal our animals, this does not include the feed, extra hay, extra straw or the extra time.  Would I do it again?  You better believe it!  It is a wonderful feeling to look out across the barnyard or pasture and see your livestock grazing and feel that swell of pride in your chest.  It then makes it all worthwhile.

Before I begin, I would like to say that there are several farm and garden tools that have dual purposes.  I would like to mention a few.

There is, of course, the hammer.  It is used for a number of  jobs such as;  building fence, repairing the barn, all around repairs and I use one in my garden for driving stakes for my plants or building trellises for my blackberries or flowers.

Another one is the pitchfork, which is used to move hay or straw, clean out stalls and work my compost pile.

Then, there is the water hose.  This particular tool is an essential on the farm and around the house for any one with a garden or flower bed.  Even without these there is the lawn that needs water and of course the swimming pool. 

My personal water hose is three attached hoses.  It goes with me to water every plant in my flower beds and garden.  It reaches all my tomatoes west of my garden to all of my daylillies south of the house to the five flower beds east of the house to my blackberries and plants north of the house and then to my garden itself.  

It is also used to wash down the well and clean it out when mud gets clogged in the lines and to wash the machinery and equipment.  

Another use is to wash/bathe our animals.  The horses get hosed down every once in a while, more when we are using them regularly, to keep their coats clean.  The dogs need a bath after a long work day and we have to make sure all the animals have fresh water to drink. 

So, there are many dual purpose tools out there that we use on a regular basis and the water hose is just one of many dual purpose garden tools.