Out Around the Barn

Over the years, the process of cattle feeding has grown and evolved, and today there are three main systems for feeding cattle. The oldest and most natural method is, of course, grazing. This entails letting the animals free in a pasture to eat as they please, but this method of feeding is dwindling and occurs in less than 10 percent of the world’s cattle production.

Much more common today is industrial-style feeding. In this system, animals are confined to stalls or pens and fed using a cattle feeder. This allows more animals to be kept and makes the maintenance process easier for the workers. The final feeding method is known as integrated, and is a medium between the two above-mentioned techniques.

It is soon to be garden season and we will be getting out our tools to begin our Spring cleanup and garden preparation. 

It is never good to put tools away dirty.  They can rust and that shortens their life span.  One way that I have always cleaned my tools is to wash them and spray a little bit of cooking spray, a cheap farm supply, on them before  I store them for the winter.  This will keep them from rusting and will be ready to use come Spring. 

I, also, found a way to remove rust and that is to brew a pot of black tea, remove dirt from tool, submerge in the liquid and let set for couple of hours.  Be sure not to submerge wooden handle.  The tea’s tannic acid will remove the rust.  Rinse and dry before use.  If your tools are stored correctly then when Spring comes you can shorten your time by using them right away and not having to clean then before using.

Happy Gardening!

It’s official, Spring is here.  It is calving season at our farm.  It actually started the first of March and we now have 9 little ones on the ground.  It seems that it always takes longer when your are anticipating  them. 

Before the season starts, we make sure our tack and livestock supplies are ready at hand.  We never know when we have to saddle a horse and go check the herd.  Our cows make a trip to the house  every other day or so.  It is then when we start to see the little ones up close and get a head count of just how many we have.  If any of our cows don’t come up or we haven’t seen them within 5 days, we saddle a horse and ride. 

We have to keep our gear in good condition so that we can use it in a moments notice.  For our saddles, we use saddle racks to store them when not in use.  This helps keep there shape and off the floor.  Same as with our ropes and bridles, they have their own assigned place in the tack room for each animal.  Keeping the leather soft with oil is  a great way to maintain your tack.  This is good for you and also for your animal. 

Not keeping your tack in good condition could cause problems not only for you financially, due to having to replace them but, also for your horse to keep them from getting sores  from gear that just don’t set right on their back or in their mouth.

After retiring from corporate life, my wife and I decided to move to the Midwest to be closer to our immediate relations. In order to stay busy and active, we purchased a farm on a small plot of land. We don’t plan to turn a profit from the property, hopefully just produce enough vegetables and milk so that we don’t have to buy them from the store.

When first moved in, the livestock supply left much to be desired. After doing some searching online, we found a store that carried everything from feed to livestock sorting paddles. Once we received the supplies, we quickly worked to develop a routine and get the barn, crops and animals in working order. It took some time to acclimate to the new lifestyle, but we both are enjoying the pace and atmosphere that life on the farm affords.

As far as I can remember, we have always had cats on the farm.  We were not allowed to have them inside so ours stayed out in the barn.  There was always more than one and at times we would get up to 15 to 20 at a time depending on how many litters were born.

Not until a few years ago when my mother decided to have a cat in her house, did I get to like the idea.  I have had dogs in the house and my children all have dogs in their houses, but it has only been recently that I have thought about having one of my own.  I have one now outside that I have been taming that was born in the fall and have gave serious consideration of bringing her, Raja, in and housebreaking her.

Cats are great for the farm because they help keep the rodent population under control but also make a wonderful pet.  Inside cats are great for comfort and to have the pleasure and joy of having someone to cuddle with and love. 

Either way, inside or out, cats need to have a healthy diet  and exercise.  This can be accomplished by providing activities for your cat by playing ball with them or having them take a walk with you.  You mostly hear of walking your dog, why not your cat?  The other thing is their diet, provide them with a healthy food made for them.  If not sure what your cat needs, contact your local veterinary.

Cats, in my opinion, are a part of any farm, inside or out.  The can be considered as farm equipment or supply due to their rodent reduction abilities.  They are a joy to have around and are great pets.  Just remember, if wanting to have one inside, make sure you have the time to spend with your cat.  A well loved cat is a Happy Cat.

In July of 2008, my horse, Blaze, injured his leg pretty severely.  It took us 8 months to get him healed up.  It was a mess, torn tendons and infection.  He healed well with some much noticed scar tissue and a swollen ankle that he will always have.  In March of 2009, I was finally able to ride him again and was looking forward to getting back to riding more often.

Last week he came to the barn with a serious cut on the same leg only in front above the hoof this time.  Apparently, he somehow sliced it with a piece of rubble from a barn that had been destroyed in recent storms. 

So, we begin to use a proven technique to help get him healed and going again.  Always remember to give your horse an out when working with him.  Allow him to feel as if he has a place to go so he does not feel confined while working on him. Using an Iodine wash that we add to warm to hot water, we wash the wound with a soft bristle brush, after cleaning it well, we dry the wound and around it.  We then put a powder called, Proud Flesh Powder, on it to help loosen and rid the wound of proud flesh, then we apply Ichthammol ointment to draw any infections or debris out of it.  We cover the wound with a non-stick bandage then wrap with clean rag and vet wrap.  After we feel we have drawn out the debris and gunk from the wound we will discontinue the ointment and use Cut & Heal Spray and then bandage.

This has helped us in getting our animals up and going again,  Keeping these livestock supplies on hand really cuts down on the healing time when you need them at a moments notice.

In order to get the most out of your cattle and livestock, it is crucial to give them the proper cattle supplements. With so many products on the market today, it can be difficult to know what your animals really need. A good rule of thumb is to go with supplements that are made with all-natural ingredients.

All living creatures benefit from the same basic vitamins and minerals; so many cattle supplements will contain things that you are familiar with. Top products will have calcium, magnesium and other basic minerals. Also look for a combination of A, B, D and E vitamins in your supplements.

Meet “Charlie” our newest Rooster

Here we are and it is March already.  Spring will be here before we know it and so will everything new.  New grass, flowers, leaves on the trees and the wonderful smell of Spring air.  With this comes new life.  I am talking of the birth of the new babies on the farm.  Right now we have new kids, goats, and one little calf so far, more to come.  We also have baby chicks.  These babies arrived as a surprise.

My hens are just now beginning to lay heavily again and when they start wanting to set in the next month or so, I’ll let them.  Then we’ll have an abundance of chicks.  But, for now, we have brought our 14 chicks into the house to keep them warm until they can survive out in the barn.  They are in our utility room in a large water tank with a 60 watt bulb for warmth and food and water.

There are a few things you need in your farm supplies to accomplish this and they are cheap and easy to obtain.  A cage or something that you can put them in to contain them with plenty of room, a small chicken feeder, a waterer, a heat source and bedding.  We use sawdust in the bottom and it has been quite effective.  It is  easy to change when it gets dirty and doesn’t take much to cover the bottom.

 Have fun on the farm and take the time to  watch your animals grow.

Well, we have done it, we have made it through our goat birthing season.  I am now at ease.  It began on Christmas Day with our first birth.  Barbie went into labor during the coldest weather, 0 degrees, and lost both of her twins.  It was so cold that she didn’t have time to clean them up before they froze.  Two days later, Noel gave birth to triplets and she lost hers as well.  By the time we got the rags and some warm water she had delivered all three and they were all still born.  Not a good start to my idea of increasing my herd.  Five days later, Polly delivered one baby, still born.  It was difficult to deal with.  I had been looking forward to the new kids and was losing them all.

It didn’t seem to matter what we did, nothing could have saved them as I look back on the situation.  I started watching my remaining four nannies on a schedule.  Checking them in the morning, at noon, afternoon, evening and before bed.  I wanted to have something set up where they could have warmth and a dry place to deliver.  So we brought in some fresh straw and with the pitchfork, scattered it around the barn and in the two jugs that we set up with the fencing supplies we had so that we could separate them and their babies would be safe from the rest of the herd.

Read the rest of this entry »

It is definitly that time of year, mud everywhere.  It is a nuisance to walk outside to the car or to the mailbox and have your feet covered in mud.  It gets all over your car and it ruins your good shoes.  But what can you do, not much. 

Out around the barn the mud is much worse and it can become a problem.  If you feed outside the barn the mud will just continue to get more messy and harder to get around in.  It is hard on the cattle and hard on you.  Then when it freezes the ground is so uneven that it is difficult to walk on. 

So, what do we do?  I don’t know about everyone else but, the one thing we do is move our feeders around every few weeks to keep the mud from becoming a problem.  If it does become an issue, there are times when we had to just haul in more rock.  There are some areas around here that I know are 10 inches or more deep with rock that has been built up over the years. 

The other way is to feed on concrete but that can also get messy and pretty quick.  Then you just have to clean, clean and clean.  And if not careful, it can get pretty slick.  I know that when it does get in that condition it can be hazardous.  The concrete can be as slick as glass and a broken leg can happen pretty easily.

Another thing we do is drag the ground area around the feeders.  When the ground is still muddy yet a little frozen, we pull the drag behind the tractor and even out the ground.  Now, I don’t do this myself, but  Al does on a pretty regular basis.  He usually does this at the same time he puts out hay for the cattle and horses. 

We do the same procedure around the hay feeders.  They are easy enough to pick up with the tractor and move every time we put out a new bale.  This keeps the area from becoming too much of a mess and the grass will grow back come Spring. 

Everyone does things differently but this just might give you another idea.  I do know that a drag is a must on the farm and an important part of our farm equipment.  We have ours made from 5 old tires, halved and attached together in a triangular shape with a chain that hooks to the tractors hitch.  It does a great job.