Tuesday, April 30, 2013

April Babes

I'm behind in my posts.  In the past 3 weeks we've had 3 and a half calves.

The half part is sad and not cute at all so if you want to scroll on to cuteness do so now...

Mary aborted her calf.  She was about a month and a half from calving.  We have no clue why she aborted.  We are sad and disappointed that the baby didn't make it, but we are glad Mary aborted like she should have and everything else went OK for her.

On a happier note we've got 3 other healthy babies.

This pretty little girl was born first.  She's almost 3 weeks old now and doing great.  



The second baby is also a girl.  She was born a week ago.  And last week when we went to get mom and baby into the barn it was raining cats and dogs. It's been raining lots of those lately so instead of making the baby walk through the muddy barn lot we took them through my parent's yard.  This induced an episode of Elsie barking drama...

Once we got them inside, little baby found a nice warm spot in the straw to lay down.


She's a pretty thing with a red and white tail.  A day after she was born she came out of the barn to explore the muddy lot.


Here she is almost a week old.  She's one of my favorite calves so far.  She's full of attitude and fuzzy and cute as can be!  In the evenings we've been moving mothers and babies into the barn lot so they can get inside.  This little baby rebels for being forced into a muddy barn lot.  The other night she came right up to the barn door, looked at us and mooed in disgrace.



Then, Sunday we had yet another baby girl!  That makes 3 heifers on the ground for April.  The poor little thing is made like a deer.  She's small boned and so far has only been able to find one faucet (as my dad calls it).  She needs a bit of time to get her footing and in the mean time I think we'll call her teeny.





Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Missing Fingers

A few weekend ago Arren and I were at my parents house.  It was nice outside and I was mowing while Arren rode the four wheeler around.  Green Acres is right down the rode from a dredge ditch.  It's like a creek but not as cool. 

So there I was mowing along and Arren stops the four wheeler right in front of me.  I mouthed "what" and he motioned me over.  "There's something I want to show you"... "What?"... "A turtle"... "Oh!".  I hopped on the back of the four wheeler and we were off.

By the time we got to the turtle's temporary home he had burrowed and lodged himself in the water and mud on the other side of the ditch.  Arren wanted mud boots to try to catch him.  I wanted nothing to do with this turtle because it was a snapper with an appetite for fingers.

We rode back to the house.  Arren put on some boots.  My dad gave him a tarp strap. "The turtle can bite this and you can get his tale".  The strap was only about 5 inches long...  I proceeded to tell Arren that I wasn't about to marry a man with 9 fingers. 

Much to my dismay we rode back out to Mr. Turtle... in my mind it was soon to be a blood bath.  Arren went into the water.  I threw him a stick.  He worked the turtle out of the mud.  Stuck his hand in the water and pulled out this dude.  Turtle wasn't happy.  I snapped a few pics.  Arren put him back in the water.  The turtle went AWOL and attacked...

Just kidding!

He swam away.





Don't try this at home kids!

Monday, April 8, 2013

Moldy Oldies

We are past the stage of round bales here at Green Nacke Acres.  We've moved onto the ole square bales.  Our cows get 6 bales a night.  We are working our way through some very moldy last cutting hay to get to the decent hay stacked on back.  I have worries and trepidations when I'm breathing in the dust from those moldy bales but then again... the cows have to eat that stuff so what can it hurt!


We open each bale and toss it down into the hay feeders below.  And by the time we feed the next night, the cows have hungrily consumed all 6 bales.


The babies get fed downstairs in there own little get away spot.  They can come in a lay down in fresh straw and munch on some yum-yums!

(Holly & Isis)

These two aren't old enough to really start eating yet.  They will grab a few mouth fulls and pretend to eat.  But Bruce is old (and big) enough, to make up for the little ones.  He comes in and chows down on some grain and sweet feed.  Big guy loves his sweet feed!

(Bruce)



Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Babies

Well Hello Babies!  You're looking rather cute today!

(Isis, Holly, Expo & Valentine)

Mind if I join your little group?

(Expo & Valentine)

I promise I won't bite, or yell, or move too fast... I'll even crouch down to your level.


I think we can be friends!

(Isis)

Wait... come back.. where are you going...




I'll never be cool enough to hang with the babies...