Calving & Meeting Season

So right now we are in a "break" between finishing calving heifers & beginning calving cows. So, we don't have night checks, but we do have some cows who have decided not to wait....

This morning I was headed out to another meeting, & as usual I checked the "heavy pen" (our pen that we put the cows that are close to calving so it makes it easy after they've calved) before I left. Well, even though chores were finished a half hour earlier & cows were checked, we had feet. So.... I climbed the fence & let the momma in the alley (because she was close to it & had stood up. Red Feet!! Yeah, I love red calves!

Now, I'm a nervous midwife & this was a cow (momma who has had at least one calf); so the kids & I played in the yard for a while. Just so you know, its a 100 yards away & I was listening, but couldn't see her. : )
Sure enough, just about 20 min later, I heard "THE MOO" and went over to check. She had a new calf & was just starting to lick him off. So wonderful! It was a Red Bull!! So that's a positive!

If you check out our Facebook Page or follow me on Twitter, you. Can see a great pic of the new momma licking her calf just moments after it was born.


I know, you must all think that I want all boys, because we sell beef. But, I really want heifers! I love our cows, so each girl we have is one step closer to her being good enough to be a cow. Plus, if you're going to be born a boy, a red one is a skittle different, so he might be good eno ugh to be a bull on someone else's ranch!

Now, I'm in a meeting, blogging & thinking of new calves!!
Hope you're enjoying this great spring weather!


Shanen ~Mama to the Momma Cows @ the ECC

What in the heck has she been doing?

So, as you know, I’ve been out of the blogosphere for quite a while.  Somehow, I let life get in the way of typing & sharing my story.  I do share brief snipets & texts via Facebook & odd quotes & notes on Twitter as @GreenRanchMom.

I did share the story of MamaCow on our website a week or so ago.

So, I’ll catch you up quite quickly.

Farmers markets are tons of fun!  I love the connection with our customers & sharing our story with everyone.  Plus, then most people take home some yummy steaks or Beef Sticks : )

I was a very active Founding Member of TallGrass Grocery Coop  and we finally opened the store in September!!  It is located in Historic Valley Junction, so stop by & shop for some affordable, local, real Foods (including EbersoleCattleCo Beef).

 

We had a Practical Farmers of Iowa Field Day in October.  It was super scary preparing for other beef producers to come to our ranch.  Then, once the day arrived, it was TONS of fun!!  Jill & Sean from Blue Gate Farm, even stopped by after market (& brought greens for us, so of course I sent some sticks home)!!

The next week, we unexpectedly welcomed nearly 50  Fullblood Maine Anjou cows to our Ranch.  It was a quick, rescue type of situation, so we have had to work really hard to improve their nutrition & health.  But, these cows are beautiful to look at AND work with.  Their dispositions are so sweet & willing!  We selected a fall heifer for J.ustaCowgirl to show  and she was halterbroke & lead-able in 3 days!!  This is nearly unheard of from a calf that had only seen a human about 5 times in her life before October!!  We are really excited to offer our Fullblood calves for sale!!  We will be selling about 5 cows & 10 Bred heifers  this spring in order to cover our costs of wintering 50 extra cows.  If you’re in the market for a MaineAnjou heifer or  cow, drop me a note.  We’ll have both Purebreds and Fullbloods.

And now, I’m just really enjoying the winter “break”!!  We’ve enjoyed a beautiful mild winter and have plenty of grass & hay for all of our cows.  Plus, we cleaned out the big barn, so we’ve all been riding lots : )  I’ve even started a couple of our colts, so we should have some great minded saddle horses to offer this spring.

 

Hope this catches you up a bit.  I'll share more stories as we go

Hospice House (Barn)

Well, this time of year is always hard on me.  One of the hard parts about Ranching & Raising Cows the way we do. 
What I mean by that is, we keep old cows.  Old cows eventually die. 
No two ways around it, everyone eventually dies.  Cows do too.

That being said.  What is "OLD" for a cow?  Most ranches cull their cows anywhere from 5-9 years of age.  They go to the sale barn, are bought by a packer & are made into hamburger.  Sometimes, if they are pregnant, a small farmer will buy them, calve them, & at the end of the year they will sell the open cows (for hamburger) and the calves.

We are different.  We are very different.  We keep our BEST cows their entire lives.  A cow that has produced great calves for us gets to live her entire life here on the ranch.

What makes her great?  Well, she could have produced bulls or heifers that we have sold at a premium or kept here on the ranch.  She was open (not pregnant) very few times while producing these good calves.  The great cows always get a second (or third) chance, and are kept even if they are open one year.

Today it was 7853.  She has been a great cow for us.  Before we bought her, she was shown 2 years at the Denver Stock Show.  She has raised several great calves for us.  We have 3 or 4 of her females in our herd and  we've sold several bulls she raised.  Three years ago she stifled herself.  What this means is that she hurt her hip ligaments & couldn't walk very good.  We contemplated culling her.  But, she had been a good cow & if we culled her, we wouldn't get very much at all.  So, she stayed.

She lived her life @ the home ranch & was babied a little.  She had great grass in the summer.  In the winter she lived in the "baby" or heifer pen.  This pen eats the best hay all winter & doesn't have to travel to get water.  They have access to the barn & extra  shelter when they are outside.

But, everyone gets old & most of us go downhill, & then we die.  7853 did.  She was born in 1995.  Wow, in "Cow Years" she was REALLY old.  15 is an amazing age for a cow.

Honey & I were pretty upset early this morning when we found her down. We consoled ourselves with the fact that we had given her 3 more years than most any other ranch would have.  She raised 2 more outstanding heifers for us.  She was fat & happy & ate great grass for 3 extra years.  Well, really about 8 extra years if you figure we should have culled her when she was 6 or 7.  It took a little extra work to care for her, but it WAS worth it. 

This morning, I took her water & some extra good hay.  She drank very little & munched on the hay a bit.  But, we both knew that once an old cow goes down like this, she usually doesn't get up.  I was with her for an hour & let her be for a bit.  When I went back out, she was gone. 

This time of year is really hard for me!  But, I console myself with the fact that I love my animals, literally till thier end.

Just remember there are tons of other ranchers out there just like me, caring for their cattle every day, no matter what God & the Weather brings them.


I've been thinking about Gilmer Dairy's e-Dopt a cow program.  Would anyone be interested in e-Dopting a beef cow.  We currently have 5 old cows that will live her for the rest of thier lives, wether they raise a calf or not.

Pairs on Snow

Whew!

Well, we've been running at full speed around here! Our list from the last 3 days...

Farm Wife Friday, It was my turn. So this means that 2 girlfriends and their kids come to the house and clean, organize, clean, eat, paint, clean, and decorate!!! WOW!! Those girls can really work!! My living rooms are now partially decorated. Yes, I know that I've lived in this house for over a year... But, I have a fear of decorating, or hanging something wrong. So, I just don't do it. My last house was done by my Grandma, after she couldn't stand (a year of)bare walls.

I will even have pictures on my walls of MY family!! I have curtains (& they're hung!!)! And Abby brought a great desk that she CurbShopped. Crazy, 'cause its a great little antique desk. MamaP is fixing some pictures for me & putting them in a custom matted frame of our last name that I bought.

AMAZING!! (& Honey even liked the house, its more AMAZING!!!)

Then after the girls left, I got a phone call that I was late to take Freedom & Ultimate to be ultrasounded. So, we hooked & loaded & ran. It was only 7 miles away, but I detest being late. (nevermind, that Honey forgot to tell me about the appointment).

Saturday, we left the house at 8 after choring & set up a portable Corral at the pasture and drove all the cows to the corral. We sorted & hauled 3 loads of cows & 2 loads of calves home. Just Honey & I with all the munchkins in the truck. Then we did chores in the dark & had Squeak's 2nd birthday party.

Yup! Momma's sad! My little man is 2!!! No longer a baby!! As I type this he is running around the house chasing J.Cowgirl with a rope, while he is wearing nothing but a hat & diaper. TOOO CUTE! Grandma, Grandpa, Auntie, NIECE, & nephew came down & celebrated with us too. It was wonderful, even if we were sooo tired our eyelids were drooping.

Today, we rolled out of the house at 7 (after choring) and hauled 3 more loads home, then went to work feeding everything & watering. We sorted & weaned the calves & rolled out hay for 3 groups of cows. The calves are eating ok, & went to the hay right away. Winter has hit, so we have to check all the waterers & put in tank heaters in some tanks, & chores generally take twice as long.

But, I LOVE THIS LIFE!! It was a wonderfull weekend working side-by-side with my Honey and kids! Even though, we're all dog tired, it was great!!