Caking Heifers

I had planned--and written--a post for this week about calving in snowy weather, but we have two feet of snow, and the cows are pretty hunkered down in the trees and won't let me get good pictures! I'm going to try again this afternoon, but in the meantime, I thought I'd hearken back to warmer, less drifted-in times and share some pictures I took a few weeks ago while caking cows with Bert.

Caking the cows is one of my favorite things to do because we can all go together with minimal fuss.

Cow cake is a protein supplement we feed when the cows are on winter pasture. We don’t feed the yearling heifers hay every day unless it’s very snowy, so we supplement their dry forage with cake to fulfill their nutritional requirements. Plus, they LOVE it.

Cake is fed out of a hopper on the back of the pickup, and the cake we use is in cube form. See it down there? It looks like those oat cubes people always feed to horses on the movies.

That's why the heifers love it so much. It's delicious and makes them feel like movie stars, you know? 

Bert drives out to the pasture where the cows are. It's named the Sheep Pasture for the old lambing pens.

And let’s er rip with the siren. The cows come running!

 
Literally, running. It's so funny because cows are NOT built to do anything fast so when they run they look like fat fuzzy see-saws and it's the best.

These yellow heifers aren't joking. 

#iwokeuplikethis

He’ll lay out enough feed (so many pounds per head, measured by “clicks,” or how many times the little door opens on the side of the hopper) for the girls, and then drive back next to them slowly. This is a good opportunity to count and make sure everyone is accounted for, and to get a better look at the girls.

I like this heifer. She always runs to feed and is very enthusiastic about her cake consumption.

Bye girls! Until next time! Sometimes they try and follow the pickup out of the pasture, but it looks like they were happy with what they got this time!

The One With Phone Photos [in January]

This alpaca always escapes, and his owners are constantly trying to keep him in. I kind of love watching it all go down every other day.

The barn is open for business!

No editing, folks! I think it's safe to say he's inherited his daddy's blue eyes. Praise the Lord :)

Sitting in the driver's seat and playing with the steering wheel is BIG fun for this little boy.

Rural traffic jam. This herd lives here, so it happens on the regular. They always wait until you're about to drive by, and then they're like "RUN! RUN FOR YOUR LIIIIIIIIFFFEEEEEE!"

YOU. GUYS. If you drive through a fence, let someone know. That way, I don't have to wake up and find a surprise hole in the fence and a broken brace the day cows are supposed to go in there. Also, maybe don't drive like a maniac on the ice ;) 

Reading and driving, sans pants. #babylife #lifegoals

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking #squadgoals, amiright?

"Oh, just, ah, checking out this light here. You know."

I won't lie, the novelty of a new car (WITH A SUNROOF!) hasn't worn off yet. 

This is the other right way to use a walker, in case you were wondering.

Feeding the Girls

Since it's been so cold and snowy, Bert's been feeding the girls every other day or so. Eating more helps the animals keep themselves warm, and so even if the ground isn't completely covered in snow, we feed them if it's really cold.

I love feeding cows, but until they make a car seat adapter for a tractor buddy seat and put on a cab the size of a combine to fit all of our stuff, we're stuck taking pictures of the action.

There are tons and tons of different ways to feed cows. Round bales, square bales, using a bale processor (a machine that unbales the hay and lays it out in a line), flaking it off the back of a wagon or pickup--the options are endless. All of it is great if it gets the hay on the ground! The hay on the ranch here is mostly alfalfa/grass mix, although we do have some straight up grass hay. It doesn't matter what you feed them, so long as it has adequate nutrients and protein to keep a cow healthy.

First, Bert drives out in the tractor and the cows freak out because FOOD!

He lays out the hay in a long line and the girls go to town. I love seeing bright green hay when it's snowy and cold.

Sometimes the girls get really excited and get their food all over themselves. I don't blame them though, it looks delicious!

"Don't bother me, I'm eating."

"Really, though. Go away."

"Feed the girls!" "Sha la la la la la don't be shy, you're a real nice guy because you feed the girls." To the tune of "Kiss the Girl" from the Little Mermaid, of course.