
Life On & Off My Farm - Life Changes
#46
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Posted April 12, 2012 - 05:19 PM
#47
OFFLINE
Posted April 12, 2012 - 09:06 PM
Today I finished dozing old tree laps out of pasture edges, then pulled a calf from a heifer needing calving help. I am tired! I have tons of things I need to do, but I may take the evening off.
Hey Daniel, glad you got away from the tire without anyone getting hurt. You mentioning the calf, have you ever run across an author named James Herriot? He was a veterinarian in Britain who wrote a number of books loosely based on his early life in Britain's countryside. His descriptions of trying to get a hand on a calf or foal that needed help birthing are great.
- olcowhand said thank you
#48
OFFLINE
Posted April 13, 2012 - 10:30 AM
Just this morning, after milking, I found our milk weigh jars & pipeline have buildup inside. Checked the water temp & our hot water heater wasn't working right. Changed out the thermostat & she's percolating well now. Ran a super heavy wash following a super heavy acid treatment. Should get all clean inside.
Then I ground a load of calf corn, then tilled my un-planted area of my garden to knock down tiny weed growth. Time for lunch break.
#49
OFFLINE
Posted April 13, 2012 - 10:45 AM
I'm assuming that they are Holsteins?
If so, that would explain the amount of poo. Holsteins are the only critters that I know of than can eat 1# and poop 2#



- Huskyfan said thank you
#50
OFFLINE
Posted April 13, 2012 - 11:01 AM
Yep, Holsteins, 70 milking right now. Usually between 80 & 90, but #'s low. Several heifers to come online soon though. I'd argue the poo figures. I think they eat 1lb, then poo 3!!!!!!!
- Huskyfan said thank you
#51
OFFLINE
Posted April 13, 2012 - 06:08 PM
I grew up mostly in a children's home in Xenia. I went then when I was 9 and stayed until I graduated in 1964,
At that time the home, Ohio Soldiers & Sailors Orphans Home had one of the best Holstein herds in the country.
They were milking right at 70 head, and had 4 herd bulls. They had 2 Gold Medal Production sires, one Silver medal and one Bronze medal. The home was run by the State of Ohio, so they had 'taxpayer money', but the farm manager really knew his Holsteins, and over the years built a really 1st class herd.
Those 70 head would produce more milk that 500 kids, and around 100 or so adults could drink. There were times when they would separate the cream from a good bit of it, feed the skim milk to the hogs, and pour the cream BACK into the milk that we were drinking....man that was some awesome stuff.
WE all had 'jobs' and rotated through them a month at a time. One of the better ones was to be assigned to the farm, as we could drink all the milk that we wanted. Being assigned to the farm in the winter had the added 'perk' of not having to go to Chapel on Sunday. BUT, offsetting that was the fact that you cleaned the milking parlor. They kept the cows in the stanchions all winter, and there was a trough at the pooing end and we were tasked with cleaning it out. On the other days the hired farmers did it, but on Sunday's they got a break.
We had our own little 'bottling plant', and bottled the milk in 1/2 pint bottles. At that time the milk was just pasteurized, and when you went to the dining hall, you had to shake the bottle to mix it up. Later, they got a homogenizer, and started putting the milk in 5 gal cans the were designed to go into a refrigerated milk dispenser.
When the "new barn" was built, it was the largest in the State, and one of the largest in the country.
Here's a link to a page that has some pictures of it...the hay mows and silos were HUGE.
http://www.photowood...65829&k=MrBCBxN
Sometime in the 70's or 80's, they decided that it was more cost effective to buy milk, and the herd was sold at auction, and the barn fell into disrepair.
ETA:
They milked at 'strange' times too...Midnight and Noon. I never did find out why they used a schedual like that, but the cows didn't seem to care.
Edited by OldBuzzard, April 13, 2012 - 06:16 PM.
- ducky, tractorgarden, Michiganmobileman and 2 others have said thanks
#52
OFFLINE
Posted April 13, 2012 - 09:03 PM
#53
OFFLINE
Posted April 23, 2012 - 06:55 PM


Just some pics of the herd, youngest to oldest, milking cows in last pic on far hill.



- JRJ said thank you
#54
OFFLINE
Posted April 23, 2012 - 07:57 PM
this thread real interesting. Looking forward to more updates, and storys. Oh yeah, nice tractors.

#55
OFFLINE
Posted April 23, 2012 - 08:16 PM
- IamSherwood said thank you
#56
OFFLINE
Posted April 23, 2012 - 09:12 PM
I heard a certain sound and smelled an awful stink. Yep, she had a good fart & her ears were pointing up again! LOL Gotta go now & check on her before I hit the hay.
I think most of us feel better afterwards, although the ears don't point as much.
I hope the cow is doing better and you get a good night's sleep.
#57
OFFLINE
Posted April 23, 2012 - 09:28 PM
#58
OFFLINE
Posted April 24, 2012 - 04:58 AM
Yep, she had a good fart & her ears were pointing up again! LOL
OMG, that is hilarious.
I hope she recovers. You are a busy man Daniel.
#59
OFFLINE
Posted April 24, 2012 - 05:23 AM

Thanks for sharing with us what life is like on a farm. This old city boy enjoys it.
- Huskyfan said thank you
#60
OFFLINE
Posted April 24, 2012 - 07:14 AM
We were lucky, didn't have many go down like that, but we had to drench a couple to save them.
That's a messy job.