Preparing For The Cold On The Dairy

With an upcoming cold spell coming we are trying to get things ready for ourselves and the cows. While it won't be as bad as last year's Polar Vortex, it still isn't anything we are looking forward to.

One of our biggest concerns is that the silo unloaders and the conveyors might freeze. We've purchased some large, high quality hay bales and have them ready to feed in case that happens.

While we do keep our baby calves in the calf barn they will appreciate more straw bedding when the temp's drop. We may also feed them more milk to keep their energy levels up.

Of course the cows are not the only creatures on the farm that need to stay warm. Don't forget the farmers! This week we purchased a new forced air heater to put in the dairy barn to keep us warm while milking and to thaw out any frozen pipes.

Unfortunately this means we'll be replacing our old one that plays the first note of the Star Wars theme when it comes on. Don't believe me? Give it a listen.


Winter weather we are ready as we'll ever be!

Ackbar, the Suspicious Heifer

See the heifer on the right? I'm naming her Ackbar after Admiral Ackbar from The Return of the Jedi Star Wars movie.



She was definitely not walking into a trap like that one. We were trying to move this group of eleven heifers to another field. The heifers are sorted by age and size and this group was ready to join another.

We sat up a small corral and moved a feed box into it to give them grain and a good reason to go in on their own. Once inside we could ease them into the waiting cattle trailer.

Now this went well for the for the first two trips with the trailer.

But Ackbar and her cohorts decided they would not go into the corral. We went back yesterday and fed them, but they were still not convinced that they should do as we asked. Today we found them lounging in the shade. No matter what sweet words I used to call them forward they refused to move out into the sun. 

We may not have the power of the force, but we do have time and patience. A few more days of feeding in the corral and I think we will win them over to our side.

(Story continues: Hitman For Ackbar and Ackbar Comes Home)