Curious Jethro / Midwest Farm Life / Kansas Small Ranch / Donkey

Monday, Brian and I went to town.  It’s hard to leave the farm as the work or things to do never end.  Brian and I had to hustle to get as much things done before we could leave.  The last thing Brian did was put bales of hay on the back of the farm truck and drive up on the hill to leave hay for the cows.  I had finished washing the totes and vacuuming the house. We grabbed a second cup of coffee for the trip and off we went.

It was around 5 pm when we got home.  We began to prepare for milking, as we start that task around 6 every night.  As I went out to bring some more groceries in from the car, up walked Jethro, my cleaver donkey.  I said,” Hi Jethro how did you get out of the field?”  I looked around and Valentine a steer was also out.  Long story short, I led Jethro back into the pasture and Valentine followed.  Brian in his hurry had left the gate open, thank God the other cows had not found the opening.

When Brian went to the barn to milk later that evening, what he encountered was a mess created by CURIOUS JETHRO.  Jethro had had a happy day in the barn!  The feed containers with cat and dog food in them were pulled out and flung over to the other side of the barn.  He had helped himself to all the alfalfa hay he could eat, as bales had been pulled open and moved around. The cats’ house had it’s roof off, the halters and ropes that hung on hooks were pulled off the hooks and tossed to the ground. Oh Jethro, what a time you had carousing around in the barn. 

Brian wasn’t to mad, as he knew it was his fault for leaving the gate unlocked, but we might have to put Jethro in with Becky and the calves as he is eating to much; or, we could leave him out to be a Farm  Greeter? Walmart has Greeters, why not the Reids?     He did greet one neighbor as she came for her milk.  She tried to put him in with Becky the cow, but he wanted to stay out and Becky tried to get out to, so  her efforts were in vane.  Life on the Reid Ranch is never dull or real exciting, just enjoyable.

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Becky the Pain! Becky the Boss! Remember Becky? Well, she almost was meat. / Midwest Farm Life / Kansas small ranch / Natural products

 

Recently, when Becky was with the other cows, she was acting like a bull and bothers the cows all day, day in, day out for weeks.  This was hurting her utter and milk production and the other cows as well. This might be because four other cows were due to have calves. Maybe she was a little jealous. She doesn’t eat much and won’t let the other cows eat to.  We thought of selling her and then thought she might have to be sent to the butchers!!!!

 

Becky, the Jersey Cow, was our first cow and has given us the best milk and butter for 5 years.  She is my favorite cow and her picture is on my soap labels "Carolyn's Natural Soap" and it’s her rich milk that makes my soap so special.  We did not know what to do.

This last month, we were blessed with four new heifers, I will write about them later. Brian said he’ll give Becky another chance and put her in the calves pen.  Wow, what a differences!  Becky now is at peace.  She will let Brian milk out in the open and her milk is as sweet as ever.  We’ll have to keep her separate from the others to enjoy her gifts to our farm and family. I think she wants to be the boss, but Gurney, our Guernsey cow, wanted to be the boss among the cow herd.  Now, Becky is the boss among the calf herd.  HaHa

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FOUR NEW CALVES TO JOIN US / Kansas Farm Life / Midwest Simple Farming / Cows

Four new calves born all ready!  Trisha, a black Jersey had her calf on the 7th of November. This was her first time to calf and gave birth without a hitch.  We named the heifer calf, CoCo as she is chocolate brown. 


Mae, another black Jersey had her calf on the 23rd of December.  We thought her calf wouldn’t be born until the end of January as our bull was not yet a year old if he  bred her in March, but to our surprise that is exactly what he did.  This heifer calf we named Grayleen because of her color.

June now had her calf on the 31st of December,  New Years Eve.  June started her labor in the late afternoon so Brian and I got her to the barn as it was very cold.  The calf came that evening, another heifer.  We call her Nevey, New Years Eve baby.

I now feed 4 calves who fight for their bottles and suck my coat and hands.  It’s quite a challenge to care for these beauties.  The 4th is a Jersey bull calf we’ll raise to replace Moonlight someday.  We call this bull calf Stanley.