Winter Days:
“It’s cold outside” or at least that is what the weatherman would like you to think. This morning, I took the kids out to the school bus with about an inch of snow on the ground and the most beautiful sun shining through the clouds. Normally I am not a Norman Rockefeller kind of person, however this morning I could not help but take a minute and marvel at God’s creation.
The cattle are in the east pasture and they were seemed to be playing a game of freeze tag. The calves were attempting to join into the game, but finally gave up for their own game of hide and seek. We moved the Scottish Highland bull (Duff) into the pasture over the weekend. He and his mother (Maggie, 23 years old) are purebred Scottish Highlanders and have been a joy to have on the farm. We were told that the Scottish Highland breed would produce smaller animals, however so far the calves are ranking in the top 15% of our market animals. The calves are born without any assistance, to which is perfect for first calf heifers, and turn on with excellent rate of gains. We could not be more excited about our cattle operation.
The goats are in the west pasture along with Max our Great Pyrenees. I think they might of been watching the weatherman, because they were snuggled in the barn waiting for their breakfast. We are excepting kids (goat babies) starting mid-December. Right now they all look like they are carrying a large basketball around with them. Last year we kidded in late-January and boy was it cold. We decided that we try for a little bit earlier this year. Not sure if it is going to work out better or not, but we are going to give a try.
We are truly blessed to be able raise such amazing animals and to do it as a family. Hopefully we can help provide everyone with a little taste of what the FFA creed statement on the home page means to us. From the National FFA Website http://www.ffa.org “I believe that to live and work on a good farm, or to be engaged in other agricultural pursuits, is pleasant as well as challenging; for I know the joys and discomforts of agricultural life and hold an inborn fondness for those associations which, even in hours of discouragement, I cannot deny.”