On the Downhill Slide

Calving has slowed considerably.  We're still waiting for two more calves (maybe three - the jury is still out on one).  As soon as the last two are born, we'll be able to open up what we call "the birthing pasture" so that the girls can all access lots more acres with lots more grass.  Since they spread out so much when they head to the southmost pasture, we like to make sure that all the calves have arrived!  The girls and kids have plenty of room to roam, but with so little rain, the grass is a bit on the sparse side.  We're still feeding hay.


Two more will give us 15 this spring; three more would make it 16.  That's a lot of babies to count every day!  They are just so much fun to watch.

Above is the new daughter of Wrencesky and USommDance.  She is polled and the exact image of her sister born last year (except that Yardley was horned).  Meet Moosters Red Sky!

Saphire and 'Dance gave us Moosters Red Bull.  He looks just like his daddy

but has his momma's horns.  Bull was a bit big for this first time mom.  It's the first time we've ever had a situation where the afterbirth did not clean out fully.  She got several shots of antibiotic and lots of watchful eyes upon her hiney while we waited.  All is well now.

And so far, last but not least - Roseta (Wild Thing) and 'Dance announce the birth of Moosters Red Dawn.  We're still not sure if she's polled or horned, but she is absolutely gorgeous!

Think Rain!



Oh Baby!

In just a little over a week, we've had five new babies.  They are all just precious!

Above is Moosters Repeater, the bull calf of Wieringa's Ruby and Gladhour Winchester - several days of head rubbing kinda causes us to think he's polled.  He's our smallest calf this season (so far).

This is Brezes' (soon to be) steer calf.  Sired by CJS Fudge, little steer is horned and quite nice looking.

Little cutie is the heifer calf of Shaw's #22.  She's was sold before she was born, so we'll let her new owners give her a name.  Polled, black and adorable.


We had two more born today - pictures to come later.  Wieringa's Saphire and 'Dance gave us a very good sized red bull calf; at the moment, we think he's horned like his momma.  Gladhour Wrencesky (and daddy 'Dance) delivered a red.......well, we're just not sure.  I think it's a heifer, but we haven't been able to get close yet.  Wrencesky was very content last year for us to handle her calf.  This year.... not so much.  We're perfectly happy to give her another day with no interference on our part.  They are currently in the farthest corner of the pasture away from everything.

Can't help but love this time of year.  Everywhere we look there are calves running here and there; sleeping under a sage bush; laying in a pile.  It's just fun!!!!

Welcome Rennie

Meet Moosters Rennie.  She's was born today to one of our favorites - Resta and our marshmallow sweet dun bull Winchester.  I very carefully checked all her parts before declaring her a heifer!  She has a 50/50 chance of being polled, but we weren't able to tell today.  Winchester's heifer from last year was polled; his first heifer this year (born to Elsie who lives in Cheyenne now) is horned.  We'll know in a few more days for sure. 

Resta calved in the windbreak (smart girl!), but later led Rennie down to the infamous watering hole in the creek.  Pretty soon, all the calves gathered there:

I had a most enjoyable time sitting on a stump watching them play - with each other, with dead wood, with the other cattle.....   They are just too stinkin' cute!

Raisin

This is Raisin (we used to think he was a girl).  He loves everyone.

He loves to be scratched!

He has eyeballs that can roll around!

He hopes that he's allowed to lick your face --

He has a mother, but he'll be happy to adopt you too!

Happy Spring!

'Tis the Season

We can't complain about this one!  Meet Euchee Creek's Eclipse, the polled red daughter of Halo and Belle Fourche Washington.  She's a full sister to our Harper (although she's polled and he is horned).  She was a very sturdy 53 pounds!  Halo delivered her with no fuss in the pasture early Friday afternoon.

Elvira gave us a nice little black bull calf last week as well.  He'll be steered - and, although they sometimes have nicknames - we rarely name those guys that are going to be steers.  It definitely helps me to stay somewhat detached from those boys who might end up on my dinner table.



Here's our Carnival wearing her halter.  She's actually doing really well with her weaning now.  Mom Seanna doesn't come around - at all - so Carnival has accepted that her corral mates are her only friends.  Lucky for her (and us) her mates are Yanni,  the spoiled rotten show girl - and Yoko, in halter training mode herself.  All three of them are positively thrilled when the feed bucket shows up and they are all guilty of pocket searching for treats.  It makes getting a picture or two just a bit difficult (see below):

Yanni in her finest begging mode ----

A corral of red girls!

It's now warmer than we can ever remember for a March in Wyoming.  Today we are at 76 degrees and here's the bad news for our local area and most of the surrounding counties:

High Wind Warning
Red Flag Warning
Fire Weather Watch

It's dry as a bone here.  We're seeing green grasses in the pastures, but we're also covered in dry grass that would go up very quickly given any spark.  Rain (without storms) would be appreciated!

Lots of babies still on the way - we've now hit that point where it's a real guessing game as to who is next!  Think heifers!!!

***And in the interest of honesty - and making fun of myself - two of our previous heifers mysteriously and magically  turned into bull calves.  Someday (like now!), I'll learn to go back out after they've been up and around for a day or two and check again for those little dangly things between the hind legs!  I checked them both immediately at birth when those little dangles were still elsewhere or just part of all the birth goo.  Chris will now double check for me too! 

November in March!

November calved yesterday.  A beautiful 40 pound double polled black heifer!  We watched the entire process from start to finish this time.  November was a real sweetie considering it's her first calf.  She did well in the birthing and took right to the calf (who was up and nursing in no time). 

We're still on watch for one more first timer this week.  Hoping the heifer trend continues!

Triple Play

It seems like we've been waiting forever for the first of the calves to arrive - and today we hit the jackpot!  Three calves from three separate sires from cows that we bought from three different herds.  What are the odds of that?!!

Without further ado:

Meara had a sturdy 55 pound bull calf.  His sire is Belle Fourche Washington.  Hers was our least eventful birth since he was waiting for us early this morning when we went out to check the herd. 

Above is a very lucky daughter of Gladhour Rally.  Rally was obviously in labor, so I grabbed the camera with the big lens and quietly moved to where I could take pictures.  All was going great until little miss was born and Rally began to clean her.  One big strong lick and little miss tumbled head over heels and landed in the creek!  The deep part of the creek near the culvert crossover....

Someone told me today that you do what you have to do - and I did.  Fortunately Chris was filling water tanks within both seeing and hearing distance, so I was able to get his attention.  Then I climbed through the barbed wire fence (I guess, because I don't remember that part) and jumped in to save her.  Slippery when wet barely describes how difficult it was to hoist her from the water (and fend off a very upset momma cow with horns)!  Chris arrived and jumped in beside me so that I could climb out and keep momma away while he picked her up and loaded her in the ATV. 

We moved her to a dry spot well away from the creek and out of the wind.  Momma caught up and started cleaning again right away.  All appears to be well now:

And last but not least, my Bessie delivered her first calf - a little heifer:

She was a bit excited about this new and strange creature and moved away from her as much as she moved toward her.  We gave her a watchful eye to make sure that she did eventually let her little girl nurse.  All's well with them this evening.  New momma has calmed down, become a bit more protective of her baby and they are well bonded now.

As for the humans at Moosters Meadows, we are tired but happy tonight!  Three down and eleven to go this spring.  Bessie's three half sisters should be next.  We hope they arrive with less hoopla!