My Lucy Girl

My computer is up and functioning again, and all ya'll are way past due for an update. Sadly, I have to break the bad news today.

Last week, my old milk cow Lucy died.

We bought Lucy 5 years ago from a commercial dairy near Nashville. She was 9 years old at the time and was about to be culled. She was headed for slaughter, but we liked her and decided to bring her home as my first milk cow.

Although she had a huge udder, she was a very docile cow and very patient. We could hand or machine milk her. She was milking machine herself, peaking at 7 gallons a day. She knew her name and would look at you every single time you called for her.

She had babies easily and had three while she lived here. She was a good mama cow and her calf last fall was to be her last. I was planning to use her as a companion cow for the rest her time here.

She was doing well and I was shocked to find she had died in her sleep, peacefully. She died in the back yard, near the wood line, laying down with all of her cow friends laying near by. She was a great cow.

She left a legacy here, not only with her two heifers that I will always own, but with the knowledge and lessons she taught me as my first family milk cow.

Rest in Peace Sweet Girl. 

Lucy 
June 2002- June 2016

The Polar Vortex

Say WHAT?

Tonight we will be getting some very cold weather. The weather man says it is a "polar vortex" and it is affecting many, many parts of the US.

It has been cold here already. Really cold for the South.

We are busting ice out of the water troughs and it is not melting. It just waits on the ground, and the boys bash it up with sticks and stones. Great fun. Cold fun.

We here in Georgia can expect to go about 60 hours without getting above freezing. It's a big deal ya'll. We have never worried too much about a lack of barn, etc because this is the South. We have mild winters....of course these next few days will be different.

Preparations have been under way the last two days.

The wind will be brutal and therefore we decided the best thing would be to build a wind block. We moved our huge canopy next to the calf stall and brought in a ton of hay to stack up.

It really is a cow dream come true. A house of hay!!!

This will give Lucy, Stella and Ivy a way to huddle close, eat lots of hay and stay out of the wind.  Lucy approves already!

The bottle calves will stay tucked into their stall with lots of hay bedding and a brood heat lamp, although they couldn't help but come out and munch on the house of hay!

This morning was an all hands on deck sort of morning. Devin even helped with the milking. She loves all of the grooming and brushing she gets from him.

 Lucy and Ivy had a great time licking and grooming each other.

So we will see what the night brings. We are hoping it's not too bad and that the milk pump doesn't freeze. I have a brood heat lamp to hang over the pump for warmth.
The horse has her blanket on and we put lots of hay out for the animals to eat.

Hmm.... Canada weather in Georgia. Whoever said there was global warming did not have a milk cow through the winter:-)

Everyone stay safe and warm!!!!

Milk Fever and Two New Calves

                              Don't forget to enter the book giveaway!

When you have an old Jersey milk cow who produces a large amount of milk, you always prepare for milk fever after calving. In  the past we would give Lucy a dose of calcium paste and she would be fine.
This time it wasn't enough or soon enough.
Although she is not in terrible shape, I knew at milking time yesterday afternoon that my girl was not well.
She was lethargic, slow, had no appetite and  was dry nosed.

The best assumption was milk fever. She needed calcium in her system.

Devin hooked up a bottle of calcium gluconate to an IV start kit and we gave her the entire bottle via subcutaneous injection at several sites on her body. We also gave her another tube of calcium paste.
It was cold, dark and rainy out. I felt like James Herriott in his books when he describes the cold nights on farm calls with a down cow. We, of course, have been keeping in contact with our own James Herriott, our vet Dr. Benson, during this entire ordeal.

She spent the night locked into the milking stanchion area, bedded down with lots of hay. I was happy that she ate quite a bit of hay during the night.

This morning Lucy is slightly better. She has a little better appetite and her nose is moist. Her body temp, however, is still low.

She had lots of company this morning from Ivy and Stella. I gave her more hay and kept her locked up until late this morning.

The vet wants her to walk around some, so she is secure to the 1 acre lot next to the milking area.

It has been a very hectic and stressful 18 hours. I think she will be okay, but I am cautious.


Now, on another note, we did drive up to a local dairy and purchase two bull calves this week as well.

I am wanting to get some steer on grass and the only way I can afford to do this is to buy bottle bull calves.

This big boy was born the day before my Annabelle. He is a Jersey/ Brown Swiss cross. He is quite large and will make a nice sized steer. The picture doesn't do him justice. He's quite beautiful.

The other bottle baby is a 3 week old full Jersey. He is quite active and loves being outside to run and stretch his legs some.

Both calves and Annabelle are doing well. I have them locked in an old chicken coop that I use as a small animal stall now. I have a heat lamp up to help keep them cozy. It has been very cold here the last couple of days and doesn't look to be warming up much this week.

So THAT is what I have been up to this week! I feel like I just had a new baby myself in that my house is a disaster and I am barely keeping up with laundry and meals! But, just like having a new baby....this too shall pass. Things will eventually get themselves back into working order, I just have to try and get my Lucy better. I am grateful to have a crockpot this morning and some chili is cooking away in it now. We will have a hot, yummy dinner after milking this evening.

It is great having so many bottle calves to feed. The kids are big helpers and the calves are very lovable!

Have a fabulous weekend! Don't forget to enter the book giveaway either! Winner will announced Monday!

See ya'll then!

Annabelle

We woke up yesterday to a very pregnant cow who looked ready to bust. Needless to say, by the afternoon she was ready for calving.

We went out to check on her and discovered her bag of waters was out and about to break.

Of course we waited...and waited..and waited. Finally we had a nice healthy calf about 6:30, just after dark.

It was too dark for pictures or videos, so I snapped some shots of the little girl this morning.
She IS a HEIFER!!!! This makes me very happy, as she will grow up to be a nice family milking cow one day.
She is very tiny but healthy and active. She has been nursing well and gets around like a pro.

The kids came out with me this morning to check on Lucy and the new calf.
The kids all agreed to name her Annabelle since she was born in December. They got the name from another favorite baby calf who starts in one of their favorite Christmas movies.

 

 

If you are looking for a sweet Christmas movie, this one is available on Amazon, and it really is a favorite here.

 

So since we were all in the Christmas spirit here, Indiana decided to dress up our other calves, Stella and Ivy.

 

 

She decided they need a nice big bow on their halters. Surprisingly, they are still intact this morning.

 

 

They really look cute with their fuzzy winter coats. Although the weather is quite warm today, it was quite cold last week and cold weather is coming back for the weekend.

 

 



So, tomorrow I will introduce a fabulous activity book and a giveaway just in time for Christmas!!!!

Be sure to check back in because you do NOT want to miss out on this one!

Happy Birthday Annabelle!!!

Life Out Here

It has been a whirl wind the last couple of weeks here. Initially I was a bit under the weather, not willing to push myself to my normal limits as far as house chores, cooking and blogging.
I suppose that is normal and the winter weather and dark days contribute to this melancholy.

                      ******Fender takes a break from hunting to be held.******

Then the past week showed itself with a nasty strep bug. Not everyone got the actual strep but everyone at least had the sniffles and a stuffy head. We spent the weekend relaxing, watching movies, eating soup and falling to sleep earlier than usual.

I woke up Monday with the sudden realization that Thanksgiving is knocking on the door and my house and farm show the signs of neglect due to a low energy farm manager. I am not ready for the holiday festivities at all! I have put my emergency "get it all in nice order" plan into action.

It all starts with a hot cup of coffee and the ability to prioritize the necessities of a well managed house and farm.

      ****Tiger Creek is a messy eater. I am glad we are not shearing soon!****

The very first order of the day was to make sure the animals had clean, dry hay. It rained all night and the temps will be dropping this evening. Winter is here. The winter in my part of Georgia means cold rain, and lots of it!

Lucy will be due to calve in about a week and a half. Her udder is starting to fill out and harden.  She is showing a few other signs that birth will soon be upon us. Devin is finishing maintenance on the milking machine pump, and I have been gathering all the other supplies we might need.
I dread milking in cold, wet weather but we are all ready for some fresh milk and cream.

                                    ****Shameless selfie with Lucy!****

We have spent the week studying the pilgrims and the reason for Thanksgiving. It has been a nice change to the normal school routine. The girls have also been bringing their pets down to play and snack while we read.

I realize that many people cringe at the thought of a pet rat, but really they are some of the best pets. This one seems to enjoy the week's spelling assignment with her cracker treat!

We are finally getting back into a normal and regular routine again, and I am working on a couple of projects that I will share once they are finalized.

                         ***Stella likes Indiana best. Nobody else can hug on her!***

I guess it is only normal for things to slow a bit during the cold months. The days are short and so naturally the list of the day's accomplishments should shorten as well.
Cold rainy days like today beg for a warm fire, a wholesome meal, and a good movie. The slow down gives us a season of rest after a very busy warm season of activity.

Yes, Thanksgiving is knocking on the door and we will answer and welcome it, even if we *think* we are not quite ready.

Life out here means we are always ready for family, food and a chance to rejuvenate.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Balance Has Been Restored

It has been a week of getting things back into the groove.

For starters the weather has been fantastic! It has been sunny and in the 60's. 5 days ago it was in the 20's and sleeting outside. You gotta love the South and it's crazy temperature extremes. Tomorrow it will be cooler and 100% chance of rain.
But today we enjoyed the nice weather!

I took the little kids for a walk to check the mail. Rose found herself a walking stick along the way...never mind the fact that it's twice her size!

My two middle girls cleaned the tree house spotless! It looks so great that it makes me sad the rain and wind will get it messy again.

School has been going well, even though we have taken a wee bit slower pace this week. We have been focusing on math and reading with a little less on history. The young kids have amazingly kept themselves busy with building blocks and play dough.

 Earlier today we decided to make a list of every space that needs to be totally deep cleaned. We have given a day for each space, excluding Sundays. The list is hanging up and starting tomorrow we will clean the girls' bedrooms. I left the closets for its own day. We will not only de-clutter and get junk out but the baseboards and doors will be wiped cleaned. I might need to touch up paint in the kitchen and living room when we get to those areas.
This means that I am no longer overwhelmed by the huge amounts of messiness that is within these walls. I know that by March we will be deep cleaned, and I love that idea. Once warm, spring weather arrives in March it is VERY difficult to stay inside:-)

FINALLY, I got word from my AI tech that Lucy went into standing heat late this afternoon! She will be AI'd twice over the next 24 hours and then will be ready to come home!

Ahhhh, balance has been restored to My Barefoot Farm.

Hope your week finds balance!

Adventures with Lucy the Family Cow: Slippery Step

Yesterday was one of those days when things were just hectic. It happens every now and again when you have a house full of children and a yard full of animals.

Fall has officially hit North Georgia and although the weather is still pleasant, the grass is starting to turn brown.
My backyard has managed to grow a new sprout of clover so I decided to let Lucy out into the yard to graze. She loved it.

There was one problem though. I sent the young girls out to clean out my garage (sweep, pick up, etc) and Jersey cows are known for their curiosity.

Lucy decided to walk into the garage to see what might be in there, and while standing inside she pooped. She pooped a lot.

When we motioned for her to turn and walk out she then stepped in her mountain of poo and slipped and fell.

A fallen cow is not a good thing. She tried to stand up again but it was just too slick so instead she peed and pooed again(from nervousness) and made the area twice as slick and stinky.

Journee and I tried sprinkling cat litter to give her traction. It did not work.

We gathered hay to shove under her the best we could to give her traction. It did not work.

She tried and tried but could not get herself up. She would end up slipping again and scooting herself until she ended up on the other side of the garage.
Poor Lucy!

Next I grabbed ALL of the small rugs from the house (kitchen rugs, etc) and we tried to place those under her feet and legs HOPING that would give her traction.
It did not work.

She was getting very tired.

I called my two favorite farmers in town and they arrived with a large piece of felt but it did not giver her traction either. We decided to put a rope around her and pull her out with a truck.
It did not work.

We decided to roll Lucy onto the felt and then pull the felt piece out with the truck. Rolling an 850 lb cow onto something is no easy feat but we did it successfully.

 Needless to say, we were able to drag her out and onto the gravel drive. We left her there and checked on her every five minutes or so. Finally after another 20 minutes she was able to get up!!!!

 We gave her some grain and led her back to her paddock. She did suffer a small tear in the skin on her udder so we washed it with soapy water and lathered it up with a lanolin cream.

This morning she seemed fine, just a little stiff and slow moving. She wanted to go back out to the back yard after her milking but I had to explain to her that I wanted a slow, easy day today:-) Next time she's out we will be sure we close the garage doors too.

So that was the 3 hour drama that occurred here yesterday.

 Always an adventure when you have a family cow.