It on!!!!

2013 row crop season started 10 minutes ago!

Working man ways

This seven year old is really stepping up. Driving calves, prepping tillage equipment, even some skid loader operations. I think he is getting working man hands.

Redneck telehandler

So this is one of two things. It is a redneck telehandler that operates by starting both loaders and using the big one to pick up the smaller one and use its bucket to stack bales or other items much higher. Or the red one was in the way of the sprayer in the shed and had a fuel pump problem so we picked it up with the yellow rig to get it out of the the way.

175 and counting

Hopefully not counting down. We started with 175 chick and that is what we still have about a week later. Still in tanks with lights but should be out by next week. These subfreezing nights are not allowing spring to do its thing.

School trip

We had a kid that needed medical attention so, as typically happens, the boys went on a homeschool field trip and came with the chief and I to deliver a beef to the locker. We asked if we could watch them butcher so they open the door and let us watch. We missed the actual dispatching but heard the shot and saw pretty much every thing else until hanging. Here are notable quotes...
"Wow these guys are fast!" Owen
"Well it is sure is fat enough." Chief
"What's that?" Boys
"Hope it weighs a lot we got 50 more like it!" Chief
"I always wondered if it really did that." (Watching blood flow out in pulses)Harrison
"You must know what your doing to cut through a leg bone with a knife." Heath
"What do they do with the hide?" Owen
"Is that its mouth" Simon
"That is a big heart"Owen
"This is a school field trip" chief to locker owner
"Everybody wants my job......" owners response, that was the funniest of them all but maybe you had to be there.

I knew it was time to go when Harrison was telling me which chamber of the stomach a cow regurgitates cud from and I didn't know enough to tell him if he was right or wrong. So is it the second chamber?

And sorry no pics, you just had to be there.

Weather you like it or not

It is warm today. Good day to pick up rocks. The crew turned out and it wasn't long before Owen shed the shirt and then the new boots too. Harrison joined in the fun as well.

Guinea.... on a hot tin roof

Lana joined me for morning chores last Saturday. She took a rest on some seed I need to deliver. Hard to believe with all her energy  2 hours later she had a fever.

The young guineas that the old ones hatched last year have been getting there first days outside as the weather is improving. One was getting flight figured out and ended up on the barn roof. It was up there all day, all night, and most of the next day. I tossed a few rocks at it at 3 pm to encourage it but it just turned around. Which reminds me to mention my idea for marksmanship training for the military. Set a guinea at 30 feet and ask them to hit its head.....

Future produce

This may look like manure in the garden but if you look closer it is really tomatoes, green beans, pepper, etc. Asparagus patch and vegetable garden are tilled and ready for action.

It fits!

The pick up head fits. New chains installed. Now new pick up teeth, rebuild sprockets, fix broken chopper parts, new bearings, and lots more. But I have hope.... Unfortunately hope doesn't always have a great ROI...

Spread it thick....

The frost wasn't out yet a week ago. Cleaned cattle, hog, and chicken pens and the crew turned out to help.

Calving update

Calving has been okay, not quite half done but we have a few late cows so it will be prolonged. Have had to pull a few but have been aggressive with the heifers pulling earlier than later and getting them in pens when needed. The one from the late night post didn't make, it the wind switched during the night and snow fell so it was stiff and cloudy eyed in a snow drift next morn. I got it back to warm and kicking and happy but being backwards damaged the spine I think and it could not stand and that is why it was in the snow, it never got up, without momma it was a lost cause after a few days. That is 30 hours of my life I won't get back.

Other cold ones have gone well. These pics are a few weeks old but the little heifer with Owen was a cold case to and I almost gave up. Fortunately the chief came over so I could go to church and worked his magic and 9 hours later vibrant calf. A little assistance learning to nurse and it is on its way.