11/28/15

Moving cows 

Feeding Bulls 

Bottle calves 

Vacation

As the weekend before Thanksgiving Holidays is here I have been looking forward to not having to get up and get kids ready and go to school.   After sleeping in a little bit the kids and I left the house in a rush to help pull a calf and then found ourselves not getting back home until lunch time.  

Ellis ann and shep helping load some silage on the truck. 

Now they are taking care of the orphan calf as we take it to its new mama. 

Sun setting at the barn as we are going to feed the bottle calves.  Even though it is always busy and always work. We treasure it. Truly treasure it. 

Back and forth.....It's silage time!

It's that time of year again...... Chopping silage. Makes for long days for everyone and is without a doubt a family affair. We've also appreciated the help of some neighbors and friends. 

Ellis Ann riding with her Daddy who has been on the dump truck 24/7
Shep loves to work!!

Packing. I have helped pack here and there when needed but these guys have been on a tractor or dump truck at least 10 hours a day for the last 4 days and probably another few days to go. 

Feeding Bulls

Taking the bulls some hay. 

Alabama snow

Thistles are bad.

Chopping thistles....Ellis Ann's first job. She is showing her little brother Brantley how it is done. She has learned to spot them pretty good and to chop any and all she sees. She has a hoe that is just her size and I had to go back and get extra because daddy and Bradfield were "borrowing" hers.

Spring Rotational Grazing

Turning cows in on grass is one of our absolute favorite "chores".  There's nothing like riding around in the evenings and opening a gate to let a herd of cows in on green grass and watching them come running in and their heads going down as soon as they come through the gate.  The sound of them munching on the grass.....they are happy cows!  It's like a 30 minute vacation for us to enjoy the warmer weather and the breeze and the simple joys of the land and makes all the stresses and hardships worth while.