Apologies we have been super busy at the farm with the lack of rain, amount of hay needing to be cut all adding up. This all comes with the veggie garden and the opening of the dayliliy garden during the weekend. We have worked hard to get more of the hay in and are down to around 100 acres left to cut bale and move to the hay sheds. We will then start hoping for the second cutting but at this point we are not holding our breath.
We preg checked the fall herd cows the other morning before it got too hot and are pleased to announce that we will be having all 40 cows return to the calving schedule around the 1st week of October with new babies. Our 10 heifers will be gracing the fields with new babies the second week of September. Now the only thing that we are waiting on now is weaning last year’s crop off mom to give them a rest. Saying this most of the cows are weaning their claves off and are always laying under the shade without a care in the world. We will take the 2011 fall born calves and start feeding the heifers for replacements and the steers for the Quarles Quality Beef feeding program. You will start seeing these steers in the freezer early next spring!
We are also working toward getting our spring cows sent out to our summer grazing farm for a month or two so they can harvest the grass and come home before the cold winter winds start blowing though the hills of Franklin County. We will look at weaning the spring in late October to help ease the cows into the winter depending on the rain. In the mean time we are hauling water so cattle do not have walk as far and we are able to utilize each part of the pasture by forcing cattle to graze next to the water. We are rotational in our grazing and are not wasting any bit of grass or weight gain which is better for everyone involved. Plus I am keeping my cows fat and happy, and fat happy cows don’t wonder far from home.
I know its short and to the point but if I get a chance I will work on a longer post…
We preg checked the fall herd cows the other morning before it got too hot and are pleased to announce that we will be having all 40 cows return to the calving schedule around the 1st week of October with new babies. Our 10 heifers will be gracing the fields with new babies the second week of September. Now the only thing that we are waiting on now is weaning last year’s crop off mom to give them a rest. Saying this most of the cows are weaning their claves off and are always laying under the shade without a care in the world. We will take the 2011 fall born calves and start feeding the heifers for replacements and the steers for the Quarles Quality Beef feeding program. You will start seeing these steers in the freezer early next spring!
We are also working toward getting our spring cows sent out to our summer grazing farm for a month or two so they can harvest the grass and come home before the cold winter winds start blowing though the hills of Franklin County. We will look at weaning the spring in late October to help ease the cows into the winter depending on the rain. In the mean time we are hauling water so cattle do not have walk as far and we are able to utilize each part of the pasture by forcing cattle to graze next to the water. We are rotational in our grazing and are not wasting any bit of grass or weight gain which is better for everyone involved. Plus I am keeping my cows fat and happy, and fat happy cows don’t wonder far from home.
I know its short and to the point but if I get a chance I will work on a longer post…