While everyone is waking up to open presents, farmers are out in the barn milking, feeding, scraping and doing all the things we need to do to keep our animals healthy and producing.
As owners, we try to allow our employees to have the day off. So, it’s out to the calf barn again this Christmas morning. It was a beautiful yet cold, cold morning. So quiet and still, until you walk into the barn and the hungry calves greet you.
First on the agenda is getting the ice out of the milk pails before we feed them. The bigger calves get some water after the milk and with it so cold it was frozen solid this morning. We have a smaller hot water heater in the warm room so we have to be careful using the hot water to thaw since we need it to feed the milk replacer. Between hot water, chiseling with a screwdriver and banging them around the pails were empty and ready to fill
Also, the grain buckets had to be checked and filled.
Daughter-in-law, Granddaughter and I did the feeding while Son #2 supervised – he is recovering from shoulder surgery and has to be very careful.
Time to mix the milk replacer. We can feed 9 calves from a 5 gallon pail – I don’t know the measurements for sure. We had 48 calves to feed. Once they are fed we go back and check to be sure they drank all the milk. They get a little more water and then they are good until this afternoon. After dinner we will go back and feed again – and probably add some shavings to their beds.
Then we went to the calf barn where the calves are on the auto feeders. One machine was frozen so we had to thaw that out. One calf didn’t drink so we had to push her up. She is a little droopy looking – our assistant herdsman will take care of her.
Daughter-in-law went to pump milk and the rest went on to feed their animals. I walked home to prepare Christmas dinner.
Meanwhile, the cows are being milked, the cows are being fed. Farmer had to go to the North farm and pull the feeder out – snow and ice aren’t his friend. Grandson #2 went to the South farm, North farm and salted. He salted here at the main farm as well.
Another part time employee fed the bottle calves this morning which was greatly appreciated. Less time in the barn for all of us.
The milk truck drivers are out and will be by soon to pick up milk.
So, there is a lot going on Christmas morning and every morning. While it may be hard to crawl out of a warm bed knowing it’s a holiday where others get a day off work, we thoroughly enjoy and feel honored to be able to be the care takers of God’s critters. Know we are producing good quality food for others and ourselves is very satisfying.
Merry Christmas and be sure to add extra butter to those dinner rolls, extra whipped cream to the pie and another scoop of ice cream before bed.
