There's always those statistics that dentist's or doctor's use; 1 out of 10 dentist's choose Colgate toothpaste or 1 out of 3 American's smoke. What ever the case my be I'm sure you never thought of this one.... 73 out of every 100. I bet I have your mind going a mile a minute trying to figure out what this statistic could mean.
No it's not 73 out of every 100 bumble bees are female
No it's not every 73 out of 100 students turn in their homework on time
But rather...
YES! 73 out of every 100 Dairy Farmers have another source of income other then just milking cows.
Wow! 73% of our Dairy Farmer's do not solely rely on their milk check they in fact work another job or raise other animals or grown 1,000's of acres of crops to break even or come out on top. That is just mind boggling!!
The Dairy Industry is one of the most unpredictable and unsteady industries and markets out there. One season the price of milk could be decent but then something happens across seas or mother nature decides to be hard headed and the milk price does a complete 180 due to those supply and demand needs.
73 out of every 100 Dairy Farmers have another source of income whether it's their spouse bringing it in or they are bringing it in on their own. To survive off the milk check is one of the hardest situations; things could change in the blink of an eye.
For example, if China or foreign countries need milk then we ship tons of milk across seas and our pay check is decent but once they decide they have too much and do not need any from the United States we have an excess here and the price drops. Since I've been milking here on my Grandfather's farm, going on 11 months, the price has dropped almost $10 per 100 pounds of milk. In May, when I started, we were getting roughly $26 for every 100 pounds of milk and today we are getting about $15 for every 100 pounds. It dropped about $6 in one month for us as well. How many of you could deal with the inconsistency of milk prices and the uncertainty of when and how much it will drop.
Many American's could not and would not deal with a pay cut that brutal but we as Dairy Farmer's live everyday not knowing what that milk check will be like in the next two weeks. Someone has to bare the stress, uncertainty, and the brutal pay cuts to feed the World.
I'm sure many of you have never thought about this before because I know a year ago I didn't. But now that I am affected and live it first hand I know how tough it is for us Dairy Farmer's and how frustrating and depressing it gets but we have to stick with it, It's what we live for, it's what we love.
That is why I have been so quite lately because I have picked up two other part time jobs on top of my full time milking and managing the cows here on the farm. I have been so crazy busy but it all pays off, it allows me to wake up every morning with a huge smile on my face and 60 milking mama's out in the barn waiting on me and allows me to go to bed at night knowing I have another source of income to keep me milking and taking of my girls for another day because I can pay my bills with the support of two other jobs.
And that's why we choose to have side jobs/business because it is in our blood we cannot get away from our families legacy, we can't get away from our passion, and we can't get away from this beautiful life God has created for us.
...73 out of every 100 farmer's rather work double time then to give up this way of life...
Just remember that just because that gallon of milk costs almost $5 doesn't mean we are rich by any circumstances we see less than $1 of that $5 price.
I milk cows every morning at 5am eat breakfast and then I'm out the door to muck horse stalls every morning for about 2-3 hours, come back to the farm to do chores and tend to calves, heifers, and cows and then milk again at 3:30pm followed by supper at 5:30pm and then either after dinner or anytime I find during the day I am doing office work for my part time job as the Executive Assistant for the York County Agriculture Business Council. All this allows me to enjoy milking cows a lot more because I don't stress about the milk check as much and other farmer's are in the same boat as me.
So just remember that if you bump into a dairy farmer there's a huge possibility he/she does more then just milking cows! "73 out of every 100 Dairy Farmers", I heard this at a customer appreciation seminar and it honestly blew my mind, I never thought about how many dairy farmer's have another source of income but as I thought about it I could name quite a few... they may have a hog barn or a chicken house, they may grow and harvest 1,000's of acres of crops, they may own their own landscaping business, be a 31 consultant, work for an artificial insemination company on the side, have their own produce or market stand, sell raw milk or cheese, they may haul milk at night, could be a salesmen or just work from a computer like me. Whatever the case may be they are doing it to get by not because they have too much time on their hands!
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Monday, February 16, 2015
Unfortunate Happenings, Fortunate "Blessings"
One of the coldest nights of the year hit us with an unexpected but a miracle calving!!
New heifer to the farm, three weeks away from her calving date, coldest night of the year so far, 11pm.
I noticed this heifer was laying down a lot more then normal and decided to bring her into the maternity pen to keep a closer eye on her while she approached her due date. Her vulva seemed to have been swelling up rapidly, at first I thought it was because she was getting ready to calve. I noticed she wasn't eating her silage and that's when we decided to call the vet to check on her. By the time he came to check on her her vulva was even bigger than before.... he examined her and said she had two blank quarters and the other two were mastitic to the point of being toxic that caused her vulva to swell up. He said he couldn't find movement with the calf and that she wasn't going to have enough energy to calve and if she did she wouldn't make it.
He said to us, "Honestly, in the condition she is in I don't think it will be worth it to wait until she tries calving and to see what the result will be." With that being said we were going to sell her while she was still standing so we could get money to replace her.
She must of had a feeling and knew the truck was here to pick her up because we could not get her to stand and we thought that may have been the end of her will power. We made sure she was bedded down nicely that night, had warm water to drink, and silage to nibble on if she so desired.
Ethan and I had six cows to breed that night and I decided to check on her when I went out to the barn. I was in awe when I noticed two feet stinking out of her. She must have been trying to calve for a good bit because the legs sticking out were cold.
This is something we dread to do and pray and wish we don't have many or any situations like this one at all. But, with a cow who is toxic trying to calve you have to think about the life of that animal and do what is absolutely best for her whether you want to or not. And leaving her to calve on her own, with no energy at all was not an option. We felt the legs of the calf to make sure we had the front two legs and head facing the right direction and we did. With her being toxic and still a ways from her due date she wasn't dilating which meant she really really needed our help.
Ethan and my grandfather got the calving chains and hooks and put them around the legs stinking out and pulled and pulled but the cow wasn't helping, so we unfortunately were making no progress. And this unfortunately led to something we hate doing but has to be done. It's life or death at this point and we have to think about the cow first and do what's best for her. Our only other option was to use the come-along to get this calf out.
Still not dilating, huge hooves and a nose that made us conclude that this calf was huge... way to big for for this tiny heifer to be calving on her own.
This video that you are about to watch is real life. No editing, true caring farmers who are doing absolutely everything they can to save this heifer. We are under the impression the calf is already dead but you'll see in this video it's just the opposite, and Ethan acts quickly on this and does what he needs to do to drain the calf of the amniotic fluids that fill the lungs, mouth, and nostrils of this calf so she can start breathing on her own. You'll notice he picks her up by the hind legs and puts them over the gate and pats her side so she coughs and drains out. He pats her chest and side just as you would pat a baby to burp them. If we would have just let her go hoping her mother would care for her we would have lost her no doubt because her mother was too tired and sick to care for the calf. I did give the mother Jump Start, which is calcium, and nia-plus, which is niacin to help with replenishing her body with minerals and vitamins she may have lost during calving.
I want to share these real life experiences with you so you can see how we care for our animals. We Don't yell at the animals calving, we don't hit her, we aren't overly aggressive, we act fast on the observations of the calf being alive. I don't want to hide things, you need to see how we handle the worst and best situations on our farm as they are handed to us. I apologize if this video is too much for you but it's reality and this is what I live for and this is my lifestyle and I want you to be apart of it.
Situations like these ones make me realize all over again how blessed I am and how the worst and most unexpected situations can turn around and be a fortunate Blessing. This heifer calf that was born is an absolute blessing from the Good Lord above. She went through hell and back with her mother. With the cow being toxic it caused the calf to be toxic as well which led to her being really weak, she couldn't stand for two days, couldn't drink on her own for four days resulting in tube feeding her and guess what....
New heifer to the farm, three weeks away from her calving date, coldest night of the year so far, 11pm.
I noticed this heifer was laying down a lot more then normal and decided to bring her into the maternity pen to keep a closer eye on her while she approached her due date. Her vulva seemed to have been swelling up rapidly, at first I thought it was because she was getting ready to calve. I noticed she wasn't eating her silage and that's when we decided to call the vet to check on her. By the time he came to check on her her vulva was even bigger than before.... he examined her and said she had two blank quarters and the other two were mastitic to the point of being toxic that caused her vulva to swell up. He said he couldn't find movement with the calf and that she wasn't going to have enough energy to calve and if she did she wouldn't make it.
He said to us, "Honestly, in the condition she is in I don't think it will be worth it to wait until she tries calving and to see what the result will be." With that being said we were going to sell her while she was still standing so we could get money to replace her.
She must of had a feeling and knew the truck was here to pick her up because we could not get her to stand and we thought that may have been the end of her will power. We made sure she was bedded down nicely that night, had warm water to drink, and silage to nibble on if she so desired.
Ethan and I had six cows to breed that night and I decided to check on her when I went out to the barn. I was in awe when I noticed two feet stinking out of her. She must have been trying to calve for a good bit because the legs sticking out were cold.
This is something we dread to do and pray and wish we don't have many or any situations like this one at all. But, with a cow who is toxic trying to calve you have to think about the life of that animal and do what is absolutely best for her whether you want to or not. And leaving her to calve on her own, with no energy at all was not an option. We felt the legs of the calf to make sure we had the front two legs and head facing the right direction and we did. With her being toxic and still a ways from her due date she wasn't dilating which meant she really really needed our help.
Ethan and my grandfather got the calving chains and hooks and put them around the legs stinking out and pulled and pulled but the cow wasn't helping, so we unfortunately were making no progress. And this unfortunately led to something we hate doing but has to be done. It's life or death at this point and we have to think about the cow first and do what's best for her. Our only other option was to use the come-along to get this calf out.
Still not dilating, huge hooves and a nose that made us conclude that this calf was huge... way to big for for this tiny heifer to be calving on her own.
This video that you are about to watch is real life. No editing, true caring farmers who are doing absolutely everything they can to save this heifer. We are under the impression the calf is already dead but you'll see in this video it's just the opposite, and Ethan acts quickly on this and does what he needs to do to drain the calf of the amniotic fluids that fill the lungs, mouth, and nostrils of this calf so she can start breathing on her own. You'll notice he picks her up by the hind legs and puts them over the gate and pats her side so she coughs and drains out. He pats her chest and side just as you would pat a baby to burp them. If we would have just let her go hoping her mother would care for her we would have lost her no doubt because her mother was too tired and sick to care for the calf. I did give the mother Jump Start, which is calcium, and nia-plus, which is niacin to help with replenishing her body with minerals and vitamins she may have lost during calving.
I want to share these real life experiences with you so you can see how we care for our animals. We Don't yell at the animals calving, we don't hit her, we aren't overly aggressive, we act fast on the observations of the calf being alive. I don't want to hide things, you need to see how we handle the worst and best situations on our farm as they are handed to us. I apologize if this video is too much for you but it's reality and this is what I live for and this is my lifestyle and I want you to be apart of it.
Situations like these ones make me realize all over again how blessed I am and how the worst and most unexpected situations can turn around and be a fortunate Blessing. This heifer calf that was born is an absolute blessing from the Good Lord above. She went through hell and back with her mother. With the cow being toxic it caused the calf to be toxic as well which led to her being really weak, she couldn't stand for two days, couldn't drink on her own for four days resulting in tube feeding her and guess what....
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| She cuddles with the bull calf. |
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| She's standing on day 2!! A little wobbly but she's doing it! |
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| And one day 4 she's drinking on her own :) and she's spunky!! |
Her and her mama are a blessing and both are doing great! It's just one of those freaky things that one event and situation leads into another and this one went from bad to horrible to a miracle. I bet you can guess what I named this big and beautiful little girl.... Blessings :)
Monday, February 9, 2015
A Farmer's Best Friend
A man's best friend.... how about a farmer's best friend...
I know this isn't about cows or dairy farming but really it is. My best friend loved cows and he woke up every morning wanting to be with the girls.
I had an 11th month old Blue heeler Collie mix and let me tell you, he was the cutest and smartest dog I have ever had! And I have had a lot growing up, my mom has three right now!
He lived the best life he possibly could here on the farm, going outside and coming in as he pleased, lots of love and attention from myself and grandparents, plenty of treats, lots of land to exercise and plenty of ladies to keep company.
Unfortunately he ran off with my Uncle's dog who was in heat and has been missing for, going on three weeks. This blog is just in dedication to my best friend, Reckless.
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| He's a smarty; laying in the high moisture corn shed so he doesn't have to lay in the snow :) He was waiting on me to get the milk ready so he could help me feed calves. |
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| His absolute favorite position! He slept like this all the time and I think he was hoping someone would see him and start scratching his belly. Ain't her purdy?...look at those colors and spots.... |
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| He learned really fast how to sit and every time you would call him to you he would sit. He was very respectable. |
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| That look is irresistible! |
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| Anywhere I went he went. He adventured out to the dry cow barn with me and I think he sees something!! He climbed the hay mound and went jumping in the creek and pouncing through weeds in the pasture all you could see was his white tip on his tail waving above the weeds like a flag. |
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| I received this picture before he was mine but absolutely love this picture. He's gorgeous. |
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| And when I mean he goes everywhere I go.... I mean it! Morning and night he would come to help me feed the calves. Rain or shine... in this case snow or shine! |
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| He would lay there for hours as I cleaned out hutches. He just wanted to be every where and anywhere I was. Aw look at his ears... |
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| His favorite girls were calves! He helped them clean up their milk mustaches after breakfast and dinner. MMMM delicious!! He wasn't allowed to drink the cats milk but I couldn't tell him no if he was getting milk this way it was just too cute!! |
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| He looked out for the girls... what more could a farmer ask for! Reckless wouldn't and couldn't miss a beat, or a calving!! haha |
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| Oh what a goof!!! tearing up the grass. But as long as he is with us he's happy!! |
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| I wish I could have found a picture of his favorite spot where he laid during milking. He would be in the parlor with me at every milking laying up against the wall under the third milker. |
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| He was trying to get the last droplets out of this cup. He laid here for a while with his nose in this cup... what a dork. |
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| Hey mom, I'm cute right? Even with one ear up and the other down? Want to scratch my belly?! |
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| When I would ask him to lay down he would and then he would roll over for you to scratch his belly. |
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| Ooopps don't show Ethan! Reckless's first and last time in my bed. This farm dog was always dirty... he was allowed on his bed but not mine! He loved cuddle times. I always cuddled with him on his bed every night before bed. |
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| He still came to help feed calves from a distance on hot and sunny days!! But laid in the shade because he's a smarty. |
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| Started at a young age following me in the free stall barn to check on the cows. Looks like he's fixated on one. |
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| Passed out puppy on a nice summer day. |
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| His first day to the farm!! He hated car rides drooled a river every time he gets in. Him and I rode in the bed of the truck. |
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| Loved his toys! |
Memories... these pictures provide me with so many memories this little stinker filled my heart with for 8 short months. Every morning I wake up to go milk the cows I just think he will be waiting outside the front door for me... I go to feed the calves and wait to hear the jingle from his tags but it never comes... Go to bed at night thinking I'd see him waiting for me laying on his bed... I miss him licking my arms if I sleep past 5am knowing I'd be late for milking... I miss having a buddy that enjoys what I do just as much as me; walking through the pastures, playing with the calves, and checking on the cows.
He was family and my best friend, he brought so much joy to everyone he met. Never begged for food, came running when you called him, he laid and sit, gave high fives and shook hands and stayed and rolled over. Not even a year old but smarter then ever!
I miss you handsome and pray to God and hope every day that you'll be waiting for me some where. Things have changed a little on the farm since you have been gone. We have two new calves that will never get to be your friend and will have to have milk mustaches longer then if you were here to lick them off, we welcomed five new cows and two new heifers onto the farm that will never understand your patience when bringing in cows from the field, and I moved four heifer calves from the hutches to the heifer barn that won't get the enjoyment of you both running around together in the yard.
Nothing beats a farm dog; the most happiest kind of dog you'll ever meet. A man's best friend? naaahhhh a Farmer's best friend! My best friend, Reckless.
Love you and miss you Reckle Freckle!! Please come home...
~The Barn Window
Friday, January 23, 2015
This time last year...
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| January Snowy picture :) Cow to the left is a heifer and the two cows to the right are Dry Cows. |
I dreaded waking up at 4:00 am to come over to the farm to milk and then do chores. All I could think about was I hope I don't fall with the water buckets again today. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I have fallen with water buckets in my hands, getting soaked and having to turn around to get more water when I was literally at the door of the heifer barn. Oh how that was one of my biggest pet peeves but I managed and made it through.
This time last year the farm wasn't doing so hot. The farm honestly was slowly going down the drain. The milkings weren't being taken seriously, because people who didn't care nor wanted to be there were milking, calves were getting really sick in this cold because the people who were supposed to take care of them didn't know what they were doing. I had my hands extremely full in the two weeks I spent there; but that was a turning point for me when I realized I absolutely wanted to be a diary farmer!
I want to share an unfortnuate event that happened a year ago but this year it is just the opposite!!
I'm sure some of you have heard of Somatic Cell Count but most of you probably think I am speaking a different language, which is alright because I didn't learn about this either until my last two years of college. The Somatic Cell Count is a test that is done on the milk when it leaves the farm and it measures the white blood cells present and any bacteria that may be present in the milk. Just like humans; cows increase their white blood cells to fight off any infections they may have in their system. Cows udders can get sick, which is known as mastitis, one or more of her quarters becomes infected and sick and causes the white blood cells to thicken her milk trying to fight it and it makes the milk undesirable to drink.
So unfortunately a year ago this month I remember seeing a remark paper from the milk company warning the farm that the SCC was way too high. They needed to take actions to fix that number or they were going to get a visit from the Milk Inspector to take a look at the milking procedures and cleanings.
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| This is the filter; it catches any organic material before entering the bulk tank. |
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| This goes in the white filter |
I didn't know much about how to get this number down but I tried my hardest from what I learned in college to help out the farm while my grandfather was snorkeling and eating escargot! I know it wasn't my responsibility but I felt responsible any ways...Someone had to take action because I know the others weren't going to... I was very alert as I milked and kept my eyes peeled for cows that may have been sick. In that two week time frame I was there; I was able to help the farm lower the SCC and cancel a visit from the Milk Inspector.
(A Milk Inspectors job is to come investigate your milking parlor and house to make sure milk is clean, equipment is clean and to make sure the facility is clean)
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| The filter is around the insert |
Now let's fast forward to today!! On a much more brighter note..... now that I call this farm my own!! I was super excited to see the milk check this week and to see a low SCC number of 210,000! I accept the fact that many of you still may not understand this but that's alright! I hope I have taught you something and painted a picture about how much I care and how much I love with my lifestyle!! I work by toosh off everyday to keep that SCC level down. It is hard on every farm not just this one. With so many factors that negatively affect the count this can be one of the most stressful aspects of milking.
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| The pipe line the milk flows through before entering the bulk tank |
Reasons a cow may exhibit a high Somatic Cell Count...
- Fighting off infection somewhere
- Stressing over something
- Hereditary
- Higher in spring and summer due to hotter temperatures
- Might have ate moldy hay or feed
- Dirty milking equipment
- Not cleaning teats off properly
- Not using water that is 165 degrees to clean equipment
- Stage of lactation cows that just calved tend to exhibit higher SCC
- AND MANY MANY MORE!!!
I am still learning and reaching out to other farmers about what they do to keep their numbers low... and to hear they all have difficulties it makes me feel a little better with the way things are going here.
Actions we can take to keep the SCC low
- Use a high quality pre and post teat spray
- Keep udders as clean as possible, this starts in bedding areas keeping them clean and dry
- Keep an eye on silo openings to make sure oxygen isn't spoiling silage
- Make sure water is 165 degrees when cleaning equipment and milk tank
- Strip (squirt out 3 squirts of milk from each teat) each cow before milking
- Treat cows with medicine if they exhibit thick milk coming from teat (ALL COWS THAT ARE TREATED WILL BE MILKED INTO A SEPARATE BUCKET TO DISPOSE OF THEIR MILK EASILY. THIS MILK WILL NEVER ENTER THE BULK TANK IF IT DOES THE WHOLE TANK WILL BE DUMPED and we won't get paid and can't pay our monthly bills)
- Some farmers will sell cows who show high SCC every testing because they are the ones who inherited the high gene; or they will milk her into a bucket and then pasteurize that milk to feed to calves.
Our milk, well any farmer's milk, is highly tested before it reaches the factory for pasteurizing and processing. Milk goes through 21 different tests to insure it's safety when consumed.
I am going to through some numbers at you... they wont make much sense but just bare with me... Us farmers have a guideline to follow and must keep our SCC under a certain number which is 750,000. If a farm reaches that number twice consecutively; their farm will most likely be shut down or their milk company will cancel their contract. Many farms will have a SCC of 350,000 or much lower. There are incentives to keep equipment clean, cows closely watched and treated, and to keep the number as low as possible. If the SCC goes over 350,000 each milk check will be deducted of $500 and if you can keep it below 200,000 then you will be rewarded $500-$1,000 so there is a nice incentive that farmer's strive to reach every month. Though I have not received an incentive yet, I am super close and won't give up!
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| Fight Back post teat spray |
My farms Milking Protocol to keep the manure/dirt and SCC level to a minimum
- Dip teats with an iodine base solution
- Wipe teats off after solution has soaked for 45 seconds or longer
- Strip each teat
- Keep milkers clean throughout milking
- Spray teats with a chlorhexidine spray (called Fight Back)
If you have any more questions about SCC or this blog post please do not hesitate to ask!! I want to be able to clear up any questions or concerns you may have!!
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| This is my boy, Reckless, he is a 9 month old Blue Heeler crossed with Border Collie. When it snows this is his get away spot. You can either find him laying here or going crazy in the snow! This little shed is where we get the high moisture corn to put into the cows feed. |
~The Barn Window
Saturday, January 17, 2015
Traded in my Dairy Hat for a Chicken Hat!
I traded in my Dairy Hat for a Chicken Hat!!.... I know your probably thinking, "What in the world is this girl talking about!"
Well hold on there Sally let me tell ya...
So, before I started working for my Grandfather as his herds-woman I lived with my parents on their 134 acre farm. We started out with about 50 chickens in our back yard collecting eggs everyday and somehow it has expanded to roughly about... let's say anywhere between 86,000 to 100,000 chickens in our back yard. I bet your eyes just got huge and you had to reread that last sentence... It still boggles my mind knowing where we started and how far we have come now.
Before I get into the life of a chicken farmer and what I did this past week, I should probably explain how we got so big from just starting out with 50!!!
My step-dad is the kind of guy who researches everything before just jumping into it! Smart guy status right there!! So the 50 chickens was just a way for us to have fresh eggs everyday and one of the first additions to our new farming lifestyle, that didn't call for a lot of labor!!
FLASHBACK*** I can remember getting those chickens for the first time. Us kids who were probably 14, 12, and 10 fought over who was going to check on the chickens to see when they were going to lay their first egg. It seemed like years and years went by until one finally laid an egg! I believe it was my sister who found the first one and she was so ecstatic and could barely talk when she was trying to tell us about the egg and if I can remember correctly it didn't last long until we cooked it up to try our first farm fresh egg!!. We have never seen a fresh egg, let alone never quite understood where it actually came from until having those chickens on the farm. Then there was that brown egg... wow!!! Wait!! What!!??? Brown??!!! Yeah BROWN! Our eggs back in the city were always white!! How in the world did this chicken lay a brown one! We thought it was bad or something and then learned to realize that some of the chickens we had laid brown eggs and they were the same as the white eggs just the shell was a different color. Those days were so fun learning about what the chickens ate and watching how goofy they were. How they ate pebbles and we didn't understand, or why the rooster always chased us, or why the chickens dug in the dirt. Oh those were the fun days learning about those chickens and what it took to make an egg for our selves***
....now we are growing meat for the world!
My step-dad is a retired police officer who has lived in the city for his whole life until about the age of 40! So he had to learn a lot before he decided what he wanted to do with his 134 acre farm. (He still can't believe he's a farmer now... even 10 years after the big ole move he still is in denial he's a farmer) We started off with turkey's and now we are at chickens... He has became a chicken expert in his short 7 or so years raising them... He may be stubborn and not want to admit it but he does know a thing or two about chickens and he may not admit this either but I think he loves them!!
So you asked... how do I know? Well he calls them his girls and talks to them when hes in the barns, just like I talk to my cows when I'm working with them. sometimes he even signs and dances for them! He doesn't even do that for mom!!! I caught him one tie jamming out to Dancing Queen! He had headphones in and he was singing at the top of his lungs and dancing as he was walking up and down the rows!! Funniest thing ever.. I wish I still had the video :)
So back to my chicken hat!! My brother went to Texas for 2 weeks to take care of a whole herd of bucking bulls for some friends of his and since he was gone I was the runner up for Chicken duty.
Being a chicken farmer is not complete rocket science but it sure does require a shower immediately after!! Some people may argue and some may agree but I would choose cow manure any day over chicken manure! JUST SAYING!!!
So everyday is kinda the same starting off with a walk through and checking water pressure, making sure feed is working properly, checking barn temperatures, and ventilation. Every once in a while you'll encounter a feed spill, which is a mountain high pile of their feed! The chickens don't mind the spill they actually love it and roll in it, climb it, play in it, eat it and just plain out make a huge mess of it!! But, that just causes a headache in the chicken farmers book.
The chicken houses are 708 feet long by about 63 or 68 feet wide and we have two of them working on getting a third one built, yikes I can't remember how wide they are so don't quote me! That's the length of almost two and a half football fields!! I sure get my workout in walking back and forth every aisle and sweating in the dead of cold because of how warm it is in their. During the walk-throughs we pick up any birds that may have died over night, keep our ears alert and eyes open for any thing that may seem off. With 46,000 chickens to one house any farmer is bound to have a couple chickens die everyday due to natural selection/causes and it is our job to pick them up so other chickens don't get the same problems they may have had.
These chickens live in absolute paradise!! They are about 27 days old right now; they have an unlimited supply of food and water, they live in a constant environment temperature of about 78 degrees (That is warmer then my house!!!), they have all 708 feet to roam freely!! They are absolutely pampered...
These chickens are Free-Range Organic broiler chickens through Coleman Natural with Purdue... Let me break that down. Alright, so Free-Range jut means when the weather outside is nice and warm enough they get the luxury/opportunity to go outside and play in the luscious green grass in their own little fenced in pasture!! Yes, they have this luxury but nope, our birds seem to rather stay inside then go outside. I mean who doesn't blame them when they have unlimited food and water and a controlled temperature and toys!!! Oh yeah I forgot to mention our chickens get toys to play with and jump on! We have active chickens :) Organic means our chickens eat only organic corn, and broiler meas they are meat birds not birds used for laying eggs.
Here are some pictures for you that allow you to step inside our Chicken Houses without needing a shower immediately after exiting! I hope you enjoy :)
~The Barn Winow
Well hold on there Sally let me tell ya...
So, before I started working for my Grandfather as his herds-woman I lived with my parents on their 134 acre farm. We started out with about 50 chickens in our back yard collecting eggs everyday and somehow it has expanded to roughly about... let's say anywhere between 86,000 to 100,000 chickens in our back yard. I bet your eyes just got huge and you had to reread that last sentence... It still boggles my mind knowing where we started and how far we have come now.
Before I get into the life of a chicken farmer and what I did this past week, I should probably explain how we got so big from just starting out with 50!!!
My step-dad is the kind of guy who researches everything before just jumping into it! Smart guy status right there!! So the 50 chickens was just a way for us to have fresh eggs everyday and one of the first additions to our new farming lifestyle, that didn't call for a lot of labor!!
FLASHBACK*** I can remember getting those chickens for the first time. Us kids who were probably 14, 12, and 10 fought over who was going to check on the chickens to see when they were going to lay their first egg. It seemed like years and years went by until one finally laid an egg! I believe it was my sister who found the first one and she was so ecstatic and could barely talk when she was trying to tell us about the egg and if I can remember correctly it didn't last long until we cooked it up to try our first farm fresh egg!!. We have never seen a fresh egg, let alone never quite understood where it actually came from until having those chickens on the farm. Then there was that brown egg... wow!!! Wait!! What!!??? Brown??!!! Yeah BROWN! Our eggs back in the city were always white!! How in the world did this chicken lay a brown one! We thought it was bad or something and then learned to realize that some of the chickens we had laid brown eggs and they were the same as the white eggs just the shell was a different color. Those days were so fun learning about what the chickens ate and watching how goofy they were. How they ate pebbles and we didn't understand, or why the rooster always chased us, or why the chickens dug in the dirt. Oh those were the fun days learning about those chickens and what it took to make an egg for our selves***
....now we are growing meat for the world!
My step-dad is a retired police officer who has lived in the city for his whole life until about the age of 40! So he had to learn a lot before he decided what he wanted to do with his 134 acre farm. (He still can't believe he's a farmer now... even 10 years after the big ole move he still is in denial he's a farmer) We started off with turkey's and now we are at chickens... He has became a chicken expert in his short 7 or so years raising them... He may be stubborn and not want to admit it but he does know a thing or two about chickens and he may not admit this either but I think he loves them!!
So you asked... how do I know? Well he calls them his girls and talks to them when hes in the barns, just like I talk to my cows when I'm working with them. sometimes he even signs and dances for them! He doesn't even do that for mom!!! I caught him one tie jamming out to Dancing Queen! He had headphones in and he was singing at the top of his lungs and dancing as he was walking up and down the rows!! Funniest thing ever.. I wish I still had the video :)
So back to my chicken hat!! My brother went to Texas for 2 weeks to take care of a whole herd of bucking bulls for some friends of his and since he was gone I was the runner up for Chicken duty.
Being a chicken farmer is not complete rocket science but it sure does require a shower immediately after!! Some people may argue and some may agree but I would choose cow manure any day over chicken manure! JUST SAYING!!!
So everyday is kinda the same starting off with a walk through and checking water pressure, making sure feed is working properly, checking barn temperatures, and ventilation. Every once in a while you'll encounter a feed spill, which is a mountain high pile of their feed! The chickens don't mind the spill they actually love it and roll in it, climb it, play in it, eat it and just plain out make a huge mess of it!! But, that just causes a headache in the chicken farmers book.
The chicken houses are 708 feet long by about 63 or 68 feet wide and we have two of them working on getting a third one built, yikes I can't remember how wide they are so don't quote me! That's the length of almost two and a half football fields!! I sure get my workout in walking back and forth every aisle and sweating in the dead of cold because of how warm it is in their. During the walk-throughs we pick up any birds that may have died over night, keep our ears alert and eyes open for any thing that may seem off. With 46,000 chickens to one house any farmer is bound to have a couple chickens die everyday due to natural selection/causes and it is our job to pick them up so other chickens don't get the same problems they may have had.
These chickens live in absolute paradise!! They are about 27 days old right now; they have an unlimited supply of food and water, they live in a constant environment temperature of about 78 degrees (That is warmer then my house!!!), they have all 708 feet to roam freely!! They are absolutely pampered...
These chickens are Free-Range Organic broiler chickens through Coleman Natural with Purdue... Let me break that down. Alright, so Free-Range jut means when the weather outside is nice and warm enough they get the luxury/opportunity to go outside and play in the luscious green grass in their own little fenced in pasture!! Yes, they have this luxury but nope, our birds seem to rather stay inside then go outside. I mean who doesn't blame them when they have unlimited food and water and a controlled temperature and toys!!! Oh yeah I forgot to mention our chickens get toys to play with and jump on! We have active chickens :) Organic means our chickens eat only organic corn, and broiler meas they are meat birds not birds used for laying eggs.
Here are some pictures for you that allow you to step inside our Chicken Houses without needing a shower immediately after exiting! I hope you enjoy :)
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| For the most part the chickens like us... I wasn't to thrilled because their wings hurt if they try flying away. Did you know chickens can't really fly. They can kind of soar/glide a couple feet or fly up outta harms way but they can't fly distantly. |
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| If you look closely there is a wooden square, this is one of the toys the chickens are exposed to. This allows the chickens to jump on the ledge and down into the box. It keeps them more active. |
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| This picture is showing how the Chickens get water. They have water lines with little knobs that hang down and the chickens peck at them and water falls out. |
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| This is my Step-Dad, Greg, fixing the water pressure. |
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| Just a view of the lovely ladies in their house. |
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| This is how their house stays a constant warm temperature. There are about 30+ of these heaters along with other space heaters throughout the house. |
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| Here's a short video clip of the chicken house. |
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| This gal right here doesn't look the prettiest. None of them do right now. They all are going through that stage in life where they are loosing their baby fuzz and growing real feathers! |
Though I traded in my dairy hat for a chicken hat for 2 weeks... at the end of the day I am always thankful and looking forward to putting my dairy hat back on and working with my girls!!
~The Barn Winow
Monday, January 12, 2015
Winter obstacles
Winter obstacles... not the fun ones... the ones that come from below freezing temperatures... it's that time of year for Alta Vista Farms!!
The amount of work on a farm may decrease some compared to planting and harvest seasons but when things start to become affected by the challenging temperatures the work picks up again... dramatically; leaving me little to know time to blog... oooopppsss!!!
Hhmm where do I start with our challenges on the farm this past week... let's see everyday for the past five days the negative wind chills have caused the manure in the barn to freeze not allowing the automatic manure scrapper to work properly. We have an automatic manure scrapper in the barn that runs every hour, moving at a very very slow pace pushing the manure into slats at the end of the barn and into a holding tank. This manure scrapper has a sensor on it that if a cow accidently falls or doesn't feel like moving the scrapper will shut down and stop moving so it doesn't harm the animal.... so when the manure freezes it is solid enough that it triggers the scrapper to stop moving and it is unable to keep scrapping before all the manure in the barn freezes. This causes a huge mess and we have to get the tractor in to scrape out the manure and then use hand manure scrappers to get the frozen manure away from the scrapper so it can start working again.
We love this automatic manure scrapper (it's about 5 years old now... whooo weee what a great investment) it is just another cow comfort practice we take on the farm. The less manure they have to walk through the cleaner they stay and the healthier their hooves are. With cows weighing an average of 1,600 pounds it is very important for their hooves to stay strong and healthy to live a longer, healthier and productive life.
Just another pit stop....We fixed the windows in the heifer barn before this winter in hopes it would help stop the waters from freezing. It worked for all the waterers except one. Go figure... there would be atleast one that has to freeze every night. I had weaned two calves off of milk and they don't drink as much water yet as the older heifers and that's what causes the water to freeze. So everyday, I have to carry two buckets of warm water to the heifer barn and break ice! Yup, I used my hand to break the ice and then clear the ice out... whooo buddy!! I couldn't feel my hand.
With frozen hands I then had to move back the neck bar in the stalls. This neck bar stops the cows from going to far into their stall and peeing and pooping in their stalls. With the weather being so fridgged the manure freezes on the stalls and makes it very uncomfortable for the cows to step up into the stalls and lay down. So with moving this bar back it keeps the cows from moving up too far and expelling waste in the stall they now expel it into the alley.
Have you ever tried working with tools and metal when its below zero? I don't advise you to start now I honestly couldn't move my fingers anymore they were so cold. My boyfriend on the other hand didn't seem to mind it but all he kept saying was we were getting closer to getting some Hot Chocolate!! Thanks for the positive reinforcement hun!!
Fun stuff happened in this ice storm this morning. The ice caused five, that's right five, different power failures in the parlor today. The lights would flicker and the milkers would fall off the cows because somewhere the ice was messing with the electric lines causing power failures. It took us an extra 45 minutes to get milking done and an extra 15 minutes to feed calves and cows. The high moisture corn silo broke this morning as well unable to get corn out to feed the cows. We had to shovel corn out of the silo until we were able to get the right amount for the TMR. TMR stands for Total Mixed Ration. Which is a recipe for the cows. Ours consists of vitamins and minerals, soybeans, corn silage, high moisture corn and haylage. Corn silage is when we chop up the whole corn stalk and put it into a silo and feed the cows throughout the year. Haylage is chopped up hay that is put in a silo (on our farm anyways) and it ferments and is fed to the cows as well.
With temperatures warming up but the ground still frozen the rain/ice storm caused a big thick sheet of ice across the driveway and grass. My grandfather told me to get my ice skates ready because I was going to need them. Oh he was right because I couldn't take two steps without sliding and slipping all over trying not to spill milk all over. I walked back into the milk house and my grandfather says glad to see your still vertical! HAHA never heard that one before :)
Obstacles like these keep us farmer's on our toes and keeps things interesting around the farm. Like I have said before it doesn't matter what kind of weather is outside we are always working for our girls to keep the healthy and comfortable. I personally enjoy these unexpected obstacles and challenges that arise because there is never a day that goes by that was exactly like the last.
~The Barn Window
The amount of work on a farm may decrease some compared to planting and harvest seasons but when things start to become affected by the challenging temperatures the work picks up again... dramatically; leaving me little to know time to blog... oooopppsss!!!
Hhmm where do I start with our challenges on the farm this past week... let's see everyday for the past five days the negative wind chills have caused the manure in the barn to freeze not allowing the automatic manure scrapper to work properly. We have an automatic manure scrapper in the barn that runs every hour, moving at a very very slow pace pushing the manure into slats at the end of the barn and into a holding tank. This manure scrapper has a sensor on it that if a cow accidently falls or doesn't feel like moving the scrapper will shut down and stop moving so it doesn't harm the animal.... so when the manure freezes it is solid enough that it triggers the scrapper to stop moving and it is unable to keep scrapping before all the manure in the barn freezes. This causes a huge mess and we have to get the tractor in to scrape out the manure and then use hand manure scrappers to get the frozen manure away from the scrapper so it can start working again.
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| Frozen manure causing the manure scrapper not to work properly. |
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| It's getting there. The tractor is hard at work pushing manure into the pit to clear up the alley. |
We love this automatic manure scrapper (it's about 5 years old now... whooo weee what a great investment) it is just another cow comfort practice we take on the farm. The less manure they have to walk through the cleaner they stay and the healthier their hooves are. With cows weighing an average of 1,600 pounds it is very important for their hooves to stay strong and healthy to live a longer, healthier and productive life.
Just another pit stop....We fixed the windows in the heifer barn before this winter in hopes it would help stop the waters from freezing. It worked for all the waterers except one. Go figure... there would be atleast one that has to freeze every night. I had weaned two calves off of milk and they don't drink as much water yet as the older heifers and that's what causes the water to freeze. So everyday, I have to carry two buckets of warm water to the heifer barn and break ice! Yup, I used my hand to break the ice and then clear the ice out... whooo buddy!! I couldn't feel my hand.
With frozen hands I then had to move back the neck bar in the stalls. This neck bar stops the cows from going to far into their stall and peeing and pooping in their stalls. With the weather being so fridgged the manure freezes on the stalls and makes it very uncomfortable for the cows to step up into the stalls and lay down. So with moving this bar back it keeps the cows from moving up too far and expelling waste in the stall they now expel it into the alley.
Have you ever tried working with tools and metal when its below zero? I don't advise you to start now I honestly couldn't move my fingers anymore they were so cold. My boyfriend on the other hand didn't seem to mind it but all he kept saying was we were getting closer to getting some Hot Chocolate!! Thanks for the positive reinforcement hun!!
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| My boyfriend, Ethan, hammering away (without gloves!!). |
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| Tightening up the nuts to tighten down the neck bar... |
With temperatures warming up but the ground still frozen the rain/ice storm caused a big thick sheet of ice across the driveway and grass. My grandfather told me to get my ice skates ready because I was going to need them. Oh he was right because I couldn't take two steps without sliding and slipping all over trying not to spill milk all over. I walked back into the milk house and my grandfather says glad to see your still vertical! HAHA never heard that one before :)
Obstacles like these keep us farmer's on our toes and keeps things interesting around the farm. Like I have said before it doesn't matter what kind of weather is outside we are always working for our girls to keep the healthy and comfortable. I personally enjoy these unexpected obstacles and challenges that arise because there is never a day that goes by that was exactly like the last.
~The Barn Window
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Just when you thought they were all farmers...
Today I got the opportunity to head back to the Keystone Farm Show. Before your like... "another date?!" No, I wasn't there on another date! This time I was there for business...
I got to spend the day working a booth for a gentleman who I met as Dairy Princess. I talked to dairy farmers and gave them my sales pitch on the product, Fight Back, that I was promoting and selling. Fight Back is a chlorhexidine based product that is used to clean the cows teat after she is done milking. Chlorhexidine is a compound that is used in hospitals to clean medical equipment and also used on babies naval's when born. If it's safe and productive for babies it's safe and productive for cows! This product sprays onto the end of the teat blowing away the milk droplet allowing the teat canal to be open for it to absorb to disinfect the teat.
This product is also great to use on calves navels as well... it will kill any bacteria the calf may have came in contact with when he/she was born and will disinfect the naval closing and drying it up faster not allowing for different organisms from nature to enter the immune system. The neonatal calf has a very very weak immune system and is extremely prone to disease; that is why we take such precautions when calves are born to get them started off on the right track. One of the many options for cow care.
Any who more about my day... I did what I do best and talked to many people throughout the day. I talked with one couple who will be starting to milk cows in the next two months. They were a whoot to talk with. The husband dropped the F bomb in the most politest ways possible.... if that's even possible! They were going on about how excited they were and wished they started tomorrow and that they are going to start using this product. So... point for me!! ( I sold some product!)
But I think the highlight of my day; when I for sure thought I was only talking to farmers or was only going to encounter farmers throughout my day, was when I meg just the opposite.
I asked this gentleman, who was watching our video on the product, how many cows he milks. And he says, "ma'am, I've never seen a cow until about two months ago."
Not really knowing what to say, "hey well at least you can check that off your bucket list!"
"Ain't that the truth. I am 47 and have lived in New York City my whole life. My friends convinced me to move to Pennsylvania and they drug me along to this. They said you'll never believe what you'll see you gotta come."
We went on talking for a while and he was asking about the product and I told him how when after the cow is milked there is a milk droplet that hangs around onto the end of her teat and just like any other type of wet warm and moist area it is the perfect environment for bacteria to go. And bacteria that would grow causes a cow to get sick and her milk to go bad. He said that that totally made sense. And I went on and said with this product it blows the milk away and then kills any bacteria that may be hanging around the canal keeping the cow and milk healthy.
He was in awe and was asking me so many questions and I was having the time of my life just being able to answer them and then hear his responses. He was absolutely thrilled to learn. He told me how some of the tractors he saw were bigger than his apartment and that by the looks of it animals live more luxurious then people. He said, "I mean come on water beds for cows?! Misters for pigs, back scratchers, heated housing for calves! I would trade in my shoe box apartment for all that! I had no idea there was all this stuff for farm animals. These animals live better then most people on this planet."
We probably talked for an hour about agriculture. And he told me how he was learning so much today. And how he wasn't going to come but glad he did. "My friends told me I wouldn't last but I'm learning about a whole different world."
And to think I would be able to share my story and educate someone at the "FARMERS" farm show! I was honored to have bumped into this gentleman he made my day that much more of a success. Any chance you get smile, be friendly, open minded, and share your story. Because you never know who'll you'll run into.
I got to spend the day working a booth for a gentleman who I met as Dairy Princess. I talked to dairy farmers and gave them my sales pitch on the product, Fight Back, that I was promoting and selling. Fight Back is a chlorhexidine based product that is used to clean the cows teat after she is done milking. Chlorhexidine is a compound that is used in hospitals to clean medical equipment and also used on babies naval's when born. If it's safe and productive for babies it's safe and productive for cows! This product sprays onto the end of the teat blowing away the milk droplet allowing the teat canal to be open for it to absorb to disinfect the teat.
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| This was the booth I was working today. |
This product is also great to use on calves navels as well... it will kill any bacteria the calf may have came in contact with when he/she was born and will disinfect the naval closing and drying it up faster not allowing for different organisms from nature to enter the immune system. The neonatal calf has a very very weak immune system and is extremely prone to disease; that is why we take such precautions when calves are born to get them started off on the right track. One of the many options for cow care.
Any who more about my day... I did what I do best and talked to many people throughout the day. I talked with one couple who will be starting to milk cows in the next two months. They were a whoot to talk with. The husband dropped the F bomb in the most politest ways possible.... if that's even possible! They were going on about how excited they were and wished they started tomorrow and that they are going to start using this product. So... point for me!! ( I sold some product!)
But I think the highlight of my day; when I for sure thought I was only talking to farmers or was only going to encounter farmers throughout my day, was when I meg just the opposite.
I asked this gentleman, who was watching our video on the product, how many cows he milks. And he says, "ma'am, I've never seen a cow until about two months ago."
Not really knowing what to say, "hey well at least you can check that off your bucket list!"
"Ain't that the truth. I am 47 and have lived in New York City my whole life. My friends convinced me to move to Pennsylvania and they drug me along to this. They said you'll never believe what you'll see you gotta come."
We went on talking for a while and he was asking about the product and I told him how when after the cow is milked there is a milk droplet that hangs around onto the end of her teat and just like any other type of wet warm and moist area it is the perfect environment for bacteria to go. And bacteria that would grow causes a cow to get sick and her milk to go bad. He said that that totally made sense. And I went on and said with this product it blows the milk away and then kills any bacteria that may be hanging around the canal keeping the cow and milk healthy.
He was in awe and was asking me so many questions and I was having the time of my life just being able to answer them and then hear his responses. He was absolutely thrilled to learn. He told me how some of the tractors he saw were bigger than his apartment and that by the looks of it animals live more luxurious then people. He said, "I mean come on water beds for cows?! Misters for pigs, back scratchers, heated housing for calves! I would trade in my shoe box apartment for all that! I had no idea there was all this stuff for farm animals. These animals live better then most people on this planet."
We probably talked for an hour about agriculture. And he told me how he was learning so much today. And how he wasn't going to come but glad he did. "My friends told me I wouldn't last but I'm learning about a whole different world."
And to think I would be able to share my story and educate someone at the "FARMERS" farm show! I was honored to have bumped into this gentleman he made my day that much more of a success. Any chance you get smile, be friendly, open minded, and share your story. Because you never know who'll you'll run into.
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
It's a double date day!!
The sun was starting to rise and the snow was falling just perfectly onto the faces of my precious little girls... All they had sticking out of their hutches was their heads calling for me to feed them. There is just something about the way calves and cows look in the snow. It is one, if not the most beautiful sights I have ever seen.
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| The girls heading back to the barn after being milked. Aren't they so pretty in the snow? |
I was looking forward to yesterday because my boyfriend and I were going on a double date with my Grandparents! Can you guess where we were going? The Keystone Farm Show!! It's a farm show for FARMERS :)
...Doesn't sound much like a date I know I know!...
But before we could set sail we had to milk and do morning the chores and it took much longer than usual with a heifer calving, three calves drinking from bottles and my stubborn heifer calves not wanting to drink.
One of my calves, "Star" who is about 2 weeks old, she was not wanting to eat yesterday morning. She wouldn't come out of her hutch either. I was coaching her along and calling to her... "Come here Star. Come on baby!" and she eventually came out but wouldn't drink. This calf drinks from a nipple bucket, which is a normal bucket that has a calf bottle nipple on the side of if. Some calves are slower learners than others and some are just really picky. But with it being this cold out I make sure that no matter how long it takes the calves to drink they drink all of their milk. Their milk provides them with the proper amount of nutrients and protein to create more energy which converts into heat during the winter.
I had to help her drink along with another. It was so cold; the wind and snow hitting the only bare skin showing, my face. And when you wear glasses the snow sticks to them and makes it hard to see... I think I need to invest in some wipers!
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| This is Star and her nipple bucket. If I wasn't holding my hand under her chin she would not drink for some reason. |
But knowing that their bellies are full with warm and delicious milk makes the longer hours in the snow all worth it. And having a beautiful and healthy heifer calf born yesterday morning as well topped the morning off to our adventurous double date day! Coming in from the cold into our warm milk house my glasses fogged up and my grandpa said you need some defrosters on those things! So it looks like I'll be investing in some one of a kind glasses for the winter!
So all chores are done and babies tucked away in their hutches, our bellies are full and we are bundle up to set sail for our double date to the Farm Show!!!! This Farm Show is a vendors show that exhibits over 600 Agricultural businesses from, calf care, feed, cow comfort, animal housing, crop insurance (That's right insurance for our crops. Many farmers rely on their crops to feed their animals or sell for a living. If mother nature decides to make the seasons tough on the crops damaging the yields, then we could be helped by an insurance company). Pretty neat I thought because I thought their was only insurance on cars and houses and health.. but there's insurance on EVERYTHING!
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| Just a sneak peak of all the pamphlets and information I got yesterday! Reading material for days!! |
We went into the first building of 8 and you wouldn't even believe how long it took us to get through that building. It took us about 3.5 hours! We cannot take my grandfather any where with out him knowing someone and talking and if he does't know them before he starts talking he'll make sure they know one another by the time they are finished. He's a man who's involved in everything... Farm bureau, farmer's forum, conservation district, milk co-op board, Ag business council and much more! So yeah he's bound to know someone! And you know that saying "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree"? Well someone in our little date group of four was just as bad... Yeah just as bad!! I'm not sure if I should admit it but it was me. I must have inherited his talking genes because I couldn't walk by a booth either with out knowing someone or meeting someone new... it made the trip very enjoyable though!
My goal yesterday was to hit up as many calf nutrition and care booths as possible to gather information on different products that I could potentially use to provide my girls with the best nutrients and probiotics possible for a healthy life. I talked to many nutritionists, vets, and calf specialists about their products and lets just say I have a lot of studying to do now!
We spent about five hours at the show and had to cut it short because we had to make it back in time to milk and feed calves! We don't get to go on many dates as farmer's but when we do get away from the farm and spend time with our better halves; whether it's dinner or a movie or most of the time related to work... yup it's a date!! My dates usually consist of spending alone time with my boyfriend as we ultrasound cows, breed cows, and do other farm work together, The time spent together is cherished, it may not be the typical date but it's the perfect date in our books!
~The Barn Window
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