Welcome to all you folks coming today from some forum called "AVR Freaks". Thanks to the Aussie guy who posted a link to my blog; some of you might want to leave a comment while you're here.
Granddaughter Natalie and I observed an oriole at the hummingbird feeder today. Wow! I'm not sure I had ever seen an oriole anywhere, at any time.
I've been putting the pregnant heifer, Bonnie, in the stanchion at least once a day; she needs to know this routine so I can milk her after she has her calf. I give her feed, she sticks her head in, and I lock her in. She jumps when I first close the stanchion, but then she just goes back to eating like a pig.
This afternoon I was standing there watching her eat, and asked myself, "Can I still bump a calf in a pregnant cow?"
This wasn't necessary, by the way. Bonnie shows plenty of external signs that she is pregnant. But I was curious as to whether I'd retained my old cattle skills.
To "bump a calf" in a cow, you get on her right-hand side (the milking side). You make sort of fist and start hitting her down low on her belly with your knuckles. About the third bump, you'll usually feel the calf, if there's one there. I've actually been able to bump a calf in a cow when she was four months along. I may have Cliff help me do a video later, so you can see what I'm talking about.
As I said, there's no doubt Bonnie's pregnant. But still, when I felt that calf bouncing against my knuckles, it was the most awesome feeling!
Life is good.
You should've seen the 'mobile home' Dear Hubby and I lived in before the kids were born. We rented it for $75 per month. It was 12' x 56' and was our favorite place EVER!!! We rented from an elderly couple who were like grandparents. They allowed us to build a kennel on the back acreage to house our Lab. We were in the middle of a huge stand of Douglas fir trees with fruit trees off to the side. Allowed to grow a garden. For a couple of 'hippie' newlyweds, it was BLISS!!! We lived there two years and had sooooooooooooooooo much fun, carefree and crazy. Quail, pheasant, raccoons, squirrels, and possum were everywhere. I even had a baby possum come up on the front steps outside the patio door who feasted on dry cat food.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see...
ReplyDeleteHaving all that fresh milk is going to be just grand. It's good you have some family near by to share it with. I can remember my grandma and my mom churning butter, skimming off cream, and making homemade cottage cheese too. It's going to be exciting have a new little calf around too.
ReplyDeleteWill you be making butter Donna?? I can't wait to see the video of bumping a calf..nevr heard that expression before!
ReplyDeletelove ya,
carlene
If the right side is the "milking side" what do you get when you sit on the left??
ReplyDelete