A Different Kind of Recipe....

So, I haven't blogged in awhile, but that doesn't mean that there has been a lull in things happening on the farm.  In fact, it's been the exact opposite, and as we are down to the wire (6 days to go!), we are trying to get ahead on as much as possible.  We also finished 5th cutting hay this week, and we recently ran out of last year's corn silage, which means that Brent is "green chopping" (chopping directly from the field daily enough to feed the cows) until we start corn silage in soon.....  That means that we are working on a variety of projects, including cleaning and remodeling the calf nursery to prepare for over 20 cows due to calve in October, and the calf barn is nearly full as it is!  We just hit calf #39 for the year, and Brent predicts that we'll hit 60 before the year is out.  Therefore, there are a LOT of mamas due in this fall, and we want to make sure we are prepared for them, and any problems that may arise.  As, I am also working to reclaim the 2nd car side of our garage (there are some problem-causers around the area, so even locked vehicles outside make me nervous), these 2 goals coincide.

So, the other night I measured out sick cow meds.  These are packets of different vitamin & minerals (Mg, Na, K, Ca, Cl), along with yeast cultures, alfalfa meal, and other "goodies" that should make a sick cow feel better.  We mix it with 5 to 10 gallons of fresh warm water, and give it to cows that aren't starting off well.  If she feels better, and we can get the good bugs in her rumen off to a good start, she'll eat more, and recover from calving faster - which is better for her and for us, as she is healthier, she'll produce more milk, and be ready to calve again next year.  We worked with our veterinarian on the "recipe" we use to mix up the packets, so that they include everything that the cow would need, and this way, they are already preweighed out & ready to go, so we can deal with any problems quickly when necessary.
So, here is to several more nights of productive preparation!  We finally have a stocked frig and empty evenings, since we've only be home together at night 3 times in the past 3 weeks, so looking forward to some more rest & relaxation, but then there are always cows to take care of.....