The Native Iowan

There has been a heavy dew. The ground is wet. As I walk through the mid-calf high grass my legs are wet through.

I wear shorts. 8” high boots, heavy socks, my old wool jumper, drizabone vest and seaotter hat.

Its not 7am and the valley is still dark. A dawn gloaming of sorts?

I trod over uneven terrain.

A babbling brook well muddied by the herd.

My grandpups, Angelo and Mendozza, are hanging back.

They are slightly frightened. Maybe apprehensive. They are not “farm-boys”. Yet.

 

The herd is happy. Barney-the-bull pushes the pregnant cows aside and sniffs after those of more promise.

I am after the pregnant cows. I want them close to home, in a good field, easily accessible.

I want the pregnant cows close. I want to be able to watch them from the kitchen window.

 

The Kookaburras are prolific. I count 4 couples in the back yard.

And why not? This is a bitch’n place.

Plenty of water.

Plenty of food.

Whats not to like.

 

It appears as though the calves put on a lot of weight here. Good grass.

Four calves have been born in the past week. They are all hale and hearty and growing fast.

We lost one calf in still-birth. And his Mamma to milk fever. Mui no gud.

 

I have walked back to the 2^nd back-paddock.  I’m about a klick from the house.

The herd likes to congregate here. There is fresh grass in paddock 3. They stretch their necks through the barbed wire. The grass is always greener…

Even though the grass in #2 is good, and there is heaps of space and heaps of good water, #3 looks better.

 

The boys roll a bale of hay out to the herd.

I picked the boys up from school yesterday. This is day 1 on the farm. They are doing very well.

Its eve-time here. Sun gone behind the ridges. Temps are cool but good. The cattle are curious.

 

I open the gate and push the herd back. 2000kg stud-bull “Barney” snorts. He has the hay in his nose. He is not patient.

The boys roll the bale of hay out.

The young bulls show their impatience. The old cows push for position.

We unroll the bale and leave a 20-meter-long bed of hay on the ground. Barney the bull walks down the middle of it.

 

As we laid the hay out the pregnant cows in the herd stood to one side.

I managed to open a couple gates and shoo them into the back-paddock.

I’ll get them into the side paddock tomorrow, get them with the other dry-cows.

 

We just had a still-birth that resulted in the death of the mamma cow. Total financial loss about 1500 bucks. Plus 800 in vet fees. Plus many lessons learned.

Don’t want too many like that so I’ll manage the herd differently.

The previous owner ran the herd as a “mob”. Births happened in the herd setting. In what ever paddock the herd was in.

Me? I’ll set up a birthing yard. It outside the kitchen window so you can do dishes and watch the mammas.

Its kind nice. Very pleasing.

And safer for the mamas and the babies.

And life is good.

I’m a hobby-farmer and I’m all right…

 

Smiles