Finally a bit of real winter

[lakeportfarms]

All in all it's been a pretty tame winter around here, but today we're getting socked.  The wind is howling off the lake, and we're due to get a fair bit of snow.  The southern part of the state could get 14" with some 18-22" spots, and the snow amounts decrease as you go North, except for along the lake here where we will get some Lake Huron enhancement from gale force winds over what's left of the open water, with similar amounts as to the South of us.  Apparently the Chicago has a blizzard warning, largely because of Lake Michigan, and other than that the NOAA weather guys are very conservative in our area we'll have similar conditions here 6-8 hours later.  They'll probably just call it a Snow Advisory for us though...lol   The nice thing about this weather, is that school will probably be cancelled Monday and since Sheril is a teacher I'll have an extra day of the weekend with her and some help Monday morning with taking care of the cows.

Two cows in the barn due to calve now, and we probably should move a couple others approaching their dates in.  Sadly we lost a new calf Friday night, and it was possibly preventable on our part...we had a cow with no specific date, but we knew she was getting close.  We had brought her up near the building and were going to put her in a stall, but figured we get to it Saturday.  She probably calved early Friday evening,  the temperature her dropped to -14F with a brisk wind, and we found her Saturday morning iced up    It was probably just too cold and exposed for her to make it.  Since we don't live there it's hard to check on them frequently.  We used to live 60 miles away, but had fewer cows then.  Now at 4 miles away it's easier, but still impractical to get over every 2-3 hours.

We have too many calving in January/February here, largely the result of leaving them with Mike year round as he was having more difficulty covering so many cows in a short period of time as he got old.  So Sheril and I have decided to pull the bulls out in a week or two, for a couple of months, so we avoid January/February calves next year.  Enjoy those calves by the wood stove photos I've posted in the past, because we'll probably have fewer of them in the coming years!

[Blessings Farms]

Us to Hans 9 -14 " by Monday am and gust to 40 mph

[Deleted]

here is what we woke up to

[lakeportfarms]

I'll take some photos of the outside as soon as I can make it out...

Sure hope I can find our herd of shortie Dexters!

[jamshundred]

Ohhhh my gosh!  We get a major snow/blizzard like that here in the mid-Atlantic only once every few years. The last one was In early Feb 2010 and I think the one before that was . . . .  .?  I cannot remember when after the blizzard of 96. I know there was one in between because I had to pay a local to break open my road . . I think about 3 days after the snow

i would not have a stock farm if I had to work in those conditions year after year. Winter is tough. It is hard getting out there in below freezing temps and getting hay to the fields and keeping up with the stock.  Even the light winter is becoming more and more difficult and more expensive each year.  

You and Mike are freezing me Hans, but I AM having a fantasy of a large cup of that snow in a paper cone with cherry flavoring poured over it!

that is a pretty photo Mike. It makes me happy to look at it!  Happy that you are taking that photo and not me.

judy

[lonecowhand]

I was wondering about you guys out there!

Sorry to hear about that calf, Hans. It's amazing that any calves make it in that kind of cold. Ever. Brrrr.

Does keeping the Bulls away during these next months reduce your overall calf production, or do the cows just keep cycling until you set them up?

Nice photo, Mike. Not too deep, but really "Winter Wonderland" looking. I remember the "Hush" of those days, the sounds so muffled. (until branches start breaking..)

Bill

[lakeportfarms]

It's actually pretty nice out this afternoon, the skies are sunny and the snow is nice and white and fluffy. Judy, the difference between what we usually get, especially the lake snows, it that it is usually really cold and the snow is light, not like the white cement you get there on the East coast.

I broke down and put the big 3 pt.snowblower on the tractor, I thought I could get away with not using it this year, but this snow is a bit too deep and the drifts especially are preventing me from getting out to feed the cows. Just need to be careful with the thing when the calves are around...shudder!!!

Well, out to clear some snow.

Hans

[Deleted]

when it stopped last night we had about 15". We got a lot of rain before it got cold enough to snow or we would have had at least twice that much.Last night below 0 and today single digits. I do feel bad for the cows when they have to go from soaking wet and muddy to so cold. We dont get those kind of transitions to often here. they had ice cycles hanging from their sides.
I thought I could drive to work this morning. That didn't happen. My best attempt was about 300' and I was lucky to get back to the drive way. They plowed out the road and plowed my drive way in at about noon today. I herd him out there hitting it hard before he got it open. He was having to back up and take runs at it.

It has never really been a problem putting out hay here. Getting the gates open not so easy. but not much tractor cant go through. I can only remember one time when I it was deep enough the tractor would not go through.  I had a cow that went out in a group of trees before a snow storm and would not come back through the deep snow. I could not get a tractor out to her. I had to carry hay out to her for about a day until I got a neighbor with a larger tractor that was able to bust through to her. I keep them penned up close all winter long now. better on the fields anyway.

[Blessings Farms]

Hans and Mike you guys be careful in this.
We lucked out and only got 8 " and wind. The
rain, sleet helped on amount but froze the
doors and gates solid.

[lakeportfarms]

I agree about the rain, then turning bitter cold. It's probably the most stressful thing they cows can go through.

Mike, after last winter we set up all our gates so that we could raise the heights in the winter months. It's a bit of work to switch them, but at least they don't drag when the packed snow keeps building up. I also am using corral panels for many of the less used openings. I put in eyebolts on both sides lined up with the top of gap where the pin goes, so I can lift it 6" or so to swing it. I can also reverse the "hinge" side. It holds in place without swinging open or closed (very useful when moving them), and if the snow gets too deep I don't have to try to swing it, I can just remove the entire panel and then clear the opening with the tractor.

[lonecowhand]

Hans,Good thinking on the gates. Did you find your shorties?

[lakeportfarms]

They're all accounted for, and did just fine. It's fun to watch them plow through the snow just like a fully loaded lake freighter plying the waters of the Great Lakes

[genebo]

It was 10 degrees here one day last week, so today's seventy degree weather was certainly welcome!

We opened up the doors and windows and got some fresh air and sunshine. Plenty of vitamin D. I actually laid out for 15 minutes with my dog.

Then I took the rest of the day off and went visiting. Saw some friends I hadn't been to see since I got hurt.

Tonight I'm bubbling over with happiness. It must be that sunshine on my shoulders!

[wvdexters]

What a treat Gene.

We got lucky today too!! While not your 70, we hit 59 and sunshine!! Beautiful

My dog and I spent the day outside; messing around, tearing out some old fencing, and just playing around. LOL Cute little thing, she'll sleep for hours. Dinner will be late today but it was sooooo worth it.

Sorry guys .... but today I got to be with the southerners for a while. Funny thing though, the very top of the ground is thawed but it's still froze solid about 1" down. Went sliding a few times out there but didn't fall down completely. We have the dexters in the lower "winter yard" right now where it is flatter. We don't want any skaters.

[lakeportfarms]

Hope you guys enjoyed it! I think the cold is coming your way again. The New England areas seem to be getting socked with the snow this year. We are still cold and although the snow is still deep, we haven't been adding to the amount a whole lot in the past few days. All in all it's been a pretty normal winter here, and I like it that way. Thoughts of how to pen up the herd(s) when the snow melts and the frost comes out of the ground are already starting to creep into my head as the sun sets a bit later now.


Edited to add;  Oops, it was dark and I didn't realize until time to leave that we must have gotten 5-8" of lake effect last night along the lake.  The wind out of the NNE and still some open water of Lake Huron the culprit I imagine.  The Detroit TV station weather misses that stuff on their forecasts and reports.  It's OK, it makes it much prettier than the salt and dirt stained snowbanks along the major roads.

[Blessings Farms]

Glad the worst of this is with you Hans HA! -5 with 25 mph is cold
enough for me this morning. Sunday morning forecast -10 and now
not a day above 19 next week seems like even Gene and them will
see freezing. Good thing is a lest we are not in East and can
at lest pile the snow some were.