IS Spring Here?

For those of you that are currently calving or in the process of getting ready for calving, you will surely understand what I'm saying when I tell you that no matter how many pairs of gloves you left the house with this week you were gonna be one pair short by the time your day ended! WHAT A SNOW! Out here south of Golva we received a healthy foot of wet snow this past Monday, March 19. Hard to believe it, but it actually fell without any wind. Although the snow created a lot more work, and we often found ourselves having to use (or come up with) plans c and d you will not hear me do any complaining on this blog about it. It was some much needed moisture for the area, and it's giving us all a ray of hope that maybe our weather pattern has changed for the better. 

​As for the calving, things have been going good. It was an awfully busy past week trying to keep pens/barns bedded, and getting corrals cleaned out so we would have some dry places for not only the cows calving, but somewhere for the new pairs.  You can't put a price on having good straw around for a time like this. I also want to state the fact that I believe it is 100% ethical to put an additional 30 lbs on any calf that you have to carry through mud/muck when your telling your friends especially wife/girlfriend about it. That may be the best exercise program out there, especially if you throw in the unpredictability of a snorting momma cow on your heels! 

The AI calves have all been born on the registered cows and heifers, and am now starting to get some of the bull bred calves. I have been really pleased with the first few; they are out of bull I am really excited about. I really think he is the real deal. One of the thickest, heavy muscled and easy fleshing yearling bulls I have been around. He is a son of Connealy Courage. Also we have kicked off calving the commercial cows. This up coming week the calves should really be popping.

Much of the snow has melted now, and man have the creeks started running. Been a long time since a lot of these old water holes and stock dams have been freshened up, so this also has been a good thing. The topic of many of conversations this past week has been on whether or not any of this moisture is soaking in? If someone has an answer to that I would love to hear it. The frost is definitely  working its way out, but it has been a slow process. Undoubtedly much of this snow has turned into run off, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that maybe a good amount of it was able to be soaked in as well. I can't stress enough on the benefits to pasture and hay land on getting that early spring moisture. 

​Hope this finds everyone well! I'm hoping spring has sprung and the pump is primed......I did notice the crows are back so that has to mean something!

​Until next time.....
​-​Justin & Kaitlyn