Friday Farm Report and Comments for Friends

~*~FIRST DAY OF SPRING~*~Finally! Spring is here, new grass is peaking through the brown and grey, sun is shining bright and all the farm animals are out sunning and feeling good!

I didn't get any pictures of the humongous calf until this morning. In the picture below you can see how big his head is..Norm wears a size 10.
This next picture shows the difference in height between him and 4 week old Torro! Granite Torro was a twin so he was born smaller than a full term calf, but he is 4 weeks old now and bigger than a newborn-full term calf now. Humongo stands about 4 inches taller than him.Here he is next to me. And this is the picture that I think best shows his size!

Just some more pics I took this morning:So taking a poll! I'm gonna let you all name him! So leave me a comment and Monday I'll have the kids pull a name out of the hat by random!

Let me answer some questions over the last few days that some of you left.

Weaver - your right, the larger the herd the more problems...however! The problem we have had with cows calving and getting their backs down hill this year (4 total) is not common! Mostly this happens with a young heifer who doesn't know how to pick a good spot to calve. We have had 3 older, experienced cows do that this year though! Only one youngster! Why the number of complications this year from that we don't know....hopefully this wont be a trend! With our number its common to loose a few calves a year from stillbirth, maybe a prolapse, or born a dummy calf (which the large calf we are now feeding is). Cow loss is most mainly due to old age. Its usually the heifers that have the most trouble with calving. This year though the old girls seem to be the trouble. Normally, there isn't the amount of trouble during calving season as we have had this year! I am going to blame it all on Liz over at Goings on at the mad bush farm! I believe she is right, we have Mad Bushitis! LOL We have had a mad farm so far this year! More going on than I sometimes care to report! LOL But hey maybe someone can learn from all the experiences that we have had this year. I on the other hand hope that the complications our girls have had are over!

These are the heifer calves that will be calving next spring...lets wish them all good luck! They are a nice gentle bunch of calves and hopefully have some smarts about them too!Yes I do believe that my toe is indeed broken. My first broken bone! I should wear it like a badge, but it still hurts so bad! I do fine when I'm off my feet, except for sleeping, I have been getting it tangled in the blankets and that really hurts! But today I'm walking better, I can apply pressure to the left side of my foot more, but not on the ball of my foot or my toe. Oh well....I said earlier that one thing I've learned from that experience is to wear steel toed boots....but Lisa corrected me!
Here is her comment:

Awwwww, poor you! That musta hurt! But don't hold yourself to blame for not wearing steel toed boots around horses (do cowboys wear steel toed cowboy boots? No.) Wanna know why?Because they can sometimes cause a worse injury than just a horse hoof on a regular boot.I know a guy who was wearing steel toe boots to do some work on a barn (he builds them) and while doing his stuff a horse came over and stepped on his foot...it wasn't even all that hard. But the steel bent down in towards his foot and severed two of his toes!!If he had not been wearing the steel toed boots he'd have only had some swelling and bruising...and at the worst a broken toe. Now he only has 3 toes on one foot. He says he will never work around horses in steel toed boots again.

Point well taken Lisa! I will now correct my lesson learned to wearing a GOOD boot! I'd rather have 10 broken toes than not having all 10 toes!!!! Thanks for pointing that out to me!!!I let King out of the barn today after being cooped up for a week. I had to keep him off of soft and rocky ground so that hoof will heal. He is limping a lot...BUT I saw today that the abscess has come through the top of his hoof at his cornet band....I didn't know it would come out that high, but its draining good this morning! So I think after 4 weeks of trying to mend him that we are finally over the worse of this. I applied some Black Diamond Liniment (click HERE to purchase and read about Black Diamond)

Black Diamond Liniment is a wonder/cure all! It has been used for years on animals and then people. It brings the soreness out of a bruise, heals cuts and wounds in record time, and even gets rid of zits! LOL Active Ingredients are Turpentine, Fractions, linseed oil, Camphor, Oil of Eucalyptus. We use it all the time for us and why I didn't think of using it for King sooner I dont know...he has had 3 doses of Black Diamond applied to his abscess and it already in that short amount of time caused it to come to the surface and drain. I applied more today to the new place on his hoof where it is draining. Norms family has been using this stuff for years...his Pap used to say that when applying it on a horse, use a feather. Thats how little you need for this stuff to do its job. Its amazing stuff! And I didn't know this until today but its made here in Kentucky! I've been putting it on my toe and my foot where its bruised and it brings the soreness out within 10 minutes and it lasts for a long time! I really recommend that you get some of this and have it around your home and barn!!

King was enjoying getting out in the sunshine and nibbling on the grass! It should do his spirit good and that alone will make him feel better!

I tried to leave some comments for everyone but my Internet stinks and wouldnt let me! That aggravates me so much! So here it goes!

Pony Girl -I loved your pink and green theme today, but more than that I loved looking at those precious baby pictures of your Boy! I know it had to have been love at first sight!

Gin -I'll try to get over this weekend and take a look at that vest you've made! With this broken toe I've got I dont know how much I'll get out!

Weaver - What a neat and clever idea!!!!! I cant wait to see how this turns out! Click this link HERE to read more about Weavers project! I think this is really intriguing and I think I might try this out! Looks like we have matching tractors!

Amy - I bet your horse-loving daughter loved seeing that horse roaming the street! Glad it was caught though before the poor horse got hurt! Your photos this morning are beautiful! I need to begin my daily walks! Since warmer weather is here I have no excuse to stay in the house and not exercise!

Spinner - How great you were able to get back in the saddle again! I'm happy that you wernt too sore either! Little Angus sounds like a happy little calf! We have to keep our bottle fed's in a stall unless we are with them..the road is too close, and with so many cows calving he'll just end up in the bunch and hard to track down! I try to let him out in his own little lot to run and play, usually they have a playmate with another calf or the dog...Dontcha love to watch them play!!!??

Good luck with Calico and Paris...cant wait to see Calico's baby! And hopefully Paris's too!

Elaine - Has time really passed long enough for those puppies to find new homes??? Awwww you'll surely miss those furry little faces, but I can bet that you'll also be glad to send them off to a new home and enjoy the peace! LOL

Jennifer - That coop is looking awesome! I get to start on mine as soon as my toe feels better.

I LOVE the raptors, especially hawks! We have them everywhere around here, but they have never bothered my song birds at my feeders (crossing fingers that they continue to stay away!)

your hawk looks to me to be a Coopers Hawk, more than a Sharp Shinned...the later usually has a more grey color to their feathers and the breast is usually whiter than the coopers.....I've been lucky to actually hold a Coopers Hawk before and your picture definitely looks like the one that I was so lucky to be so close too. But like ya said, hard to tell at this angle.

Lisa - WOW! I've never seen anything like that rattler! LOL Thats really cool! And yes typical boy to have to be king of the hill! OUCH! whats with making yourself miserable girl! LOL That sunburn looks miserable! Your just a gluten for punishment! (kidding you!) Baby Doll looks a lot like my Jack....and its so cute to see how the whole farm come to the gate to look for you when you call! Surely they are missing you!

Peggy - I love your new header picture! So when does Kuma's family get back? I bet he misses them a bunch..but he'll probably miss you tons when he has to leave all his new friends!

Kacy - I just loved your post " My world with a horse"! LOVELY! And that grooming stone...its awesome isnt it! I use them too on my horses and I've not found anything that works better at getting those hairs they are shedding and mud/hair clumps out either! The Wonder Stone! And its so much cheaper than the rest of that stuff out there! Call me when you get a chance, or should I say when you get off your horse long enough to make a call! LOL ( again that little green eyed monster is coming out int me! he hehe!)

Karen - Your not the first to tell me that your husband has stole your goat milk products! LOL Yes I can do Sandalwood ! I'll drop you an email and let you know when I can mail it out! Thanks again for the order! Happy Birthday to Cow Boy! What an adorable name for your pooch! Again that little green monster is emerging each time I look at that beautiful landscape you and Colt get to see on each ride! I'm gonna HAVE to get my butt out west and visit! Norm tells me that if he wins the lottery (fat chance) that we'll get a big ranch out west! Oh to dream!

Cathy - Glad to see the bunch is rounding the corner on good health! LOL You sound like me with the teasing..I tell Doug that the gypsies left him on my doorstep! Of course when he is sick I too feel like telling him I'd like to sell him to the gypsies! HA HA. We had Doug's doctor apt. yesterday to get his test results to see if he had Whooping Cough or not and they werent back in yet...so another day home from school...we are driving each other crazy!

Country Girl - I only wish I could keep up with you! You are one wonder woman!

Christy - That is one of the cutest header pictures I've seen yet! How much fun Logan must have with those new babies! That looks like a Dogwood.....wonder what everyone else said?Cant wait to see the new sheep!

And last but certainly not least Liz - Thanks for giving us Mad Bushitis! LOL I didn't realize Micha was so big! LOl I forgot he was a bull I reckon! I bet the girls are sad to see him go.....it's hard, we just sold 2 of my favorite bulls, both Marchigiana's and they were sweet, quiet, and nice looking bulls - Oh well, they kept throwing white calves and they just dont sell very well around here!

Okay off to put my sore foot up, I've been on it all morning and its now swollen and blue...and not to mention hurts! Ouchy is right Liz! LOL

Talk soon...may be off for the weekend, my daughter will be home and we usually have a full weekend when she is home!

Have a good First Day of Spring!