Frumpy Friday - A boring blog lately, lets spice it up! lets talk about CASTRATION!

Like my post title?

Well thats how today feels..plain ol' frumpy.

I had a wonderful morning at PT though...the traction and therapy bed are totally awesome. And really help a lot. My back had been hurting the past two days (lower left), but the pain has been relieved somewhat after therapy! YEA!

Its been stormy all day today....some warnings again...the typical spring weather.

Rode with Norm to feed...I actually hadn't fed in awhile with him....so it was good to get out and see the girls and their bouncing babies! LOL I do mean bouncing...those little calves just bounce and hop and skip all over the place. They are so much fun. I love when the unruly babies are with their babysitters, its so cool how they will obey another cow other than their momma!

I received an email today from one of my best, and truest friends in the entire world. My dear friend Michelle has had a really rough year. Her husband Shane, has had some major back problems, and had to miss a lot of work, and not to mention the unbearable pain, and they cant find a reason for it, nor have they been able to fix the problem. Now Michelle is having health problems herself. She has all the symptoms of a stroke, but they have ruled that out. Slurred speech, talks and moves real slow, and to top it off her husbands place of employment is closing. So they are forced to move. I'm so sad and worried...please - those of you who are prayer warriors, please include my dear friend in a prayer tonight! This woman has been there for me when others hadn't..she is one special God fearing woman, a true meaning of the word Christian.

So that has really been a downer today, I cant wait to visit and talk with her soon.

(by the way- before I forget- Luanne..you can go Here for the post about her and HERE for some pictures of my beautiful girl about Babe that you missed!)

So anyway...I realized that my blog has been pretty boring, no farm information really, nothing about raising cattle, management, horses, etc. How boring is that!!?

So...how about a topic called..CASTRATION! (ouch) I waited to place this at the bottom in case you dont really want to read about it. But if you scroll down below I've got some more around the farm stuff posted. We are castrating and vaccinating this next weekend.

First Of All - What is Castration and Why?

Castration is removal of the testicles of a male animal. Castrating bull calves is very easy and uncomplicated procedure. There are several that can be used. Feeder steers sell for more than bulls and once a cull is castrated he then becomes..ta da!...a steer! They are also less likely to hurt each other trying to be macho if they are castrated. They can also be housed with heifers without impregnating them. If a heifer calf is bred before she is of age to calve...it could and most often kills the young heifer calf... the baby almost never survives. Producers prefer steers because the quality of meat is better. Some people wait to castrate until the calves grow some to see if there are particular bulls they would like to keep. Castration when its cold, wet and rainy leaves chance for infection when they lay in the mud. Castrating when its too hot can lead to flies (if cut) both of which can cause infection. We castrate in groups, sorting all the calves from their moms (I dont like that part at all and if at all possible I just watch! Those big cows being separated from their babies are scary and I just prefer to watch! LOL

When the calves are all sorted we push them into the barn, heifers as well. We also vaccinate at this time, so everyone goes through the chute. Our barn is really laid out perfectly, in fact Doc loves it when he is called to our barn( he doesnt come for this, we do it ourselves since it is such an easy procedure)...we have alley ways and doors positioned in strategic places.

We castrate our young bulls when they are a month to three months old. Why hurt those babies so young you ask!? The biggest reasons are 1. they are easier to handle, a young 100 pound calf running at you is easy to block...they dont kick near as hard as a 400 pound calf! Calves figure out when they cannot be pushed back they run forward...even if that means on top of you! They are a fight or flight animal, based on fear. 2. There is less stress involved with a younger calf, healing time is very quick, and often involves very little pain for them. It sounds terrible for us to think of it...but its really not as gruesome as we would think. Once a calf is in the chute, we of course determine if its a bull calf, or heifer calf. To hold a calf/cow to keep them from kicking or to push them forward, you pull the tail up, over,and forward over the calf/cows back. It disables them so they cannot kick..that would hurt if your castrating and you get kicked in the face! The testicles are enclosed in the scrotum. Each testicle is covered by a tough, strong membrane called the vaginal tunic. The spermatic cord attaches to the top of the testicle. In addition to carrying sperm from the testicle, the spermatic cord contains all the blood supply to the testicles. (had to look up that information) BUT we use a “bloodless” method of castration and use a (emasculatome) or “Clamping.” The clamps “pinch” the cord (spermatic cord)
through the skin of the scrotum. A good clamp can be closed on an ordinary sheet of paper should crease the paper but not cut through it. To clamp the bull you must feel the scrotum and, move the testicles to the bottom of the scrotum. Find the spermatic cord above the testicle and place the clamps over the cord and about 2 inches above the testicle The clamps are closed. It should be possible to feel the cord snap apart after the jaws are closed. ( it sounds like breaking Styrofoam.) The clamps should never be clamped across the middle of the scrotum. After clamping and vaccination the calf is let out of the chute. They are a little sore for a day or two, lay around a lot...but actually are very little affected by clamping. Some people use banding, but you have to band the calf before 36 hours old to be most effective. There is also a surgical procedure where the scrotum is cut open and the testicles are cut and disposed of, they are more sore, and bleed, we dont like that one! Its just not as easy on us all. Everyone is ran through the chute vaccinated and let back with momma cow. The scrotum just shrivels, dies and dries up. Everyone chooses a method that they like best, so your bound to find many with different methods all in the same community.

We have fun handleing the young calves (not the clamping!) but they are so darn cute! We also tag them at this time, steers get a tag in the left ear, and heifers in the right ear! Easy way to tell them apart in the field and when sorting later to sell and decide which heifer calves we want to keep to continue building the herd. So next weekend will be a busy one for sure!

Bulls go in with the cows on May 1st. Which means that these heifers behind the house should be done calving and my boys can go in a much bigger pasture with grass! LOL Right now the lot they are in is good sized but stays more wet and grass is slow to grow there for some reason. I need to start acclimating them to grass now so they dont get colic. Its a big change in diet for them. So I'll let them graze a little each day on some fresh grass (a natural lawn mower) and get their guts ready to handle the new pasture. I'm kinda hoping that we can bring all the horses over here behind the house and get the others (Molly, Bella, and Buck) out of their little pasture. Its muddy a lot, grass dont grow well, and is smaller. I'm also hoping that Norm can use that lot for the feeder calves we will keep for butchering there, so that I can use the barn for the horses, my bottle calves, and milking. We didn't get Neil over to help clear out the out building I'm turning into a coop/goat shed yet..but I NEED to do this soon and get some chickens!

I'm really distraught tonight...my Pepper was nowhere in sight tonight when I went to feed! Leah said she didnt see her the other day, but then she wasnt looking and I hadnt been in the barn in a few days..so I dont know if she is actually missing or just roosting tonight and I couldnt find her....crossing my fingers that she is alive and well!!! I was going to move her and Carrot (our bunny) to the makeshift coop we used all summer. I really hope nothing happened to her. I really love that chicken! I've got some work in the barn to do this weekend, rabbit cage needs cleaning, horses need tending to, and stalls need mucking. I cant muck right now while they are working on my back, but Neil sure can! (hint hint Neil!!!!) I walked a mile today, my toe is hurting like crazy too, but gonna do it tomorrow too anyway. Mari has invited me to go to water aerobics with her so I am going to take her up on her offer and hopefully get this 50 pounds off me I want to loose..yes 50...I want to be the size I was after Leah was born. Well its what I want, but I'm going with a goal of 30. Thats more realistic. I should have all my soap making supplies that I was out of in by tomorrow (Shelly I have not forgotten you I promise!!!) and I can also begin making my soap and other products again! YEA! I love getting new fragrances and supplies in its like Christmas! Okay enough typing for tonight...its about bedtime, my eyes are getting heavy! Check ya'll tomorrow! Have a good night and God Bless you all! (OH and have a good Easter!)

"In the attitude of silence the soul finds the path in a clearer light, and what is elusive and deceptive resolves itself into crystal clearness. Our life is a long and arduous quest after Truth."- Mahatma Gandhi

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!

Wordless Wednesday....

Can you tell he was fearful at first?? This is a big step for Doug...if you dont know his story by now..let me know I'll tell it again....tho I hate to revisit that day, it helps to get it off your chest too.