Traveling Cowtails: New Calf Barn!

In my farm travels, I work with some great people.  I am now bringing my video camera wherever I go.  Anytime I see something worth taping... I am going to do it!  ... WITH permission from the dairy producer.

Wednesday, I visited a dairy that just built a new calf barn.  I'm jealous.  Not only is it great for the calves but it also more user friendly for the person tending to the calves.  With all the crazy weather in Wisconsin, it has been a struggle to get through all the mud and snow!!  It has also been a challenge with the baby calves with pneumonia.  Anytime the weather changes from 30 degrees and 8 inches of snow (last week) to 50 degrees back then up to 75 degrees THEN back down to 30 degrees.. its a perfect recipe for sick babies.  We do our best to keep them dry and healthy!  This dairy farmer said he has not had ANY pneumonia problems in his new barn... great!

Only half of the barn is completed.  The whitish things on the sides are curtains.  They will go up and down depending on the temperature.  In the summertime, curtains will be wide open.  There is also a slant to the roof that allows the sun to shine into the barn during the cold of winter.  The dairyman is going to add a tube down the center of the barn that will constantly exchange fresh air in/out of the building.

There is a "milkhouse" in the barn where there is a hot water heater, a sink and a drying rack.  This allows the calf feeder to properly mix up the milk with warm water, clean and disinfect the buckets, and let the buckets dry... all in a nice little room.  We clean and disinfect the calf buckets just like a mom cleans baby bottles.  Again.. jealous... (I love the colorful buckets)  Maybe they will make me a crazy rack like that.

Here is the video of the calf barn.  This dairy farmer had no idea that crazy Katie was coming with her video camera....  This is how it looks all the time!  Calves are fed 2x a day, usually on a 12 hour interval.  This video was taken at about 11:30 AM and the calves were fed earlier that morning.  Notice how calm they are.  They are very curious of me, but it's almost like they are pissed I have interrupted their naptime!

Loved the barn.  Thank you to the dairy farm family that let me spotlight the new addition to the farm. :)

Thirsty Thursday: Milk for ALL ages!

New series! Thirsty Thursday.

defn: term derived from the activities performed by college students on Thursday evenings. I had milk drinking parties and bars only served milk in Thursdays.  JUST KIDDING!  I know I had you going... or not.

I love milk.  As I said before, we usually drink 4 gallons of milk a week - just between my husband and I. :) There is nothing that tastes better with a "steak and potato" home cooked meal or as a quick refresher with a sandwich at lunch.  I remember in elementary school, my favorite part of the day was the two milk breaks we got! hahaha.  I want to schedule two milk breaks into my day now... AND.. the nap time... I will ask my manager what he thinks... :)  Everyone's doing it....

I love my milk COLD, too.  When we bought a new refrigerator last year, we HAD TO HAVE the model with the separate milk chiller.  It rocks.  It keeps the milk 3-5 degrees cooler than the rest of the refrigerator. 

Milk is naturally nutrient-rich like no other beverage, and provides 9 essential nutrients that your family needs.  I found a crazy interactive tool on the Got Milk? website.  Roll over each age group to see how milk can benefit you at any age.   Check it out!!

Here are the age breakdowns :

• Newborn/Infant (Birth to 11 months)
• Young Toddler (12-24 months)
• Toddler (2-3)
• Child (4-8)
• Adolescent (9-12)
• Teen (13-19)
• Twenties
• Thirties
• Forties
• Fifties
• Sixty and Older

Looking at my age group (twenties) - my calcium requirement is 1000 mg daily which can be achieved with only 3 - 8 oz glasses of milk.  Only 3 for me!  Woot Woot!  How are you doing?

Next week for "Thirsty Thursday" I will be guiding you to a website where you can see where your dairy products come from by typing in the "plant code" on the container.  Pretty neat!

Two words: Stuck & Flat (I'm only half responsible)

Two words that don't go over too well with farmers:  STUCK & FLAT.  Tonight, both happened. :/

While my husband was trying to spread manure (cow poo) out in the field, STUCK happened.  It rained all day again today... so it wasnt too surprising.  Off we went to get the "monster" tractor, hooked them up and tried to pull the rig forward... STUCK happened again.  Unhook.  Got unSTUCK with the big tractor and then try to pull the rig backwards. 

Here is the video: [Keep in mind I was the monkey that had to crawl under the spreader to hook it up!]

We did get it out... no worries!

And that brings me to FLAT.  As I was cleaning out the free stall barn (where the cows hang out), maybe I backed into the cement curb... maybe.  Woooops!  Major woops.  I suddenly hear all the air exit out of the tire.  Pretty loud... cuz my husband came running, with happy face. :)  or not.. bye.  The tire was - FLAT. 

You really cant see too well... but the back tire is totally flat.

Luckily we had a spare tire in the shed.  We used the other skidloader to jack it up and get the new tire on so I could finish my job.

Changing the tire.... (smiling husband)

Here is my video as I am sitting in the other skidloader while he is changing the tire.  Its kind of hard to hear me because the engine is running.

And that ends my exciting evening... hopefully!  The funny thing is that our cow nutritionist was there during all the drama... just smiling. :)

"The Tears I've Shed... Animal Abuse" - Cause Matters

Here is a great read from a fellow dairy producer.  She really puts my thoughts into words on this issue....

 

http://www.causematters.com/agriculture/mercy-for-animals-calves-animal-abuse/

MPK writes an emotional response to another animal rights activist video. A must read for anyone concerned about dairy farmers abusing calves. Michele offers a personal glimpse of how food producers feel watching these videos and illustrates the misrepresentation by comparing prostitutes and farmers.

MythBuster MONDAY!

Call me strange... but I have a little bit of a fetish for the History Channel and the Discovery Channel.  I truly enjoy shows such as "Modern Marvels" and "How Its Made."  Those show really give an inside to all the little things that go into making our world go 'round!  Today, I visited one of my favorite educational websites about dairy farming, Dairy Farming Today.

Today is "MythBuster" Monday, where I will share with you a common myth about dairy cows:

MYTH:  Today's dairy cow is treated like nothing more than a milk machine.
FACT:  Dairy cows must be healthy and well cared for in order to produce pure, wholesome milk.

Check out this website for a short clip about a dairy producer and a veterinarian's thoughts about this issue:  Dairy Farming Today - Myth:  Cows are Just Machines
Other bits of information......     

1. Farmers employ professional nutritionists to develop a scientifically formulated, balanced and nutritious diet for their cows. On our farm, the diet includes hay, corn silage, grains, protein sources, and vitamins and minerals. 
• Our nutritionist comes once a month to take samples of all the feed sources and put together a well-balanced ration (meal) for the cows.
2. Dairy cows receive regular veterinary care, including periodic check-ups, preventative vaccinations and prompt treatment of illness.  A good veterinarian is a great tool for a dairy farm.  Just like we get sick, cows get ill, also! 
• On our farm, we follow strict vaccination protocols to safeguard against illness.  Our veterinarian comes every two weeks to oversee the cow herd and the calves.
3. The dairy industry has in place a number of initiatives that demonstrate commitment to animal well-being. The National Dairy FARM Program™ is a nationwide, verifiable program that addresses animal well-being. Third-party verification ensures the validity and the integrity of the program to our customers and consumers. 
• A few weeks ago, we had an audit at the farm that looked into every aspect of our cows and how they are cared for.  The program is a great reminder of how important our job as dairy farmers is!
4. Dairy farmers depend on healthy cows for their livelihood.  Comfortable, healthy and well cared for cows produce milk.  It's as simple as that.  Keeping cows relaxed and happy everyday is a win:win for everyone! 

The miracle of birth....a new little girl!

Yes! My first day with a video camera and a cow is calving!!!

This cow had never had a calf before, and needed a little assistance from my husband.  Most cows deliver without assistant, but when there is a problem we use a device to slowly assist the cow when she is pushing.  We always make sure that the calf is born in a clean, dry area.  This cow is having her calf in a deep straw pack.

ITS A GIRL!  Everything went smoothly and baby and mommy are doing great.  After each calf is born, we dip the navel (umbilical corn) with Iodine.  Iodine dries up the cord and prevents bacteria from entering into the system of the calf.  We also give the calf a few oral vaccinations.  Within 6 hours, each calf is fed colostrum.  Colostrum is the first milk produced by the cow.  It is powerpacked with nutrients and natural antibodies to ensure a healthy calf.  Calves are separated from their mothers to ensure the best individual care and monitoring, especially in the first 24 hours.

Here is a video of the cow licking off her calf.

Wat you got in that hutch?

This week, a video of calf abuse was released to the world.  I can't make myself watch it.  Talking with colleagues and friends this week, the abuse is so terrible that most are reduced to tears.  Animal abuse is absolutely NOT ACCEPTABLE. 

I wanted to show you where the calves (baby cows) live.  Every farm is different.  Some calves live inside buildings and some live in little "mini buildings" called calf hutches.  Calves are kept warm and dry in their pen.  On our farm, calves stay in their "hutch" for about 60 days. 

Enjoy! (My video-ing skills are less than par!.. hahah )

The "official" first post!

Today is a great day! I have decided to start my own blog about cows and the dairy industry.  Because I don't LOVE to write but enjoy pictures and videos, I have decided to incorporate that into my blog, or vlog (video blog), as they call it.

I want to show the world how much cows mean to me!  Dairy farmers' commitment to providing high-quality milk begins with taking good care of their cows.  I want to show that.  I want to prove that.  Media thrives on the "dramatic" and the "bad" issues in the world.  I am prepared to show the good, and the GREAT, and most importantly, the MAJORITY.

Welcome to my blog.  Please follow... tell your friends to follow.. and tell their friends to follow.  The average consumer is at least 6 generations removed from agriculture.  I hope you learn something about cows and the life they live.  I would LOVE video requests and questions!

Moovin on-

Katie