Springing in a Dairy Cow

Every Lady on our farm gets at least 60 days of dry period before calving and starting a new lactation. Dry period means that she is not milked, basically like maternity leave. She gets to relax all day and basically do what she wants, while her body focuses on her baby and preparing for a new lactation. This is custom practice in the dairy industry to allow cows at least 60 days before they calve again. Our Ladies enjoy their dry period on a separate pasture.

Brooklyn, Angel & Blackberry in the dry cow lot

A cows gestation period is the same as humans, 9 months. At least two weeks before their due date we bring them in off the pasture and out of the dry cow group into our Springer Barn. This is a special bedded pack pen, for  the sole purpose of calving. We like to have them in here so we can watch for signs of calving and keep an eye on how they are springing.

Springing, defines a cow that is starting to make the changes that mean calving is close. We don't put a lot of weight on the due date, as a cow can very easily and safely calve within 2  weeks of either direction of her due date. And our herd of Guernseys seems to always be on the later side. We instead closely watch her body, attitude and appetite for changes and then any signs that their might be a problem. A cow that is really Springing will have swelling in her udder, you can tell her milk is coming on. A very loose, floppy and swollen vulva. Their might be a slight change in her manure, to a smoother, lighter side. And clear, mucousy discharge might be present. Also another little fun fact, the term Springer or Springing, meaning a cow is close to calving, came from the ideal calving period being in the spring.A farmer would be wanting to see these changes on his cow in the Spring.

1. Jesusita just came in off the dry cow pasture a week ago. Her due date is August 2nd, obviously she is going to go past that date. This is a typical look for a dry cow. No obvious bagging up, tight unswollen vulva. Everything looks great on this dry cow.

2. Charity is a Springer heifer, meaning her first time calving, so not the best comparison, but it's what I had in the barn right now. You can see her udder is starting to change a bit, showing a little filling. Her vulva is a little soft and swollen. Her due date is August 6th, she is showing signs of being closer to calving, probably still a week or so.

3. Jenelle calved 7 hours after this picture was taken, she was 14 days past her due date. Excuse the udder, there is definitely more swelling here then we like to see and will be working closely with her to get this down. We tend to see a little more udder swelling in the summer months. But this is a good representation, her vulva is obviously loose, floppy and slightly swollen. And her udder is very bagged up, filled and swollen.

Each cow is different, but this is the typical progression for a dairy cow that is springing. I'll try to snap some progression pictures of Jesusita as she springs and gets closer to calving, so you can see the progression of one cow.  

Factory Farm or Family Farm?

I'm sure by now you have heard the term factory farm thrown around. Quite frankly I've heard it more times than I ever care to have ever heard it! I am really curious as to who came up with this term, as it really has no definition, but it seems to have painted quite a picture in people's minds. Over mechanized farms that are inhuman, cold and run by Big Ag corporations. Honestly every farm I have ever been on comes no where close to falling under this category. Most all farms, 98% of farms in our country are solely family owned. The other 2%  also contain family farms that for tax purposes or other reasons have become incorporated. Farmers are a minority of our population though, those same numbers appear as farmers make up just 2% of the population feeding the other 98%.  

As a farmer I am SO confused by the term factory farm, I have yet to encounter one and being in agriculture all my life I've stepped foot on quite a few farms. What does factory farm mean to you? Does it paint a picture in your mind? Have you been to or know of a factory farm?  Does it mean so many acres or a certain number of animals? Because families are behind large and small farms, farms that produce crops and animals, farms of all kinds.

This week a campaign was launched to purchase drones to spy on these factory farms. An independent journalist is determined to get to the bottom of what is really happening on these farms. Farms like this:

Looking at this picture I see a farm, a small farm, one that probably isn't even active anymore for it's original purpose as the two barns on the bottom right have damage to their roofs. I see a farm much like many of the family farms I have been on before. A farm that is even smaller then our own farm.This farm could even be an organic farm. This is what they want to spy on? You can imagine my concern, they want to spy on farms just like mine and many of the people I know.

Our Farm looks much like the one above, are we a Factory Farm?

So why drones? I am wondering if this journalist (who I am not linking to for obvious reasons, let me know if you want more information) has even tried to visit these farms that he considers factory? I have yet to meet a farmer that would refuse a interview from a genuine person looking for truth. I think he could go to much less trouble and expense to find his truth is he just visited some farms. Speaking of expense, I am sickened by the amount of money he has raised in 5 days, his original goal was $30,000, he's surpassed that now at over $40,000 and is now wanting $90,000 for this little project. And People Are Donating!!!! I can think of a million more worthy causes than spying on my neighbors. How about we start with feeding them, that seems like a much better use of those funds!  

So I am done with the term Factory Farm.

Because when I look at agriculture in this country I see 

Family Farms! 

Do you have a family farm? Do you disagree with the term factory farm? I invite to join us in spreading the word. Create a photo collage and share with your social media outlets. Be sure to include the hashtags #myfamilyfarm and #factoryfarm when sharing! And then also be sure to link up below!    

An InLinkz Link-up

{Wordless Wednesday}

Every once in a while we sneak in a little time away from the farm!

Beautiful Detroit Lake! Great little camping trip, despite the rain!

A Little Perspective on my Dairy Lifestyle

Dairy farming, farming, ranching, most sectors of agriculture are a lifestyle all of their own instead of a job. There's no nine to five, TGIF's, leaving it all at the office for the weekend. We are married to our job, we live our job 365 days a year. There's usually no vacations or weekends off and away. It's in our blood, our bones our very souls.

It's a very special calling. One that is definitely not for everyone. It's hard, SO hard some days. You go to bed with it, you wake up with it, there's really no escape. When there's a bad day, when it all goes to heck and back you can't just leave it on the desk and come back to it tomorrow.

There's days when no matter how hard you work, how much effort, sweat, blood and tears you put into it, you still fail. When you try to battle the elements, guess mother natures moves and loose everything in the blink of an eye. There's times, seasons, years where you make no profit at all. When it can all hang in the balance of the market of a foreign country, the weather for growing hay two states away, and product prices that you have no control over. One tiny tip of that scale in the wrong direction and you can forget about breaking even or even being able to pay all the bills.

There's a driving force, a passion, a fire in our very core,(maybe just call it stupidity) that makes this lifestyle not a choice at all. It's something most of us could never imagine leaving. This lifestyle provides countless blessings, wealth that isn't measured in money and precious moments that make it all worth it.It's in seeing a beautiful sunrise, welcoming a newborn calf, celebrating a great cow's production, working beside our family and children that we face this reality daily.

We get up every single day and provide the very best care we are capable of for our Ladies, not because it's our job, but because it's our life!

       

FarmHer Dilemma #16

FarmHer Dilemma #16: Clean clothes are an invitation for "accidents" to happen. Fairly certain the Ladies view them like a empty canvas. Behold and enjoy the art!

The work of Picasso, truly!

Northwest Farmers Fighting Hunger

Today is not a Wordless Wednesday! Lately all the posts and conversations I have seen about food, seem to be GMO related. That topic can get everyone on every side very riled up and passionate. I am not advocating for either side, but simply asking you to put that passion somewhere it can be put to good use. I love that in our safe and vast selection of food we have the choice to consume the products we want. But for many families right here at home, they don't even know when or where their next meal will be coming from.

Hunger Doesn't Take a Summer Vacation

The biggest population faced with this dilemma is children; 1 in 5 kids in the Northwest faces hunger. Especially during the summer months when school is no longer in session they lose access to meals that would otherwise be covered.

Milk and dairy foods are the #1 requested item by food box recipients.

 This June, Dairy Month our farm along with all the other Dairy Farmers of Oregon challenge you to donate $10 to the Oregon Food Bank.  For every $10 donated, your local food bank can distribute enough food to provide 35 meals. That $10 goes a long ways to helping many families in need! So skip your next two coffees and put that money to use right here in our own community!! Because no one should be hungry!

To donate simply visit Northwest Farmer's Fighting Hunger. And help us #fightsummerhunger!

 Help Oregon raise more money then Washington in this competition that is for a great cause. Use the hashtag above and visit our farm facebook page for shareable content.

I got Washington Dairy Farmer: The Farmer's Wifee on board with spreading the news about this great fundraiser. Be sure to follow her blog and facebook page!

Did I forget Mother's Day?

No posts about Mother's Day were found here on Sunday, I was busy enjoying my little farmers as well as caring for the other Mothers that call our herd home. I had to chuckle as my newsfeed overflowed with the breakfasts in bed, spa days and  flowers.

You see every day is Mother's Day here. 

Ahhh, this is how a cow enjoys a relaxing day!

My entire livelihood and the whole dairy industry is reliant on the bovine mothers that help to foster the human race. In order to make milk, like virtually all mammals including humans, a cow must first have a calf.  So we celebrate birth, and cows becoming Mothers every day. Our cows are spoiled with the best treatment we can provide every day.  Every gallon of milk or dairy product (have any ice cream today? Yum!) that you consume is thanks to a mother cow! 

 So join us in celebrating Mothers Day, everyday! All the moms out there deserve more then one day right?!

 We did have a bit of an extra special celebration as we welcomed this beautiful little heifer to first time Mama Spiffy on Mother's Day! Welcome sweet baby and congratulations new Mom!

So hard to get a non blurry picture of a bouncing baby!