My how time flies when we’re having fun! Seems like just a few weeks ago (was it really May?) my sister and I raised a little horse barn on the knoll behind the Big Pond, and here it is the end of August already, with days getting short and the list of projects to complete before the seasons turn again getting longer.
Yes, the horses made it here, and they are wonderful. They are getting along just fine in their new little herd and eating like elephants, like starving, ravenous elephants. I am already planning to set up another auxiliary paddock to add a week’s recovery to their grazing rotation schedule. My goodness.
We’ve had plenty of rain, so the pastures have grown well following the cowherd’s grazing. I failed to document specific paddock rotation dates so I’ve quite lost track of how many times we’ve been around the pastures. Seems like at least 4 times already. (Seriously, I do keep track. Four times at about 45 day intervals, starting beginning of May, although some sections got skipped.) Judging by how everything is recovering, we might make it all the way around twice again before the sward goes dormant. I’d like to say I’m seeing radical improvement after all the fertilization and hoof impact. Hesitant to call it that since I’ve never seen these pastures grow through a season, much less grazed, but I am pleased by the density and vigor of what springs back up following a paddock shift.
The closest alligator to the boat these days is getting the cows bred. Sans a bull, that means AI, and we are closing in on pulling the trigger on the very first Bear and Thistle fertility clinic – a wee bit later than I’d have liked, but I’d rather get it done right and be a little late than dork the whole evolution up completely.
It’s worth an entire blog post to describe the strategy I’ve undertaken, but here’s the very very short version: 1) find an AI technician (check), 2) get quality semen shipped (check), 3) upgrade corral area to add adjacent working alleys, squeeze chute, palpation cage, and crowd pen (nearly done, check), and 4) procure the meds and assorted materials required to undertake a forced fertility regimen, to trigger estrus on all 10 candidates at the same time (check).
Wish me luck. The AI guy is an old hand at this, and I’ve got my vet’s ear for any technical assistance needed. I hope to start the 7-day protocol no later than Thursday, which means we’ll be inserting semen on the 5th of September; so if all goes well we should have calves hitting green grass mid-June next year. I’d have rather have had them born end of May, but I’m not going to beat myself up about getting two weeks behind. Mid June is just fine, and we can edge the dates up each year until we hit the mark, so it’s all good.
After we get the cow herd bred, focus shifts to laying in hay for both horses and cattle. Then there’s the Fall frost seeding for all pastures, along with the 1.6 acre finishing pasture that has been cultivated clean all summer and will get sown to a high-sugar grass/clover mix for the slaughter beeves’ last 4 weeks. Yum.
And now the garden is covering me with produce that needs to be put up, though I’m not complaining! Was supposed to make pickles, can green beans, and roast tomatoes tonight, but only got the tomatoes roasted. Wish there were more hours in the day…
Thistledog's Farm 
And here I thought spring was busy…
Next spring I’ll say, “And here I thought fall was busy…”
HFS, it never ends, does it? For those of us with more ideas and projects than time or energy to complete, we just have to accept the inevitable feeling of not getting it all done, and feeling “behind.”
I enjoyed the update. Glad to see that things are going well. Great looking horses.
As for the lists of things to do getting longer as the days get shorter–I know exactly what you mean! I’m looking at the to-do list next to my computer and it has 115 things on it.
Good luck with the AI! We had a few cows and intended to breed them via AI. But I could never get the timing right, because I wasn’t around enough in those days to watch for signs of heat (we didn’t use the meds to get them on the same cycle). Eventually our heifers were getting so old that I threw in the towel and got out of the cattle business. 🙂
Bill, my updates need to be a little more timely, I’d say. But thanks for hanging in there for them anyway…. 🙂 I’d say the AI went well but we haven’t preg-checked yet so it’s all a guess still. Uneventful evolution, except for the heifer that broke free and didn’t get bred – arghhh. I’m just thankful for what went smoothly and well. Next year I might borrow a bull, who knows.
They look great IN YOUR PASTURE! Congrats!
moh, thank you thank you thank you! It’s a mixed blessing, new animals are a lot of work at the start getting them fit into the routine, and these horses graze entirely differently than cows do. Yikes. I expect it’ll take a few years before I am able to transition the paddock forages they are on to species that are able to withstand the shearing action. Not to mention the hoof damage. But it’s wonderful to have them here, wonderful to be starting the journey toward using workhorses on the farm.
I have just popped over from Trapper creek to say hullo, i hope your breeding went well, do you do blood tests to find out? I only have two cows, a house cow and a beef cow both AU successfully this year. We only have the tiniest bit of land – so far is the herd is really just a pair! Your horses are beautiful.. c
Cecilia, thanks for stopping by! Yes the breeding went well, and I’ve read about the blood tests that can be done for pregnancy test, will have to see if that’s supported here. ‘Round here they bring the vet out for palpation check – one way or the other I’ll need to know which ones settled. Good luck with your herd, too!
O my…. Hi Farmer Kay !!!!! You are truly a “farmer”. Such a load more
than your beautiful yardwork etc,, and your canyon slope garden back
here in Bonita. Your horses are beautiful and cow project sounds a lot
more than I could handle ! I hear you have a new pup.
Hobo will be 2 yrs already next month. He is truly a people dog – tops the
scales at 53lbs. so he has turned out to be a good size dog for me.
All the grandkids are great and fun… Old Les is still “Old Les” with all
his body problems…. well, what can I say other than just keep laughing.
Heard Monster being called by Derill yesterday in the back yard… wonder
what he was doing. I will have to check with him… to get the latest.
Well keep well and we all think of you often… Makaela is always asking
“where is Katie ?” I show her your pictures on the computer. She wants
to know when you will be back…. ahhhhhh. Again, Keep well.
Jacquie
First, it is wonderful to see you posting here again! Second, the horses look beautiful but I can only imagine the amount of work they are – I have always said that cows are like cats and horses are like dogs. Cats, you can leave to their own devices but dogs must be trained and kept busy or they become problem children. I am so proud of you and all the hard work you have done. It is truly amazing what you have done in the short time you have been at the farm full time.
Oh my goodness Cathy! That is so true! I was up cooking for a hunt camp the other day, and one of the guides put it this way….Humans, dogs and horses must have a job. It doesn’t matter what it is, or how important it is, but without it, they go a little bit crazier every day!