Overcoming the Winter Ice
Walking on Ice is a challenge for everyone this winter. Rather than move to Florida, here are two solutions.
Author: Carole Soule
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Walking on Water, Frozen Water
Usually, I'm a fan of rain. It makes flowers bloom in the spring and grass grow in the summer, but winter rain seems to bring only trouble.
Family Planning on the Farm
We put Ferdinand, our bull, in with the cows in August so that the resulting calves will be born in March or April. So what could go wrong?
I'm Tired of Ice; Bring on the Mud
I check the cattle every day, mostly the young stock, for shivering. If a calf is shivering, it needs help. Adult cattle with plenty of food and water can handle the cold, but I still check them for shivering or odd behavior. Cows that don't show interest in food or separate themselves from the herd can be in trouble even if they are not shivering. So far this year, I haven't seen any shivering cows or calves, but I sure have felt the cold!
A Friend is Missed
Each year Charlie would sell me hay, and occasionally we'd buy cattle from each other. In 2021 he purchased a weanling black, Hereford bull from me, whom he named Buddy. When I delivered Buddy to Charlie's farm, I saw his tractor – a huge, 1950s International Super C, that he used to cut and bale hay. "Yep, that tractor won't quit. It's just like me, a relic that keeps on trucking. Besides, I know how to fix it," Charlie said with a twinkle in his eye.
Coming Home From the Tropics
One mission I had on this trip was to adopt two puppies to bring to the farm. The St. Croix Animal Shelter's vigorous spay/neuter program has cut the stray population that thrives in this tropical climate, but puppies still happen. I adopted two abandoned puppies, Joy and Jingle, as companions for Flora, a St. Croix stray I adopted last year.