May Update

We have 21 calves so far this season. The count is 9 heifers and 12 bulls. I’ve got the hardest part done, that is naming all those babies.

Our best bulls will be raised to be herd sires for other farms. Our best heifers will be raised to be mother cows for the next generation; some will stay here on the farm while others will be sold to be mother cows at other farms.

The bookkeeping part of a Registered Angus Herd is ongoing. The American Angus Association requires more than just the pedigree of the parents to register an animal. Birth weight, weaning weights, yearling weights, along with matching dates for all the measurements are meticulously kept and checked for accuracy.

Also continuing this month, is the demolition of the crooked barn. We are currently gutting out the inside and tearing apart the old manger. Since this barn was used to accommodate bulls from 900 lbs. to 2500 lbs., the manger was built to withstand the pressures of big animals as they pushed their big heads between the frame openings to eat hay. Posts made from power poles cut into 8 ft. lengths were sunk into the ground to secure 85 lb. railroad ties, in an effort to keep the bulls on the correct side of the manger. When tearing it apart we found several railroad spikes had been used to hold the corners together.

The manger in the picture is half-way demolished. Still a lot of work to do before it can be pulled out of the barn with a tractor. We are salvaging and re-using as much as we can from this structure. More posts about that process will be coming to this blog soon.