Post by otter on Oct 15, 2018 12:23:51 GMT -5
The party can start now.
Some of you know me from Homesteading Today and some from BYC. Although I've not been online much for the past couple of years; a high-stress, cross country move, followed by 2 more due to a divorce thrown in the middle has kept me busy.
But things are finally settling, I'm caretaking/managing a huge property and the owners like to look outside and see COWS!!
Yay!
The kids and I have wanted cows for a few years but I likely would have hesitated a while longer if we hadn't ended up at the auction.
When DD (now 18, wow!)saw what calves were going for, she turned to me and announced we were Not going home without one.
With much trepidation, but for the astonishing price of .40 cents a pound (a whopping 31 bucks), Bessie, a classic spotted Holstein, came home with us.
She had a touch of pinkeye and an infected umbilical, but 5 weeks later she is growing like a weed, playful and healthy and we can't imagine not having her.
A few weeks later saw me back at the auction clearing out the potbelly herd. DD had school but said "Use some of the pig money to buy another calf"
They sold so low I nearly left before the calves were sold but I stayed only because I knew she'd ask. (Can you tell how this story will end??)
They ran some tiny Jerseys through and I was feeling bad for the little bulls. The last one came dashing out and kicked at the ring man and no one bid. The auctioneer yelled out in astonishment, "No one will give me .05 cents a pound for a little heifer?!"
As soon as he said "heifer" my card shot into the air of its own free will and $2.30 bought an addition to our family. Are prices so crazy for everyone or is this regional?? It makes me glad the auction is over an hour and a half away, otherwise temptation would be just too tempting.
The little spitfire is thriving. We named her Flarah. She's dark red with the double lashes we've heard means she's polled.
We're totally hooked. And the owners are thrilled and want more. Once our milking machine comes we'll be adding an adult milker - we're shopping for something aging out of a real dairy. If all goes well the property owners are thinking of building a milk house and we'll grow our herd up to perhaps a dozen animals and do artisanal cheese, but that is a few years in the future. For now we're just beyond delighted with our babies and looking forward to bringing home a big girl.
For those that know me from before, it wasn't easy but yes I DID manage to keep the goats, horses and even chickens from before all the drama
Some of you know me from Homesteading Today and some from BYC. Although I've not been online much for the past couple of years; a high-stress, cross country move, followed by 2 more due to a divorce thrown in the middle has kept me busy.
But things are finally settling, I'm caretaking/managing a huge property and the owners like to look outside and see COWS!!
Yay!
The kids and I have wanted cows for a few years but I likely would have hesitated a while longer if we hadn't ended up at the auction.
When DD (now 18, wow!)saw what calves were going for, she turned to me and announced we were Not going home without one.
With much trepidation, but for the astonishing price of .40 cents a pound (a whopping 31 bucks), Bessie, a classic spotted Holstein, came home with us.
She had a touch of pinkeye and an infected umbilical, but 5 weeks later she is growing like a weed, playful and healthy and we can't imagine not having her.
A few weeks later saw me back at the auction clearing out the potbelly herd. DD had school but said "Use some of the pig money to buy another calf"
They sold so low I nearly left before the calves were sold but I stayed only because I knew she'd ask. (Can you tell how this story will end??)
They ran some tiny Jerseys through and I was feeling bad for the little bulls. The last one came dashing out and kicked at the ring man and no one bid. The auctioneer yelled out in astonishment, "No one will give me .05 cents a pound for a little heifer?!"
As soon as he said "heifer" my card shot into the air of its own free will and $2.30 bought an addition to our family. Are prices so crazy for everyone or is this regional?? It makes me glad the auction is over an hour and a half away, otherwise temptation would be just too tempting.
The little spitfire is thriving. We named her Flarah. She's dark red with the double lashes we've heard means she's polled.
We're totally hooked. And the owners are thrilled and want more. Once our milking machine comes we'll be adding an adult milker - we're shopping for something aging out of a real dairy. If all goes well the property owners are thinking of building a milk house and we'll grow our herd up to perhaps a dozen animals and do artisanal cheese, but that is a few years in the future. For now we're just beyond delighted with our babies and looking forward to bringing home a big girl.
For those that know me from before, it wasn't easy but yes I DID manage to keep the goats, horses and even chickens from before all the drama