Because if I'm managing things properly these cows will actually improve the soil and sequester carbon. I'm not promising that I know what I'm doing but hopefully in time I'll work it out. Books, YouTube videos, local farmers/workshops, a visit from a Holistic Management consultant mixed in with a pinch of panic and more than a few fitful nights are what I have to go on here.
The Mommas, Lily and Lucy
With their babies
They are hopefully, probably pregnant with the calves due in 6 weeks or so. More books and YouTube and fitful nights coming up as I figure out what to do. So far the answer seems to be, 'Not much'. I saw one of those calves being born and the owner stayed well out of the way and let nature take care of things. The calf popped out no problem, in fact one moment his feet were hanging out and I blinked and looked away for a moment and next thing he was out on the ground. Hopefully things will go as easily this time around. Both mommas are experienced and have had easy births in the past. They're from grass fed lines the owner had spent 8 years building up. He's getting older though and had to downsize a bit. He still has cows and a pretty big farm operation going on but a smaller herd now. I was so thrilled to have these cows, they were very well looked after and loved and very tame. Lily will let me pet her as will the calves. Lucy will let me pet her is she's distracted with fresh hay but doesn't seem to care for it so I don't push the point. They respect the fences andso far have been very easy to manage. I have to get a head catch type thing for possible vet treatments and I don't feel comfortable having a bull here so they'll be bred again with AI (artificial insemination) and will for sure need to be restrained for that. More books, YouTube, fitful nights.
We did have a problem with Lily (and maybe more of them) eating the plastic fence posts.
I was at wits end with this and consulted a regenerative grazing group on Facebook who gave me some useful suggestions that led me to the solution of wrapping wire around the posts.
The cows all respect the wire and they're very observant. As soon as I replace a naked post with a wire wrapped post, Lily came right over and gave it a good stare and sniffed at it. So far it's working.
But yeah, lots of weird, unforseen problems and problem solving. It's both fun and nerve wracking at the same time.
I love having the cows here. There's something very calming about their munching and grass tearing. And they make me laugh on a daily basis.
Moxie
So far we're planning on keeping Moxie. She has a wonderful temperament and seems to be turning into a nice looking heifer. For all I know.
So far I'm not very pleased with my grazing plan or lack thereof. The Holistic Management consultant was very helpful and calmed me down considerably but she came out once last July or August and what I really need is a mentor, someone I can consult on a regular basis. I do consult the former owners from time to time and they are super helpful. They've even come over to visit the cows and sometimes drive by when we're not home. But I don't want to be a pest. And they weren't really doing the type of grazing management I have in mind. So we'll see how the pasture goes this spring. We had a very wet winter and spring and the grass was totally out of control in May before the cows came. Then we had a terrible drought over the summer, worse than last year, so the grass didn't come back in places as I was expecting. We have irrigation water but not enough for such a drought and we're not sure exactly how much water we can take which is a post for another day. I'd buy more water if I had a better idea and maybe a meter or something but I feel stupid buying more water when I'm not sure if I'm even taking what I'm already allowed. Another problem to solve down the line. Right now the fields are a muddy mess, melting snow and falling snow/rain mix right now. I think the only answer is to keep at it and keep reading. And keep better records. I've been terrible about that but part of the problem is that I don't know what to record or how to record it (photos, videos, verbal description, all of the above?). Better record keeping and planning are the goals for this year.
I go back and forth about whether I should write about the cows and if so how much. A few years ago a farm not far from Boulder had and 'open to the public' day where they taught people how to process chickens and let them tour the farm. A group of vegans showed up and stole a few chickens and made a scene outside the farm gates - https://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/2017/09/18/denver-based-animal-rights-group-steals-chickens-berthoud-farm/678055001/
If they want to make a stink over at Tyson I'm all for it but this is a small, 5 acre family farm that was nice enough to open their doors to the public and teach folks a useful skill and a bit about regenerative agriculture. And the animals were being treated really well. But Tyson has security and money and power and this family does not so they're an easy target.
And while I'm not the least bit worried that a vegan group would target me given how isolated I am, I'm not sure I have anything to gain by bringing attention to myself. On the other hand I think it's important stuff to share. One of my big frustrations with my former fellow Boulderites was how they would jibber on and on and ON about global warming and their hybrid cars and how they are vegetarians on Mondays then the next moment start going on about their latest trip to Nepal. With no sense of irony whatsoever. And while what I'm doing here is a very very small thing, it's still something more than posting a Greta meme on Facebook next to photos from a trip to Costa Rica. So we'll see how it goes but for now I'm going to carry on writing about this stuff.
Next up, chickens.
