Job Description
An heifer is a female cow who has not had a calf yet. Frankly I think Aunty might be developing an udder – slowly – but I cannot see it being ready for a calf in five weeks. In my limited experience a heifer begins to grow an udder about two (or more) months before her baby. So she might be a heifer for a while longer yet.
She may be looking a little wide but that could be the good grass too. She loves the coffee bags hanging out of the trees and floats about through them in the afternoons. I think I might hang more.
And she definitely wants to get in on the action in the milking shed.
Tahiti might be developing an udder though. I think she is bred.
Here are some of the jobs a Farmer in Residence can choose from. Initially every day before breakfast we feed the animals and weed and plant in the gardens, then after second breakfast the real work begins.
In this heat Water Boy is a pretty important job.
Today we cut the alfalfa field. It is way past due now. There might be a shower tomorrow but more rain coming in at the end of next week, so I have to risk it. I would rather hay got showered on at the beginning of its drying time than the end.
Fingers crossed again.
I hope you have a lovely day.
celi
35 Comments on “Job Description”
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thekitchensgarden 
I know I shouldnt play favourites … But I think Aunty is my favourite cow 🙂 She has wise eyes and is just perfect ❤
She is such a beautiful girl .. but I do not understand this tiny udder she has , unless I am imagining it- and with only 5 weeks to go!.. She is a dairy cow not a beef cow. c
Maybe Carlos the Tiny found a box, and she’s bred, but not when you expected. All your animals are beautiful, in their own unique and individual ways…
Perhaps if you explain to Aunty that she is a dairy cow and not a beef cow this might encourage her to grow her udder a little larger. Much love, Your Gayle
Don’t give up on a pregnant Aunty yet. Heifers are all different. They can spring up overnight–usually just as you decide they’re not really bred.At five weeks pre-fresh, you should be able to bump a calf in her. If you can confine her, jab her low on her right side in back of the ribs with your fist a couple of times. The calf may be RIGHT THERE or you may feel it bounce back against your hand if you keep it tight to her side. Most cows are unperturbed by this man-handling, but watch her near foot just in case. If you don’t feel one, don’t give up. Calves can lie in a way to avoid detection from the outside. Your blog is a joy to read.
Aunty is such a sweetie she does not mind at all – I have done this a few times and felt nothing but not for a week or so! I will go out and try again now .. Good call .. She has 5 weeks to go right about now.. c
I’ll pray for your hay –
that it keeps dry for days
so in the field it can stay
until ready to lay
in the barn.
love,
ViV
I should write this one on the barn walls!! great! c
Nice one, Viv, a good Farmer’s Prayer!
Fingers crossed from me – can I come and be resident pyromaniac?
Rats! That was the job I wanted! Maybe Celi needs 2?
How about taking turns as the Pyromaniac, Mad Dog? Sounds more up my alley than any of the other jobs.
*laughter’ May I make four for the interviews!!!! At least that one I could manage . . . .
Yep, I can manage pyromaniac. Nothing like a nice fire, especially on a beautiful evening.
S T O P the RAIN!!!!!! We have had enough for right now!!!! Glub Glub Glub! 😉
I would hang out in he coffee bags too if flies were all over my back side. 😉
Those coffee bags are a great idea. Tahiti definitely looks like she might welcoming little piglets soon.
Not too soon i hope she should have a couple of months to go but she does look bred.
So, do the farm hands choose several jobs each day that they are in charge of? Or some for the morning and then some for the afternoon? Your system seems so smooth and seamless that it must take planning for it to work so wonderfully. 🙂
I name the jobs so it is easier for to get a handle on. Each job has a corresponding description in my clear file that they can look up. They usually choose two or three a day, and sometimes two people are working on one job so it is a bit more fun.. c
Such beautiful photos – they fill me with just looking at them.
Gorgeous heifer….she does love those bags- must feel good to her! May the rain pass by without a drop on your alfalfa!
She really is a lovely animal.. c
Who said a farmer had an easy life? It’s a lie. There is a LOT of hard work going on there. It is a GOOD life though.
Light showers on the just mowed hay doesn’t hurt it…thank heavens! So for you (if it rains) may it be just a light shower at the start of the drying season. After that bring on the SUN! Then when it’s time to bale…dew is good to hold all the little leaves onto the stem. May your haying time be perfect!
Linda
Yes, of course now that it is cut it has gone from 40 percent chance of a thunderstorm to 80 percent chance of many thunderstorms followed by scattered showers. But sometimes your just have to cut. And I chose to cut just before the threat of rain because there is lots of sun coming after it. We will see.. c
They’re saying we’ve had so much rainfall here that if it was all laid out the entire state of Texas would be under eight inches of water.
Wow – that is a lot of rain – you poor things – you will be growing gills next.. c
It’s a lot, but I’m grateful. Five short years ago we had none and the loss of life (livestock, wildlife, trees, crops, etc.) and the wildfires were tragic.
Tahiti’s got such a neat little row of sucky cups! There’s gotta be babies in there! And Aunty Del is the prettiest cow at the prom. What a lovely farmy!
I was thinking about the flies biting their ankles problem, maybe adding another feed bag in length, cut in strips, some ends tied in knots might help. I hate to think of them suffering those awful flies.
I’d always pick kitchen mama for my job, I love to cook.
The Best thing of all is the Long grass – And at this time of year we have lots of that!! c
GAH!! That rain is always messing up somebody’s day! We have had to reschedule delivery of our storm shelter twice because of big rains. I hope your hay production goes on without a glitch!
Well, as one who has small breasts, even when pregnant, yet an abundant milk flow, I wouldn’t be too ready to discount Aunty! (unless cows are different from humans? but I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say that, ha ha.’) what a pastime it is, trying to guess who’s pregnant. Women have been doing this guessing from times immemorial.
Pretty Aunty Del. She is one gorgeous cow. Wishing all the best with the hay.
I love your updates and the photos are just beautiful Celi