HAD 1 CALF IN THAT REAL COLD SPELL (NICE LOOKING BULL) THAT DIDN'T MAKE IT. HAD ANOTHER IN THE LAST WARM SPELL THAT IS DOING WELL. HAD A PAIR OF TWINS BORN DEAD. THIS IS WAY TOO EARLY. 3/4 OF THE NEW CALF CROP IS DEAD. NOT A GOOD RATIO. THE RED BELLIED WOODPECKERS (ABOUT THE SIZE OF A ROBIN) ARE REALLY WORKING THE FEEDERS THIS MORNING. AT LEAST ONE PAIR FEED (SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF BIRDS BUT I CAN'T TELL ONE MALE FROM ANOTHER) HERE ALL THE TIME. PAT GETS SUET FROM THE MEAT MARKET IN PLUM CITY TO PUT ONTO THE FEEDERS AND IT CERTAINLY IS A HIT WITH MOST OF THE BIRDS. (WOODPECKERS, BLUE JAYS, CARDINALS, NUTHATCHES AND MORE).
HAVE TO GIVE SHOTS THIS MORNING. ONE OF LAST YEAR'S CALVES HAS AN INFECTED KNEE. HE GOT A SHOT OF PENICILLIN TUESDAY, AND I WORKED SOME OF THE INFECTION OUT. IT WAS DRAINING NICELY. WEDNESDAY HE LAID DOWN IN A HOLE AND WE HAD TO HELP HIM GET BACK ONTO HIS FEET. WE PUT HIM IN THE BARN AND HE IS DOING BETTER. HE WILL GET ANOTHER PENICILLIN SHOT AND THE NEW CALF (HE AND MOM ARE IN THE HAY SHED DURING THESE BELOW ZERO MORNINGS) WILL GET A TAG AND VITAMIN E WITH SELINUM SHOT.
PETE WENT TO THE BOTTOMS TO BRING HOME SOME HAY (WE HAVE ABOUT 29 BALES WE DID NOT GET HOME LAST FALL) AND ALMOST MADE IT UP THE HILL. THE FEED WAGON HAS 3 BALES IN IT AND IF YOU LOOK CLOSE YOU CAN SEE IT IS TIED TO THE TREE WITH A TOW ROPE. PETE AND HIS DAD TRIED VARIOUS WAYS TO TOP THE HILL WITH NO AVAIL. IT WAS ABOUT 30 THAT DAY AND THE SNOW PACK WAS SLIPPERY. TODAY I WAS ON THE TRACTOR WITH MANY LENGTHS OF CHAIN SO THAT I WAS ON TOP OF THE HILL PULLING AND PETE WAS BEHIND THE WAGON IN HIS DODGE PUSHING. WITH QUITE A BIT OF TIRE SPINNING, RE-HOOKING, SHOUTING, AND A FEW LANGUAGE CHOICES WE GOT THE FEED TO THE COWS. ONE THING ABOUT WINTER IS HAVING A COMPLETE NEW SET OF OPPORTUNITIES TO OVERCOME. WHAT A CHALLENGE AND AT ABOUT -10 TO BOOT.
