Favorite Jersey cows

The other black and white

So Many Things...

Are in the works I don't even know where to start. My boyfriend got a job driving truck. He was laid off because of a wreck with a company truck which lost its brakes when I met him. Now he is headed back out on the road. I'm happy for him but dreading having him gone, I've gotten so used to having him around that my life is going to feel lonely and empty when he is out driving.

The job at Stewarts is going well. However some things may be changing there big time, I will let everyone know details when I know for sure what is going on.

I am going to Ithaca NY for 3 days for a summer training seminar for this potential big change. The school is only offered once a year, if the big change comes about I would be in a pinch because I wouldn't have this seminar to allow me to move forward as quickly as I might be able to....Sooo I am sending the folks at Cornell $75.00 renting a hotel out there for a couple nights, and hopefully making a strong move forward for a good future...One that would allow me to really help out with things around here and keep my wonderful cattle....And hopefully would keep me busy enough to not miss my boyfriend as awfully as I am going to for a good long while...

We have also hit a summer flux of calves. Bailey had a premie bull calf. Lemonade had a lovely Roylane Jordan heifer. Detroit (my ancient Board Chairman) dropped a lovely Fred heifer calf. Like her two full older sisters she is big hipped long legged deep bodied and black as black. Course Virginia spoiled it by having a Southwind Bell of Bar Lee bull calf. Last unit we had on that bull, and she just had to have a bull.

Well I am off, gotta throw my hair up, put on my Stewarts cap (literally) and head out to my battered old truck which desperately needs about $700 bucks worth of repair, oh well. I will post again soon.

I Was Hopeful...And Now Am Tickled ROAN

Ever since Broadway, Mom's shiny mahogany red and white Shorthorn-Holstein cross, was born, I've been hoping for a red roan to show. A little better than 9 months ago, Bdub was approaching time to be re-bred. Last year for her first baby she was bred to a Jersey bull. Which let me tell you the 3-way cross....looks like a leggy Jersey. Anyway when the stud rep for Select came in, we asked what he had on the truck for Shorthorn bulls. Mom's pick was a solid red bull, my preference was for a beautiful heavily roaned cow's son named Poker...He had Poker on the truck...So Poker we bought.

Fast forward nine months, and nearly two weeks as lovely Broadway went WAY overdue. Add to the nine months two weeks and however many days a lovely snow storm which dumped roughly a foot of snow, plus rain, and this morning balls of sleet, and what do you get?

That's right optimum calving time for a perverse cow. SO last night Mom Dad and I delivered (breech of course, I mean why would the calf come frontwards and make SOMETHING go right?) a big beautiful red and white and ROAN calf... And a heifer at that.

This morning despite her ordeal last night she was up and eager for her milk. She's a real long legged big deep calf. Hopefully all will go well and I can maybe show her this summer. I'm really hoping. After all...This is our first eligible Shortie....And she is CUTE! To see her pic go to Mom's blog Northview Diary.

I'm Sure

That it is foolish. But I am starting to get excited for show season this year.

Blitz's Roy daughter, Gypsy Rain, is, I think, one of the best young calves I've ever had. She eats constantly like a starving wolf, and seems to be really growing well. I've measured her a few times and sent her sizes and weights on to a friend who shows really superb Holsteins, and he and his father think she is growing at an appropriate speed. Also, she is a gentle little kitten of a calf. If you sit with her on the divider of her stall, she will plop her big black head in your lap and go to sleep. She'd rather be hugged and cuddled than just about anything else.

Her half brother/uncle (Mandy, Blitz's dam, is his momma and he is also sired by Roy) is also a fairly well tempered animal, at least as far as a 4 month old and rather long legged big bodied bull calf can be. He does kick and toss his head a bit, but mostly he is content to just watch the goings on in the stables. Unfortunately there are no bull classes at any of the shows in the region. I still think I am going to break him to lead, or have my bf do it. Since I plan/hope to keep him until breeding age, then send him out to Dependabull for collection I figure being able to handle him easily is a real swift plan.

And I am hoping to do something totally out of the ordinary for me this year...and that is show one of my cross beef steers. He's out of one of Alan's heifers actually. But mom and dad after I spent three hours in the barn delivering him last November kind of turned him over to me. I tried selling him on Craigslist but got no takers. Now I am rather glad I didn't. Hes turned into a sweet square and very stocky built young steer. I've already talked to a couple friends who show beef to get all the info I will need for showing him. I'm kind of excited, I think he'll show light or middle weight class, but I will have to deal with that this fall.

I'm debating on what I will do as far as taking a milk cow or two. Blitz will be extremely stale, as she freshened in with Gypsy in July and I don't yet have her bred back (she is due in heat around the 26th, please cross fingers she cycles well and catches as I am using my last unit of Roy on her). I dont really want to try and bag a cow that is at 365+ DMI. Then there is Mandy, she's a very nice old girl, and would show as an aged cow. And bagging her doesnt do a whole lot of good one way or the other. Then again, at Altamont for the most part that doesnt matter. I guess it will all depend on how things look come August!

Awesome News...

...On the Jersey front. Most years I pick a young sire by a bull I want to use, but don't want to spend the money on, for both my Jerseys and my Holsteins. With the Holsteins I also use what we have in the tank, and generally a few other youngsters because, well, unlike the Jerseys, I have more than 7.

A few years ago my Jersey pick was a bull named WF Centurn Seize the Moment. Sired by Centurion and out of the amazing 96 point Counciller Sheba I fell in love with his pedigree and parent averages.

Well this month Moment came out with a proof. It isn't that fantastic. Everything is pretty middle of the road, moderate or a little below average. However, I have TWO daughters. Both of which so far look pretty fantastic. The older one is due late December early January to Mecca. And the other if she is bred which she hasn't cycled since I serviced her, and she kind of has the look, is due in late March early April to a young sire by Iatola out of a Jude called Brigade (link is a PDF so be prepared for very slow loading if you are curious about him).

I actually had a different bull than Brigade picked out. But my blasted sales rep, who resigned recently and left all his dairies in the lurch with no coverage, despite my calling and saying I want 5 units of Grady, sent it all back. "Oh I didn't know that was the one you wanted". So I had to pick a different bull, as I had 2 cows in heat that day, and couldn't wait for him to order it back for me.

On another note my Duce daughter is growing nicely! If she keeps going the way she is now I hope to show her next fall. This year though I didn't have the energy to deal with all the blood work and major headaches of showing a Jersey winter calf. Frankly every time I have I end up with stomped feet. Young Jerseys seem to always want to walk on your feet instead of their own. Which is problematic in the ring...

Anyways I am off to work. Late but oh well. Take care everyone! I've got to check the heifers on the hill today, so I will have photos of the two Moment daughters later!

It's That Time of Year Again...

Summer and show season that is. I'm both excited and dreading it this year. I'm not taking many to Fonda. Three at most. And yes family I am sticking with that number!

So far there is the oldest of my Jersey calves from this year, Snickers. She's growthy and sweet, but my cows growthy is other farms puny so who knows? I like her though, she is really correct.

Snickers at a couple days old

Then there is Mandolin Rain. Who will show as a dry cow this year as we had some difficulties getting her settled last summer, she went cystic darned cow. But it allowed me to get her bred to Roylane Jordan, unfortunately for a late October calf but ah well.

Mandy (photo by Mom many moons ago at Altamont)

Finally there is Mandy's Blitz daughter. Blitz still has to come through calving. She is due, also to Roy, the week the family is at camp. Yikes. I am on my own. Whimper. Help! Hopefully her calf will be easy for her to birth. However, at the moment, the baby is seeming to be quite large. Could just be that it is my backside that is getting bumped through Mommy's tummy as I milk both her and her mother. I have to dry Blitz off in a week and I am not sure HOW I am going to be successful. She's still making over 40 lbs. With barely more than a handful of grain. She is getting less than my other dry cows. Which really scares me!

Blitz as a Junior calf at Altamont (again by Mom) Blitz just turned three so that tells you how old this pic is!