Friday, December 28, 2012

Merry Christmas!!

At home on the range.  Colin and I hope each and every one of you had a very Merry Christmas! After graduation and finals, Colin and I had a little time to celebrate Christmas a little early in Manhattan and then left to visit our families for Christmas with them. Each of us had a wonderful time celebrating the birth of Christ and we couldn't have been more happy to see snow when we returned home. The snow was the first moisture we had seen in a while and we were all very excited.

Merry Christmas!!!! How do you like that nice looking Hereford?

It's been a while since either Colin or I had been back to the farm to check up on things. Needless to say, Colin was thrilled to see his girls (don't worry...he tells me I'm still his number one girl) and they were thrilled to see him. Separation is hard on them...they're just a bit less spoiled when Colin's away.

Feeding ground hay with the feed wagon. 

The girls line up nicely for breakfast. 

I've been getting my bovine fix with some very dapper looking young gentleman while working on my grad project. I'm looking at how mineral supplements affect fertility in yearling, purebred bulls and I have 90 not so willing participants. They like to show off in the lot, but when it comes to their turn in the chute they are a little needle shy. Little do they know, they've got lots more opportunities to impress the lady and her clip
board.

We need to work on some bull pics, but this is how Alissa analyzes her bull data.  All business.  
The countdown is on till the wedding. With the big day less than a month away Colin and I
are very excited. There's lots to do, cattle and wedding wise,  but we will be more than ready when the 19th comes around!

Annie says hi! 

Say some prayer for the sanity of those at home on the range!



Monday, December 17, 2012

Graduation

At home on the range. Last week Colin and I finish up our last round of finals as undergraduate students. We were both pretty excited to be wrapping things up! Although we walked across the stage to get our diploma covers (actual diplomas don't come till March!!!) and then had to go back for a week of finals, we were both very ready to be Kansas State alums.


Now that we are all graduated...Colin will continue on working at River Creek Farms. I don't think it has quite hit that he will never have to spend another day in the classroom. I will begin my masters in bovine reproduction in January and then will begin vet school in August. I guess I couldn't quite give school a break. 

Congrats to the Class of 2012 from Colin and I at home on the range

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Thankful

At home on the range we are so very thankful.

  1. Family - we are so blessed to have wonderful parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, friends that are like family, and everyone else in between. 






     2. Good cows, good fences, and good land - they work very hard for us. We appreciate them more than cubes will ever show. 



      3. Fresh water  - to haul, drink, fish out of, swim in, pray for, and just enjoy. 



     4. For a new, old, cozy little home. And nice homes to go back home to. 



   5. And we are thankful for you. 


Happy Thanksgiving from Colin and I at home on the range. 



Monday, October 8, 2012

From Fall to Freeze

At home on the range. Things have been a little crazy for Colin and I lately. Juggling school, work, and keeping up with the cows back home has proven to leave little time for blogging.

Fall's a beautiful place in the Smoky Hills. 

So...since it has been a while, let me update you about our lives at home on the range.

1) First, I am learning to pregnancy check cattle! Never has a college class been so fun - we spend one day a week palpating cattle to determine how far along they are in gestation. We don't have pictures of me elbow deep in a cow, but I'm sure a few will show up come November when Colin and I preg check our herd!
The gals better get excited!!!!

113 looks pretty excited don't you think! 111...not so much. 
2) We weaned our calves this weekend! Basically this means that we physically separated the momma cows from their calves so that we could sell the calves and retain the heifers. This sounds like it would be difficult for both cow and calf, but just like  with human young adults, there comes a time when the calf can function without the constant watch of its mother. This is important for the consumer because it ensures an ever present food source and important for Colin and I because weaning day means pay day!

A freshly weaned steer belly up to the bunk.
3) We had an early frost...and a few snow flurries. This weekend wasn't just cold, it was down right freezing. Fortunately, Colin and I and the cows were ready for some cooler weather....maybe just not this cool! Sunday morning we woke up to a beautiful freeze and weather fit for coveralls. Not only is a freeze a sure sign that cold weather is just around the corner, but it is also important for fall crops. A freeze stops the growing season and allows the crops to get to the point where we can begin to harvest.

All huddled up for a check of the pasture. Thank goodness for hoods. 

Can you see the flurries?

Defrosting before Church.

5) Just because it's cold doesn't mean the work stops. Colin worked extra hard to get the pasture ready to move cattle. This meant fixing more fence and ensuring that water was available. 

How do you like that hat?!? Fix fencing cold weather style....
6) And last but not least, we moved more heifers home. Colin and I sold four of our heifers to Colin's parents and they kept a few of their own heifers back as well. The purpose of keeping heifers back is to ensure replacement cows for the future by selecting for the best of the best. These heifers are the future of our herd and we take great pride in them. We feed them at home to ensure that they are fit enough to breed next spring and we baby them just a little so that they get used to us working them. 

They're all just dolls. And the sad thing is they know it already. 

And how could we forget...at home on the range we are super excited to see our Kansas State Wildcats as a top ten team!!! Colin is ecstatic and I'm just pleased as punch that I have the opportunity to hear more about football than I ever thought possible. The man is crazy....and so is this steer. He's a K-State fan as well if you couldn't tell by the tag.

Mr. K-State

So until the next time we post...probably in a week or so....have a glorious fall, keep rooting for the Cats, and crank up that thermostat. Have a wonderful week at home on the range.








Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Fall's Creepin in on the Farm

At home on the range fall is creepin in.

The heifers are back home. 


The bull pen's full.


The bale trailer's hitched.


The combine's rumblin. 


Even Annie knows fall is here to stay. 


Happy fall (officially in a few days) from those of us who are always and forever at home on the range

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Laborious Weekend

At home on the range things are busy as usual. This past weekend Alissa and I went home to do our best to help out.  Hauling water is now a daily chore.  Haying sumac and sedan grass (a.k.a. cane) as well as CRP has taken most of the time lately in an effort to produce enough feed to compensate for the drought.



This weekend Alissa and I helped with the haying (baling and stacking bales of cane) and hauling water as well as our own endeavors of body condition scoring the cattle. When we body score a cow, we are using a 1 to 9 scale to determine the outer physical condition of the cow.  This will alert us if a cow is too skinny that something is wrong or if a cow is too large that she might be eating more than her share of grass.  This is helpful in the long run because we want a happy medium for our cows, by monitoring how the cows change through out the year.


Although we got up much earlier and worked much harder than if we were in class, the break from school was a welcome change, reminding us of why we go to school in order that someday we will be better cattleman, stewards of the land, and business managers when we return to our home on the range.




Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Back to School

At home on the range. It's that time of the year again! This Monday Colin and I celebrated our very last first day of our undergraduate education! In reality it was Colin's real last first day and my last first day till vet school next August.


Although we (or more accurately, probably just me) are looking forward to a semester full of new information and learning opportunities, it's hard to say goodbye to summertime at home on the range

Monday, July 30, 2012

Some more about water...

At home on the range. As a farmer or rancher, there is one thing you never forget to pray about...water. Whether its falling from the sky, shooting out a pivot, or sitting in a pond, we're always asking God to have some there when we need it and to send it if its not. Lately we've been doing a lot of asking. We've been asking for rain to fall, creeks to keep running, and for the algae to stay away.

As Colin mentioned earlier this month, because of the lack of water we've been hauling water to our cows. We like to have more than one source of water available and lately that's where some ranchers around Kansas have been running into problems.

With the high temperatures and lack of moisture, creeks and ponds are either dried up or a possible breeding ground for blue-green algae. Blue-green algae appears on the surface of stagnant water and resembles a foamy, thick, paint-like slurry. It comes in all colors, but most frequently true to the name in either blue or green shades. If the cows don't drink from the water we haul them, they are at risk of blue-green algae toxicity.

Blue-green algae is not always harmful, but lately we have been finding more and more blue-green algae that is.  Harmful blue-green algae contains toxins that could affect an animal (or a human's) intestinal and respiratory systems either by inhalation or consumption. Complications can range anywhere from mild illness to death.


As the number of lakes and ponds across Kansas with verified toxic blue-green algae rises, it is important to be aware. We frequently check our ponds and try our best to prevent stagnant water. If the water is questionable we fence off the pond to prevent the cattle from consuming possibly harmful algae blooms.

One of Colin and my good friends, Dani, works in diagnostics at the Kansas State vet school and she has been keeping us informed of new blue-green algae cases and the options we have as producers. Currently our pond water looks clear and healthy, but if we see a questionable algae bloom we have the option of sending in a sample to be tested.

In the meantime, we'll be watching our water and praying for rain at home on the range.






Friday, July 27, 2012

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Life on the Lake

At home on the range. For the past week and a half, Colin and I each had our own separate adventures. My family and I headed north to Cedar Rapids Lodge in Tenstrike, MN and Colin headed south to New Orleans, LA with his church's youth group to chaperon their youth gathering.

I'm sure Colin will get around to updating you on his New Orleans adventures...he's got to catch up on some sleep first! But in the mean time, I'll share a bit about Cedar Rapids.

For the past seven years, I've spent the month of July working for Steve and Pat Addler at their resort on Medicine lake in northern Minnesota. My family had always spent a week of the summer at Cedar Rapids and over the years, Steve and Pat became like a set of second parents to me.

Because this was my last summer at home, I decided not to work for the Addlers, and instead just come up as a guest with my family. I missed spending the whole month at the lake, and I really missed seeing all the friends I'd made over the years, but I thoroughly enjoyed spending the week with my family.

Prior to heading up to the lake, we were able to spend quality time with my grandparents and aunts and uncles in Minneapolis. I hadn't seen them in a while and it was so nice to catch up. After seeing my dad's family, we met up with the Cunninghams and Schreibers and headed north!

Our week spent at the lake was filled with sun, sun, and more sun! At times it felt hotter than Kansas, but a quick jump in the lake reminded us that we were far from home.

The fishing was some of the best we had ever had and we spent many nights on the boat catching Crappies, Bluegills, Sunnies, Northerns, and a Walleye or two. For one of the first years ever, we had extra fish at our annual fish fry!

Even Grace and Luke got in on the fishing. Luke was probably the most devoted fisherman of us all, and Grace thoroughly enjoyed holding worms, petting fish, and telling stories.

We also spent lots of quality time in the lodge catching up with old friends and making new ones. Our time at the lake was very enjoyable and we can't wait to return next year. Thanks Addlers for the hard work you put in to make our vacation wonderful!!!! If you'd like more information about Cedar Rapids, here's the website: http://crlodge.com/

On our way back home, we stopped at my Dad's Aunt and Uncle's farm to say hello. Christian and Dad enjoyed taking the 4-wheelers out for a spin, and mom and I had fun hearing lots of stories about family members.

All in all we had a wonderful vacation. None of us are quite ready to be back home, but now that we're all back home on the range, it's time to get into gear and make the most of our last few weeks of summer!

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Where's the Water?

At home on the range. Like most of the Midwest, dry.  The last time it rained was June 16th and it is definitely starting to show.  Not only is the grass turning brown and ponds are starting to dry up; but there is also the risk of grass fires. 

The landscape is turning very brown.

A large pond is completely dried up.
Grass
Lets start with the grass.  As the grass matures, it starts to lose nutritional value and increases in the amount of fiberous material, also known as lignin.  Lignin is the stiff support material that a plant develops as it grows older. The problem with lignin is that it is very "woody" making it difficult for a cow to digest. This causes longer digestion time and less time acquiring nutrients. 


We use a 1,000 gallon nurse tank with a gasoline transfer pump
 to speed up the process of hauling water.
Drinking Water
The lack of moisture is causing a large amount of our ponds to dry up to nothing, causing proactive measures to be taken.  About 5 days a week 1,000 gallons of water are hauled to my parents cattle. Although there is a creek running through the pasture that Alissa and I are renting, it is near drying up and we are now also hauling water to our cows.  Although our cows do not require as much water as my parents it is essential to have water available to the cows on such hot days.

Fires
On June 27 the severity of lack of moisture hit home as between 2,000 and 2,500 acres of land burnt within miles of home.  The extreme heat of around 116 degrees farenheit plus above 30 mph winds caused grass fires to burn and move extremely fast in the direction of much of our pasture land and homestead.

Within the 24 hours of drafting  this post, we received around .8 inches of rain.  The rain truly was a blessing from God, helping the grass hang and crops hang on a little longer and reducing the danger of fires.  Still, it takes numerous rains to refill ponds again.  So for now, a little rain helps a lot, but water must still be hauled at home on the range.



Thursday, July 5, 2012

Vet Work

At home on the range. For the past two weeks I've been extremely lucky and blessed to return to Norton, KS and intern again with the White family at Norton Animal Health Center. Norton's about 25 miles away from Colin's parent's house and home to a whopping three grocery stores!!! That's big time, for a small town in Northwestern Kansas. The people are wonderful and it's smack in the middle of cow calf country. To me, it's about as good as Kansas gets.

While staying with Aaron and Sarah White and their two boys Gideon and Isaiah, I got to see first hand what  it takes to run a mixed practice, rural vet clinic. With about half small animal and half large animal, I was able to get my hands dirty in everything from fertility testing bulls to small animal dentals!

I also had a wonderful time getting to know the rest of the Norton Animal Health Center staff. Jim, Rosemary, Amber, Cari, and Judy were so kind to me and were as welcoming as always! Everyone at the clinic took me under their wing and taught me what they knew! Every bit of it will be helpful someday when I'm out on my own as a veterinarian.



Towards the end of my stay at Norton, Gideon helped me take a few pictures of my favorite parts of the clinic. 



Big surprise, my favorite part of the clinic is the working chute! I was fortunate to spend a lot of time in the barn this year mostly testing bulls, but we saw a few calves and cows too. The covered hydraulic chute and alley ways have certainly spoiled me. 



The fancy digital x-ray and brand spankin' new CBC machine are some of my other favorite clinic toys! 


I was able to spend lots of time observing surgeries too! 

While in Norton, Colin surprised both his family and I and came down to spend the weekends with us. It was so nice to see him and because he loves his cows almost as much as me, we were able to spend lots of quality time with the girls. We hadn't seen them in a while and it seemed like they missed us just as much as we missed them.


So, if you happen to find yourself in Norton, KS and are looking for a vet, or two, be sure to visits the Whites! If you want to know a bit more about their practice, their website is a wonderful resource: http://www.nortonanimalhealthcenter.com/

 It's a hot one! Stay cool on your own home on the range.