Our Herd Increases

There is a baby boom at Bremer Farms!

We have had 28 calves born in 26 days.

 Each calf weighs about 90 pounds and can stand and walk, all within minutes of being born. Our newborn calves are fed colostrum, which is the first milk from the mama cow. Calves receive colostrum within hours of birth to receive antibodies from their mom, which protect them against disease in their early life. During the cold winter months each calf is outfitted with a coat to help them stay warm and comfortable.

 Like snowflakes, no two calves have exactly the same pattern of spots. This little cutie, although red and white is still a Holstein. Typically Holstein cows and calves are black and white, however the red and white Holsteins are a product of recessive genes. Do you see the black spot to the right of this calf? That's her calf coat...the coat that is supposed to keep her warm. Yep, this little stinker shimmied out of it, but not for long. After this picture was taken, she was bundled up again. We want our babies to be comfy!

Speaking of increasing the herd-

Here is the newest additions to my "indoor" herd. Since we live on a dairy farm, cows just keep appearing! Family and friends see them, and before you can say "Moo" they are in my hands. You see, if you know me, you know I love cows, and sometimes it's nice to enjoy the kind you don't have to feed or clean-up after! Thanks to church friends Turney and Ruth, co-worker Barb, and cousin Alex for the new bovines!

Baby, It's Cold Outside

When our Minnesota winter weather dips below zero degrees like it has the past few days, and the wind makes it feel even colder, it is time to take serious action. I pull on my warmest hat, coat, and mittens, and I also try to stay indoors as much as possible.

Our animals do much the same as we do in this weather. No, we don't have hats and mittens for our cattle, but we do have cold weather procedures to keep our animals comfortable.

Just like us throwing another blanket on the bed, our animals get additional bedding too. Straw and cornstalks are added daily to the pens as insulation from the cold. Our cows are housed in a freestall barn which allows them to move about freely to eat and drink whenever they like. This barn provides protection from the wind and cold. 

If you read my Farming 101-1 Cow Milking post, you know that after milking each cow, its utter is treated with a sanitizer dip. In winter months we use a powdered dip that is specially formulated for inclement weather, to provide better protection from the cold.

The cows aren't the only ones to get special treatment during this cold snap. This three day old calf is modeling an insulated coat to keep her warm and comfortable. And look at all the fresh bedding she gets!

The final job of the day, no matter what the temperature, is to walk through the barns to make sure everyone is tucked in for the evening. We take the comfort and safety of our animals very seriously.