Feeding Hay and Treats; Integrating a Dexter Steer With the Rest of the Herd

01/27/2009 Tuesday: Snow last night but not too much. By noon there was only about an inch and a half. When I went out to do chores the temperature wasn't too bad. It must have been close to 32 degrees F because the water was covered with partially melted snow but was not frozen.

After we moved two round bales into the Hereford's collapsible feeder we picked up the weeks of feed sacks full of more feed sacks, garbage and round bale wraps and took them over to the fire. I also picked up boxes that we'd stored on the deck and put them on the ATV and hauled them to the brush pile next to the green barn for starting the fire. That's almost always our biggest slash pile and it takes a lot of paper to get the wood burning.

I fed the Dexters their treats. What a lot of pushing and shoving to get their share. Then I opened the gate between the Dexter steer and the Dexter herd and let the herd into the pen where the steer has been living for the past two weeks. He's always reluctant to go where I want him to go so I thought I'd use the herd to move him.

I checked the Dexter's water. It was full. I sort of stirred up the water and broke what little ice there was in the tub. It's a good thing I filled both water tubs in the road pasture because I doubt if the hoses will unthaw enough for me to refill them. One hundred gallons lasts about a day around here.

This afternoon's mail brought me another letter from the WA State DOAgriculture.

When I went down to do my evening chores all the Dexters but one the cows (Cheddar) were in their regular pasture. So, moving the calf with the herd seems to work.

I hustled Cheddar into the pasture with the others and have closed up that pasture to let it recover till I get the newest calf in that pen. I'd like to get the Shorthorn bull calf used to electric fences and to the other cows. He's due to be castrated 02/17/09. I'll move him about that time.

We had chicken breasts with rice and home grown squash. I baked the bread that Chas had made. He replaced 1 cup of the regular white flour with 1 cup of whole wheat and added a little extra water. The bread was so good. Chas got it to the right consistency and when I cooked it the center was soft and the outside was hard and crispy like European bread.