A Few of My Favorite Things

“When the dog bites, when the bee stings,
When I’m feeling sad,
I simply remember my favorite things,
And then I don’t feel so bad.”

On that note, it’s time for me to remember a few of my favorite things.  I hope you like them too.

There’s nothing that brings joy to the weary soul quite like watching the new calves run & play in the pasture.  No matter how bad things are, their playfulness always puts a smile on my face.  We’ve been having some lovely spring weather early this year, so not only does it make the calves feel frisky, it also makes me feel better.

New calves also means I now have cows to milk.  I’ve found half gallon mason jars with reCap pour lids to be the most convenient way to store & use my lovely Dexter milk.  These things are really the trick!  They eliminate the mess of trying to pour out of the wide jar mouth.

After calving, the cows obviously need to be bred back.  I love using Estrotect stickers, whether I’m tracking heats to AI a cow or just putting her in with a bull.  The sticker goes over the cow’s tailhead & the silver rubs off when she’s in standing heat, so I know an exact breeding date…or when to call the vet for AI.

Calves around this farm usually get halter trained, especially if I’m milking their momma.  I have several of my favorite style of halter….they’re the ones I always reach for first.  I think this halter is the best design for training a calf to lead, because the metal ring allows for a full “release” of pressure when they give the right response. (Yes, I use a natural horsemanship type, pressure & release method to halter train my cattle.)

“These are a few of my favorite things.”  I feel better…hope you do too.