The beginning of May was busy with land work, seeding and fencing. On the 13th we started hauling cows to their summer pastures.
Gregory was busy seeding and so he helped me load, then the kids and I took the heifers to the pasture up by Leipzig. On the 14th Gregory was able to take the stock trailer with the cows, and I took the two-horse trailer with the calves. On the last load Gregory had to load a truck with wheat that John had sold, and so the kids and I hauled out the last few cows and calves in the front of the stock trailer and the bull was on the back.
By the end of the day all of the cows and bulls were out to pasture. We were even able to get our new bull out with his heifers because Dan Mitchell was able to bring him in the evening and was kind enough to give our young Hereford bull a lift to his cows as well.
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On the 16th our first foal was born, a beautiful bay roan colt. On the 18th we had our second foal, a red roan filly. On the 21st a first-time mother had our third foal. For three days prior to the third foal, it had rained. It was a very slow rain and so we didn’t get a great deal but it stayed cool, so the ground soaked in every drop. The foals were all quite healthy and happy.
On the 25th we went to mass, then took the boys and Anna out to the pasture to ride and check the cows and the water. Joseph is getting better at communicating with old Reba. James and Ian still greatly enjoy being led through the cows and across the pasture. The cows are quite happy with their summer pasture.
On the 27th there was a little more rain and the fourth foal arrived, a dark bay filly. The next day our fifth foal, a sorrel colt, was born, and then the next day the sixth foal, a red roan colt, was born. It has been an interesting foaling season with the foals arriving close together in groups. Some mares have been overdue a few days, and some have been a few days early.
On the 31st we finished seeding. We celebrated with a barbecue and some ice cream.
A new milk cow arrives
On June 1 it was so windy we didn’t go for a ride but we did go for a drive and checked the water and the cows and horses. In the evening our new milk cow calved. She’s a registered Hereford heifer who is very quiet. I halterbroke her last summer in hopes of using her as a milk cow. She had a healthy Hereford bull calf and is a very good mother.
On June 2 we planted our potatoes. We cut up the potatoes, then John drove the garden tractor with the potato planter and the boys put the potatoes down the chute. They took turns sitting in the seat and did their best to plant the potatoes evenly. By noon we were done and the kids had a lot of fun.
In the afternoon, Gregory and I worked on cleaning up the maples and caraganas that were growing in the lilac bushes. It has needed to be done for a few years but the timing has never worked out before. After cleaning up the trees, Gregory worked the garden for me to start planting.
That evening we had another first-time mother foal. She had a sorrel filly. She was a few days early and her dam was a few days overdue. Her dam foaled a few hours later and had a red dun colt. We now are waiting on one more foal to be born.
On June 3, the boys and Anna and I worked on planting our garden while Gregory took John into Saskatoon for a medical appointment. He also picked up a few supplies and the chicks we had ordered. The boys and Anna were very excited for the chicks. It will be a great learning experience for them.
