Pinard Critter Camp and U-Pick

06/03/2026

04/21/2026

What makes you smile?

It’s been a hard winter, and it’s never kind to this guy.
But this photo is pure joy, that reflects all the practice of the summer and fall.
4 horses content to wait their turn for the love of a small human.
It was nice to be able to do a couple mani/pedi sessions while she was busy loving them up. 💜

04/20/2026

Myrtle never ceases to amaze me.
She’s so chill now! It shouldn’t surprise me though - we select for temperament as part of the genetics.
There are some good 4-H prospects in the making around here. Wink, wink.

04/17/2026

Checking cows is sure entertaining these days…

04/15/2026

Penny and Myrtle are out and about. 💜
Penny hear my voice and perks up….and has the zoomies. Pretty funny stuff right there!
Myrtle (M05) was re_establishing hierarchy in the herd until she got close then suddenly stopped, walked up for a head scratch.
She sure settled down to a sweet cow and good mom.

04/11/2026

Got the truck stuck in the driveway, but there’s 2 more healthy heifers on the ground, so we’re still winning. 🏆😎😂

04/06/2026

Came home from Easter shenanigans and check the trailer.
Today makers day 7 since she calved, and day 6 in the “box stall” with her calf.
Yesterday I approached the trailer to check on the things, and provide some hormones to M05 to help her bond, only to find it rocking up a storm. Poor Penny. But she’s a stubborn one too!!
Tonight was night and day difference!
I approached the trailer with a bucket of water and could hear “slurp, slurp…”
The trailer was not rocking. 😳
Could it me true?
I opened the door to a legitimately calm cow, feeding her calf!

Tomorrow she gets a fresh floor and bedding.
And maybe even the run of the trailer.
🎉💃🎉

03/31/2026

It’s good day!
M05 is far more reasonable than her mom or auntie are. So thankful!
We got her roped and loaded with a little help once more. I made sure the milk flowed easy and set Penny up.
That was FAR easier than I anticipated!
And Maizy knows who her calf is and where he is. 🎉

03/31/2026

Get cows. It’ll be fun.

Maisy(M04) had a calf yesterday.
Before she calved, she wanted P03.
Ropes, side-by-side, horse trailer….. her calf was delivered in the horse trailer and they are doing well. 🎉

This morning her 1/2 sister calved. M05 had a pretty spunky bull calf also. There was concern that she was interested in P03, so B skidded him off and away to give mom and babe time to bond. Directions to check on them

Along comes Emsley. She is one of our foundation Speckled Park and no direct relation to M05. She delivered a rather pretty heifer…right beside M05’s calf.

You can’t tell Emsley she has the wrong calf. She won’t listen. He won’t either for that matter.
I tried to set this heifer up close to find her way to M05 - but she only has eyes for P03.

WTF

Anyways. Meet Penny.
She’s pretty.
Better picture will follow when I’m not so tired.
Spring break is kicking my behind.

03/30/2026

Looks like something was going down….

Maisy, my commercial tan speckled cow, went into labour while we were out and about. While initially labour appeared to progress quickly, it stalled and she decided maybe she would take her little brother.
We have a maternity pen, but it’s locked shut under 4-6 inches of ice. 😳
B managed to get a rope on her and tied her to the side by side.
Then things got a bit western. 🤠
She followed the rope tied to the side by side pretty good, but we didn’t have a 2nd rope to tie her into the trailer. As we were thinking on this, the rope let go, cut by itself.
Trouble is, she was already outside the pen.

I called for reinforcements - ropes and smarts. lol 4 adults and 2 ropes kept E entertained and got my cow into the trailer.
Well, now that she’s contained, I guess we could just pull the calf ourselves and save the drive to Fairview Vet.
Our SME said the head was in position after all.

So I assisted in pulling my first calf - it’s a boy!
They are still in the trailer.
We can feed her for a couple days in there.

And this morning her 1/2 sister calved. Sounds like some similar grafting shenanigans, but B put the older calf in the shelter. 😆
5 of 18 calves delivered. 🎉