Pasture Based Dairy Gal

08/17/2023

My grandpa taught me
'Bout Buck knives and shotguns
How to cast an old Zebco
How to work a stick shift
He taught me the Bible
'Bout all 12 disciples
He made sure that I know
There's life after this
With pearly gates
And streets of gold
And if I just believe
That's where I'll go
Lord, when I die
I wanna live on the outskirts of Heaven
Where there's dirt roads for miles
And hay in the fields, and fish in the river
Where there's dogwood trees, and honeybees
And blue skies, and green grass forever
So, Lord, when I die
I wanna live on the outskirts of Heaven
Now it says in the King James
In the Almighty's kingdom
He mentions a mansion
That he's built just for me
I gladly trade it
And a backyard that's shaded
And a squeaky front-porch swing
That's where I wanna hang my wings
When I die
I wanna live on the outskirts of Heaven
Where there's dirt roads for miles
And hay in the fields, and fish in the river
Where there's dogwood trees, and honeybees
And blue skies, and green grass forever
So, Lord, when I die
I wanna live on the outskirts of Heaven
The good Lord knows me
He knows I need blue skies
And green grass forever
So, Lord when I die
I wanna live on the outskirts of Heaven
Lord, when I die
I wanna live on the outskirts of Heaven.
---Craig Campbell

08/16/2023

What are some common opinions about the dairy industry? Are they myth or are they the truth? State them here!

08/15/2023

08/15/2023

Flower! She is such a character! I am blessed with a wonderful husband, great friends, and gorgeous cattle. What are YOU grateful for?

08/14/2023

Sweet Eirah! We own only 2 Guernsey girls, but I adore both of them! I hope there are many more to be added over the coming years!

08/14/2023

We got a total of 4 more inches of rain overnight. I'd stopped grazing the sorghum on Friday, because of the soft ground. Now our cows are back on to Bermuda and other native grasses, which thanks to the moisture, is growing well. Tomorrow I'll mow down excess grass to be baled. It is so much cooler now! A low of 58 is coming tonight.

08/13/2023

I made this post on my personal page a while back. But I thought it was worth sharing here.

It's the ears folks, it's the ears! If she had Holstein ears she'd be cute, just not THIS cute!

With that being said....I think it needs to be addressed AGAIN as to why dairy producers separate calves at birth.

1) to prevent mastitis toxicity in the dam. A dairy cow is genetically geared to produce volume. It doesn't matter what you feed her, she will "outgun" her calf. It is in her DNA. Compromise her feed to control said volume, and she will lose condition. She is NOT a beef cow.

2) disease prevention for newborns. Dairy calves lack the hybrid vigor of their beef counterparts. Isolation allows them to build natural immunity under supervised conditions.

3) feed intake can be monitored much more closely for the calf in a one hut scenario. We know exactly what that calf is eating, and can adjust accordingly if needed. In essence, the calf gets "customized care." It is not a one size fits all situation.

4) the bond between cow and calf never takes place. The calf instead bonds with the caretaker, making them much calmer and easier to handle at all life stages, particularly when she enters the lactating string.

5) the cow is allowed to reach her full productive potential, for many of the same reasons listed for her calf. We see them at least 2 times a day, and can catch health problems much faster than if she was nursing a calf.

6) dairy mamas...well, tend to be lousy with maternal instinct. Many of then deliver their calf and want nothing to do with it. Fault that how you may, but decades of her being manipulated genetically have dictated she is not made to nurse a calf. She is a producer that provides the world with dairy products.

7) the herd environment is a dangerous one. Period. Dairy cows lack the common sense to protect their calf. They are more worried about self preservation, and that includes dominance "wars" with other cows, that routinely take place, no matter how long they've been in a group. Throw a helpless calf in to that mix, and the outcome should be evident.

With these factors being stated, if you have never euthanized a newborn that has been stepped on by its own mother, or picked a newborn calf out of the mud after delivery, than you have zero grounds to offer an accusation. We do what we do for these reasons, and more. Talk to a producer before saying we are inhumane. You just MIGHT change your mind.

08/12/2023

Duchess is a spring heifer calf (born late February 2023.) She already has grazing down, and is growing well.

08/12/2023

Good morning! We had more rain overnight! I am oh so grateful for it, once again!

"Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life." ----Genesis 9:14-15

08/09/2023

I will never tire of watching a pasture based herd. Their shiny coats, and overall health in this environment are mind blowing to me, especially after spending decades with confinement herds. Our cattle are happy. That means more to me than words can say.

08/08/2023

High quality grass doesn't come by accident. We "reset" paddocks when growth exceeds intake, either with a brush hog, or a mower that enables us to bale it for hay. We also use fertilizer, insecticides and herbicides. Spring and fall brings reseeding with appropriate forages. Regenerative grazing means that lactating are moved every 12 hours, and allotted only what they will eat during that time span. Dry cows and heifers are on that same spot within 24 hours, serving as a cleanup crew. That land than rests and grows for ideally 21 to 28 days before cattle are returned to it.

08/07/2023

Panda. She isn't purebred Holstein, even though one would think so by judging her color pattern. She is actually half Milking Shortie. Often when a cow has trouble conceiving to her own breed, "cross breeding" will do the job.

08/07/2023

Hello fine folks! I've ran a similar blog prior, and than I was hacked. My intention is to let you, the reader, dictate my content. I live and breath registered dairy cattle, but overall my singular goal is preventative health and nutrition. No one wants a sick animal, for a variety of reasons. I've worked confinement herds the majority of my adult life, and now use the regenerative grazing approach. I'm happy to share what works, and alternately, what does not. I don't expect anyone to take what I say as the ONLY way to manage. I'm here merely to tell my story, and help others. Promoting dairy is a passion of mine. I am an open book with what we do. Feel free to invite your friends, and tell me what you want to see discussed!

We own Holstein, Jersey, Swiss, two Guernsey, and one Ayrshire. I don't discriminate on breeds, and love all of them equally. Welcome here!