Snow, Ice, & Freezing Fingers

I hope everyone has fared the winter storm well. We were fortunate enough to have mostly snow, but I know those south of us have been dealing with far worse conditions and power outages due to ice. Though we’ve had more time indoors to plan for the upcoming season and prepare farm taxes, we’ve still had to spend quite a bit of time in the frigid temps - making the rounds doing animal checks, breaking ice, putting out extra feed and bedding.

Though we’re on the back end of calving season, we’re still waiting on a few mommas to drop their calves. Luckily, they’ve held off having them in the sleet and freezing rain we had at the beginning of the winter storm this past weekend. The worst is having a wet, cold newborn calf. The cattle endure the cold temps, though fairly well; they may be covered in ice and snow, and it may look alarming, but that’s a good indication their thick winter coat is doing its job, and they're maintaining their body temperature.

Hogs have been nestled in their huts with straw, and they never really venture out much until it’s feeding time. We do not have broiler chickens or turkeys this time of year, as we only raise them seasonally from March to November, but we do have our layer flock to check on. They’re pretty hearty, as well, and as long as we keep them supplied with straw in the nesting boxes, some extra feed, and fresh water, they should be just fine.

A few weeks ago, we had a weak calf that was dealing with a tight tendon in its leg, causing it to walk on its knuckle bone and making it difficult for the calf to nurse. We managed to get both the momma and the baby inside the barn, and with a bit of patience, we were able to get the calf to nurse on its own.

I called our friend Shelby at Diamond Ridge Farm to get her opinion on the leg issue. We decided to split a piece of PVC pipe to use as a makeshift cast, which helped straighten the leg and encouraged the calf to walk on the tip of its hoof. After about a week, we removed the DIY cast, and it worked! The calf is now doing fine and walking normally. This was a relief, as if the cast hadn't worked, we would have had to call a vet to consider snipping the tendon to prevent lameness.

Hope everyone is staying warm and safe in these conditions. Come see us any Saturday at the Lexington Farmers’ Market at Greyline Station.