Week Two!

Well work is picking up.  After a full day I even made it to the gym!  After a 45 minute workout I headed to "farm home."(FH)  A little background about FH... I am staying with an old friend and her parents.  They have been generous to open their home to me.  I still have to figure out how to thank them in a way they will accept.

Today I thought I figured it out.  I offered to help feed the cows/calves.  Let me first add I have already learned more about where our food comes from than I thought I would.  (Remember... I'm a city chic)

New vocab:
Nutted
Silage
Spaghetti Pie

First thing when in the barn.... FLIES! All over the place! Then there was cats, calves, poop, hay, flies, moos, and flies.  oh! and don't forget baby chics.  Steps to feeding cows....
1. mix milk
2. bring milk to day old (CUTE) cow, who almost knocked the bucket over in trying to get the milk.  I admit if I hadn't eaten since 4am I'd be pushy too.
3.  Try and feed the babies who don't get how to drink from the bucket.... bottle time!
4. day old cows....are not smart.  You literally have to hold their head to the bottle just to get it.    Then when they do get it?  ATTACK!!!! The milk was gone in 3 minutes or less.
5.  Next feed cute but begging cats.
6. See chicks while protecting them from cats.
7. Learn that "mucking" stalls is not how to clean up cow poop.  It's scraping!  I'll spare you the details... but the smell was gone thanks to the barn cleaner.  Think of a moving circle of rakes taking the ick, hay, food... etc out of the barn.  Note before turning on, make sure no baby cows can get stuck.
8.  Move dirty food over for the older cows.
9. Fresh food for the middle aged cows.  Learned: corn is like candy or apple pie for cows... They went nuts... mooing and pushing ensued. 
10. Learn how food get from silough to barn.
11 inside at 7pm, shower and wolf down pizza.
12. relax and stop blogging.

Good night!