What a busy Summer

What a busy summer. The weather was hot and we got rain in all the right times. The hay was good this year.  We finally bit the bullet and had finally had enough of tinkering with equipment. We bought an almost new round baler that was quite the upgrade for us. This baler has a computer and does it all. All you have to do is dump out the finished bale when it tells you to. It is a vast difference. The other new purchase was a new 5083E limited john deere tractor. This new tractor is making life much easier and almost fun to use. Haying is not so much  of the chore it has been up until now.

new growth and hay down and ready to bale

the new tractor and almost new baler

My oldest daughter has been busy with college and work and taking care of her many piglets. She has two red wattle sows and has two litters a year. In August she had a litter of fifteen and a litter of seven. One of these newborns tried to wallow in the mudpuddle like his mother and got a bit stuck. He had to be lifted out and was brought in to be washed off. My daughter also has potbelly pigs that had babies too. She brought the potbelly piglets to the fair to show in the children's barn. Three of the potbelly piglets are now looking for homes. Two of the older red wattles were butchered this weekend and three more will move to the freezer shortly. Then it will be time to fill the big feeder pen with new weanlings. It's hard to believe these little piglets will be old enough to wean shortly.

too young to wallow...I need a bath.

maybe I can sneak away and nap without the 'kids'

pot belly piglets at the fair

 

 

 

 

.We took animals to two fairs this summer, the St. Louis county fair and the Itasca county fair. At the St. Louis fair they had Canadian bagpipers playing and this group found out we were there with our Scottish Highland cattle and requested that we be in the ring while they played outside the ring. I didn't get any pictures because we were all in the ring with animals but we did make the fair's webpage and it was an unique experience. This fair also had professional bull riders that we watched. Then the kids came back to our area and rode Bluto, our bull. It wasn't quite the same ( thank goodness).  My youngest daughter showed her bull calf, Sonny Blonde and had a great time. Her calf also won a gift certificate for cutest calf.  It was a fun time.

Beretta and Sonny Blonde

bull riding on Bluto

bull riding on Bluto, Scottish Highland calm....

Beretta and Sonny Blonde

 

The Itasca county fair is closer to home and not quite the adventure ( or the premium payouts) the St. Louis one was. Beretta is still our motivating factor and she help makes everything fun. She are her calf are so much fun to watch. She had the calf wearing her cowboy hat at one point. She helps alot and wants to be in the middle of everything. 

milk break

I'll just sit here a minute

Bluto, the bull and Keith and Beretta in the ring

Bluto, the bull and Keith and Beretta in the ring

cowgirl and 'cow' boy?

bull calves in the ring

nice heifer

Beretta and Sonny Blonde

lots of junior novice showmen

Lily riding the bull

Beretta with her trophy and Sonny Blonde

There is much being done to ready the farm for the cooler seasons to come. There is never a lack of things to do. I have more news but will save it for the next time and it shouldn't be very long away this time.  Keeping up to date is a constant struggle.  Enjoy the last rays of warmth.