The view from the ground

[jensend]

strange, strange year. we had carrots fresh out of the garden yesterday. some that didn't get dug last fall got snowed on so early that the ground didn't freeze and the ones my wife brought in hadn't been frozen in the ground.

[Kathy]

Strange weather is partly due to the AHoles who are "modifying" our weather patterns. Chem trails do exist, and when I get a bit more organized I will put some of my pictures on this site.

I keep a journal and mark down each day that we see the planes spraying. We take alot of pictures! For example, today (Monday April 25) they are spraying chemicals over us, yesterday they didn't. The day before, Saturday, April 23/11, the sky was full of them - right into the evening.

Prof. David Keith (in Calgary) is working on this "geo-engineering" because they (our aka Gods on earth) need to save us from the boogey-man called Global Warming - or so THEY say.

David Keith UofC - http://people.ucalgary.ca/~keith/Geoengineering.html

Bill Gates Funding Geoengineering Research READ THIS:
http://news.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2010/01/bill-gates-fund.html
(and if you are naive enough to believe that no field research has been or IS BEING conducted, go back to sleep).

[kato]

When I worked at the vet clinic, a local "expert", who goes around making money giving lectures on low cost cattle raising came in and gave us a good stern lecture on how his cows are taking care of themselves, and costing less to care for, and all the stuff that goes with it.

A week later, in the middle of May, he was the subject of a newspaper story about how a late snowstorm had caused him to lose about fifteen or twenty calves. This was pre-BSE, so it was a good big loss.

I also remember a very large herd of pasture calving cows that managed to have an outbreak of coccidiosis in their calves. These people had a hired man who literally lived on the quad, and treated calves from morning to night. It was his full time job for three weeks. It was all he did. I don't know how many calves they ended up losing, but it was significant. They also used a truckload of those Calfspans, Sadie. ;-)

Which goes to prove "never say never", and it never hurts to be prepared to stop a wreck. Wrecks do happen, and they are expensive.

We've found that pasture calving does have less problems, but when they do happen, they are usually bigger problems. Everyone has to design a system that works for them. We'd love to go the less labour intensive route, but in our situation, it just doesn't work. So we take the bits and pieces of it, and apply them where we can.

[SADIE]

Thankyou Kato.

Gaucho---I put in 20 great years in beef cow calf practice where the clientelle were all great knowledgeable cattlemen. Herds averaging about 300 head up to 2400 head. I remember that I had about 1000 items in my "CHEST" to offer, sell my clientelle. I am now a cow-calf operator and do not sell any piece of medicine at all. I often are in conversations on what about this therapy and what about that. The best and most consistent piece of advice in spring time to the cow-calf operator is to have 1 bottle of 100 ml Trivetrin (borgal) and 1 box of calfspan (50s) on hand at all times. The calfspan doesn't outdate, keep it dry and the pills last forever. Damp or drop the box you got a mess.

Do not give this to newborn calves other than the 5 mls of Trivetrin. Trivetrin and 2 calf span is often given when we kick the pairs out to bigger areas.

Branding time, calves on the cradle if there is "loose" , black tarry or blood have a box close at hand also.

PFRA pasture managers like this combo also for 2-3 month calves on pasture.

All calves use "lub" on the pills so that you don't wreck the throats.
Often see a couple dead---3 -4 weeks old --big bull calves--pasturella pnuemonia but look at the rest---loose manure treat with protocal mentioned and you are out of the wreck.

These two drugs are very mild on these animals. The nuflor, resflor are also very good, more expensive but I say with caution do not overdose at all these products because they kill the "gut" flora. I have done that by mistake--trying to treat aggressively in a bit of a wreck.

Agriville is about sharing knowledge---I hope this helps someone somewhere sometime.

[SADIE]

we are 60 miles south of Saskatoon west of Gardiner Dam. Very happy to see spring this year. Thinking of all of you that are facing wet and snow melt to come <a href="http://s1138.photobucket.com/albums/n523/kphaber/?action=view&current=008-2.jpg" target="_blank"></a>yet.

[SADIE]

Picking the straw bales by grapple. Lifting great with strings (plastic) not breaking. Neighbor nest to me out cultiv<a href="http://s1138.photobucket.com/albums/n523/kphaber/?action=view&current=007.jpg" target="_blank"></a>ating today.

[SADIE]

Neighbor next to me out cultivating today. Ground is firm and no tracks no stucks. Very surprised compared to last year.

[grassfarmer]

How long have you been a cow/calf operator SADIE?

[gaucho]

Sadie no one is saying not to be prepared and trust me I have my vet supplies stocked and will use the products accordingly when they are needed. I do however have a big problem with spreading the notion of mass medicating with the idea of, "just in case". Disease as you well know is an outcome of stress.... Weather is a major factor in causing stress but there are many other factors as well... Chalices thread on cow BCS was a good example.... calve cows with poor BCS and you will have poor colostrum and weak calves... mix the two and add some bad weather and you are Pfizers best customer. Many time is you take a break sit back and really evaluate the situation you will see why it happened, bad weather was just the factor that put the system over the edge. I prefer to use management and planning to avoid the situation rather treating the symptoms of poor management with a fix from the bottle.... yes shit happens but my experience has been that it is easier for vets to prescribe a pharmaceutical than to get producers to look at how they run their herds.... Just look at how most guys run their grazing system.... that tells me enough that they still runs cows and are not in the grass farming business. With that I leave it up to GF to take it from here.... I know the Scotsman will have some good food for thought!

[BTOfarmallll]

IF that were my land SADIE I would be going night and day. Better git at'er, don't EVER put off what yous kin do today fer tomorrow. Time To Roll!!!!!