My first very own team

[dominiquer60]

At my county fair I met a teamster that had a pair of Shorthorn/Durham bull calves started and for sale at a decent price. His farm is about 3 hours from my place and although I was very interested, I could not make the time to get there. I had even looked into a 4″ yoke knowing that I didn’t have the time to make one. I ended up buying the beautiful yoke and never seeing the calves.

The day that the yoke arrived, I thought I would look quickly at rural heritage in case there were any new posts for sale. 2 pairs of calves at the same place only 35 minutes away. I went up that night to look at them.

The lineback pair is nice, but I have had my heart set on Shorthorns for a while so I focused on them. A roan and a red who look just like their mothers that are daughter/dam and were bred to the same sire, chances are that they will be well mated when they mature. The seller is a very nice dairy farmer and the farm nice small clean one that I used to admire every time that I passed it on my way to a farmers’ market. He had sold the original herd and retired, only to realize that he enjoyed being a dairy farmer too much, so his retirement herd is 25 milkers of 8 different breeds, super clean, very low inputs and a very nice farm. His wife turns out to be a friend of mine that worked at the apple orchard that used to lend us cooler space for our vegetables, so I had a really good feeling about this place and these animals.

I asked for first refusal and promised to return the next week when I had gathered all that I would need for my new project, mainly my lent out calf hutches. I picked them up yesterday and my new friends send me home with a pal of milk, a bale of hay and enough grain for 2 days to help with the transition to the calves new home. I really look forward to starting this young bright eyed yet calm pair. First lessons will start this after noon once I get my winter spinach seeded and tuck my Planet Jr. to bed for the winter.

I look forward to seeing many of you all next week at the field days, the boys are coming too.

Erika

[Andy Carson]

Congrats Erika! They are very cute. I look forward to hearing more about them in the future…

[Tim Harrigan]

Nice calves, I like roans and that red and white will step flashy with those white socks.

[Robin]

Great looking little “guys”! I’ll see you & your “guys” next week.
Robin

[Michel Boulay]

Good looking pair Erika, hope you have fun with them. Love those colors. Keep us posted. Have a great time next week everybody!!:)
Mike

[dominiquer60]

Thanks All, I am enjoying getting to know them better. I am happy to have a well mated pair. If I had two identical pairs of calves to choose from one red, one roan I am not sure I could decide, so I am glad to have one of each 🙂

[Vicki]

They look great! Can’t wait to meet them and you! Turns out at last minute hubby and I will be at Field Days Sat. Will be great to see Howie and Robin again and the rest of you.

[Robin]

Great news Vickie. This should be a real hoot. Are you camping or staying in a motel? Looking forward to seeing everyone.

[dominiquer60]

Abe & Will are coming along nicely. I am able to work them for 15 minutes each morning and evening as we wait for their milk to warm. They are understanding leading and whoa is easy if they are actually paying attention to me, otherwise they are reminded that they need to be. Last night I walked them together for the first time. In their paddock they were slugs, but once we headed out the gate they became very interested in this activity. We toured the construction site where we are assembling a greenhouse and they got a chance to see some new things and experience different sounds and smells. Tonight we tried on our gently used Huppe yoke and walked around the door yard a lap, it will do quite nicely.

The truck is mostly loaded and I have to harvest a bit in the morning, but I look forward to seeing many of you tomorrow/this weekend.

Erika

[Vicki]

Robin: We’re staying in White River Junction Fri. and Sat. nights to celebrate 32nd anniversary.

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