Newest Additions to the Farm Family

The number of critters around here keeps growing!  While these are the newest additions, they've all been around for about a month now.  It's hard to believe it's been that long already!

 

These little chicks hatched on Father's Day and was a neat surprise for Rich when he went to the barn in the morning.  They hatched about a month later than we expected them to since the hen started nesting a long time before that.  Actually, a second hen started nesting in the time the first one was and I really don't know which of the two hatched them out since they both became their moms.

 

 Within about two days of them hatching, one of them didn't make it, but the other has been thriving with the help of the two hens.  It's been so neat watching them look after the one little chick.  I've seen them attack the cattle for getting too close.  I've seen them find a piece of food and call the chick over to eat it. And the neatest thing of all is how they roost at night together...see the white hen's wing over the other hen?  That picture was taken on one of the last nights that the three of them roosted in the straw together.  The chick is now old enough that it roosts on it's own.

 

Four days after the chicks hatched, two newborn TWIN calves came to live with us.  We don't typically take twins because they just don't usually do well and these calves were no exception to that!  (Cattle prices are super high right now and these two were much more reasonable...but we've paid for it in time spent on them!!)  We fought to keep the white one alive from the very beginning, but with several doses of antibiotics, vitamins and electrolytes I think we're finally on the right track with him.

 

Now, I'd say his brother was no trouble at all...but he has been the exact opposite from the white one and has been very annoying!  I think he took all the black from the white one and, while he was at it, stole all his energy too.  You can even tell from the picture he didn't even hold still long enough for me to get a decent shot!  LOL!

Despite the troubles each of them have given us, we have grown to really care for them.  I think they'll be the hardest, of all the cattle that we've had, to send to the meat processor in 18 (or so) months.