Moving at a Fast Pace

The calves learn to move fast...for two reasons. 1. When they hear "Come Esther!", that means the gate is open for the herd to move to fresh grass, and 2. they need to run fast to get out of the cows way...

When we moved the herd the other evening, Verne opened the paddock gate where they had been grazing, and I was at the top of the pasture opening the gate to a fresh paddock. I gave the call, head cow Esther heard and saw me, and they were in the mood to race up the hill. I caught photos of them coming up the hill, and then as they passed me. (I was on the other side of the fence of course.)

It's so cool to watch them move. Sometimes the herd just walks up the lane, munching grass along the way, and then other times they run full blast. It depends on the weather and their attitude.

Scratching off Winter

I couldn't resist taking a snapshot of our young herd bull, Takoda while he was scratching at his old winter coat.

I've seen him use the brush a little on his head, but not like our last bull Tonka used too. Tonka would rub on that brush until his entire winter coat was gone. He was bare skin within the first two days of when we put the brush out for them.

The second photo is of Esther, our head cow giving her body a good workout on the brush. She's almost done rubbing off her old hair. With temperatures warming up to the 80s this week, the animals are ready to get down to their summer hide.

Cow Dallas had her calf this last Saturday. It seems so small compared to the older calves born a month ago. The older calves are growing their "buttons", the start of their horns that will become massive like Takoda's in just a few years.

Finally Cruising into May

The wind has died down and the temperatures have finally warmed up into the low 70s. With recent rains and warm sunshine, the grass is getting tall and it's hard to see the calves if they are lying down.

The herd, both old cows and new calves, are enjoying the settled weather and growing pasture.

The cows with the oldest calves are relaxing a bit when I walk out to check the water tanks, although I still stay a good 15 feet from the fence dividing us.

It was ChaWakan and Lottie that had calves last Thursday. Since then Ida, Colorado, and Dakota have added calves to the herd too.

We'll still have more calves, but it could be into June before they are all born.

I’ll keep you updated on the pasture births as I see them.

More Buffalo Babies!

Just watched the newest baby stand up! That's the second today! Both mothers are smaller in stature, so I'm guessing they are ChaWakan and Camille. Since these were three-year-old "heifers", they now are "cows" because they have given birth to a calf. I'll let you know in my next email who the new cows were.

I'm checking the pasture by binoculars these days, for both babies and water tanks. On Tuesday I was on the porch watching and waiting for Freda to give birth. She had a tough time with a three-hour breech birth last year, so I was worried about her this year. It took a while, but she had her baby at 7 minutes before 11 am, and it stood up at 7 minutes after 11 am. Fourteen minutes from birth to standing- be it a little wobbly...

About 2 pm that day I needed to check the water tank as it had a problem and was overflowing when I first checked it that morning. I turned off the electricity to the fence and started walking across the first paddock to where the tank was between two paddocks.

As I got half way across the pasture, I heard a deep rumble from Freda's throat. Bison make very distinct sounds, and this threatening call only comes when you get too close to a mother's newborn.

There were two more fences and 300 feet between me, the water tank, and Freda near by, but I turned around without taking another step. Bison have very good memories, and you never want to make a new "bad impression" with a cow.

When I made my turn, I saw the flash of another newborn starting to stand further up the pasture. Kajsa got through her delivery without me as her audience.

May Day at the Bison Farm

Happy May Day!

Mom was picking wild violets from her yard when I stopped by with the newspaper this morning. That's her favorite flower from her childhood home, and she's happy that they thrive in this yard too.

My favorite flower to pick this time of year is the lilac. The original bush planted by Kajsa, who homesteaded our family farm, still blooms each year. It was featured on the front cover of Looking Back, the fourth book in my Butter in the Well book series.

As children, we'd take a May Basket of lilacs and tulips to Kajsa's daughter, Julia, who lived on the farm north of us.

Since we've had a late spring this year, the lilac bush is just starting to bloom and in perfect timing for our spring tradition of picking flowers for May Day.

The lilac scent is very powerful in my office today from the big bouquet on my desk. Spring is now officially here for me!

Update on buffalo babies! Cows Clara and Lillie added calves to the herd this week. Freda, Kajsa, and Ida look like they are next to add to the nursery.