[/caption]We have been so busy here on the farm. Collecting compost and preparing our gardens for seedlings. It's the most beautiful time of the year when the air is cool and fresh with few light showers of rain. We don't have to hide under trees to find shade and the tree flowers are blossoming beautiful reds and pinks for Valentines! New little babies appear.
[caption id="attachment_2240" align="alignnone" width="640" caption="Mama licking away the afterbirth from her baby"]
[/caption]We missed the actual birth by minutes, mama cows always know when there isn't going to be anyone about. The little calf was still lying down when we arrived but my camera wouldn't work so I managed to catch these few photos as he begun to stand.
[caption id="attachment_2241" align="alignnone" width="640" caption="The little bull calf didn't take long to find out where the milkies were."]
[/caption]This mama was very protective so we didn't get too close. She gently licked her little calf clean. The mothers usually consume all of the afterbirth once it's eliminated from her. The little bull calf didn't waste any time searching for those nipples. He was head butting the mother out of frustration.
[caption id="attachment_2246" align="alignnone" width="640" caption="Little calf the next day"]
[/caption]This photo was taken the next day but he's so big now since his birth about two weeks ago and still happily grazing alongside and drinking milk from his mother.
[caption id="attachment_2242" align="aligncenter" width="533" caption="Sania caring for the little chick"]
[/caption]One of our hens had 8 little chicks but only 5 survived. Two of them were weak and one was snatched up by one of our dogs :( The children have been having much fun and taking great care of them.
- Sania's special chick
Sania is especially attached to this little chick. The children open their chicken house in the mornings so they can scratch around in their little garden, finding many worms and insects.
- Small snake found under the roosting box
A small snake we found under the hen's roosting box. I wonder if it would have eaten one of the little chicks.
The children use their pony to transport grass to their garden
The children set their ponies to work. The palettes of grass were quite heavy to transport to their garden so their sweet little ponies assisted them.
Beautiful pictures, what a wonderful thing to experience new life!
ReplyDeleteSo much life! I love the photo of the boys and their pony carting grass around - very sweet!
ReplyDeleteHow lovely Jeanene! Oh my, to witness this beautiful mama cow after the birth of her calf, so very precious. Richard my husband, told me once that when he was working on a kibbutz in Israel many years ago, he experienced a cow giving birth, the sun was just rising over the mountains, it was so quiet and there was this sweet little calf. He said it was such a moving experience...
ReplyDeleteLove to you
Linda
Like a poem. Even the snake. Your days seem so mellow. We got more snow tonight, and my hands have been aching as I am in the barn in the mornings, cleaning up and throwing the hay. Sania's special chick. I smile.
ReplyDeleteit's so fun to visit you this way. i've had the fortune of seeing a new colt and two burros also just after being born on our family ranch. it's soooo magical to see isn't it? and i think it's so sweet that sania has his own special chick... : )
ReplyDeleteLife on a farm is so amazing, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteThere is no end to the magic on your farm. It is amazing to see so much new life unfolding all around you and your family! I also just love the way Sania's gentleness comes through in every picture we see of him. It's almost as if he was born knowing how to tread gently on the earth.
ReplyDeleteoh my, how wonderful! what a happy carefree life for your boys!
ReplyDeletehow incredible!! i love that photo of sania's special chick. oh my momma cow!! that's a lot of milk!!
ReplyDeleteall these precious moments, Nana misses her beautiful little boys, amazing this time of the year with new life on the farm. love to you all. xxxxx
ReplyDeleteyou're back!!! yay
ReplyDeleteMy goodness your life looks ideal! How my kids would love a life like your boys.
We have just got some chickens for the first time, the kids have loved them so much that I think that they are a little traumatised :P They would love to get some chicks or rather hatch some chicks maybe in a month or so.
Good to have you back
Carolyne
Hi Jeanene,
ReplyDeleteSo good to see your pictures. So many wonderful memories here for you all. My boys loved the snake picture best of all. Oh, to visit and play! Have a good week.
Amazing mama!! What a great farming experience!! As we transition from our midwestern city life in Minneapolis MN, and head towards the rual mountian towns of CO, I am constantly looking for great farmy-blogs and these pictures are serving my farm fix right now! You've got to write more about your animal and food productions!! I'd love to hear/read/see more!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd that doll------------ you got some awesome handwork talent!!!
xoxo
~Samantha
you paint such a wonderful life of your family living on the farm. Lovely.
ReplyDeleteOh I just love spring on the farm :) Your boys are able to experience so many wonderful things. Great photos!
ReplyDeleteSuch a beautiful post and the pictures are amazing. How wonderful for you and your family to live on a farm and to experience such magical moments of nature.
ReplyDeleteI also wanted to thank you for visiting and commenting on my blog recently and your kind words at a difficult time meant such a lot. It's taken a while for me to get back into regular blogging and catch up on blog reading but I'm looking forward to reading more here and know I'll be back to visit often! Delighted to have found your lovely blog. :)