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Hi Everyone,
New Jobs
We started the week out with two new employees. We happily welcomed two young men onto our farm team who are very excited about their new jobs—for one it is his first job, and for the other it is better than his last job where he was dishwasher for a restaurant until past midnight. Wayland had worked a few days for us the week before, but Monday was Shayne’s first day. Mama and I asked Steve (who has worked for us for about 14 years) to come in Monday and Tuesday (he is now partially retired and only works for a few hours Wednesday thru Sunday) and teach the two newbies how to do all the field chores—feed the chickens, move the chicken pens, clean out the waters, feed the heifers, and feed the bulls. Steve graciously agreed (and we did offer to pay him extra for his time). Steve arrived at 8:30 to start his lessons, but Wayland and Shayne were not ready yet. The first thing our workers do when they get to work is put out alfalfa hay for the Jersey milk cows and then go bring in the cows so that they can have time to eat while they set up the milking parlor with all the milking equipment. When they were letting the cows out of their field the youngest calf—Emmy, decided to give them a run for their money. All the cows went out the gate, but Emmy continued to walk beside the cows but on the inside of the field (she missed the gate). Those boys chased her from one end of the field to the other and never could get her to go out the gate—and that was not because they were rookies, it is because it is the nature of the calf. The only difference that experience and wisdom would have given them was to have left her there sooner, or to have had someone standing at the gate to make sure all cows went out and no one went past—but truth be told even that plan can fail the best cowboy from time to time. When Shayne came back up he told us that he didn’t expect to get a Cardio workout within the first 30 minutes of his work day.
As the cows began to enter the milking parlor field I noticed that something was very wrong—our beef bull Jabez, was in the herd. Dijon, our Jersey bull, was up at the front, and he was very leery of the fast approaching Jabez. I told Papa that Jabez was in the herd and he headed in to turn him around—but not fast enough for me or Dijon. As soon as Jabez entered the small area where the cows eat their hay I saw Dijon tuck tail and head for the farthest side of the field. He wanted nothing to do with this bull that was almost twice his size—and beefy. Thankfully Papa got to Jabez shortly after he entered the field and was able to turn him around. It was a jealousy issue. Jabez only has four girls, and Dijon has 19—and two of Dijon’s girls were in heat (ready to be bred). Twice that morning Papa had to put Jabez back—he just kept jumping the hot wire fences in pursuit of the ladies.
Once the morning chores were done in the fields Steve went home and handed the “Supervisor” baton over to me. It was my job to teach Wayland and Shayne how to bottle milk and wash all the milking equipment. I will say first off that I believe that a good supervisor knows how to do the job thoroughly—which means he probably started at the bottom and worked his way up. I will also say that they have to know when to step in and help and when to keep his hands in his pockets and give instructions. If you do it all for the person they do not learn how to do it themselves—yet sometimes you have to teach by demonstration. By the time my second day as supervisor was over I wondered how many people have supervisor jobs and really enjoy watching people work—it just about drove me crazy. I am a hands on, full speed ahead, get it done, out of my way type of girl. I do not do well standing around watching other people work—but I did it. Each piece to the milking equipment is washed a certain way—it isn’t as easy as “go wash the dishes”. You have to teach which parts get washed with a rag, which with a brush and which with a scrubber—then you got to teach them how to properly rinse and where to put all the parts to dry. It was 3:30 by the time all was done and then we only had time to package eggs until 4:30.
The Fight
God knew what he was doing when He sent us Shayne and Wayland. At first we wondered how we would pay two full time workers—but by the time Tuesday was over we realized that we would not be paying two full time workers but two part time workers. Wayland has already joined the Navy—but has to wait until February or April before he heads off for training. He has other commitments that are keeping him busy and helping him prepare for the Navy—so he can only work 20 hours a week (Monday thru Friday half days). Shayne was to be full time—but something happened Tuesday morning that changed that. We are all different in our talents and abilities. One man’s weakness is another man’s strength—and knowing what we can and cannot do is very important to our success in life. Not everyone can climb the highest mountain, swim to the deepest parts of the ocean, play a musical instrument, sing, tame a wild animal, have a desk job, work in the hot sun, fish on ice, or nurse a sick animal back to health. Shayne came to us with a degree in Horticulture and an understanding about chickens—and a willingness to learn about cattle. Then the bulls got into a fight—thankfully it wasn’t to the death, but it left them both injured and Dijon limping. We were eating breakfast when I noticed Dijon walking in the back field past the gardens. I expected the rest of the herd to be right behind him—for surely a gate must have been opened. No other cows appeared. I went to the front window to look out across the pastures and I noticed that Jabez was outside the field where the Jersey cows were—and the gate was closed. The question was—how did Dijon get out? A closer look at the bulls and you could tell that Dijon was limping—and when he came into the milking parlor to eat I noticed that his rump and back legs were badly cut up. I put some Wound Salve that I make out of lanolin, goldenseal and myrrh on his rump wounds—but I wasn’t sure that it would be safe to put any salve on his legs (an arm’s length didn’t seem like a safe enough distance in order to not get kicked if Dijon so chose to kick at me if I touched his wounds). Papa said that Jabez’s nose was all cut up—but I never saw it. Later that day I had to go up to the Chestnut field (where the cows had spent the night) to get two renegade calves and I was able to get a look at the fence where the fight took place. Evidently Jabez got into the field with Dijon and picked a fight. It looks like Jabez pushed Dijon right into the fence, they tussled down it about ten feet and then up and over it (or should I say through it for the fence was pushed over)—meaning that Dijon’s back feet were constantly being caught and tangled in the fence. This episode made Shayne realize that cattle were not an animal that he wanted to get close to. We totally understood and were thankful for his honesty—and a new schedule was revised. Wayland would work the mornings feeding all the cows and chickens, and Shayne would work the afternoons in the gardens (his passion) and helping to package eggs. Both boys would help bottle milk and wash the milking equipment Monday and Tuesdays. Sometimes Shayne will come in early to help take care of the chickens—like next week when Wayland will be gone on a mission trip with his church.
By the way, Dijon is healing up nicely and the next day I did manage to put some salve on his deepest leg wound—and he did not kick at me.
Many Hands Make Light Work
A month ago when it looked like we would have no help processing chickens a fellow farmers wife reached out and offered her families help the next time we processed chickens. We cashed in on that offer last Thursday. Alicia brought four of her children with her and with the three of us—plus Wayland and Shayne we were done with all 48 chickens by 3:30. They wanted to see the gardens, so when we were done I took them out to the East and West Gardens and let them pick some flowers and eat some tomatoes. They say that the more flowers you pick the more they produce—so it is wise to share them.
Friday was another processing day for we had the other half of the birds to process—another 48. This time it was only the three of us plus Wayland (until 3:00) and Shayne (until 4:30). It was a little after 4:00, and I was cutting up the next to last chicken when I let out a yell. Did you know that they make “knife proof” gloves for a reason? Well, I didn’t have mine on and my finger was in the wrong spot at the right time. Mama had to finish cutting up the last two birds (or last bird and a half). Thankfully I was able to work the vacuum sealer, but to my dismay Mama had to wash all the sinks, tables, tubs, knives, and cutting boards by herself. The positive was that I got to come inside and cook dinner so that when Mama and Papa were done outside I had dinner done. Papa came in from the evening chores around 6:30 (and he was soaked from being caught in the rain while gathering eggs) and Mama came in around 7:00 (she had finished clean up around 6:30 but she had to go and feed her bottle calf Leeann).
We were so tired Saturday after two long days of processing. Mama wisely rested—but I pushed myself to: finish another dress that I had started Thursday, harvest the tomatoes, and juice the remaining melons (for the drink I made the week before of melon juice, pineapple juice and lime juice with a bit of sparkling water had been a great success). I will say that I slept all night without a problem—and it is now 10:00 tonight and I am ready for bed. First I must go find my editor (Mama) so that she can proof read this journal and then I can send it out. I hope that you have a lovely week.
Serving you with Gladness,
Tiare