Cleaning the Ear Tags

October 5, 2017

The way we identify cows is by their ID number, listed on their ear tag. It is important to keep the tags clean so we can tell which cow is which when giving vaccinations and more. Because of this, it is necessary to keep their ear tags clean. We noticed that the cows ear tags had gotten very dirty, so we decided to clean them. To clean the ear tags, we put the cows in the headlock feeder, a feeder that traps their heads so that they will be stuck but still can eat. We then climbed into the feeder and cleaned their ear tags while they were still eating. We used paper towels and Windex spray cleaner to get rid of the dirt on the tags. The headlock feeder can also be used to make giving the cows vaccinations and medications. We also use it to keep the cow still when trying to weigh them.

Measuring the Weights of Cows and Goats

On October 12th and 14 we weighed the goats and cows at home winds. Most people would use a scale but in our case we used a tape measure. Using a tape measure in less expensive and as accurate as a scale. It's also less of a hassle because you would have to physically move the animal and make sure it stayed in place. When measuring a cow or goat you have to wrap the tape around right behind the two front legs. It also helps to measure the heart girth of the goat or cow. To get the carcass weight you must take 50% of the live weight.  The only major issue using a measuring tape is human error. This is why we have to average out multiple measurements. The main weight in a cow is in the torso and also in the goat, But when measuring a animal theres always a possibility of getting hurt by a kick.  

An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away!

On September 29th we went to the garden to do apple picking. Apples are a healthy food that people consume every day in their diets. They contain a high amount of fiber and vitamin C which can help with your digestive system and your immune system. The fiber in the apple cleanses and removes food through the digestive tract. Also, apples contain no fat or cholesterol and no fat at all. They also may help with preventing cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes. The skin of the apple provides many nutrients and antioxidants. Eating apples can also assist in weight management, bone health, and pulmonary function. However, apples are acidic and can lead to damaging of the tooth enamel. Apples are grown in every single state in the United States. They also come in shades of red, green, and yellow. The different types of apples are Red Delicious, Gold Delicious, Fuji, Gala, Empire, Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Macintosh, and many more.

Cow Feeding

One of the main factors of taking care of cattle is nutrition and health. Cattle must be fed at least once a day with food that is proper nutrition within it. Cattle sweet feed is filled with protein, carbohydrates, fiber vitamins, and minerals that cows must intake in order to stay healthy. If apples are leftover from the orchard, chunks of apple will be placed in the cows feeder for them to eat as well. Along with the sweet feed, cows forge for their food grazing the grass and plants that are in the area. At the Home Winds Farm, in order to feed the cattle, the head lock feeder is used as a method of feeding. The head lock feeder locks the cattle's head in place while they feed, so if they need to be inspected or vaccinated then they will not escape. These head lock feeders are made out of twelve gage steel, which is very strong for the size of our cows.





The Cattle in the head lock feeder and grazing the fields.

Duck Stall Cleaning 2

On September 28, we went to the farm to clean the duck stalls.

They had been sent for processing and the stalls needed to be cleaned. First, we had to look around in the stall in order to find eggs that may have been hidden. Then we used pitchforks and shovels in order to clean up the hay in the stall. In order to scrape up the dirt that was layered on the cement, we used a front blade. We were wondering how long this task would take if one person were to do it all. Since it took us about 15 minutes with five people working, we figure that it would take about an hour and fifteen minutes to complete.

Duck Stall Cleaning

The ducks went to the slaughterhouse to be killed and used for meat. We used the various tools to completely clean the area that the ducks lived in so that a baby goat could be born there in October. We started off by raking the pine shavings into a big pile and scooped them into huge cans. There were dried feces and dirt stuck to the ground which we scraped up with a scraper tool. As we were scraping away the dirt, we saw some insects living in the dirt. After the floor was clean, we put the cans full of pine shavings and dirt and all that was on the ground into the back of the cart that is used around the farm to transport things.

Apple Picking

Apple Picking at the Garden

On Friday, September 29, we went to the garden and picked the last of the apples. It was the last picking of the season; any remaining apples would go to waste. The best apples were saved for human consumption, the less attractive ones were used for apple cider, and the rest were used for animal feed or were disposed of.

good apple; fit for people to eat

bad apple; used for animal feed

Decent apple; used for making apple cider