RadishRose
SF VIP
- Location
- Connecticut, USA
Thanks @Bonnie!
Working On The Farm
- Thread starter 911
- Start date
Yesterday, my wife and I decided to take a ride down to the big River that is abut 10 miles from home, just to watch the boats. It was a beautiful day, but very warm. On the way home, we drove by one of the many farms in this area when my wife yelled to STOP!
I asked her what was the matter and she said “Look.” I looked to where she was pointing and I saw a large calf with his head stuck through the fence. Having worked on a farm when I was in high school, I had seen this before. The cow wants the grass on the other side and they are able to stick their head through the fence to get it, but then don’t know how to retract it.
As I got to the calf, another car had stopped and a man got out and told me to be careful. I thought to myself that this won’t be a big deal and I can handle it. The calf had other ideas. He was very uncooperative. The fence was made out of wire, so I tried to bend the wires open wider, but was only able to move them about a half inch, which was just not quite opened enough. The calf would not allow me to twist his head into position.
I asked the other man if he had any tools in his car. He said a few, so I asked if I could look and see if I could use any of them. He was agreeable to that. I found a pair of kind of cheap wire cutters and decided to at least try them. The cutters were dull, so I clamped the cutters on one wire, took the pliers and used those to squeeze the handles of the cutters. It worked well enough that I was able to cut the wire, bend it down and push the calf’s head back though, freeing the calf.
I gave the tools back to the man standing with me and drove up to the farmhouse and told the man there what happened. He thanked me and said that he would repair the fence and I went on my way. It just goes to show you that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.
I asked her what was the matter and she said “Look.” I looked to where she was pointing and I saw a large calf with his head stuck through the fence. Having worked on a farm when I was in high school, I had seen this before. The cow wants the grass on the other side and they are able to stick their head through the fence to get it, but then don’t know how to retract it.
As I got to the calf, another car had stopped and a man got out and told me to be careful. I thought to myself that this won’t be a big deal and I can handle it. The calf had other ideas. He was very uncooperative. The fence was made out of wire, so I tried to bend the wires open wider, but was only able to move them about a half inch, which was just not quite opened enough. The calf would not allow me to twist his head into position.
I asked the other man if he had any tools in his car. He said a few, so I asked if I could look and see if I could use any of them. He was agreeable to that. I found a pair of kind of cheap wire cutters and decided to at least try them. The cutters were dull, so I clamped the cutters on one wire, took the pliers and used those to squeeze the handles of the cutters. It worked well enough that I was able to cut the wire, bend it down and push the calf’s head back though, freeing the calf.
I gave the tools back to the man standing with me and drove up to the farmhouse and told the man there what happened. He thanked me and said that he would repair the fence and I went on my way. It just goes to show you that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.
Never mess around with a bull, even the so called gentle breeds. Never approach a bull on foot, they are totally unpredictable.
In Spain the bull ranches never allow a bull to see a human on foot. When the bull is around two years old, a vaquero get a long pole-rides up, at a good clip, jabs the bull with the pole, if the bull reacts in a fierce manner he is put of the list to appear in the arena. (Don't know what happens to the bull if he does not react fiercely.) This was a doc. viewed in the 80's, assume it continues.
Mexican Rodeos, in the small villages, towns are/were unbelievable.-drunk vaqueros (not real vaqueros, that would be a breach of dignity which is extremely important in their culture) ride horses, bulls while far from sober.
Dead drunk is the only way I would crawl on the back of something as tough as a tank and a lot meaner.
. These small towns follow the American Version of rodeos;
Real Mexican rodeos have a very different format, horsemanship is highly honored all events are geared to horsemanship. They have a few in
California, none I'm aware of in Tx. I've forgotten the name for Mexican Rodeos, will goggle.
In Spain the bull ranches never allow a bull to see a human on foot. When the bull is around two years old, a vaquero get a long pole-rides up, at a good clip, jabs the bull with the pole, if the bull reacts in a fierce manner he is put of the list to appear in the arena. (Don't know what happens to the bull if he does not react fiercely.) This was a doc. viewed in the 80's, assume it continues.
Mexican Rodeos, in the small villages, towns are/were unbelievable.-drunk vaqueros (not real vaqueros, that would be a breach of dignity which is extremely important in their culture) ride horses, bulls while far from sober.
Dead drunk is the only way I would crawl on the back of something as tough as a tank and a lot meaner.
. These small towns follow the American Version of rodeos;
Real Mexican rodeos have a very different format, horsemanship is highly honored all events are geared to horsemanship. They have a few in
California, none I'm aware of in Tx. I've forgotten the name for Mexican Rodeos, will goggle.
Just so you are reminded, when I first started working on the farm I was still in high school and had just turned 16. The reason why I mention this is because I need for you to keep in mind that I was very young and dumb about this next story, which came to mind while discussing different types of wool with my wife who does a lot of knitting and crocheting. (She's working with Alpaca wool now.)
Continuing on.....I had finished all of my morning duties and was going over to the pig sties to take care of our breeder hog and check on her stall for cleaning. What am I saying? Of course, her stall needs cleaned and refreshed. When you hear stories about hogs that like to root, she was a major rooter. Even worse when she was in estrous.
I had just gotten to the door on the old barn when Randy yelled for me to go see him. I had my buckets in hand, so I set them inside the barn and walked up the small incline to where he was standing next to the brand new pickup that the owner had bought just the day before. He was always a Ford man, but for whatever reason, this time he bought a new Chevy pickup with a crew cab. It was a beautiful aqua color and white, which is not quite a farm color, but still, I liked it. I thought Randy was going to let me take it for a drive to go do something. I couldn't have been wronger.
So anyway, after I made it to where Randy was standing, he tells me that he would like for me and one of the other hands to gather up the Teaser Rams, (there were 3 of them) and put them in the white trailer, but before I do that, I had to connect the trailer to the new truck. Well, first things first. Now keep in mind, I was young and dumb, but even dumber than I thought. I had to ask him, "Randy, what are teaser rams?" OK, so now he's laughing and wouldn't you know it, old Earl is walking by and he yells at Earl, "Hey, Earl. Come over here a minute." Earl walks his slow pace, but he does get to where we are standing and he asks Randy, "What's up?"
Randy looks at me and says to Earl, "The young buck here wants to know what are teaser rams." Now, old Earl starts to laugh. I know whatever this is, it's going to be bad for me and I'm going to be hearing about this for a few weeks to come. After the frivolous laughing had stopped, Randy tells me that they are rams that have had a vasectomy and then put with the ewes that are going to be bred. The idea is to put these teaser rams with the breeding ewes to stimulate them into estrous and then put them with the breeding rams. So, that brought me to the question, "Why not just let the breeding rams do all the work? After all, we don't have teaser males to get our women turned on." (OK, more laughing.)
So, the answer to my question is that, "You have to keep in mind. The rams got a vasectomy and not castration. So, the teaser rams can still have sex, but not produce any good sperm. They are just shooting blanks now. That's up to the breeding rams that the farmer bought and paid big bucks for. Champion stock, of sorts. These rams are just getting the ewes in the mood to continue breeding when the teaser rams are removed and the champion stock is then put in with the ewes. Understand?" I tell him, "Yeah, I guess so, but it sure seems like a waste having to feed these teaser rams and keep them healthy just so they can get the ewes in the mood." Again, more laughing. At any rate, I did get the trailer connected to the new truck and we did get the teaser rams into the trailer. After that, Randy jumps in the truck and off they go. I asked old Earl where was Randy heading with the teaser rams? He told me that he had to take the rams to the vet to get their shots up to date. I always respected the owner of these 2 farms that he owned. He really made sure that his animals were well taken care of, both medically and fed well. By that I mean, not that we over fed them, but we fed them good quality food. Some farmers that I also met through the business would tell me that to save money on feed for their hogs, they would buy food that was soon out of date from the grocery stores around and bread from the bakery a few towns from where we were.
Like I said in another post. I learned a lot down on that farm and when we got the other farm that my friend's dad bought over the winter, we were really busy that next summer. I made a lot of money and in fact, I would venture to say that I may have made more money than anyone else in my class that summer, but I was also somewhat of a cheapskate and tried to save every penny that I could, but again there are expenses. Back then, it wasn't like today where a lot of times, each person pays their own way. Back in my time, the guy paid most of the freight for whatever we were going to do, like; going out for burgers, going to the movies, going bowling, etc. Guys paid the bill where I came from and it wasn't cheap. I enjoyed dating the girls that I did and I also really didn't mind paying the bill as long as I thought they enjoyed my company and had a good time. I will say that I don't remember ever hearing any complaints.
Then, there was also car insurance and upkeep. I did have other jobs, but that money was used to buy the car. Hey, so what? It was what is was and I wouldn't change a thing, even if I could. As a friend of mine once said, "Thems the good old days."
Continuing on.....I had finished all of my morning duties and was going over to the pig sties to take care of our breeder hog and check on her stall for cleaning. What am I saying? Of course, her stall needs cleaned and refreshed. When you hear stories about hogs that like to root, she was a major rooter. Even worse when she was in estrous.
I had just gotten to the door on the old barn when Randy yelled for me to go see him. I had my buckets in hand, so I set them inside the barn and walked up the small incline to where he was standing next to the brand new pickup that the owner had bought just the day before. He was always a Ford man, but for whatever reason, this time he bought a new Chevy pickup with a crew cab. It was a beautiful aqua color and white, which is not quite a farm color, but still, I liked it. I thought Randy was going to let me take it for a drive to go do something. I couldn't have been wronger.
So anyway, after I made it to where Randy was standing, he tells me that he would like for me and one of the other hands to gather up the Teaser Rams, (there were 3 of them) and put them in the white trailer, but before I do that, I had to connect the trailer to the new truck. Well, first things first. Now keep in mind, I was young and dumb, but even dumber than I thought. I had to ask him, "Randy, what are teaser rams?" OK, so now he's laughing and wouldn't you know it, old Earl is walking by and he yells at Earl, "Hey, Earl. Come over here a minute." Earl walks his slow pace, but he does get to where we are standing and he asks Randy, "What's up?"
Randy looks at me and says to Earl, "The young buck here wants to know what are teaser rams." Now, old Earl starts to laugh. I know whatever this is, it's going to be bad for me and I'm going to be hearing about this for a few weeks to come. After the frivolous laughing had stopped, Randy tells me that they are rams that have had a vasectomy and then put with the ewes that are going to be bred. The idea is to put these teaser rams with the breeding ewes to stimulate them into estrous and then put them with the breeding rams. So, that brought me to the question, "Why not just let the breeding rams do all the work? After all, we don't have teaser males to get our women turned on." (OK, more laughing.)
So, the answer to my question is that, "You have to keep in mind. The rams got a vasectomy and not castration. So, the teaser rams can still have sex, but not produce any good sperm. They are just shooting blanks now. That's up to the breeding rams that the farmer bought and paid big bucks for. Champion stock, of sorts. These rams are just getting the ewes in the mood to continue breeding when the teaser rams are removed and the champion stock is then put in with the ewes. Understand?" I tell him, "Yeah, I guess so, but it sure seems like a waste having to feed these teaser rams and keep them healthy just so they can get the ewes in the mood." Again, more laughing. At any rate, I did get the trailer connected to the new truck and we did get the teaser rams into the trailer. After that, Randy jumps in the truck and off they go. I asked old Earl where was Randy heading with the teaser rams? He told me that he had to take the rams to the vet to get their shots up to date. I always respected the owner of these 2 farms that he owned. He really made sure that his animals were well taken care of, both medically and fed well. By that I mean, not that we over fed them, but we fed them good quality food. Some farmers that I also met through the business would tell me that to save money on feed for their hogs, they would buy food that was soon out of date from the grocery stores around and bread from the bakery a few towns from where we were.
Like I said in another post. I learned a lot down on that farm and when we got the other farm that my friend's dad bought over the winter, we were really busy that next summer. I made a lot of money and in fact, I would venture to say that I may have made more money than anyone else in my class that summer, but I was also somewhat of a cheapskate and tried to save every penny that I could, but again there are expenses. Back then, it wasn't like today where a lot of times, each person pays their own way. Back in my time, the guy paid most of the freight for whatever we were going to do, like; going out for burgers, going to the movies, going bowling, etc. Guys paid the bill where I came from and it wasn't cheap. I enjoyed dating the girls that I did and I also really didn't mind paying the bill as long as I thought they enjoyed my company and had a good time. I will say that I don't remember ever hearing any complaints.
Then, there was also car insurance and upkeep. I did have other jobs, but that money was used to buy the car. Hey, so what? It was what is was and I wouldn't change a thing, even if I could. As a friend of mine once said, "Thems the good old days."
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I understand all about tradition and culture, so I am not passing judgment on these people, but this is something that if I would ever get to Spain, I would not want to witness. I detest anyone that kills an animal for entertainment value, but that's just me, so if they feel good about watching the bull get killed for entertainment purposes, so be it.
I think they are Temple fans and wanted to get to know this guy.
I continued to work on the farm, even into the fall. However, once really cold weather arrived, I was done. It was time to pack it in for the winter and let the few workers that worked on the farm all year to do what they do, which is mostly tend to the equipment and the cattle and other livestock. There were only 3 other guys that worked year round and they were kept busy with tending to the animals, fixing and painting equipment and a lot of cleaning. All of them were just great to be around.
It was getting late into October when we started to harvest the cornfields and take the corn to the grain elevators, which would be used to feed the cattle over the winter. We alternated between corn and hay. Corn is better. It produces more calories and contains more nutrients, so the owner liked to alternate between the grain and the grass. Once we had one of the fields harvested, we would take the cows up to that field and they would graze on any leftover corn that the combine didn't pick up. Once all the corn in that area was gone, they likely would go after the husks, then the leaves and finally the stalk. All provide good nutrients for the cow at little to no cost to the farmer.
We had just finished bringing in the corn one evening and Randy told us that he was really worn out and that he would load the corn into the elevator the next day. So, the rest of us washed up and went home. This was all on a Friday, Columbus Day (I believe) and we had off school for some reason. The next day, Saturday, when I went back to the farm, I noticed that the Vet's SUV was parked in front of the new barn. Inside, the Vet was talking with the owner and he asked who was the last one to leave the night before. I told them that I didn't know and that when I left that Randy and 2 other guys were joking and smoking in front of the horse stable.
That's when he told me that one of the cows wasn't secured and put into the field for the night. She was pretty much left to wander. I guess you know now where this story is heading. Yeah, she found her way over to the grain wagon and loaded up on corn. The thing about a cow eating too much corn all at once is that their stomachs can't digest it fast enough and they fill up with gas. They also get an illness called acidosis. Much like we get an upset stomach, but it can turn very serious if not treated in a cow.
The Vet went back to his SUV and brought back a large glass cider jug. He took a box of baking soda and dumped the box into the bottle and then slowly added water. After that, her put a tube into the cow's mouth. I don't know how far it went in or if it went down her throat. I know that I suffered along with her because it looked so uncomfortable. Next, he pours this mixture into the tube and down her throat, I guess. I never knew cows could burp, but she did that day. She burped and burped and it smelled to high heaven. She was a sick cow for the afternoon, but was eating, which was what we were hoping for, by the time I left that evening.
I never knew if Randy caught the devil or not for not securing all the cows before leaving Friday evening. I really didn't want to know. He never said a word and life just went on. I think that because the cow came out of it so well that the owner was pleased and just decided to overlook it. That's just the way he was. He never got too excited about much.
They were all good people to be around.
It was getting late into October when we started to harvest the cornfields and take the corn to the grain elevators, which would be used to feed the cattle over the winter. We alternated between corn and hay. Corn is better. It produces more calories and contains more nutrients, so the owner liked to alternate between the grain and the grass. Once we had one of the fields harvested, we would take the cows up to that field and they would graze on any leftover corn that the combine didn't pick up. Once all the corn in that area was gone, they likely would go after the husks, then the leaves and finally the stalk. All provide good nutrients for the cow at little to no cost to the farmer.
We had just finished bringing in the corn one evening and Randy told us that he was really worn out and that he would load the corn into the elevator the next day. So, the rest of us washed up and went home. This was all on a Friday, Columbus Day (I believe) and we had off school for some reason. The next day, Saturday, when I went back to the farm, I noticed that the Vet's SUV was parked in front of the new barn. Inside, the Vet was talking with the owner and he asked who was the last one to leave the night before. I told them that I didn't know and that when I left that Randy and 2 other guys were joking and smoking in front of the horse stable.
That's when he told me that one of the cows wasn't secured and put into the field for the night. She was pretty much left to wander. I guess you know now where this story is heading. Yeah, she found her way over to the grain wagon and loaded up on corn. The thing about a cow eating too much corn all at once is that their stomachs can't digest it fast enough and they fill up with gas. They also get an illness called acidosis. Much like we get an upset stomach, but it can turn very serious if not treated in a cow.
The Vet went back to his SUV and brought back a large glass cider jug. He took a box of baking soda and dumped the box into the bottle and then slowly added water. After that, her put a tube into the cow's mouth. I don't know how far it went in or if it went down her throat. I know that I suffered along with her because it looked so uncomfortable. Next, he pours this mixture into the tube and down her throat, I guess. I never knew cows could burp, but she did that day. She burped and burped and it smelled to high heaven. She was a sick cow for the afternoon, but was eating, which was what we were hoping for, by the time I left that evening.
I never knew if Randy caught the devil or not for not securing all the cows before leaving Friday evening. I really didn't want to know. He never said a word and life just went on. I think that because the cow came out of it so well that the owner was pleased and just decided to overlook it. That's just the way he was. He never got too excited about much.
They were all good people to be around.
Butterfly
SF VIP
- Location
- Albuquerque, New Mexico USA
911, I really enjoy your farm stories!
As usual, I was driving with a friend out in the country when I saw an old farmer tending to some cattle, so since I had nothing better to do, I thought that I would stop and maybe strike up a conversation with him. My friend thought that I was nuts, but he stopped anyway.
As I walked up to the old farmer, he stared at me like a gun slinger waiting for me to make my move. When I reached him, I didn’t quite know what to say, so I just made the comment that he had a nice herd, That started it off and he asked me if I had a farm. I told him no, but I had done some farming in my earlier years.
I asked him if he had an all Angus herd. He said he did, so I asked how many head. He said that he had 73 head. I asked if he had any calves. He said he had 15. I then just guessed and said, “It sounds like you have a breeding herd.” He said, “That’s right.” Just out of curiosity, I asked him how much does a calf bring these days. He said that it all depends if it’s a bull or a heifer and weight. So, I asked him, “Well, on average, how much would you say.” He answered by telling me somewhere between $800-1200.
I had to tell him that the farmer I had worked for was lucky if he got $400 back in the early ‘70’s. He said, “Oh yeah, I remember those days. When I first saw this guy while we were driving, I thought this man was at least 80 y/o. I had to ask him his age, I almost choked on my coffee that I was drinking when he told me “66.” Jokingly, I told him he sure didn’t look it. He said, “Yeah, I got great genes.” I thought to myself, “Holy crap. This guy thinks I’m giving him a compliment.”
As I walked up to the old farmer, he stared at me like a gun slinger waiting for me to make my move. When I reached him, I didn’t quite know what to say, so I just made the comment that he had a nice herd, That started it off and he asked me if I had a farm. I told him no, but I had done some farming in my earlier years.
I asked him if he had an all Angus herd. He said he did, so I asked how many head. He said that he had 73 head. I asked if he had any calves. He said he had 15. I then just guessed and said, “It sounds like you have a breeding herd.” He said, “That’s right.” Just out of curiosity, I asked him how much does a calf bring these days. He said that it all depends if it’s a bull or a heifer and weight. So, I asked him, “Well, on average, how much would you say.” He answered by telling me somewhere between $800-1200.
I had to tell him that the farmer I had worked for was lucky if he got $400 back in the early ‘70’s. He said, “Oh yeah, I remember those days. When I first saw this guy while we were driving, I thought this man was at least 80 y/o. I had to ask him his age, I almost choked on my coffee that I was drinking when he told me “66.” Jokingly, I told him he sure didn’t look it. He said, “Yeah, I got great genes.” I thought to myself, “Holy crap. This guy thinks I’m giving him a compliment.”
One night while laying in my hospital bed, I was reading a story in Reader’s Digest that reminded me of the time while I was working on the farm and we were getting the calves loaded into the truck to take to auction . Randy, the boss, told John, another seasonal worker and myself to load up the 3 heifers in the barn onto the truck.
All 3 of the heifers were in the same stall, so I was of the thought that we were just going to put halters on them and walk them to the truck. John was older than I was (I was 16 at that time), so I yielded to him because I thought he had more experience than I did. John asked me what I was doing. I told him that I was getting ropes so we could put a halter on the calves. He told me not to do that, we would just open the gate and chase them onto the truck. Yeah, well, you can imagine how that worked out.
I was told to open the gate while he guided the heifers onto the truck. I opened the gate and all 3 heifers ran out the gate, past John and into the field we use to grow hay, which we had cut just a few days earlier. Once in the field, they stopped and began to graze. John yells to me, “Hey, Barry, bring out some ropes.”
It just goes to show you, “Your never too old to learn, John.”
All 3 of the heifers were in the same stall, so I was of the thought that we were just going to put halters on them and walk them to the truck. John was older than I was (I was 16 at that time), so I yielded to him because I thought he had more experience than I did. John asked me what I was doing. I told him that I was getting ropes so we could put a halter on the calves. He told me not to do that, we would just open the gate and chase them onto the truck. Yeah, well, you can imagine how that worked out.
I was told to open the gate while he guided the heifers onto the truck. I opened the gate and all 3 heifers ran out the gate, past John and into the field we use to grow hay, which we had cut just a few days earlier. Once in the field, they stopped and began to graze. John yells to me, “Hey, Barry, bring out some ropes.”
It just goes to show you, “Your never too old to learn, John.”
The farm owner wanted to plant 20 acres of a different hybrid of corn that he had never tried before. He told a few of the hands that this new hybrid was supposed to be a higher content of protein and hopefully would cause the steers to grow faster and put on more weight. That way, he could take them to market sooner, get more money per pound and get paid quicker.
Over the winter, the owner took 7 steers from the beef herd and had them fed a steady diet of the new corn, along with grass and hay. By April, the steers had gained a lot of weight. He estimated that they weighed between 750-900 pounds each. These steers were now about 2 years old, so they were going to market.
Just a few weeks before they were supposed to go to market, they developed tiny polyps inside their mouth. First one, then another and another until all 7 had polyps. The only thing that had changed was the corn. The owner spoke with a couple of Vets, but none had an answer as to why the steers had polyps.
After weeks of trying one thing and another, he took one of the steers to Penn State’s agriculture department. They ran a number of tests and after about a month, they told the owner that the problem was the corn. The corn was determined to have a very high count of protein. It was actually meant to be mixed with other nutrients and given to bulls, but for only a few months before taking them to market.
So ended the experimenting with new grains. The steers condition did clear up after taking them off of the new corn and giving them some medicine. The owner finally told some of us that he didn’t lose any money on the steers, but didn’t get anywhere near what he had expected. What was most interesting about this was that the corn didn’t look as yellow as most other kernels. It was very light colored.
Boring story, I know, but it’s all that I had for the moment. I’ll think of something better later. Maybe something about fertilizers. That should peak everyone’s interest.
Over the winter, the owner took 7 steers from the beef herd and had them fed a steady diet of the new corn, along with grass and hay. By April, the steers had gained a lot of weight. He estimated that they weighed between 750-900 pounds each. These steers were now about 2 years old, so they were going to market.
Just a few weeks before they were supposed to go to market, they developed tiny polyps inside their mouth. First one, then another and another until all 7 had polyps. The only thing that had changed was the corn. The owner spoke with a couple of Vets, but none had an answer as to why the steers had polyps.
After weeks of trying one thing and another, he took one of the steers to Penn State’s agriculture department. They ran a number of tests and after about a month, they told the owner that the problem was the corn. The corn was determined to have a very high count of protein. It was actually meant to be mixed with other nutrients and given to bulls, but for only a few months before taking them to market.
So ended the experimenting with new grains. The steers condition did clear up after taking them off of the new corn and giving them some medicine. The owner finally told some of us that he didn’t lose any money on the steers, but didn’t get anywhere near what he had expected. What was most interesting about this was that the corn didn’t look as yellow as most other kernels. It was very light colored.
Boring story, I know, but it’s all that I had for the moment. I’ll think of something better later. Maybe something about fertilizers. That should peak everyone’s interest.
Geezerette
Senior Member
Not at all boring! In the 1990s I lived much closer to farm country than I do now and a lot of the many-generation farmers were very suspicious of what was coming out of the Ag schools, both in terms of feed and fertilizers. They were much more into simpler things like rotating crops and pastures if they could. One rural memory I enjoyed in VA was a certain field I often passed that was full of free range white turkeys in mild weather. And another with shiny fat black angus.
Butterfly
SF VIP
- Location
- Albuquerque, New Mexico USA
911, I agree with Geezerette. Your stories are never boring, and I actually find them very entertaining. My farm (very small farm) memories from childhood run more toward chickens and turkeys and trying to get them to go where you wanted them to go. I do remember once, for some reason I can't recall, or maybe I never even knew, all the chickens were found roosting up in the trees instead of in their coops. I remember my mother's goofy efforts to get them all to come down and back where they belonged. I thought it was great fun, but my mother clearly didn't see it that way.
JonDouglas
Senior Member
- Location
- New England
The farm work I remember that was the toughest IMHO - walking the fields and detasseling corn from morning to evening.
Even after working on the farm during summer, I would still help out on weekends and holidays year round. During the winter, a lone duck landed into the pond behind the old barn. Every now and then I would throw some corn on the ground hoping the duck would come ashore and eat it. It wasn’t but a few days later another duck flew into the pond. Both were male Mallards. I continued to throw the corn along the pond’s edge. I could tell something had been eating because it was disappearing.
The next weekend that I went to work on the farm, there were now 4 ducks in the pond and 2 on the shore. We now had 6 ducks, 2 of them were females, all were Mallards. I kept throwing the corn down on the ground, a little more each time as the flock grew. By Christmas, we had 11 ducks on or near the pond. The owner started complaining about the ducks because he had a dog, a mixed Lab, and the ducks were starting to annoy the dog. The dog wanted to chase after the ducks, but couldn’t because the pond had a fence around it to keep the owner’s grandchildren from straying into the pond.
My friend, whose dad owned the farm, asked me if I knew who was throwing the corn down by the pond because his dad wanted it stopped so the ducks would leave. I lied to my friend and told him, no, I didn’t know anything about it. A few weeks later, I was preparing to leave work and I had filled 2 of my coat pockets with loose corn. Just as I was about to throw the corn to the ducks, the owner came out of the back door of the old barn and caught me. He kind of scolded me, but he wasn’t mean spirited about it. He just wanted it stopped so the ducks would leave and give his dog some peace.
I asked the owner if it would be possible to move the dog’s box to the other side of the barn, so the dog couldn’t see the ducks. He told me to try it and that worked out OK. Everyone liked watching the ducks, so they were allowed to stay and were eating better than ever. We started throwing ground corn, so the ducks could digest it easier. Next thing I knew, we all started calling the pond, the “Duck Pond.”
When spring arrived, 5 of the ducks flew off. A few days later, we heard the ducks quacking like crazy. The one worker said they were getting ready to fly off because that’s what they do when they are preparing to fly. The quacking went on for a good half hour. Randy, our boss, walked over to where 2 of the Mallards were quacking and quickly returned. He told us that we have 3 new-born ducklings. That’s what the quacking was all about. We never knew that there was a nest over there because at the end of the pond where the ducks were, it gets very thick with tall grass.
The next weekend that I went to work on the farm, there were now 4 ducks in the pond and 2 on the shore. We now had 6 ducks, 2 of them were females, all were Mallards. I kept throwing the corn down on the ground, a little more each time as the flock grew. By Christmas, we had 11 ducks on or near the pond. The owner started complaining about the ducks because he had a dog, a mixed Lab, and the ducks were starting to annoy the dog. The dog wanted to chase after the ducks, but couldn’t because the pond had a fence around it to keep the owner’s grandchildren from straying into the pond.
My friend, whose dad owned the farm, asked me if I knew who was throwing the corn down by the pond because his dad wanted it stopped so the ducks would leave. I lied to my friend and told him, no, I didn’t know anything about it. A few weeks later, I was preparing to leave work and I had filled 2 of my coat pockets with loose corn. Just as I was about to throw the corn to the ducks, the owner came out of the back door of the old barn and caught me. He kind of scolded me, but he wasn’t mean spirited about it. He just wanted it stopped so the ducks would leave and give his dog some peace.
I asked the owner if it would be possible to move the dog’s box to the other side of the barn, so the dog couldn’t see the ducks. He told me to try it and that worked out OK. Everyone liked watching the ducks, so they were allowed to stay and were eating better than ever. We started throwing ground corn, so the ducks could digest it easier. Next thing I knew, we all started calling the pond, the “Duck Pond.”
When spring arrived, 5 of the ducks flew off. A few days later, we heard the ducks quacking like crazy. The one worker said they were getting ready to fly off because that’s what they do when they are preparing to fly. The quacking went on for a good half hour. Randy, our boss, walked over to where 2 of the Mallards were quacking and quickly returned. He told us that we have 3 new-born ducklings. That’s what the quacking was all about. We never knew that there was a nest over there because at the end of the pond where the ducks were, it gets very thick with tall grass.
Pecos
Well-known Member
- Location
- Washington State
I spent four years in Spain and was persuaded that I needed to see at least one. I can tell you that one was more than enough for me.
We had quite a few sailors and marines get hooked on bullfights and some attended one of them every week.
I lived close to Jerez de la Frontera and not too far from Rhonda de la Frontera (where bullfighting originated) and preoccupation with it was visible everywhere.
One side effect is that we had quite a few wives who seemed fascinated with all the bling that the bullfighters wore and chose to find out where they hung out and have affairs with them. Our station had way too many divorces over this.
The whole scene was disgusting to me.
The 3-wheel tractors were probably more dangerous than others. During my time on the farm, I wasn’t aware of any accidents that we had experienced. We had both dairy and beef cattle and even our own breeding herds. Animal husbandry was just starting to come into realization in the early to mid 60’s for us, but the owner was already bringing in experts to discuss the procedures involved. It wasn’t too early to begin to prepare for what lied ahead. Artificially impregnating the heifers and cows was a lot cheaper than feeding, boarding and paying Vet bills for bulls.