Snow?

[cowman]

After having a nice dry winter, we seem to have been getting lots of snow lately? It was basically bare here until about two weeks ago?
I suspect it could be a wet spring, which isn't a bad thing, just not too keen on mud.
So how is your moisture this year? If you can believe the Western Producer, it looks like it is dry north of Central Alberta and dry north of Saskatoon. Manitoba looks like it has lots of moisture.

[wd40]

We had above average soil moisture in the fall, and have had 8" of snow in the past week. I would think a lot will melt in the next few days but we could still get more in March.
I think we are in good shape here in west central AB as far as moisture goes if we get the April and May rains.

[countryguy]

Out here we had a bunch of rain late in the fall,then about 18 inches of snow that melted,and now when I venture off the beaten path into the bush there is probably another 2 and a half feet in there.I am starting to get real excited with the prospect of not having to seed a crop this year and collecting excess moisture insurance!

[Horse]

North west of Edmonton we had no snow unrtil a couple weeks ago and now we have about 4 in but it is wery flufy in Ponoka they have about 2 ft I understand and in High Level about 1 ft.

[PureCountry]

In Hardisty, no snow all winter, until two weeks ago, but there's only 6 inches. So far, it's been a great winter. Warm and mild, then moisture in time for spring.

[cowman]

Just from casual observation I would say we have about 10 inches to a foot. Observed while being politically incorrect by plowing snow so my cows can eat on the ground instead of trampling everything into the snow!
Why it probably wasted 20 gallons of deisel fuel, but then it is nice seeing them eating without standing in a foot of snow...just my opinion!
I've come to the conclusion I'll just never learn and be comfortable with being a holistic guru? I guess I'll just have to wear a label of dinosaur for the rest of my life...or until I go broke because I never squeezed every nickel til it squeaked!

[cowman]

Hee Hee Hee cowman. I am as guilty as you are, got the entire area where I feed the cows plowed out and also all the pens in the corral. Guess we not only are dinasaurs but we waste fossil fuel, and I am worse than most because of my SUV !!!! At any rate, the cows are eating the hay not tramping it into the snowbank and they are able to hike for 1/4 mile to water without having to flounder up past their knees.
When I was a little kid my dad and mom got me a puppy and my dad told me then to treat that dog in the same manner I would wish to be treated....guess I have retained some of that advice.

[grassfarmer]

Not only wasting fuel plowing snow but you can afford to waste feed by feeding it on the ground too! What happened to the dinosaurs again?

[grassfarmer]

grassfarmer, I put feed in feeders when I bring the cows in prior to calving but the rest of the winter as long as the snow isn't too deep they are fed in a twenty acre paddock, which allows me to feed in a different area daily. This not only allows them to spread the manure but it forces them to walk a distance every day to water and mineral .
Allowing the cattle to spread the manure is environmentally more sustainable than having it all piled up around feeders, and making them walk to water is providing good excercise for pregnant cows....which according to my vet is a very good practice.

[cowman]

Well the dinosaurs became extinct...which is probably exactly what will happen to guys like me! But thats okay...everything changes and I suppose you change or quit?
That idea doesn't bother me very much anymore? When the profit gets to the point where I can't do it how I want to...then its adios and move on to something else!
I guess I'm getting old because I sure think a lot about living by the ocean and spending my time lazing about fishing and growing tomatoes! I think eventually we all should realize sooner or later we should take some time to smell the roses? I am trying to wean myself away from work, but that darned kid thinks I am his personal slave or something!

[Cattleman]

Cowman, maybe your son got those type of expectations from his old man??....just kidding!

[cswilson]

Well finally got enough snow so our cows can go to licking again-we've got outr bales placed till late april so all we've got to do on the big bunch of cows is open a gate every week. They won't be back in the yard again till next fall or A'I time if breed off the home field. Bale grazing working pretty good so far-not much waste-the horse herd actually leaves the bales and goes pawing where we fed before-still have 300 or so yard cattle to feed but only takes 2-3 hours a week to fill the feeders for them.

[cowman]

Well Cattleman, there could be some truth in that, although I've always enjoyed seeing others work hard if I get the chance! Actually I always thought I did my best work down on coffee row...but will admit I was such a greedy sucker I had trouble ever passing up a buck!
We are having a hard time hiring some summer help this year. My old reliable is not doing very well and the two college kids we had last year are working full time for oil companies. We have one young farm kid lined up and are still wooing an old county guy, but that doesn't look promising.
My son is talking about buying more cows and breeding quite a few heifers so I might not get to slack off much this summer. He bought a half section 12 miles from home last year and it all takes up time.

[cowman]

ah, but cowman it will keep you fit, and healthy and not abusing the health system because you have let yourself get fat and idle !!!!! You should thank your son and throw your energies into being his right hand man !!!!!
LOL.
I find that I enjoy days like yesterday when I can get out and really work bedding pens, shovelling out gates and doors, and just all around getting some darn old fashioned excercise.
I have a complete gym in my home and use it regularly but it just is not the same as being out with God's creatures, some of whom are getting very close to calving. I chased one into the corral an hour ago because she had headed off into a corner of the barnyard and thats a sure sign.

[kato]

Anybody need some extra snow? We can spare some. Around our yard we've got between two and three feet on the level of really heavy wet stuff. The deer don't even go out there anymore. We were coming home today from town and followed a yearling doe for close to a quarter of a mile down the road because she didn't want to go in the ditch!

The field across from our house has enough snow in it that the coyotes ran down a deer right within sight of our front door last week.

Thanks but no thanks, I think we'll let the cows eat from the feeders for a while yet! LOL