dairy and tales: Yeah ,it is good to be a cow today .....

dairy and tales: Yeah ,it is good to be a cow today .....: It is only 10 am and the thermometer outside shows that the temperature is  already 84F ! The perfect day to be out on the beach and c...

Yeah ,it is good to be a cow today .....

It is only 10 am and the thermometer outside shows that the temperature is  already 84F !

The perfect day to be out on the beach and cool of in the cold water. That is exactly what our cows are doing.

Well not on the beach but in the free stall filled up with nice beach sand.

The fans kick on automatic when the temperature in the barn reaches 75 F so they where already running early this morning.

Cow don't like hot weather because they don't sweat. The only way for them to loose body heat is by breathing faster, like a dog .

So we put a lot of fans in the barns and a sprinkle system. When they cows are in the holding pen or  eating at the feed bunk the backs are sprayed with nice cold water.

On a hot day like today you see a lot of cows laying down in the sand chewing their cut or standing at the feed bunk, eating and waiting for the sprinkler system to kick back on again. It sprays for a few minutes at one side of the barn and then it alternates to the other side.

With all the fans and sprinkles it is nice and cool in the barn. Our kids always make fun of the fact that the cows had " air-conditioning "in the barn before we had it in the house.

Yeah, it is good to be a cow today .....

dairy and tales: June is dairy month . So if you need an excuse to ...

dairy and tales: June is dairy month .
So if you need an excuse to ...: June is dairy month . So if you need an excuse to go to town to get an ice cream, use it. I took my family sunday evening to town. The loca...

June is dairy month .
So if you need an excuse to go to town to get an ice cream, use it. I took my family sunday evening to town. The local ice cream parlor served up a nice cone in a homemade waffle and we sat outside enjoying the nice summer evening.
 June is also the month of getting the first cutting of hay and haylage done.The local crop farmer who grows most of our feed, also known as Uncle Ken, got they hay cut, spread out, dry enough to take the chopper to the field to get it chopped. A steady stream of trucks and tractors brought all the good stuff to the farm where it got packed in a big pile (bunker) and covert with plastic and tires to let it ferment for a weeks before feeding it to the cows. Sorry , I forgot to take pictures and will try to make this up with second or third cutting. We also bought some baled hay.
June is also the month before Breakfast on the Farm. We met again this week with this great group of volunteers that are putting in so many hours of dedication to pull of this event for Sanilac County.
So if you have not heard about this event please go to  www.breakfastonthefarm.com or visit the Goma Dairy Farm Facebook pages where more information will be available in the next weeks to come.
And then get in the car that Saturday July 21st  to check out yourself where and how healthy, nutritious milk is being produced and how well modern farms take care of the animals, the people and the environment .